Chapter 8, Sections 9 & 10
Mantra 8-9-1
atha hendro'prapyaiva devanetadbhayam dadarsa yathaiva
khalvayamasmincharire sadhvalamkrte sadhvalamkrto bhavati suvasane suvasanah
pariskrte parishkrta evamevayamasminnandhe'ndho bhavati srame sramah parivrkne
parivrkno'syaiva sarirasya nasamanvesha nasyati nahamatra bhogyam pasyamiti || 8.9.1 ||
But Indra, even before he had reached the gods, saw this
difficulty: "As this reflection in the water is well adorned when the body
is well adorned, well dressed when the body is well dressed, clean when the
body is clean, so this reflection in the water will be blind if the body is
blind, one-eyed if the body is one-eyed, crippled if the body is crippled and
will perish if the body perishes. I don’t see that anything
good will come from this’.
Whereas Virocana
thought Prajapati was
saying the body was the Athma, Indra thought he was saying the
reflection was the Athma. Further
he had a more refined mind due to the practice of Ahimsa unlike the asuras
who had the habit of hurting others for their gains and pleasure. So even
before he returned to Indraloka his mind was assailed with a doubt as he
thought thus. “‘How can that reflection be my Athma?
For when I first looked at the reflection
in the water it looked one way. Then when I put on fine clothes it looked
another way. Suppose I lose a limb. The reflection will show that there is a
limb missing. Whatever change there is in the body will show on the reflection.
And if the body perishes, the reflection will be gone. So it cannot be the
Athma as guru himself spoke of the Athma as something free from
change, free from all defects, and immortal. So I must approach him again and seek
clarification expressing my doubts.”
Since Indra had sraddha in guru’s words, he thought he may be
wrong in understanding guru’s words rather than imagining guru was wrong in his
teaching.
Mantras 8-9-2&3
sa samitpaniḥ punareyaya tam ha prajapatiruvacha
maghavanyacchantahrdayah pravrajih sardham virochanena kimicchanpunaragama iti
sa hovacha yathaiva khalvayam bhagavo'smincharire sadhvalamkrte sadhvalamkrto
bhavati suvasane suvasanah parishkrte parishkrta evamevayamasminnandhe'ndho
bhavati srame sramah parivrkne parivrkno'syaiva sarirasya nasamanvesha nasyati
nahamatra bhogyam pasyamiti || 8.9.2 ||
evamevaisha maghavanniti hovachaitaṃ tveva te
bhuyo'nuvyakhyasyami vasaparani dvatrimsatam varshaniti sa haparani
dvatrimsatam varshanyuvasa tasmai hovacha || 8.9.3 || iti navamah khandah ||
Indra returned with fuel in hand. Prajapati asked: ‘Indra, you left with Virochana happy in mind. What has made you come
back?’ Indra replied: ‘Revered Sir, when the body is well decorated, the
reflection is also well decorated. When the body is in fine clothes, the
reflection is also in fine clothes. When the body is neat and clean, the
reflection is also neat and clean. Again, suppose a person is blind. Then the
reflection will show a blind body. Or if the body is lame, the reflection will
show a lame body. Or if the body is hurt in some way, the reflection will show
the same. Then again, if the body is destroyed, the reflection is gone. I don’t
see anything good in this’. (2) Prajapati said:
‘Indra, it is so. I will explain the Athma
to you again. Stay here another thirty-two years.’ Indra lived another
thirty-two years there. Then Prajapati said to him— (3). End of section
nine.
Indra went back with samithpani in hand as a sign
of humility and as an expression of his desire to learn more about the Athma. Prajapathi was happy that one of the
two had come back seeking further instructions.
But he did not show it and asked Indra the purpose of his return. For, after all, he left earlier happy and
satisfied with Virochana. Then Indra
narrated his doubt and told him that he is not satisfied with his earlier
conclusion that the reflection is the Athma. Prajapathi affirmed the correctness of the
doubt and he said that he will explain the Athma to him again and asked him to
prepare himself to receive the teaching by staying with him for another
thirty-two years. Indra lived there for another thirty-two years practicing Brahmacharya
and at the end of the period Prajapathi instructed him. What he said
will be stated in the next section. The section nine ends here.
Mantras 8-10-1&2
ya esha svapne mahiyamanascharatyesha athmeti
hovachaitadamrtamabhayametadbrahmeti sa ha santahrdayah pravavraja sa
haprapyaiva devanetadbhayaṃ dadarsa tadyadyapidam sariramandham bhavatyanandhah
sa bhavati yadi sramamasramo naivaisho'sya doshena dushyati || 8.10.1 ||
na vadhenasya hanyate nasya sramyena sramo ghnanti
tvevainaṃ vicchadayantivapriyavetteva bhavatyapi roditiva nahamatra bhogyam
pasyamiti || 8.10.2 ||
(Prajapathi said) "He
who moves about, adored, in dreams-this is the Athma, this is immortal,
fearless. This is Brahman." Then
Indra went away satisfied in heart. But even before he had reached the gods, he
saw this difficulty: "Although this dream- self is not blind even if the
body is blind, nor do its eyes and nose run when the eyes and nose of the body
run; although this dream-self is not affected by the defects of the body, nor
killed when the body is killed, nor one-eyed when the body is one-eyed; yet
they kill it (the dream self), as it were; they chase it, as it were. It
becomes conscious of pain, as it were; it weeps, as it were. I do not see any
good in this doctrine." (1&2)
After thirty-two years, Prajapati said to Indra, ‘When
you are asleep you have dreams and you find yourself moving about as if you are
very great and powerful. That dream-self is the Athma. That is fearless, immortal and that is
Brahman.’ In the earlier teaching he
pointed to Visva, the waker-self, whose lakshyartha is Athma,
the Consciousness as Athma. Now
he is drawing attention to Taijasa, the dream-self, whose lakshyartha is
also Athma, the Consciousness, to reveal the Athma. Indra this time also understood wrongly the vachyartha, the
dream-self, as Athma and left satisfied.
This time Prajapathi was not worried that Indra has not understood
for he was confident that Indra who had shown discrimination in rejecting the
gross body as anathma will realise his mistake before long. True to his thinking Indra on the way back
began to think about what Prjapathi had said and he thought “It is true
that dream-self is independent of the body and is not affected by the defects
of the body. But
I find that even in my dreams I am sometimes happy and sometimes unhappy.
Sometimes I am in pain, and sometimes I am crying. And sometimes I even see
myself being chased by someone and I am frightened. Prajapati said the Athma
is free from fear, so how could this fear come? It should not happen. If the Athma
is subject to such limitations and unpleasant experiences, then it is not free
and perfect. So, I am not happy with my thinking and I will seek further
clarification.”
Mantras 8-10-3&4
sa samitpanih punareyaya tam ha prajapatiruvacha
maghavanyachchantahrdayah pravrajih kimichchanpunaragama iti sa hovacha
tadyadyapidam bhagavah sariramandham bhavatyanandhah sa bhavati yadi
sramamasramo naivaisho'sya doshena dushyati || 8.10.3 ||
na vadhenasya hanyate nasya sramyena sramo ghnanti tvevainam
vicchadayantivapriyavetteva bhavatyapi roditiva nahamatra bhogyam
pasyamityevamevaisha maghavanniti hovachaitam tveva te bhuyo'nuvyakhyasyami
vasaparani dvatrimsatam varshaniti sa haparaṇi dvatrimsatam varshanyuvasa
tasmai hovacha || 8.10.4 || iti dasamah khandah ||
Indra
returned (to Prajapati) with fuel in hand. Prajapati asked him:
"O Indra, you went away satisfied in heart; now for what purpose have you
come back?" He (Indra) replied: "Venerable Sir, although this dream
self is not blind even if the body is blind, nor do its eyes and nose run when
the eyes and nose of the body run; although this self is not affected by the
defects of the body, nor killed when the body is killed, nor one-eyed when the
body is one-eyed; yet they kill it (the dream self), as it were; they chase it,
as it were. It becomes conscious of pain, as it were; it weeps, as it were. I
do not see any good in this." "So it is, Indra," replied Prajapati.
"I shall explain the Athma further to you. Live here for another
thirty-two years." Indra lived there for another thirty-two years. Then Prajapati
said to Indra: (3&4). End of section ten.
Indra came back to Prajapathi
carrying samithpani as an expression of his desire to learn
further. Though Prjapathi guessed
the purpose he didn’t show it and asked the reason for his return. Then Indra narrated his deliberation on
Prajapathi’s teaching and said “Revered Sir, the dream-self, no doubt, is free
from the drawbacks that body had but it is also not free from drawbacks as in
dream, it is conscious of pain, feels sad and miserable, gets chased and even
killed. So I feel it cannot be the Athma,
as I have heard from you that it is immortal, fearless and without grief or
sorrow. So Sir, please explain to me
about the Athma again”. Then Prajapathi
affirming the correctness of his doubt, said that he will explain the Athma
to him again and asked him to prepare himself to receive the further teaching
by staying with him for another thirty-two years. Indra lived there for another
thirty-two years practicing Brahmacharya and at the end of the period Prajapathi
instructed him. What he said will be stated in the next section. The section
ten ends here.
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