Emerging out of Ignorance

(Athma Bodha 9)

In these verses one can note a gradual shift in the standpoint from the body level to the Absolute level.

Verse 39

Atmanyeva Akhilam Drusyam Pravilaapya Dhiyaa Sudheeh I

Bhavayet Ekam Aatmaanam Nirmala Akaasavat Sadaa. II

The wise one should intelligently merge the entire world-of- objects in the Athma alone and constantly think of that Athma (Self) ever as stainless as the sky

What is described in this verse can be stated as “dissolving the world with one’s intellect.”  The world is viewed as a thought, projection within the mind and not as an external object.  Just as the dream-world has gone back and merged into the very mind that dreamt the dream, so too the world of perceptions ends in the internal experience of the Athma, the illuminator of all finite experiences.  All the finite experiences, good, bad and indifferent, do not affect the Athma, and Athma remains as pure as ever like the sky which is not contaminated by the clouds moving across it and remains ever pure.  Here the intelligence needed is the power of discrimination. Merging the visible world with Athma is by visualizing the Athma in everything perceived in the external world.

Verse 40

Roopa Varnaadikam Sarvam Vihaaya Paramaarthavit I

Paripoorna Chidananda Svaroopena Avatishtate. II

He, who has realised the Supreme, discards all his identifications with the objects of names and forms and dwells as the embodiment of the Infinite Consciousness and Bliss.

When one wakes up from the dream state, the dream world is totally destroyed to be replaced by the waking world, which is one of names and forms experienced by various senses.  In a similar way the manifested universe, the world of names and forms, which is described here as as the field of five senses is mentally destroyed for the one who has attained the state of Self-Realisation.  For him the world of names and forms has merged into the substratum, the Self and the knower of the Self as Brahman has transformed himself mentally, an embodiment of the Infinite Consciousness and Bliss, the Brahman.  Just as the dream has ended for the dreamer on waking up, so too all the perceptions of the world recognised by the waker as limited ego end when the Supreme state of Pure Consciousness is realised.

Verse 41

Jnaatru Jnaana Jneya Bhedah Pare na Atmani Vidyate I

Chidananda Eka Roopatwaat Deepyate Swayameva hi. II

Distinctions such as “Knower”, the “Knowledge” and the “Object of knowledge” do not exist in the Supreme Self. Since its nature is homogenous Consciousness and Bliss, It verily shines by Itself.

Being Non-dual, Homogeneous and Eternal, the Self cannot suffer in Itself any distinction such as the subject or the object.  Without the three fundamental factors: the subject, the object and the necessary relationship between the two called experiencing, no experience is possible in our present condition of body-intellect existence.  For the intellect is capable of perceiving only objects other than itself, and so all our knowledge is constituted by the knowledge of “things-other-than -ourselves”.   So the question arises as to how to know the Self, which is the subject and which cannot be objectified.   Here we should bear in mind no instrument of knowledge is needed to know the Self, as It is Knowledge itself and is Self-revealing like the sun which is self-illumining and shines by itself whether there is an object or not.  When the cloud of ignorance covering our understanding of the Self is dispelled through Guru Upadesa of the Scriptural knowledge, learnt through sravanam, consolidated through manam and assimilated through nitidyasanam, Athma is directly experienced as Consciousness and Bliss.  

Verse 42

Evam Aatma Aranau Dhyaana Mathane Satatam Krute I

Uditaava Gatir Jvaalaa Sarva Ajnaana Indhanam Dahet. II

When in the Arani of Self, constant churning is done in the form of meditation, fire of Knowledge is born and it completely burns up all the fuel of ignorance (in us).

Here the example of Arani Mathanam, which figures in Kaivalya Upanishad is quoted to illustrate the process of assimilation and internalization of the knowledge of Jiva Brahma Ikyam.  In the olden days for the purpose of rituals, fire was produced by churning of arani wood.  A lower arani with a scoop would be there. And an upper arani which fits into that will also be there. By churning the upper arani in the scoop of the lower arani fire was produced. Lower arani here is the anthakaranam and the upper arani is to be understood as the Mahavakhya, Aham Brahmasmi ( I am the supreme Self) and churning is the constant practice of nitidyasana, i.e. meditating on the Mahavakhyam alone, until the fire of knowledge is generated and burns down the ignorance, when the knowledge stands firmly internalized.  The same idea appears in Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra 11) wherein it is stated “ --- by the steady, repeated practice of churning the knowledge in the mind, the wise man burns up all the cords of bondage.”

Verse 43

Arune neva Bodhena Poorva Santamase Hrute I

Tata Aavirbhavet Aatmaa Swayameva Amsumaaniva. II

As the sun appears on the destruction of darkness by dawn ( Aruna) the Divine Consciousness of the Self rises (by Itself) when the right knowledge destroys the ignorance in the bosom.

When the sun rises, the sky lightens up slowly with sky taking a reddish glow first. This is the period of dawn, heralding sunrise. Sun rises after this on its own accord, needing nothing else to illumine it. This is compared to rise of Athma jnana by itself when the darkness of ajnana is dispelled.  As Swami Chinmayananda states “When the egocentric existence in us, that obstructs the vision of the Self, is falsified by constant and diligent meditation (Nitidyasanam), the vision of the true Self arises in all its glory”.  As Athma is swayam prakasa rupaha, Athma jnanam need not illumine the intellect after dispelling the cloud of Athma ajjnanam enveloping the intellect.  As sadhana removes the darkness of ignorance, illumination of the Self happens by itself automatically.

Verse 44

Atmaatu Satatam Praapto Api Apraptavat Avidyayaa I

Tannase Praaptavat Bhaati Swa Kanthaabharanam Yatthaa II

Athma is an ever-present Reality. Yet, because of ignorance it is not realised. On the destruction of ignorance, Athma is realised. It is like the case of ‘missing’ ornament on one’s neck.

Athma is an ever present reality (Sat). This Athma is in all the states of experiences and in all beings and at all times. In fact we live because of Its illumination, but we are blind to that Divine Light and do not realize it due to ignorance, ajnanam.  On attaining Athma Jnanam one is only rediscovering the Athma, his true Self, which was all the time present in him.  This is only praptasya prapti, getting to know what you already have and not getting something new.  Sri Sankara explains this with an apt simile. A woman due to forgetfulness does not remember she is wearing the diamond necklace and searches for the necklace everywhere else other than her neck and not finding, laments its loss. When someone points out to her it is only on the neck and she feels it, then she feels happy as if she had got a new necklace.  She has thus been grieving over a thing which was not really lost and now rejoicing over the thing not really gained.  So constant and sincere sadhana has only helped us to rediscover our true Self and that is an affirmation and not an acquisition.

Verse 45

Sthaanau Purushavat Bhraantyaa Krutaa Brahmani Jeevataa I

Jeevasya Taathvike Roope Tasmin Drushte Nivartate. II

Brahman appears to be a ‘‘Jiva' because of ignorance, just as a post appears to be a ghost. This Jivahood (ego-centric-individuality) is destroyed when the real nature of the 'Jiva' is realized.

In delusion a post is imagined to be a ghost. The misapprehension of post as ghost has risen due to the non-apprehension of the post, in the first instance. Similarly on the Brahman, which is the Supreme Self and the Substratum for all, our ignorance projects our ego-centric existence, and its world of diversity. When we understand the one Truth, Brahman, behind all this multiple existence, it is like seeing the post behind the ghost.  The delusion is destroyed and the imagined Jivatvam of individual gets replaced by the

Brahmatvam of Self.  When the cause, the misconception ends, the effect, the ghost, also dissolves. When the ego-sense has ended, all that are its by-products like bondage, fear, sorrow etc., are also removed, and one feels free and fearless filled with peace and bliss.  The ‘egocentric individuality’ sees the world only as a ghost; the enlightened sage alone sees it for what it is as a post, and loses all fear or anxiety over it.

Verse 46

Tathva Swaroopa Anubhavaa Utpannam Jnaanam Anjasaa I

Aham Mameti cha Ajnaanam Baadhate Digbhramadivat. II

The ignorance characterised by the notions ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ is destroyed by the knowledge produced by the realisation of the true nature of the Self, just as right information (gained in sunlight) removes the mistake regarding the directions.

Brahma Jnanam, that is Athma jnanam, destroys Brahma ajjnanam which is Athma ajnanam.  Athma ajnanam alone is the karanam for samsara and this also gets destroyed.  Sri Sankara uses here the words ahamkara and mamakara for samsara, and cites the example of a traveler in a new place who is lost in the darkness of night.   When the sun rises, the traveler identifies east and through that recognition he identifies other directions as well and goes in the right direction.   His knowledge of east has destroyed the ignorance of other directions as well.  The example shows that by the destruction of one error, other incidental errors also get destroyed. The individual getting lost in the dense darkness of Avidya or ignorance, loses his true identity as Brahman and gets knocked about in life and suffers sorrow and hardships in repeated births.  When in one birth he does scriptural studies and spiritual practices with shradda under Guru’s guidance, he gets established in the spiritual path and attains Athma Jnanam that removes Athma ajnanam and as a by-product ahamkara and mamakara are removed and he is also freed from the cycle of births and deaths. 

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Jivan Mukthi

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s Gurupurnima talk 2019)

Jivanmukthi  is a concept unique to Advaita Vedanta.  The person who has realized through Athma Jnanam the oneness of his Self with Brahman and shed his dehathma buddhi is considered a liberated person, while living and his state is called Jivanmukthi.   Liiberation as per Advaita Vedanta is not the attainment of some new state in some other world after the end of the present life, but it is the realisation, through Athma Jnanam in this life itself, of what one has always been, namely Brahman, by the removal of the wrong notion that one is the body-mind complex,  So in the state of Jivanmukthi, a Jivanmuktha lives enjoying infinite happiness and peace at all times with the wrong identification, as self with the body, mind and senses, removed and freed from the mistaken notion of bondage, until his prarabhdha karma is exhausted.

Prarabhdha karma is one of the three karmas, agami, sanchita and prarabhdha, that is generated by one’s actions with the sense of doership.   Agami karmas  are the unfructified karmas of present birth;  sanchita karma, the accumulated karmas over previous births and  prarabhdha karma, that part of the sanchita karma that comes to fruition at the time of one's birth.  Prarabhdha Karma determines जातिः (Jathihi),  environments of birth,आयुः (aayuh), lifespan, भोगाः (bhoghah),  experiences of life as per sutra 13 of Sadhana pada of Patanjali Yoga Sutra.  For a Jivanmuktha, on giving up the Ahamkara ‘I’ and shedding the sense of doership (karthrutva bhava) and enjoyership (bhokthruthva bhava), agami karma is annihilated, sanchita karma is liquidated and no further karma accrues as he acts thereafter without sense of doership.  As Lord Krishna observes in Gita (4-37) “Jnanaagnih sarvakarmaani bhasmasaat kurute”.( The fire of Jnanam reduces all karmas to ashes). 

But this does not apply to the prarabdha karma which is like the arrow that has left the bow shot at a target that cannot be got back or arrested in its movement but has to exhaust itself, by reaching the target. So a Jivanmuktha stays in the body and continues living in the world until the prarabhdha karma is exhausted. This we can say is a good and a bad news. It is good news because a Jivanmuktha stays alive as Jnani, blessing people with his knowledge and service and inspiring sadhakas through his teaching and personal example.  The bad news is his body has to suffer out the bad prarabhdha. I say his body because he does not view the body as himself any longer.  The balance of prarabdha karma does not affect Jivanmuktha mentally, as he does not identify himself with his body/mind.  He has internalised the knowledge “Brahma Satyam, Jagan Mithya, Jiva Brahmaiva na para” (Brahman is Sathyam, the world is mithya and Jiva is none other than Brahman)” and has the perspective that this world of variety other than his Real Self is only an appearance supported by Brahman and his Real Self is not different from Brahman. This we can see from the lives of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Ramana Maharishi who viewed their body afflictions in a detached manner as something affecting the body only and not themselves. The assimilation of Brahma jnanam and attaining such a perspective is called Mithyatva darsanam.  The Jivanmukthas who continue to stay in society and interact with people have the Mithyatva darsanam that dilutes the impact of prarabhdha rendering it insignificant like the aerial view of mountains.

Acharyas who came after Adhi sankara highlight a second method of countering Prarabhdha which is discussed in Swami Vidyaranya’s work “Jivanmukthiviveka”. A Jivanmuktha Jnani who prefers to live in solitude with minimum contact with the world for body’s basic needs only, has this approach to neutralise the impact of prarabhdha in the mind.  Normally Nitidyasanam, Vedantic meditation, is practiced for removing viparitha bhavana, wrong notions and misconceptions regarding self in the mind.  But In this second method it is also used as a source of happiness, Nitidyasana sukham.  In Nitidyasanam one meditates on the teaching of Vedanta that focusses on Jiva Brahma Ikyam to internalise the teaching that one is not a samsari jiva subject to limitations but the infinite Brahman which is Sat,Chit, Aananda. This new understanding of one’s own Self is portrayed in Kaivalya Upanishad(1-1-14) as follows;

Puratraye kridati yasca jivaḥ tatasthu jatam sakalam vicitram I

Aadharamanandamakhandabodham, yasmin layam yati puratrayam ca II 14 II

All this diversity is born out of jiva alone which sports in the three worlds of experience (waking, dream and deep sleep).  Moreover, these three worlds resolve into the jiva which is indivisible consciousness and aananda, the substratum (of all).

When this Jivanmuktha Jnani contemplates on his Aananda swarupa in Nitidyasanam, his mind is filled with experiential happiness, which is far, far superior to vishayananda, that comes from contact with anathma.  The Prathibimba Aananda he enjoys is from contact with Bimba Aananda itself as he is, as described in Gita (2-55), “Aatmanyevaatmanaa tushtah” (happy in the Self by the Self).  From this happy state no worldly problem or sorrow can shake him or move him to grief as pointed out in Gita (6-22), “Yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunaapi vichaalyate” (wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow).  This Nithidyasana sukham, the Jnani uses to dilute the impact of prarabhda.  Rather he feels thankful to prarabhda for this life as a Jeevanmuktha Jnani that he is enjoying, with the reflection as described in the Kaivalya Upanishad (1-1-19):

Mayyeva sakalaṁ jataṁ, mayi sarvaṁ pratisthitam I

Mayi sarvaṁ layam yati, tad brahmadvayamasmyaham II

Everything is born in me alone; everything is based on me alone; everything resolves into me alone. I am that nondual Brahman.

This Nitidyasana sukham is also called by various other names such as Jivanmukthi sukham, Jnananda, Yogananda and Athmananda.

So while a Jivanmuktha Jnani serving the world staying in public life dilutes the impact of prarabhdha through mithyatva darsanam, the withdrawn Jivanmuktha Jnani dilutes it through Jivanmukthi sukham.  When prarabhdha is exhausted, the Jivanmuktha of either type attains Videhamukthi.  In Videhamukthi freed from the earthly existence in the body, a Jivanmuktha becomes one with Brahman, like the space in the pot becoming one with the open space, when the pot is broken. As the subtle body is also dissolved at that time, he is freed from the cycle of birth and death as well.

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Purusha-Prakrithi Jnanam

Gita essays – 23

Arjuna wanted to know from Lord Krishna about the six technical terms used in Vedanta; Kshertam, Kshetrajna, Jnanam, Jneyam, Prakrithi and Purusha. After explaining the first four terms Lord starts talking about Prakrithi and Purusha from verse 20 of chapter 13.  Lord has already explained in Chapter7 (Gita essays-11) the two aspects of His nature as Brahman; Para prakrithi, the higher principle and Apara prakrithi the lower principle and both of them are beginningless and eternal.  He has also further revealed that the changing matter principle constitutes the Apara prakrithi and the changeless Consciousness principle the Para prakrithi.  Now in this chapter Lord is talking about Apara prakrithi as Prakrithi and Para prakrithi as Purusha,  So from this we can see that both Purusha and Prakrithi are beginningless and also that both of them together constitute the cause of the universe.

Everything in the creation is born out of Prakr̥thi and this includes the body, mind complex also.  Not only the body- mind complex but also all the conditions of the body-mind complex, favourable and unfavourable like pleasure and pain, form part of the Prakrithi.  Purusha, as the unchanging witness lending sentiency to the body-mind complex, appears to experience all the conditions of body-mind complex as a silent witness associated with the body-mind complex. So Lord explains in verse 23 “Purusha dwelling in the body is the same as Supreme. He is also called as the Witness, the Approver, the Supporter, the Experiencer (as the embodied Purusha), the great Lord and the Supreme Self”.  Purusha, as Supreme is everywhere including every Prakrithi enclosure of body.  We can see from this that Purusha is one and changeless, Prakrithi is many and changing; Purusha is attributeless. Prakrithi is with attributes; Purusha is beyond the influence of three Gunas, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas, Prakrithi functions under the influence of the three Gunas. 

Lord has pointed out earlier in verse 2 & 3, “This body is termed as Kshetra  and ---------- Know Myself as Kshetrajna in all Kshetras”   From this we can see that both Purusha and Kshetrajna are synonyms and refer to Athma and both  Prakrithi and Kshetra are synonyms and refer to anathma.  Lord has also stated earlier in verse 3 “O Arjuna! Knowledge of both the Kshetra(Prakrithi) and the Kshetrjna(Purusha) is considered by Me to be the Real knowledge”. Under Jnanam Lord had earlier discussed only the moral qualities and virtues that prepare the mind for  assimilating the Jnanam.  And now Lord gives more of the knowledge of Kshetram (Prakrithi) and Kshtrajna (Purusha) and the benefit of this Jnanam, which He calls Real knowledge..

In verse 27 Lord states “Whatever being, moving or stationary, is born --- know that to be out of the union of Kṣhetram (Prakrithi) and Khṣetrajna (Purusha), Oh, Arjuna !”

The union between the Prakrithi and Purusha is not of any physical kind or of any material nature but it is one of superimposition, called Adhyasa.  In every superimposition a delusion is recognized upon the substratum just like a ghost on the post where the non-existent ghost comes into existence and the existing post gives place to non-existent ghost.  Here the Prakrithi which has no independent existence and so mithya is superimposed on Purusha, Pure consciousness, which only has independent existence and is Satyam. This relationship conjures up the phenomenon of the material world, consisting of the moving and non-moving and also the insentient body being mistaken for the sentient Self and vice versa. This confusion is cleared when the illusion disappears due to Jnanam, the knowledge of Purusha and Prakrithi. So Lord states in the next verse, verse 28, “He who sees the supreme Lord who dwells alike in all beings and who is imperishable as the unperishing within the perishing, (alone really) sees”.

Samsara and resultant cycle of birth and death occurs due to ignorance of Real knowledge (Jnanam).  Lord calls this cycle as destroying Self by self and remarks that this Real knowledge, Jnanam, frees one from this cycle.  Jnanam consists of seeing that all actions are performed by Prakrithi alone and Purusha is actionless and that  Purusha is only the witness, not the doer; the spectator, not the actor.  This Jnanam is complete when one understands that the multiplicity of names and forms arise from the Purusha only and spread to become the Universe. In short as Kaivalya Upanishad (1-19) says “In me alone everything is born; in me does everything rest; and in me is everthing dissolved.  I am that Brahman (Purusha) secondless.”  The same is echoed in the Chandogya Upanishad (VII.xxvi.1) “From the Self (Purusha) is life, from the Self is desire, from the Self is love, from the Self is akasa, from the Self is light, from the Self are the waters --------”. When the variety of nature and its development are traced to the Eternal One, one assumes eternity. He realizes the all pervading nature of the Self, as the cause of all limitation has been destroyed by the knowledge of unity with Brahman and he becomes a Jivanmuktha.

Lord also states in verse 32 “Being birthless and attributeless, this supreme Self is changeless. Though dwelling in the body, it neither acts nor is affected.”  In next two verses 33 & 34, Lord compares Purusha with space and sun to illustrate the point that Purusha is one only and is unaffected by the activities of Prakrithi though it is closely associated with it as Self in the body. “Just as the all pervading space is not affected due to its subtlety, so also, the Self (Purusha), which is present in everybody (Prakrithi), is not affected.  (13-33).   “Just as one Sun illumines the entire world, so also does the Kshetrajna (Purusha) illumines the entire Kṣhetraṁ (Prakrithi), O Arjuna.”  (13-34).

Space is the subtlest of all gross elements and hence pervades everything that is grosser than it. Though everything remain in it, yet nothing that it contains can contaminate it. Brahman, the Supreme Self which is the cause of the very Space is subtler than Space. So Brahman (Purusha) pervades all and nothing pervades It and It is not affected by anything that exists or is happening in the world of plurality. Just like the sun, the Consciousness merely illumines the world of objects, the body, the mind and the intellect. Lighting of the world by the sun is not an activity undertaken by sun as light itself is the very nature of the sun and in its light everything gets illumined. Similarly, the nature of Consciousness is awareness and in Its presence everything becomes known i.e., illumined. The sun illumines everything, good and bad, beautiful and ugly, virtue and vice etc. So too, in our inner life, Consciousness functions through body equipments and illumines them but never gets contaminated by the actions of the body or by the emotions of the mind or by the thoughts of the intellect.

Those who imbibe this Jnanam regarding Purusha and Prakrithi and liberation from Prakrithi, through steadfast and sincere practice of either Jnana Yoga or Dhyana Yoga or Karma Yoga or Bhakthi Yoga, attain the Supreme, assures the Lord before discussing this Jnanam. 

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