Handling Human Relationships

            There is a popular saying that man is a social animal.  The idea conveyed here is that a human being can never lead an isolated life style.  Human beings live together in groups, call it family, or community or society or nation. And there are varieties in relationships; long term, short term, active, passive, close (intimate), and shallow. Of these some are man-made relationships and some are God-made relationships and these relationships decide the quality of human life.  Relationships have got a significant role in determining the very quality of life. A good relationship can convert the earth into heaven and a terrible relationship can convert the earth into hell.  Of the human relationships, scriptures say that one should look upon them as a means of inner spiritual growth and not as a means of happiness.  Happiness depends upon many factors, some known and some unknown and of the known factors also some are uncontrollable making it unpredictable, fragile and fleeting. So if happiness alone is taken as the factor, human relationships also will be fragile, fleeting and unpredictable and not stable. Since the very goal of human life is inner growth, relationships promoting it will be enduring and rewarding. 

            We shall now see how the relationships can contribute to inner growth.  Firstly, human beings have a fundamental problem, the sense of isolation and loneliness born of Self-ignorance.  Minimum one stable relationship is required if a human being should enjoy reasonable sanity - not only mental health but even physical health. Though the ultimate solution for this problem is Self-knowledge, its acquisition is not easy and many have no inclination for it. A stable relationship is a temporary solution available to all, to avoid the sense of isolation and loneliness that contributes to the problems of mental health and consequent problems to the physical health as well. Even for sanyasis the sastras prescribe a relationship with Guru and Ishta Devata, Guru Ishta Devata Sambandha.

            Secondly, some of the Karmas are exhausted only through certain types of relationships and not in any other way.  As per scriptures one is born to exhaust one’s punya-papa Karma.  One has to exhaust certain Karmas, Karma Kshaya, through certain forms of relationships. If one approaches the relationship with that attitude, one is cooperating with the Lord’s law of Karma. The very cooperation with the Lord’s law of Karma is a form of inner growth because one is aligning with Dharma.  

            Thirdly one gets Titiksha through relationship.  Titiksha means tolerance.  Tattvabodha defines Titiksha as “seethoshna sukhadukhadhi sahishnuthvam (the endurance of heat and cold, pleasure and pain etc.)”.  Titiksha is that frame of mind in which one is able to accept the opposites like cold and heat, pleasure and pain with equanimity and without complaint.  This is an important spiritual value for one seeking Jivan Mukthi.  Even otherwise it is an important value required to manage old age.  Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (2-13,14):

matra sparsastu kaunteya sitoshna sukha dukhadah I

agamapayino’nityastamstitikshasva bharata II

yamhi na vyathayantyete purusham purusharsabha I

samadukha sukham dhiram so’mrutatva ya kalpate II

The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold and pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna! (13)

That firm man whom surely these afflict not, O chief among men, to whom pleasure and pain are the same, is fit for attaining immortality! (14)

Without Titiksha, Jivan Mukthi is not possible and also old age management. Suffering is an integral part of life because suffering also has a role in making a human being mature. Suffering can be a learning experience only for a person with Titiksha. 

            Fourthly, any good work in Sastra is called Yajna and it requires a minimum team of three or multiple of three members.  Team means human beings and human beings means healthy relationship bond is involved. Without that it will not be a team, only it will be a confused crowd. Further, when human beings, spiritual seekers especially, want to contribute something to the society, they do it as a team of people. For as a single individual, one can contribute only very little or practically nothing. 

            Thus, human relationship contributes to good health, mental and physical, Karma Kshaya, Titiksha and Yagnya Anushtanam which all together will lead to inner growth.  In this approach, human happiness that is fleeting and impermanent is secondary and human growth is the primary aim.  Therefore, the Vedic approach is one that doesn’t give importance to impermanent happiness which is born out of relationship but gives importance to inner growth that leads to inner Ananda, Athma Sukham, described as “atmaneva atmana tushtaha (satisfied in the Self by the Self) “in Bhagavad Gita (2-55)

(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

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Mastering the mind

            Tattvabodha defines mind as a functional facet of one’s inner equipment, called anthakarana. This anthakarana is a continuous flow of thought modifications called vrittis. It has four facets. Mind, called manas, is one state where thoughts of doubt and indecisiveness prevail. Emotions also constitute the mind. Intellect, called buddhi, is the second state where thoughts of decision and reasoning dominate. All knowledge arises in buddhi. Memory, called chitha, is the third state that acts as a storehouse of experiences as impressions from which flow thoughts of recollections. It is only on this basis of recollection that cognition takes place. Ego, called Ahamkara is the fourth aspect associated with thoughts of doership that gives one individuality.

            Mind is an important part of one’s personality. But it is a very much neglected part as compared to the body.  Body being gross is visible to the outside world and one takes pains to present it beautifully.  Mind being part of the subtle body is visible to oneself only and so is less cared for.  And mind’s Importance can be seen from the sayings like ‘Mind can make hell of heaven and also heaven of hell’ and ‘You are not what you think; but what you think, you are”. But such an important instrument is not under one’s control.  Arjuna tells Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (6-34):

Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi balavad dridham I

Tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram II

The mind verily is restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, O Krishna! I deem it as difficult to control as to control the wind.

            We must first understand the mind i.e. what it is and how it functions and then only we can master it. The existence of the mind cannot be established by any objective scientific methods.  Scriptures describe it as flow of thoughts. How fast is the flow? It is faster than light and it can reach any place in the universe and return in seconds.  It has immense capability as all knowledge and all emotions also exist as one’s thoughts in the mind. Anything in existence can be proved as a thought in one’s mind. All our advanced sophisticated instruments were first conceived as thoughts in the mind. Everyone does not understand its working but everyone uses it.

            The flow of thoughts in the mind can be compared to flow of water in the river. If the waters are clean the river looks clean. Thus if the thoughts are good, mind is good.   If the thoughts are agitated, mind is agitated.  So mind management can be translated as thought management.   Thoughts are managed by managing their quality, quantity and the direction of thought flow.  One can change the quality of thoughts for the better by encouraging positive thoughts and discouraging negative thoughts by interrupting them and re-directing them deliberately.  One can also resort to the practice of Bhakthi yoga and divert one's thoughts towards one's chosen deity, Ishta Devata, through chanting and thinking about the Ishta Devata whenever negative thoughts invade the mind.  This will arrest the flow of negative thoughts like anger, jealousy, hatred and the like and will facilitate redirection of thoughts into positive channels like love, sympathy etc. One can arrest the rush of thoughts by quietening the mind through simple breathing exercises, as breath control will lead to thought control and calm down the agitated mind. Direction of thought- flow in the positive direction can be achieved through satsangh, company of good and noble people, reading elevating literature like the lives of saints and scriptures and through cherishing inspiring ideals.

            The mind can be divided into four parts as; 1) that we know and others also know, 2) that we only know and others do not know, 3) that we do not know but others know and 4) that we do not know and others also do not know.  Parts 1,2 and 3 come under conscious mind and amenable to control and restraint through practices outlined earlier, but part 4 which is one’s subconscious mind cannot be disciplined this way.  By avoiding temptations only, one can ensure that the latent vasanas of subconscious mind do not come in the way of control of thoughts.  This is achieved through avoiding attachment in respect of objects and relationships.  While agreeing with Arjuna regarding the nature of mind, Lord Krishna also says in Gita (6-35), “Abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha grihyate (by practice and by dispassion it can be brought under control)”.  So along with the practice of the above steps one should also practice dispassion, Vairagya to achieve mastery over mind.  Vairagya is defined in Tattvabodha as “Ihaswarga bhogeshu iccharahityam (the absence of the desire for the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world and heaven)”.   So dispassion does not mean abandoning responsibilities but it only means not running after objects seeking joy, objects including persons and situations. This will ensure one does not fall a prey to temptations and bad vasanas are neutralised.  Mastery over mind is necessary for one to manifest one’s latent divinity through Jnana Yoga.

(Based on the lectures of Swamini Vimalananada)

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Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 3

Chapter 6, Section 2 & 3

Mantra 6-2-1 & 2

sadeva somyedamagra asidekamevadvitiyam | taddhaika ahurasadevedamagra asidekamevadvitiyaṃ tasmadasatah sajjayata || 6.2.1 ||

kutastu khalu somyaivaṃsyaditi hovacha kathamasataḥ sajjayeteti| sattveva somyedamagra asidekamevadvitiyam || 6.2.2 ||

Dear boy, in the beginning before this world was manifest there was Existence only, one without a second. On this subject, some maintain that before this world was manifest there was only Non-existence, one without a second and out of that non-existence, existence emerged. But how indeed, dear boy, it could be so?  How could Existence arise from Non-existence. In truth, dear boy, in beginning, there was Existence alone, one only, without a second.

            Uddalaka straightaway starts the teaching, beginning with the cause of the cosmos as Sat, Pure Existence. It is one only, without a second. As this existed before creation, it is formless, nameless, attributeless, and not bound by time nor limited in space. The word Sat is another name for Brahman, whose nature is Sat, Chit, Anantha i.e. pure Existence, pure Consciousness, Infinite. He also refers to the philosophers like Naiyayikas and Buddhists, without naming them, who hold that before creation there was Non-existence, Asat, only one without second. After giving this contrary view-point, Uddalaka negates it by pointing out that something cannot come out of nothing and reaffirms that Sat alone, without a second, existed before creation. Then he goes on to explain the sequence of creation.

Mantra 6-2-3

tadaikshata bahu syaṃ prajayeyeti tattejo'srjata tatteja aiksata bahu syam prajayeyeti tadapo'srjata | tasmadyatra kvaca sochati svedate va purusastejasa eva tadadhyapo jayante || 6.2.3 ||

That Existence willed: ‘May I become many. May I grow forth.’  It then created fire. That fire also willed: ‘May I become many. May I grow forth.’ Then fire created water. Therefore, whenever or wherever a person mourns or perspires, then it is from fire that water is produced

            For things created there must be two causes; upadhana karanam, material cause and nimitta karanam, intelligent cause.  Since before creation, Sat alone existed, it is both the material and intelligent cause of this world.  Being the intelligent cause, it must be of the nature of Consciousness ‘Chit” as well.  This Sat-Chit infinite being, Brahman, wished to manifest Its infinite potential to create (Maya Sakthi), and created fire first and from fire, the water, as the next step. Elsewhere the Vedas speak of space and air emerging from Brahman even before fire and here that is to be understood.  The purpose of the teaching is to assert everything is a product of Brahman only and not teaching of creation.  The logic of water being produced from fire is seen in one’s day-to-day experience, as one sweats in heat.

Mantra 6-2-4

ta apa aikshanta bahvyah syama prajayemahiti ta annamasrjanta tasmadyatra kva ca varsati tadeva bhuyisthamannam bhavatyadbhya eva tadadhyannadyaṃ jayate || 6.2.4 || iti dvitiyaḥ khaṇdah ||

That water willed: ‘May I become many; May I grow forth.’ That water then created food. Therefore, whenever and wherever there is rain, there food grows in great abundance. It is from water that food is produced. End of second section.

            Here food represents earth as from earth food is produced. Further, fire, water and earth are inert in nature and it is only in the presence of Consciousness they gain the capacity of creating. The second section ends with this Mantra.

Mantra 6-3-1

teshaṃ khalvesham bhutanaṃ trinyeva bijani bhavantyandajaṃ jivajamudbhijjamiti || 6.3.1 ||

Of the aforesaid beings there are only three origins: those born from eggs, born from living beings, and born from seeds.

            Here thousands of species of the world are divided into three types depending on their source of birth, as follows:

1)    Species born from eggs (andaja) – birds, fish, insects etc.

2)    Species born from other beings (jivaja) – mammals including humans

3)    Species born of seeds (udbhija) – plants, trees etc.

Two more sources, mentioned in scriptures elsewhere i.e. born of sweat (svedaja) and born of heat (samsokja) are not mentioned here.  Lice, bacteria and certain viruses fall under these categories and they have to be included in 1) and 3).

Mantra 6-3-2

seyam devataikshata hantahamimastisro devata anena jivenatmananupravisya namarupe vyakaravaniti || 6.3.2 ||

That god [Sat] willed: ‘Entering into these three deities [fire, water, and earth], through the living Self (Jivathma), I shall manifest myself in many names and forms’.

            Sat desired to enter into the world of gross elements (Fire, water, earth) as life or as an individual Self(Jivathma) and manifest as names and forms.  As Sat is all-pervding, this entry is a special manifestation, as a reflection of light enters water. Light pervades water. The reflection is its special manifestation. The reflection has no existence separate from the light.  Similarly, Sat manifests as life and identifying with a name and form, becomes the individual finite being.

Mantra 6-3-3 & 4

tasaṃ trivrtam trivrtamekaikam karavaniti seyam devatemastisro devata anenaiva jivenatmananupravisya namarupe vyakarot || 6.3.3 ||

tasaṃ trivrtam trivrtamekaikamakarodyatha tu khalu somyemastisro devatastrivrttrivrdekaikabhavati tanme vijanihiti || 6.3.4 || iti tṛtiyah khandah ||

Sat [Existence] willed, ‘I shall divide each of these three devatas threefold.’ Then, having entered into these three devatas as the individual Self, It manifested Itself as names and forms.  [Having so willed,] he made each of these three elements threefold. But as to how each of these three devatas becomes threefold, O dear boy, know that from me. End of third section.

            The elements first created are in subtle form.  Their grossification is now taken.  Their grossification, called ‘trivrtam’, is effected as follows:

            Gross fire = ½ subtle fire + ¼ subtle water + ¼ subtle earth

            Gross water = ½ subtle water + ¼ subtle earth + ¼ subtle fire

            Gross earth = ½ subtle earth + ¼ subtle fire + ¼ subtle water. 

A similar process involving five subtle elements – space, air, fire, water and earth; called Panchikarana is mentioned in Tattvabodha.  Unlike Tattvabodha the Upanishad talks of creation in dots and dashes and does not explain the process fully and completely. For instance, out of the subtle elements all the subtle bodies and the subtle universe are created which is not mentioned. Similarly, from the gross elements all the gross bodies and the gross universe are created. The Upanishad also calls the subtle elements as Devatas instead of as Bhutani. How each of the gross elements has also the qualities of other elements besides its own characteristic is explained in the next section, which we will see in the next blog.  This section ends with this Mantra.

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Aparokshanubhuthi – 8

Prarabdha for a Jnani 

Verse 89

Athmanam satatam janankalaṃ naya mahadyute I

Prarabdhamakhilam bhunjannodvegam kartumaharsi II

O enlightened one, pass your time always contemplating on Athma while you are experiencing all the results of prarabdha for it ill becomes you to feel distressed.

This verse is a verse of advice to the student who has the grasped the teaching so far. This teaching can be broadly classified into two lessons.  The first lesson is on Athma-anathma-Viveka; separating world including one’s own body-mind complex as anathma from One’s own Self, ’I’, as Athma that is same as Brahman, the super Self.  Second lesson is; anathma is mithya and non-substantial and Athma alone is the substance and Sathya and is One only, without changes. Sri Sankara is advising the student to spend his time thinking of himself as “I”, the Athma, without bothering about the problems of body, the anathma.  Body will not get liquidated on Liberation, but will continue until exhaustion of prarabdha, experiencing problems of health and environs.  He cannot change the experience but he can change his attitude to the experience. The changed attitude is - “All these problems concern the body which is not me, the Athma”.  This change of attitude and constant contemplation of Self as Athma will change the impact of prarabdha on him.  From the next verse a discussion on prarabdha and Jnani is started.

Verse 90

Utpanne'pyathmavijnane prarabdham naiva munchati I

Iti yacchruyate sastre tannirakriyate'dhuna II

The theory one hears of from the scripture, that prarabdha does not lose its hold upon one even after the origination of the knowledge of Athma, is now being refuted.

Verse 91

Tattvajnanodayadurdhvaṃ prarabdham naiva vidyate I

Dehadinamasatyatvadyatha svapno vibodhatah II

After the origination of Athma Jnanam, prarabdha verily ceases to exist, inasmuch as the body and the like become non-existent; just as a dream does not exist on waking

Verse 92

Karma janmantariyam yatprarabdhamiti kirtitam I

Tattu janmantarabhavatpumso naivasti karhichit II

That karma which is done in a previous life is known as prarabdha (with respect to this life which it has brought forth).  But such a prarabdha does not exist (for a Jnani) as he has no other birth.

Verse 93

Svapnadeho yathadhyasthastathaivayam hi dehakah I

Adhyastasya kuto janma janmabhave hi tatkutah II

Just as a body in a dream is superimposed (and therefore illusory), so is also this body.  How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body), and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (prarabdha) at all?

Prakarana granthas like Tattvabodha have said that a Jnani has got prarabdha.  “On gaining Jnanam the sanchitha gets removed and agami is avoided but prarabdha continues for a Jnani because of which he survives until its exhaustion” is what one learns from them. Sri Sankara after recalling this in verse 90 proceeds to refute it in succeeding verses. Verse 91 points out that one who has acquired Athma Jnanam is a person with the realization that as Athma he is neither a kartha nor bhoktha and his body-mind complex is an unReal upadhi only and is like the dream body that does not exist for the waker.  So though from vyavaharika-drshti a Jnani is said to have prarabdha, a Jnani does not have prarabdha from Paramarthika-drshti

 Verse 92 advances another argument in support of this.  The karma of the previous other births are known as prarabdha. For the realized Jnani, there is no question of other births and so the prarabdha also does not exist.  Verse 93 explains why it is said there is no purva janma for Jnani.  Just as a dream-body is superimposed on the waker, the sthula sareera, which is unreal for the Jnani, is a superimposition on the Jnani, the Athma. How can prarabdha, which is said to be the cause for birth of the body exist when there is no body in the first place, just like the date of birth for the rope-snake.

Verse 94

Upadanam prapanchasya mrdbhandasyeva kathyate I

Ajnanam chaiva vedantaistasminnashte kva visvata II

The Vedanta texts declare ignorance to be verily the material (cause) of the world, just as clay is of the pot. That (ignorance) being destroyed, where can the world, subsist?

Verse 95

Yatha rajjum parityajya sarpam gṛhnati vai bhramat I

Tadvatsatyamavijnaya jagatpasyati mudhadhih II

Just as a person out of confusion perceives only the snake leaving aside the rope, so does an ignorant person see only the world without knowing the Reality

Verse 96

Rajjurupe parijnate sarpakhandam na tisthati I

Adhisthane tatha jnate prapanchah sunyatam gatah II

The real nature of the rope being known, the appearance of the snake no longer persists; so the substratum being known, the world becomes extinct.

Verse 97

Dehasyapi prapanchatvatprarabdhavasthitih kutah I

Ajnanijanabodhartham prarabdham vakti vai srutih II

The body also being within the world (and therefore unReal), how could prarabdha exist? It is therefore for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the Sruthi speaks of prarabdha (for the Jnani). 

In the above verses, two examples quoted earlier to prove mithyathvam of the world is restated to support the statement that prarabdha does not exist for Jnani.  The clay-pot example is repeated in verse 94 and the rope-snake example is repeated in verses 95 and 96 to emphasize mithyathvam of the phenomenal world for the Jnani, which the ajjnani treats as Real.  Verse 97 explains in the second line why Sruthi in some places speaks of prarabdha for Jnani.   In the first line it continues the statement of earlier verses that the world is falsified for the Jnani. Body being part of the world is also falsified as well and the prarabdha that affects the body has no impact on him as body does not exist for him. But ajjnani argues that if ignorance with all its effects is destroyed by knowledge how does a body of a Jnani live and how is it possible for him to behave like ordinary mortals?  It is for their sake Sruthi gives a tentative explanation that Jnani has prarabdha and only the other two karmas get destroyed with the dawn of Jnanam only to get refuted at the advanced stage of spiritual learning.  Sri Sankara himself who has earlier stated in Tattvabodha that Jnani has prarabdha, later refutes it in Vivekachudamani in 18 slokas (446 to 464)

Verse 98

Ksiyante chasya karmnni tasmindrste paravare I

Bahutvam tannisedhartham srutya gitam cha yatsphutam II

“And all the actions of a man perish when he realizes that (Athma) which is both the higher and the lower”.  Here the clear use of the plural by the Sruthi is to negate prarabdha as well.

Verse 99

Uchyate'jnairbalccaitattadanarthadvayagamah I

Vedantamatahanam cha yato jnanamiti srutih II

If the ignorant still arbitrarily maintain this, they will not only involve themselves into two absurdities but will also run the risk of forgoing the Vedantic conclusion.  So one should accept those Sruthis alone from which proceeds true knowledge.

Verse 98 has as its first line the second line of Mundaka Upanishad Mantra (2-2-8) which states that for the one who has realized Brahman as both Nirguna and Saguna, the karmas get exhausted.  To prove that the karmas include all the three, the second line of the verse quotes a grammar point. In Sanskrit we have singular, dual and plural which is more than two.  In the Mandukya Mantra plural is used and so the word ‘karmas’ denote all the three i.e. agami, sanchitha and prarabdha karmas. So the Upanishad statement is a support for the argument that Jnani has no prarabdha from paramarthika dhrishti.

Verse 99 which is the concluding verse of the discussion on Jnani and Prarabdha outlines the problem if one ignorantly holds on to the view that Jnani has prarabdha. This will mean that prarabdha cannot be destroyed by Jnanam and then prarabdha also will become Real or Sathyam along with Athma and that is duality. From duality arises fear and fear leads to samsara. If samsara is there Moksha is not possible and so acceptance of prarabdha for Jnani means there is no Moksha possible for him and he will be in eternal samsara.  The second defect is that the whole parampara, Guru-sishya-parampara, will become redundant in the absence of Moksha for the Jnani.  Further this view will also be contradicting the Sruthi teaching that clearly says Jnanam is the only Moksha-sadhanam.  If Jnanam does not destroy prarabdha then Jivanmukthi also will not be there.  So prarabdha is negatable by Jnanam and Jnani is free from prarabdha also.  

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Seer-Seen relationship

Drik Drisya Viveka – 1

Drik-Drisya Viveka is a Prakarana Grantha like Athma Bodha and Tattva Bodha which were dicussed in earlier blogs.  Prakarana Grantha is an explanatory text or a supporting text written by a later day Acharya for understanding the main source, the fundamental three works of Vedanta, Prasthana Triam, namely the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras. But unlike Tattva Bodha it does not deal with all the six aspects of Vedantic teaching i.e. jiva, the individual; jagat, the world; Iswara and Creation; bandha, the bondage; moksha, liberation; sadhana, the means by which the jiva can travel from bondage to liberation. Drik-Drisya Viveka, is a prakarana grantha that highlights the jiva-vichara i.e. Jiva, bandha, moksha and sadhanas.  The author of Drik-Drisya Viveka is not clearly known. According to some people, Adhi Sankaracharya is the author while some others say that Vidyaranya is the author. But there are quite a good number of people who say that Vidyaranya’s guru, Bharathi Tīrtha, one of the Sankaracharyas of the Sringeri Mutt in the 14th century is the author.  Drik-Drisya Viveka is a relatively smaller prakaraṇa grantha consisting of 46 verses.  The word ‘Drik’ in the title of this text means Seer or illuminator or experiencer; ‘Drisyam’ means Seen, illumined or experienced object; and ‘Viveka’ means discrimination i.e. resolving confusion in thinking leading to clear knowledge of both.  Confused thinking leading to deluded knowledge i.e. aviveka, also called moha or adhyasa which is the cause of samsara. To attain Moksha, this confusion has to be resolved and hence Drik-Drisya Viveka is necessary for Athma Jnanam.  This book is also called Vakya Sudha, which means “the nectar or essence of the Mahavakyas”.  With this brief introduction we will enter into the text proper.

Verse 1

Rupam drisyam lochanam drik taddrisyam driktu manasam ।

Drisya dheevrittayah sakshi drik eva na tu drisyate ॥ 1॥

Form is the Seen, the eye is the Seer; that eye is the Seen, and mind is its Seer; Athma (the Sakshi) the Seer of the thoughts in the mind is Seer alone and is never the Seen

In the first five verses the author is talking about the nature of the individual, Jiva, who is a composite entity consisting of three layers of Seer and Seen.  In Tattvabodha,  Jiva is presented as a composite entity consisting of three bodies, five sheaths, etc.  Here the author says that the individual consists of three types of Seers or experiencers.  Of these, two are relative Seers and the third one is the absolute one. The first Seer is the sense-organs, represented by the ‘eye’ and the Seen, the experienced object, is the external world represented by the ‘form’. Then the sense-organs themselves are seen or experienced and so they become the object, and from that standpoint the mind becomes the second Seer and the sense-organs the Seen.  The mind itself is experienced or illumined by Athma, the Sakshi Chaitanyam or Consciousness and so the mind becomes the object of experience, and Consciousness, the Athma, becomes the Seer. This Consciousness itself cannot be objectified or seen by anything else. Therefore consciousness is ever the Seer and never the Seen. Thus sense-organs are both the Seer and the Seen and therefore they are relative Seers. The mind also is both the Seer and Seen and therefore it is also a relative Seer.  But Athma, the Consciousness, is ever the Seer and never the Seen and therefore it is the absolute Seer. Thus two relative Seers plus one absolute Seer is the individual’s composition. The first verse is an introductory verse in which all the three Seers are introduced and also the three relationships:

1)    Eye - Object relationship

2)    Mind – Eye relationship

3)    Athma (Sakshi) – Mind relationship

These relationships are explained in the later verses

Verse 2

Nilapitasthulasukshmahrasvadirghadibhedatah।

nanavidhani rupani pasyellocanamekadha ॥ 2॥

The forms (objects of perception) are many and varied on account of the differences like blue, yellow, gross, subtle, short, long, etc.  The eye remaining the same sees them all.

The first Seer, eye, representing sense-organs, is explained in this second verse.  ‘Eye’ stands for all the five sense organs; eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin, and ‘Forms’ stands for all the 5 respective sense objects for each sense organ; sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Every sense-organ is a Seer and the relevant sense object is the Seen.  This verse takes eye for example and analyses Seer-Seen relationship,  Eye is one and the objects of perception are many and varied.  Without undergoing any change, remaining the same, the eye illumines all the varied sense objects. The forms, dimensions and colors of the sense objects are many and varied but the eye, remaining the same and single, observes all of them. Therefore while Dṛisyam is many, Drik is one only.

Verse 3

Andhyamandyapatutvesu netradharmesu caikadha ।

sankalpayenmanah sotratvagadau yojyatamidam ॥ 3॥

Blindness, dullness and sharpness are the many characteristics of the eye, but mind (being one) remaining the same knows (these differences).  The same thing applies to the ear, the skin, etc, (i.e. whatever is perceived through them).

The second Seer mind is discussed in this verse.  Though the eye, representing sense-organs is the perceiver (Seer) in respect of the various forms, yet it becomes the object of perception (Seen) in its relation to the mind. This is true of other sense-organs as well.  The mind is one, whereas there are five different sense organs which report to it. Each sense organ can receive only the signal that it is tuned to receive. The ear can only hear, the nose can only smell etc.  From the same sense object, all the five sense organs pick up the five signals concerning them and send it to the mind. The mind then integrates all these signals and forms the composite assessment of the particular object. The full information is obtained only by the mind and so the mind is the Seer and the sense-organs are the Seen.  The sense-organs are seen by virtue of their perceptual power in three different levels. Total perception, total non-perception and partial perception and partial non-perception are those three levels represented by sharpness of vision, blindness and dullness of vision in the case of eye.  The mind experiences or illumines these three conditions of the eye without undergoing any change itself.  Blindness of the eye does not make the mind non-functional, and the dull vision does not make the mind dull.  This principle can be extended to the other four sense-organs such as ear, skin, etc as well.   Here again we see the principle of the observed being many and the observer being one i,e Drisyam is many  and Drik is one. 

Verse 4

Kamah sankalpasandehau sraddha asraddhe dhrtitare ।

hrirdhirbhirityevamadin bhasayatyekadha chitih ॥ 4॥ 

Consciousness, remaining the same, illumines all the thoughts (mental states); thoughts of desire, willingness or doubt, belief or disbelief, fortitude or its lack, modesty, understanding, fear, and such others.

In the previous verse, the mind was introduced as Seer 2, the relative Seer. In this verse, the author says that the mind itself is ‘Seen’, experienced or clearly known. The mind goes through different emotional conditions like happiness, sorrow, jealousy, compassion, fear, etc., In addition, there are several cognition conditions of the mind like ignorance, knowledge, partial ignorance, partial knowledge, doubt, etc. These various conditions of the mind are known because they are experienced by something external to the mind. That is Consciousness, Seer 3 and mind is the Seen.  Consciousness was referred to earlier as Sakshi and it is also called Sakshi Chaitanyam or Athma as well and It is only a witness to the conditions of mind that It illumines without itself undergoing any change.  Sakshi's nature will be discussed in the next verse.  This Seer 3 is unlike the other two Seers. It is ever the Seer and never the Seen. It is ever the experiencer and never the experienced for Athma is never an object of experience.

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