ATMA BODHA
by
SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA
TEXT & COMMENTARY
(PART - 19 – VERSES 45,46,47,48)
INTRODUCTION
Vs.42 emphasized to us the importance of Dhyana Madhanam or churning through Jnanagni (or Dhyanagni), the fire of self knowledge for igniting which we must perform incessant (unbroken) Nidhidhyasanam – with 2 parts in it (i) negating the Anatma as NOT I, NOT I.. (ii) Asserting the Self as Brahman.
Vs.43 says that – once the darkness of Ignorance in us is burned out through Dhyana madhanam, the Atma (Self) shines out brilliantly as ever.
Vs.44 says that – Atma is always self luminous and shining and always available to us – it is in fact the real ‘I’ which can be never lost to us – like the ornament we are constantly wearing around the neck but are unable to see it with our eyes.
Our ignorance clouds Atma from our self. When ignorance is removed, the unveiling itself makes it appear as if we are discovering it anew.
Adi Sankara, in many of these verses is driving home one single point which has the following aspects : (i) Ignorance is the darkness enveloping us (ii) Self Knowledge (Jnanam) is the light that removes this darkness (iii) The result is the revelation of the SELF as the eternal consciousness-bliss.We will continue this interesting discussion further now :
45 Sthaanau Purushavat Bhraantyaa
Krutaa Brahmani Jeevataa
Jeevasya Taathvike Roope
Tasmin Drushte Nivartate.
In utter darkness, some times, we catch a shadowy glimpse of a tree and mistake it for a human being – especially if we are anticipating a human being to be available there. The darkness creates a delusion in our mind. A police man thinking of chasing a thief may mistake the tree as the thief. On the other hand, the thief trying to escape from a Policeman may mistake the tree for the policeman. Darkness coupled with expectation creates variety of delusions in human mind. Likewise, in such darkness, we can mistake a rope as a snake.
How do we remove the delusion? First the darkness must be removed. Next, our expectation which is creating the delusion must also be removed. It is not enough to prove that the distant shadow is not of a human being. In such a case, the mind may create another delusion that it is a statue or pillar towards which the mind has a leaning or expectation. The darkness creates the appropriate image in the mind due to this delusion. So, it must be conclusively proved that what is before is the TREE and nothing else. Darkness and delusion should both be removed for the purpose. Similarly – it is not enough to prove that there is no snake before us on the road. In that case, the mind may assume it to be a long vegetable like snake gourd or a towel or a long curved stick. The mind imagines many such things.
The delusion continues until the veil of ignorance is totally removed and the fact is established.
In the same way, we mistake the Paramatma in us to be the jeeva we perceive with the five senses and the mind. This is because of the ignorance in us, which creates all sorts of delusions. We mistake the Upaadhis like Sareera thrayam, mind, Buddhi etc as the real self.
What is unreal appears as real and what is real appears as unreal – until the Maya or avidya in us is totally destroyed and it is established beyond a shadow of doubt that the jeeva consciousness in us is in fact the Atma or Paramatma.
Who perceives this? It is I, the Atma; I, the Brahman; I, the Paramatma who perceives this. The perceived also is “I”. The perception also is ‘I’.
The removal of ignorance is all that is needed for this realization and liberation.
46 Tathva Swaroopa Anubhavaa
Utpannam Jnaanam Anjasaa
Aham Mameti cha Ajnaanam
Baadhate Digbhramadivat.
Dig-bhrama can be taken either literally as the inability to recognize the directions (East, west and so on) or as high delusion. Some times, when we are in an unknown place, it is difficult to recognize directions until we acquire the right knowledge of the place. This is true. Likewise, when we are in ignorance, we fail to understand who we are, where we are etc and are in a state of high delusion. This also is true. In both cases, the acquiring of the right knowledge removes the delusion and gives us clarity.
We are in a big delusion about who we are. We wrongly assume many things, many upaadhis like the gross body, the mind, the Buddhi etc as our real SELF. We call them as ‘I’.
Likewise, we assume that the house, the ornaments and many other things around us are ours. The feeling of ‘I’ and ‘ mine’ is the biggest delusion we are in.
How does this biggest ignorance enveloping us in many ways and from many directions, go from us? How does it get destroyed?
On acquiring the firm knowledge about the Brahman, about ‘thath thvam asi’, that ‘I am the Brahman’ – on acquiring this swaroopa Jnanam – instantly, our ignorance and delusions are destroyed.
There is no ‘I’ which is different from you, he or others. Likewise, there is no mine – different from you, yours, I or others. There is a universal oneness – a universal consciousness which is Brahman, the one without a second. And this Brahman (thath) is You (thvam). This Brahman is I. This is the one and only Brahman there is.
47 Samyak Vijnanavaan Yogee
Swatmanyeva Akhilam Jagat
Ekam Cha Sarvam Atmaana
Eeekshyate Jnana Chakshushaa
What does the perfectly liberated person with wholesome wisdom do?
He sees the whole Universe with his ‘eyes of wisdom’ or Jnana Chakshu. His physical eyes may see many things. His eyes of wisdom give him a special vision of the universe – which is totally integrated into a oneness without any divisions and parts – but at the same time, he can also cognize this universal oneness through all the myriad things and beings in the universe. In the whole Universe, he sees only himself and in himself does he witness the whole Universe.
The phrase ‘samyak vijnaanavaan yogee’ conveys a lot. Yogam is the process of joining together everything into oneness. Who is the Yogi? He must possess samyak (wholesome) vijnanam (wisdom). There is the phrase that wisdom comes from uniting and knowledge comes from separating. Here, a Yogi needs wholesome wisdom from uniting the whole universe in himself.
What for? He must be able to see the whole Universe in himself. Is that all? No. He must see himself everywhere in the universe.
When one sits in Nidhidhyasana – Dhyana Madhanam, one must strive to accomplish this. The nethi,nethi process coupled with ithi,ithi process must lead us to this ‘Samyak vijnanam’.
48 Atma eva idam Jagat sarvam
Atmano Anyat na Vidyathe
Mrudo Yadvat Ghataadeeni
Swatmaanam Sarvam Eekshyathe
How does the Yogi perceive this Universe? How does the world look in the eyes of the Yogi? The whole Universe is Atma only. Every thing and every being in the universe is ATMA SWAROOPAM only. There is nothing other than Atma. The Yogi with wholesome wisdom perceives this truth everywhere.
It is much like the different shapes of Pots, large and small, decorated and plain, which the potter makes out of the same mud. The Potter sees the same mud in all the pots with different names and forms while others see the pots with different names and forms but fail to see that all of them are made of the same mud only. Mud is the permanent reality and Pots are impermanent. On destruction, they again merge into the mud. Likewise, all names and forms in the universe are impermanent and fleeting. They all come from the same Atma which is all pervading and eternal. All names and forms dissolve into the same Atma.
This is the perception that the yogi gets out of Nidhidhysana- dhyana madhanam. The sadhaka progresses in this direction in his Sravana-Manana – Nidhidhysana process. He must consciously align his vision of the universe with this reality.
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