Sankara's Viveka Chudamani:
Maya, Gunas- Sattwa,Rajas, Tamas, Self(Verses 108—135)
Ø The Maya (Avidya)(108-110)
- Nescience(Avidya, or Maya) is also called the "unmanifest," and is the power of the Lord. It is without beginning; and comprises the three Gunas and is superior to their effects.It is inferred only by one who has a clear intellect from the effects it produces.It is the avidya which projects the entire universe.(108)
It (Maya) is neither existent nor non-existent nor both of these; neither same nor different nor both neither made up of parts nor whole nor both. Most wonderful it is and beyond description in words. (109)
By realisation of the pure,non-dual Brahman, Maya can be destroyed, just as the allusion of the snake is removed by the discriminative knowledge of the rope. Its Gunnas are Rajas, Tamas and Sattawa,distinguished by their respective functions(110)
Rajogunna- Nature and Effect(111-112)
Rajas has projecting power(Vikshepasakti).Activity is its very nature. From it the initial flow of activity has originated. From it mental modifications such as attachment and grief are also continuously produced (111)
Desire, anger, greed, hypocracy, malice, arrogance, jealousy, egoism, envy,etc.- these are the dreadful attributes of Rajas,from which the worldly tendencies of man are produced. Rajas is, therefore, the cause of bondage. (112)
Tamogunna-Nature and Effects(113-116)
The veiling (Avriti) is the power of Tamas,, which makesa things appear to be other than what they actually are.It causes man's repeated transmigration and initiates the action ofthe projecting power(vikshepa). . (113)
Even the wise and the learned, and those who are proficient in the vision of the supremely subtle meaning of the scriptures,are overpowered by Tamas and cannot comprehendTruth, even though it is clearly explained in various ways. They consider it Real what is superimposed by delusion and attach themselves to its effects. Alas! how powerful is the veiling power of dire tamas!(114)
Absence of correct judgement or contrary judgement, lack of definite belief and doubt...certainly these never leave one who has any connection with this veiling power; also, the projecting power gives endless trouble. (115)
Ignorance, laziness,dullness,sleep,inadvertance,stupidity,etc. are the attributes of the Tamas One tied up with these cannot comprehend any thing, but remains like one asleep, or like a stump of wood or a block of stone.116)
Sattwa Gunna- Nature and Effects(117-119)
Pure Sattwa is like clear water, yet in combination with Rajas and Tamas, it provides for transmigration. But when the light of the Self gets reflected in Sattwa alone,, then like the Sun, it reveals the entire world of matter.(117)
The characteristic of mixed sattwa are utter absence of pride,etc. Niyama, Yama, and also faith,devotion,yearning for liberation, the divine tendencies and a natural turning away from everything unreal.(118)
- The characteristic of pure sattwa are cheerfulness, the experience of one's own Self, supreme peace, contentment, bliss, and constant devotion to the supreme Self, by which the aspirant comes toenjoy everlasting bliss(119)
The Causal Body - Its Nature (120-121)
- This "Unmanifest", described as combination of all three Gunas, is the Causal body of the individual. Its special state is deep sleep, in which all the functions of the mind-intellect and the sense-organs are totally suspened(120) The mind remains in a ssubtleseed-likeformin deepsleep, which isthe stateofcompletecessation of all kinds ofperceptions. Indeed the universal experiencein this state is , " I didn't know anything."(121)
Not-Self- Description(122-123)
The body, sense organs, Pranas(, life-breaths), mind, and ego etc., all theirmodifications; thesense-objects and their pleasure, etc. the gross elements, the ether and all the elements such as ether, etc.the whole universe upto the Unmanifest... these constitute the not Self. (122)
Every thing is due to the effect of Maya...from Mahat down to the gross body. Know thou, that these and Maya itself are the not Self...therefore, they are uneeal, like the mirage water in the desert(123)
The Self - Its Nature(124-135)
Now I shall tell youof the real nature of the supreme Self , realising which a man, is freed from all his personality encumberances(bondages), and attains liberation(124).
Something there is , which is the Absolute Entity, the Eternal Substratum for the very awareness of Ego.It is the witness of the three states and it is distinct from all the five sheaths.(125) There is a certain selfhood wherein the sense of "I" forever rests; who witnesses the three modes of being, who is other than the five veils; who is the only knower in waking, dreaming, dreamlessness; of all the activities of the knowing soul, whether good or bad—this is the "I".
That which knows everything that happens in the waking,dream and deep-sleep states.That which is aware of the presence or absence of the mind and its functions. That which is the essence behind the ego. That is This."(126)
That which sees allbut which noone can see; That which illumines the intellect etc., but which they cannot illumine. That is This."(127)
That by which this universe is pervaded,but which is not pervadedby anything; whichwhen Itshines, theentireuniverseshines asItsreflection.That is This."(128)
That by whose very presence the body and the sense organs,the mind and the intellect perform theirr espective functions like a team of servants prompted by their master(129)
That, because of which everything... the ego, the body,the sense-objects and the pleasure etc. are known, as clearly as a jar, is of the nature of Eternal Knowledge(130)
. This inner Self, the ancient Spirit, is everlasting, partless, immediately experienced happiness; ever of one nature, pure waking knowledge, sent forth by whom Voice and the life-breaths move. (130)
This (great Truth)is the innermost Self, the ancient Purusha, whose essential nature is the constant experience of Infinite Bliss, which is ever the same. Yet, It constantly gets reflected through different mental modifications and, commanded by it, the sense organs and the Pranas perform their functions(131)
In this verybody, in a mind full of Sattwa in the secret cave of the intellect, in the atmosphere of the Unmanifest, the Atman, opfcaptivating glory, shinesliketheSun, high in the sky, illumining this universeby Itsvery effulgence(132).
The knower of the modifications of the mind and the ego, and the activities of the body, the sense organs and the pranas, which apparently take their forms like the fire in a ball of iron, is the Self, which neither acts nor changes in the least(133)
Neither It is born no rdoes It die;neitherdoesIt grow,nordoes Itdecay; beingeternal,It doesnotundergo anychange.Even when thisbody is destroyed,It doesnotcease toexist.It is likethe space in the jar that isbroken...It is independent ofthe jar(134)
Different from Prakriti and its modifications is the Supreme Self, ofthe nature of pure knowledge. It is Absolute and directly manifests the entire gross and subtle unverseas the very essence behind the steady sense- of- egoism. It manifests itself asthe Witness ofthe intellect, thedeterminingfacultyin man(135)
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