tesām evānukampārtam aham ajñānajam tamah|
nāśayāmyātmabhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā ||10.11||
For them alone, out of compassion, I obtaining in the thought of mind, destroy the delusion born of ignorance by the shining lamp of knowledge.
tesām evā - only for those who are seeking moksa alone, Īśvara gives the vision. anukampārtam - out of compassion, which is grace we evoked by our own karma or prayer. Who gives this grace? aham ātmabhāvastho - I am one who resides in the thought in the mind. By using this word, Lord Krsna removes a possible notion arising from him saying "I give", which having subject-object's difference. Īśvara is the one who obtains in the vrtti - thought, in the very thought of the seeker as pratyagātmā - inner self. Īśvara obtained in our mind as "I", purely in the form of awareness. As knowledge, Īśvara shines in the mind in the form of our true nature to destroy the delusion born of ignorance. Because of the devotion and commitment, a certain conducive condition is created in the minds. That purity of the mind is grace which is given for self-knowledge to take place to destroy the delusion.
We usually find both kinds of expressions in śāstra, one is "you reach me, gaining this knowledge through your own pursuit." And another one is "I give this knowledge." Let us see how these two as though contradiction statements are used.
When we use any means of knowledge such as perception, inference etc to know particular knowledge, it involves the subject (knower) and the object of knowledge (known). When knowledge took place, I as the knower is not canceled, it is retained and also the known object. This is applied on all form of knowledge. But, when it comes to self-knowledge, the knower doesn't operate. Once one prepares one's mind where such knowledge can take place, it does nothing further. The doer/knower is destroyed when the knowledge took place. The notion that I am the knower is destroyed by the knowledge that I am pure awareness which is brahman. The ahankāra/I-ness is resolved into the knowledge itself. The knower, known and knowledge are one and the same. Where is the division between subjects and object? Ātmā is free from all of them.
This recognition that the self is brahman, swallows the subject and object. So how can we say that we gain it? Through śāstra, Īśvara alone gives this knowledge. Since ahankara is not involved, it is proper to say that Īśvara gives us this knowledge. And it is his grace which we taped on with our devotion.
In fact there is no giving involved, true nature means never ceases away. Therefore when we say knowledge takes place means obstacles to reveal this true nature are being removed. That is why this whole process is a process of nivrtti - giving up the false notion, not pravrtti - gaining something new. The removal of ignorance of the self being brahman is called knowledge here.
Having listened to Lord Krsna through these chapters, Arjuna has certain understanding of the topic. From his understanding he now speaks.
arjuna uvāca
param brahma param dhāma pavitram paramam bhavān |
purusam śāśvatam divyam ādidevamajam vibhum ||10.12||
āhustvām rsayah sarve devarsirnāradastathā |
asito devalo vyāsah svayam caiva bravīsi me ||10.13||
Arjuna said:
Revered one! You are limitless Brahman, the light of all lights, the most purifying. All the sages, including Nārada, the sage among Gods, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa talk of you as the eternal being, not of this world, the cause of all the Gods, unborn and all-pervasive. And indeed, you yourself tell me so.
Oh Krsna, as being param brahma - limitless in term of time, space and attributes. param dhāma - ultimate light which is the very basis for sight to take place, which is the source of all consciousness. pavitram paramam bhavān - ultimate purifier, nothing can get rid of punya-pāpa except self-knowledge. The knowledge of the Lord, destroy I-ness including all punya-pāpa. purusam śāśvatam - purusam being limitless is not bound by time therefore śāśvatam. Purusam here has two meanings, one who is staying inside the body-mind-sense-complex (ātmā), and also that which fills up everything (all pervasive brahman). Equation between brahman and jiva is there when the word purusah is repeated, purusah purusah - one who obtains in body-mind-sense-complex, seemingly enclosed, is limitless which filled up everything. divyam - something of an exalted nature that is not of this world. ajam - which is unborn, the source of all and not an effect. vibhum - all pervasive.
Arjuna says here that what he had said about Lord Krsna is not only his personal observation, but the sages who really knew this subject matter and whose opinion can't be dismissed, also said so. And Lord Krsna himself tells Arjuna that he is Īśvara - svayam caiva bravīsi me.
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