In order to be free, I ātmā need to know my true nature. But knowing is an activity where changes are necessary, and changes happen only in a locus and subject which both have to undergo change. Since ātma is nityatā - not subject to time, changeless, how can I own up ātmā-jñānam?
ātmānaḥ saccidamśaśca buddhervṛttiriti dvayam |
samyojya cāvivekena jānāmīti pravartate || 25 ||
Having combined existence, consciousness of ātmā and the thought modification of the mind, one engages in the transaction in the manner of “I know”, because of non-discrimination.
saccidamśaśca - existence and consciousness aspect ātmānaḥ - of ātmā, and buddhervṛttiriti - thought modification of the mind, in this manner samyojya - having joined dvayam - these two things cāvivekena - through non-discrimination, superimposed connection, jānāmīti - “I know”, in this manner pravartate - one engages in the transaction. This connection is called superimposed, because there is no real connection between the two.
Why is there no real connection between these two? If the connection is not real, then the result of the connection “I know” also is not real. Does it mean the knowledge of “I am brahman” is also not real?
ātmano vikriyā nāsti buddherbodho na jātvapi |
jīvaḥ sarvamalam jñātvā kartā draṣṭeti muhyati || 26 ||
There is no modification for ātmā and there is no consciousness for the mind at any time. Jīva considers “I am a doer”, “I am a seer”, in this manner one is completely deluded.
ātmano vikriyā nāsti - there is no modification on the part of ātmā, buddherbodho na jātvapi - there is no consciousness for the mind at any time. Mere ātmā can’t have the experience “I know”, because any activity including knowing implies changes. Thus changeless ātmā can’t be the locus of ever changing activities. But the mere mind also can’t be the locus of knowing since it doesn’t have consciousness. Therefore both of them need to be combined for the activity of knowing to be possible.
Consciousness transfers to the mind - modification, and modification transfers to consciousness me. Thus joining consciousness and mind modification, I make a statement “I know”. But ātmā is asangah - free from relationship, thus the real combination is not possible, only as though connection which is called adhyāsika-sambandha - superimposed connection.
Just like the connection between clay and pot. Clay is the absolute reality of pot, whereas the name and form of pot doesn’t have its own reality. How the real connection can happen between them. When there is no real connection then it is a superimposition. Similarly, between ātmā which is the absolute reality of the entire manifestation, and the mind which is the product of māyā, holding the status of dependent reality, their connection only can be superimposed.
jīvaḥ - consciousness which is reflected in the mind, as the result of mutual superimposition between consciousness and mind, jñātvā - knowing sarvam - all, claims that kartā - “I am doer”, draṣṭeti - “I am seer”. In this manner he is alam muhyati - completely deluded. When the connection between ātmā and mind is superimposed, the result of the connection that “I know”, is also superimposed.
Therefore the occurrence of the knowledge in the mind that “I am brahman” is a superimposition, because the occurrence of knowledge is possible only when the superimposed combination of ātmā and mind are there. But this superimposed knowledge is having the job to remove superimposed veiling of ātmá.
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