Tvam-pada vicara - analysis of the meaning “you” was done in the last phrase. I am ātmā is pure without any attributes, different from this anātmā attributed body-mind-sense-complex. I am the subject perceive all those are different from me. I am the consciousness who light up the entire inert world, thus they become evident. This much understanding is not enough. Because duality which is the basis for samsāra is still there. Therefore next phrase is tat-pada-vicara - analysis of the meaning of “that brahman” is needed for me to own up the vision of non-duality.
Brahman alone manifests into the entire universe with māyā-upādhi, therefore brahman is kāraṇa - cause and the whole world is kārya - effect. This effect universe is born of the projecting power of māyā, and her veiling power cover up the truth of me ātmā being brahman, the cause of entire universe. Since I am the cause, then the entire universe as the effect is not different from me, thus there is no fear for me because there are no second things to limit me. Even though experience of duality is there, but they are no longer limiting me because I know they don’t hold reality apart from me. My limitation is only in the transactional level.
Since I have always seen myself in relationship with body-mind-senses, roles in life, status, etc. are never my true nature, therefore understanding my true nature through vedānta-vakya - the words of vedānta through śravanam, mananam and nididhyāsanam are needed.
Now from verse 30 to 33, the roles of śravanam and mananam on vedānta-vakya were given.
niṣidhya nikhilopādhīn neti netīti vākyataḥ |
vidyādaikyam mahāvākyairjīvātmaparamātmanoḥ || 30 ||
Having negated all upādhi by the sentence “neti neti”, one should know oneness between jīva and Īśvara through the great sentences.
Śravana is a mental activity which gives rise to the ascertainment of vedānta’s commitment in revealing non-dual brahman. Since so many things are talked about in vedānta, such as the creation of the world, upāsana, how jīva gets viveka and goes to the teacher, etc. but finally śruti wants to reveal that all are here is brahman, and that brahman you are. The process of well understanding the main message of śruti is called śravanam.
After ātma-anātma-viveka, negation about what I am not, it doesn’t make me become full, because duality remains, where I see myself as ātmā and everything else is anātmā. Since duality remains, sense of limitation is still there. Therefore one should go to next stage, knowing that I am the basis for the entire world. Nothing exists apart from me the consciousness. This vision is liberating vision, where nothing limiting me since nothing is apart from me. When this conviction is there, then śravanam is done. The content of śravanam is talked about here, in this verse.
niṣidhya - having negated nikhilopādhīn - all the upādhi, including gross, subtle and causal body, total - Īśvara and individual - jīva neti netīti vākyataḥ - by the sentences such as “na iti na iti”. Whatever we give categories to ātmā, śruti says ātmā is not, only with two words, first “na iti”says that ātmā is not anything with forms / manifest, and second “na iti”says that ātmā is not anything which is formless / unmanifest. Only with two words, this sentence covers everything. Negating them means I don’t see the reality in them.
After that vidyād - one should know aikyam - oneness jīvātmaparamātmanoḥ - between jīva and Īśvara mahāvākyair - by the great sentences. There are four mahāvākya in the Upanishad, which have a profound significance as pointers to reality of oneness. They are:
1) prajñānam brahma – consciousness is brahman
2) aham brahma asmi – I am brahman
3) tat tvam asi – you are that brahman
4) ayam ātma brahma – this self is brahman
Next is negation of upādhi because they are mithyā, and the implied meaning of me - tvam-pada-laksyārtha is mentioned again.
āvidyakam śarīrādidṛśyam budbudavatkṣaram |
etadvilakṣaṇam vidyādaham brahmeti nirmalam || 31 ||
Body etc. are perceivable and perishable, just like bubbles. I should know that they are born of ignorance and I brahman am different from all of these.
śarīrādi - body-mind-senses etc. are dṛśyam - knowable and kṣaram - perishable budbudavat - like bubbles. Bubbles are the superimposed names and forms of water, in the same way this body and entire world are superimposed upon brahman. They don’t hold reality apart from brahman, thus it is a superimposition.
They are dṛśyam - knowable, everything knowable is perishable, because knowable is nothing but from un-manifest to manifest, and it will go into the un-manifest again which is perishable - kṣaram. They are āvidyakam - born of māyā, mithya - doesn’t have its own existence apart from brahman. They are only names and forms which is keep coming and going like bubbles. aham - I am that brahma which is nirmalam - pure, etadvilakṣaṇam - distinct from all these names and forms, their attributes are not belong to me. Iti vidyād - in this manner one should know.
Even though one is very clear about the vision of śruti that I am limitless self of all, there might still doubt that is it really so? Therefore it required next stage of sadhāna called mananam which is talked about in verses 33 and 34.
dehānyatvānna me janma jarākārśyalayādayaḥ |
śabdādiviṣayaiḥ sańgo nirindriyatayā na ca || 32 ||
Since I am different from this body, therefore there is no birth, old age, thinness, death, etc. for me. And because I am free from sense organs, there is no attachment with objects like sounds, etc. for me.
The doubt is very simple, my attachment to the body and objects of senses are very strong, how can I be brahman when I constantly insecure about my body? From the body point of view, I can never have security because it is presupposed to go through all the modification. Whenever I have insecurity with the body and mind, I must immediately ask the question, “what does it mean by the word I”?
dehānyatvāt - since I am different from this body, therefore me - for me na - there is no janma - birth and jarākārśyalayādayaḥ - old age, thinness (apaksayah - decline), death, etc. (other modifications). Gross body is subject to modification, but those modifications do not belong to me, since I am different from the body. ca - and sańgo - my attachment / association śabdādiviṣayaiḥ - with all the objects like sound etc. means the entire world na - is not there, nirindriyatayā - because I am free from the organs.
Therefore manānam - deliberation with the help of reasoning which removes doubts regarding the subject matter of vedānta is needed. It will produce conviction “that brahman I am”.
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