The next verse presents the result of nididhyāsana with the help of Kaivalya upanisad example.
evamātmāraṇau dhyānamathane satatam kṛte |
uditāvagatijvālā sarvājñānendhanam dahet || 42 ||
When churning in the form of dhyānam is done, then the flame of knowledge (free from obstacles) is born. It would burn the ignorance and all ignorance’s products.
evam - in this manner, in the manner previous verses described about how contemplation is to be done, when dhyānamathane - churning in the form of contemplation kṛte - is done satatam - constantly ātmāraṇau - in the mind, which compares to the steady lower wooden piece.
An example of arani mathanam - rubbing between two wooden pieces to produce fire for a big ritual is given. The upper wooden piece is rubbed against the lower wooden piece, and when frictions produce some fire sparks, quickly taking some cotton to catch the fire and transfer the fire to the yajñā-kunda - fire pit for ritual.
The word of vedānta is compared to the upper wooden piece, and the mind of a sadhāka is compared to the lower wooden piece which needs to be kept steady. Just like the upper wooden piece needs to be churned repeatedly to produce sparks, in the same way the word of vedānta also needs to be churned repeatedly in the mind of a sadhāka in the form of repeated śravana-manana-nididhyāsana. Since words of vedānta are centred on mahāvākya, therefore throughout the process, we listen to mahāvākya, we analyse mahāvākya, and we contemplate on the same mahāvākya.
For how long is this to be done? Till uditāvagatijvālā - flame of obstacle’s free knowledge is born, dahet - burning sarvājñānendhanam - the offering in the form of entire ignorance and its product, namely identification with body-mind-sense, doership, and continuous samsāra. Thus contemplation gives rise to knowledge that is free from obstacles, and this kind of knowledge is doing its job by removing samsāra.
The next verse is reinforcing the idea that when ignorance is destroyed, there is no extra job to illumine ātmā since the self is self luminous.
aruṇeneva bodhena pūrvam santamase hṛte |
tata āvirbhavedātmā svayamevāmśumāniva || 43 ||
By the knowledge (of ātmā being brahman), first the intense darkness of ignorance is removed, then ātmā is manifested by itself like the sun.
bodhena - with the knowledge aruṇeneva - which is like dawn light hṛte - removes santamase - dense darkness pūrvam - first. tata - there after ātmā - the self āvirbhaved - manifests / shines svayameva - by itself alone amśumāniva - just like the sun.
Knowledge of the self arises from the words of vedānta “you are brahman”, means ignorance about nature of the self is removed. This is vrtti-vyāpti. Technically saying, after vrtti-vyāpti, the ignorance about the self is removed, and there is no phala-vyāpti - pervasion of object of knowing by reflected consciousness to illumine the self necessary, because ātmā is self illumined. For this, the example of dawn is given. Before sunrise, the dawn light removes the darkness on the earth, and when there is no darkness, the sun is fully shining on the earth.
Aruna is the charioteer of the sun’s god who is illustrated sitting on the chariot as his vehicle moves about in the sky. When a chariot is coming, we usually see the driver first, therefore dawn light is called aruna, which appears before the sun from the perspective of earth. This dawn light is compared to vrrti-jñānam - knowledge of the self which removes the ignorance, then the sun which is compared to ātmā shines by itself. There is no further effort for the limitless nature to shine.
By looking at the example of the sun, some people might think that ātmā is just like the sun, sometime is not available and only arrives at certain time, which attainment is either by time or space. The idea that ātmā is something that needs to be attained is dismissed in the next verse.
ātmā tu satatam prāpto’ pyaprāptavadavidyayā |
tannāśe prāptavadbhāti svakaṇṭhābharaṇam yathā || 44 ||
Even though ātmā is always available, it appears like unattained, because of ignorance. When the ignorance is destroyed, ātmā appears as though attained. Just as the ornament on one’s own neck.
Anything in our life, whatever we want, and we think it is not available, we will employ some means or wait out to attain it. Therefore we also have a concept that we should attain ātmā which is of the nature of freedom and happiness. Since we habitually think this way, therefore ācārya repeatedly making clear that ātmā tu satatam prāptah - even though ātmā is always available api aprāptavadavidyayā - but it appears like unattained, because of ignorance. Ātmā is always available, thus what is to be attained is only anātma. Because of ignorance, I am taking anātmā to be me, thus I think I am bound, therefore we think freedom is to be attained. The distance between mokṣa and me is purely ignorance. Thus there is no question of “when will I get mokṣa?” Mokṣa is here and now if only we are ready to own it up.
Since this is so, ācārya says tannāśe - when ignorance is destroyed prāptavadbhāti - ātmā appears as though attained, since ignorance of my ānanda nature is gone after knowledge, therefore ānanda appears attained.
yathā svakaṇṭhābharaṇam - just as the ornament on one’s own neck. When one doesn’t know that necklace is on one’s own neck, he keeps searching until he realises that the necklace is actually on his neck the entire time. Similarly one employs all the means to look for happiness, until one realises that he is the meaning of happiness itself.
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