STORIES FROM
TRIPURAA TRIPURAA RAHASY RAHASYA
Salutation to Aum, Aum, the Primal and Blissful cause, the Transcendental Consciousness shining as the unique mirror of the wonderful Universe.
INTRODUCTION
Tripura Rahasya or Haritayana Samhita is the work of Haritayana,son of Harita. The spiritual Truths Truths given in this sacred scripture were given by Sri Parashuraama to Harita, who in turn obtained it from Sage Dattatreya. t is said to consist of !",### verses in three sections $ The %aahaatmya &haanda 'Section on the (reatness of Sri Devi), *naana &haanda 'Section on Supreme +isdom), and haryaa &haanda 'Section on onduct). -f these the first consists of ,/0 verses1 the second of ",!2 verses1 and the third is not no t traceable. The section on (reatness contains the prelude to the work and later treats mostly of the manifestations of the Supreme 3eing as Durga, &aali, 4akshmi, Sarasvati, 4alita, &umaari, etc. and their e5ploits and found in 3rahmaanda Puraana, %aarkandeya Puraana and 4akshmi Tantra. Tantra. This Section contains *naana &haanda. The te5t is in conversational form. Hasrita instructs instructs 6aarada that &nowledge which was taught by Dattatreya to Parashuraama. This work is a discourse on wisdo m, which is uni7ue because one will be permanently freed from misery, misery, by hearing it. This is the concentrated e5tract of o f the essence of o f the 8edic, 8edic, 8aishnava, 8aishnava, Shaiva, Saatkta Saa tkta and Paasupata lore . The present work is a collection of all stories presented by Sage Dattatreya to e5plain the Supreme truth.
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No other course will impress impress the mind so much much as this one on Wisdom Wisdom which was once taught by that illustrious master Dattatreya to Parashuraama. Parashuraama. The teaching was born of his own experience, logical in sense and quite unique in its nature. One who cannot apprehend Truth een after hearing this must be dismissed as a silly fool to be ran!ed among the insentient and accursed accursed of "od# $hia himself cannot cannot ma!e such a one gain wisdom.% wisdom.% “
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STOR O! "#$A%#&"A A'( "#$AC"U(A " #$AC"U(A Royal (ardens of Dashaarna@ -n one side beautiful girls danced to the heavenly tunes of the orchestra. -n another side maids were bringing royal delicacies and preparing for a feast. Some beautiful girls brought garlands of scented flowers and decorated the arena. 9verywhere there was a festive mood. 9veryone laughed for no reason. 9veryone felt happy for no reason. The whole palace was celebrating the arrival of the new bride. 3ut the brideA She was nowhere to be seen. The Prince knew where she would be1 in some 7uite deserted corner of the garden or in her own room. The prince had thoroughly searched the whole of the vast grove of trees near the palace. His wife was nowhere. He treaded his steps slowly towards the private chambers of his young 7ueen. Prince Hemachuda was worried.
been lucky. Their loyal horses had carried them away from that danger in a flash. ;ortunately his brother %uktachudas horse had returned to the palace safely. 3ut Hemachudas horse had ventured deeper into Cungles and entered an enchanting garden filled with fruit bearing trees. < stream of sweet water gurgled nearby. 3eautiful flowers of countless hues blossomed everywhere mesmeriBing the mind to a state of rela5ed drowsiness. 3irds of different colors flew in abandon singing their own songs of love . The prince had washed himself in the cool waters of the stream and was wondering who could be the resident of such a heavenly garden.
< grand reception ceremony was held for the newly weds and Hemalekha was accepted accep ted into the royal family without a 7uestion. ;or first few days after the marriage the prince enCoyed life with his wife like ndra with his wife Sachi. He felt he had attained the Supreme happiness ever could be attained by a human. His Coy knew no bounds. 3ut he discovered soon that his wife was not happy with life as he was. She was usually silent and absorbed in some deep dee p thoughts always. She did not show much enthusiasm about any royal entertainments. Thinking that she missed her forest life, the prince took her to many a forest resort too. 3ut she still acted aloof and was disinterested in everything. That was what worried Hemachuda now. He was puBBled by her behavior and decided to tackle her directly and en7uire about her mental depression. Hemalekha was looking out through the window at the blue taintless sky. sky. 3ut her mind was elsewhere There was no one in her room. She had sent all the maids away and strictly ordered them not to disturb her. The maids had been actually surprised by her stern behavior. Hemalekha was absorbed in deep thinking. Her forehead was creased in worry. She was worried about her husband Hemachuda. She had not given many thoughts to the future, when she had first met the prince and fallen in love with him. He was so charming, so good, so dignified. d ignified. She had lost her mind to him at first sight. She knew that her ;ather 8yaghrapada 8yaghrapada was worried about her marriage for the past few months. She was thankful to him for rescuing her as a baby and caring for her all these fifteen years. She did not want to be a burden to him anymore. f she was out of his hands he would become free to pursue his penance 7uietly in the hermitage she knew. So when the prince desired her, she had reciprocated e 7ual love. 3ut now she missed her forest trees, her hermitage friends, her pet birds, her pet animals, in fact everything of her past. She wished she could turn back the time and be forever with her father like a child. 6ot that she had lost her love for the charming prince. 3ut she had never imagined that he would be so much interested in sense pleasures. %usic, dance, food, drinks, girls..@ She shook her head in disgust. 6ot a moment was there any silence in the palace.
Her eyes were wet as she looked out into the blue sky. Some parrots flew suddenly making some noise. She wished she was one of them1 she could have flown towards her fathers hermitage and hid herself there@ Her thoughts were disturbed b y someone approaching. t was Hemachuda@ She got up with a sigh@ She saluted her 4ord in reverence. Hemachuda embraced her gently and got her seated. He observed the pale face and the wet eyes. He held her like a child and askedG EDearest@ +hyA +hat happenedA Did anybody hurt you by any harsh wordsA Do you lack any comfort in this palaceA Did any maid insult youA Tell me will not spare anyone who dared hurt you@F Hemalekha said that no one had hurt her and nothing was the matter with her1 she was 7uite happy with everything. She removed herself from his tightening arms and looked out into the garden silently. silently. Hemachuda followed her. He 7uestioned again with concernG E%y pretty wife@ have been observing you lately. :ou seem to be lost in a world of your own. :ou :ou do not show interest in anything. a nything. How is it that you are not as attentive to me as am to youA Thou fairest of girls radiant with smiles@ How is it that you are never keen on seeking pleasure or enCoying itA
continuously churning my mind for the answer, have not succeeded so far@ am after all a woman who is not in any way e7ual to your intellectual capacity@ Do you know the answerA Then please help me by b y telling me the answer and relieve me of my tension@F Hemachuda burst into laughter. laughter. J+as J+ as that all she was worried aboutA *ust some silly dou bt befitting her young age@ He suddenly felt lighter in the heart. He placed a tender kiss on her shining cheek and saidG E-of@ -nly this little problem@ +omen are indeed silly and worry about worthless problems. +hat is the greatest CoyA ndeed even the birds and beasts, nay the crawling insects know what is pleasant and what is painful. They run away from pain and seek that which makes them happy. +hat makes them happy they consider it to be good and pursue them1 what gives them pain they avoid it as bad. +hat is there in it, my dear that you are always given to thinking about itA s it not sillyAF Hemalekha did not let him know the stupidity of his answer. She flashed a silly smile at him and saidG E:es, E:es, my 4ord@ +omen +omen can never Cudge anything in proper way. They do act silly always. am not an e5ception. So please be kind to this brainless female and teach me the right answers. 6o one can clear my doubts like you. :ou :ou are wise beyond your years@ f you guide me in the correct way of thinking, will stop being silly like other women. Then only will be suited to be a perfect life partner to you in truth. will be relieved of my silly thoughts and will take e7ual e7ua l part in all enCoyments. Please be patient and clear my silly doubts.F She flashed another charming smile at the handsome prince. The prince nodded his head in agreement@ He was confident that he could tackle her 7uestions easily and soon she would be participating in all amorous sports as he desired. She continuedG E:es@ E:es@ +hat you told me is the right answer. answer. +hat pleases one is happiness1 what is not pleasing is misery. That is right. 3ut have a doubt here1 forgive my silly obCection@ The same obCect gives pain or pleasure according to circumstances. Heat for e5ample is pleasing in winter but b ut unpleasant in summer. t is helpful as a fuel in cooking1 but burns you to death even, if uncontrolled@ ts results vary according to seasons, the places and its own siBe or intensity. intensity. Pleasure and pain are, therefore, functions of seasons1 similarly of latitudes and altitudes.
really have inbuilt happiness in themA 3ut we know it is not so. 9veryone is miserable in some way or other. 6o one seems to possess everything that is sufficient for happiness. The 7uestion arisesG annot a man be happy, even with such limited meansA shall give you the answer. That cannot be happiness, my 4ord, which is tinged with misery. %isery is of two kinds, e5ternal and internal. 95ternal misery is connected to the body1 internal misery is connected to the mind and its latent desires. %ental an5iety is worse than ph ysical pain and no one born in the world can escape it. Desire is the seed of the tree of misery and never fails in its fruits. 9ven (ods are under it swaying1 they live in celestial regions and have access to the nectar of immortality1 yet they are slaves to desires and working incessantly as it dictates.F Hemachuda had not e5pected this torrent of philosophical ideas from his little wife. He wanted to end the conversation then and there and hold her in his embrace. 3ut if he acted that away, she would think of him as unintelligent and resent him more. He had to prove that he was wiser then her. He had to continue the argument. So he 7uestioned reluctantlyG E+hen a desire gets fulfilled we are happy@ So what is wrong with itA +ho does not have a desireA %aybe harming others to fulfill ones wants might be wrong. 3ut desires sanctioned by Scriptures lead a man towards the fulfillment of life@ -h come on1 why waste time on worthless discussionsA 4et us go out to the royal pond and play around happily@ Surely such a desire in me is not a sin@F he tried to pull her towards him forcefully. Hemalekha gently pushed his hands away and continued innocently. EHave you ever thought why one feels good when a desire gets fulfilledA t is because the gnawing pain caused by dissatisfaction disappears. That is all@ 3ut that is not the end. The moment one desire is satisfied, the mind makes a live another desire and we do not rest peacefully till that also gets over with. So we go on and on, fulfilling each desire of the mind1 but never have a moment of peace in our lives. nsects also are in the pursuit of such happiness only. They never rest satisfied1 yet their enCoyment is distinctly better than that of men because their desires are less comple5. an you state definitely that the happiness is gained by Cust satisfying one desire and rest of the desires need not be bothered aboutA f such is the case, everyone should be happy in this world. 9veryone is happy because some pain $ mental or physical is removed by some act. +hen a man is severely burnt, smearing of the ointment is happiness for him. < man is happy when embraced by his beloved. 3ut if he is an5ious about something else or physically afflicted, the same embrace is painful to h im. +hat is a physical union after allA t is Cust a physical need like e5cretion or hunger or thirst.
Hemachuda was shocked@ He had never though that se5ual pleasures could be described in such degrading words. He retorted vehemently. E6o@ Do not talk degradingly of my love like this. am not Cust physically attracted to you. love your simplicity, your innocence1 love you alone. =nion with you is an e5pression of my love@ There is a difference between m y love and a dogs love@ They do not have the emotion of love@ They mate prompted by nature. 3ut love you as my soul partner@F His face turned red in embarrassment@ He looked away@ Hemalekha held his face in her hand and looked at his eyes directly. She askedG E:es@ know you love me@ also love you@ 3ut what is loveA
away. onse7uently the prince did not drink as much a s usual. ;eeling desirous of his wifes company he rushed to the private chambers. The harlot was waiting for him as usual. The prince did not recogniBe her in the heat of the passion.
'and enslaves the mind) by constant mental associations. Since the mind now d eludes itself that the obCect perceived is a beautiful obCect with inbuilt pleasure, the senses get provoked. %ind becomes more restless. The desire to enCoy her rises automatically. 3ut a mind which does not have preconceived notions does not get provoked by her sight. < composed mind does not react to the presence of the fairest maiden. The reason for infatuation in the uncontrolled mind is the fulfillment of ones own mental picture getting gratified. hildren and :ogis do not get e5cited by the presence of young women because they do not have such conceptions of beauty in their mind. 6either do women think of other women as beautiful. They have a preconceived idea that they are the most beautiful obCects in the world. So whoever finds pleasure in anything, the beauty therein is only mental imagery. 9ven ugly and loathsome women are looked upon as delightful angels by their husbands. f the mind conceives anything as loathsome and not delightful, there will be no pleasure in such. ;ie on human beings who appraise the foulest part of the body as the most delightful. f one should see beauty in that body$part which is wet with impure e5cretions, where will not man see beautyA Tell me@ 4isten Prince@ The idea of beauty lies in ones own desire innate in the mind. Sweets are liked by almost everyone. 9ven children recogniBe the sweetness in the edibles. The same chemical changes happen in almost all human beings when the chemical in the sugar e5cites the tongue. 3ut beauty is not innate in the obCect like a chemical1 beauty is Cust a subCective concept which is different in different persons. f beauty is natural to the obCect of love, why is it not recogniBed by children tooA The form, the stature and comple5ion of people differ in different countries and at different times1 their ears may be long1 their faces distorted1 their teeth large1 their nose prominent1 bodies hairy or smooth, their hair red, black, or golden, light or thick, smooth or curly1 their comple5ion fair, dark, coppery, yellow or grey. :et each man finds a particular woman as beautiful and enCoys her1 she may look ugly and loathsome to another man with a different conception of beauty.
body. 3ody is nothing but a fleshy pitcher of nine stinking holes1 you have to clean your hand thoroughly whichever hole you chance to touch@ n such a state of affairs, answer me as to what is pleasing and non$ pleasing@F The Prince was in a state of shock@ He sat there like a statue. His mind was in turmoil. His whole body was bathed in sweat. He 7uickly took leave of his wife and went to his own chambers. Hemachuda had changed. He understood the truth hidden in the words of his pretty wife. He decided to control his mind and show her that he was no less than her in Self control. He will know more than her and see to it that she admired his &nowledge. He kept women, wine and delicacies away. He filled his chambers with various scriptures and spent his time studying them. He invited many worthy souls and discussed philosophy with them. He had now achieved at least a good store of spiritual vocabulary. 3ut he was bored1 terribly bored. He did not get any great bliss from philosophical knowledge. 9very topic was dry and boring. JHemalekha might be right@ %aybe beauty is the conception of the mind@ 3ut what is wrong with itA f it was real or unreal, the pleasure obtained was not less in degree because one knew about its unreal nature.
Hemalekha felt an5ious about his condition. She knew he had no illness or ailment connected to the body. 3ut he looked so pathetic, her mind melted in compassion towards him. She asked with concernG EHow is it, my 4ord that you are not as cheerful as beforeA :ou look sad. +hy soA do not see symptoms of any particular ailment in you. Diseases are usually caused by disharmony in the three tempers of the body. Tempers get displaced by food consumed, clothes worn, words uttered or heard, sights seen, obCects contacted, changes of seasons and travel in different countries. There is no way to escape it1 but one need not worry about it also too muchL medicines always can cure such ailments rising due to imbalance in the tempers. 3ut your ailment seems to be different. There is no medicine for unknown ailments. Tell me dear, why you are so sad@F Her tender words were like nectar to his parched mind. Hemachuda poured out all his problems to her immediately. He saidG E
creating new environments to please her husband. She thus won his affection entirely. She bore him five sons who were devoted to their parents. 9ach one was skilled in his own way. They were also entrusted to my care by my friend. -ut of love for my friend, brought them up with care, and made them strong. Then those five sons of %adame =nsteady individually erected splendid palaces, invited their father to their homes and entertained him continually in turns. The eldest of them entertained him in his mansion with different kinds of sweet music, with incantations of the 8edas, the reading of scriptures, the humming sounds of bees, the twittering of birds and other sounds sweet to hear. The father was pleased with the son, who arranged for still further sounds for him which were harsh, fearful and tumultuous like the roar of the lion, the peal of thunder, the raging of the sea, the rumblings of earth7uakes, the cries from lying$in$chambers, and the 7uarrels, moans and lamentations of many people. nvited by his second son, the father went to stay in his mansion. There he found soft seats, downy beds, fine clothes and some hard things, others hot or warm or cold, or refreshing things with various designs, and so on. He was pleased with the agreeable things and felt aversion to the disagreeable ones. Then going to the third son, he saw charming and variegated scenes, things red, white, brown, blue, yellow, pink, smoky grey, tawny, red$brown, black and spotted, others fat or lean, short or long, broad or round, bent or wavy, pleasing or horrible, nauseous, brilliant or savage, unsightly or captivating, some pleasing and others not pleasing. The father was taken to the fourth sons mansion and there he had fruits and flowers to order. He had drinks, things to be licked, to be sucked, and to be masticated, Cuicy things, some refreshing like nectar, others sweet, sour, pungent or astringent, some decoctions of similar flavors, and so on. He tasted them all. The last son took the father to his home and treated him with fruits and flowers, with various scented grasses, herbs and things of different odors, sweet or putrescent, mild or acrid, others stimulating or soporific and so on. n this manner, he enCoyed himself uninterruptedly, one way or another, in one mansion or another, being pleased with some and repulsed by others. The sons too were so devoted to their father that they would not touch anything themselves in his absence. 3ut %r. nconstant not only enCoyed himself thoroughly in his sons mansions, but also stole away things from them and shared them in secret with his dear wife, %adam =nsteady, in his own home, unknown to his sons.
became as if dead. %r. nconstant thus e5perienced untold misery. Then my good natured companion was herself afflicted because of her son, %r.nconstants grief. 3eing also associated with her two grandsons, %r. ;laming$mouth and %r. %ean, she became 7uite miserable and gave way under the public contempt. too, dear 4ord, collapsed in sympathy with her. Several years passed this way. %r. nconstant was dominated by %adam 8ora5 and lost all initiative and was entirely in her hands. He was foredoomed and betook himself to the city of ten gates. There he lived with %adam 8ora5 his sons and his mother, always seeking pleasure but only sharing misery day and night. 3urnt by the wrath of ;laming$mouth and treated with contempt by %r. %ean, he swung hither and thither greatly agitated. He went into the homes of his other five sons but was only perple5ed, without being happy. %y companion too was so affected by her sons plight that she again collapsed, and yet she continued to live in the same city. %adam 8ora5 with her two boys %r. ;laming$mouth and %r. %ean was being fed by %adam gnorance $ her husbands grandmother, and by %r. ;ool, her father$in$law. She got on well with her co$wife %adam =nsteady and was even intimate with her. 'ngratiating herself with all of them), she completely dominated her husband %r. nconstant. was in a death$like state because my friend was also in the same condition. too continued to live there because of my love for my friend. -therwise, none of them could remain in the town without me who was their support. was sometimes suppressed by %adam gnorance, was made a fool of by %r. ;ool, became inconstant on acc ount of %r. nconstant, grew unsteady with %adam =nsteady, contacted wrath with ;laming$mouth and looked contemptible with %r. %ean. reflected within myself all the moods of my friend, for she would have died if had left her even a minute. 3ecause of my company, the common people always had doubts about my chastity, whereas discriminating men could see that have always remained pure. %y %other, the Supreme (ood -ne, is ever pure and clear, more e5tensive than space and subtler than the subtlest1 she is omniscient, yet of limited &nowledge1 she works all, yet remains inactive1 she holds all, herself being unsupported1 all depend on her, and she is independent1 all forms are hers, but she is formless1 all belong to her, but she is unattached1 though illumining all, she is not known to any one under any circumstances1 she is 3liss, yet not blissful1 she has no father nor mother1 innumerable are her daughters, like me. %y sisters are as many as the waves on the sea.
This %r. %otion, the friend of %r. nconstant, is most powerful and keeps them all alive. Though single, he multiplies himself, manifests as the city and citiBens, pervades them all, protects and holds them. +ithout him, they would all be scattered an d lost like pearls without the string of the necklace. He is the bond between the inmates and myself1 empowered by me, he serves in the city as the string in a necklace. f that city decays, he collects the inmates together, leads them to another and remains their master. n this way %r. nconstant rules over cities always, he himself remaining under the sway of his friend. Though supported by such a powerful friend, though born of such a virtuous mother and brought up by me, he is never otherwise than miserable, because he is tossed about by his two wives and several sons. He is torn asunder by his sons and finds not the least pleasure but only intense misery. Tempted by %adame =nsteady, he grieves1 ordered about by %adam 8ora5, he runs about in search of food for her1 stricken by ;laming$mouth he burns with rage, loses his sense and is baffled1 approaching %r. %ean, he is openly despised and reviled by others and becomes as one dead under shame of public contempt.
:our story is as unbelievable as this story told by the clown. 3oth stories are meaningless and idiotic@F Hemalekha retorted immediatelyG E- 4ord, how can you say my parable is meaninglessA am the beloved daughter of the (reat Sage and have been taught never to utter untruths. People like us never can talk nonsense. f virtuous people resort to falsehood it will undermine the effect of their penance. %oreover, one who entertains an earnest seeker with hollow or false words will not prosper in this world nor advance in the ne5t. 4isten, Prince@ %y obCect is to help you come out of your depression and understand the right method of attaining the Supreme Truth@ < man who is blinded by illness cannot have his e ye$sight restored by merely hearing the prescription read. He is a fool who thinks of good advice as meaningless. Do you think, my dear, that , your wife, would deceive you with a myth when you are so much in earnestA =se your intellect and analyBe my story.
4ike the fish trusting the bait, many have ruined their lives. 3ut by acting skeptical and cautious many have achieved their goals without fail. do not know your competence. do not know whether you are competent to guide me towards my goal. +hy then do you ask me how desired end can be approachedAI Hemachuda laughed aloud. Hemalekha would not give up. She asked againG EHow do you decide the competence of a personA :ou must have a standard of competence fi5ed in your mind. RightA Some one is considered to be an authority and their Cudgments are accepted. How do you Cudge something is good or badA
;irst we have to establish the correctness these standards. +e have to present other standards to test them.
hearing, for the words serve no useful purpose, resembling the fruit$laden tree seen in a painting. nstead of dry logic, one must engage in purposeful discussions to reap the benefit of logic.
There are other methods which are put forward as leading to the Supreme end, but they are bound to fail in their purpose if the 4ords grace be not forthcoming. Therefore worship the Primal ause of the universe as the starting point1 be devoted to Him1 He will soon enable you to succeed in your attempts to destroy the illusion. +hy should we believe that (od is the reator of this =niverseA 4et us reason it out@ +e perceive the =niverse around us. learly the universe must have some origin.
service done only for some selfish gains bears indeterminate and limited fruit according to its intensity. Devoted service with no ulterior motive takes a long time to be recogniBed1 yet it makes even the petty chief amiable. < human master may take long to recogniBe unselfish work1 but (od, the 4ord of the universe, the Dweller in our hearts, knows everything and soon bestows appropriate fruits. n the case of other kinds of devotees, (od has to await the course of destiny $ that being His own ordainment1 whereas for the selfless devotee, (od, the 4ord and the sole Refuge, is all in all and takes care of him without reference to the devotees past actions1 He may even break his own ordained laws. He compensates the devotee 7uickly, and that is because He is supreme and self$contained without depending on anything else. The predestined fate or Divine will is powerless before Hi m. 9very one knows how He set aside predestined fate and divine laws in the case of His famous devotee, %aarkandeya. will e5plain to you now the fitness of this. 4isten, my dearest@ N-nce upon a time, there lived a sage called %rikandu with his wife %arudvati. 3oth were devotees of Shiva. The couple was childless, and so decided to perform austerities so they would be blessed with a child. Then one day, Shiva appeared before them. Shiva asked the couple if they desired an ordinary son who would live a long life, or an e5ceptional son who would live a short life. The couple asked for the latter. n due course, %arudvati gave birth to a boy and the child was named %aarkandeya 'literallyG son of %rikandu). %aarkandeya was an e5ceptionally gifted child, and became an accomplished Sage early in his childhood. He was especially devoted to Shiva, and had mastered the %ahamrityunCaya %antra.
can however, be blunted by devotion to Him and if it is not so blunted, the predisposing cause must therefore be considered a most powerful factor in a mans life. Therefore, eschew high vanity and take refuge in Him. He will spontaneously take you to the Highest State. This is the first rung in the ladder to the pedestal of 3liss. 6othing else is worth while.F Hemachuda felt immensely happy by her discourse. gnoring her age, gender and relation to him, he surrendered to Hemalekha completely in his mind and accepted her as his (uru. He 7uestioned her with e5treme humilityG ITell me, dear, who is this (od, the reator, the Self$contained -ne and the -rdainer of the universe to whom should take refuge in. Some say He is 8ishnu, others Shiva, some worship (anesha, some adore the Sun, some praise 6ara$simha or similar such avatars1 others say 3uddha or
environments1 he would be a super powered creature but not the Supreme ontroller of reations. To continue the argument, the accessories used by him should pre$e5ist or co$e5ist with him too. That would further impose limitations on his status as a creator. This is absurd, as being contrary to the original premises. Therefore He has neither body nor the other aids, yet He still creates the world - 4ord of my life@ -nly the ignorant superimpose a body on the transcendental 3eing and worship him endowed with characteristics. 3ut even such worship is accepted by Him and he assumes forms desired by them to please them. He is uni7ue and fulfills the wants of all devotees of his. He is 3hakta$hintamani. 'a wish$fulfilling gem to his devotees) 6evertheless, the conclusion must be reached that He is pure intelligence and His body can only be supreme and transcendental. That JHT$ the Pure onsciousness is the
He decided to ask her about the true meaning hidden in that story. He had now lost all his arrogance of manhood and intellectual supremacy, and approached his young wife like a humble disciple seeking the (uru for instructions. Hemalekha saw through the window of her room, her husband coming towards her chambers. She immediately ran out1 welcomed him with all the humility of a devoted wife. She got him seated on the royal chair, washed his feet and worshipped him with flowers. She saluted him with all reverence and offered him refreshments with e5treme love and affection.
She saidG E4ord, (ods (race is upon you, and you are blessed@ Dispassion cannot arise otherwise. t is the sign of (ods (race that the mind should be absorbed in the 7uest for truth after becoming detached from sensual pleasures. shall now solve the puBBle of my life$story. 4isten attentively. %y mother is Transcendence $ Pure onsciousness. %y friend is intellect 'discerning faculty).
+hat is SelfA t is not an obCect to be perceived, nor described1 so how shall then tell you of itA :ou cannot specify or define the nature of the Self1 so a teacher cannot teach it. 3ut it is your own Self1 you know it all the time as yourself. t resides in the unblemished intellect. Self pervades all1 beginning from the personal (od to the amoeba1 but it is beyond the cognitive powers of the mind or senses. t alone illuminates everything1 but it cannot b e illuminated by anything else. Self is everywhere and is always there. Self cannot be demonstrated1 Self cannot be proved through discussions. How, where, when, or by whom has it been specifically described even a littleA +hat you ask me dear, amounts to asking me to show your eyes to you. 9ven the best teachers cannot bring your eyes to your own sight. Similarly your own Self cannot be shown by a teacher. He can at best guide you towards it an d nothing more. shall also e5plain to you the means to realiBation. 4isten attentively.
never en7uire about the nature of their own Self@ The whole world acts confused because no one has the &nowledge of the Self@ f one does not know his own Self, then everything is in vain and as unstable as a dream e5perience@ am fortunate@ know now what the Self is@
He decided to try once more. He arrested his mind through yoga again. This time his mind rela5ed into sleep and he did not wake up for a long time. He had various types of dreams with many wonderful visions in his sleep. +hen he woke up he felt an5ious about the whole thing. He reflected like thisG Ewhy did fall asleep and had so many dreamsA Then believe that darkness and light seen were also must be of the nature of dream only. Dream is Cust a play of the mind. How do avoid itA will try to attain the state of Self once moreF. Resolving thus he stopped the mind forcibly through yoga. The mind became 7uiet. He felt as if he was drowned in the ocean of bliss. 3ut within minutes there was a vibration in the mind and he woke up. He wondered againG E+hat happened to meA +as it a dream or was hallucinatingA -h no@ t was a real e5perience@ t is inconceivable1 did not e5perience anything even a little. How did become blissfulA
3ut that alone does not become the cause of the attainment of the Self, because Self is always attained@ :ou can attain a thing which is hitherto not attained. Self is always there as yourself1 so Self cannot be attained newly. %ere mind control is not going to cause the attainment of the Self. The very word Jattainment o f the Self is fallacious. +hen something is covered by darkness, you shine a lamp and you perceive the obCects as if newly attained. +hen a man forgets his purse, he steadies the mind and remembers the location of the purse. He will again say$ J gained the lost purse1 but his stead ying of the mind did not produce the purse newly. So Cust controlling the mind is not the cause of Self realiBation. Self is always there whether you control the mind or not. :ou do not recogniBe it because you never knew what it was. < villager, who has always been spending his life with tiny lamps, if he chanc ed to see the daBBling lights of the royal court at night, will ignore its magnificence at first sight. :ou also have missed the Self because you could not catch its magnificence. :ou perceived darkness at the end of your mind control. There was an infinitesimal effortless natural state Cust after the mind control and before the perception of the darkness.
9verything e5ists like the reflections in the mirror. There is no differentiation of space and time even. Space and time are also reflections in the mirror. < pot may appear to be creating a division in space. 3ut in truth there is no difference or division in the space outside and inside the pot. Similarly all obCects including the limitations of space and time appear in the mirror of &nowledge like reflections and have no e5istence apart from &nowledge. -bCects and their knowledge are only reflections in the eternal, self$ luminous, supreme onsciousness which is the same as the knower and which alone is real. Therefore, Prince, realiBe with a still mind your own true nature which is the one pure, undivided onsciousness underlying the restless mind which is composed of the whole universe in all its diversity. 3y the complete attainment of the pervasion of that undivided consciousness, one attains the state of the JDoer of all. will e5plain to you how to perceive it directly, so that you can reach that state. The intervening part between sleeping and wakeful states1 the interval between two perceptions1 intermediate state between knowledge and the known 'the state of pure knowledge before the recognition of obCect occurs)1 observe that state with your subtle intellect. This is the natural state of Self, obtaining which one does not grieve again. gnorant of this truth, the world is in this deluded state. n this state of the Self, e5ist not the form, taste, smell, touch or sound1 neither happiness, nor sorrow1 neither any to be grasped nor that which grasps@ Though the support of everything and though it e5ists as everything, it is free of everything. That alone is the supreme 4ord, the reator, 8ishnu, Shiva and Sadashiva@ See inside controlling the mind for a little while1 reCect the outward going nature and be intent only on moving inward. There need not be a forced effort in controlling the mind. The very concentration on ones nature 7uietens the mind by itself. Do not even entertain the thought that you are seeing anything. 3e like a blind man $ seeing yet not seeing with an unmoving mind. +hat you are that you are@ 3e that alone@F Hemachuda did accordingly, and having gained that state referred to by his wife, he remained peaceful a long time, unaware of anything beside the Self. Hemalekha noticed that her husband had attained supreme Peace and so did not disturb him He remained in the Samadhi state for about a muhurtha '>/ minutes) and woke up. He saw his wife sitting ne5t to him. He desired to be in the trance state alone and closed his eyes. Hemalekha immediately took hold of his hand and 7uestioned sweetlyG E%y 4ord@ Tell me, what you gain by closing your eyes and what you lose by opening the eyesA %y dearest@ am very curious. Do tell me what happens on the eyes being closed or left open.F Hemachuda slowly opened his eyes. He looked as if drunk. He replied reluctantly and languidly as followsG E%y dear, have found at last pure untainted happiness. cannot find the least pleasure in the activities of the world as they are evanescent and result in pain after the enCoyment is over. 9nough of them@ They are tasteless to me like a fruit whose Cuice has been sucked away or like the dried up cud chewed by the cattle1 an indulgence for those who want to wastefully pass through their lives@ +hat a pity that such people should be to this day unaware of the bliss of their own Self@ *ust as a man goes a$begging being ignorant of the treasure buried under the floor of his own abode, so did run after sensual pleasures
unaware of the boundless ocean of bliss within me. +orldly pursuits are laden with misery and pleasures are transient. Still was so infatuated that mistook them for enduring pleasures, was often grief$stricken, yet did not cease to pursue them over and over again. The pity of it@ %en are fools, unable to discriminate pleasure from pain. They seek pleasures but gain only sorrow. 9nough of these activities which only increase the relish for such pleasure@ %y dear, beg you with hands clasped. 4et me fall again into the peace of my blissful self. pity you that though knowing this state, you never seem to be in it and engage yourself in wasteful activities of the world.F The wise Hemalekha gently smiled at all this, and said to himG E%y lord, you do not yet know the supremely sacred state, remaining in which the learned ones with noble hearts do not get perple5ed1 that state is still far from your reach like the sky for man standing on the ground@ +hat little you know is e7ual to not knowing anything. That state is not e5perienced by closing or opening the eyes. 3y doing any action or by not doing any action no one can ever attain that state. That state cannot be reached by not going or going anywhere. 3y closing the eyes, or by doing or by going how can it be completely attainedA f due to the opened eye lid of the measure of eight barley grains only, that state can be hidden, then would that state be completeA +hat shall say of your muddled wisdom@ The deluded state of yours is amaBing@ That, in which millions of =niverses are situated in Cust an infinitesimal corner1 that seems to be hidden on account of opening the eyelid measuring a fingers breadth@ 4isten Prince@ will tell you further.
Reflections cannot e5ist without a mirror1 so also nothing can e5ist apart from consciousness. 3y renouncing that state, there e5ists nothing whatever anywhere. So by opening the eyes what difference can occur in the state of the SelfA 6ow the main knot to be cut asunder by you is this misconception namely M E know it as such and suchF. -therwise it proves you have not reached your true state. +hatever you think as the state of the Self cannot be the true state of the Self@ f you think that you have attained that state by closing or opening of the eyes, then it is not the complete state of the Self because you believe it is attained or lost by some action of yours. - 4ord@ +here e5ist not the great undivided consciousness, the daBBling fire of destructionA t is the fire that consumes huge co llections of fuel in the form of conceptions@ +hen you know the supreme state, there is no activity left for you to perform. Remove that knot sitting in your heart as M J see my SelfF and uproot the firmly anchored knot namely M J am not this@ See your own Self filling everything as unbroken bliss. See the entire world in your own Self like the reflection in a mirror.
in the 4ight of that Truth1 players entertained the audience with p lays depicting Truth1 singers sang only songs on Truth1 the court fools caricatured ignorance as ludicrous1 the academy only taught lessons on (od$knowledge. The whole State was thus composed only of Sages and philosophers, be they men or women1 servant$boys or servant$maids1 dramatic actors or fashionable folk1 artisans or laborers1 ministers or harlots. They nevertheless acted in their professions in harmony with creation. They never cared to recapitulate the past or speculate on the future with a view to gain pleasure or avoid pain, but acted for the time being, laughing reCoicing, crying or shouting like drunkards, thus dissipating all their latent tendencies. The Rishis, Sanaka and others called it the ity of +isdom when they visited it. 9ven parrots and cockatoos in their cages spoke word of wisdomG Eonsider the Self as pure intelligence bereft of obCective knowledge. +hat is known is not different from that intelligence1 it is like a series of images reflected in a mirror.
END
II
)A'(AS"A*%A&AT"A + T"# STOR O! )A'(A "*%% The Sacred ity of Sundara in the country of 8anga was ruled by a wise &ing named Susena. His younger brother %ahasena was e5tremely loyal and revered his brother like 4akshmana devoted to Sri Rama. =nder the righteous rule of the &ing the citiBens lived happily without any problem. They adored their &ing like (od. -nce Susena performed the Horse$Sacrifice or
-ne Royal Sage named (<6< was sitting on the river bank absorbed in penance.
The princes and their army were too bloated in their heads by their victorious Courney and did not even bother to salute the Sage. They Cust ignored him and walked past him with marked arrogance. The Sage had a son aged about ten years. He was playing on the river bank when he noticed the arrogant behavior of the Princes and their army. He was infuriated by the insult rendered to his ;ather. He caught the horse and ran away.
am in every way a true son of my revered father. 6othing is impossible for a Sage in penance@ will fulfill any re7uest of yours.
The Sage smiled and embraced his son affectionately. %ahasenas curiosity now knew no bounds. He asked the Sage eagerlyG E
him to the summit of the Himalayas and the &ing saw the 9arth below it. The boy gave him yogic vision and now the &ing was able to see the entire 9arth. He could see distant lands and even other worlds beside this one. n some worlds there was only darkness1 n some worlds everything was gold1 there were oceans and island continents traversed by rivers and mountains1 there were heavens peopled by ndra and the (ods, the
The boy was not able to understand the agony of the &ing. ;or him this time$change was Cust a sport. t was his regular game. (o inside the hill and come out, the whole world outside would be different. He used to enCoy the changed environment and played there till its newness was e5hausted.
The &ing was surprised by the boys boys en7uiry. He answered in a slightly irritated toneG E+hy am sadA
between a garment and a body. +hy then mourn over the loss of bodies, which are in no way different from garmentsA +hatever part of the body you identify with as yourself is actually referred by you as Jmy body, Jmy eyes, Jmy life, Jmy mind and so on@ *ust tell me who you are@F %ahasena was intrigued by this topic and started to think over the matter. 3ut he could not find any suitable answer to the 7uery placed by th e boy. He re7uested for some free time to analyBe the topic and got up. He wandered for some time alone on the river bank thinking deeply about all that was said by the boy. 3ut unable to come to a conclusive answer, he returned and addressed the boy with humilityG E- 4ord@ do not know who am@ have thoroughly analyBed the topic, but still cannot find out my true identity. cannot tell you also why cry for the dead ones1 it is Cust a natural reaction of the mind1 cannot account for it. - %aster@ seek your shelter. 95plain to me everything. 9very one cries when someone dies1 every one is overpowered by grief when his or her relative dies.
fruits for the use of others in the dream$worldA ;or the dreamer dream e5perience is real1 he does not realiBe its unreality inside the dream any time. %.SG Dream is rendered false after waking up. S.SG 3ut in a dream or in deep sleep, the waking world is falsified1 is it not soA %.SG +aking state continues as it was after the dream is over1 not so in dreams. Dreams vary and differ every night@ There is no continuity in dreams night after night. The continuity is not evident in dream states. S.SG 3ut dont you know that every moment you are seeing a different world in the waking stateA s not the continuity broken up thereA Do you suggest that the hills, the seas and the earth itself are really pe rmanent phenomena, in spite of the fact that their appearance is constantly changingA s not the dream$world also similarly continuous with its earth, mountains, rivers, friends and relativesA %.SG -ne can not believe in the permanency of dream obCects. S.SG 95tend the same reasoning to the nature of the wakeful world and know it to be e7ually evanescent. The ever$changing obCects like the body, trees, rivers, and islands are easily found to be transitory. 9ven mountains are not immutable, for their contours change owing to the erosion of waterfalls and mountain torrents1 ravages by men, boars and wild animals, insects1 thunder1 lightning and storms1 and so on. :ou will observe similar change in the seas and on earth.
S.SG Transitory nature means appearance to and disappearance from the senses. RightA 3ut everything gets obliterated in deep sleep. %.SG Dream state is false in waking state and waking state is false in dream state1 both are false in deep sleep state. Such %utual contradiction is unreliable as evidence and so proves nothing. S.SG t means Self$evident sight alone furnishes the full p roof@ This world e5perience is self evident@ Kuite so, people like you do not have a true insight into the nature of things. 4isten to my words. The present world is only similar to the dream world. 4ong periods pass in dreams also. Therefore, purposefulness and enduring nature are in every way similar to both states. *ust as you are obviously aware in your waking state, so also you are in your dream state. These two states being so similar, why do you not mourn the loss of your dream relationsA The wakeful universe appears so real to all only by force of habit. f the same be imagined vacuous it will melt away into the void. -ne starts imagining something1 then contemplates it1 and by continuous or repeated association resolves that it is true unless contradicted. n that way, the world appears real in the manner one is used to it. %y world that you visited furnishes the proof thereof1 come now, let us go round the hill and see.F Saying so, the Sages son took the &ing, and went round the hill and returned to the former spot. Then he continuedG E-bserve - &ing@ The circuit of the hill is hardly two miles and a half and yet you have seen a universe within it. s it real or falseA s it a dream or otherwiseA +hat has passed as a day in that land, has counted for twelve thousand years here, which is correctA Think, and tell me. -bviously you cannot distinguish this from a dream and cannot help concluding that the world is nothing but imagination. %y world will disappear instantly if cease contemplating on it. Therefore convince yourself of the dream$like nature of the world and do not indulge in grief at your brothers death. *ust as the dream creations are pictures moving on the mind screens, so also this world including yourself is the obverse of the picture depicted by pure intelligence. t is nothing more than an image in a mirror. RealiBe this and tell me. +ill you anymore be elated b y the accession of a dominion or depressed by the death of a relative in your dreamA Self is the Self$contained mirror proCecting and manifesting this world. Self is pure unblemished awareness. Do not waste time@ RealiBe the Self and attain transcendental bliss@F %ahasena pondered over all the truths he heard from the boy.
How can you say that the whole =niverse seen is pure imaginationA However much may imagine, my imagination does not materialiBe. 3ut you have created a =niverse by the force of your will. How do time and space differ in these creationsA Please tell me.F -n being thus asked, the Sages son repliedG The grossification of an imagination depends upon the strength of the mind whether it is uniform or broken up by indecision. +e know that this world is a reation of 3rahma. This =niverse is his imagination. This looks real and permanent be cause the original desire is so powerful. +hereas the world of your creation no one takes seriously, and your own mistrust makes it useless. How can we materialiBe conceptionsA 4ord 3rahma naturally conceives this world and creates it because it is his ordained function. :akshas and Rakshasas 'classes of celestial beings) possess magical gems which can make true their wishes. (ods have the magical tree to bestow their desires. :ogis do it by the power of :oga. Siddhas have attained miraculous power of hymns and create anything they want. Sages perform penance and gain power to do any impossible feat. 8iswakarma can build any wondrous structure because the boons he possesses. How can imagination become grossifiedA
;or a person who walks, the distance proves to be longer. His conception of space a nd time is longer than the person who travels by a horse. 9ven the space and time e5perienced by a horse rider is smaller for a person who uses an a ir vehicle. Thus space and time e5perience is different for different persons and relative to the mind of the observer. There is no absolute space and time fi5ed as such. +e only create space and time proCections and place the obCects nearer or distant. have conceived that only a few hours should pass for me inside the hill in comparison with the hundreds of years outside the hill. t helps me pass time 7uickly and my father can remain in penance for a longer time without being an5ious about my welfare. He knows am safe inside the hill$universe. 9very time come out see the changes that have happened outside the hill and get entertained. do not age also because of living in the hill$universe. The space and time inside the hill are my imaginations. keep them alive as fi5ed ideas in my mind. believe and know for sure that there is a world inside it1 whereas others see it only as a rocky surface. They can never imagine a world inside it. So they can never see it. f stop imagining it, it will cease to e5ist. :ou observe that there is an inside the hill world and outside the hill world. How do these ideas of e5ternal and internal occurA 4et us analyBe now@ +hat do we mean by Je5ternalA
illuminator and illuminated cannot be the same. The illuminant cannot be the obCect of his own illumination. How can the illumination by which he sees be apart from himA 4ight reveals all the obCects. 4ight does not reveal itself. 4ight is self$revealing. lluminant illuminates all the obCects including the body1 illuminant does not need another illuminator to illuminate him. He is self$luminous. He is the Self1 he is the illumination in perfection $ only one, and the being of all. The illuminator proCects the conceptions of limited by space and time and illuminates them as if they are outside. 3ut he is all the three1 the illuminant, illumination and the illumined. The ideas of e5ternal and internal also are part of the illumination only. He e5tends as time and space. How can then anything be Jouter unless it is like a peak on a mountainA The whole universe is thus in the illumination which shines self$sufficient, by itself, everywhere, and at all times. Such illumination is Her Transcendental Kueen Tripura, the Supreme. She is called 3rahma in the 8edas, 8ishnu by the 8aishnavites, Shiva by the Saivaites, and Shakti by the Shaaktas. There is indeed nothing but She. She holds everything by Her prowess as a mirror does its images. She is the illuminant in relation to the illumined. The obCect is drowned in illumination like the image of a city in a mirror. *ust as the city is not different from the mirror, so also the =niverse is not apart from consciousness. *ust as the image is part and parcel of the clear, smooth, compact and one mirror, so also the universe is a part and parcel of the perfect, solid and unitary consciousness, namely the Self. There is no solid world outside ones mind. Space is Cust a void proCected by the mind to locate obCects. The universe is, always and all$through, a phenomenon in the Self. How then the Pure onsciousness being void, is dense at the same timeA < mirror is dense and impenetrable and contains all the images within itself as itself. Pure consciousness is dense and impenetrable and yet displays the universe by virtue of its self$sufficiency. Pure consciousness is all$pervading, dense and single1 it holds the mobile and immobile creation within it1 wondrously variegated1 with no immediate o r ultimate cause for it. +hatever be the amount of reflections appearing in the mirror, the mirror is never tainted by them. t continues to reflect as clearly as always. n the same way the one consciousness illumines the waking and dream states1 but is never affected by them and stays as pure as ever. - &ing@
Starting as an infinitesimal fraction of the whole, this ignorance manifests as the idea that something e5ists outside it. t is a property of the ego$sense. The unmanifested vaasanaas prepare a stage for their manifestation through this first seed of ignorance. 9ach 8aasana proCects outside a field of e5perience for its own manifestation and ego$sense appears as the e5periencer seeing a world outside him or her. There is no identity with the original consciousness. t is now simple, insentient energy. The present creation is the mental product of 3rahma or Hiranya (arbha, appointed as the reator by the will$force of the Primal 3eing, Sri Tripura Devi. Time, space, gross creations, etc., appear in it according to the imagery of the agent. < certain period is only one day according to my calculation whereas it is twelve thousand years according to 3rahmaG the space covered by about two miles and a half of 3rahma is infinite according to me and covers a whole universe. n this way, both are true and untrue at the same time. Similarly also, imagine a hill within you, and also time in a subtle sense. Then contemplate a whole creation in them1 they will endure as long as your concentration endures $ even to eternity for all practical purposes, if your will$power be strong enough. That is why say that this world is a mere figment of imagination. Therefore what looks like the e5ternal world is really an image on the screen of the mind. onsciousness is thus the screen and the image, and so yogis are enabled to see long distances of space and realiBe long intervals of time. They can traverse all distance in a moment and can perceive everything as readily as a gooseberry in the hollow of ones palm. Therefore recogniBe the fact that the world is simply an image on the mirror of consciousness and cultivate the contemplation of J am, abide as pure being and thus give up this delusion of the reality of the world. Then you will become like myself and be self$sufficient.F -n hearing this discourse of the Sages son, the &ing overcame his delusion1 his intellect became purified and he understood the ultimate goal. Then he practiced Samadhi, and became self$contained, without depending on any e5ternal agency, and led a long and happy life. He ceased to identify himself with the body, and became absolute as transcendental space until he was finally liberated.
END
III
ASTAAA&RA %#AR'S A %#SSO' !RO$ T"# !#$A%# ASC#T*C
*<6<&< &ing *anaka ruled the city of 8ideha. +H-
child to imbibe spirituality and intelligence, began to sit in the classes taught by =ddaalaka and &ahola, listening to their chanting of mantras. n ndia, there is a belief that when e5pectant mothers e5pose themselves to spiritual teachings, the child in the womb hears it and gathers that &nowledge and becomes a genius in that spiritual &nowledge after its birth. -ne day &ahola recited the 8edas within the hearing distance of the child growing in the womb1 being already aware of the correct pronunciation of every syllable, the child in the womb s7uirmed in distress whenever &ahola pronounced a syllable wrong. SuCaata informed &ahola that he had pronounced the syllable wrongly as indicated by the child in the womb. This happened on eight occasions. &ahola observed this as arrogance on the part of Jsomething yet to manifest itself in the world, and cursed the fetus with eight deformities. So, when the baby was born, it had eight bends1 was crooked in eight places. 6aturally, he was named
&ing *anaka prostrated before every 3rahmin and sought their blessing. He saluted the disguised 8aaruni too. The 3rahmin cheat, now called 3andi, blessed the &ing duly and addressed him thus before the entire assembly of learned men. E- &ing@ pity you@ +hat sort of people have you invited to your SacrificeA :our Sacrificial Hall looks like a lotus lake ravaged by crows, Cackdaws and herons. 4ook at all these incompetent fools assembled here waiting for the delicacies and gifts but not having an iota of &nowledge worthy of you. 6o swan has arrived here to adorn this beautiful lotus pond@ feel awkward to be seen with such idiots. think will leave immediately if you permit me.F There was immediately a big commotion in the assembly.
scholars with understanding and smiled at them ch eering their broken hearts. The &ing got up from his seat and welcomed the charming maiden with due honor.
:ou admitted that the transcendental state in 7uestion is unknowable for want of a knower outside the onsciousness. :ou also stated that &nowledge of such a state confers immortality and perfection. How are these two statements to be reconciledA 9ither admit that Jonsciousness is unknowable1 and you do not know it1 so it does not e5ist@ -r, say that Jit is knowable1 and you know it1 so it is not unknowable. :ou evidently speak from second hand &nowledge, and Cust 7uoting from Scriptures. :ou do not have personal e5perience of the Supreme state1 you have not realiBed that state truly@ :ou stated that the whole world is manifested in it like a mirror and one is no more fooled by the sight of innumerable images. :our words amount to only this $ you have a personal knowledge of the images but not of the mirror. How can that beA Havent you straddled enough in the presence of this great &ingAF
< lamp illumines everything around it but itself. t does not illumine the light of another lamp too. t shines without depending on another source of light to illumine it. 4ight of a lamp is Self$luminant. t shines by itself. an you say by reason of that, that they do not e5ist or cannot be knownA Similarly everything is illumined b y onsciousness or
E- Son of the (reat Sage@ 4isten attentively. t is neither unknowable nor remains unknown at any moment. How even the ablest of the teachers can guide one to something which remains always unknownA f a (uru can teach about it, then it means he knows it@ This &nowledge is e5tremely easy and e5tremely difficult too. t is easy for him whose perception is turned back towards his own Self1 it is e5tremely difficult to attain for one whose perception is turned outward. t cannot be taught at all if it always remains unknown. The fact that the 8edas point to it only indirectly as Jnot this $ not this '69T$69T), shows that this &nowledge can be imparted to others.
placeA f did not shine forth at that time, the obCects would not be perceived, Cust as they are invisible in the absence of light. Then why is the flash not apparentA Perceptibility is always associated with insentient matter. +ho else is there to see the self$luminosity of the SelfA t cannot shine in absolute singleness and purity. However, it is there as . %oreover every one feels J perceive the obCects whenever an act of cognition takes place. f J was not there as a permanent feature, a doubt would arise always$ Jif am or Jif am not $ which is absurd. f it is argued that the J sense refers to the body at the time of cogniBing obCects, it is an incorrect statement. +hat is perceptionA The subtle intellect M the JSelf itself takes on the shapes of the obCects at the time of perception1 it takes on the shape of the body also and identifies itself with it. t cannot be argued also that, at the time of perception there e5ists the sense of Ja person with some name and other characteristics who is doing the act of percep tion. t can not be said that J am haitra1 so and so. The Jhaitra sense, over$reaches the sense1 but the sense is never lost by the Jhaitra sense. n Jhaitra sense, J sense may not be apparent1 but Jhaitra sense inheres the J sense only. +hen a perception occurs, one is aware of the obCect1 but J am seeing an obCect is a later thought process1 J am such and such nameform is another thought process1 but J e5ists as the awareness itself, transcending the thought processes. J is the continuous unbroken awareness which is the support of all our broken e5periences. The limited ego is Cust one more thought accompanying all the cognitions. 9go is a mind created identity1 J is the awareness, pure and undivided. There is the continuity of in deep sleep state and in Samadhi state too. -therwise after sleep a man would get up as somebody else1 in the Samadhi state one is absorbed in deep contemplation and the continuity is not lost there also. n those states the Self remains un7ualified. t does not have the identity of the limited ego of the waking state. Then there e5ist two kinds of Js1 7ualified and un7ualified. Kualification implies limitations whereas its absence implies its unlimited nature. J is associated with limitations in dream and wakeful states, and it is free from them in deep sleep and Samadhi states. n the deep sleep and Samadhi states, J e5ists without the three fold division of subCect, obCect and the relationship of perception. t is pure and single and untainted. t persists as the pure J and nothing else. t is JPerfection@ The Supreme Kueen, the
(lancing inwards does not mean glancing with the physical eyes. t is the eye which you use in dreams1 it is the inner eye by which the cognition becomes complete1 it is the eye of the eye. How can we see inwardsA Perception is possible when the sight is turned towards an obCect. The sight must be turned away from other obCects and fi5ed on a particular obCect in order to see it. -therwise that obCect will not be perceived in entirety. t is as good as not seeing if the sight is not fi5ed on the obCect. Same is the case with hearing, touching etc. The same applies to the mind in its sensations of pain and pleasure, which are not felt if the mind is otherwise engaged. +hen you perceive obCects of the world you have to eliminate all others from your cognition and concentrate on only one obCect which you want to sense. However when your goal is Self$realiBation, you have to eliminate all perceptions entirely. Self$RealiBation differs from ordinary act of cognition in that it re7uires only one conditionG elimination of all perceptions. -f course onsciousness is unknowable1 yet it can be realiBed by the pure mind. This fact cannot be grasped by even learned scholars. 4et us analyBe the act of perception of obCects in the world. 95ternal perceptions of the mind are of two kinds. ;irst is elimination of all perceptions. Second is fi5ation on the particular obCect of perception. +hen the mind is turned away from other perceptions, it is in an indifferent state. n that state there is the absence of any kind of perception. Therefore concentration on any one particular obCect is necessary to perceive the e5ternal obCects. 3ut one cannot concentrate on the Self as an obCect because Self is onsciousness and not different from the mind. f one Cust stops perceiving other obCects1 Self shines by itself. t is enough that other perceptions 'namely, thoughts) should be eliminated from the mind and then the Self will be realiBed. Suppose a man wants to pick out one particular image among a series of images passing in front of him as reflections on a mirror, he has to turn his attention from all other reflections and concentrate on that particular one he desires to see. Suppose he wants to see only the Jspace in the mirror, he Cust turns his attention from all the pictures and the space manifests without any attention on his part. He need not specially concentrate on space because space is immanent everywhere and is already reflected there. He did not notice it because of the interspatial images dominating the scene. Space is the support of all images1 it is immanent in all images1 it becomes manifest if only the attention is diverted from the panorama. n the same way, onsciousness is the supporter of all and is immanent in all1 it pervades the mind too. Diversion of attention from other items is all that is necessary for Self$RealiBation. s it ever possible that the Self$illuminant can ever be absent from any nook or cornerA
There can indeed be no moment or spot from which onsciousness is absent. f onsciousness is absent, everything else is absent too. Therefore Pure onsciousness or Self becomes manifest by mere diversion of attention from things or thoughts. Self RealiBation becomes possible through absolute purity of mind and not by concentrating on it. That is why Self is said to be unknowable. Purity of the mind is the sole necessity for Self$RealiBation. +hat is the impurity of the mind that has to be removedA Thought is the impurity of the mind. To make the mind thought$free is to keep it pure. Do you understand now why purity of mind is advocated to a seeker after Self$ realiBationA f mind is not pure how can one realiBe his SelfA -r, how is it possible for the Self not to be found gleaming in the pure mindA
llumination means the association of the mind with the e5ternal obCects. onsideration means deliberation '8imarsha) on the obCect seen. n the state of illumination the limitations of the obCects like shape, name etc. are not seen. Deliberation is 7ualified by the limitations pertaining to the obCec ts seen1 obCects remain clearly defined in that state. n the preliminary state of illumination there does not arise any distinctive 7ualities of the obCect1 so illumination is said to be un7ualified. n the ne5t state following it, the obCect becomes defined and is said to be such and such, and so and so. That is the perception of the obCect after deliberation. Deliberation is again of two kinds1 one is actual e5perience and fresh1 the other one is cogitation over the former and called memory. The mind always functions in these two ways. Dreamless sleep is characteriBed by illumination of sleep alone and the e5perience lasts unbroken for some time. +akeful state is characteriBed by deliberations only, repeatedly broken up by thoughts1 so it is said to be free of ignorance. 4ight is luminous1 yet it is insentient1 similarly sleep is free of thoughts and consists of illumination alone1 yet it is a state of nescience. ;lame is insentient1 but sleep is gleaming with onsciousness. n sleep the insentient phase of stupor overpowers the sentient phase of deliberation. 3ut the factor of illumination is ever present and deliberation alone is absent. That is why sleep is said to be the state of ignorance, as distinguished from wakefulness which is conceded to be &nowledge. Sleep is the first manifestation of the =nmanifest. The wise say that the mind is submerged in sleep because it is illumining the unmanifest condition. The prevailing e5perience in the sleep state is Jnothing e5ists. n the waking state also the actual e5perience is Jnothing e5ists, though there is a visible universe surrounds us. This ignorance is shattered by the repeated rising of thoughts. The Jnaught state is the basic state of the ego which is the beginning of ignorance. ontinuous rising up of thoughts become an addition of such a state in the waking e5perience. So, when thoughts are absent, Jnaught state alone e5ists in the deep sleep state. The =nmanifest alone e5ists there1 but the mind is incapacitated in that condition.
+hen a person desires to have something for a long time and has well$ascertained its unavailability1 if he ac7uires it all of a sudden1 at that instant he does not understand inside or outside1 he has no perception of the outside world and there e5ist not the internal emotions. He is not overcome b y sleep also at that moment1 that state is called Samadhi. +hen a man is walking cheerfully on the road without any fear or apprehension, if he chances to see all of a sudden a terrifying tiger in front of him1 at that instant he does not understand inside or outside1 he has no perception of the outside world and there e5ist not the internal emotions. He is not overcome by sleep also at that moment1 that is called Samadhi. +hen a man suddenly hears about the death of his dearest son or someone close, who was an e5pert in all the affairs of the house and had not a hint of any illness1 at that instant he does not understand inside or outside1 he has no perception of the outside world and there e5ist not the internal emotions. He is not overcome by sleep also at that moment1 that is called Samadhi. There are other instances of Samadhi occurrence too. 4isten attentively. Samadhi state e5ists in the infinitesimal intervals between waking, dream and sleep states. +hen the mind switches from one state to another, there is a tiny interval of thoughtlessness. That is the state of Pure onsciousness.
;or the ignorant, this state is like the hares horn. Though have described how this state of Samadhi is intermingled in all states of the mind, it cannot be easily grasped by the ignorant. t needs a highly subtle intellect and a thorough practice in remaining in the witness state.F
the continuous cycle of births and deaths. This cycle does not cease unless ignorance is destroyed. This can happen only with the perfect &nowledge of the Self. The complete &nowledge of the Self is determined to be of two types1 Paroksha and
-bserve o 3rahmin@ The world is mostly filled with immobile obCects1 %obile creation occupies a very small fraction of the immobile1 human beings again form a very small portion of the animal world1 most of the human population is Cust a level more than animals ignorant of the good and bad, or right and wrong. The sensible crowd among them runs after pleasures Cust being intent on fulfilling desires1 a few learned ones are beset with the desire to enter heaven after death. -f the remaining few, most of them have their intellects dimmed by %aaya and cannot comprehend the oneness of all as the Supreme Reality. How can these poor folk, held in the grip of %aaya, e5tend their weak sight to the sublime Truth of -nenessA This Truth is beyond the grasp of those deluded by %aaya. Suppose even if by some good fortune one gets interested in these Truths and grasps them intellectually, even then he may not get convinced of their Truths and brush them away as some intellectual trash. He may not like to follow the path for want of self$ control and be swayed by desires. He may Custify his non$belief by some fallacious arguments and get drowned in the worldly entangles more and more. (reater misfortune awaits those who have the fortune to understand the Supreme Truths through their intellect yet do not do any effort to practically realiBe the Truths personally. +ondrous is the Supreme power of %aaya that they throw away the magical gem of hintamani thinking it to be Cust a pebble. -nly those who cultivate devotion to the Supreme (oddess of Self can transcend the %aaya and discriminate the Truth. 3y the (race of the Supreme (oddess, they get endowed with proper discrimination and earnestness1 soon they get established in the transcendental oneness and get absorbed into Her. shall now relate to you the path towards liberation. Due to the result of meritorious deeds of countless births, one develops devotion towards (od1 then he worships Him for a long time with intense devotion. Then gradually dispassion towards pleasures rises up in the mind. This gives rise to an intense longing for realiBing the Truth and he devotes every minute o f his life in trying to accomplish that goal. He then searches for a suitable %aster and learns from him all about the transcendental state. He gains the theoretical &nowledge from his (uru.
whatever picture is drawn over his onsciousness. He is in complete peace with the world. He is no more deluded by the perceived obCects. 6o event, good or bad affects him. His blissful state of the Self never is lost. He is liberated while living.
free1 it is like infinite space, the receptacle o f all things. +ho is to control it and howA There seems to be no one here as a person. There is no one out there too as real persons. There is the e5perience of only unbroken bliss1 nothing else looks real. +hat more should strive for, when already am in that state of perfect blissA %y own onsciousness manifests diverse activities all about the world which is again my own manifestation. +hat matters if one manifests as action or inactionA +here is the g ain or loss in such manifestationA +hat matters if am in perceiving the world or no t perceiving the worldA +hat matters whether stay in 6irvikalpa Samadhi or notA Samadhi or no Samadhi, am the same Perfection and eternal Peace. 4et the body do what it likes@F Thus thinking continued enCoying the company of the pretty maiden without any botheration1 and am still acting the part of the &ing as a sport of my own Self. The bliss of realiBation e5perienced at that moment has not diminished any time. always e5ist as my 3lissful Self whatever be the perceived world around me. %y e5perience is typical of the best aspirants. 4owest aspirants attain wisdom in the course of man y births.
END
IV
SO$# (*SCUSS*O'S !RO$ TR*PURA RA"ASA +hy are all individuals differentA Supreme Kueen Tripura Devi, the Transcendental onsciousness$ Paraahiti pictures the whole universe in Her being like images in a mirror. She takes on the individuality of Hiranya$(arbha, the golden +ombed 3rahma1 considering the predispositions of the egos enclosed in that egg 'Hiranya (arbha), SH9 unfolds the Scriptures for the wellbeing of the beings. Hiranya (arbha contains within himself the infinite unfulfilled vaasanaas in his being. Since the embryonic individuals are full of unfulfilled desires Hiranya (arbha begins to think out the means of their fulfillment. He elaborates a scheme of cause and effect, of actions and fruits, and conse7uently the individuals get born to revolve in that wheel of cause and effect. They take different shapes and are placed in different environments consistently with their predispositions.
Sanaka, Sanandana, SanatsuCata and Sanatkumara, the four sons of 3rahma are totally indifferent to any action including religious rites. 6aarada is a devotee of 4ord 6aaraayana. 3haargava or Shukraachaarya the well$known preceptor of
Prarabdha &arma means those actions which have begun to bear fruit. Sanchita &arma means those actions which are in store and which will bear fruit in the future. <
Therefore a universe around you filled with fights, wars, deaths, diseases, bacteria are nothing but the collective thoughts of all the minds which are acting as egos. The worst possible state around you, you call it &ali :uga1 best thoughts around you it is Sat :uga1 and so on. 3ut while all this goes on, the Pure onsciousness remains unaffected by all this play.
Samadhi is being aware of the Self, and nothing else $ that is to say $ it should not be confounded with the 6irvikalpa 'undifferentiated) state, for this state is very common a nd fre7uent as has been pointed out in the case of momentary Samadhi. 9very one is e5periencing the 6irvikalpa state, though unknowingly. 3ut what is the use of such unrecogniBed SamadhiA < similar state becomes possible to the Hatha yogis also. This e5perience alone does not confer any lasting benefit. 3ut one may apply the e5perience to the practical affairs of life. Samadhi can only be such and such alone. 'SahaCa Samadhi is meant here.) +hat is SahaCa SamadhiA SahaCa means Saha*< $ born with$ natural. +hen an ignorant man moves in the world, he is completely identified with his body, senses and mind. He assumes he is of a particular form and name. t is a natural state for him to act as his body. He need not repeat every moment that he is so and so and look in the mirror continuously and say am of such and such a form1 he is what he is1 of such and such a name and such and such a form. < realiBed person does not repeatedly say am the Self1 he is naturally the Self. The Self state is his natural state. He is always TH
+hereas a Hatha yogi cannot remain in such a state as the *naanis Samadhi, both the veil of ignorance and perturbation of thoughts are removed. n the Hatha yogis Samadhi, though the Self is naturally free from the two obstacles, yet it remains hidden by the veil of ignorance. The same is torn off by the *naani in the process of his contemplation. f asked what difference there is between the Samadhi of a Hatha yogi and sleep, it must be said that the mind overpowered by deep ignorance is covered by dense darkness in sleep whereas the mind being associated with Sattva '7uality of brightness) acts in Samadhi as a thin veil for the self$effulgent principle. The Self may be compared to the Sun obstructed by dark and dense clouds in sleep, and by light mist in Samadhi. ;or a *naani, the Self shines in its full effulgence like the Sun unobstructed in the heavens. This is how the Sages describe Samadhi. +hat is SamadhiA Samadhi is absolute &nowledge uncontaminated by obCects. Such is the state of the best &nowers even when they take part in the affairs of the world. The blue color of the sky is known to be an unreal phenomenon and yet it appears the same to both the knowing and the unknowing, but with this difference that the one is misled by the appearance and the other is not. *ust as the false perception does not mislead the man who knows, so also all that is perceived which is known to the wise to be false will never mislead them. Since the middle class of &nowers have already destroyed their minds, there are no obCects for them. Their state is known as the supramental one. The mind is agitated when it assumes the shape of those obCects which it mistakes for real1 and unperturbed otherwise. Therefore the latter state alone is supramental. Since a *naani of the highest order can engage in several actions at the same time and yet remain unaffected, he is always many$minded and yet remains in unbroken Samadhi. His is absolute &nowledge free from obCects.
END
V
BR*#! B*O)RAP"*#S O! SO$# SA)#S
ST-R: -; 3H
3harata on assuming rule married a girl named PanchaCani and five sons were born to them. 3harata ruled the earth for a long time in a Cust manner. He performed a number of Sacrificial rites, worshipped (od in the prescribed manner a nd performed many Dharmic acts. Thus, he earned much merit.
to cut the Sages head.
E+hat@F e5claimed 6idagha. E:ou see the two, but do not know that the man above is the &ing and the animal below is the elephantA +hat is the use of talking to a man like youAF EPray, be not impatient with an ignorant man like me,F begged the rustic. E3ut you said above and below what do they meanAF 6idagha could stand it no more. E:ou see the &ing and the elephant, the one above and the other below. :et you want to know what is meant by above and belowF burst out 6idagha. Ef things seen and words spoken can convey so little to you, action alone can teach you. 3end forward and you will know it all too well.F The rustic did as he was told. 6idagha got on his shoulders and saidG E&now it now. am above as the &ing1 you are below as the elephant. s that clear enoughAF E6o, not yet,F was the rustics gentle reply. E:ou say you are above like the &ing, and am below like the elephant. The J&ing, the Jelephant, Jabove and Jbelow $so far it is clear. 3ut pray tell me what you mean by J and JyouAF +hen 6idagha was thus confronted all of a sudden with the mighty problem of defining a Jyou apart from an J, light dawned on his mind.
from his duties, all the Sacrifices everywhere stopped and there was chaos. 4ord 3rahma was approached by the celestial (ods for a solution. 3rahma called ### wives and a big army. They set up camp there and the &ing and his family enCoyed a dip in the lake. Sharyaatis daughter Sukanya was a young and beautiful damsel and she was attracted to a glow from the anthill 'the eyes of the Sage were glowing or his aura was glowing). She thought that there were some fire flies and poked two sticks into the two holes. The eyes of th e Sage started bleeding. She ran away from that place frightened. Sage h yavanas penance got disturbed and due to his power, the whole army was affected 'their toilet functions were stopped). The &ing realiBed that there was some mistake on their part and asked every one but none of them had any answer. The &ing and his army were sad and did not know what to do.
husband, her mind cannot go to any one else, and their words were not befitting their own divine stature and were not to be uttered in front of a Sages wife like her.. -n his arrival from the river bank Sukanya informed her husband Sage hyavana of the visit of
&aushika sought to attain the same spiritual power as 8asishta, to become his e7ual, a 3rahma Rishi. He undertook a fierce penance for one thousand years, after which 3rahma named him a RaCarshi, or royal Sage.
stop. Trishanku, however, did not enCoy Trishanku Swarga1 he remained fi5ed in the sky and was transformed into a constellation. n the process of forming a new universe, 8ishvaamitra used up all the tapas he had gained from his austerities. Therefore after the Trishanku episode, 8isvaamitra had to start his prayers again to attain the status of a 3rahma Rishi, to e7ual 8asishta.
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VI
T-O PR*'C#S A'( T"# BRA"$A RAA&S"ASA -nce upon a time, a &ing by name Ratnaangada ruled the city of
The ghoul saidG En the past ate anyone who passed this way while crossing the Cungle. -nce Deva vrata, a disciple of Sage 8asishta passed this way. +hen pounced on him, he got angry and cursed me saying, J%ay your mouth be burnt if you indulge in human prey any more. prayed to him with great humility and he condescended to modify his curse thusG J:ou may eat such as are defeated by you in debate. Since then have been adhering to his words. have now waited so long for prey that this is very dear to me.
PHG 4isten o (houl@ The intellectual sheath must be probed for its RealiBation. -ne$pointed search for it reveals its e5istence. Rebirth is overcome by such RealiBation. 3RG +hat is that sheathA +hat is concentration of mindA
3RG +hat is investigationA +hat is dispassionA
+hat is disgust in pleasuresA PHG 4isten o (houl@ nvestigation is analysis conducted within oneself, discriminating the non$self from the Self, stimulated by a stern, strong and sincere desire to realiBe the Self. Dispassion is non$attachment to surroundings. Disgust in pleasures occurs if the misery conse7uent on attachment is kept in mind. 3RG +hat is the root cause of the whole series of these re7uirementsA PHG 4isten o (houl@ Divine (race is the root cause of all that is good. Devotion to (od alone can bring down His (race. This devotion is produced and developed by association with the wise. That is the prime cause of all. 3RG +ho is that (odA +hat is devotion to HimA +ho are the wiseA PHG 4isten o (houl@ (od is the %aster of the osmos. Devotion is unwavering love for Him. The wise are those who abide in Supreme Peace and melt with love for all. 3RG +ho is always in the grip of fearA +ho is always in the grip of miseryA +ho is always in the grip of povertyA PHG 4isten o (houl@ ;ear holds a man possessed of enormous wealth. %isery holds a man possessed of a large family. Poverty holds a man possessed of insatiable desires. 3RG +ho is fearlessA +ho is free from miseryA +ho is never needyA PHG 4isten o (houl@ The man with no attachments is free from fear. The one with controlled mind is free from misery. The Self$realiBed man is never needy.
3RG +ho is he that passes mens understanding and is visible though without a bod yA +hat is the action of the inactiveA
PHG 4isten o (houl@ The man emancipated here and now passes mens understanding. He is seen though he does not identify himself with the body. His actions are those of the inactive. 3RG +hat is realA +hat is unrealA +hat is inappropriateA
The 3rahmin re7uested Hemangada to clear some more of his doubts. Hemangada obliged with e5treme kindness and answered all his 7uestions. Here is how the conversation went forth. 8asumaanG Prince@ shall ask you a 7uestion. Please answer me. learnt about the Supreme Truth from
former has accurate knowledge and unerring Cudgment, whereas the latter has a blurred conception and his Cudgment is warped. < Sage never is lost to the &nowledge of his Se lf, even though he may appear to be immersed in actions.
meaning in either of them1 they too have a very light sense of what is pleasure and what is pain. Pleasure and pain are again apparent to the highest among the Sages, who however look upon them as unreal like a hare growing horns. They do not even know pleasure and pain as distinct e5periences. The ignorant always place high values for pains and pleasures. They alwa ys make efforts to gain pleasures and avoid pains.
8asumaan had all his doubts cleared by this discourse of Hemangada. He had a clear understanding of true RealiBation. 8asumaan and the prince saluted each other and returned to their respective places.
END
VII
*(AA )*TA 3R
He addressed 3rahmaG E- reator. am not in a position to answer this 7uestion. 4et us pray to the (reat (oddess Tripura Devi. The Supreme Kueen possesses unconditioned &nowledge. SH9 will make us understand even the sublets of Truths by Her (race.F
The most earnest of devotees worship me spontaneously and with the greatest sincerity which is due to their love of me.
Dvaita or belief in the (od with form and devotee is manifold because it depends on the concept of duality and manifests as worship, prayer, incantation, meditation, etc.1 all of which are due to nothing more than mental imagery. 9ven so, they are efficacious in contradistinction to day$dreams, for, the law of nature provides for it. There are degrees in the efficacy of the methods, of which the most important concerns the aspect mentioned before. The ultimate goal of all is certainly
*naana 'Supreme +isdom) is the state devoid of thoughts, will and desire, and is unimpeded by ignorance. t is certainly the primal state of the &nower, but remains unrecogniBed for want of ac7uaintance with it. The (uru and Scriptures alone can make the individual ac7uainted with the Self. The Self is
The second propensity, namely desire, prevents the intellect from following the right pursuit. ;or, the mind engrossed in desire, cannot engage in a spiritual pursuit. The abstraction of a lover is well known to all1 he can hear or see nothing in front of him.
There is no accomplishment e7ual to Self$RealiBation which is alone capable of ending all misery because it is the state of eternal bliss. Self$RealiBation differs from all accomplishments in that the fear of death is destroyed once for all.
RealiBation differs according to the antecedent practice and, commensurate with the degree of purity of mind, may be perfect, middling or dull. :ou have seen great scholars well versed in the 8edas and capable of chanting them 7uite correctly amidst any amount of distractions. They are the best. Those who are capable businessmen, repeat the 8edas 7uite correctly when they engage in chanting them without other distractions. These are the middle class. +hereas others are constantly chanting them and do it well. Such are of the lowest order among scholars. Similarly there are distinctions among the Sages also. Some Sages abide as the Self even while engaged in comple5 duties, such as ruling a kingdom 'e.g., &ing *anaka)1 others can do so in intervals of work1 still others can do so by constant practice alone. They are respectively of the highest, the middle and the lowest order. -f these, the highest order represents the utmost limit of RealiBation. =nbroken supreme awareness even in dream is the mark of the highest order. The Person who is not involuntarily made the tool of his mental predispositions but who invokes them at his will is of the highest order. He who abides in the Self as , , as spontaneously and continuously as the ignorant man does in the body, is again of the highest order. He, who though engaged in work, does not look upon anything as non$self, is a perfect Sage. He who even while doing his work remains as in a sleep is a perfect Sage. Thus the best among the Sages are never out of Samadhi, be they working or idle. He, who is from his own e5perience capable of appreciating the states of other *naanis including the best among them, is certainly a perfect Sage. He, who is not influenced by happiness or misery, by pleasure or pain, by desires, doubts or fear, is a perfect Sage. He, who realiBes pleasure, pain and every other phenomenon to be in and of the Self, is a perfect Sage. He who feels himself pervading all $ be they ignorant or emancipated $ is a perfect Sage. He who knowing the trammels of bondage, does not seek release from them and remains in peace, is a perfect Sage. The perfect among the Sages is identical with %e. There is absolutely no difference between us. have now told you all these in answer to your 7uestions. :ou need no longer be perple5ed with doubts.F Having said so, Transcendental ntelligence became silent. Then all the Rishis saluted Shiva and the other (ods and returned to their own abodes.
END
VIII
CO'C%US*O'
O$ - is THAT which abides as the Self is Pure Intelligence Transcendental being comprised of the aggregate of all the egos in perfection. SHE is Self-contained, and fills the role of Maa b !irtue of Her own prowess. "eing one without second, SHE ma#es e!en the impossible happen and thus displas the $ni!erse as a series of images in a mirror. SHE is also the indi!idual egos falsel identified with bodies. SHE is Ego in perfection, while abiding as pure %onsciousness. This is the nature of Abstract Intelligence. This unbro#en &I-I& consciousness remains before creation as will, self-sufficient and independent in nature and is also called S!atantra. SHE turns into action '#ria( during creation and is called Maa. %reation is not !ibration or metamorphosis) it is a mere pro*ection of images li#e those in a mirror. "ecause Sha#ti cannot be reached b time and much less bro#en up b it, SHE is eternal) so it follows that the $ni!erse has no origin. SHE who is transcendence, awareness perfection and total-summation of all egos, of Her own +ill di!ides Herself into two sentient and insentient. The sentient phase is Sadaashi!a Tatt!a. ater Sadaashi!a identifies the insentient phase with His bod at the time of starting %reation. Then he goes b the name Ish!ara. ow this contaminated Higher Ego, namel Ish!ara, di!ides Himself into the three aspects - /udra, 0ishnu and "rahma 'representing the modes of Ego associated with the three 1ualities dar#ness, brightness and acti!it( who in their turn manifest the cosmos consisting of man worlds. "rahmas are innumerable, all of whom are engaged in creating worlds) 0ishnus are e1uall ta#en up in protecting the worlds) and the /udras in destroing them. This is the wa of creation. "ut all of them are onl images in the grand mirror of Abstract %onsciousness. These are onl manifest, but are not concrete, since the ha!e ne!er been created. The Supreme "eing is alwas the sum-total of all the egos. 2ust as ou fill the bod and identif ourself with different senses and organs without de!iating from the Ego, so does the transcendental Pure Intelligence similarl identif itself with all, beginning from Sadashi!a and ending with the minutest protoplasm, and et remains single.
Again, *ust as ou cannot taste anthing without the aid of the tongue, nor apprehend other things without the aid of other senses or organs, so also the Supreme "eing 'Sadashi!a( acts and #nows through the agenc of "rahma, etc., and e!en of worms. 2ust as our conscious Self remains pure and un1ualified although it forms the basis of all the acti!ities of limbs, organs and senses, so also the Supreme Intelligence is unaffected though holding all the Egos within Herself. SHE is not aware of an distinctions in the !astness of the cosmos nor does SHE ma#e difference among the Egos. In this manner, the %osmos shines in Her li#e images in a mirror. The shining of the %osmos is due to Her reflection. In the same wa, the indi!iduals in the world, namel ou, I, and other seers are all flashes of Her consciousness. Since all are onl phases of Supreme Intelligence, that alone will shine in purit bereft of taints or impediments in the shape of ob*ects. 2ust as the shining mirror is clear when images no longer appear in it, and the same mirror remains untainted e!en when the images are reflected in it, so also Pure Intelligence subsists pure and untainted whether the world is seen or not. This untainted Supreme Intelligence is one without a second and filled with "liss, because totall free from the least trace of unhappiness. The sum-total of all happiness of all the li!ing beings has ta#en shape as the Supreme 3ne because SHE is ob!iousl desired b all) and SHE is no other than the Self, which consists of pure "liss, because the Self is the most belo!ed of e!er being. Pure Intelligence is indeed "liss because it is the onl one sought for. 4or the sa#e of the Self people discipline their bodies and subdue their desires) all sensual pleasures are mere spar#s of "liss inherent in the Self. 4or sensual pleasures are similar to a sense of relief felt on unburdening oneself of a crushing load, or to the peace of sleep. People do not recogni5e the "liss inhering as their Self, because of their ignorance. The alwas associate pleasure with incidents. 4urthermore, *ust as images in a mirror are associated with ob*ects, ignoring the presence of the reflecting surface, but after consideration are found to be dependent on the mirror and not apart from it, and the mirror is found to be untainted b the reflected images, so also the sages #now the Self alone to be uni1ue, real and untainted b its own pro*ections, namel, the world, etc. The relation of the %osmos to Pure Intelligence, i.e., abstract Self, is li#e that of a pot to earth, or of an ornament to gold, or of sculpture to the granite roc#. 6enial of the e7istence of the world does not amount to perfection.
6enial is absurd. 4or, it implies intelligence, and intelligence displas itself as the $ni!erse. The intelligence dening or admitting the world is there shining o!er all8 %an the world be erased out of e7istence b mere denial of it9 2ust as the images appear in a mirror and parta#e of its nature, so also the %osmos is of and in the Self, and real inasmuch as it is the Self. This wisdom in perfection is the reali5ation of all as the Self. %onsciousness appears as ob*ects b its own !irtue, as a mirror appears as the images on it. This is the whole essence of the Scriptures. There is no bondage, no liberation, no aspirant, and no process of attainment. The transcendental %onscious Principle alone subsists in the three states of being. SHE remains as the one uniform, absolute being. SHE is ignorance) SHE is wisdom) SHE is bondage) SHE is liberation and SHE is the process thereof. This is all that need be #nown, understood and reali5ed. There is nothing more. The man who #nows it rightl will ne!er be o!erta#en b miser. Such is the section on +isdom, recondite with reason, subtlet, and e7perience. Should an one not gain wisdom after hearing or reading it but continue to wallow in ignorance, he should be put down as nothing more than a stoc# or a stone. +hat hope is there for him9 Hearing it e!en once must ma#e a man trul wise) he is sure to become wise. Sin or obstruction to wisdom is destroed b reading it) wisdom dawns on hearing it. +riting, appreciating and discussing its contents respecti!el destros the sense of dualit, purifies the mind and re!eals the abiding Truth. SHE goes b the name of Emancipation when clearl and directl reali5ed b in!estigation as the one undi!ided Self of all) otherwise, SHE goes b the name of "ondage. SHE is the one %onsciousness threading the three states of being, but untainted and unbro#en b them. SHE is the sound, word and the significance of -
"R##$ SA%TUTAT*O'S TO TR*PURA $ O-' Self/
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