ATMA BODHAM “KNOWLEDGE of the SELF” : 31 - Swami Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

 

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Saturday, January   23, 2021. 07 :31. AM.. 

ATMA BODHAM “KNOWLEDGE of the SELF”

(68 Slokam-s in  9 Chapters)

Chapter 6 - “The Birth of the EGO” - Sloka-s 25-37 (13 no.)

NEXT - C. “NETI – NETI” : THE DOCTRINE OF NEGATION (30-33)

Mantram - 31 : As Perishable as Bubbles.

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Mantram : 31.

"Aavidyakam shareer-aadi drishyam budbuda-vat ksharam;
etad vi-lakshanam vidyaat Realise, “aham brahma” iti nirmalam."

Translation :

1 Aavidyakam shareer-aadi = The body, etc, up to the causal body,
2 drishyam budbuda-vat ksharam; = are perceivable objects, perishable as bubbles.
3 etad vi-lakshanam vidyaat Realise, = “I am different from all these,”
4 “aham brahma” iti nirmalam.  = “I am the ever pure Brahman.

Commentary:

This step may be compared with Sravana, as it acquaints us with the whole problem.

This mantram clearly identifies what is to be falsified or negated in the process of “Neti- Neti”. The next two mantra go into the specifics of the process.

That which has to be falsified is everything right up to the causal body. This means the gross body, subtle body and the causal body.

#Self & Upadhis – Their Relative Importance.

What does it mean to negate the three bodies, viz. gross, subtle and causal? That which arises from ignorance is to be negated or falsified. By implication this means all three bodies as they all arise from Maya or Ignorance in association with Brahman.

It is not intended here to reduce the value of the functions that the three bodies perform, but merely to see their real value in relation to the absolute Truth of our very Being, the Self. Nothing should presume to take the place of the Self; that is quite clear.

However, in the process of establishing the superiority of the Self, these Upadhis are not to be run down; not to be relegated as worthless; not to be sneered upon as inconsequential.

*They are simply to be seen for what they are – as instruments of the individual self.

It would be against the spirit of Vedanta for the Self to proclaim its greatness by chopping off the worth of the other elements of creation (the Upadhis). In the hands of the careless student, the verse is open to such incorrect interpretion. Hence, Acharyaji cautioned us against such a puerile view of the Self’s greatness.

Similarly when it is said that the Self is different from all these, again it is not said in a competitive spirit. The Self is not in need of being glorified. The glorification, if any, is only to highlight to the seeker that he should never give undue importance to these Upadhis, that is, he should never make them so important in his life that he forgets the Self which is his real nature.

#The Example: “Budbudavat Ksharam” Evanescent Bubbles :

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When it is said that these Upadhis are like objects that are perceived and are therefore like bubbles, once again the above comment applies. It is simply to illustrate that they are not dependable in themselves. They have a function to perform in the plan of Maya, but they do not have the qualities of the Self, that is, being all-knowing, all-pervading and timeless. Their existence is like the existence of bubbles – evanescent and fleeting.

As bubbles they may also be viewed as having little significance in the true purpose of life, in relation to the evolutionary purpose of life. For if not utilized for what they were intended, they have a strong tendency to distract us from that purpose, and even make us recede from that purpose. If we allow ourselves to be engrossed by the bubbles, we are in danger of further delusion and bondage to this world.

Earlier the same simile was used to describe the macrocosmic creation of all the worlds. Now it is being applied to the microcosmic existence of the human body, which is just as fleeting as the mighty worlds out there.

End.

Next : Mantram - 32. Beyond Body and Sense Objects (Athatvya-Vritti Lakshana)

To be continued .....

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