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VICHAR MALA.
in the ignorant to study a book. Then awain, its successful termination without any let or hinderance is vers lesirable on the part of the author; and it is a sign of good bent jour, as otherwise the writer may be taken for an athost. Thus the necessity of valediction is clearly established.
It has three aspects; it may take the form of ascertaining the Real (BRAHMA); or invoking a blessing; or, as a salutation. --Reality' signifies the Supreme Self either with or without attributes; and to speak of It with a view of helping a person to know, is called “ascertaining the Reality.' 'Invoking a blessing is to pray for it from one's own deity. This is now being declared along with the necessity of the work in the following verse.
Salutations be to the Venerable RAM, Who is everlasting intellig ace and bliss ; Who knows the world is .ll a dream,
And destroys illusion' roduced from) ignorance. [Obs.] Here both the personal and impersonal have been invoked; for, the predicate 'venerable' signifies one with qualities that excite veneration, therefore 'venerable Ram' stands for a personal deity with qualities good. He is overlasting intelligence and bliss, which is another name for the Imųersonal BRAHMA, without any attributes. To both of them, has salutation been offered. The second relative pronoun 'who' establishes a connection. 'Everlasting' signifies who knows no destruction in the three periods of time, and pervades everywhere. 'Intelligence' is indestructible manifestibility; and 'Bliss' is the opposite of misery, that is without any trace of it. It is supreme happiness or felicity, from the perception of which, ignorance and its product, the material world are destroyed to all intents and purposes, though not actually :*
* The world it not actually destroyed as in Pralaya. When a man has acquired Self-knowledge it ceases to be a reality, that is meaut.