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10
VICH MALA.
"that instruction on Self-knowledge w.. miseries [destroy metempsychosis].
will remove my
Lord! helpless and without a preceptor, am Ì. Extremely miserable, and sinking in the sea of earth
life.
Do thou, kind sire, stretch a helping hand To make me cross it over.
The pupil continues his appeal to his Guru and invokes the aid of his instruction for cutting off transmigration. He styles himself, au orphan-literally without the protecting care of a guardian; and as he is extremely miserable on account of his discrimination of the utter unreality of phenomena, (but has not yet got the knowled wherewith to discover BRAHMA in Self, to cause his release he therefore says I am sinking in the sea of earth-life,”—fflicted with birth and death and afraid of them. Do please at off transmigration so that
"
may cross the sea of birth a .d death through thy instruction which would serve the purpose of a sailing craft.
The cause is now reiterated thus:
Desire, thirst, and thoughts innumerable,
Distract me at one time.
How then can I fix my heart constantly on BRAHMA ?
'Desire' refers to incessant wish for the acquisition of material comforts, 'thirst' is to hanker after fresh objects after desire for one set of enjoyments has been gratified; and 'thoughts' relate to the preservation of what has already been acquired and to struggle for fresh. This third variety is present along with the two others, and they distract the internal organ. Under such circumstances, how is it possible for me to fix the mind on Self? For that end, it is necessary that the mind should concentrate its attention; but these thoughts are inimical to it.