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Chapter 16: Guru's Exposition about the Path and Means of Liberation
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time of initial right perception. With that perception, as the soul's purity increases, one starts overcoming the less gross forms of that Karma. When one reaches the state described in the last stanza, he gains effective control over all of them except the very subtle one known as Sanjwalan. It virtually means that the aspirant has overcome all defiling instincts. Such a person is in a position to reach the stage that the worldly soul has never attained before. It is called the stage of Apoorvakaran, meaning the unprecedented one. That stage has been described by Shrimad (Vachanamrut # 738) in stanza 13 of Apoorva Avasar (Unprecedented Occasion) as follows:
Em Paräjay Karine Chäritramohano, Ävun Tyän Jyän Karan Apoorva Bhäv Jo; Shreni Kshapakatani Karine Äroodhatä, Ananya Chintan Atishay Shuddha Swabhäv Jo.
It means: "By overcoming the character-related delusion, I may come to the stage of unprecedented mode, and climbing over the (Karma) annihilating ladder, I may undertake the unique contemplation of intensely pure nature."
The spiritual path, beyond the unprecedented stage, is divided into two directions. One way is to go ahead by pacifying the extant Karma, and is known as the pacifying ladder or Upasham Shreni. The other way is to advance by destroying the Karma. That is called the annihilating ladder or Kshapak Shreni, which is referred to in the above verse. The progress on that ladder is swift and steady. By virtue of the destruction of Karma, the perception of such a person becomes perfectly clear and he becomes totally disillusioned of all worldly aspects. All sorts of defiling instincts come to an end, and he reaches the stage known as Kshinamoh, meaning the state devoid of all delusions. The remaining subtle forms of the obscuring and obstructing Karma are overcome at the end of that stage, and the person reaches the state of total detachment and omniscience. This has been termed as Vitarägpad.
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