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I am the Soul
115
Here in this Shastra all things mentioned are keeping the goal of Atma in focus. Therefore, how the ability, required for the goal of Atma to awaken, can be achieved, has also been told. Srimadji says -
एवो लक्ष थया विना, ऊगे न आत्मविचार...
Unless the greatness of the present Sadguru rests within, and his infinite benevolence is accepted with gratitude, even the thought of Atma does not 'sprout' in the conscience.
Here the word - sprout - has been used. It is very suggestive. Indeed! Srimadji has weighed every word with a precision and then placed them in the Gathas. Let us evaluate this word. In this Gatha he could certainly have used any word other than 3. But the thought of Atma is to be allowed to sprout within and hence he placed the world 3.
What sprouts? The seed sown in the earth. The seed pushed under the soil alone sprouts. When does it sprout? Who does it? When it is immersed in the earth and when it splits itself, then alone does it sprout from within itself. It cannot sprout keeping itself safe and sound and without splitting itself. Thus, first of all it has to meet the dust and split itself. And not just that, if it remains within the earth after the split, it cannot grow. It will have to die. But the tender and minuscule sprout that emanates from the seed splits the layers of hard soil with its vitality and projects out. When it becomes visible to the outer world it is termed as sprouted.
The second question - who does it? The task of putting it into the soil is accomplished either by humans or some animalbird. That's it! Nothing more than that. If at all human inspiration is at work, water - manure may be offered. But the process of sprouting has to be done by it-self. The life within the seed absorbs the nutrients-water-air-light from around itself and splits itself. Not only that, nobody helps the sprout to emerge from the earth. It has to struggle by itself.
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