________________
I am the Soul
of the enlightened. How can I ever describe this great benefaction of yours? What other way do I have other than serving at your feet?
The supremely benevolent Gurudev has shown the disciple struggling in ignorance, the path by gifting him knowledge. Therefore the disciple says -
अज्ञानतिमिरांधानां ज्ञानांजन शलाकया । मुमिलितं येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ॥
721
The blindness of the dark of ignorance was all-pervasive. The illusions regarding the world and worldly substances had occupied the mind from infinite times. I had never even felt in the dreams that 'the atma is my self and I am the soul'. The benevolent Gurudev applied the medicine of knowledge in my blind eyes. It was very difficult to absorb. To the jiva enjoying the bliss of ignorance, knowledge is bound to appear like sorrow. It will seem like an affliction that grows in the hurting eyes. But the compassionate Gurudev, with the feelings of motherly love, has applied the medicine of knowledge in the eyes of discernment. The grip of illusion of pudgal that was there due to ignorance began to loosen. It became clear that the happiness appearing to derive from the pudgal was merely an illusion of happiness and the veils before the eyes began to dissolve. Closed eyes opened; the light of knowledge spread and in that was seen the infinitely brilliant self- atma. I repeatedly bow at the feet of the Gurudev who has bestowed upon me such great benevolence.
The disciple was clear about the bheda-vijnana visavis body - atma, karma - atma, attachment etc.- atma, affected disposition - natural disposition etc. He has experienced the absolutely independent and unattached atma. He says, 'Even a rustic fellow knows that the scabbard hanging from the King's waist is not just a scabbard but that there is a sharp-edged blade in it which is independent of the scabbard itself. In fact, even if the scabbard
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