________________
MAY, 1876.)
ATMA BODHA PRAKÅSIKA.
129
24. Through want of discerning understand- spect of its nature, as a man might mistake a ing, people connect the essential and spiritual, rope for a snake, he may well become fearful. particula, of the Atman, with the Activity of the If a man, however, knows "I am not Jiva, but understanding. ---these two into one,--and then the Supreme Spirit," he becomes free from fear. are accustomed to say “I know."
27. The Spirit, the One, illumines the senses, 25. No change takes place in the Spirit (inat whose head stands the understanding, &c. consequence of Activity). In the understanding &o., just as a lamp illumines a vessel, &c. &c. ; it, (by and for itself) there never is wisdom. (These however, the self-essential-spirit, is not illumined two must not be confounded one with the other, by these gross (elementary formations). for Wisdom belongs to Spirit, and intellectual 28. As the self is essential knowledge, the activity to the understanding; the former is the soul requires the aid of no other knowledge to Sun (by whose light the mental faculties work). enable it to recognize its own proper knowledge : The Jiva (the reflex of the universal Spirit, just as a flambeau, which is in itself a shining in the single individual) foolishly says "I am light, requires not the aid of another flambean to the doer," "I am the spectator," whilst he render it visible. acknowledges all the filth (i.e. the elementary 29. Having by the aid of the words "It is mental faculties and the organs of sense, &c. not so, it is not so," removed all the Upachis, &c. which perform that activity) as belonging one will easily recognize, by the aid of the great to himself.
saying," the oneness of the individual) living 26. When one takes Jiva for Atman, in re Spirit with the (Universal) Supreme Spirit.
Commentary. 24. The commentator remarks: " It may per the faculties and senses, although they are so closehaps be objected, How comes it that when the ly allied with it. soul is perfectly inactive one ventures to say I 28. The commentator remarks: "Here the know?" This objection the author here meets: author meets the objection arising from the latter e.g. When the sunbeam and the burning-glass are part of the previous strophe, namely, 'If the soul brought in contact, fire arises : in like manner cannot be known by means of the mental faculties, ignorance arises when the Spirit-reflex (which re- &c. &c., how then shall it be recognized P'" sembles the sunbeam) and the understanding 29. The commentator includes the entire Upd(which resembles the burning-glass) are twisteddhis in Universal Knowledge and partial knowledge. into one, and in consequence of this ignorance it He explains the words "It is not so," by "it (the happens that the Living-Spirit is caught in such real substratum of the unreal world of phenomena) sayings as I know. When, however, the Spirit is without name and form." The "great saying" is is separated from the activity of the understand. " Tat tuam asi," i.e." Hoc (i.e. Brahma) tu es."ing, no object appears, and it is then the Self If amongst a quantity of stones picked up there recognizing itself, without activity.
was a precious stone (discovered), perhaps then 25. L'he Tamil commentary, which reads ala, one would examine them all closely, and discover much,' instead of mala, dirt,' and joins the former that they were not (all) precious stones. So here word with muhjati, gives the literal meaning of the with reference to the Spirit which is associated strophe thus :-"Change (or activity) never (be- with the various Upádhis (the three-fold bodylongs to the Spirit." Wisdom never (belongs) to form) the Vedas explain that "these (phuaomena) the understanding, nevertheless the Living-Spirit are not it," and sets them aside. In this manner beguiles itself with the thought that it is "the one learns to know the Spirit (by means of Sridoer," " the spectator," &c. &c.,-taking the vana, hearing the Vedas). Now, although in everytotality of the mental faculties for itself.I
day life, one attributes greatness and smallness 26. The commentator remarks: “This strophe to rivers and seas, in consequence of the peculiar shows that if the Spirit takes upon itself hetero. ities of the land, yet when one divests his ideas geneous qualities-while imputing to itself (as in of these peculiarities, the entire water appears as the preceding strophe) activity, which belongs only one, and the idea of size (large and small) vanishes. to the elementary mental faculties, senses and So is it with Universal Knowledge, and the parorgans--it is preparing trouble for itself."
tial knowledge of the universal world, and the in27. Here the author points out why the Spiritdividual Living-soul : the difference between them is not recognized by means of the understanding, exists only in the phenomena and habits of the
| Dr. Graul observes here that Taylor doubted whether this strophe could be translated in a sensible manner; the doctor considers the Tamil commentary satisfactory.
