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The Discourse Divine
[ Fotfi
Note:-In the past infinity of time, during which the immortal soul has never ceased to exist, it has put on all kinds of bodies and enjoyed again and again, the pleasures appertaining to embodied existence, through them, throwing them off always at the end of each form of life. The bodies and things of matter are thus like the leavings in a plate which nobody will like to eat. The Right Believer, whose vision has been clarified to perceive the true side of Life, therefore, cannot long for them, since it will be like a longing to eat the leavings and refuse
कर्म कर्महिताबन्धि, जीवो जीवहितस्पृहः ।
स्वस्वप्रभावभूयस्त्वो, स्वार्थ को वा न वांछति ॥३१॥ karma works in its own cause; the soul works for its own good : who is there in the world that will not work for his own good when he has the power to do so ?
Note:-Since karma produces karma, and thus is the cause of the perpethation of the soul's bondage, it is here described as working in its own cause, the soul also works for its own good, that is to say against the Karmic power, when it is able to do so. The interests of the two thus clash with each other. The acharya here exhorts the soul that has acquired the wisdom of the saints to gird up its loins for the destruction of the enemy; further is no one in the world who will not like to destroy his foe when he has the power to do so, especially such a foe or Karma, that acts by stealth and strikes mercilessly and hard.
परोपकृतिमुत्सृज्य, स्वोपकारपरो भव ।
उपकुर्वन्परस्याज्ञो, दृश्यमानस्य लोकवत् ॥३२।। O Witless one ! thou art serving this visible show that is not thyself; thou shouldst now renounce doing good to others and take to doing good to thine own Self !
Note: It is the way of the world that one gives up serving those who are found to be inimical to oneself. The soul has been serving its physical body and the rest of the visible sensible panorama; in the belief that its good lies with the things outside itself. But it has now learnt their real nature. They are all the ties and joys and relationships of the world, taken together-only so many enemies in disguise ! The acharya, therefore. exhorts the soul that is endowed with true insight into the nature of things to abandon them to their own fate and turn to its own welfare, that is, to take self contemplation.
गुरूपदेशावभ्यासात्संवित्तेः स्वपरांतरं । जानाति यः स जानाति मोक्षसौख्यं निरंतरम् ॥३३॥
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