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136
SAMAYASARA
telepathy, and supreme knowledge of reality-all these refer to one and the same state. That is the absolute. Realisation of that absolute is mokṣa.
COMMENTARY Ātmā, the Self is the absolute. That itself is jnāna or knowledge. The Self is one prime category. Hence knowledge is therefore the same as that absolute. Hence it is the means of Nirvāņa or mokşa. Various kinds of knowledge, such as mati-jñāna, śruta jñāna, etc. do not in any way differentiate this unitary state of knowledge. These various kinds of knowledge refer only to this unitary state of knowledge. When the sun is hidden by clouds its light is not seen and when the clouds gradually disperse, the sunlight gradually reappears in varying degrees till it regairis its full luminosity when all the clouds completely disappear. So also the Self in the form of knowledge, remains hidden shrouded by the layer of karmas. When the karma cloud gradually gets dispersed, then the Self-knowledge begins to shine in varying brilliancy. This variation in knowledge which is due to the variation in the density of the karmic cloud does not in any way imply any differentiation in the nature of the underlying Self. That remains the same one, non-varying and permanent. That remains without any differentiation. It is identical with supreme knowledge. When that knowledge is obtained, it is Self-realisation. Then nescience gets destroyed, then the Self is obtained; all that pertains to non-Self disappears; no more desire, hatred, or delusion; no more inflow of fresh karmas; no more karmic bondage; the previously bound karmas automatically wear out; thus when all karmas completely disappear, that state itself is mokşa. Hence it follows that the absolute is equal to the Self which is equal to pure knowledge, and attaining this ought to be the aim of life since that is the door-way to mokşa.
णाणगुणेण विहीणा एदं तु पदं बहूवि ण लहंते । तं गिण्ह सुपदमेदं जदि इच्छसि कम्मपरिमोक्खं ॥२०५।। ņāņagunena vihīņā edam tu padam bahūvi na lahamte tam ginha supadamedam jadi icchasi kammaparimokkham (205)
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