________________
through the sense organs, through the human emotions, or through the reasoning intellect-can be experienced as the ego's own Real Nature when the contemplation takes place along the lines of discussion indicated in the Scriptures.
जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभमतः पुंस्त्वं ततो विप्रता तस्माद्वैदिकधर्ममार्गपरता विद्वत्त्वमस्मात्परम् । आत्मानात्मविवेचनं स्वनुभवो ब्रह्मात्मना संस्थिति
मुक्तिों शतजन्मकोटिसुकृतैः पुण्यैर्विना लभ्यते ॥२॥ . jantanām narajanma durlabhamatah pumstvam tato vipratā tasmădvaidikadharmamārgaparatā vidvatvamasmätparam ātmānātmayiyecanam syanubhavo brahmātmanā samsthitih muktirno satajanmakotisukrtaih punyairvinā labhyate 2.
Floryang - Among the living creatures; 77 Fan - human-birth, दुर्लभम् - rare, अत : further, पुंस्त्वम् - manhood, ततः • thereupon, विप्रता - Brahmin-hood (sātwic life), तस्मात् - thereafter, वैदिकधर्ममार्ग qar - steadfastness on the path of spirituality enjoined by the Vedas, roscat - correct knowledge of the scriptures, 31ATI - from this, परम् - higher; आत्मानात्म विवेचनम् - discrimination of the Real and the Unreal, स्वनुभवः - personal experience, ब्रह्मात्मना संस्थितिः - established in the identity with Brahman, git: - liberation, 9. not, शतजन्मकोटिसुकृतैः पुण्यैः - merits of a hundred crores of lives lived intelli. gently, far - without, gad-gained.
Of all the living creatures, to be born as a human being is indeed rare; much more difficult it is to get the full manhood; rarer than this is the 'satwic' attitude to life. Even having gained all these rare chances, to have a steadfastness on the path of spiritual activity, as explained in the Vedic literature, is yet rarer; much more so, to have a correct knowledge of the deep significances of the Scriptures. Discrimination between the real and the unreal, a personal experience of the Spiritual Glory, and ultimately to get fully established in the living consciousness that "the Self in me is the Self in all”-these come only later on which ultimately ends in one's liberation. This kind of a perfect liberation cannot be had without earned merits of a hundred crores of lives lived intelligently.
