Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Traverses on less trodden path...
pure consciousness or highest reality, eternal, unchanging, which is the luminous body of pure-consciousness, which, on account of ignorance or Māyā, manifests itself as many, and except this there is no other reality, no other pure-consciousness. 70
On acconnt of avid ya, we superimpose the world on Brahmon, wbich is supporting ground of the phenomenal world. On account of ignorance, we mistake rope for snake, shell for silver, we see one object in place of another. We attribute to an object certain qualities which do not belong to it. We superimpose the world on Brahman in the saine manner as at a lower level, we superimpose the snake on rope, shell on silver etc. similarly we superimpose the body, the sense-organs and the mind on the Self. We also attribute agency and employership to the self which do not really belong to it.71 We think that this Jiva associated with ego is the highest reality. Actually speaking, this ego is not the true Soif. True Self is that which is free from all these adjuncts, ultimately it is one with Brahman 12 From the Paramarthika. transcendental point of view, even the view that jiva becomes one with Brahman at the state of realization is only a verbal statement, for he is always Brahman,78 Just as pure transparent crystal is wrongly imagined to be red on account of a red flower placed near it, just as colourless sky is wrongly imagined to be sullied with dirt by the ignorant or just as a rope is wrongly taken to be a snake in darkness, similarly, the non-dual Atman or Brahman is wrongly imagined to be jiva or empirical self by ignorant people. 74 On account of powerful avidya, the Self appears to be manifold. But in fact, Sankara, writes---''the Self is not to be known" as manifold, quali. fied by the universe of effects. You are rather to dissolve by the true knowledge, the universe of effects, which is the mere product of nescience and to know that one Self which is the general abode, as uniform.78 Common error like seeing snake in place of a rope, silver in a place of shell, etc., can be set right by proper observation and examination. But to remove metaphysical error like superimposition of world on Brahman, one has to go tbrough rigorous spiritual descipline. 76 After going through 70. Eka eva parameśvarah kūțasthanityo vijñāpadhaturavidyaya mayayā māyāvivad
anekadha vibhavyate nānyo vijñānadbăturastiti. S. B. I-III-19. 71, Atmabodh-22. 72. Atmã ca Bralıma. S. B. I-1-1. 73. S. B. on Brh. Up, VI-4-6. 74, S. B. I-II-6. 75. Na Káryaprapanca višisto vicitra ātmā vijñeyah. Kim tarhi, a vidyakrtam käryapra
pañcam vidyayā pravilāpayantah tam evaikam ayatanabhūtam ātmānam janatha
ekarasamiti-S. B. I-IIJ-5. 76, S. B. I-1-4.