Vedanta Philosophy Described By Bhavya In His Madhyamaka Hrdaya

Author(s): V V Gokhale
Publisher: V V Gokhale

Page 5

THE VEDANTA-PHILOSOPHY
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red colour is supported by the God of Wealth (Kubera); and the pale red represents the spirit of the Propitious Rudra ('Ru.tra.bde.byed.dag' (Skt.) Rudra-Samkara); (4) the smoky colour comes from Indra; (5) the yellow colour comes from Mitra; (6) the dusty yellow colour represents the spirits of Mitra and the Water-God (Varuna); (7) the purple belongs to 'Dgar.ka.ñid' (sic. 'Tha.skar.gñis'? = Aśvinau); (8) the presence of the Viśve-devas makes it volatile ('myur.ba'?). The colour of Purity (brahma-varna) is the result of his being the Supreme Lord (Iśvara). The root "at-" indicates constant movement (satata-gamana); hence the term "ātman" means either that all beings always move in Him, or that He constantly moves among all beings. 13 He it is, who is "great", because of his omnipresence (sarvavyäpitva), and being "supreme" (iśvara). He transcends all the worlds. The saint (yogin), who perceives the "Person" (Puruşa) of the above description by his divine eye (divyacakṣus), surpasses all bondage and attains immunity from old age and death.
Now, although the Person possesses various colours, the distinctive mark (lakṣaṇa) recognized by the saint at the time of his own final liberation, is as below:
(3) rukmavarṇam yadā paśyan paśyet kartāram iśvaram / vihāya papam punyañ ca param samyam14 tada 'pnuyāt // When, on perceiving the gold-coloured one, he recognizes (in him) the Lord, the Maker, he may then, after casting off both sin and merit, attain that supreme equanimity.
T: "Gold" is the fine gold found in the sand. When the Soul, having a similar "colour" is seen and recognized by the concentrated eye of meditation (dhyanacakṣus) as such, one may be sure of being in the presence of the great "Lord" himself. While seeing thus, one becomes "supreme" in cutting off the essence of all sin and merit as well as the bondages characterized by both of them. In particular, one becomes tranquil (santa). One "attains" the essence of tranquility, which implies a turning away from all action and is beyond discourse (nirvikalpa).15
13 Cf. IU. 6; Bhagavadgită (= BG) 6.29-30, etc.
14 Mc. reads: sătmyam. From the following T, the Skt. reading would appear to be neither satmyam nor samyam, but santam, but it may be noted that AS uses both samya and santa in the same sense for describing the Absolute; comp. III, 47, IV 45 with IV. 80, 93, 95, 100. Mundaka-Upan. (= MuU), 3.1.3 (cf. Maitri-Upan. (= MU) 6. 18) of which the present stanza is a virtual reproduction, also reads samyam thus: yada pasyaḥ pasyate rukmavarnam kartāram iśam puruşam brahmayonim | tada vidvän punyapape vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramam samyam upaiti ||
15 Cf. AS. IV. 80; III. 33-34. This description of the Absolute, it may be noted, is not very different from Maitreyanath's conception of the Buddhahood; see: Ratna