Vicharmala Granth Satik Pustak 1 to 8

Author(s): Anathdas Sadhu, Govinddas Sadhu
Publisher: Heeralal Dhole

Page 90

VICHAR MALA.
78
As a bit of rope creates a variety of illusions, to one it appears like the root of a tree, to another it is a snake, or a furrow on the earth-and as nacre creates the several illusions of talc, silver, etc., from "this" present along with it, all these are said to be indescribably produced.
What is that? a person who has an impression of a suake seen in a previous period of time, along with defect of sight creates that mistake in a string, by the connection of his sight with a string along with a previous impression. As the particular property of that string is not then discovered, nor its texture [tissue out of which it is made] but only its ordinary attribute "this," similarly in nacre, its peculiar triangular shape, bluish color etc., are not discovered, but only its ordinary "that," so that the mental function through the organs of vision pervade that string or nacre, and is modified accordingly into "this." Intelligence associated with the mental function modified into "this" assumes two shapes viz., of snake and the form of its discovery. That is to say, Ignorance is modified into snake, and knowledge discovers that snake or nacre.
Similarly the impression of stick in a person coupled with defective sight when comes in relation with a string, the mental function assumes the shape of that stick and the string is taken for it. A wreath and garland are also similarly produced from their previous impressions along with defective sight creating a connection with the mental function through the visual organs and pervading it; ultimately its ignorance is modined into a wreath or garland, and its intelligence discovers them. When therefore one string gives rise to three different illusions, in three different persons, they depend upon the associate of mental function assuming the modification of the substance whose impression he has, and he perceives one only, and not another. This is called the Indescribable mode of accounting for the snake illusion.