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VIVEKACŪDĀMAŅI
By reason of the sādhanas that he went through in previous births, the sage Vāmadeva (for example) realised the supreme Truth even when he was in his mother's womb. As there was no purpose to be achieved thereafter, there was no need for him to study the śāstras.
62 A man who has got lost in the forest wanders about in bewilderment without knowing the direction. So too, as mere śāstra may be confounding, one should give up taking one's stand on that alone, and must try to realise one's ātman from a guru who has himself realised the Paramātman.
शब्दजालं महारण्यं चित्तभ्रमणकारणम् । अतः प्रयत्नात ज्ञातव्यं तत्त्वज्ञात्तत्त्वमात्मनः॥६२॥
sabdajālam mahāranyam cittabhramaņakāraṇam 1 atah prayatnāt jñātavyam tattvajñāt tattvamātmanaḥ 11.
The concourse of words (constituting scripture) is a great forest which will confound the mind. Therefore, by special effort, one must learn the truth about the ātman from him who has known it.
The truth has to be known by upadeśa of the ācārya based on the śāstra in the form of the Upanişads. Yet, one ought not to rest merely on the abundance of the words of the śāstra. For, the mental impression left by them (laying emphasis on the mere letter of the texts) may be an obstruction to the dawn of jñāna. Vide śloka 272 infra.
63
Jñāna alone can remove ajñāna; not anything else. अज्ञानसर्पदष्टस्य ब्रह्मज्ञानौषधं विना। किमु वेदैश्च शास्त्रैश्च किम मन्त्रैः किमौषधैः ॥६३ ॥ ajñānasarpadaştasya brahmajñānauşadham vinā i kimu vedaiśca śāstraińca kimu mantraiḥ kimauşadhaiḥ 11
To a person who has been bitten by the serpent of ajñāna, the only remedy is Brahmajñāna. To such a one what can Vedas, śāstras, mantras and medicines avail?
Ajñāna itself is the serpent as it is the cause of infinite evils. Being bitten by it produces the twofold effects of avaraņa: conceal
