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VIVEKACŪDAMANI
125
preyan: the object of pleasure; prema-vişayah. If it were dear by itself in the form of sound etc., then there will be no variation in its nature of being dear. Men are known to abandon sound etc.,
ns, friends and wives previously regarded as dear. The body which is considered to be dear is subject to the rigours of discipline; the breath is controlled; the mind too is made to disappear in a state of laya (dissolution). Why speak of other things? People give up even the ajñāna which is known to accompany the bliss of ānandamayakośa, the sheath of bliss. The reason for all this is the absence of real bliss in them and the impermanence of their capacity to produce joy.
The blissful nature of the ātman is self-established; hence it is superlatively dear at all times. For it is said: mã na bhūvam hi bhūyāsam iti premātmanīksyate: The attachment to the atman is seen in the form "may I not not be; may I (always) be". Never does a man say: 'may I not be'. That means 'may I be always'. This applies properly to the ātman only. The gross does not appear in the dream state. The subtle does not appear in dreamless sleep and the causal disappears in samādhi. The sense-objects like sound etc., do not appear in dreamless sleep and samādhi. Though functioning in waking and dream, they do not produce pleasure permanently. This has has been explained earlier. The ātman accompanies all the states, even in the absence of sense-objects in dreamless sleep as is confirmed in the experience of all creatures as of the form of bliss, and also in samādhi in which the jñānin experiences such bliss. Therefore the ātman devoid of limitations (upādhis) is considered as dear by all creatures.
109 तत आत्मा सदानन्दो नास्य दुःखं कदाचन । यत्सुषुप्तौ निविषय आत्मानन्दोऽनुभूयते ॥
श्रुतिः प्रत्यक्षमैतिह्यम् अनुमानं च जाग्रति ॥१०९ ॥ tata ātmā sadānando nāsya duhkham kadācanal yatsușuptau nirvişaya ātmānando'nubhūyate 11 śrutih pratyakşamaitihyam anumānam ca jāgrati il
The ātman is ever blissful; it never suffers misery. In dreamless sleep there are no sense-objects; but the bliss of ātman is experienced then. This is attested by śruti, senseperception, tradition, and inference, in the waking state.
