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VIVEKACŪDAMAŅI
329
in order to uproot all this grief and to be firmly established in Brahman.
बाह्याभिसन्धिः परिवर्धयेत् फलं
दुर्वासनामेव ततस्ततोऽधिकाम् । ज्ञात्वा विवेकैः परिहृत्य बाह्य
स्वात्मानुसन्धि विदधीत नित्यम् ॥ ३३५ ॥ bāhyābhisandhiḥ parivardhayet phalam
durvāsanāmevā tatas tato'dhikām jñātvā vivekaih parihȚtya bāhyam
svātmānusandhim vidadhīta nityam 11
Attachment to external objects will only increase more and more their fruits in the form of evil tendencies. Therefore, the wise should avoid for the aforesaid reasons whatever is external and should ever engage in the contemplation of the ātman.
bhāhyābhisandhiḥ etc.: attachment to sense-objects. This attachment to sense-objects will only foster more and more the evil propensities which will lead to future births. As has been stated in śloka 314, action ensues by developed vāsanās and vāsanās are increased by actions: vāsanāvệddhitaḥ kāryam kāryavrddhyā ca vāsanā. Knowing this, the wise should abandon all that is the nonatman for the reasons which intimate the great dangers of attachment to sens-objects and which have been stated in the context of death (ruin) caused by inadvertence and should constantly engage in svātmānusandhiḥ: continuous uninterrupted contemplation of Brahman (which is equated with one's ātman).
336 After stating the binding effects of external attachment, the supreme benefit arising in due order by its restraint is conveyed.
बाह्ये निरुद्ध मनसः प्रसन्नता मनःप्रसादे परमात्मदर्शनम् ।
तस्मिन् सुदृष्टे भवबन्धनाशः बहिर्निरोधः पदवी विमुक्तेः ॥ ३३६ ॥ bāhye niruddhe manasaḥ prasannatā
manaḥprasāde paramātmadarśanam tasmin sudrste bhavabandhanāśaḥ
bahirnirodhaḥ padavi vimukteh
When the external is controlled, the mind becomes peaceful. When the mind is peaceful, there arises the soulsight of the Paramātman. When that is well realised, there is annihilation of the bonds of samsāra. So, external control is what helps to secure the state of liberation.
