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VIVEKACUDAMANI
435
which ate and ejected as 'I'; now, however, having realised his true nature the body which performed the actions of eating etc., appears as separate without the identification as 'I' even on getting up from samādhi.
459 & 460
That prārabdha-karma does not pertain to the atman is proved by reasoning.
कर्मणा निर्मितो देहः प्रारब्धं तस्य कल्प्यताम् । नानादेरात्मनो युक्तं नैवात्मा कर्मनिर्मितः ।। ४५९ ॥ art free इति ब्रूते श्रुतिरेषा त्वमोघवाक् । तदात्मना तिष्ठतोऽस्य कुतः प्रारब्धकल्पना ॥ ४६० ॥
karmaņā nirmito dehaḥ prarabdham tasya kalpyatām | nānāder ātmano yuktam naivātmā karmanirmitaḥ || ajo nitya iti brūte śrutireṣā tvamoghavāk | tadātmanā tiṣṭhato'sya kutaḥ prārabdhakalpanā ||
The body is fashioned out of karma; prārabdha may be imagined with reference to it. And it is not appropriate with reference to the atman, which is beginningless, for the atman is not fashioned out of karma.
Śruti of infallible speech says that this (ātman) is unborn and eternal. How then can there be the imagination of prārabdha to one who remains as such ātman?
The proof of the atman being beginningless is conveyed in the words: ajo nityaḥ: unborn and eternal. The Kathopaniṣad says: ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yam puraṇaḥ na hanyate hanyamane sarire: "This (atman) is unborn, permanent, eternal and ancient; it is not killed when the body is killed,"
abadhitärthā vāk: that distinguished speech whose words are uncontradicted.
amoghavāk tu:
tadātmanā tiṣṭhato'sya: of him who remains as that Atman which is verily his true nature.
prarabdha-kalpana kutaḥ: For such a one, where can there be any imagination of prārabdha-karma? If one remains in the belief that his body is his atman by the super-imposition of the body on the ātman due to prārabdha-karma, there could be identification with its qualities. That does not apply to jñānin.
