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VIVEKACŪDAMANI
439
in the Citradīpikā says: "Even after the material cause goes away, the effect remains for an instant. If this, i.e., the continuance of the effect even after the disappearance of the cause can happen in the case of a causal nexus of a short duration like that of the threads and the cloth, why should it not be true of what is the product of a delusion operating for countless eons?" Hence it is possible to predicate the survival for some time of the body which is the effect of the operation of ajñāna from time immemorial, after the destruction of ajñāna.
But for the satisfaction of those who wish to know the truth we say: from the paramarthika-point of view, there is no destruction or origination; there is no one bound or who is an aspirant; none who seeks liberation or is liberated: na nirodho na cotpattiḥ, na baddho na ca sadhakaḥ 1 na mumuksur na vai mukta ityeṣā paramarthata II For, Brahman alone is the supreme truth.
To resolve the doubt of the dull-witted who may ask: if there is complete destruction of the effect of ajñāna by jñāna, how will one continue to be in the body, the śruti speaks of the operation of prārabdha. The purport of śruti has reference to the paramarthika which cannot be known by other instruments of knowledge, which is not known so far, which is purposeful and uncontradicted. For, that the body persists for some time even after the destruction of ajñāna till the working out of karma is of no significance to the jñānins (for they have no body-consciousness). The śruti: tasya tavadeva ciram is only to satisfy those of inferior understanding.
465
The supreme truth which is the import of śruti is conveyed now in seven slokas.
परिपूर्णमनाद्यन्तम् अप्रमेयमविक्रियम् ।
एकमेवाद्वयं ब्रह्म नेह नानास्ति किंचन ।। ४६५ ॥
paripurņam aṇādyantam aprameyam avikriyam | ekamevādvayam brahma neha nānāsti kiñcana ||
Brahman is plenary, without beginning or end, beyond comprehension, changeless; one only without a second. There is no manifold here.
paripurnam: devoid of spatial limitation.
anadyantam: without origination or destruction.
