Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Sloka 29 and 30

SLOKA 29:

nirastaasheShasaMsaaradoSho.asthulaadilakShaNaH .
adR^ishyatvaadiguNakaH paraakR^itatamomalaH .. 29..

SLOKA 30:

nirastaadishayaanandaH satyapraGYaanavigrahaH .
sattaasvalakShaNaH puurNa paramaatmeti giiyate .. 30..

pada artha:

Nirastha-ashesha-samsara-doshaha: The being who is absolutely free from all taints of transmigratory existence
Asthula-aadi-lakshana: who is defined as neither gross etc.
Adrushyatva-aadi-gunakaha: who has the qualities of not being seen etc.
Paraakruta-tamaha-malaha: who is ever free from taint of darkness
Nirastha-atishaya-ananda: beyond whom there is not a greater bliss
Satya-prajnana-vigraha: who is the embodiment of existence and knowledge
Sathsva lakshanaha: and who is defined as Existence,
Poornaha: and all pervading
Geeyate: is well known
Parama Atmaa iti: as the universal Self.

The all pervading being, absolutely free from all impurities of transmigratory existence, defined in the Upanishads as ‘Not Gross etc.’ having the qualities of not being seen and so on, ever free from the taint of darkness, having no greater bliss than Itself, the embodiment of Existence-knowledge and having existence for its peculiar definition is well known an vedanta to be the universal Self.

By the pervious sloka, we learnt the two methods by which Brahman is pointed out, i.e. by the positive and the negation method. Here in the first sloka, the Guru explains Brahman by the negation method and by the positive method in the second sloka.

The first sloka explains Brahman as who is absolutely free from all taints of transmigratory existence. From Laghu vakya Vritti, we have learnt that it is only Jeeva that undergoes all the pains pleasures and also life death etc. due to the adjuncts of the mind, body etc. the Brahman who is free from all adjuncts and is nondual is thus free from all taints of migratory existence. It is unchanging and verily existence. The Guru is thus explaining Brahman thus by negating everything that is tainted by birth, death.

Brahman is also that which cannot be defined as ‘this’ or ‘that’. It cannot be characterized as gross, subtle etc, nor is that who can be seen or heard or perceived. The Upanishads say that "The seer cannot be seen, the hearer cannot be heard etc." Brahman is not any object that it can be perceived by the senses, but verily the subject. Hence all the objects of the world that can be perceived by the indriyas and can be characterized are negated by this.

Brahman is next explained as not that who is tainted by any darkness. Here we can take darkness as ignorance. The adviteeya Brahman is ever blissful, verily Existence-knowledge and such a Bliss that is untainted from all misery. Also Brahman is Self Illumining., Scriptures describe Brahman as that which is devoid of all qualities and that due to which everything is illumined, including the sun, fire and stars. It is self illumining. Thus the guru is instructing the student to know Brahman by negating all those affected by the darkness.

In the next sloka, the positive approach is taken by describing Brahman as beyond whom there is no other Bliss. This would mean that it has to be the ultimate, one and only and complete. Only completeness or perfection can be such bliss. Also any duality would mean limitations and hence incomplete and temporary happiness only. But Brahman is described as that beyond which there is no greater Bliss. Hence it has to be inferred that Brahman is verily Existence-consciousness and Bliss which has to be the ultimate non duality, i.e. one and only and hence all pervading. The Guru here is instructing the student to know Brahman as that which is described as ‘Existence’ by the vedanta.

We shall learn this in detail in the next slokas.

Hari OM.

With regards,
Mallika R
What you have is God's gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to God

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home