Vision Of Truth (sad darshanam) – Part 18

क्वभातिदिक्कालकथाविनाऽस्मान्

दिक्काललीलेहवपुर्वयम्चेत्।

नक्वापिभामोनकदापिभामो

वयम्तुसर्वत्रसदाचभामः॥१८

Kva bhAti dikkAla kathA vinAsmAn

dikkAla lIleha vapurvayam chet

na kvApi bhAmaH na kadApi bhamaH

vayam tu sarvatra sadA cha bhAmaH —18

 

asmAn vinA dikkAla kathA Kva bhAti = without us where does the saga of space-time shine?edikkAla lIleha vapuH vayam chet = when we identify with the body, the play of space-time begins; na kvApi bhAmaH na kadApi bhamaH = we do not exist in a place; we do not exist at a time; vayam tu sarvatra sadA cha bhAmaH = we exist everywhere at all times.

 

Where does the saga of space-time shine without us? When we identify with the body, the play of space-time begins. We do not exist in a place, we do not exist at a time. We exist everywhere at all times.

Atma is not localized at a place or time. Space and time are appearances in the self. Yet, due to ignorance we find ourselves localized in the space time framework. On gaining knowledge we know that it is only the body which is limited by space and time. The self is limitless spatially and temporally.

The localized body and mind are considered to be my confines only when I identify with them. It is one’s ignorance that makes one believe that the mind is the truth. This ignorance alone makes one err in considering the body to be the confines and the limited time of existence of the body to be the time of one’s existence.

This wrong notion of finitude then causes all the cascading undesirable effects of mortality, fear insecurity etc.

Self knowledge removes the ignorance in the mind and once sees oneself as the infinite, beyond time and space. Hence, the assertion in the second line that one is not localized at a place and time but is eternal and infinite.

 

देहात्मभावेज्ञजडौसमानौ

एकस्यदेहेहृदिदीप्तआत्मा।

आक्रम्यदेहम्चजगच्चपूर्णः

परस्यमेयम्तनुमात्रमात्मा॥—१९

dehAtma bhAve j~na jaDau samAnau

ekasya dehe hRidi dIpta AtmA

Akramya deham cha jagachcha pUrNaH

Parasya meyam tanu mAtramAtmA—19

 

dehAtma bhAve = expeience of body as onelsef; j~na jaDau samAnau = ignorant and wise are similar; kasya dehe hRidi dIpta AtmA = for one, in the mind in the body the consciousness is evident; Akramya deham cha jagachcha = pervading the body and world; pUrNaH = whole; Parasya meyam tanu mAtramAtmA = for the other the self is measurable only as the body.

In experience of body intimately as oneself, both the ignorant and wise are similar. For one, in the mind in the body the self is evident, whole and pervading the body and world while for the other the self is measurable only as the body.

 

This verse deals with a very common misconception that a wise man has no biological, physical reactions. There are people who think they should not, cannot or need not feel hungry sleepy etc. Such notions about wise men makes one search for these very parameters to ‘gauge’ their wisdom. A person who can stand for a long time, sit without talking etc are considered to be wise. Such people may or may not be wise but the point discussed here is that how a person’s body functions and how one experiences one’s body is not a measure of one’s wisdom.

Like an ignorant man, a wise man also feels hungry and sleepy. He might also be afflicted by the same diseases that an ignorant one does. He also experiences the cold temperatures in the winter season.

Bodily, there is no difference between a wise man and the other. The difference lies in their understanding and the status they give to the mind and world…To be continued.