1.4.7
The mantra has core teaching of Vedanta, namely, Brahman is satya, jagat is mithya, and jiva is not different from Brahman. Brahman is all-pervading pure existence. Pure existence is same as pure consciousness. Existence and consciousness are two aspects of Brahman. It is eternal and changeless. It has mAyA power which is a relative reality because it borrows existence from Brahman. MAyA is the aggregate of sanchit karmAs of all the jivAs at the end of one cycle of creation which rests in Brahman in unmanifest and potential form. At appropriate time, the world is projected due to mAyA power. The creation unfolds in stages starting from five elements in nascent forms. The undifferentiated Brahman appears as differentiated names and forms called world. At some stage, jivAs with gross and subtle bodies are created which are inert and they enclose the all-pervading consciousness. It is like a pot enclosing space. The enclosed consciousness is jivAtma. This phenomenon is figuratively described as entry of Brahman. It is like a waking man entering the dream. When the dream is over, the waking man says that he has experienced the dream. It means that the entity which experiences the waking state also experiences the dream.
ShankarAcharya adds: Like the reflection of the sun etc. in water, the entrance of the Self means only Its being perceived like a reflection in the differentiated universe. Before the manifestation of the latter the Self is not perceived, but after it is manifested, the Self is perceived within the intellect, like the reflection of the sun etc. in water and the like. Because It is thus perceived as having entered, as it were, into the universe after manifesting it, It is indicated in such terms as the following: ‘This Self has entered into these bodies’, ‘After projecting it, the Self entered into it’ (Tai. II. vi. I). [Br Up AA]
Though the consciousness has no divisions, the Upanishad describes two types of consciousness in the body because of adjuncts. One is the general consciousness which pervades the entire body. There is localized consciousness obtaining in individual sense organs and the mind. The general consciousness is like fire hidden throughout a log of wood. The localized consciousness is like a razor in a corner of the bag of a barber. During waking state both types of consciousness are functional. As during deep sleep, the mind and sense organs are resolved, the corresponding localized consciousness are non-functional. The vital forces continue to function during sleep which means the localized consciousness in vital forces are functional.
The jiva with embodied consciousness is a conscious entity and has self-awareness in the form of ‘I am’. It is now able to transact in the world. While being busy in worldly transactions, the jiva forgets that his essential nature is consciousness and not the mind-body system. This mistake makes the jiva bonded and he suffers in the world. How does it happen? Jiva has worldly experiences which are mixture of pain and pleasure, hot and cold and so on. They are transitory and fleeting. This is the nature of worldly experiences. The mind, sense organs and the body will face ups and downs. There is no problem up to this. The problem of bondage arises when their problems are taken as the problem of ‘I’. It happens because the mind identifies ‘I’ with them depending on the situation. For example, instead of saying the body is fat and the eye is shortsighted, it is said that I am fat, and I am shortsighted. Here body and eye are taken as I. Instead of saying the mind is disturbed it is said that I am disturbed.
The Upanishad says that if ‘I’ is identified with the pure consciousness, then there arises a separation between ‘’I and the mind-body complex. Then even if mind-body system has worldly experiences replete with duality, ‘I’ am not affected at all. Consequently, it does not suffer. It is liberation. A dream tiger is like a paper tiger in the waking state. Much in the same way, when a person is able to discriminate between consciousness and mind-body complex and identifies himself with consciousness, then he is unaffected by the world experienced by the mind-body complex. That the mind-body complex is limited is not a problem. It is a fact and cannot be changed. There is problem when limitedness of mind-body is transferred to I. Playing different roles of father, mother, etc, is not a problem. Problem is when I consider the roles as real and identify with them. In other words, I fall prey to me and mine. I try to carry worldly problems on my shoulders so to say and suffer. Wise men put back the worldly experiences where they belong to, i.e., mind and body and claims, ‘I am free’.
The same consciousness is embodied in all jivAs. The implication is that essential nature of all the jivAs is same. There is no difference between one pot space and another pot space. If the pots break, there is one space only. Thus, I as pure consciousness is in all bodies. I=jivAtmA= ParAmatma. Jiva and ParA become irrelevant and AtmA remains. Furthermore, AtmA appears as the world. Gold appears as ring, bangle. World is only name and form. They are mithyA and are different from the Self. This knowledge is Brahm-knowledge or Self-knowledge. The question arises how mithyA can lead to the Self, the truth. The Upanishad explains it by an example. During rain, the field is muddy. The owner of cow is able to find the cow by following the hoof-marks on the muddy field. The hoof-marks does not belong to the cow, yet they lead to the cow. The mantra concludes by saying that whoever gains this knowledge become famous. His dear ones are always near to him which means that he does not suffer from loneliness. He encompasses the whole world within himself. He is free and fearless.
Contd