न वक्ति देहोSहमिति प्रसुप्तौ

न कोSपि नाभूवमिति प्रवक्ति

यत्रोदिते सर्वमुदेति तस्य

धियाSहम: शोधय जन्म देशम् – २५

na vakti dehaH aham iti prasuptau

na kaH api na abhUvam pravakti

yatra udite sarvamudeti tasya

dhiyA ahamaH shodhaya janma desham – 25

na = does not; vakti = says; dehaH = body; aham iti = “I am”; prasuptau = in sleep

na = does not; kaH api = no one; na abhUvam = “I was not”; yatra udite

= upon the rise of which; sarvam udeti = everything rises; dhiyA janma

desham shodhaya = through the intellect discern the birthplace of ‘I’.

The body does not say, “I am”. No one says, “I was not” in deep sleep.

Through the intellect, discern the birthplace of ‘I’, upon the rise of which

everything rises.

The body does not claim, “I am”. It does not have the sentiency to say so. Also,the AtmA does not say, “ I am”, since such a statement is an action, and action  is a modification. AtmA is beyond the realm of change, hence, AtmA does not say, “I am”. Who then claims this? It is the ahankAra. This ahankAra is dormant in sleep.

On waking up, the ahankAra is manifest and it starts functioning. When it is dormant,the door to the exterior world is closed. On its activation, the gross and subtle worlds are known. This ahankAra alone makes claims of ‘I-ness’ and ‘mine-ness’. The oscillating ahankAra, changing all the time cannot be the absolute truth. The basis on which it exists, is the truth. This basis, is the AtmA. This alone is to be known. This is ‘be-ing’. Continue reading →

सत्यश्चिदात्मा विविधाकृतिश्चित्

सिध्येत् पृथक् सत्य चितो न भिन्ना ।

भूषा विकाराः किमु सन्ति सत्यम्

विना सुवर्णम् पृथगत्र लोके ॥ – १५

satyashchidAtmA vividhAkRitishchit

sidhyet pRithak satya chitaH na bhinnA

bhUShA vikArAh kimu santi satyam

vinA suvarNam pRithagatra loke —15

सत्यश्चिदात्मा = consciousness (chidAtmA) is satyam; विविधाकृतिश्चित् = various cognitions;  न सिध्येत्  पृथक् सत्य चितो भिन्ना = are not possible without consciousness nor are they different from consciousness;  भूषा विकाराः = various ornaments; किमु सन्ति सत्यम् = do they exist; विना सुवर्णम् पृथगत्र लोके = without gold separately here in the world.

Consciousness (chidAtmA) is the truth (satyam).The various cognitions are not possible without consciousness nor are they different from consciousness.  Here, in the world, do the various gold ornaments exist without gold.

All cognitions we experience are but possible only due to the backing of the consciousness. The mind by itself is inert. The consciousness enlivens it. The mind when comes in contact with the object through the sense organs has a modification. The object is enveloped as it were by the mind which is the modification it undergoes. The consciousness of its own accord illumines this vRRitti (modification in the mind) and a specific cognition takes place.

For eg; pot vRRitti + the consciousness = pot cognition. Continue reading →

निद्रा न विद्या ग्रहणम् न विद्या

गृह्णाति किन्चिन्न यथार्थ बोधे

निद्रा प्रदार्थ ग्रहणेतरा स्यात्

चिदेव विद्या विलसन्त्यशून्या—१४

nidrA na vidyA grahaNam na vidyA

gRihNAti ki~nchinna yathArtha bodhe

nidrA pradArtha grahNetarA syAt

chideva vidyA vilasantyashUnyA—14

निद्रा न विद्या = Self knowledge is not sleep;   ग्रहणम् न विद्या= grasping (perceiving) of worldly objects is not self knowledge; गृह्णाति किन्चिन्न यथार्थ बोधे= In self knowledge, as it is, one does not grasp anything; निद्रा प्रदार्थ  ग्रहण् इतरा  स्यात्= It is different from grasping and non-grasping of objects; चिदेव विद्या विलसन्ति अशून्या = consciousness alone is self knowledge which is self effulgent and not a void.

What is knowledge of the self? Is it like the normal knowledge we gain in our worldly transactions or is it a sleep like state where nothing is known?

In this verse, bhagavAn RamaNa is refuting what self knowledge is not. He mentions it is not like the objective knowledge and sleep. On a positive note, he mentions it is where there is no grasping (of objects), the consciousness itself which is self effulgent is the self knowledge.

We have various sciences, art forms, various branches in Mathematics etc. We gain knowledge in these fields and consider ourselves knowledgeable. Is self knowledge akin to this type of grasping? Is it like a gross appreciation of the world? If not, then is it like sleep where one grasps nothing? Continue reading →