YOG VASISHTA
Book II – Mumukshu khanda (mumukshu-vyavahara khanda)
Chapter 19 – Ascertainment of true evidence
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
विशिष्टांशसमर्थत्वमुपमानेषु गृह्यते । को भेदः सर्वसादृश्ये तूपमानोपमेययोः ॥ १ ॥ It is the similarity of some particular property (of one thing to that of another) which constitutes a simile; whereas a complete similitude between the comparison and compared object, destroys their difference.
दृष्टान्तबुद्धावेकात्मज्ञानशास्त्रार्थवेदनात् । महावाक्यार्थसंसिद्धा शान्तिनिर्वाणमुच्यते ॥ २ ॥ From the knowledge of parables follows the cognition of the one jeeva treated of in the Sastras (Vedanta) and the peace which attends on the meditation of the Mahaa Vaakya, is called drishtaantha buddhi.
तस्माद्दृष्टान्तदार्ष्टान्तविकल्पोल्लसितैरलम् । यया कयाचिद्युक्त्या तु महावाक्यार्थमाश्रयेत् ॥ ३ ॥ It is therefore useless to talk of either (the complete or partial) agreement (of the properties) of the example and the exemplar; it is enough to the purpose to comprehend the purport of the Mahaa Vaakya in some way or other.
शान्तिः श्रेयः परं विद्धि तत्प्राप्तौ यत्नवान्भव । भोक्तव्यमोदनं प्राप्तं किं तत्सिद्धौ विकल्पितैः ॥ ४ ॥ Know your peace to be the chief good, and be diligent to secure the same. When you have got the food for your eating, it is useless to talk about how you came by it.
अकारणैः कारणिभिर्बोधार्थमुपमीयते । उपमानैस्तूपमेयैः सदृशैरेकदेशतः ॥ ५ ॥ A cause is compared with (or shewn for its explication by) something which is no cause at all: Thus is a comparison given to express its partial agreement in some respect with the compared object.
स्थातव्यं नेह भोगेषु विवेकरहितात्मना । उपलोदरसंजातपरिपीनान्धभेकवत् ॥ ६ ॥ We must not be so absorbed in the pleasures of the world as to be devoid of all sensibility; like some blind frogs which are generated and grow fat amidst the stones.
दृष्टान्तैर्यत्नमाश्रित्य जेतव्यं परमे पदम् । विचारणवता भाव्यं शान्तिशास्त्रार्थशालिना ॥ ७ ॥ Be attentive to these parables and learn your best state from them; all reasonable men should abide by the lessons of religious works for their internal peace.
शास्त्रोपदेशसौजन्यप्रज्ञातज्ज्ञसमागमैः । अन्तरान्तरसंपन्नधर्मार्थोपार्जनक्रियः ॥ ८ ॥ As also by the precepts of the Sastras, by the rules of humanity, prudence and spiritual knowledge; and also by the continued practice of the acts of religious merit.
तावद्विचारयेत्प्राज्ञो यावद्विश्रान्तिमात्मनि । संप्रयात्यपुनर्नाशां शान्तिं तुर्यपदाभिधाम् ॥ ९ ॥ Let the wise continue their inquiries until they can obtain their internal peace, and until they may arrive at the fourth stage (turya) of felicity known by the name of indestructible tranquility.
तुर्यविश्रान्तियुक्तस्य प्रतीपस्य भवार्णवात् । जीवतोऽजीवतश्चैव गृहस्थस्य तथा यतेः ॥ १० ॥ Who so has gained this fourth state of tranquil felicity, he has really passed beyond the limits of the ocean of the world, whether he is alive or not, or a house-holder or an ascetic.
न कृतेनाकृतेनार्थो न श्रुतिस्मृतिविभ्रमैः । निर्मन्दर इवाम्भोधिः स तिष्ठति यथास्थितम् ॥ ११ ॥ Such a man remains steady at his place like the calm sea undisturbed by the Mandara mountain, whether he has performed his duties according to the Srutis and Smritis or not.
एकांशेनोपमानानामुपमेयसधर्मता । बोद्धव्यं बोध्यबोधाय न स्थेयं बोधचञ्चुना ॥ १२ ॥ When there is a partial agreement of the comparison with the nature of the compared object, it is to be considered maturely for the well understanding of the point in question, and not to be made a matter of controversy.
यया कयाचिद्युक्त्या तु बोद्धव्यं बोध्यमेव ते । युक्तायुक्तं न पश्यन्ति व्याकुला बोधचञ्चवः ॥ १३ ॥ From every form of argument you are to understand the intelligible (that is explained to you); but the confounded disputant is blind both to right and false reasoning.
हृदये संविदाकाशे विश्रान्तेऽनुभवात्मनि । वस्तुन्यनर्थं यः प्राह बोधचञ्चुः स उच्यते ॥ १४ ॥ The notion of self (Aatma) being clear (self-evident) in the sphere of our consciousness within the mind. Any one who prattles meaninglessly about this truth, is said to be defective in his understanding.
अभिमानविकल्पांशैरज्ञो ज्ञप्तिं विकल्पयेत् । बोधं मलिनयत्यन्तः स्वं खमब्द इवामलम् ॥ १५ ॥ It is partly by pride and partly by their doubts, that the ignorant are led to altercate about their cognitions, and thereby they obscure the region of their inward understanding, as the clouds overshadow the clear firmament.
सर्वप्रमाणसत्तानां पदमब्धिरपामिव । प्रमाणमेकमेवेह प्रत्यक्षं तदतः शृणु ॥ १६ ॥ Of all sorts of proofs it is the evidence of perception which forms their fountain-head, as the sea is the mainspring of all its waters. It is this alone which is used in this place as you shall learn below.
सर्वाक्षसारमध्यक्षं वेदनं विदुरुत्तमाः । नूनं तत्प्रतिपत्सिद्धं तत्प्रत्यक्षमुदाहृतम् ॥ १७ ॥
original copied meaning -- The substance of all sensations is said to be the supersensible apprehension (or inward knowledge of things) by the wise; and it is verily their right concept which is meant by their perception.
from gemini ai
"The wise know that Consciousness (the principle of 'Knowing') is the very essence and supervisor of all the sense organs."
The eyes don't see; the ears don't hear. They are just instruments. It is Consciousness (वेदनं) that illuminates the data from these senses, allowing "seeing" and "hearing" to happen. It is the common factor behind all sensory experiences.
"Indeed, that (Consciousness) is self-evident, and that is what is declared to be 'Direct Perception'."
You don't need another instrument (like an eye or a mind) to know that you are conscious. Your very existence as a "knowing" being proves it. A light bulb doesn't need another flashlight to be seen; its own light proves its existence. Similarly, Consciousness is self-luminous (svayam-prakāśa). This immediate, unmediated, self-evident "knowing" of our own being is the highest and truest form of Pratyakṣa.
In short, the verse says: Don't mistake the sense organs for the real 'Knower'. The 'Knower' (Consciousness) is self-evident and is the true definition of direct experience.
अनुभूतेर्वेदनस्य प्रतिपत्तेर्यथाभिधम् । प्रत्यक्षमिति नामेह कृतं जीवः स एव नः ॥ १८ ॥ Thus the notion, knowledge and certainty (of things) as derived from words, are styled the triplicate perception as we have of the living jeeva. 'अनुभूति' (Experience), 'वेदन' (Knowing), और 'प्रतिपत्ति' (Cognition) - ये सभी एक ही तत्त्व के नाम हैं, जिसे (पिछले श्लोक में) 'प्रत्यक्ष' कहा गया है। यही प्रत्यक्ष-स्वरूप चेतना ही हमारा 'जीव' (आत्मा) है।h<>?
स एव संवित्स पुमानहंताप्रत्ययात्मकः । स ययोदेति संवित्त्या सा पदार्थ इति स्मृता ॥ १९ ॥ This jeeva is consciousness and egoism, and is of the masculine termination, and the cognition of the object whereby it is manifested to us, is called a category (पदार्थ).
ससंकल्पविकल्पाद्यैः कृतनानाक्रमभ्रमैः । जगत्तया स्फुरत्यम्बु तरङ्गादितया यथा ॥ २० ॥ It becomes manifest in the form of the passing world by the multifarious acts and shifts of its volition and option, as the water exhibits itself in the shape of its waves and bubbles.
प्रागकारणमेवाशु सर्गादौ सर्गलीलया । स्फुरित्वा कारणं भूतं प्रत्यक्षं स्वयमात्मनि ॥ २१ ॥ It was uncausal before, and then developed itself as the cause of all in its act of creating at the beginning of creation, and became perceptible by itself.
कारणं त्वविचारोत्थजीवस्यासदपि स्थितम् । सदिवास्यां जगद्रूपं प्रकृतौ व्यक्तिमागतम् ॥ २२ ॥ The causality was a product of the discrimination of the living jeeva, that was in a state of inexistence (before); until it became manifest as existent in the form of the material world.
स्वयमेव विचारस्तु स्वत उत्थं स्वकं वपुः । नाशयित्वा करोत्याशु प्रत्यक्षं परमं महत् ॥ २३ ॥ Reason says, that the self-same being destroys the body which was produced of itself, and manifests itself in its transcendental magnitude.
विचारवान्विचारोऽपि आत्मानमवगच्छति । यदा तदा निरुल्लेखं परमेवावशिष्यते ॥ २४ ॥ When the reasoning man comes to know the jeeva, he finds by his reason the presence of the indescribable being, before him.
मनस्यनीहिते शान्ते स्वबुद्धीन्द्रियकर्मभिः । नहि कश्चित्कृतैरर्थो नाकृतैरप्यभावनात् ॥ २५ ॥ The mind being free from desire, the organs of sense are relieved from their action, the jeeva becomes devoid of the results of its past actions as of those it has left undone.
मनस्यनीहिते शान्ते न प्रवर्तन्त एव ते । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि कर्मादावसंचारितयन्त्रवत् ॥ २६ ॥ The mind being set at ease and freed from its desires, the organs of action are restrained from their acts, as an engine when stopped in its motion.
मनोयन्त्रस्य चलने कारणं वेदनं विदुः । प्रणालीदारुमेषस्य रज्जुरन्तर्गता यथा ॥ २७ ॥ It is sensuousness which is reckoned as the cause that puts the machinery of the mind to work, just as the rope tied to the log and fastened about the neck of a ram, propels him to fighting.
रूपालोकमनस्कारपदार्थव्याकुलं जगत् । विद्यते वेदनस्यान्तर्वातान्तः स्पन्दनं यथा ॥ २८ ॥ The sight of external objects and the purposes of the internal mind, set all men at play, as the inward force of the air puts the winds to motion.
सर्वात्मवेदनं शुद्धं यथोदेति तदात्मकम् । भाति प्रसृतदिक्कालबाह्यान्तारूपदेहकम् ॥ २९ ॥ All spiritual knowledge is holy wherever it is found in any one: it adds a lustre to the body and mind like that of the expanded region of the sky.
दृष्ट्वैव दृश्यताभासं स्वरूपं धारयन्स्थितः । स्वं यथा यत्र यद्रूपं प्रतिभाति तथैव तत् ॥ ३० ॥ He sees the appearances of all visible objects, and maintains his own position among them. He views the spirit in the same light in which it presents itself in any place.
स सर्वात्मा यथा यत्र समुल्लासमुपागतः । तिष्ठत्याशु तथा तत्र तद्रूप इव राजते ॥ ३१ ॥ Wherever the universal jeeva appears itself in any light, it remains there and then in the same form in which it exhibits itself unto us.
सर्वात्मकतया द्रष्टुर्दृश्यत्वमिव युज्यते । दृश्यत्वं द्रष्टृसद्भावे दृश्यतापि न वास्तवी ॥ ३२ ॥ The universal jeeva being alike in all, the looker and the object seen are both the same being. The looker and the looked being one, their appearance as otherwise is all unreal.
अकारणकमेवातो ब्रह्म सिद्धमिदं स्थितम् । प्रत्यक्षमेव निर्मातृ तस्यांशास्त्वनुमादयः ॥ ३३ ॥ Hence the world is without a cause (because it is an unreality and not caused by any one). All existence is evidently Brahma himself, the perceptible cause of all. Hence perception (pratyasha) is the basis of evidence, and inference and others as analogy and verbal testimony are but parts of it.
स्वयत्नमात्रे यदुपासको यस्तद्दैवशब्दार्थमपास्य दूरे । शूरेण साधो पदमुत्तमं तत् स्वपौरुषेणैव हि लभ्यतेऽन्तः ॥ ३४ ॥Now let the worshippers of fate who apply the term destiny to all their exertions, cast off their false faith; and let the brave exert their manliness to attain their highest state.
विचारयाचार्यपरम्पराणां मतेन सत्येन सितेन तावत् । यावद्विशुद्धं स्वयमेव बुद्धया ह्यनन्तरूपं परमभ्युपैषि ॥ ३५ ॥ Continue O Rama, to consider the true and lucid doctrines of the successive teachers (of mankind), until you can arrive to a clear conception of the infinitely Supreme being in your own mind.
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