DEBATE IN JANAKA’S COURTROOM (4)
(USHASTA QUESTIONS YAAJNAVALKYA)
(1)
अथ हैनमुषस्तश्चक्रायणः पप्रच्छ ।
याज्ञ्नवल्क्येति होवाच ।
यत्साक्षादपरोक्षाद्ब्रह्म य आत्मा सर्वान्तरः तं मे व्याचक्ष्व इति ।
Then, Ushasta,
son of Chakra, questioned.
He said;
“Yaajnavalkya!
“Explain to me
that Brahman that is immediate and ‘not indirect’, the Aatman within all.”
(Aatman means the essence of each individual self.
Aatman is the common essence (Sattaa Saamaanya) in all the
individual selves and the objects perceived by them.
Minds may differ; but this ‘understanding consciousness’
called Aatman is the same in all. Aatman means - ‘that which knows’ ‘that which understands’ ‘that which
breathes’ (अत् मणिन्) – the individual existence which understands limitations as its Knowledge-shine.
Brahman is all that the knowledge is. It knows itself as
Brahman also.
This knowledge of itself brings in the knowledge of
limitations.
The knowledge of limitations brings about differentiation.
This differentiation is the so-called perceived world.
Therefore, Brahman is Aatman who shines as limited
knowledge.
There is no difference between Brahman and Aatman, like
there is no difference between the ocean and the wave; or the mirror and
reflection; or the gem and its shine.
If Brahman can be compared to the sun, then Aatman is the
sunlight that falls through tiny windows called the minds; and appears as if
limited by space and time boundaries.
Aatman is loved by everyone by the name of ‘I’, as a direct
and immediate experience (Saakshaat); as direct and immediate as any object
seen in front.
Aatman is not actually directly perceived by the senses; it
is not Pratyaksha.
It is not indirectly perceived as through inference or as a
logical derivation; it is not Paroksha; it is not indirectly known.
It is not Pratyaksha; not Paroksha (directly or indirectly
known).
It is Aparoksha; it is not direct, not indirect; but is ‘not
not-indirect’; some knowledge which is beyond the grasp of senses, mind and
intellect.
One just knows that he exists without logically deriving at
this truth.
What he thinks himself to be depends on his ignorance
level!)
Aatman is unaffected by the idiotic superimpositions of the
deluded intellect.)
एष त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ।
कतमो याज्ञ्नवल्क्य सर्वान्तरः ।
(Yaajnavalkya
said)
“This one is the
Aatman within all.”
(Ushasta
questioned)
“Which is within
all, Yaajnavalkya?”
(What is that which is called Aatman, which is commonly
present in all objects?)
यः प्राणेन प्राणिति स त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ।
योऽपानेनापानीति स त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ।
यो व्यानेन व्यानीति स त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ।
य उदानेनोदानिति स त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ।
एष त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः ॥१॥
(Yaajnavalkya
said)
“That which
breathes through the Praana is the Aatman which is in all.
That which moves
downward through the Apaana is the Aatman which is in all. That which pervades
through the Praana is the Aatman which is in all.
That which goes
upwards through the Udaana is the Aatman which is in all.
That is the
Aatman which is within all.”
(What is commonly present in all? Let us analyze.
Praana with its five functions of Praana, Apaana, Vyaana,
Udaana, Samaana is the Aatman, the common essence in all.
Praana is the main power of vibration in each individual self.
It is the power which acts as the mind also in revealing perceptions. It is the
contact-principle which connects the unperturbed Brahman to the perturbation
called the world-perception.
This Praana is differentiated as five types according to its
functions observed in a physical body.
Praana - breathing
Apaana - removal of waste products from the body through
lungs and excretory systems
Vyaana - expansion and contraction processes all over the
body
Udaana - control of higher centers as used in speech, emotions
etc
Samaana - digestion, cell-metabolism, heat regulation etc)
Therefore this Praana which is taintless is the common
essence of all.
That alone supports the life-functions of the body.)
(2)
स होवाचोषस्तश्चक्रायणः ।
यथा विब्रूयात् असौ गौः असावश्व इति
एवमेवैतद्व्यपदिष्टं भवति ।
यदेव साक्षादपरोक्षाद्ब्रह्म य आत्मा सर्वान्तरः तं मे व्याचक्ष्वेति ।
Then, Ushasta,
son of Chakra said;
“You have given
the details as one describes, ‘this is a
cow’, ‘this is a horse’ (by defining some characters only).
Explain to me
that Brahman that is immediate and direct, the Aatman within all.”
एष त आत्म सर्वान्तरः ।
कतमो याज्ञ्नवल्क्य सर्वान्तरः ।
(Yaajnavalkya
said)
“This one is the
Aatman within all.”
(Ushasta
questioned)
“Which is within
all, Yaajnavalkya?”
(What is that which is called Aatman, which is commonly
present in all?)
न दृषेर्द्रष्टारं पश्येः
न श्रुतेः श्रोतारं शृणुयात्
न मतेर्मन्तारं मन्वीथाः
न विज्ञ्नातेर्विज्ञ्नातारं विजानीयाः ।
एष त आत्मा सर्वान्तरः
अतोऽन्यदार्तम्
।
ततो होषस्तश्चाक्रायण
उपरराम ॥२॥
इति चतुर्थं
ब्राह्मणम् ॥
(Yaajnavalkya
said)
“You cannot see
that, which sees the seeing.
You cannot hear
that, which hears the hearing.
You cannot think
of that, which is the thinker that makes possible the thinking process.
You cannot
understand that, which understands the understanding.
This one is the
Aatman within all.
Whatever is
other than this, perishes.”
(This Aatman cannot be described by words.
It has no name or form, which can bind it through ‘Vaak’.
Then what is it? How to
identify it?
All the objects of the world are understood through the
medium of senses only.
We see the image of the object; we recognize the sounds
connected to the object; we sometimes recognize the object by smell and taste.
We understand its existence by touching it.
If senses (including the mind) were removed…there will be no
perceiver and the perceived at all. Only Brahman, the empty expanse of
knowledge will remain as it is.
All the senses bring in the sensations as the proof of the
existence of the world; and the mind recognizes the objects as with particular
names and forms.
Rather it is the mind that produces the sensations; and
calls it a world filled with names and forms.
Can Aatman be cognized in the same manner as cognizing a
world of names and forms?
No!
Aatman cannot be sensed by any senses; because it is the
very understanding power which understands the world through the senses.
Aatman cannot be thought by the mind, because it is the very
understanding power which makes thoughts appear in the mind.
You cannot understand Aatman like you understand a cow or
horse, or logically infer it, because it is the very
understanding power which makes possible all that which is understood.
This consciousness, the principle of knowing is ‘Aatman’
that exists in all as the common essence.
Objects perceived by senses perish; thoughts in the mind
appear and disappear. Everything perishes; but that which understands this
perishing also, does not perish ever.)
Thereupon,
Ushasta, son of Chakra kept silent.
[Thus ends the
Fourth Braahmana section.]
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