DEBATE IN JANAKA’S COURTROOM (6)
(GAARGI QUESTIONS YAAJNAVALKYA)
(Gaargi, the female Sage is as intelligent as well-versed as
Yaajnavalkya himself.
She is also a Knower of Brahman like Yaajnavalkya. She is
revered by King Janaka and all other Sages of his times, for her courage and
boldness in speaking out the truth. She is the only one who has enough wisdom
to argue with Yaajnavalkya.
If she is defeated by Yaajnavalkya in this debate, then no
one can stop Yaajnavalkya from declaring himself as the winner.)
अथ हैनं गार्गी वाचक्नवी पप्रच्छ ।
Then, Gaargi,
the daughter of Vacaknu, questioned.
याज्ञन्वल्क्येति होवाच ।
She said;
“Yaajnavalkya!
यदिदं सर्वमप्स्वोतं च प्रोतं च कस्मिन्नु खल्वाप ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“If all this is
interwoven and pervaded by water,
then, what is
this water interwoven and pervaded by?
(Whatever is perceived by the senses and mind is nothing but
the experience.
A Jeeva is nothing but a river of experiences, good and bad.
World is made of experiences only.
However, what acts as the support of this experience?)
वायौ गार्गीति ।
“By Vaayu, O Gaargi!”
(Vaayu includes also the fire.)
(Principle of air (not the air that fills your lungs; but
the shine of Praana) with ‘touch’ as its essence; for it connects the formless
Brahman to the form of the world; Vaayu supports the experience called the
world. It makes the individual Jeeva, the fire to burn fiercely.
More the attachment to the world; more fiercely does the
fire burn as the Jeeva.
Air helps the fire burn; fire consumes the fuel
(Oshadhis/plants) produced by water.
Oshadhis are the drying up objects of the world, which keep
on perishing moment to moment.)
(All the functions connected to the body, mind and intellect
are supported by Vaayu.)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु वायुरोतश्च प्रोतश्चेति ।
“What is this
Vaayu interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is the support of this Vaayu? What pervades it all
over?)
अन्तरिक्षलोकेषु गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of intermediate space, O Gaargi!”
(Inter-mediate space is not the sky filled with clouds!
Vaayu connects the intermediate space between the knowledge
of Brahman above and the field of experience below.
When the mind cognizes objects, it has to jump from one
object to another very fast and make an instant connection to all the
cognition-points. This connecting capacity alone is referred to by the term
Vaayu.
In-between the cognition points experienced by the mind,
there is a minute gap of perception-less interval; which is just the state of
Praana, the taintless shine of Aatman. No thoughts exist there. It is empty. It
is the ‘Antariksha’.
It is not the state of the Brahman; it is not the state of
the perception; but in-between.
If one contemplates on this state and stays silent; he will
experience the state of Aatman and reach the unperturbed state.)
कस्मिन्नु खल्वन्तरिक्षलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of intermediate space interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is the support of this in-between state? What pervades
it all over?)
गन्धर्वलोकेषु गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Gandharvas, O Gaargi!”
(The in-between state of cognition is pervaded by the
agitations of the mind.
One can never silence the thoughts to get a glimpse even of
that Antariksha.
Mind is filled with illusory thoughts. Delusion alone acts
as its support.
Mind alone creates ideas of likes and dislikes and suffers
for no reason.
It understands everything with a misconceived
interpretation.
It is like a child which imagines a ghost and then gets
tormented by it.)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु गन्धर्वलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Gandharvas interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is the delusion pervaded by?)
आदित्यलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Aaditya, O Gaargi!”
(Aadityas are the years, months, fortnights and days which
take away everything that belong to the Jeeva. This conception of time is
produced in the mind through delusion. This limits the Jeeva and makes him
believe in death as his end.)
कस्मिन्नु खल्वादित्यलोका
ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Aaditya interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is Time pervaded by?)
चन्द्रलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Moon, O Gaargi!”
(Moon oozes out nectar.
Mind oozes out the bliss of the Aatman.
It is bliss-state when the mind is silent.
Silenced mind without agitations is Praana; this taintless
state of Praana is Aatman; Aatman is Brahman; Brahman is bliss.
Like the shine of moon spread out everywhere, the mind
superimposes bliss on all inert objects and enjoys the bliss as if from outside,
in tiny droplets.
Actually the bliss rises when the desire is silenced; not
because the object has been contacted. If objects are not contacted by the
mind, it is always in bliss state.)
(Mind desires objects of the outside as if they are made up
of bliss. This is the delusion it is innate with. This want of pleasures
creates the sense of time.)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु चन्द्रलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Moon interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is the mind-state pervaded by?)
नक्षत्रलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Stars, O Gaargi!”
(The mind is filled with the fixed ideas of body-identity,
ego, solid world of sense objects, absolute time, and absolute space etc; which
like star constellations surround the mind in its state of ignorance.)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु नक्षत्रलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Stars interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What are these ideas supported by?)
देवलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Devas, O Gaargi!”
(Thoughts which flash forth continuously!)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु देवलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Devas interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What are thoughts supported by?)
इन्द्रलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Indra, O Gaargi!”
(Thoughts are supported by the mind which controls the
senses!)
कस्मिन्नु खल्विन्द्रलोका
ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Indra interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is the mind with its sense-servants supported by?)
प्रजापतिलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Prajaapati O Gaargi!”
(By Vaasanaas; the subtle desires;
the producers of ‘Jeeva off-springs’!)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु प्रजापतिलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Prajaapati interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What are Vaasanaas supported by?)
ब्रह्मलोकेषु
गार्गीति ।
“By the worlds
of Brahmaa, O Gaargi!”
(By the collective state of Viraat-Brahmaa!
Brahman shining as the world is called Brahmaa, the Viraat,
whose body is the world; and whose mind is the Jeevas.)
कस्मिन्नु
खलु ब्रह्मलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति ।
“What are these
worlds of Brahmaa interwoven and pervaded by?”
(What is Brahmaa supported by?)
स होवाच ।
गार्गि मातिप्राक्षीः मा ते मूर्धा व्यपतत् ।
अनतिप्रश्न्यां
वै देवतामतिपृच्छसि गार्गि मातिप्राक्षीरिति ।
Yaajnavalkya
said;
“Do not push
your enquiry too far, lest your head should fall off.
You are
questioning about a deity who should not be reasoned about.
Do not push your
enquiry too far.”
(That which supports Brahmaa is the Supreme Brahman; it
cannot be made into an object of reasoning.
Brahman state should be understood by proper methods of
studying scriptures and contemplation. Such a state cannot be logically proved
in an assembly and be degraded like this.)
ततो ह गार्गि वाचक्नव्युपरराम ॥१॥
इति षष्टं ब्राह्मणम् ॥
Thereupon,
Gaargi, the daughter of Vacaknu, kept silent.
[Thus ends the
Sixth Braahmana section.]
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