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Ashtavakra Gita - Sloka 2.8 to 2.14

Background
Janaka asks Ashtavakra to tell him the way he can attain jnAna (wisdom/knowledge) and mukti (freedom from worldly bondings).

Ashtavakra tells him it is by developing thought detached from the body, just observing and witnessing this body and all other bodies such that all Universe is considered 'ours'. He also says that Atman manifests as this detached witnessing thought in us.

Janaka understands and responds that our 'self' is distorted by the attachments and with this detached observing thought, the paramatma becomes visible in us (as it is the Atman that manifest as this detached witnessing thought) and thus Atman pervades in all of us.

The knowledge of Atman makes us understand that it is the same Atman that manifests in us (as the detached observing thought), that manifests in every matter and being, as sweetness pervades all things made of sugar, water makes foam or bubble.

Like the knowledge that makes the rope and snake appear to us in the same way also helps us to understand if it is rope or snake, we understand that it is the same Atman in different forms.

The Atman that manifests as detached witnessing thought in us, helps us understand that it is the same Atman in us that manifests in different forms in Universe.

Janaka continues..
Slokas 2.8 to 2.14
prakāśo me nijaṁ rūpaṁ nātirikto'smyahaṁ tataḥ
yadā prakāśate viśvaṁ tadāhaṁ bhāsa eva hi


Visibility/manifestation (prakAsa) my (me) innate (nijam) external form (rUpam), nothing (na) redundant /apart (atirikta) is there (asmi) self (aham) beyond this (tatah) when (yadA) Universe (visvam) becomes/is made visible/manifests (prakAsate) then (tada) the 'self' (aham) is what impresses the mind (bhAsa).

There is nothing apart from 'self' (which is the detached, witnessing thought) in my innate/natural external manifestation. When Universe manifests, the 'self' is what impresses the mind.

What we perceive as Universe is all in thoughts, which impresses the 'minds'. There is nothing in the Universe apart from these thoughts (which impresses our mind).

aho vikalpitaṁ viśvam ajñānān mayi bhāsate
rūpyaṁ śuktau phaṇī rajjau vāri sūryakare yathā


Oh seer/Lord (aho) imagined as divided (vikalpitam) universe (visvam) lack of knowledge/wisdom (ajnAnAn) self-perspective (mayi) impresses the mind (bhAsate). The forms (rUpyam) varies (zuktau) as serpent (phani) rope (rajjau) water (vAri) sunbeam (sUryakara) etc..

Oh Seer, the universe is imagined as divided due to lack of knowledge as self-perspective impresses the mind. The forms are variedly seen as serpent, rope, water, sun-beam etc..

We see divisions because of ignorance and because of self-perspective which results from thoughts that attach and bond to the body and the physical world. This bonded thoughts, the self-perspective, make us see various forms as serpent, rope, water, sunbeam etc..

matto vinirgataṁ viśvaṁ mayyeva layameṣyati
mṛdi kuṁbho jale vīciḥ kanake kaṭakaṁ yathā


From my perspective (matta) issues/came out (vinirgatam) the Universe (visvam) my self-perspective alone (mayyeva) destruction (layam) it achieves (eSyati) like the (yatha) mud pot (mrdhi kumbha), water wave (jale vicih), gold bracelet (kanake katakam)

Like the gold becomes bracelet and becomes gold again, mud becomes pot and becomes mud again, water becomes wave and becomes water again, from my perspective, the Universe comes out and gets destroyed in my perspective alone.

The creation of pot and destruction of pot happens from my perspective. Think how another being (say an ant) may look at it. They may always see the mud. The creation of bracelet and destruction of bracelet happens from my perspective. Think of how another being may look at it. They may always see the gold. The creation of wave and destruction of wave happens from my perspective. Think of a fish for example. It may always see the water.

The creation and destruction arise from my perspective alone. But the self, which manifests as detached (to the body and world), witnessing thought does not see the creation and destruction. It is in the clay, water, gold etc. Hence for this self there is no creation no destruction.

aho ahaṁ namo mahyaṁ vināśo yasya nāsti me
brahmādi staṁba paryantaṁ jagan nāśo'pi tiṣṭhataḥ


Oh Seer (aho), salutations (namo) to this great Self (mahyam aham), destruction (vinAsa) for whom exists not (nAsti) in me (me), from brahman (the expanding space) upto (paryantam) the smallest grass (stamba), situated/remains (tisthata) even in (api) the destruction (nAsa) of the worldly matter and beings (jagat).

This great self, for whom destruction does not exist (the detached, observing thought does not see any destruction or creation), from expanding space to the smallest of grass, that remains situated even in the destruction of worldly matter and beings, Salutations the Self.

aho ahaṁ namo mahyaṁ eko'haṁ dehavānapi
kvacit na gantā nāgantā vyāpya viśvam avasthitaḥ


Oh Seer (aho) salutations to this great self (aham namo mahyam), the one self (eka aham), the detached, witnessing/observing thought, with the body (dehavAn), sometimes/at sometime (kvacit) neither goes/comes/moves (na gantA) nor not goes/comes/moves (na aganta), pervades (vyApya) being situated/abides (avasthitah) in the Universe (visvam)

This great self with material body, sometimes neither moves in nor not moves out, pervades/fills the universe and that's how it is situated. Salutations to that Self.

The detached witnessing thought, the self (which does not see creation or destruction) is 'bodied'. But this thought neither moves in or moves out of the body. This thought pervades or fills the Universe in every matter and being. That's how it is situated in the Universe.

aho ahaṁ namo mahyaṁ dakṣo nāstīha matsamaḥ
asaṁspṛśya śarīreṇa yena viśvaṁ ciraṁ dhṛtam


Oh Seer (aho) salutations to this great self (aham namo mahyam), potential/expert (dakSa) not exists certainly (na asti ha) equal to me (mat samah) without touched (asamsprsya) by the body (sarirena) by which (yena) the universe (visvam) is held (dhrtam) for a long period or from ancient times (ciram)

Oh seer, salutations to this great self, an expert (one with greatest of the potential) equal to 'me' does not exist certainly, as this self without touched by the bodies is by which the Universe is held from ancient times/for long time.

This great self, which manifests as detached witnessing thought, manifests with material body, but never touches the bodies. It holds the Universe for long times or from ancient times.

I hold this self, which is the detached, witnessing thought in me. Thus I am a person with greatest potential or expert.

aho ahaṁ namo mahyaṁ yasya me nāsti kiṁcana
athavā yasya me sarvaṁ yad vāg manasa gocaram


Oh seer (aho) salutations to this great self (aham namo mahyam), which (yasya) I (me) possess (kimcana) nothing at all (na asti). Otherwise which (athava yasya) I (me) everything (sarvam) what (yad) four-fold speech/expression (vAg), mind (manasa) accessible (agocaram)

Oh seer, salutations this great self, (due to/because of) which I possess nothing at all, otherwise which I (possess) everything what the Universal expression accesses.

vAg is the four-fold expression whose first part is 'manas or Atman'. This Universe is a four-fold expression starting from Atman, like speech is an expression of human being starting from manas/mind.

This great self, the detached witnessing thought in me possess nothing at all as it is detached from the body and is just a witness or observer. It can also said to be possessing everything in the range of the Universal expression, as that detached, witnessing/observing thought is the Atman or Manas, which is the starting of vAg.
Summary of Sloka 2.8 to 2.14
Janaka continues

What we perceive as Universe is all in thoughts, which impresses the 'minds'. There is nothing in the Universe apart from these thoughts (which impresses our mind).

We see divisions (as different bodies etc) because of ignorance and because of self-perspective which results from thoughts that attach and bond to the body and the physical world. This bonded thoughts, the self-perspective, make us see various forms as serpent, rope, water, sunbeam etc..

The creation and destruction arise from "my perspective alone". But the "self", which manifests as detached (to the body and world), witnessing thought does not see the creation and destruction. It sees the change of forms.

(For example, the creation of pot and destruction of pot happens from Self perspective. Think how another being (say an ant) may look at it. They may always see the mud. The creation of bracelet and destruction of bracelet happens from my perspective. Think of how another being may look at it. They may always see the gold. The creation of wave and destruction of wave happens from my perspective. Think of a fish for example. It may always see the water)

Atman manifests as this self, the detached, observing/witnessing thought in us. So everything arises from this 'self" in me and goes back to this 'self' in me.

This great self, for whom destruction does not exist (the detached, observing thought does not see any destruction or creation), from expanding space to the smallest of grass, that remains situated even in the destruction of worldly matter and beings, Salutations to the Self.

The detached witnessing thought, the self (which does not see creation or destruction) is 'bodied'. But this thought neither moves in or moves out of the body. This thought pervades or fills the Universe in every matter and being. That's how it is situated in the Universe.

This great self, which manifests as detached witnessing thought, manifests with material body, but never touches the bodies. It holds the Universe for long times or from ancient times.

I hold this self, which is the detached, witnessing thought in me. Thus I am a person with greatest potential or expert. (or whoever holds that detached witnessing thought becomes the expert or a person with great potential)

(vAg is the four-fold expression whose first part is 'manas or Atman'. This Universe is a four-fold expression starting from Atman, like speech is an expression of human being starting from manas/mind (6)).

This great self, the detached witnessing thought in me possess nothing at all as it is detached from the body and is just a witness or observer. It can also said to be possessing everything in the range of the Universal expression, as that detached, witnessing/observing thought is the Atman or Manas, which is the starting of vAg and the entire Universal expression comes out of it.

aham and mayi
The word 'aham' is always used to indicate the 'Self' inside us. This 'self' is the detached, witnessing thought that is the 'manas'. This is different from 'maya'/ 'mayi' which are self-perspectives that lead to illusion.
What we understand from the slokas
Atman is the detached, witness/observer from which the entire Universe came out. It is the first part of four-fold vAg the Universal expression (6). Hence Atman can said to own the entire Universe and also nothing at all as it is a witness/observer only of the material manifestations. This observer driving the evolution is a design pattern of the Universe (5). But everything comes out of this Atman and goes back into this Atman, though Atman remains only an observer of material manifestations.

When we develop the detached, witnessing thought in us, Atman manifests in us. This thought is the 'manas' which is a manifestation of Atman. Since this manas is a witness, in tamil we call it 'manasAkshi'. This thought is the 'manas' the first part of four-fold human speech.

'Creation' and 'Destruction' are dependent on 'self-perspective' (maya) as different beings perceive them differently. We become an expert or person with greatest potential (dakSa) when we defeat the self-perspective (maya) or illusion (mAya), by being an observer of everything. With this detached witnessing thought we own nothing (not even our body), but also own all the Universe as all bodies/material manifestations are ours.
References
1. https://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2019/09/ashtavakra-gita-sloka-112-to-120.html
2. https://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2019/08/ashtavakra-gita-sloka-17-to-111.html
3. https://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2019/08/ashtavakra-gita-slokas-13-to-16.html
4. https://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2019/08/ashtavakra-gita-sloka-11-and-12.html
5. http://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2019/09/observer-drives-evolution.html
6. https://vedabhasya.blogspot.com/2018/12/an-analysis-of-sabda-and-vak-part-7.html

-TBT
 

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