[Advaita-l] gItA bhaashhya sudhaa bindavaH - 21

[Ramakrishna Upadrasta]

OM shrii gurubhyo namaH
OM shrii maatre namaH

Namaste,

We continue with the series.


55. ekasya abhaavaH\, dvayoH abhaavaH\, sarvasya abhaavaH\, praagabhaavaH\,
pradhvaMsaabhaavaH\, itaretaraabhaavaH\, atyantaabhaavaH iti laxaNato
na kenachit.h
visheshho darshayituM shakyaH || 18.48 ||


##Through such descriptions (of abhaava, nonexistence) as nonexistence
of one, nonexistence of two, nonexistence of all, antecendent
nonexistence, nonexistence after destruction, mutual nonexistence and
absolute nonexistence, nobody can show any distinction (as regards
nonexistence itself).##


56. vidvaaMstu punaH vidyayaa avidyaayaaM nivR^ittaayaaM shaknotyeva
asheshhataH karma parityaktum.h\, avidyaa.adhyaaropitasya
sheshhaanupapatteH | na hi taimirikadR^ishhTayaa adhyaaropitasya
dvichandraadeH timiraapagame.api sheshhaH avatishhThate ||18.48||


##[The unelightened person is incapable of totally renouncing actions
even for a moment (3.5).] The enlightened person, on the other hand,
can totally renounce actions when ignorance has been dispelled through
Illumination; for it is illogical that there can (then) remain any
trace of what has been superimposed through ignorance. Indeed, no
trace remains of the two moons, etc. superimposed by the vision
affected by (the disease called) Timira when the disease is cured.##


57. j~naanaatmanoshcha ubhayoH niraakaaratve kathaM
tadbhaavanaanishhThaa iti\?  na\:
atyantanirmalatvaatisvachchhatvaatisuuxmatvopapatteH aatmanaH |
budhdeshcha aatmavat.h nairmalyaadyupapatteH
aatmachaitanyaakaaraabhaasatvopapattiH | buddhyaabhaasaM manaH\,
tadaabhaasaani indriyaaNi\, indriyaabhaasashcha dehaH | ataH laukikaiH
dehamaatre eva aatmadR^ishhTiH kriyate || 18.50 ||


##Since it can be established that the Self is supremely taintless,
pure and subtle, and it can also be established that the intellect can
have taintless etc. like the Self, therefore it stands to reason that
the intellect can take a form resembling the consciousness of the
Self. The mind becomes impressed with the semblance of the intellect;
the organs becomes impressed with the semblance of the mind; and the
body becomes impressed with the semblance of the organs. Hence it is
that the idea of the body itself being the Self is held by ordinary
people.##


58. kechittu paNDitaMmanyaaH ##'## niraakaaratvaat.h aatmavastu na
upaiti buddhiH| ataH duHsaadhyaa samyagj~naananishhTaa ##'##  ityaahuH
| satyam.h\, evaM gurusaMpradaayarahitaanaam.h ashrutavedaantaanaam.h
atyantabahi\- rvishhayaasaktabuddhiinaaM samyakpramaaNeshhu
akR^itashramaaNaam.h | tadvipariitaanaaM tu
laukikagraahakadvaitavastuni sadbhuddhiH nitaraaM duHsaMpaadyaa\,
aatmachaitanyavyatirekeNa vastvantarasya anupalabdheH ||18.50||


##However, some wiseacres assert that the intellect cannot comprehend
the entity called the Self since it is formless; hence, complete
steadfastness in Knowledge is impossible. This is truly so for those
who have not associated with a traditional like of teachers; who have
not heard the Upanishads; whose intellects are too much engrossed with
external objects; and who have not applied themselves diligently to
the perfect means of knowledge. For those, on the other hand, who are
the opposite of these, it is absolutely impossible to have the idea of
reality with regard to empirical objects, which are within the realm
of duality involving the knower and the known, because in their case
there is no perception of any other thing apart from the Consciousness
that is the Self.##

(To be continued.)
bhava sha~nkara deshika me sharaNaM
Ramakrishna