[Advaita-l] Jnana and Ajnana - a beautiful dialogue

[V Subrahmanian]

PeriyavAL: Know that there are Guttu Shlokas in Bharatam (Mahabharata)?

Myself: These are Guttu Shlokas because they were composed to reduce the
speed of PiLLaiyar's (Ganesha's) writing.

PeriyavAL: There is a Guttu Shloka in Gita! You know?

Myself: Don't know.

PeriyavAL: '*aj~nAnenanAvR^itaM j~nAnaM tena muhyanti jantavaH | j~nAnena
tu tadaj~nAnaM yeSAM nAshitamAtmanaH ||*' (5.15,16)

"Atma who is *jnAnarUpam* (in the form of knowledge) is veiled with
*ajnAnaM* (ignorance). People are deluded because of that. If the *ajnAnaM* is
destroyed by *jnAnaM*, Moksha will be attained."

Isn't this doctrine puzzling, confusing? How can *ajnAnaM* veil *jnAnaM*?
If it is veiled, how by that same *jnAnaM* will *ajnAnaM* be destroyed? --
is the confusion. Vinayaka blinks. In those few seconds Vyasa has readily
composed the *shloka*s of many chapters.

For this puzzle that comes in the fifth chapter, he gives the answer in the
tenth chapter!

teshAmanukampArtham ahamaj~nAnajaM tamaH |
nAshayAmi AtmabhAvastaH j~nAnadIpena bhasvatA ||

To show mercy on the *bhaktA*s who always sing and think only about me and
melt by those acts in their hearts, I as the *jnAna rUpi* (form of
knowledge) enter the state of mind that remains *akhaNdAkAram* (not
fragmentary, entire, whole) and is known as *AtmabhAvam* (state of the
soul), reach the *prati-bimbam* (reflection), strengthen the *jnAnam* and
set aside (the veil) of ignorance.

(In other words, *svarUpa jnAnam* by itself will not set aside ignorance.
It only notifies its presence. But if the same *svarUpa jnAnam* is
reflected by the *mano vRutti* (mode/nature/state of mind) that results
from continued experience of the state of meditation on the Vedanta Maha
Vakhyas after studying and reflecting on them, that will immediately burn
the ignorance. Even if the sun has the *svabhAva* (inherent nature) to burn
cotton, it burns the cotton only when the rays touch it through a special
lens!


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