Mandukya Karika Lecture 127 on 01-November-2023

Summary (This text is generated by AI)

This lecture is about the teachings of Advaita Vedanta as explained by Adi Shankaracharya and Gaudapada. Swami Dayatmanandaji starts by mentioning that they are studying the fourth chapter of the Mandukya Karikas called Alata Shanti Prakarana. In the previous class, they had completed verses 31 and 32.

Swami Dayatmanandaji explains that Gaudapada wants to establish the doctrine of Ajativada or non-origination through these verses. Ajativada means there is no creation or multiplicity, and Brahman alone exists. The whole debate is whether the world is real or mithya (apparent). Mithya does not mean non-existent, but something that is mistaken for something else.

Swami Dayatmanandaji reiterates that whatever changes is not the truth. The ultimate truth is "I am", everything else added to it is mithya. Ignorance and ego make us mistake the impermanent as the eternal truth. Verses 31 and 32 state that whatever does not have a beginning or end cannot even exist in the present moment. But due to ignorance, we mistake the changing as the eternal truth.

Swami Dayatmanandaji explains the logic using examples of dreaming. In a dream, whatever is experienced seems completely real, but upon waking up, it is realized to be unreal. Similarly, waking reality also becomes unreal when one enters the dream state. But people argue that unlike dreams, waking experiences have continuity and utility. Gaudapada refutes this using the example of objects seen within the body during dreams. It is irrational to see a mountain inside one's body. Hence dream objects are unreal, and by implication, so is the waking world.

Shankara and Anandagiri's commentaries are cited to reinforce the point that whatever has a beginning and end is transient like dreams. What remains is Brahman alone. The changing forms, names and qualities make up the world. Devoid of these, Brahman alone exists as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

Verses 33-35 use more examples from dreaming to refute the reality of the phenomenal world. Just as the dreamer cannot actually go out to experience dream objects due to discrepancy in time, the journey of life from birth to death is also an imagined one with a beginning and end. There is no real bondage or liberation either, just like the experiences of being bound and freed in a dream.

Swami Dayatmanandaji explains how the Visishtadvaita and Dvaita schools believe that the waking, dream and deep sleep states have their own reality that cannot be negated. But Gaudapada and Shankara counter this by analyzing the nature of these states.

Whatever has a beginning and end is transitory and cannot be the ultimate truth. Deep sleep also has a beginning and end. The ever-present witness consciousness in all states is Brahman. Forms, names and qualities are superimposed on Brahman due to ignorance, giving rise to the world appearance. Negating these reveal Brahman as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

The role of the Guru and scriptures is to remove this apparent bondage of samsara through right knowledge, even though from the absolute standpoint, they are also merely concepts arising in the mind. The entire spiritual practice is meant for removing ignorance about our true nature as Brahman by different means.

In summary, through logical analysis and examples, Gaudapada establishes Ajativada - the unreality of the manifested world and Brahman as the sole reality without a second. The passages summarize the salient points made so far regarding the nature of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and their transient, dependent nature. The role of the Guru and scriptures is clarified in removing ignorance, even though they are also conceptual. The conversation aims to drive home the radical Advaitic perspective of the world being an imaginary appearance on the one non-dual Brahman, through repetitive contemplation.

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the fourth chapter of the Mandukya Karikas, called Alatha Shanti Prakarana. In our last class, we completed Karikas 31 and 32. So, what is the relevance of this? Not only these two, but for the next several verses, Gaudapada wants to prove Ajati Vada. He is not telling us something very new, but a thing must be repeated any number of times. Once, Swami gave a beautiful example: You want to drive a nail into a wall. How many times do you have to hit it with an iron hammer? As many times as possible until it completely goes and becomes one with the wall, pure Advaitam with the wall. There the similarity ends. But what is the wall made of? Iron, the strongest metal. What is the hammer made of? Pure butter. Now you have to imagine how much time it will take for that to drive it in. So this repetition is not only not a defect, but it is the only way. It is very hard for us to understand why you are talking about Ajati Vada again and again.

'Vada' means a firm opinion, a worldview. What is the worldview? There is no world. That is the view. Everybody else, to have a view, must accept that the world exists. Then they can have any number of worldviews. If there is a Srishti, there is a Drishti. But here Advaita wants to prove. Advaita means there is no creation at all. Creation means multiplicity. Creation means time, space, object-wise limitation, jagrat, swapna and sushupti. Three bodies and our experiences in all three aspects are completely different. Whichever state we are experiencing in, that is the only state we are in. So the whole debate hinges on this fact, whether the world is real versus whether the world is Mithya. This is the most marvellous word that is coined. Mithya is a most marvellous word. Many people, even after a long time, have the idea it is something non-existent after hearing that one. That is a completely wrong view. Mithya is not a non-existing thing. It is mistaking an existing something as something else.

This is what Shankaracharya clarifies beautifully in his introduction to the Adhyasa Bhashya. The very introduction to the Brahma Sutras is called Adhyasa Bhashya, a commentary on Adhyasa. We all experience Adhyasa. Adhyasa means Mithya. So what is this Adhyasa? I have given you several examples, but every time we have to recollect. One is called Jnana Adhyasa. When we dream something, we experience it as if we are somewhere else, rather than where we have slept, and we are in some other place at some other time. Time and space become completely compressed. What can take a whole lifetime can be experienced within a few short seconds. Not only that, the whole universe can be seen within ourselves because a dream, as if, is within ourselves. So while experiencing a dream, we don't say it is a dream. We should never say it is a dream. Just as when we are experiencing waking, we should never say it is Mithya. It is reality. But upon waking, what do we find? Everything we experienced is only an imagination, and this imagination is based on what we have experienced during the waking state. But as soon as we wake up, the whole dream world, like a house of cards, collapses. But what we do not understand is that the same phenomenon takes place. As soon as we enter the dream world, the whole waking state also collapses. Whichever state we are in, that state alone, as long as that state lasts, is the only reality for us. But when we enter the third stage, waking and dream, both of them completely disappear. And that is somewhat similar to the Advaita experience. It gives a tremendous amount of peace, not only to others. That is the only time we give so much peace to everybody else, and even joy. For example, if you are deeply asleep, a thief who enters your house, you make him unconsciously, by just being in that state, a very happy person because you make him completely free. No fear, no hesitation, as if you are telling, 'Whatever belongs to me, Brother, belongs to you. Take away everything, whatever you fancy.' This is the state Gaudapada wants to prove. If every day, one-third of our life, we are in that state of deep sleep, where waking and dream do not exist at all, it gives a hint to us. That's what Shankara, Gaudapada, and all Advaitic teachers are hinting at. How do you deny that in Samadhi, there is any world, and that is the highest happiness because we become one with every object and whatever we fancy? Every object has some Ananda, all the Ananda because we become the object. So the Ananda also, we become the Ananda, we become Sat, Chit, and Ananda. Whatever exists, we become the existence. Whatever we have knowledge, we become that knowledge. Whatever we experience as Ananda, we become that Ananda. And that is the goal because that is the truth. How do we know? Because the scripture tells us. Scripture should never tell us what is obvious, what we can experience. You see, Shankara gives a beautiful example. There is no need for the scripture to tell us that the sun always rises in the east because with our own eyes, we can see it. Even if someone is in America or Antarctica, they always see the direction in which the sun rises as the east. This is convention. So the scripture need not tell us what we can experience ourselves. But what the scripture wants to convey is that the idea of east, west, south, north, and distinctions like man or animal are human conventions. If you ask a mouse or a mosquito who is great, they would say, 'I am great,' unconsciously echoing the highest truth. 'I am' is the only reality. Everything else added to 'I am' is called Mithya, an appearance. 'I am' is the ultimate truth. So the entire sadhana is not to become Brahman but to realize and remove all the obstructions, which is called Ahamkara. Whatever is added to 'Aham' is called Ahamkara.

So the whole debate is Brahma Sathyam, Jagan Mithya, which results in Dvaita, the belief in two truths: Brahman is real, and the world is unreal. For the purpose of Viveka Vairagya, the scripture teaches us that the world is unreal. Here, unreality doesn't mean non-existence but a temporary, changing existence. The difference is crucial: unchanging existence versus changing existence.

For this, in verses 31 and 32, I will quote those two Karikas, summarizing the essence of what I have explained:

आदावन्ते च यन्नास्ति वर्तमानेऽपि तत्तथा ।

वितथैः सदृशाः सन्तोऽवितथा इव लक्षिताः ॥ ३१ ॥

सप्रयोजनता तेषां स्वप्ने विप्रतिपद्यते ।

तस्मादाद्यन्तवत्त्वेन मिथ्यैव खलु ते स्मृताः ॥ ३२ ॥

ādāvante ca yannāsti vartamāne'pi tattathā |

vitathaiḥ sadṛśāḥ santo'vitathā iva lakṣitāḥ || 31 ||

31. That which is non-existent at the beginning and in the end, is necessarily so (non-existent) in the middle. The objects we see are illusions, still they are regarded as if real.

That is, whatever has no beginning, whatever has no end, in between, वर्तमान means the present, आदव means in the past, अन्ता means in the future. When both past and future are negated, even to think that there is a present, that is the greatest logical fallacy. That means what? There is no such thing that something is existing now. वितधैः सद्रुषाः सन्तः There is always वि तथा. तथा means as they are. That is the truth. सद्रुषाः Everything is true. What is the truth? Whatever is changing is not the truth. But because of ignorance, अवितधाः इवलक्षिताः As if they are the highest truths. अवितधाः means as if that is the only truth. That which is not वितधाः, false, temporary, मिठ्य. If it is not मिठ्य, it must be सत्य. इवलक्षिताः Because of ignorance, just like for that two examples are given. Many times this example comes, dream example. So long as a person is dreaming, nobody, even the dreamer will not say, I am dreaming, first.

Secondly, he says that what I am experiencing is the only reality. However, the same person, as soon as he wakes up, realizes that everything has changed. Time has changed, space has changed, reasoning has changed, logic has changed, everything becomes different. Similarly, as I mentioned, the waking state is also as unreal as the dream. But we don't usually think like that. We know that when we wake up from a dream, it is unreal – that's a common experience. For instance, if you dream that you've won a lottery ticket and start celebrating, it wakes you up. So it's better to enjoy such dreams quietly because if you tell anyone, your loved ones might start planning how to benefit from your newfound wealth. The truth is, as I mentioned earlier, as soon as our waking state comes to an end and the dream state begins, the whole waking state experience becomes vaitathya, unreal, just as the swapnika jagat, dream world, becomes a dream world as soon as we wake up. But we don't take note of this because we are born and experience it. After a dream, we forget it and experience it all over again. All these arguments are just a repetition of the same thing.

However, the dream state lasts only for a short time. Each time we enter the dream state, we see something new, and there's no relationship between what we saw in a dream yesterday and what we see today. But in the waking state, everything remains the same as it was before we went to bed. Our cupboard, our family, everything is exactly as it is. As soon as we wake up, we see the same things. This argument might seem foolish, and Gaudapada refutes it by saying that when you are having a dream, do you question yourself and say, "Last night, I had a different dream, and today, this is another dream"? You never do. It's as if the past and future were there, just like in the waking state. This is highlighted in the second chapter, known as Vaitatya Prakaranam.

As I mentioned earlier, this Alatha Shanti Prakaranam is essentially a recapitulation and clarification through repetition, presented in a slightly different way. Gaudapada's message is that even in the waking state, you are the greatest source of authenticity, as you undergo continuous changes from being a baby to a young person, to a middle-aged individual, to an old person, and sometimes a diseased person. You experience happiness, unhappiness, and everything in between, and eventually, you either pass away naturally or someone else ends your life. This is the argument re-presented by Gaudapada.

Even though we continuously experience things as if they are new facts, this is what appears to be the highest truth, which means an unchanging truth. This is the power of Maya, akin to Vishnu Maya.

saprayojanatā teṣāṃ svapne vipratipadyate |

tasmādādyantavattvena mithyaiva khalu te smṛtāḥ || 32 ||

32. The serving of some purpose by them (i.e., the objects of waking experience) is contradicted in dream. Therefore they are doubtlessly recognised to be illusory (by the wise) on account of their having a beginning and an end.

Now, in the 32nd verse, it is explained that in the waking state, some purposes are served. For instance, when I am thirsty in the waking state, I can go to the fridge, take a cool drink, quench my thirst, and be content for a short time. However, such an occurrence doesn't happen in the dream state. Here lies another significant defect in the thinking of people like us. We think that the waking state is real, and the things within it serve a real purpose, unlike in the dream state.

In fact, for many of us, we find happiness primarily in the dream state. For instance, a young man may imagine that if he marries a certain young lady, his entire life will be filled with happiness. This is referred to as "Shobhana Adhyasa." He may not realize that his troubles and problems often begin after marriage, not before, when everything seems rosy. This is especially true when couples meet in settings like candlelight dinners. There is a difference between imagination and reality, and happiness largely depends on our state of mind. A positive state of mind leads to more happiness, while a negative state of mind has the opposite effect.

This is what the 32nd verse aims to convey: In the waking state, there is utility, and we can observe it. However, in the dream state, this utility doesn't occur. Therefore, what is the conclusion? The dream has a beginning and an end. But what about your waking state? It also has a beginning because when you wake up after deep sleep or when a dream ends, that marks the beginning of the waking state. Whatever you experienced in the dream is in the past, gone, and no longer relevant. But we often fail to ponder this.

We are dealing with two significant misunderstandings. The first is the belief that the waking state is the real state, even though there is no fundamental difference between the dream and waking states. The second misunderstanding is the result of our experiences. In the dream state, we might gain or lose something, but upon waking up, nothing is added or lost. The same phenomena naturally occur. Whether one lives for 80 years or just 8 days, the feeling of one's lifetime is the same. A baby, when asked about the duration of their life, will not say they have lived for only 8 days but that they have been alive for their whole life.

The main point Gaudapada seeks to emphasize is that whatever has a beginning must have an end. This fact applies even while experiencing these states. Gaudapada conveys this point through metaphorical "buttery nails."

Additionally, the opponent misses another critical point. So one of the thing is, whatever has a beginning, must have an end. If your Samsara, as you claim, is Anadi, then Anadi will never have an end. And if you say, that it has a beginning, definitely it will come to an end. So I mentioned it earlier, please recollect. Supposing you do Sadhana, and God gives you a vision, says 1st January Kalpataru day, I will come and give you Moksha. And you are very happy, waiting. And in fact, it is not very far away. November has started already, only two months time. So that is the beginning of Moksha. End of Samsara, beginning of Moksha. And then Shankara applies the reason, Gaurapada also mentions, whatever has no beginning, also will not have an end. And supposing this fellow says, that is what he is trying to say, ''let the state of liberation have a beginning and an end. What is the harm in thus conceiving the state of liberation? Let it begin, let it end''. And the reply is that, if a thing has a beginning, it will have an end. It doesn't exist in the middle also. So even we see something is existing in the middle, purely because of our ignorance. Then another is, but Moksha is an experience of great happiness. But then, if you think, that whatever lasts for a short time, is an eternal happiness. There is nothing called eternal happiness at all. Eternal happiness from something second, from an object, there is no such thing. But if your very nature is eternal, nobody can make it non-eternal. If you are non-eternal, nobody can make you eternal. This is the answer.

So if liberation has a beginning, it will also end. Then it will be no difference between dream world, waking world, even deep sleep world. Because deep sleep also has a beginning. You go to bed, until the time you are in waking state, and at 11 o'clock you go, you are very tired, and then as soon as your head touches the pillow, you are out. So 11 o'clock it begins, and 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 4 o'clock, whatever it is, waking state comes. So even that state also has a beginning.

In summary, if liberation has a beginning, it will also have an end, and this would blur the distinction between the dream world, waking world, and even the deep sleep state, as deep sleep also has a beginning and end.

This is a recap of what we covered in our previous class for better understanding. Now, let's move on to the 33rd verse.

सर्वे धर्मा मृषा स्वप्ने कायस्यान्तनिदर्शनात् ।

संवृत्तेऽस्मिन्प्रदेशे वै भूतानां दर्शनं कुतः ॥ ३३ ॥

sarve dharmā mṛṣā svapne kāyasyāntanidarśanāt |

saṃvṛtte'sminpradeśe vai bhūtānāṃ darśanaṃ kutaḥ || 33 ||

33. All objects cognised in dream are unreal, because they are seen within the body. How is it possible for things, that are perceived to exist, to be really in Brahman which is indivisible and homogeneous.

Gaudapada presents an example of Swapna (dream) to address the argument of the opponent (Purvapakshi). The opponent questions how it's possible for all objects cognized in a dream to be considered real when they appear within the body, given that Brahman is indivisible and homogeneous. The Purvapakshi challenges the Advaitin's claim that Brahman is Advaita (nondual), Akanda, indivisible, and homogeneous. Gaudapada will provide an answer, but first, he recaps what we have previously studied for our better understanding.

The example used here is "Sarve Dharma Mrisha" which translates to "all objects are unreal." Dharma here means not Hindu Dharma, Vaishnava Dharma. Dharma means objects. All beings, living, non-living, a tree, a mountain, a river, everything is borrowed the Buddhistic terminology. Gaudapada emphasizes that in a dream, all objects, whether living or non-living, are unreal. For instance, if you see a massive mountain in a dream, where does that mountain exist? It exists within your dream, which is in your mind, and ultimately within your body. So, the mountain and all other dream objects are within the body, and therefore unreal. This is the illustration. This is the Nidarshanath. This is the example. Sarve Dharma Mrisha. And you are seeing an elephant. You are seeing a mountain. You are seeing so many things. Small things of course you accept. I see a mosquito. I see a rat. A cat etc. But you can't conceive anything bigger than the body. But that is what regularly we experience in our dream state as we experience in the waing state. How is it possible for things that are perceived to exist to be really in Brahman which is indivisible and homogeneous? Why is this verse or Karika stated here? There is a specific purpose. What is that purpose? The purpose of this verse is to address a specific group of philosophers, such as the Visishtadvaita and Dvaita proponents, who argue that not only is Brahman real, but the waking state, dream state, and dreamless state also have their own realities. They assert that these states cannot be denied as they are experiences. Gaudapada provides a response to these philosophers who consider the dream state as real and assert that each state has its distinct reality. Gaudapada's verses serve as a counter-argument, suggesting that according to Advaita, all these states are ultimately unreal, and he will elaborate on this further. The criteria by which we judge what is unreal is simple: whatever has a beginning and whatever has an end is considered unreal. To address the opponent's argument, the reply should be, "My dear Sir, when you are dreaming, you may see a mountain or an elephant. If an elephant were to enter you, what would be your state then? You might enter into an elephant, or a lion, or a tiger, which is perfectly reasonable, but an elephant cannot enter into you because you are teeny-weeny."

Gaudapada illustrates that when a child is studying Amar Chitra Katha and they have a dream in which they see a huge elephant with Indra riding it, both Indra and Airavata are within their own body.

Shankara's brief commentary states that the purpose of this Karika is to demonstrate that Brahman, which is birthless and nondual, is the only existent reality. Waking experiences, due to their having a beginning and an end, are unreal, just like dream experiences. That which has a beginning and an end that means it is not eternal, is only temporary, whatever is temporary is unreal. That is the definition of Mithya. Mithya means therefore what is the conclusion? Brahman alone is the only thing.

Anandagiri, following Shankaracharya, emphasizes that all waking experiences are unreal because they have a beginning and an end, just like dream experiences. Therefore, what are we truly experiencing? Only Brahman. However, we often mistake Brahman for something else, just as a stump of a tree might be mistaken for a drunkard, a policeman, a thief, or a human being. These attributions are made by the perceiver. If someone can see the stump of a tree for what it truly is, there would be no illusion. Similarly, if we can analyze and understand that everything we experience is nothing but Brahman, but not as Brahman, because Brahman can never be experienced in the way we experience the world. We always experience Brahman with a name, form, and quality. Brahman with a name, form, and quality is synonymous with the world (Jagat). Jagat without name, form, and quality is Brahman. How is it? If we really use our logic, logical brain, rationality, we come, remove all forms, along with that all names also will go. And along with names and forms, all qualities will go. What remains? Nothing, shunya, no. Asti, that is to say, Sat, then Chit, and then Ananda. That's what remains. This is what Gaudapada wants to drive and for which much later on Shankaracharya as well as Anandagiri had clarified in a better language, easier language. Language may be easier but the idea is quite tough because we are accustomed to think for millions of births what we are experiencing is the truth. What is the truth? What we are experiencing is Brahman. But we are not seeing Brahman. We are taken in by the nama, roopa and guna. And what is sadhana? Get rid of nama, roopa and guna What remains is called Satchitananda. Then there is no object, only pure subject which is called pure Shuddha Chaitanya. That is the point.

न युक्तं दर्शनं गत्वा कालस्यानियमाद्गतौ ।

प्रतिबुद्धश्च वै सर्वस्तस्मिन्देशे न विद्यते ॥ ३४ ॥

na yuktaṃ darśanaṃ gatvā kālasyāniyamādgatau |

pratibuddhaśca vai sarvastasmindeśe na vidyate || 34 ||

It is not possible for a dreamer to go out in order to experience the (dream) objects on account of the discrepancy of the time involved in such journey. Again, on being awake, the dreamer does not find himself in the place (where he dreamed himself to be).

In the 34th verse, Gaudapada continues with a similar logic. He illustrates that it is not possible for a dreamer to physically go out in order to experience the dream objects. Suppose somebody dreams, I have gone to America to see my son, my daughter, etc. During dreaming, it is absolutely real. But suddenly he wakes up. And then how much time has passed? Within one and a half minute. Modern scientists who studied the phenomena of sleep and dream, they tell us that even the longest dream lasts only no more than one and a half minutes. And it is proved by the story of Vishnumaya as experienced by Narada Maharshi.

Gaudapada references the story of Narada Maharshi, who once expressed a desire to experience Lord Krishna's Vishnu Maya, despite being a renunciant. Krishna granted his request and sent Narada on an errand. Narada was asked to fetch water from a nearby stream while Krishna and Arjuna rested under a tree. However, as Narada went to collect the water, he bent down and then he found himself near another village on the shore and a beautiful young lady came out and he fell in love and then he remained there and then her father came out and to cut the story short, he married her and the father-in-law passed away and he inherited. He became a traditional farmer. So thus many years have passed. He accumulated lot of money. He had many children also and then one day suddenly there was a flash flood and he gathered all his money, accumulated money, his wife, his children, his property, wanted to cross the river, raging river and go to higher ground and on the way everything went excepting Narada. Everything went away excepting Narada himself. Then he was weeping his heart out, Oh Lord, what have you done? If anything goes wrong, it is God who has done it! Then suddenly a gentle voice came, ''why are you delaying Narada''? Then suddenly with a start he woke up and then he found. So not even a minute has passed and then he went and fell at the feet, said ''Oh Lord, once I have seen and for eternity I have seen, please never show again even if I request you also''.

This is what we call Samsara, and it's what we are all truly experiencing. So what's the problem? Even if you care about it for a long time or a short time, have you noticed that when you go on holidays, time seems to pass differently? Holidays can feel like a Formula One car race, where every second counts, and if it's hard work, it seems like something is wrong with the engine and it won't start at all. The same clock comes to life, and it seems to run very fast or agonizingly slow at its own will. So what's the point? The mind alone is the root cause of both bondage and liberation.

In the 34th Karika, it's not reasonable to say, "Darshanam Gatwa," you go a long distance. Kālasyāniyamā, in the waking state, even going to the next town can take several hours by bus or whatever mode of transportation you use. However, in a short time in a dream, we can think of a place and find ourselves there. This is not rational at all. Not only that, as soon as one wakes up from a dream, they are found where they were lying and dreaming, not where they found themselves in the dream. Earlier, it was about objects; now, it's about time. Because of this inconsistency, time is also required in the waking state. This is one reason to assert that whatever we experience in the dream state doesn't stand to reason and is not proper.

That is the sum and substance of what Shankara is saying. The time and space involved in undertaking a journey and returning have a definite and fixed standard in the waking state, but these seem to be completely reversed in a dream. Due to this inconsistency, it can be argued that the dreamer does not actually go to another place during the dream experience.

मित्राद्यैः सह संमन्त्र्य संबुद्धौ न प्रपद्यते ।

गृहीतं चापि यत्किंचित् प्रतिबुद्धो न पश्यति ॥ ३५ ॥

mitrādyaiḥ saha saṃmantrya saṃbuddhau na prapadyate |

gṛhītaṃ cāpi yatkiṃcit pratibuddho na paśyati || 35 ||

The dreamer on being awake, realises as illusory all the conversation he had had with friends, etc., during the dream state. Further, he does not possess, in the waking state, anything which he had acquired in dream.

In the 35th Karika, Gaudapada provides further reasoning to demonstrate the unreality of dream experiences. He offers examples that highlight the inconsistency between the experiences in dreams and the corresponding experiences in the waking state.

The first example he provides is "Mitradhyayi Samantriya," which refers to a dreamer visiting a friend's home in a distant location and spending quality time with them in the dream. However, upon waking up, the dreamer does not find their friend or remember the events that took place in the dream. This inconsistency between the dream and waking experiences suggests that the dreamer did not actually go to their friend's house during the dream.

The second example is "Pratibuddha," which relates to the dreamer receiving some sweets or gifts from a friend in the dream. His wife is a most marvellous cook and she prepared especially for you. She knows what you like and she has not only fed you, to take some home, you can enjoy them later. So when you wake up, you don't look for a bundle where that lady has packed the things for you. Pratibuddha, after waking up, whatever you have got in your dream, whatever it be, good or bad, somebody beat you blood was flowing. Upon waking up, you don't see any blood flowing. There is no pain. But remember, most marvellous thing, you also feel the pain, the blood will come. In dream, if somebody is beating you black and blue, exactly like waking state, you get all the results exactly in the same way. But as soon as you wake up, not an iota of pain, nothing happens, only you are beating your heart like a drum and it becomes quietened down. Oh, I was only dreaming. So in the 35th, he has given another experience and that is what Shankara is going to tell us. There is no bondage or ignorance, really speaking, which requires to be removed by religious practices. Why? Because just as in a dream, suppose someone binds you, and you feel miserable and shout for help. Then someone comes and drives away the evil people and liberates you. When you wake up from that dream, you realize that no one actually bound you. It was just a mere thought. The thought of bondage was also a creation of the mind. The thought that a Guru liberated me is also a mental construct.

Let me add a bit more context to this. There is a wonderful book called "Vichara Sagara," and in it, there was a not-so-bright pupil who asked his Guru, "You keep teaching that the whole world is Mithya (illusory), and if I accept that as truth, then the Guru is also Mithya, the scripture is also Mithya because both the Guru and the Shastra belong to the world, and the disciple's name is Adrishti (unseen or ignorant). It means the disciple cannot understand properly. So, hey Guru, you are always saying the world is Mithya, but you claim that the Guru and scripture are real. How do I reconcile this contradiction?" The answer given is that a Mithya Guru is more than sufficient to remove the Mithya bondage. So, the Mithya scripture is also... Just now, I gave the example: if someone binds you in your dream, and in the dream, someone else, maybe even me, comes and gives you a harder blow than the others, and suddenly you wake up, is your bondage still there? No. So, for the imaginary bondage, an imaginary Guru and imaginary scripture are more than sufficient. This is the Sankshita Tram. Therefore, everything we experience here is nothing but Kalpana, imagination. In fact, this is the grandest, greatest psychological truth. Whatever we experience—eating, drinking, moving, etc.—we don't really know what the body is doing, and we don't truly understand the external world. We only know what is happening in our minds. So, in the verses to come, it should not be difficult to comprehend that, just as a dream, swapna, is unreal because it has a beginning and an end, the waking state also has a beginning and an end, and the dream state also has a beginning and an end. Therefore whatever has a beginning, whatever that will have an end, whatever has a beginning has an end and whatever has no beginning and no end that doesn't exist even the middle also which is the present time. So what is the point? The whole Vandana is only a thought in the mind and scripture is another thought in the mind but it works in the opposite way of removing that negative thought and restoring us to reality. What is the reality? Brahman alone is the truth and what we call this Jagat is also none other than Brahman and therefore whatever is in the world is also Brahman and we are all there in this world as Jeevas: Jivo Brahma Eva Na Aparaha