Mandukya Karika Lecture 145 on 13-March-2024

Full Transcript

In our last class, we more or less completed Karika number 86. What is it? When a person attains to the knowledge of what he is or the same thing, what the Atman is. Because there are no two things called oneself and the Atman. Both are the same. Pure consciousness doesn't have any duality, any multiplicity there. The Karika goes like that.

विप्राणां विनयो ह्येष शमः प्राकृत उच्यते ।

दमः प्रकृतिदान्तत्वादेवं विद्वाञ्शमं व्रजेत् ॥ ८६ ॥

viprāṇāṃ vinayo hyeṣa śamaḥ prākṛta ucyate |

damaḥ prakṛtidāntatvādevaṃ vidvāñśamaṃ vrajet || 86 ||

86. This (i.e., the realisation of Brahman) is the humility natural to the Brāhmaṇas. Their tranquillity (of mind) is also declared to be spontaneous (by men of discrimination). They are said to have attained to the state of sense-control (not through any artificial method as it comes quite natural to them. He who thus realises Brahman which is all-peace, himself becomes peaceful and tranquil.

Very beautiful ideal for us all to attain. Viprana, instead of a Brahmana, here two words are used. One is Vipra, another is a Vidvan. Who is a Vipra? One who knows. "Aham Brahmasmi," I am Brahman. Or who is a Vidvan? A learned person. He who knows, I am the Atman. There is no difference. Now, how do we know these people are realized souls? They have become Vipras and they have become Vidvans. How do we know? The most wonderful thing that happens, complete change in character. And one of the first things is Vinaya. Directly translated into English language, Vinaya means humility. But we have to understand Samadarshanah. That is equally seeing Atman. So what do we mean by equality? These terms, first of all, we are using human language. What does it mean? It means we who have not attained to that state, we only see both the Atman as well as the Anatman. The truth as well as mixed up truth or what we call Mithya. Really speaking, there is only one truth. Mithya or what we call seeing something else. Superimposition on something else. That is called Mithya. It is not non-existence but it is mistaking one object for the other. And the fundamental principle is Mithya must be based upon Satyam. For example, if we remove the rope, the snake also disappears. We cannot mistake if the rope were not to be there. It must be there. That is the first point.

What is the second point? Even when we are looking at the snake, we are actually looking at the rope only. Because where is the rope? Out there in semi-darkness. Where is the snake? In our heads. So the problem is in our head. Some other person who has better vision or who has seen the rope or who has kept the rope there earlier in the daytime, he knows it looks like a snake but I know it is absolutely a rope. And then what happens? That is important for us. A person knows this is a rope. The effects of seeing a snake, fear, etc. He will not be such a person who knows the rope. He is not subject to this kind of fear, shaking, heart problem. All these things are avoided. And this analogy has to be applied here. A person who knows the truth. What is the truth? I alone exist everywhere. Where is the question of being humble? You are great. I am humble. You are superior. I am inferior. This all comes because of what we call illusion that there are many things. Not only me, besides me, many things are there. So here in this Karika, 86th Karika, Gaudapada is telling straightforward. As soon as a person knows the truth, he is very nature. So he said two things are there. What is it? Shamaha praakruta uchchate. Shamaha means complete mind control. What is the mind control? Two things are implied. First of all, the knowledge will be right knowledge. Secondly, he will not be subject to the effects of the normal knowledge. I like this person. I do not like that object. And this gives me happiness. That gives me unhappiness. I want this. I don't like that. These are the effects. So this mind, for a Jeevan Mukta, the mind may see many objects. But in every object, he recognizes Brahman only. How? The nearest analogy we can get is, if you are standing, imagine you are standing in a room with a hundred mirrors. All the four walls are full of mirrors, small mirrors. And you see your countless images. You see the images, reflections, but you don't say there are different types of people are there other than me. So it is said, if a dog enters into such a room, it starts attacking. Not necessarily. Some dogs are so cowardly, they just put their tail and then try to get out of the room. So many dogs. So Shamaha, Prakruta means naturally, very naturally, mind control happens. And what is the type of mind? It is the purest mind. It just reflects the truth. And that state is called Yoga. Yoga means Chitta Vritti Nirodha. Nirodha doesn't mean you remove the thoughts. Nirodha means even if you see a billion thoughts in your mind, all thoughts are of only Brahman, not anybody else. That is called Shamaha. And as soon as the mind becomes pure, even every object we look at has purity itself. A simple example would be, a person is having what is called jaundice. He sees everything as yellow. And there may be other diseases. A person sees many different colours. But as soon as the disease is removed, the eye sees the truth. So as soon as a person's mind becomes pure, he doesn't see many things. He sees a thing as it is. And everything is nothing but Brahman. In fact, to use that word, everything is Brahman. It is self-contradictory. Because there is no everything is Brahman. But it appears. So we think.

Actually, we do not know what a Jeevan Mukta really sees. But we are imagining that he sees things, different things. Here is a tree, here is a man, here is a dog, here is an insect. But he sees God only in all of them. This is our imagination about the state of the mind of a living free Jeevan Mukta. So in short, in essence, what does this Karika tell us? That as soon as a person attains realization, then his body and mind, both of them come under his control. Not by effort, but automatically, naturally. And he doesn't do anything. That is, we see his body and mind behaving which is contrary to spiritual expectations. We may not understand the person. Including, a Jeevan Mukta can get very angry. We discussed at some point, there are great Rishis like Durvasa, they seem to get very angry. We must be very clear about it. If that Rishi is a Sadhaka, then he is under the control of the anger and he regrets, and he has to experience the consequences. But if we think that he is a God-realized soul, and the word Rishi means a God-realized soul, then there was no individual controlling. It is God only who is getting angry. And when God gets angry, it always conduces whether he gets angry and whether he is pleased. Actually, these are our impositions upon God. Because we get angry, we think God also gets angry. Especially in the old Bible, you see a very angry God with a huge head and terrible big white beard looking down with always thunder is there in his right hand, ready to hurl at anybody upon whom he is displeased. This is the depiction of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. God is looking down, looking for an opportunity to hurl down that thunderbolt. This is all what is called some unintelligent human imaginations. So the idea is we have to reverse and say first of all we have to practice body control, that is what is called Dhamaha. Then we have to control mind control, that is called Shamaha. So as soon as we practice these things, our thoughts become, our mind becomes calm and in that calm mind, Truth reflects itself. That is, we become Yogis. That is, Chitta Vritti Nirodha automatically takes place. To the extent we clean the mirror, the reflection will be pure. And these qualities start becoming natural. That means we do not need to remember all the time. They become the most spontaneous natural qualities. That is the essence of Karika number 86.

Now we move on. So in the next few Karikas, Gaudapada is bringing up the same old subject. What is it? Every living creature on earth in this creation goes through waking state, dream state, and dreamless state. So we have to become witnesses and we should not identify with any of these states. If we can succeed in identifying with the waking state and then move on to the much subtler state which is called the dream state, then we will be capable of even witnessing that one. Not only witnessing, when a person starts controlling his mind, that is called Yoga. Either through activity called Karma Yoga or through devotion called Bhakti Yoga or through knowledge called Jnana Yoga, what happens is the person deliberately will not allow any negative thoughts. What is a negative thought? Any thought that doesn't think about God is a negative thought. Even if we are thinking, my parents are very good people because there are some parents who are not only good to their own children, by nature they are very good. For example, if Dasaratha and Kausalya, Vasudeva and Devaki, Shudhiram and Sri Ramakrishna, if we take these examples, even if God is not born as an incarnation to these parents, they will be good people only. That God happens to take birth in their families is a different matter altogether. But even if they are not born, these people's nature, they are so good, they are kind, they are compassionate, they are self-controlled and they are thinking only about God. All these things automatically happen. So, that is naturally, their minds will be radiating with joy, such people we have to notice because when we try to control our mind, it is a very painful affair and we feel depressed when we are not able to do it. But when it becomes, through painful long practice, when it becomes very natural, do you know what happens? Our mind automatically becomes very, very happy and then we also come to awake to the fact that goodness or purity and right conduct with right knowledge also higher happiness, they go together. What am I trying to tell you? If a person is really good, there are two types of goodness are there. In most societies, the first type of goodness is practiced. What is that? We are living together, so we have to come, make an agreement. I will behave like this, you will behave like that, I will help you, you will also help me. This is for our mutual benefit. In this kind of agreement, there is a lot of selfishness involved. So, as soon as the same people are exposed to some other person, this is what Sri Ramakrishna indicates beautifully, if some cows are always growing up together, they are very happy to be together, they lick each other, but as soon as a strange cow enters, they all gang together to chase it away.

So, like that, the society, I scratch your back, you scratch my back. Even Hinduism goes to the extent, this applies not only to human beings, but it applies also to Gods. So, human beings say, I will scratch your back, that means I will worship you, I will offer you things, and you will in turn control my destination by giving proper rains at the proper season. Otherwise, when they are angry, they give rains, but only problem is when rain is wanted, they withhold, and when rain is not wanted, they just pour with compound interest. So, that should not happen. So, even when we approach God with Sakama, some kind of desire, I scratch your back, you scratch my back. This is called we want to help each other. That is the first kind of goodness we are talking about, and that's not what is meant. Even if somebody doesn't like me, tries to do harm, I automatically do some good. Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example. I do not know. I have not come across where from he got it. He must have heard from some Sadhu or some other person. Probably, it is there somewhere in the Yoga Vasishta or local Ramayana. I don't know. Vasishta and Vishwamitra are what is called foreign enemies, Ajatashatrus, and especially Vishwamitra. Now, in this particular quotation from Sri Ramakrishna, Vishwamitra had killed all the hundred sons of Vasishta. Sometimes, I feel like that what a good he must have done to Vasishta and Arundhati. Otherwise, to look after hundred children like that, go on bawling and quarrelling with each other, oh my God, they have not gone mad. So, after that, if somebody had become wise, I am not surprised. If somebody doesn't become wise, I will be shocked actually after having hundred children and trying to deal with them.

What am I trying to tell? Vishwamitra had since annihilated all the hundred sons. Naturally, Vasishta's wife, Arundhati, was very very unhappy, grieving. And one day, evening, it was late, night actually, Vasishta was deeply absorbed in reading a book. That night, Vishwamitra came to the hut, to the cottage where Vasishta was living with the intention of killing him. So, he had a sword waiting outside. When they go to sleep, probably the door will not have any bolt. He will enter inside and he will kill Vasishta at least. He was keenly waiting outside, observing everything and it is not difficult to hear what was going on. Arundhati was calling Vasishta again and again. It is already past dinner time. Please come. But he was telling just a little, a few more pages. And then finally, Arundhati asks, what is that book which is so absorbing you? And he said, this is a most marvellous book written by Vishwamitra. Oh! He is our greatest enemy, arch enemy. Why are you reading such people's books? And Vasishta seems to have replied, what has that got to do with his book? He thought he killed over 100 children. That is a separate issue. But so excellently he had written this book that I cannot put it down. And Vishwamitra was stunned. Then he understood the difference between a fake Brahma Gnani and a real Brahma Gnani. He came, rushed inside, fell at the feet of Vasishta, and he told, this is the purpose I came, but I am thoroughly ashamed, totally converted your generosity, your capacity to appreciate. This was what Sri Ramakrishna had given this beautiful analogy. And every parable, every analogy that Sri Ramakrishna gives is worth studying it a thousand times. So here is in this 87th what Gaudapada was telling, he is summarizing the very second mantra of this Mandukya Upanishad. Remember, this is a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad and Mandukya Upanishad has only 12 mantras and in the second mantra it is said that Omkara had to be contemplated as the sum total. Omkara has got three syllables, A, O, M, and they have to be equated with waking, dream, and state. And so he is recollecting because we are coming to the end of this fourth chapter, Allatha Shanti Prakaranam. Now he is slowly what is called winding down or unwinding. He is closing it. Essence he wants to tell. The whole essence of the Mandukya Upanishad is an analysis of the three states, waking, dream, and then deep sleep.

What is the use of this study? Recall, each state is of a changing nature. Waking changes into dream. Dream changes into dreamless. Again dreamless changes into waking. So continuously from birth to death we are all experiencing. What is the problem? We are identifying. When we are in the waking state, that is the reality. When we are in the dream state, that is the reality. When we are in deep sleep state, that is the reality. Every state negates the other two states. And that which is limited time-wise, experience-wise, and negates the other thing. That means negation is possible only when there is multiplicity. Here there are three states. So we have to contemplate and say there is someone if we observe closely there is someone who is not changing. The same one imagine three rooms are there and I am there and I am in the room number A. After some time I enter into room number B, 2 and after some time room number C and again move to room number 1 and that I am not changing but I am experiencing three different rooms, three different states, waking, dream, dreamless are comparable to these three different types of experiences and each experience of each state completely contradicts the nature of reality. For example, I may be in Varanasi, I may be dreaming that I am in Bangalore or I may dream I am in America or I may transcend both these and be completely at peace. Now, Gaudapada, he wants to convey this that be aware now I am in the waking state. When we are in the waking state let us do Japa. I am in the waking state and this waking state is a limited state and everything is changing and everything depends upon me and therefore it cannot be reality. This is the method of spiritual practice sadhana. And then when I enter into dream state can I do this practice yes, if I practice sufficiently in the waking state I can do that in the dream state. And if I practice it in the dream state it is possible to be a witness in the dreamless state also. Is it possible? And Triyananda Swami was asked once by a devotee or a monk, we do not know is it possible to be witness even in the deep sleep state. And he said yes, I do that. It was difficult but later on I could be in the both states. I am also a witness. How long? Continuously I am a witness when I am in the waking state, I am a witness when I am in the dream state, I am a witness when I am in the deep sleep state. How did you come? We don't know, he did not explain. But here Gaudapada is explaining, first practice it in the waking, then that practice spills over into the dream state, then it spills over into the deep sleep state. It looks like a contradictory state, but since we do not know, we are calling it contradictory, but it is possible. So this is the essence of the next few verses, Karikas.

But as I mentioned earlier, if this book, this commentary was written by Shankaracharya, he would have used very simple words. But being probably at that time a language that is used at the time when Gaudapada was alive, probably that spilled over into this book. Very interestingly, M had written this Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna collection rather, and Swami Sharadanandaji had written the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Sharadanandaji was deeply influenced by the type of what we call classical language that was used, Bengali language. That is why it was translated by Swami Jagadananda in the more or less in the same classical language. But now, Swami Chaitranandaji had rewritten the same book in very simple English language. So if we can take this comparison, Gaudapada's language was like Swami Sharadanandaji's, and Shankaracharya's language, beautiful. By no way I can tell Gaudapada's Karikas is beautiful, but Shankaracharya's so mellifluous. Not only he was the greatest Advaita teacher, but his language is most marvellous. But again, as I said, we are all victims of our type of language by which we grow. And unfortunately, at that time, the influence of Buddhism was so much, and that is what has come here.

सवस्तु सोपलम्भं च द्वयं लौकिकमिष्यते ।

अवस्तु सोपलम्भं च शुद्धं लौकिकमिष्यते ॥ ८७ ॥

savastu sopalambhaṃ ca dvayaṃ laukikamiṣyate |

avastu sopalambhaṃ ca śuddhaṃ laukikamiṣyate || 87 ||

87. (Vedānta) recognises the ordinary (empirical) state of waking in which duality, consisting of objects and ideas of coming in contact with them, is known. It further recognises another more subtle state (i.e., the dream common to all) in which is experienced duality, consisting of the idea of coming in contact with the objects, though such objects do not exist.

"savastu upalambham avastu sa upalambham" and something that is beyond. First, I will explain "vastu upalambham" and "avastu upalambham". These are what we call Buddhistic terms. Probably, those terms were in very frequent usage at that time, so Gaudapada's time. He never thought this would be difficult in the 22nd century for us, and we are struggling and even trying to criticize him. Thankfully, he will not come out of his Samadhi because he is a Jeevan Mukta. What does he mean? So he is describing in this and one or two coming verses three states. Just now, as I mentioned, the waking, the dream, and the dreamless state. And then he says he who spiritually experiences these three states with complete awareness will be able to transcend them. So, the purpose of these few Karikas are to caution us: don't simply experience waking, dream, or dreamless. Experience them with a special attitude. Then you will be able to find that one who is a witness experience as a witness. A witness and what he witnesses are totally different issues. So, this is the essence of it. In this 87th Karika, waking and dream are explained. So, as I said, these words "vastu" means what, object, and "upalambham" means what, our identity with that object. So, "savastu sopalambhaṃ ca dvayaṃ laukikamiṣyate". "Dvayam" means both. I will come to the meaning. "avastu sopalambhaṃ ca śuddhaṃ laukikamiṣyate".

So, in the first half, the waking state is described, and in the second half of this Karika, the dream state is explained. What is common to both? In the waking state, there is an actual external object. There is a thought about that object, and I become attached to that thought of that particular object. That is the essence of the waking state. But what about the dream state? Is there any object? Yes, there is an object, but it is called no object, not an object. Then what is it? It is not an actual external object, but it is an object that is in the form of a thought. To put it simply, there is an external object, and through my mind, I am getting an idea, the knowledge about that object, and I am acting and reacting, and I think this is absolute reality. That is the description of the waking state. What about the dream? So, I get the Chitta Vritti Pratyaya, a thought about in the mind. So, even though there is no external object, there is a thought that there is an external world, and there is an object in the form of thought, and I get attached to that thought. A simple example: I see my parents, I see my family. So, I love my parents, I love my family. I get attached to my parents, I get attached to my family members, parents, etc., and along with that also, I don't like some people, I don't like certain objects. So, there is an external world, likes and dislikes, raga and dvesha, and that is what is called samsara or bondage. But in the dream state, I don't think this is a dream. So long as we are dreaming, I think it is real. But there is no external object because if there is any external object in the dream state, then everybody should be able to see it. When I am dreaming, nobody knows what type of objects I have seen in my dream. If it is waking state, I am looking at a tree, you can also look at the same tree, etc. But I am working on the impression, thought, pratyaya, of that which I experienced in the waking state as an external object, and I recollect them through memory, and I recreate, rearrange according to my likes, etc. And that is why it is called a little more subtler, and this is a little more purer. But both of them laukikam, means what, both of them are worldly, and both of them equally bind us. Of course, the same thing happens with deep sleep, which is going to come later on. So, Vedanta recognizes two states in this 87th Karika.

The ordinary empirical state of waking, in which duality, consisting of objects and the ideas of coming in contact with them, is known. Vedanta further recognizes another more subtle state, the dream, common to all, that is called dream state or sopnavastha, in which is experienced again duality, consisting of the idea of coming in contact with the objects, though such objects do not in reality exist in our dream state. How do I come in contact with them? Because of the impressions. I saw a tree in the waking state, I might see the same tree in my dream state, and what I saw in the waking state, I think it is a real external object. But while dreaming, I can see the same object, the tree. But so long as I am dreaming, I do not distinguish that this is not a waking state; this is a dream state. No, the dream state is the waking state so long as we are dreaming. But when we again come back to this waking state, "Oh, that was my imagination! Since I saw a tree yesterday, yesterday night I dreamt about that tree," and just as I develop an attachment, attachment means likes and dislikes, so also in the dream also exactly the same phenomena takes place. I like and I don't like. Simple essence of it is here in the 87th Karika, two experiences are described: one is called waking state experience, another is called dream state experience. What is common to both? In the waking state, seemingly there is an external reality, an external object, and I really come into contact, I experience that object, I form an idea about that object, I keep that idea in my object, and when I lie down on bed before deep sleep comes, I am dreaming of the same object because I might like or I might hate. I am recollecting through memory what I have seen, what I am storing in the chitta, and then I am reacting exactly the same way as if it is an external object in the waking state. I hope you are getting it. So long as we are dreaming, that is not called dreaming; we think we are in the waking state. But when we wake up, come out of the dream state, then only we certify, "That was my imagination. That was my dream state." But the important point is there is an object I come into contact with that object. I form an impression. I form a relationship of likes and dislikes. And that both of them, likes and dislikes, are the causes of my bondage. This is what is called Gaudapada wants to convey. But if I am a sadhaka, spiritual practitioner, I must, after studying especially this particular Karika or Upanishads or Bhagavad Gita, must tell what I am seeing is nothing but Shuddha Brahma. What I am dreaming is also Brahma. And I am Brahma. So these two states, experience them. You cannot run away from them. But experience them in a spiritual manner. Then what is spiritual manner? I am a witness according to Gnana Marga, and what I am experiencing is what I am witnessing. And whatever I am experiencing is not me. That is called intense spiritual practice. This is called in simple words detachment. Experience them but do not be affected by them.

Now, in the next Karika, the 88th Karika, the Gaudapada is also conveying a similar message, albeit with a slight difference. What is he discussing? Not about waking, not about dream, but the third state called the deep sleep state.

अवस्त्वनुपलम्भं च लोकोत्तरमिति स्मृतम् ।

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च विज्ञेयं सदा बुद्धैः प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ८८ ॥

avastvanupalambhaṃ ca lokottaramiti smṛtam |

jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca vijñeyaṃ sadā buddhaiḥ prakīrtitam || 88 ||

88. There is another state (admitted by the wise) which is free from contact with (external) objects ana altogether free from the idea of coining in contact with objects. This state is beyond all empirical experiences. The wise always describe the three, Viz., Knowledge, Knowledge of objects and the knowable as the Supreme Reality (which is ultimately knowable).

Now, there are some what is called Buddhist schools which use this particular term. Earlier, he said "vastu," an object, "upalambam," my attachment to that object. But in this deep sleep state, what is there? There is no waking state. What happens? It slowly merges into the dream state. Then, there is no dream state. What happens? That waking dream state now slowly merges into a deep sleep state. That means, in our practical experience, I am free from both the body idea and also the mind idea. That means there is no duality at all. I don't see anything but ignorance ("avidya") is not gone. That is why technical terms in waking and dream overpower the power of covering up the truth and the power of projecting that truth as something else. But in the deep sleep state, only one power works, and that power is it only. It stops projection, but I don't know what truth is, what reality is. So, why is Gaudapada repeating these ideas? For a spiritual practitioner, we have to understand whatever is taking place in the waking dream or dreamless state. I have to be a witness, and that is conveyed in the second line of this particular "avasthu": in the deep sleep state, there is yet another state of consciousness. What does it mean? Apart from the waking and dream, there is yet another state of consciousness admitted by the wise. And what is the nature of this state? It is free from contact with external objects, that means from the waking state, and also free from inner subtle thought forms, that means from the dream experience. It is neither the waking state nor the dream state. And what is the nature of this state? This state is beyond all empirical experiences. What does it mean? The experiencer experiences duality, the witness witnesses duality, the knower knows duality. Everything merges into one. So, the men of wisdom always describe the three: the knowledge, the objects of knowledge, and the knowable, as the supreme reality. What does it mean? So, first of all, "lokottara," a very special state of experience where there are no external objects, which means there is no waking state. There is, therefore, "anupalam bhancha," there is no object either gross or subtle, and there is no attachment either to the external objects or the subtle objects, simply indicating it is beyond both the waking as well as the dream state. And that state is called "sushupti."

Now, when a person experiences this state of sushupti, what happens? He understands, just as I give the example, these three states as an analogy are like three rooms. But when I move from one room to the other room, the experiences of room number one are forgotten, the experiences of room number two become reality, and the experience of room number two changes when I enter room number three. Here, we have to understand something very special. So, when I move from room number one, so long as I am in room number one, that is the reality for me. And when I move into room number two, that becomes reality. When I move from room number one to room number two, room number one becomes past. You see, until the second, whatever happened in our life is gone. We have absolutely no control over it except for some recollections. Similarly, when the dreamer moves from room number two, compared here to room number three, which is the deep sleep state, then both the waking and dream become past experiences. Past means dead. Dead means that is not a reality. Present alone is reality. Past is dead. Future is also dead. What I am experiencing now is alone the reality. And that is what he wants to tell: practicing these three as a witness, we come to a state when we say, "I am pure consciousness," shuddha chaitanyam. And this is what happens in the three states: there is a knower, there is an object to be known, and through the instrument, I come to know this object. Then, I acquire the knowledge of that object. Every state here is called an object. But then, when I progress in spiritual practice, then I will find myself as what? That this, what the knowledge I get and the object about which I want to get knowledge and which I got through direct experience, it is nothing but a change in pure consciousness. Pure consciousness, when it changes into a particular form, is called the waking state. The same pure consciousness called "I" changes into another state, that is called the dream state. And the same pure consciousness, when it changes into a third state called the deep sleep state, dreamless state, it is only a change in the pure consciousness.

And what causes this change? That is called avidya, and for this advanced spiritual practitioner, avidya becomes an object. It is because of this avidya, ignorance, which is making me think that there are three states called waking, dream, and dreamless. But as soon as this person witnesses what is the fundamental Vedantic truth: that whatever I am witnessing, experiencing is not me. I am experiencing; I was experiencing waking, dream, and dreamless, so I am not those three. And for what reason was I experiencing? Because of ignorance. So, I am experiencing ignorance; therefore, I am not an ignorant person. This is what Gaudapada wants to drive into our minds through this analysis. What happens, and that is what is going to drive into our minds in the next Karika. What is it?

ज्ञाने च त्रिविधे ज्ञेये क्रमेण विदिते स्वयम् ।

सर्वज्ञता हि सर्वत्र भवतीह महाधियः ॥ ८९ ॥

jñāne ca trividhe jñeye krameṇa vidite svayam |

sarvajñatā hi sarvatra bhavatīha mahādhiyaḥ || 89 ||

89. Knowledge and the three fold knowable being known, one after another, the knower possessed of the highest reason spontaneously attains to the state of knowledge everywhere and in all things in this very life.

Such a person who experiences ignorance and whatever is experienced is not me, he attains to that state of illumination. Such a person is called the highest intelligent person, mahādhiya. When knowledge and the threefold knowables are known one after another in their correct sequence, he who is possessed of the highest reason continuously attains to this state of knowledge everywhere and in all things in this very life. He becomes sarvajna and he becomes brahman. And one who knows that I am brahman is the only intelligent person. And Sri Ramakrishna puts it, what is cleverness? To know that I am brahman is cleverness. Real cleverness. The rest is the cleverness, the cleverness of a crow. Sri Ramakrishna specifically says, a crow thinks it is very clever from morning till evening, whole life. What is it searching for? Contemptible things, dirty things, impure things. And it thinks, "When I acquire these things, I am the wisest person." Like that. So, we will talk about this in our next class.