Mandukya Karika Lecture 134 on 20-December-2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

In our last class, we have been studying the 49th Karika of the 4th or last chapter called Alatha Shante Prakarana. Alatha means a fire brand, a burning tip, just a tip. But when we move it fast enough, we can produce various forms. Simplest imagination will be a square, a circle, a triangle, etc. But experts can produce any object that we want. Now Gaudapada is taking us very deep into the refinement of our intellect. When this tip of, a glowing tip of anything, when it is moved, then various forms are produced. When it is moved very fast, so many forms can be produced. Now, are these forms really there? First of all, are these forms inside that fire brand or inside the perceiver? Suppose you go on moving this fire brand in front of your pet dog or pet anything. But the dog will not see any form. Only intelligence is necessary. Mind must be working. And our mind is the thing that will go on working. This is a very important point for all of us. And then what does Gaudapada want to say? The fire brand is the cause, Karana. The forms of the fire brand, when it is moved, that they are the Karyas, that is effects. Karya, Karana, Vada. This is what he wants to clarify. Naturally, you apply that one to Vedanta. This is only a simile, an example. So what is it meant for? What is that which needs to be illustrated through these examples? That is to say, pure consciousness, Atman or Brahman doesn't have any reality. There is no second object. Only Brahman is there, Atman is there. Therefore, when there is only one, the question of Karya, Karana doesn't arise. When we see clay, Karya, Karana doesn't arise. But the moment we see a pot, immediately Karya, Karana. Where from this pot has come? It has come from the clay. Where from the ornament has come? From the gold, etc. So, the scripture is talking about this. This is what the opponent contends. That the scriptures are all speaking Karya, Karana only. Most of the time, it is only a description of Karya, Karana. Brahma is the creator. The whole world consisting of living and non-living, and the conscious experience of the birth, etc. Sixfold changes. And then, the three types of experiences. Waking, Dream, Dreamless. These activities are going on. Movements are going on. Movements means change. Changes are going on. So, the previous change is the cause of the later effect. This is what is called Karana Karya Vadas. And our behaviour from birth to death is only dependent upon this Karana Karya Vada. My mother, my parents are the cause. And we, our children, are the effect. And I am the cause. My children are the effect. I studied well. That is the cause. I get a wonderful... I happen to pass brilliantly. And I get a very good job. And I slapped my boss. That is the Karana. Lost my job. That is the Karya. Every single thing. Somebody cooked very well. That is the Karana. And I have over-eaten. That is the Karya. Since I have over-eaten, that is the Karana. My stomach went bad. That is the Karya. You cannot show me one single action which is not born of it or which is not related to Karya Karana including deep sleep. So, the scriptures are full of it. Now, Shankaracharya while commenting upon Audapadacharya he clarifies this matter. The truth is, it is one without a second. These are very important terms. Ajah, unborn. Now, only something that is born can be the Karana or something else. Swami Vivekananda had given very deep thoughts about these things. What is anybody's life? Somebody, we don't know when, where had taken a beautiful, very responsive rubber ball and he gave a kick. It went and touched the corner of a cylinder. And that side of the cylinder bounces that ball and that ball goes to the opposite wall and that opposite wall bounces it like that. We don't know what is the first cause. But everything is a reaction to a reaction. Original action, we never know. This is called Anadi. We do not know when the Samsara started. But we know that everything is a reaction. My birth in this life is the reaction to my karma phala in the past birth. And what I do now will be the cause which will produce its own reaction. So, what is the point? That which is birthless can never be the Karana for anything. And as soon as we see too, even though we say a pot is nothing but clay, but there is a difference. Clay is without a form, without a beginning of time. Desha, Kala, Nimitta, without any purpose. This is the characteristic of the clay. Because what can you do with the clay? Can you store water? Or can you cook food? Can you serve from it? Can it be a store? No. For that, it has to be in a particular format. So that format, just like words also, letters A, E, U, V, etc. It is completely useless. Only when you combine them and that too in a particular way, Triputi, that is, there is what is called noun, there is an object, and there is something, a verb, which connects a noun with the object, then only a meaning comes out of it. So all these things, the cause is completely, in one way, different from the effect. So we cannot say a pot is exactly the same. Clay, for example, doesn't have a form, therefore it doesn't have a specific name, only a general name, clay. But if it becomes a small pot, big pot, round pot, square pot, etc., various names to distinguish one Karya from another Karya. So the Atman is unborn, pure consciousness is unborn, and it is one without a second. And it is Nitya. The meaning of Nitya is changeless. So clay changing into a pot, assuming a different name and form, is a change. We can clearly distinguish it. But consciousness, Atman, Atman is another name for consciousness. We cannot accuse Atman as changing into some Nama Rupa. No, it never changed. So to illustrate that one, Mahapada has taken this brilliant example, really brilliant example. What exists is only one glowing tip, and you cannot name it. It is Ajah, and it is Advaita, it is Shashvata, it is Nitya. You have to apply all those things. But every form that we perceive, that is, the tip is not becoming these forms, but it appears. Here we have to make the distinction what becomes and what appears. Something appears. For that, Shankaracharya gives a brilliant example. And what for? Because the opponent says, you are boasting of your scriptures, but you are quoting only these kinds of statements which support your view, Atman is Ajah, Nitya, Shashvata, Stanhu, Achalaha, etc. But every Upanishad, the essence of the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, and Bhagavad Gita specifically says that anything, any manifestation you see, especially in anything, is distinguishable, but I am that special manifestation. But Bhagavan Himself says, whatever you see is My manifestation. Living, non-living, moving, non-moving. Everything is born of Prakruti, and Prakruti cannot give birth unless it is enlivened by My power, Maya Adhyakshena. And even if I am an Adhyaksha, some part of that causality is pushed and to me there is no doubt about it. For that, Godfather gives all these brilliant examples giving this Alatha Spandana, but at the same time, Shankaracharya comments, I will just give you that example. Shankaracharya gives the example of two people walking in semi-darkness and one person sees only the rope, another person sees the snake. The important thing is the person who is seeing the rope does not see the snake. The person who is seeing the snake vividly, he doesn't see the rope. Now whose knowledge is correct? For that, the answer is that which is unchanging is the truth, that which is sublated, changed later on, that is appearance. So the snake is an appearance. First of all, what exists is only the rope and the rope is out there. It is the Vastu. But the person who is seeing the snake, he sees the snake. Where is that snake? There is no snake there. The rope has never become the snake, but this person, in his mind, he sees the snake. This is called Abhasa. That is superimposition. So, most of us, why does this person see? Because of Avidya. Avidya in the form of not clearly visible light, then similarity and previous experience because of these three. But the person who is seeing the rope, because he himself has kept it, perhaps, so he doesn't mistake anything, nothing changes. He knows this is a rope and the effects of the rope rub off on the first person. The effects of the snake rub off on the second person. So, all these verses that we are going to discuss is to illustrate through this beautiful rope-snake analogy because we are all covered. Jagrat, we are affected by two powers of Avidya. One is called covering the truth. Another is seeing something else in its place. So, Avarna Shakti and Vikshepa Shakti. So, that is the reason. But a person who has realized Brahman, he doesn't see anything at all excepting Brahman. Even to say he sees Brahman is not a proper word. With this background, we can just recollect the 49th and move forward. We have discussed it. When the firebrand is still, everybody sees only the tip, burning, glowing tip of the anything. It could be incense, it could be a stake, it could be anything. But when it is the moment we start moving. So, there is a mover. He is moving. But the Alatha is not moving. It is an important point to note down. Various appearances, square, etc. That is all. Again, it will come. So, where are the appearances? If you ask the firebrand, have you become a triangle? Have you become a square? No. It is only our mind, the perceiver's mind that is affected by it. So, the question is, points are given here, where from these appearances have come? And when the tip is stopped moving, then where do they go? That is the second. That is, if they have come, whether they have come from outside and whatever comes from outside will go again outside only. Or, like some people who enter into your room from outside and once business is over, they move away. The second point is, did they come from the still, just glowing tip? No. All the three are negative. That means what? Appearances, you should not question where from they have come, how they have come, what time they have come, what is the causation and what changes have taken place. All these questions pertain only to what we call some object that is really existing. But when the object itself is not existing, so when was the son of a barren woman born and how many months his mother carried him and why was he born? His horn is squint-eyed. Did he do any bad prarabdha karma in his previous life? And how is he going to live a happy life, unhappy life? All these are completely useless questions because the son of a barren woman doesn't exist. The horns of a hare do not exist. So that which doesn't exist but for some reason it appears. And what is the reason? Mind. It is a brilliant analysis. So long as there is mind, all these questions become relevant. When there is no mind, for example, in our dream state, dreamless state, deep sleep state, we don't question where from the world has come, who is my father and mother, why was I born like this, am I so miserable? We never question these things because all these appearances completely disappear. Neither, of course, do I know the real truth. So these are the important points mentioned in the 49th. This is being explained in the next few karikas. So we move on to the 50th. अभावयोगतः विज्ञानेपि तथायेवस्युः अभासस्य अविषयेशतः Marvellous reasoning power, so deep. What does it mean? The appearances. What appearances are we talking about? The square, the triangle, the circle, etc. of that firebrand. They do not emerge from the firebrand. It always remains only a single glowing pip. But why these things cannot appear? For that the reason is they are not of the nature of a substance. A substance means a vastu, an object. An object means a real object. Only if there is a real object, it has come from somewhere and then it also goes back from where it has come and various changes take place. But you cannot say just like a dream, somebody comes and then somebody goes away. Some people give us happiness, some people give us unhappiness. In fact, all people give us, every person, every object, every experience gives us both happiness and unhappiness. Is it something strange statement? No. Tulsi Dasa, he explains this beautifully. My salutations both to the saints and also to evil people, evil doers. Both of them give me happiness but for different reasons. When evil people go away from me, depart from me, then they give me the greatest happiness. When dukkha goes away from us, it gives us greatest happiness. I told you a funny incident. There was a fellow in Chennai, Madras. He was a black fellow and he was wearing complete European dress, black coat and so many things and one tie also. Tie means bandana actually. And then he specially acquired, maybe he paid very special price, very tight boots and whole day, he will go on roaming, suffering and suffering and suffering. Ah! I cannot bear like that. And many people observed it. And then he comes home. And then these people, he takes the boots off. Says, Ah! What a bliss I am experiencing. Some people asked, why do you want to suffer like that? He says, you fools, you don't know. The degree of happiness I experience the moment I take off my boots. So, when dukkha goes away, it gives us tremendous happiness. And it is true. You overeat and your stomach goes bad and you suffer for few days and then everything becomes alright. How happy, how much enjoyment you are enjoying, the same old things which you were criticizing before. Now you praise, what a marvelous cook you are. I never realized it before. Similarly, when good people, that is satpurushas, devotees, those who talk eternal values, when they come, they give me the greatest happiness. When wicked people come to me, they bring tremendous suffering. When they go, they bring tremendous joy. When good people come to me, they give me tremendous happiness. And when these good people after some time, after talking about God, depart, they give me the greatest suffering. I never want separation from them. So you see, how much psychological truth is involved in this. Same experience, both gives us happiness as well as unhappiness. Of course, it is a fact. It is a, what is called fact of nature, life. We can never separate them. Dukha, sukha, you can never separate. So, this is what Godapada wants to tell us in the 50th Karika. All the rupas, square, circle, triangle that we perceive, they have not gone away from the glowing tip. Why? What is the reason? Because all these appearances are possible only for a dravya. Dravya means a real substance. Abhava means all these appearances. That's why we use the word appearance. Appearance is not reality. Appearance is an appearance. So, dravyatva means there is no shred of reality there. That is called abhava-yogataha. Because there is no shred of reality, truth. They are all appearances. And then he says, What is Vijnana here? So, pure consciousness which is unborn, one, eternal, unchanging, etc. Similarly, we only experience. What do we experience? Birth of a baby and then the person lives, the person grows, the person becomes old, that person undergoes various problems of life, diseases, and finally the body which is birth. Remember always, we never see the birth of a mind. We never see the birth of a quality. We only see the birth of a physical body. Everybody can see it. It is very important. So, there are what is called concrete things. There are called what is called only ideational, ideas in the mind. What is the example? Body is a concrete thing. But love, hatred, friendship, service, these are real. They are as real as the body. But they are very subtle. So, we have to... When you see the body, it is called perception. But when you experience, it is only experienceable. That is why they are called concept. Ideas in the mind. In Vedanta, in Tarka logic, we have to remember this. Percept means any of the knowledge obtained through any of the usage of the five organs of knowledge, sense organs of knowledge. But certain things... Mother loves me. Mother, you show me how much you love. Baby, you love me. Yes. How do I know? There is a beautiful story to remember. Once, a family of Holy Mother's devotees came. They had a three years old baby girl and she loved Holy Mother. Of course, because Holy Mother used to take her into her lap and play her with so many sweets. And if anybody does it to me, I will also start loving her. There is no doubt about it. That is why when some devotees come empty-handed, rittahastha, he says, we only brought pranam, no pranami. So, I am not very bothered about them. So, this girl was tremendous news. She was the only baby girl. So, she what is called, teases and then she nags all her brothers and everybody, parents, give me this, give me that. So, once Holy Mother was going to Jairambati. For a few months, she would not return. So, this family came to take leave and then they mentioned this particular nagging quality of the young girl. And Holy Mother, as usual, as soon as the girl comes, she runs to and jumps into the lap of Holy Mother. How fortunate that girl must be. So, Holy Mother took and then she asks, Baby, do you love me? And that girl said, Yes, Mom. I love you very much. How much do you love me? How to show? Can you show anybody how much you love? But baby girl, you know, unfortunately, she doesn't know all these limitations. She opened her hands like this. So, so much I love you. So much I love you. You have to understand. You have to stretch your hands. And Holy Mother put another question, third question. How do I know that you love me? That girl got puzzled. Then she asked Holy Mother, How can I prove that I love you? Then Holy Mother instructed that if you truly love me, you will never ask anything of anybody. And the baby girl understood. After all, Divine Mother was teaching her. She promised. Promise. I promise. From now onwards, I will prove that I love you by not asking anything. And then the family got the blessings and they went away. When Holy Mother returned, again they came to visit. This time Holy Mother noticed a change. She asked, Did this girl give any trouble? After last time, she promised. And they all said with a bit of regret, I think. Previously, we used to enjoy her teasing, nagging. But now she doesn't ask anyone of us. And what is the result? Everybody was falling head over heels. That how they can play her with more and more sweets. Very practical girl, you know. Girls and children are very practical. So, this is just an illustration to show certain things. You hate somebody. And we all hate something, somebody, etc. And when that somebody comes, your face is beaming. Your eyes are dancing. Oh, so glad to see you. Inside you are boiling. How soon can I get rid of this person? Don't worry. I also practice it sometimes. So, you don't worry outing your inner feelings, at least to yourself. Don't tell to others. I only tell in the classes. I don't tell to the devotees directly. If it is a real object, it is not in your control. So, this what is called percept, what is called concept, very important. And both are vastus. Why? Because love is as real, hatred is as real, friendship is as real, service is as real. They are called subtle perceptions called conceptions. That is what will come very soon. So, giving this example, Gaudapada wants to tell us because all these forms, the triangle, the square, etc., they are not real. They do not come from the glowing tip. In fact, it never becomes anything. So, the question of their coming doesn't arise. Why? They are not real things. So, what is the comparison? So, this tip of a glowing tip of a stick or an incense stick or whatever it is, it is compared to pure consciousness. There is light and it never changes. It is one. It is not born, etc. We have to imagine it. Tatha eva syuhu. So, syuhu means all the things that we imagine are born of pure consciousness. What are they? Birth, etc. Shadurmi. And then three types of experiences or panchakoshas. All these things we have to understand is as unreal as not objects at all but perceptions in our because of the mind, just like we see various forms when this glowing tip is moved slow or fast by various people. Just as those are superimpositions. So, all the birth, srishti, sthiti, laya of whether it is body or mind, all the three states of everyday experience are all abhasas, means appearances. And appearances always come because of the mind. Just as a person perceives a snake, the perception of a snake, we should not call it a superimposition of the rope because so long as we continue to see the snake, the person doesn't know that we are superimposing it. Only when we have knowledge of both the rope as well as the snake after light is brought out then we know I was superimposing the snakes because of similarity, because of semi-darkness, because of prior experience but these are really speaking abhasas. What does Godabadha wants to convey through this? Simple. He says this karyakarana they apply only to srishti, sthiti and laya. And when there is no srishti, sthiti and laya, karyakarana falls. These are all arguments against karyakarana vada. And He continues in the 51st, 52nd also. Remember what we have studied earlier in the 49th the various forms circle, triangle etc. There is no reality to them. They are just perceptions. And because they are not real objects they have not come from the glowing tip. They are not entering into the glowing tip. They have not suddenly come from outside. They are not going outside. So neither because a superimposed something doesn't have any existence. That which doesn't have any existence, no attribute can be laid upon it. That is the idea here. Here we are in the samsara. Samsara means what? I am a jivaatma. I am a jivaatma means what? I have a body and mind and my chidabhasa associated with body-mind is called jivaatma and there is a mind and the abhasa illumines the mind enlivens the mind and the mind goes out through the sense organs. There is a tree, there is a man, there is a river, there is a mountain. These are all just as we perceive when somebody is moving the glowing tip of an incense or a stick. These are all mere imaginations of the mind. What is the point? Plus pure consciousness plus the mind all this srishti sthiti laya. Pure consciousness without a mind and the best example is deep sleep. There is no srishti sthiti laya. You don't question where from have I come? Why have I come? What purva janma karma I have done? Nothing of that sort. This is what Godapada wants to convey. Vijnana means in pure consciousness spandamane vai. Spandamana means vibrations. What does vibration mean? Jagrat, sapna, sushukti birth, growth, death, etc. They are all anyato bhuvaha. They have not come from somewhere. Just like the forms of a glowing tip when moved do not come from either itself or from outside. They are all abasaha and mere appearances and about appearances the questions of where from, why, how do not arise. Na anyato bhuvaha. They do not exist. So they have not come from somewhere. But how do we find all this? Because all of them are experiences in the mind. Birth is a thought in the mind. Growth, youth, old age, disease, death, sorrow all these are appearances. How do we know? Deep sleep. I am an old man. You do not say I was born 50 years back or I was born 4 years back. No, you do not say that. Nothing. Because you have no idea of what is birth. Therefore you have no idea of what happens after birth. No idea of death. No thought is there. When there is no thought what should be there? Only pure consciousness. Play of the pure consciousness. So So from the Vijnana they do not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere because excepting Atman there is no second thing. Therefore it is very clear So they are not coming out of pure consciousness. They are also not entering into the pure consciousness. And the same idea continued in the 52nd which we have seen earlier So Vijnana They have not come from Vijnana and they are not entering again into Vijnana because nothing comes out nothing enters back again because there is nothing. This is a beautiful word. Nothing comes out nothing goes inside. About nothing you cannot say anything. If you say anything about nothing it is anything but nothing. Why? Earlier the reason is given because it is not an object. It is not a real object. So Abhava means reality Abhava lacking of reality. Appearance should be there but not reality. So that is what he is continuing. These ideas when your mind is functioning and along with Srishti your mind comes and that mind produces I am born, I have grown up I become old and I am going to die because you can't say I am dead. So Karya Karana First what is experience? Karya, effect. And then you deduce that why am I growing up? Because I am born. My birth is the reason for my growth. My birth is the reason for my youth. My birth is the reason for my old age. My birth is the reason for my future death. So Karya Karana So Abhava There is no Karya Karana relationship. These Bhavas do not exist. Therefore So you should It is impossible to penetrate the mystery of Srishti. Even such a great soul like Gaudapada says then why are we seeing it? In simple words in other words what we are challenging Gaudapada and Shankaracharya and their parampara is if there is no reality how can there be an appearance? An appearance must have a cause that is called Mithya. And why this Mithya has come? This is an unsolvable unsolved, ever remaining unsolvable problem in the philosophy. What is it? How do you explain Maya? And the very word Maya you know what is Maya? Ma Ya What is the definition? Maya that which Ma, not there. So something that is not there but it suddenly appears to be just like our dream etc. In dream you can't say suddenly why you find yourself in some other place, some other situation either you are very happy or not happy whatever it is there is no causal relationship. You have eaten nicely and you are starving and you are walking and walking what are you doing? You are nicely sleeping lying down and then it is a beautiful dream you are walking, you are tired it is very very hot, you are sweating everything is going on but when you wake up what do you find? You have eaten finely, you are drunk very tasty, cold drinks and you are lying on what they call water bed. So like that why did I mention water bed? Because God himself prefers water bed. He is always there, not only water bed it is also spring mattress. So Ananta Naga was with thousand hoods Adisesha so he is lying you move a spring will go down then you move this side and it is messaging you every part of your body this is such a luxury he discovered but more important than that father-in-law's house, mother-in-law's house you get that kind of respect and servitude which you don't get in your own home that is why both Shiva and Vishnu permanently made their abode their mother-in-law's house only coming back what is it? Srishti Stithi Laya or appearances now it is a very serious objection you are talking nonsense even for an appearance to happen there must be some reason even to mistake a rope for a snake three causes are there first the semi-darkness is a reality second the rope and then the snake which we have seen earlier earlier experienced snake has created fright and it scared us and it is similar to the rope so similarity is there semi-darkness is there and also earlier experience is there and indiscriminate combination of these three we are convinced it is not it is a snake we don't even say I thought I mistook a rope only after getting knowledge of both you can claim I mistook this rope for a snake until that time either you are seeing the rope or you are seeing the snake now to see the snake so you can attribute some type of reason why you have mistaken something for something else but this is also beautiful logic you will never question so long as you think that it is a snake you don't give an explanation why I am thinking this is a snake no, it is a snake that is the reality, that's it full stop when somebody brings light semi-darkness disappears similarity disappears earlier experience disappears and what remains is whatever object is lying down then why did I mistake it then these three reasons come out but how did maya where did it where does it remain and how can there be maya and brahman because you are saying is advaita advitiya and akhanda are there two no so you cannot even say there is one so where from this maya has come and maya is just the opposite of complete knowledge so chit and achit that is chaitanyam and its opposite complete darkness light and darkness sir can you explain this one that is why what does godfather says achintyaha sada evate nobody can answer this question sada forever these concepts appearances achintyaha they remain beyond the realm of the mind there is no doubt about it that is what he says the fire brand is compared to this ignyana ignyana means pure consciousness same trend is continued in the 53rd mantra dravyam dravyase hetusya anyat anyase chaivahi dravyatam anyabhavo va dharmanam na upapadyate it is again beautiful deep reasoning only one real object can be the cause of another real object for example clay is real so pot is also real gold is real ornaments are real because if you say ornaments are not real then you have to say even gold is unreal also no ornaments are nothing but pure reality of the gold similarly pots etc pure reality of the clay every piece of furniture pure reality of the wood only apply it to everything anyat anyase chaivahi but supposing something is not a concrete something earlier i mentioned this one you will have to bring it here that is anything concrete we experience it is real so one real thing a mother for example can give birth to a baby a potter with the help of instrument can shape clay into a pot similarly a goldsmith similarly a carpenter but there are also other things what is it anyat means we are not talking about unreality we are talking about subtle reality like love like friendship etc in our mind the function of the five sense organs is concreteness and the function of the mind is ideas ideational that is why it is called concepts so this is white is a concept this is good is a concept this is very loving object this is a concept this is a happy object pleasant object that is a concept why concept because you can change your concepts any number of times what you think is very pleasant for you under different circumstances may be just the opposite but these are ideas so one idea one subtle idea one concept can lead to another concept so a concrete object can be the cause of or can produce another concrete object a concept can also produce can be the cause of another concept but but this realness object this concreteness or this concreteness or the what is called conceptness dharmana jivana dharmana here means pure consciousness that is jivatma which is endowed if there is no mind there are no thoughts dharmana na upadhyate you cannot attribute that it is born of a mind because every jiva is only paramatma is a mistake to think I am the body and mind and so every jivatma is none other than paramatma therefore there is no draviyam draviyatva abhava and therefore birth etc but then why does the scripture speak of for that I gave you if a man is continuously perceiving a snake and suffering from the effects that person should not be told there is no snake yes there is a snake it is a water snake it is not a poisonous snake so by that itself when he believes another wise person so let it be there and then slowly light is brought and then it is there is no snake at all so lessen the burden this is the essence of sadhana go on lessening the reality of what we thought absolute reality until it is the real cause which is causeless cause that is the knowledge of brahman is obtained beautiful idea this 53rd mantra we will talk about it in our next class Om Jananem Shardam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Padapadme Tayo Saritva Pranamami Moham Moho May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna