MANASOLLASA - I

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MANASOLLLASA – A TREATISE ON ADVAITA

 

 

Jaya Jaya Shankara!

Shree Lalita Mahatripurasundari Paraabhattaarikaa Sametaaya Shree

Chandramouleshwara Parbrahmane namaH!

 

Manasollasa is a wonderful treatise on Advaita by Sri

Sureshwaracharya, the great disciple of Acharya Shankara. This is

actually a commentary on Acharya's Dakshinamurthy Stotra. This is

called Manasollasa – ` that which exhilarates the mind'. However, I

would like to add that before getting such joy out of a tough

metaphysical work like this, a taste for the same has to be

assiduously cultivated. This Manasollasa itself has a commentary by a

seventeenth century scholar named Raama Tirtha. Presented here is a

summary of this invaluable work, with invaluable notes by Sri Swami

Harshandaji of Ramakrishna Ashrama.

`This exists', `This reveals itself', thus proceeds ordinary

life. And, in which thing is this `existence or revelation'

established? Is it established in those respective things? Or in God,

the Self of All? What is the nature of Ishwara or God and Jiva or

individual soul? And, what is the nature of this `being, which is the

Self of all? ` These are the questions asked by the disciple. As a

result of the merit acquired over several previous lives, the spirit

of discrimination (Viveka) and detachment (Vairagya) has dawned upon

him. This has endowed him with the required competence (Adhikara) to

enquire into the nature of Truth.

Every object that is grasped by our senses appears to exhibit

two characteristics: existence (Astitva) and the capacity to be

revealed (Prakaashatva). The question is where these two are

established? Are they separate for each object and exist in the

object itself? Or, are they universal and exist in Ishwara, the

common substratum and Self of the entire creation?

How does Jiva know that Ishwara is the Lord and Self of all?

What is the means of achieving this knowledge? What result does he

gain by that knowledge? Is it obtaining something new like heaven,

which was not there before? Or, is it a rediscovery of an already

established fact, like rediscovering the necklace on the neck, which

had been forgotten due to absent-mindedness? How does this identity

between Jiva and Ishwara come about?

Now, the preceptor starts replying to all these queries. All

the fourteen worlds exist in Ishwara. The entire world, though inside

Him, appears to be outside, like the reflection in a mirror, due to

Maya. Just as one, in a dream, sees the world within oneself as if it

is separate, in the same way, during the waking state also, this

world should be judged. It is deduced that, in dream, the reality of

the objects is nothing but the reality of oneself. Then, what

specialty is there in the objects seen in the waking state, which are

insentient and quickly destroyed? Thus, the common point between the

dream state and the waking state is that in both cases, the objects

of experience are transient.

The revelation of the objects in dream is due to the light of

oneself and not due to anything else. Similarly, in waking state

also – so do the wise ones decide. The point to be noted here is that

any object, which cannot exist independently, cannot also reveal

itself independently. How can an object, which does not exist, reveal

itself? Just as one who has woken up from sleep, does not see the

objects shown in dream, even so, one does not see the world, after

attaining knowledge par excellence. This knowledge is the realization

of atman or Brahman, the basis of all existence and consciousness.

When the Jiva who has been asleep due to beginning-less Maya,

wakes up, then, he realizes the non-dual Self, which is beyond the

three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. Ignorance of, and

mistaken notions about, the atman are as good as sleep, or perhaps

worse than sleep. Sleep breaks in a natural way without our effort,

whereas only rigorous Sadhana can remove ignorance and false

understanding. The awakening from Maya comes as a result of the

teachings of a competent Guru.

By the kindness of the Vedas and the spiritual preceptor, by

the dint of the practice of yoga, as also by the grace of the God,

when the knowledge of the Self arises, the aspirant sees the whole

world as swallowed up by the fullness of the `I' principle i.e. the

Self. The atman-Brahman principle can never be known through the

medium of the senses or even the intellect or by inference. Its

existence and nature are known only through the revealed scriptures

or Vedas.

Just as one becomes a king in a dream, enjoys all the desired

objects, conquers an enemy in the battle-field, is defeated later by

another enemy, retires into forest and performs austerities, and

thinks that he has lived for a very long time, even though it was for

a very short period, as long as the dream lasts. In the same way, in

the waking state also, he rules over the kingdom fancied by the mind,

and does not perceive how his life is getting destroyed by the

powerful floods of the river of time. Like the sun covered by clouds,

the Atman being greatly deluded by Maya, appears like one who knows

little and can do little. However, the reality is only one. It is the

atman-Brahman principle. It is this same principle that appears both

as Ishwara and as Jiva. The example of the king given above clarifies

this point. It is the same person that becomes both the king and the

forest mendicant. Both these conditions have been brought about by

dream state. In the same way, it is association with Maya that makes

the Atman appear as Ishwara. Entering into the created world and

subjecting himself to the influence of Maya, he becomes the Jiva.

There is no separate or independent entity called Jiva at all.

Whatever work a person accomplishes by his own power or

whatever knowledge he gains by his own capacity, with regard to that,

he is described as `emperor', `king', `servant' or `Lord'. Thus,

anyone who achieves anything great in this world, by dint of his

own efforts and capacity, is an Ishwara with regard to the

achievement. The point to be noted however is that, it is due to the

identity with Ishwara that the powers of knowledge and action have

been transferred to all the living beings. That the Jiva is also

Ishwara is established by the fact of the accretion of the powers of

Ishwara on the Jiva. What is meant here is that the power of

knowledge and action, Jnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti, really belong to

Ishwara. He alone is independent. These powers are also seen in the

Jiva, but they are borrowed powers like the heat in a red-hot iron

ball. Because the jives exhibit these powers which belong to Ishwara,

therefore it may be inferred that Ishwara is in them, as their very

Self. Hence His Sarvaatmatva or the quality of being the Self of all

is proved.

Like the light of sun, it is knowledge or consciousness that

shines by itself in all such apprehensions as: `This is a pot', `This

is a cloth'. When an object like a pot or a cloth is seen in

sunlight, it is actually the sunlight that is reflected from those

objects that is being seen. And, sunlight does not need a second

object to reveal itself. It is self-revealing. Similarly, when we

know an object as, `This is a pot', it is actually the consciousness

of our self that is revealing itself. If knowledge or consciousness

were not self-existent, then the world would have become blindly

dark. If Ishwara did not possess any Kriya (activity), then, how can

day-to-day life proceed? But what is this Kriya? Kriya or activity is

of the nature of movement and transformation. When knowledge or

consciousness flows out, then activity rises as its effect, as it

were. Here Ishwara is being described as Sarvajna (all-knowing) and

Sarvakarta (doer of all), thereby attributing two important

characteristics of Jnana and Kriya to him.

Kriya or activity manifests itself in two ways: Parispanda,

which means vibration or movement as in the case of an arrow, shot

from the bow. The second way is called Parinama, which means

transformation or change of state as in the case of gold being made

into ornaments. Now the scriptures say that Kriya is a product of

Jnana. How it is so, can be explained as follows: When a person sees

a small boulder on his path, lifts it with his hands and clears his

path, a long chain of actions will have taken place. First, his mind-

stuff, with the reflection of the consciousness of Atman in it, flows

out through the eyes, envelopes the boulder and produces the

knowledge, `This is a boulder'. Second, he thinks, `Since this is

obstructing my path, let me remove it'. Third, he lifts it with his

hands and removes it elsewhere. It is actually this last part, which

is actual Kriya. For this, the hands are the gross instrument. This

instrument in turn is moved by the power of Prana, the vital breath

of life-force energy. This Prana, is situated in the body and

supported by the Atman, which is consciousness personified. Thus it

is seen that Kriya is the end product of Jnana. This atman that is

the Antaryamin (the indweller) is really Ishwara. Hence whatever

activity is seen in living beings, it is to be understood as having

ensued from Ishwara Himself.

Activity abides in production, attainment, refinement and

change. It gets manifested in such actions as are indicated by the

verbs, `He does', `He goes', and `He goes', `He rubs' etc. what we

mean here is that Kriya is abstract and that it gets manifested

through certain actions. `Doing' as in the case of a

potter, `produces' a pot. This is Utpatti or production. `Going' as

in the case of a traveler returning home results in his `attaining'

his home or goal. This is Praapti or attainment. `Rubbing' as in the

case of the goldsmith brings about a `refinement' in the ornament

through polish. This is Samskaara or refinement. `Cutting' as in the

case of a tree-feller makes the tree undergo a `change' or

disfigurement. This is Vikaara or change. All these are different

aspects of Parinama or transformation. The first, Parispanda or

movement has already been illustrated in the boulder example.

Ishwara, in the bodies of Brahma, Vishnu and other deities,

appears to be omniscient. In gods, human beings and animals,

respectively in the decreasing order, his knowledge becomes limited.

Beings born out of the womb, the egg, moisture and springing from the

earth-these four classes, again, have less knowledge in the

decreasing order starting from the first. Ishwara, the Sarvajna (all-

knowing) has become the Jiva who is a Kinchijna (the little-knowing).

What is the reason for it? It is just a question of manifestation of

knowledge, which depends upon the type of body the Jiva inhabits. In

the scale of evolution, higher the type of body, greater the

manifestation of knowledge. Similarly, lower the type of body, lesser

the manifestation of knowledge. When the Supreme Atman, the unlimited

light is realized, it will be discovered that everything from Brahma

(the creator) upto a blade of grass is only a fanciful idea like that

of a dream. On waking up from sleep, all the fanciful creations of

dream just disappear. Similarly, when the infinite Atman is realized,

this finite creation also disappears.

The Upanishads describe the Atman thus, ` The Atman, smaller

than the smallest and greater than the greatest, dwells in the hearts

of the creatures. The desire less one, being free from grief,

realizes the glory of Atman through the purity of senses and mind'.

Now, let us examine the views of some prominent schools of thought

regarding the material cause of the wold.

According to the Vaisesika school of thought, the material

cause of this world is Paramanu or atoms of the elements earth, fire,

water etc. They try to prove their theory as follows: `Just as clay

and not Ishwara, is the material cause of a pot, which is seen

invariably as consisting of clay, in the same way, it is the atoms

combined that form the material cause of the world and not Ishwara.

The various qualities like form, taste, smell etc. that may appear in

the products of these atoms, are really produced from those qualities

in the atoms themselves. Even here, the agency of Ishwara is not

needed'.

As far as created objects are concerned, there are three

Kaaranas or causes that contribute to their production. They are:

Samavayee Kaarana or inherent cause, Asamavayee Kaarana or non-

inherent cause and Nimitta Kaarana or efficient cause. `Samavaaya' is

a technical term of Nyaya-Vaisesika school. It is the relationship by

which a quality inheres in the qualified object (eg. Redness in rose

or motion in a moving object). Extending this principle further, this

school says that an effect like a pot inheres in the cause, the clay,

from which it is made to manifest. So, clay is the Samavayee Kaarana

for the pot. The potter's wheel and the stick are Asamvayee Kaaranas

or non-inherent causes. The potter himself is the Nimitta Kaarana or

the efficient cause. In creation, according to this view, Ishwara

plays only the third role as Nimitta Kaarana and not the first two.

The material cause is always reflected in its effects. Since Ishwara

is not reflected in this world, therefore, He is not the material

cause. This is the conclusion of these schools.