NARAYANEEYAM - Part 10 A

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Hari OM!

 

Note: Please read the Introduction if you have not already read it.

Namaste.The following is in fact a supplement to my ABCPN – 10 , underComments to Sloka No.28. It is taken from Vidyaranya'sintroduction to the study of Upanishads. The Englishtranslation is by Alladi Mahadeva Sastry.

 

" …. A thing is said to be unknown, as the Vedantic authoritiesdeclare, when veiled by ajnana or ignorance; and it is said tobe known when illumined by the organ of knowledge. And boththese facts are illumined by the Witness, by the unfailing

Consciousness. Every thing always presents itself to theWitness, to Consciousness, either as known or unknown. Such isthe main truth taught in the scriptures. Thus it isConsciousness by which a thing is realized as unknown; and by

all organs of knowledge we cognize what has remained unknown. ….The result of a thing being unknown is the veiling of the thingand nothing else. The inert unconscious matter being in itselfveiled and dark, how can there be a new veiling of it? On the

other hand, Consciousness, which is luminous, is affected bysomething else veiling it, just as, a white cloth is affectedby the dyeing ink. Rahu may darken the moon, never the darkclouds. Thus it is Consciousness that is the unknown and the

inert matter is formed of ajnana. Whatever is the cause or theeffect should be regarded as the inert matter"(I do not quite comprehend the inclusion of the words 'thecause or' in this last sentence. I am happy with the sentence

without these three words! -- VK)"By the whole of that inert matter the self-luminousConsciousness is veiled. By Consciousness thus veiled, bothitself and the inert matter shine forth, just as both the moon

and Rahu – the shadow eclipsing it – shine by the moon. TherebyConsciousness neither becomes extinct nor loses its light, anymore than the moon. If the moon becomes absorbed by the shadow of Rahu, it is only to our vision that it appears to be so

absorbed. Similarly, to the vision of the ignorant alone,Consciousness appears to be unknown. Thus it is the oneself-existent Consciousness which is the thing unknown before bythe senses etc., and on whose becoming known by them afterwards,

they constitute the sources of knowledge. Though all organs ofknowledge proceed to grasp only the pure Consciousness, still,all of them apprehend it only in association with some inertmaterial forms in virtue of their many blemishes. Though the

eye proceeds only to perceive the mother-of-pearl, still, owingto its blemishes, it perceives but partially the mother-of-pearlin association with silver. The eye and all other organs ofknowledge, except the Upanishads, are defective. The knowledge

to which they give birth apprehends Consciousness only inassociation with colour etc. Accordingly, just as the deludedman thinks his own perception of illusory silver as an authorityto its existence, so men think with regard to colour and other

material forms which they perceive. Philosophers agree thatevery cognition is true as far as the substratum is concerned;it is only with regard to its mode, -- as for instance, when themother-of-pearl is perceived in the mode of silver, -- that

illusion occurs. So all cognitions are right so far as the OneExistence – the one substratum of all attributes – is concerned;they are wrong so far as they concern the colour etc., which isperceived along with the One Existence. Thus, by sound

reasoning, it is to be concluded that all organs of knowledgeare such only as regards Brahman; while the ignorant regard themas such with regard to the colour etc., in the same way that thedeluded man thinks that his vision, which is right only as far

as the basic substance – viz., mother-of-pearl – is concerned,is right in perceiving silver. Those who know how to reason holdthat the senses etc., are right as far only as they graspBrahman, whereas the unreasoning men declare that they are right

as far only as they perceive colour. In short, becauseConsciousness is the thing before unknown, it is the thing to beknown by all organs of perception, which operating, the thingceases to be unknown. …."

=====Prof. V. KrishnamurthyMy website on Science and Spirituality ishttp://www.geocities.com/profvk/You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought

Vision andPractice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from thesite.=================================================================================================-- Krishna PrasadDare to give up the comfort of the 'known' and venture into the 'unknown' if we want to achieve our true potential and live life to the fullest. As Poojya Gurudev said it, "Open your eyes. Burst your shell. Spread your wings and fly!"Swami ChinmayanandaHate not the sinner - hate the sin; and always hate the sin even with an excess of hatred. "