sanatsujatheeyam chapter2

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ubhe sathyam kshthriya

aadhyapravrtthe

moho mrthyuH sammatho yaH kaveenaam

pramaadham vai mrthyum aham braveemi

sadhaa apramaadham amrthathvam

braveemi

 

Both

are considered as being true from the time of creation. The wise cite the

delusion as the death. But I say that the slipping of memory is death. Ever

being in remembrance is for immortality."

 

What

is meant here is not self contradicting as it seems to be. The death normally understood is the leaving of

the body by the soul. That is not the connotation of the word mrthyu here.

 

The

view that death can be avoided by vedic rites is that of ignorant in the sense

that karma always gives rise to result and that is not immortality. But the

karma done with detachment and inner purification secures jnana that one is not

the body results in the identification with the Self when there is no death. In this sense

sanatkumara says that both the views that death exists and can be conquered by

vedic karma and the view that there is no death are both correct.

 

Next

sanathkumara defines what is death. The wise say that the delusion of real

nature of oneself born out of identification with the body is death, because it results in going through the cycle of birth

and death. But Sanatkumara says that it is not the delusion but the cause of

delusion which is forgetting one's real

nature which is termed as pramadha. Though the word has got different connotations

such as negligence, inattentiveness, inadvertence etc. the meaning of slipping

in memory seems to be more apt in the context, as Sankara terms it as svaabhaavika svabhaavaath prachyuthiH.

 

Hence

to remain always in the true state of the Self is immortality.