Page 42 - November Cover 2017.pmd

yärtheñu vartanta iti dhärayan. 10 balanced, accepting them all as
However, deluded by the ego, they are. He remains the same
one thinks one is doing all the with friends as well as foes, in
actions – ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä honour and dishonour – samaù
11
kartäham-iti manyate. Thus it is çatrau ca mitre ca tathä mänäpa-
12
clearly validated by the Bhaga- mänayoù. A jïäné does not
vad Gita. insist on anything. On the other
In Manisha Panchakam (verse hand, we want others to think
2), Bhagavan Adi Sankara- and act according to our wishes.
charya says: brahmaiväham-idaà The jïäné understands that if
jagacca sakalaà cinmätra vistäri- they want to change, they will
tam – Brahman am I, and so also change. You cannot expect a
the entire world, which is tiger to behave like a mouse, nor
nothing other than conscious- can you cannot eat a chilli and
ness spread out. We, in our expect it to be sweet.
delusion, think that all this is The jévan-mukta perceives
matter alone and hence the himself in the entire world and
division of this (I) and that (the sees the entire world in himself
world) arises. Our understand- – sarva bhütastham-ätmänaà
ing should be that all this is sarva bhütäni cätmani, sampaçyan
nothing but caitanya ätman, brahma paramaà yäti nänyena
which appears as everything. hetunä. 13
How does a jévan-mukta live Further, Kaivalyopanishad
in the world? At the practical says: mayyeva sakalaà jätaà mayi
level, he has to live with three sarvaà pratiñöhitaà, mayi sarvaà
things – objects, situations and layaà yäti tad-brahmädvayam-
people. Objects come and go. asmyaham. Everything is born
14
Some he may like and some he in me, exists in me and merges
may not, but the jévan-mukta in me (just as the dream comes
remains neutral. Situations vary, into being, exists and merges
but he remains balanced in heat into me). That non-dual Brah-
and cold, joy and sorrow, man am I. This is the realization
victory and defeat. Some people and the clear understanding of
are well-wishers, some neutral, the jévan-mukta.
others critical, but he remains
12 Ibid, 12.18
10 Ibid, 5.9 13 Kaivalyopanishad, 1.10
11 Ibid, 3.27 14 Ibid, 1.19

Tapovan Prasad 42 November 2017