Atma Bodha - Post 14

VERSE 7:

तावत्सत्यं जगद्भाति शुक्तिकारजतं यथा ।

यावन्न ज्ञायते ब्रह्म सर्वाधिष्ठानमद्वयम् ॥ ७॥

TAAVAT SATYAM JAGAT  BHAATI

SHUKTIKAA RAJATAM YATHAA

YAAVAT NA GYAAYATE BRAHMA

SARVA ADHISHHTHAANAM ADVAYAM

(The Jagat appears to be true (Satyam) so long as Brahman, the substratum, the basis of all this creation, is not realized. It is like the illusion of silver in the mother-of pearl.)

This is the second verse dealing with the phenomenon of the world. Like its predecessor, it continues along the same lines, but using a different simile.

All these similes come from the tradition of the time. They were commonly used among the people. Hence by using these amazing similes, Sri Sankaracharya was able to get his ideas accepted by the people of his time. But they are so minutely appropriate that even to this day their suitability has not altered.

“Shuktika-Rajatam” Nyaya or Simile: Sri Shankaracharya, who hailed from the coastal area of Kerala, must have personally been familiar with the mother-of-pearl shell which has the glitter of silver in appearance. It looked like a silver coin, hence the term Rajatam. It would fool anyone to pick up this shell thinking it was a silver coin, until it is carefully examined.

The oyster shell which is so smooth and reflective shines brilliantly in the sunlight giving the on-lookers an image of silver. Just like how the shell is mistaken as silver, the world is also mistaken as real by the non-knower of Brahman, i.e. by the ignorant ones. 

Like the silver that was just an illusion, all the names and forms have to be known as an illusion only. And that which is the basis of this illusion, the substratum of the world has to be known as Brahman only.

Also we have to note that the silver never existed at any time and it is only the mind that created the image of silver while the mother of pearl was always the same without going through any changes. 

Similarly, the changing world is only a creation of the mind while the ever present non-dual Self can never go through any actual changes.

Brahman is ever present, even before the conception of the world by mind, as the substratum of the world which the senses perceive it and also after the realization dawns on the non dual existence of Self. Hence it is the only absolute reality and the world is just an illusion. 

This world is compared to such a shell, called shuktika. The glitter is there so long as we are in blissful forgetfulness of the Self within us. Our extroverted minds, steeped in the six negative qualities mentioned in the previous verse, find delight in it. That delight is not without its opposite quality – pain or sorrow.

The Lesson of Pain, which always accompanies pleasure, has the ability to turn the mind momentarily inward to question the basic reality of the world. Pain occurs in our minds, in the subtle body. Pain turns our attention to the ‘shell’ rather than the ‘silver’.

That is the most favorable moment to make a complete turnaround in our values in life. However, if we are not aware enough to learn from pain, then that moment passes and the delusion of ‘silver’ grips us again.

Forgetful of sorrow and pain, we resume our mad hunt for pleasure in the world. The silvery attractions draw us out once more. We place value on them repeatedly, considering them to be precious and filled with the promise of pleasure. Pain’s lesson goes by unheeded. The Jagat not only refers to physical objects of pleasure but also the realm of feelings and emotions which are like ‘silver’ to the mind; and the realm of thoughts, ideas and ideologies which are like ‘silver’ to the intellect.

All these attractions are removed when it is discovered that they are mere shells of Maya’s delusion. Avoiding the Attractions of the World: We need not wait for any suitable conditions in order to quit our attraction for this world. That would be like waiting for the waves to stop before getting into the beach waters. If we can trust what the scriptures are telling us, we would take practical steps to avoid the pitfalls of attraction in the world, and begin to take Viveka and Vairagya seriously. We would seriously begin to give up the six negative qualities now itself, for with them God realization is yet an impossibility. That would be the message to pick up from this and the previous verse, something we can start putting into practice right where we are.

Call of the hour is - “O Sadhaka, do not run behind this world. It is just an illusion. It may look very beautiful, but it is not worth our attention. For that silver shell, even the local nut-seller will not give you his packet of nuts; he knows it is not real silver!” So why waste time?

Love.