Atma Bodha - Post 16

Verse 9:

सच्चिदात्मन्यनुस्यूते नित्ये विष्णौ प्रकल्पिताः ।

व्यक्तयो विविधाः सर्वा हाटके कटकादिवत् ॥ ९॥

SACHCHIDAATMANI ANUSYUUTE NITYE VISHHNAU PRAKALPITAAH.

VYAKTAYO VIVIDAA SARVAA HAATAKE KATAKA ADI VAT

  

(All the manifested world of things and beings are projected by imagination upon the substratum which is the Eternal All-pervading Vishnu, whose nature is Existence-Intelligence; just as the different ornaments are all made out of the same gold.)

In the previous verse we learnt that the world is like a bubble of water. Just as the bubbles of water emerge, sustain, burst and fall back in water, all the creations are but illusions on Brahman and Brahman is the substratum of all the names and forms. Acharya explains this further in this sloka.

In this verse, as in the previous, we have another set of three words, at once taking our minds beyond the three limitations experienced by all individual beings, concluding with a simile designed to focus our minds on the single all-pervading Reality of the Self.

The Limitations of the Projected World:

First let us look at the three words in the order in which they appear: The subject of these words is the “Projection of the entire Universe”. On what is it projected?

            i.     Atmani Anusyoote: It is projected on the all-pervading Atman.

         ii.     Nitye: on the eternal Atman.

     iii.     Vishnau: and upon Vishnu, the Lord, who is their substratum.

Using these three words has the following deeper significance. We know that anything in this entire ‘world of multiple worlds’ is subject to three limitations. They are:

            i.     Vastu – the limitation of object;

         ii.     Kala – the limitation of time;

     iii.     Desha – the limitation of space.

These three limitations may be matched respectively with the three terms used for the Substratum. The Substratum transcends the limitations; or it may be said, the limitations are negated by the Substratum upon which they are projected. Thus we get:

a.     Anusyoote, the all-pervading, negates Vastu, the limitation of object;

b.     Nitye, the eternal, negates Kala, the limitation of time;

c.      Vishnau, the omnipresent, negates Desha, the limitation of space.

The “Hatake-Katakadi” Simile:

By describing the world as a projection upon the Self, the essential truth we see is that the world is a fluctuating show of objects upon a substratum that is common to every object.

This comes out remarkably accurately in the simile chosen in this verse.

Gold ornaments are innumerable, but the gold is common in all of them.

In this simple yet superb simile we get a good idea of how a sage of realization sees the world: As a goldsmith also sees the ornaments but sees the gold more clearly, so too, the sage also sees the world, but sees the underlying Self more clearly.

We already learnt about the 3 causes for any material to be created, in the previous verse. We shall revise the same here.

For any creation to occur, there has to be three separate and fundamental causes,

-the material cause or the raw material from which the creation occurs,

-the instrumental cause which is the equipment with which the creation is done and

-the efficient cause or the intelligence that creates or works at the material with the instrument.

For example, in case of the creation of a pot the mud is the material cause, the potter’s wheel or the stick is the instrumental cause and the potter is the efficient cause.

Thus, in a creation the three separate causes exist and the material is transformed into a new thing.

From the previous example we have learnt that all the creations are like bubbles of water, and the only reality is the Brahman. Thus, Brahman becomes the material and efficient cause of all the creation. Here the objects created are not different from the creator.

GOLD AND THE ORNAMENTS

A person goes to a jeweler shop and offers to sell his ornaments when he is in distress and has no money left with him for survival.

There is a necklace and also, there is a Ganesha idol which he gives to the jeweler and asks him to value them and take them accordingly for the value agreed.

The jeweler gives a per tola rate for both the ornaments to which the seller is hurt and he says, how can you value the Ganesha as equal to a necklace. Is Ganesha not the most important God of all??

The jeweler replies, Sir, it may be of immense value to your sentiments but for me, both of them are essentially one thing- GOLD.

BRAHMAN AND CREATION

GOLD	BRAHMAN
The various ornaments are but gold, i.e. Gold is the material cause of all the ornaments.	The world is but a creation of the mind on Brahman.
We can also here note that just as how nothing happens to the gold even when the gold ring goes out of shape or is melted.	When there are changes in the world, the eternal reality remains the same. It is ever changeless, immutable
The names and forms associated with various ornaments seem to distinguish them from gold are changeable and are hence unreal, even when the names and forms undergo changes the gold remains the same as it is.	Similarly, the names and forms associated with the different objects of the world which appear to be different from Brahman and are changeable and therefore unreal. Even when the names and forms undergo change the substratum remains as it is.

Another important thing to learn here is that the word ‘Vishnu’ means “one who pervades”. Hence it means the infinitude non-dual Self alone. It is only intended to convey Brahman as that unlimited by time or space and not as anything else.

Love.