Atma Bodha - Post 17

Verse 10

यथाकाशो हृषीकेशो नानोपाधिगतो विभुः ।

तद्भेदाद्भिन्नवद्भाति तन्नाशे केवलो भवेत् ॥ १०॥

YATHAA AAKAASHAH HRISHEEKESHAH

NAANAA UPAADHI-GATAH VIBHUH;

TAT BHEDAAT BHINNA-VAT BHAATI

TAT NAASHE KEVALAH BHAVET.

(The All-pervading Akasa appears to be diverse on account of its association with various conditionings (Upadhis) which are different from each other. Space becomes one on the destruction of these limiting adjuncts: So also the Omnipresent Truth appears to be diverse on account of Its association with the various Upadhis and becomes one on the destruction of these Upadhis).

Till the previous sloka we have learnt through various examples about the illusory nature of the world. Now Acharya is explaining how the non-dual Brahman who is ever free from any associations appears as various names and forms to an ignorant person. 

 The simile given at the outset in this Sloka is, “Just as space”.

Let us first look at the real situation and then come back to consider the simile. 

What is the Deeper Meaning Behind “Hrsheekesha”. This is derived from two words: Hrisheeka + Isha.

Hrisheeka means “the senses” (Indriyas); 

Isha means the “controller”, governor, one who sustains or gives life. 

The combined meaning reads as “one who controls the senses”, i.e. the Omnipresent Lord.

The Simile of Space:

Space here is directly compared to the all-pervading Omnipresent Self. Space has no limits, it cannot be divided. Yet, man delights in breaking it up into different units, by his  walls and fences, by seeing differences in the sense objects, which then become possessions of individuals.

Space and the Self 

Both are pure

Space is pure. In spite of the different Upadhis superimposed upon it by the ignorance of man, space remains united as one all-pervading entity. This is the idea that is intended to be brought out for the case of the Self. 

The Self is pure, unaffected by all the numerous items It gets associated with in the world. Upon the destruction of the Upadhis, the Self is seen to be unaffected. It always was one and shall always remain one.

Both are infinite but appear as limited

Just like how the space is everywhere but appears to be confined in objects such as pots etc., the infinitude Self appears to be limited only due to the limiting adjuncts or the conditionings, i.e. the upadhis.

Both are formless but appear to have limited form

Though space is indivisible and one, yet in association with objects such as a jar or a tumbler etc. it appears to have taken different forms like, the space in jar takes the form of jar, in a cup that of a cup etc.

A similar illusion of different shapes is also created in the sky when one looks at it against a line of mountains with jagged peaks. 

The space can never be confined but it is only due to ignorance that there seems to be boundaries to the space. It is only due to ignorance that different spaces seem to be created by the boundaries while the space is ever same.

Similarly on account of its association with various upadhis, the Self appears to be limited as different names and forms. It is only due to ignorance that one assigns various attributes on the unlimited Self.

Summary

Swami addresses us as "Divyatma Swarupas".

Here, Sankara brings about the essential nature of  a human being.

The first element to have been created by the supreme Lord is the SPACE.

In many commentaries in vedanta, Space is taken as an example to describe Brahman as Space has in it, the nature of Infinitude or Anantham, Purity or Niranjana, which is the nature of Brahman.

In Avadhuta Gita, few verses, describing the state of a realized avadhutha who verily exists as Brahman, end with the last line which is repeated, thus:-

"Jnanamrutam Samarasam Gaganopamoham"

(I am the essence of all Knowledge, I am Omnipresent like SPACE)

Bringing in the essential nature of SPACE, acharya describes the essential nature of a human, comparing the same to space, thus:-

1) Like the unlimited, Pure Space, we are all essentially, inherently Pure and Unlimited, as God has created us exactly as His own image.

2) Like Space appears to be limited to our limited mind, we also have limited our identity to this Body, Mind and Intellect which is not the way we have been created by God.

3) When the space gets arrested in a pot, we call it as Pot space, as though the space has a limited identity, limited to the available volume within the pot.

However, the moment the pot is broken, there is no more limited space within the pot is there, as the pot itself is not there. There is only one, unlimited SPACE

Exactly in the same manner, we are verily the SELF and out of ignorance, we fail to identity ourselves with the same and instead, like the Pot is seen, we have identified ourselves with our gross identity - This Body with This Ego and have failed to recognize our true identity which is SELF, within us, as the Space within a pot.

Self realization is breaking the limitation of Pot, i.e., breaking all our bondage as a limited Jiva and realizing the oneness of the SELF / ATMAN / INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS (The pot space) with the UNIVERSAL SPACE / PURE CONSCIOUSNESS / BRAHMAN (Universal space).

Love.