Atma Bodha - Post 52

Verse 42

एवमात्मारणौ ध्यानमथने सततं कृते ।

उदितावगतिर्ज्वाला सर्वाज्ञानेन्धनं दहेत् ॥ ४२॥

EVAM AATMAA ARANAU DHYAANAM

ATHANE SATATAM KRITE

UDITAA AVAGATI-JWAALAA

SARVA AJNAANEN-DHANAM DAHET

[Thus, in the Arani of the Self, meditation   is done constantly as churning in the Arani;  in the fire of knowledge that arises, all the fuel of ignorance gets burned.]

“Atma Aranau” Nyaya: The Fire-maker Simile

This is an example from Vedic times. People used to make a fire by using a contraption made of a wooden rod rotated between two wooden hemispherical-shaped sockets (called ‘arani’; for two aranis the Samskrit dual form ‘aranau’ is used), with a piece of cotton in one of them.

The rotation, similar to the action of churning, would produce heat by friction until the cotton ball caught alight. The ball would then be used to start the fire.

The application of this analogy is as follows: The two hemispherical sockets are the lower ego and the higher Self. They are ‘churned’ with the Mahavakya rod of “I am Brahman”. The fire of Knowledge that is generated by this churning process of meditation ignites the cotton ball of ignorance.

This churning of knowledge is described clearly in Kaivalyopanishad.

AATMAANAMARANIM KR^ITVAA PRANAVAM CHOTTARAARANIM

GYAANANIRMATHANAABHYAASAATPAAPAM DAHATI PANDITAH...

(A sage thinks of this mind as lower piece of sandalwood, and OM as the upper wood. Through the practice of constant friction between them, he kindles the fire of knowledge which burns up the impurities of mind.)

Thus making the Atman as the lower piece of wood and OM (symbolic representation of Brahman or Supreme Self) as the upper piece of wood, through repeated friction of knowledge, a wise man burns all the bonds.

Acharya is here thus describing the effect of intense mediation. Meditation is but unbroken thought towards an object. 

Just as how fire can be produced by constant rubbing of two pieces of wood, knowledge is churned out by constant meditation on reality. i.e. when the one constantly contemplates on the Brahman as nature of Self, by this constant contemplation or meditation which is compared to the friction here, the Self knowledge arises. 

It is this knowledge alone that burns all the desires and bonding and ultimately liberates one from all duality and hence sadness. Hence a seeker must constantly contemplate on the real nature of Self and only with such intense sadhana can one acquire the Self knowledge.

Lord also mentions the same in Gita fourth chapter 19th sloka as “The wise call him learned whose actions are all devoid of all desires and their thoughts and whose actions have been burnt away from the fire of wisdom”. 

Thus Lord Krishna is thus explaining that the actions, and ignorance that causes them are incinerated by the fire of knowledge and such a one is called by the wise as the learned one.

Such a wise one whose ignorance is burnt by the intense fire of knowledge becomes verily Existence-Consciousness-Bliss alone.

Love.