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
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GOLD
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BRAHMAN
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The various ornaments
are but gold, i.e. Gold is the material cause of all the ornaments.
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The world is but a
creation of the mind on Brahman.
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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.
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When there are changes
in the world, the eternal reality remains the same. It is ever changeless,
immutable
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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.
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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.
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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.
