Atma Bodha - Post 10

Verse - 4

परिच्छन्न इवाज्ञानात्तन्नाशे सति केवलः ।

स्वयं प्रकाशते ह्यात्मा मेघापायेंऽशुमानिव ॥ ४॥

PARICHHANNA IVA AGYAANAAT

TANNAASHE SATI KEVALAH 
SVAYAM PRAKAASHATE HI AATMAA MEGHA APAAYE N ASHUMAANIVA

(The Soul appears to be finite because of ignorance. When ignorance is destroyed, the Self which does not admit of any multiplicity truly reveals itself by itself: like the Sun when the clouds pass away.)

In the previous sloka, we learnt that the ever present Atman cannot be known through actions but by knowledge alone. In this sloka, Acharya is again explaining the eternal nature of Atman.

The  identification of a human being  with  the  body,  mind  or  intellect  causes  one  to feel very restrained and limited. The following three aspects may clarify this limitation:

i) Limited in Space

The pure Self is defined to be Sarvavyapi or omnipresent. Due to the  identity  with  the  body,  it  is  experienced  as  being  Alpavyapi,  that  is,  limited  in  space  to just here, not everywhere.

What does this mean?

We are verily divine SELF and like Divinity/ Divine Lord is present every where, as SELF or as ATMAN, we are not limited by any space and we and God are same.

How ever, when we ignore/ forget our real identity as Divya atman , as Swami addresses us and we think we are our body, then the limitation of space comes, as our Body is definitely limited by space.

ii) Limited in Time

The pure Self is also eternal or Nitya. Again we do not experience this  as  our  very  nature,  because  we  are  limited  in  time as our limited body  is defnitely limited in its existence by time. The body exists in a particular limited space, at a particular point of time.

Time is a mental concept superimposed on the Self, and hence we feel we are Anitya instead of Nitya. We are oppressed by the idea that we have a temporary existence only.

We do not wish to die. The very thought instills fear in us.  Yet, our true Self is deathless.  

iii) Limitation in Body

The  pure  Self  is also  not  limited  to  one  object,  it  is  Sarva Atman.   However,   because   of   identification   with   one   body   only   we   feel   limited   and threatened by all the other bodies or objects around us as we see them as “not us”. 

Thus we experience the severe limitation of being “Mama Atman” and not the Sarva Atman that we are in reality.

Thus  ignorance  has  robbed  us  of  knowing  ourselves  as we  are.  To  restore  us to our original  nature,  we  need  to  have  knowledge  of  who  we  are.  Then ignorance automatically gets destroyed.

Knowledge is in direct opposition to the ignorance of “I am the body”.

Acharya here gives the example of the sun to explain the nature of Atman.

Just as the ever present sun seems to be veiled by passing clouds; the Atman seems to be veiled by the ignorance. When clouds cover the sun, it may seem as though the sun itself is not there or that the sun has lost the power of giving light!! 

But in reality, the sun is ever present, luminous and shines forth always, only that the clouds have to be removed. It was never affected by the passing clouds nor is its luminosity lost.

Similarly, the Atman which is but verily consciousness can never be subject to ignorance nor can be affected by the plurality of the world. It is that which is the substratum of all objects and stands alone as a witness to all actions. 

Due to ignorance about the Self, the Self, is perceived by the mind as finite, non eternal etc. It is only because of the ignorance that all the illusory attributes are superimposed on Atman. 

When this ignorance is removed by the knowledge then all that ever remains is the non dual Atman alone. Just as the sun that shines forth when the clouds are removed, the infinite Self which is the only reality reveals by itself. 

Like the sun distinct from the clouds, the atman untainted by all the illusory multiplicity of the world shines off once the ignorance is removed.

Atman is but existence, consciousness and bliss. It is only because of the ignorance that one forgets one’s own nature of existence-bliss and suffers with all the miseries of the world. 

Just as the clouds, this ignorance has to be removed and the only way as we have learnt in the previous slokas, is by knowledge.

Thus the Acharya here explains that it is only because of ignorance that Self appears to be finite. When ignorance is destroyed, the Self reveals itself like the sun when clouds are removed.

Love.