VERSE 7:
तावत्सत्यं जगद्भाति शुक्तिकारजतं यथा ।
यावन्न ज्ञायते ब्रह्म सर्वाधिष्ठानमद्वयम् ॥ ७॥
TAAVAT
SATYAM JAGAT BHAATI
SHUKTIKAA
RAJATAM YATHAA
YAAVAT NA
GYAAYATE BRAHMA
SARVA
ADHISHHTHAANAM ADVAYAM
(The Jagat
appears to be true (Satyam) so long as Brahman, the substratum, the basis of
all this creation, is not realized. It is like the illusion of silver in the
mother-of pearl.)
This is the
second verse dealing with the phenomenon of the world. Like its predecessor, it
continues along the same lines, but using a different simile.
All these
similes come from the tradition of the time. They were commonly used among the
people. Hence by using these amazing similes, Sri Sankaracharya was able to get
his ideas accepted by the people of his time. But they are so minutely
appropriate that even to this day their suitability has not altered.
“Shuktika-Rajatam”
Nyaya or Simile: Sri Shankaracharya, who hailed from the coastal area of
Kerala, must have personally been familiar with the mother-of-pearl shell which
has the glitter of silver in appearance. It looked like a silver coin, hence
the term Rajatam. It would fool anyone to pick up this shell thinking it was a
silver coin, until it is carefully examined.
The oyster
shell which is so smooth and reflective shines brilliantly in the sunlight
giving the on-lookers an image of silver. Just like how the shell is mistaken
as silver, the world is also mistaken as real by the non-knower of Brahman,
i.e. by the ignorant ones.
Like the
silver that was just an illusion, all the names and forms have to be known as
an illusion only. And that which is the basis of this illusion, the substratum
of the world has to be known as Brahman only.
Also we have
to note that the silver never existed at any time and it is only the mind that
created the image of silver while the mother of pearl was always the same
without going through any changes.
Similarly,
the changing world is only a creation of the mind while the ever present non-dual
Self can never go through any actual changes.
Brahman is
ever present, even before the conception of the world by mind, as the
substratum of the world which the senses perceive it and also after the
realization dawns on the non dual existence of Self. Hence it is the only
absolute reality and the world is just an illusion.
This world
is compared to such a shell, called shuktika. The glitter is there so long as
we are in blissful forgetfulness of the Self within us. Our extroverted minds,
steeped in the six negative qualities mentioned in the previous verse, find
delight in it. That delight is not without its opposite quality – pain or
sorrow.
The Lesson
of Pain, which always accompanies pleasure, has the ability to turn the mind
momentarily inward to question the basic reality of the world. Pain occurs in
our minds, in the subtle body. Pain turns our attention to the ‘shell’ rather
than the ‘silver’.
That is the
most favorable moment to make a complete turnaround in our values in life.
However, if we are not aware enough to learn from pain, then that moment passes
and the delusion of ‘silver’ grips us again.
Forgetful of
sorrow and pain, we resume our mad hunt for pleasure in the world. The silvery
attractions draw us out once more. We place value on them repeatedly,
considering them to be precious and filled with the promise of pleasure. Pain’s
lesson goes by unheeded. The Jagat not only refers to physical objects of
pleasure but also the realm of feelings and emotions which are like ‘silver’ to
the mind; and the realm of thoughts, ideas and ideologies which are like
‘silver’ to the intellect.
All these
attractions are removed when it is discovered that they are mere shells of
Maya’s delusion. Avoiding the Attractions of the World: We need not wait for
any suitable conditions in order to quit our attraction for this world. That
would be like waiting for the waves to stop before getting into the beach
waters. If we can trust what the scriptures are telling us, we would take
practical steps to avoid the pitfalls of attraction in the world, and begin to
take Viveka and Vairagya seriously. We would seriously begin to give up the six
negative qualities now itself, for with them God realization is yet an
impossibility. That would be the message to pick up from this and the previous
verse, something we can start putting into practice right where we are.
Call of the
hour is - “O Sadhaka, do not run behind this world. It is just an illusion. It
may look very beautiful, but it is not worth our attention. For that silver
shell, even the local nut-seller will not give you his packet of nuts; he knows
it is not real silver!” So why waste time?
Love.
