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.
