Verse
26
आत्मनो
विक्रिया नास्ति
बुद्धेर्बोधो न
जात्विति ।
जीवः
सर्वमलं ज्ञात्वा ज्ञाता द्रष्टेति मुह्यति ॥ २६॥
AATMANAH VIKRIYAA NA ASTI
BUDDHEH BODHAH NA JAATU
ITI
JEEVAH SARVAMALAM
JNAATVAA
JNAATAA DRISHTAA ITI
MUHYATI
There
is no action for the Self and the intellect itself has no capacity to
know; yet the individuality, experiencing them, thinks. “I am the knower
and the seer”, and is thus deluded.
Three
important facts are presented in this verse which we would need to keep in mind
when engaging our intellect to the task of probing the Truth:
i) Atman
has no modification, hence it cannot be attributed the responsibility of
acting; it does not act.
ii) The
inner instrument is inert. It is composed of ‘matter’, subtle matter but still
insentient. Human intellect is not endowed with the powers of feeling,
thinking, willing or wishing, because it is a product of matter which is inert.
iii) Intellect
reflects the light of Atman: This makes it appear to be a conscious entity, but
that is the delusion. The individuality (Jiva) which is a reflection of the
pure consciousness in the mind, falsely identifies itself with the body-mind-intellect
equipment due to ignorance of its true nature.
Accordingly,
it comes to super impose the characteristics of the true Self on these insentient
matter developments (Body, Mind, Intellect)
In
this way, the delusion that “I am the seer”, “I am the knower” etc. arises in
EGO.
This
is a false self, not the real Self. But it does not know that. These are the
items which our discrimination or intellect has to apply itself to in order to
assist us in obtaining Self-knowledge.
Analogy of a Light Bulb:
There
is no example or simile given in this verse but Swami Chinmayananda ventures
an illustration: that of an electric bulb.
All
three of the above points are illustrated by it:
In
itself the bulb cannot give light without electricity flowing through it. When
electricity (symbolizing the Self) flows, then the inert bulb lights up, as
that is what it is designed to do; it cannot do anything else.
The
bulb becomes the means by which we are able to “perceive” electricity. In the
same way, the intellect plays its role of making us “aware of” the existence of
the Self, although on its own it has no power to know it.
The
point about the ego-sense is also illustrated by this analogy. If the bulb had
an ego-sense, it would feel that it itself were producing the light, although
it is only an instrument that is used by the electricity to give light. By its
association with the electricity it is seen to be an instrument of light.
Chinmaya
concludes his commentary on this verse with the following truth, which is crown
jewel of wisdom.
“The
illumining consciousness, because of which there is an awareness of the various
objects and activities in the inner mind, is THAT supreme reality.”
Thus,
though waves of sorrow, dejection, despair, joy, success, anger, jealousy,
passion etc. may come in mind, he who knows the “Knower” of all these waves is
not affected by them.
He
rejoices in his experience of SELF and cries out in Joy, “THE SELF I AM. I am
illumining my mental conditions.”
I
may be happy or unhappy but these are all the mental waves that “I” am
illumining. I am the Light of Consciousness. None of the conditions of my mind
is Me, the Pure consciousness!!!”
Love.
