Verse 19
आदौ नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः परिगम्यते ।
इहामुत्रफलभोगविरागस्तदनन्तरम्
शमादिषट्कसम्पत्तिर्मुमुक्षुत्वमिति स्फुटम् ॥ १९ ॥
ādau nityānityavastuvivekaḥ parigamyate |
ihāmutraphalabhogavirāgastadanantaram
śamādiṣaṭkasampattirmumukṣutvamiti sphuṭam || 19 ||
(While enumerating the qualifications ,
first we count the ability to discriminate between the Real and the unreal;
next comes a spirit of detachment from the enjoyment of the fruits of
actions here and hereafter, after that is the group of six essentials
such as sama and last is undoubtedly a burning desire for Liberation.)
However much actually intelligent the
generation might be, it is the special privilege of a few to have the subtlety
of intellect to delve deep into things and happenings and discriminate between
the true and the false.
Those who are sufficiently evolved,
exhibit a greater keenness of intellect but those who do not have it, should
not despair. For, it is not a God given bonus which comes to us from the
heavens but it is the aroma of a well-developed and integrated mind and
intellect. Where there is a large amount of viveka, it is safe to presume that
the individual has a fairly well integrated personality.
As a result of one's discriminative
capacity when one differentiates between the Real and the unreal in the
world outside or in the world within, all false values automatically drop
off. When once a thing is understood to be full of bitterness, pain and imperfection,
rare is the man who will continue to court it.
Invariably, we run after a thing only
when we hope to get out of it a greater fulfilment of joy or peace. Once
we come to the intellectual appreciation that the object is riddled
with sorrow, our immediate attempt would be to get rid of it.
Nitya vastu is GOD who is your TRUE
SELF. Now there is a longing to get one's TRUE SELF. So far one was happy with
the crumbs of happiness given out by life.
Now, one understands it is anitya -
temporary…. and the interest in gaining anitya happiness and security etc
simply drops.
Discrimination or Viveka is the 100
percent conviction that the Self alone is real and that objects are apparently
real.
Discrimination is the sense of right
judgement and understanding to differentiate between the permanent and the
impermanent.
The Anitya or impermanence comes in the
form of various situations, opportunities and pleasures while the permanence is
the VERY SELF, the TRUE nature of One's SELF.
Thus, vairagya born out of viveka is
what is meant by 'detachment'. In fact, vairagya is the fulfilment of
viveka and wherever the former is strong, the latter gains in
essence and efficiency.
The other two requisites mentioned in
verse 17 are repeated here - the six qualifications such as sama and a passion
to redeem oneself (mumukshutvam).
In the next upcoming verses, Sankara
takes us through the 4 qualifications in much detail. These 4 qualifications
are the foundation, base, on which the edifice of Sadhana is built.
No spiritual aspirant with a week base
of these qualifications can ever hope to reach to higher level in Sadhana, in
the path of wisdom.
Love.