Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -18
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Objector:- The conception of the aggregate of the body etc. as the Self is only figurative (gauna); it is not an illusion (mithya). Reply:- That is not correct, for, then, its actions also should be held to be figurative[1]. Objector (explains):- The conception as 'self of the aggregate of the body etc., which belong to one-self, is figurative, as (for instance) when the Sruti says with reference to one's own son, "Thou, spoken of as son, art myself" (Tai.Sam.ll.il), and in com mon usage also we say "this cow is verily my life"; (and speaking of the aggregate etc. as the self) is similar. This conception is certainly not an illusory notion (milhyā-pratyaya). Illusory notion (of human being) occurs only when it is not possible to distin guish two objects, a pillar and a man (for example) (when in dark ness, the pillar is mistaken for a man.) Reply:- A figurative conception (gaunu-pratyaya) is not intended to bring about the effect of the primary (real) object, since its purpose is merely to extol the subject, through epithets forming an elliptical simile[2]. For instance, the statements, "Devadatta is a lion", and "The student is fire" are intended merely to extol Devadatta and the student, the subjects, because, by possessing ferocity one is similar to the lion, and by being reddish-brown the other is similar to fire; but no action whatever of a (real) lion or of (real) fire is effected in consequence of the idea conveyed by that figurative expression. On the other hand, man does undergo the effect of illusory notion (mithyā-pratyaya), namely evil (of samsāra). |
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