Gita Rahasya -Tilak 204

Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak

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CHAPTER IX
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ABSOLUTE SELF
(ADHYATMA)

paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah I

yah sa sarvesu bhutesu nasyatsu na vinasyati II[1]

[2]

The sum and substance of the last two chapters was that what was referred to as the ksetrajna (Owner of the Body) in the consideration of the Body and the Atman is known in Samkhya philosophy as ' Purusa '; and that when one considers the question of the construction and the destruction of the mutable and immutable or the moveable and immoveable world, one arrives finally, according to the Samkhyas, at only two independent and eternal fundamental elements, namely, Matter and Spirit; and that it is necessary for the Spirit to realize its difference from Matter, that is, its isolation, and transcend the three qualities (become trigunatita) in order to obtain the total annihilation of its pain and attain Release ', Modern natural scientists explain the order in which Matter places its evolution before Spirit, after its union with Spirit, in a way slightly different from the Samkhyas ; and, as the natural sciences are further developed, this order is likely to be improved. But the fundamental proposition that all perceptible objects have come into existence in a gradual order out of one imperceptible Matter as a result of the development of the constituents, cannot possibly be altered. Nevertheless, looking upon this as the subject-matter of other sciences, the lion of Vedanta does not enter into any dispute about it. That lion wants to go beyond all these sciences, and determine what Absolute Element is at the root of the Cosmic Body, and how a man should be merged in It ; and in this its province it will not be out-roared by any other science. As jackals . become mute in the presence of the lion, so do all other sciences in the presence of Vedanta ; therefore, an ancient classical writer has- appropriately described Vedanta in the following words :-

tavat garjanti sastrani jambuka vipine yatha I

na garjati mahasaktih yavad vedantakesari II

that is : " other sciences how like jackals in the woods, so long , as the lion of Vedanta, the all-powerful, does not roar l'. The '"Observer ' which has been located after the consideration of the Body and the Atman, namely, the Purusa (Spirit) or Atman (Self), and imperceptible Matter with its sattva, rajas and tamas constituents which has been located after the- consideration of the Mutable and the Immutable, are both independent according to the Samkhyas, who say that, on that, account, the fundamental Element of the world must be looked, upon as dual. But Vedanta goes further, and says that in as- much as the spirits of the Samkhyas are innumerable (though, they are quality less), it would be prima facie better and more proper from the logical point of view (i) to carry to its- logical conclusion and without exception, the theory of the- unifying tendency of Knowledge, described in the words, "awbhaktam vibhaktesu", which is seen rising from lower grades to higher grades, and as a result of which tendency . all the various perceptible objects in the universe can be included in one imperceptible Matter, and (ii) to include both Matter and these innumerable Spirits finally and without division in the Absolute Element, than to believe that fundamental Matter is capable of first ascertaining in what the good of each one of these innumerable Spirits lies, and of behaving accordingly[3]

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References And Context

  1. " That second imperceptible substance, which is higher than the (Samkhya) Imperceptible, and which is eternal, and which is not destroyed even when all other living things are destroyed", is the ultimate goal.
  2. (Gi. 8. 20).
  3. (Gl. 18. 20-22).