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Chapter 15
Like buds, sense-objects also appear beautiful, so a man is attracted to them. A striver, by applying his discrimination, can easily renounce those objects, by knowing these as transitory and sources of sorrow (Gita 5/22). It is because of attachment to them, that they appear beautiful and attractive; in fact they are not so. Therefore, renouncement of attachment for them is real renouncement. As a person, has not to work hard, in destroying soft buds, so should a striver, not think it difficult to renounce, these sense-objects. They are just like poisonous sweet-dishes, which may appear sweet and attractive but are deadly man when it enters his body while sense-objects affect him when he merely sees them.[1] So a striver, should totally renounce thinking of sense-objects, and enjoying them, in order to cut off this tree of creation.[2]
Adhageordhvam prasrta:- Here, the term 'Ca' (and), should mean the middle world i.e., mortal, human world (as described by the expression 'Manusyaloke karmanubandhin' in this verse). The term 'Urdhvam', stands for the abode of Brahma, where one can go by two paths - the northern path (the path of light known as Devayana), and the southem path (the path of darkness known as Pitryana), described as light and dark paths, in twenty-fourth and the twenty-fifth verses of eighth chapter. The term 'Adhah', stands for hells which are also of two kinds- by birth and by place.
This expression, explains that branches of the tree of creation, having its root in God above, extended in all directions, below, above and in the middle. Out of these the main branch is human life, in which a human being is authorized to perform new actions, while in other births, he has to reap the fruit of his past actions. In human life, he can either, rise above (to upper region) or go below (to the lower region—hell) or even attain God, the highest state, by cutting off the tree of creation. It depends upon hint, whether he attains God, by attaching importance to discrimination, or paves the way to hell, by enjoying pleasure foolishly. Therefore, saint Tulasidasa in the Manasa declares, "This human life is a ladder, either to hell or heaven or to attain salvation, and it endows us with knowledge, dispassion and devotion, which lead to benediction" (7/121/5).
Adhasra mulanyanusantatani karmanubandhini manugyaloke:- All the other lives, except human life, are to reap the fruit of past actions in the form of pleasure and pain. A man, has to take birth in good and evil wombs, in order to reap the fruit of his virtues and evil actions. In human life, he can perform either virtuous or evil actions, or may attain salvation, by being free from virtues and evils.
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