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Chapter 13
Appendix—The self is without beginning while the body has a beginning. The self is without `gunas' (attributes) while the body is an evolute of `gunas'. The self is the Supreme Soul but the body is the non-self. The self is imperishable while the body is perishable. Therefore though an ignorant person holds that the self dwells in the body but in fact it does not rest in the body viz., it is totally detached from the body—'na karoti na lipyate'. The reason is that the body is related with the world but the self is related with the Supreme Soul (God). Therefore the self can never abide in the body. But without paying attention to this fact, a man assumes the self to be abiding in the body.
Nirgunatvs:- Though the self is devoid of guns, yet it is bound by being attached to 'gulps' (Gita 13/21). Outwardly it appears that bondage is natural and salvation will be attained by making efforts. But the fact is that salvation is natural and a person himself paves the way to bondage. Gunas are not at all related with the self but they are related with 'Prakri[' (Gita 13/23). Therefore the self is without beginning, without attributes, is the Supreme Soul, is imperishable and it neither acts nor is tainted—all this is quite natural. A striver has to realize this naturality of one's own.
As while residing in a house, we are different from the house, so are we (the self) assuming to be dwelling in the body, different from the body.
Na karoti na lipyate':- The self neither acts nor is tainted - this fact is not a result of any spiritual practice, but it is so by nature. It means that in the self there is no doership-enjoyership - it is self-evident. It needs no effort viz., nothing is to be done for it. It means that doership and enjoyership are not to be wiped out but they are not to be accepted in the self; but a striver has to realize their absence because in fact they are not in the self. Therefore a striver should realize that he is neither a doer nor an enjoyer. Realization of freedom from doership and enjoyership in the self (disinterestedness and freedom from the sense of mine) is liberation from the worldly bondage. In the Gita, this point has been declared in this way that the memory is.gained—'nasto mohah smrtirlabdha' (18/73).
If the self is not the doer and enjoyer, then who is the doer and enjoyer? Let us reflect upon it. First think over—who is a doer? The body is not the doer because it is perishing every moment. Mind, intellect, citta (faculty of reflection) and ego—these four are instrornents which are called internal instruments (antahkarana). This 'antahkarana' is also not the doer because the instrument depends upon the doer but the doer is independent—'svatantrah karts' (Pani. chap. 1/4/54). An instrument is very helpful in the accomplishment of an action (task)—'sadhakatamam karanam' (Pani, chap. 1/4/42). Therefore without the instrument an action is not accomplished at all.
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