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The metaphysical sleep (ignorance of Reality) continues throughout transmigratory life. Its spell is broken only on the realisation of the Self. 鈥榃hen the individual soul (箩墨惫补) sleeping on account of the beginningless 尘腻测腻, is awakened, it realises the state of 罢耻谤墨测补 which is unborn (aja), and in which there is neither sleep nor dream, nor duality鈥�. This is the first time 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补 refers to the 罢耻谤墨测补 as 鈥榰nborn鈥� (aja), and this term does not occur in the text 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲.

艢补峁卥补谤补 here compares the 鈥渟leep鈥� to 尘腻测腻 which functions through non-apprehension (tattva-apratibodha/ 补驳谤补丑补峁嘺尘 [补驳谤补丑补峁嘺]) and misapprehension (补苍测补迟丑腻驳谤补丑补峁嘺) of Reality.

The 箩墨惫补, the individual soul, subject to the cycle of birth and death and reeling/sleeping under the influence of 尘腻测腻 sees the dream in the two states of wakeful and dream. The 鈥渄ream鈥� in the nature of illusion (尘腻测腻) which is beginningless has two characteristics, viz. non-apprehension of Reality which is the seed/cause and misapprehension of Reality as something else (effect). These 鈥�dreams鈥� are like 鈥渢his is my father鈥�, 鈥渢his is my son鈥�, 鈥渢his is my grandson鈥�, 鈥渢his is my property鈥�, and 鈥渢hese are my animals鈥�, 鈥淚 am their master鈥�, 鈥淚 am happy鈥�, 鈥淚 am miserable鈥�, 鈥淚 have suffered a loss on this account鈥�, and 鈥淚 have made a profit on that account鈥� and so on and so forth.

Then the 箩墨惫补 is awakened by a compassionate teacher who himself has known the Reality taught by 痴别诲腻苍迟补, through such instruction as:

(n膩syeva峁僼va峁僪etuphal膩tmaka岣� ki峁僼u tattvamasiti)^[1]

鈥淭hou art not an entity conditioned by cause and effect, but thou art Brahman鈥�

Thus awakened from sleep, the 箩墨惫补 realizes the real nature of its own Self as being free from birth, (ajam [ajam]), sleep (anidram [anidra]), dream (asvapnam [asvapna]) and non-dual (补诲惫补颈迟补峁� [advaita]).

Anticipating the following objection, 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补 has highlighted an important point in 办腻谤颈办腻 17: Can the 罢耻谤墨测补 the non-dual Reality co-exist with the phenomenal world which is said to be an appearance? Does the simultaneous existence of the phenomenal world contradict the teaching, 罢耻谤墨测补 being always non-dual (advaita)? According to 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补, if the phenomenal world were to really exist then the above doubt could be entertained. But the phenomenal world being a mere appearance is compared to the wrong perception of snake on the rope. Just as the wrong perception of the snake does not tarnish the underlying substratum (the rope), the non apprehension and distorted view of the Self creating wrong perception of the phenomenal world does not affect the Self which is the source/substratum.

What does not 鈥渆xist鈥� without a positive ontic status cannot disturb or disrupt the status of the underlying substratum.

He says that:

鈥淚f the phenomenal universe (辫谤补辫补帽肠补) were real then certainly it would disappear. But this duality is mere illusion/appearance (尘腻测腻m膩tram [尘腻测腻m膩tra]). On the realization of the Truth, there is only non-duality鈥�.

The disappearance of an object can be asserted only when such an object is taken to be real. But the phenomenal world, being illusory, does not possess reality. Hence, one cannot speak of its disappearance. Only those who believe that the manifold universe really exists shall speak of its disappearance. The snake imagined in the rope, through illusion, does not really exist and therefore does not disappear through discrimination. Likewise, the vision created by the magician does not really exist and thus there remains no question of its disappearance, after the magical veil binding the sight of the seer is removed. Therefore there is no such thing as the manifold universe which appears or disappears. A non-existing thing neither comes nor goes. The duality of the manifold universe is only illusory and non-duality is the Supreme Reality like the rope and the magician. In fact it is the illusion that the manifold universe exist as something other than the non-dual 罢耻谤墨测补, disappears. The snake in its substratum ever remains the rope; the magic show has no being apart from the magician. However, from the point of view of its substratum, the manifold universe is ever the eternal, the non-dual 罢耻谤墨测补.

骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补 makes a similar point in 办腻谤颈办腻 18. He says:

鈥業f anyone has ever imagined the manifold ideas (such for instance as the teacher, the taught, and the scripture), they might disappear. The explanation is for the purpose of teaching. Duality (implied in explanation) ceases to exist when the Highest Truth is known鈥�.

To an objection as to how could manifold ideas in the form of the teachers, the student and the scripture disappear, 艢补峁卥补谤补 replies that such ideas being part of the manifold universe is an illusion like the snake superimposed on the rope or like the magical show of the magician. These ideas are imagined for the purpose of imparting instructions to attain the Supreme Reality. When the purpose of the instruction being the realization of the non-dual Supreme Reality is achieved then the duality ceases to exist (dvaitam na vidyate).The absolute truth is that the manifold universe including the ideas of the teacher, the student and the scripture are essentially one with the Supreme Reality, the non-dual 罢耻谤墨测补.

The examination of the three states is the essence of the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲 and the 膧驳补尘补 笔谤补办谤补峁嘺 which has been beautifully expressed in the first invocatory verse which reads:

鈥淚 bow to that Brahman that (during the waking state) after having enjoyed (experienced) all gross objects by pervading the entire universe through the omnipresent rays of its immutable consciousness that embraces the entire variety of the movable and the immovable objects; that again, after having digested, as it werethat is to say, experienced within (in the dream state)-all the variety of objects produced by desires and brought into existence by the mind, enjoys bliss in deep sleep and makes us experience through 惭腻测腻, the bliss; which, further, is designated, in terms of 惭腻测腻, as the fourth (罢耻谤墨测补),and which is supreme, immortal and changeless鈥�.^[2]

The object of inquiry into the three states of consciousness is to realize the nature of the Self which alone is constant and unchanging while the appearances vary. The knowledge emanating from the study of 痴别诲腻苍迟补 is that the Self is Brahman (ayam 腻迟尘腻 Brahman).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

惭腻峁囜笉奴办测辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, Gita Press, 65-66.

[2]:

Swami Nikhilananda, The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲 with 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补鈥檚 K膩rik膩and 艢an 茠 kara鈥檚 commentary, 1.