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Upadesha Sahasri by Adi Shankara -
Part 6
100. Disciple.-. "But the
Knower remains unknown if there is no knowledge which has for its object
the Knower."
101. Teacher.- "No. The knowledge of the knower has for its object
the thing to be known. If it has for its object the knower, there arises
a regressus ad infinitum as before. It has already been shown that like
the heat and light of the sun, fire, and other things, the Knowledge
which is changeless, eternal and self-effulgent has an existence in the
Self entirely independent of everything else. I have already said that
if the self-effulgent Knowledge which is there in the Self were
transitory it would become unreasonable that the Self existed for
Itself, and, being a combination, It would get impurities and have an
existence for the sake of another like the combination of the body and
the senses. How? (Reply). If the self-effulgent Knowledge in the Self
were transitory, It would have a distance by the intervention of memory
etc. It would then be nonexistent in the Self before being produced and
after being destroyed, and the Self, then a combination, would have an
existence for the sake of another like that of the eye etc. produced by
the combination of certain things. The Self would have no independent
existence if this Knowledge were produced before it was in It. For it is
only on account of the absence or presence of the state of being
combined that the Self is known to exist for Itself and the non-Self for
another. It is, therefore, established that the Self is of the nature of
eternal and self-effulgent Knowledge not dependent on anything else."
102. Disciple.-" How can the Knower be a Knower if he is not the seat
of the knowledge produced by evidences?"
103. The teacher said, "The knowledge produced by an evidence does
not differ in its essential nature whether one calls it eternal or
transitory. Knowledge (though) produced by an evidence is nothing but
knowledge. The knowledge preceded by memory, desire, etc. and supposed
to be transitory, and those which are eternal and immutable do not
differ in their essential nature. Just as the result of the transitory
actions of standing etc., the meanings of roots, preceded by motion
etc., and that of the permanent ones not so preceded do not differ in
their essential nature, and there are, therefore, the identical
predicates in the statements, ' People stand,' 'Mountains stand,' etc.,
so the Knower, though of the nature of eternal Knowledge, is called a
Knower without contradiction inasmuch as eternal Knowledge is the same
as one produced by an evidence (as regards Its essential nature)."
104. Here the disciple raises an objection: "It is not reasonable
that the Self which is changeless and is of the nature of eternal
Knowledge and not in contact with the body and the senses should be the
agent of an action like a carpenter in contact with an adze and other
instruments. A regressus ad infinitum arises if the Self, unconnected
with the body, the senses, etc. were to use them as Its instruments. As
carpenters and others are always connected with bodies and senses there
is no regressus ad infinitum when they use adzes and other instruments."
105. Teacher.-(Reply) "Agency is not possible without the use of
instruments. Instruments, therefore, have to be assumed. The assumption
of instruments is, of course, an action. In order to be the agent of
this action, other instruments have to be assumed. In assuming these
instruments still others have to be assumed. A regressus ad infinitum
is, therefore, inevitable if the self which is not joined with anything,
were to be the agent.'
"Nor can it be said that it is an action that makes the Self act. For
an action, not performed, has no existence. It is also not possible that
something (previously existing) makes the Self act as nothing (except
the Self) can have an independent existence and be a non-object. For
things. other than the Self must be non-conscious and, therefore, are
not seen to be self-existent. All things including sound etc. come to
exist when they are proved by mental functions resulting in the
reflection of the Self.
"One, (apparently) different from the Self, and possessed of
consciousness, must be no other than the Self that is free from
combination with other things and existing for Itself only.
"Nor can we admit that the body, the senses and their objects exist
for themselves inasmuch as they are seen to depend for their existence
on mental modifications resulting in the reflection of the Self."
106. Disciple.-" But no one depends on any other evidence such as
sense-perception etc. in knowing the body."
107. Teacher.-" Yet it is so in the waking state. But at death and in
deep sleep the body also depends on evidences such as sense-perception
etc. in order to be known. Similar is the case with the senses. It is
the external sound and other objects that are transformed into the body
and the senses; the latter, therefore, also depend on evidences like
sense-perception etc. in order to be known. I have said that knowledge,
the result produced by evidences, is the same as the self-evident,
self-effulgent, and the changeless Self. That is what I mean by
knowledge."
108. The objector (the disciple) says, " It is contradictory to state
that Knowledge is the result of evidences and (at the same time) it is
the self-effulgent Self which is changeless and eternal." The reply
given to him is this: " It is not a contradiction."
"How then is knowledge a result?"
"(It is a result in a secondary sense:) though changeless and eternal,
It is noticed in the presence of mental modifications called
sense-perception etc. as they are instrumental in making It manifest. It
appears to be transitory as the mental modifications called
sense-perception etc. are transitory. It is for this reason that It is
called the result of proofs in a secondary sense."
109. Disciple.-" Sir, if this is so, the Consciousness et the Self
which is independent of evidences regarding Itself, eternal, and
changeless Knowledge, is surely self-evident and, all things different
from It and therefore are non-conscious, have an existence for only the
sake of the Self as they combine to act for one another (in order that
the events of the universe may continue uninterruptedly). It is only as
the Knowledge of the mental modifications giving rise to pleasure, pain
and delusion that the non-self serves the purpose of another. And it is
as the same Know]edge and nothing else that it has an existence? So it
does not really exist at all. Just as a rope-snake, the water in a
mirage and such other things are found to be non-existent except only as
the Knowledge by which they are known; so the duality --experienced
during waking and dream has reasonably no existence except as the
Knowledge by which it is known. So, having a continuous existence, the
Sell; which is pure Consciousness, is eternal, and immutable and, never
ceasing to exist in any mental modification, It is one without -a
second. The modifications themselves cease to exist, the Self continuing
to do so. Just as in dream the mental modifications appearing to be
blue, yellow, etc. are said to be really non-existent as they cease to
exist while the Knowledge by which they are known has an uninterrupted
continuous existence; so, in the waking state also they are really
non-existent as they cease to exist while the very same Knowledge
continues to do so. As that Knowledge has no other knower it cannot be
accepted or rejected by Itself. For, there is nothing else (except
Myself)."
110. Teacher.-" It is exactly so. It is Ignorance due to which
transmigratory existence consisting of waking and dream is experienced.
It is Knowledge that brings this ignorance to an end. You have thus
attained Fearlessness. You will never again feel pain in waking or in
dream. You are liberated from the misery of this transmigratory
existence)'
111. Disciple.-"Yes, Sir."
Adi Shankara
Upadesa Sahasri
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