Paramatma Prakash - 38

 

Further it is told that from aspect of nishchaya, Dhyan free of worries is the means for Salvation:

Gatha 169- 292: Can dhyan be attained with half closed eyes or closed eyes? Never. Those who are stationary in unperturbed form within themselves , they attain salvation on their own.

Commentary: Those who are unperturbed with the worries of praise, pooja( of their own) and profit etc., they only can concentrate on their own pure soul nature; they only attain dhyan and they only get Moksha.

Next it is advised to give up worries:

Gatha 170-293: O yogi! If you give up worries, then transmigration in the world would be stopped, since even the worrisome Tirthankara deva in worldly state cannot attain pure bhavas pertaining to Paramatma.

Commentary:  O yogi! The web of worries is opposite in nature to the pure darshan-gyan natured supreme soul substance. Only when it is discarded then with the lack of worries, the worldly transmigration would stop. You would get rid of five kinds of transmigrations namely dravya, kaal, kshetra, bhav, bhava which are opposite to the nature of pure soul substance. So long one is worrisome, he cannot attain nirvikalpa dhyan. Leave apart others, even Tirthankara deva prior to attainment of keval gyan state cannot manifest into total shuddhopayoga form so long as he is occupied with some shubha-ashubha worries. The pure bhavas, bright as a swan, of the infinite gyan etc. qualities of the Paramatma devoid  of doubts, delusion and uncertainty cannot be revealed unless the worries are discarded. Even Tirthankara deva also undertakes munihood and accepts vows with carefree attitude and then only he attains supreme swan state.

Listening to this preachment, discarding all the webs of worries of pleasures seen, heard and enjoyed, becoming totally carefree, one should contemplate of the pure soul substance.

Now shri guru preaches Munis to conquer the mind and contemplate of the supreme self:

Gatha 171-294: O yogi! Have you lost your sense that you are  practicing vyavahara which is the cause for the  worldly stay? Now you should conquer your mind of the form of webs of vikalpas, knowing the pure soul devoid of all the hypocrisy of the form of webs of deceit.

Commentary: Knowing the pure soul by means of veetrag knowledge of own experience, conquer the mind of the form of webs of vikalpas of shubha-ashubha kind.

Without conquering the mind one cannot attain nirvikalpa dhyan. The immobile state in pure soul, free of various webs of vikalpas in the mind, can be attained only when the mind is conquered and nirvikalpa state is realized. Hence discarding all shubha-ashubha vyavahara, know your own pure soul.

Further it is told that discarding all the subjects contemplate of soul deva:

Gatha 172- 295: O Prabhakar Bhatt! Preventing the wavering of the mind due to all the shubha-ashubha ragas, six kinds of tastes, five kinds of colours/ forms, meditate upon the soul-deva having infinite qualities.

Commentary:  Meditate upon the indestructible soul having keval gyan etc. infinite qualities which is veetrag and ever playful within supreme bliss,  with a  focused mind. How? Opposite to the veetrag pure soul substance, all the shubha-ashubha raga; opposite to own taste, the six tastes of curd, milk, oil, ghee, salt, sweet; different from formless pure soul substance the five colours/forms of  black, white, green, yellow, red- the mind always wanders into them; preventing it meditate upon the soul-deva.

Now it is told that whichever way the soul is contemplated, it appears to be of the same form; just as whichever colour is kept behind the sappire stone, it appears to be of the same colour:

Gatha 173-296: This explicit and indestructible soul manifests into the same form in which it is contemplated. For example the sapphire jewel and Garudi incantation etc.  are there.

Commentary: This soul manifests into three upayoga forms, namely shubha, ashubha and shuddha. If ashubha upayoga is contemplated then it manifests into pap form ; if shubha upayoga is contemplated upon then it manifests into punya form. If shuddha upayoga is contemplated upon then it manifests into supremely pure form. Just as a coloured paper is  kept  behind sapphie stone, i.e. if  a blue, red or green colour is kept behind, it manifests into the same colour form. In the same way, whichever way the jiva dravya contemplates in the upayoga, it manifests into same form. Similarly on contemplating the Garudi etc. mantras it appears to be of the eagle form which scares the snake.

Same kind of statement is made in other scriptures also, “ in whichever form the soul manifests, it becomes one with that form ; just as the sapphire jewel is transparent and behind it, whichever colour is kept, it assumes the same colour.”

Knowing this, the form of soul should be realized. Those who are desirous of attaining pure soul state, it is advisable for them to meditate upon the pure soul form renouncing all the  vikalpas of ragas etc. and not give any attention to the corrupt forms.

Next the pure form soul is described in four part verse:

Gatha 174-297: This explicit form soul revealed by knowledge of own experience, is the pure Paramatma from aspect of shuddha nishchaya naya having infinite foursome qualities,  devoid of  thirst etc. eighteen blemishes. From aspect of Vyavahara naya, enslaved due to eternal karmas influence it always looks upon others. However the moment, it realizes itself by means of veetrag nirvikalpa knowledge of own experience, from that moment, this soul becomes Paramatma deva. 

Commentary: The one who enjoys the experience of supreme bliss by the spirit of own pure soul is called Deva, which is the object of attainment. From aspect of shuddha Nishchaya naya, that soul deva is same as Bhagwan Kevali. Such Paramatma deva is present within the body in terms of capability; if it were not present in the body then how can it be revealed at  the time of keval gyan?

Same meaning is further reiterated:

Gatha 175-298: The Paramatma is of the form of knowledge and I am the same of the form of indestructible Deva. Whatever I am, the supreme Paramatma is the same. Contemplate in this manner without hesitation.

Commentary: Some one called as  Paramatma, is termed as supremely famous, abode of  infinite knowledge etc. riches, of the nature of knowledge; which is same as myself. Although from aspect of vyavahara naya, I am bonded with karmas, but from aspect of nishchaya naya, I do not have bondage or Moksha. My form is same as the form of Bhagwan. The deva of the form of soul is subject of worshiping of great Munis and it is abode of infinite bliss etc. qualities. This establishes that the soul is same as Paramatma and Paramatma is same as the soul. Whatever is Paramatma, I am the same; and whatever I am, the Paramatma is same. The word ‘Aham’ (I) describes the soul residing in the body. The word ‘sah’ (he) is applicable to Paramatma who has attained salvation. Whatever is Paramatma, I am the same and whatever I am the Paramatma is the same.- Contemplate of this always. That Paramatma is the greatest from aspect of qualities.

Shari Yogendu deva tells Prabhakar Bhatt that O Prabhakar Bhatt ! Discarding all Vikalpas, you contemplate of the Paramatma alone. Be sure that the pure soul exists in this body without doubt. With the  subsidence of Mithyatva etc. all corrupt bhavas, till the generation of Keval gyan etc.. with the root cause of Samayasar which implies the partial revelation of pure soul of the form of Veetrag Samyaktav etc. as described in scriptures; at all times it is advisable to meditate upon the knowledge and that is the duty- this is the intent.

The same meaning is further strengthened with example:

Gatha 176-299: O jiva! Just as external colours kept under the extremely pure sapphire stone are different, in the same way, know that all shubha-ashubha karmas are different from the nature of the soul.

Commentary: The nature of soul is extremely pure; bhava karma, dravya karma, nokarma – all these are corporeal; soul is conscious form. Know all the activities to be different from infinite knowledge etc. form conscious blissful self.

Further body and soul are different, this differentiating knowledge is strengthened:

Gatha 177-200: Just as sapphire jewel is pure by nature; in the same way soul has pure knowledge-vision by nature. O Jiva! Do not believe the nature of the soul to be impure on observing the uncleanness of the body.  

Commentary: This body is different from the pure-knowledge form supreme soul substance, the body is unclean while soul is pure.

Next, the previously described spirit of differentiating knowledge is explained by the examples of red, yellow etc.  clothes in four  dohas:

Gatha 178-181/301-304 : Just as a wise person does not believe his body to be red coloured on wearing red coloured clothes, in the same way the one having veetrag nirvikalpa knowledge of own experience does not believe soul to be red because the body is red. Just as a wise one does not believe body to be worn out because the clothes are worn out, in the same way the gyani does not believe the soul to be worn out because the body is worn out. Just as a wise person does not believe the body to be destroyed because the clothes are destroyed, in the same way Gyani does not believe soul to be destroyed on destruction of the body. O Jiva! Just as the Gyani believes the body to be different from the clothes, in the same way Gyani believes the soul to be different from the body. Know this.

Commentary : Just as the clothes and the body appear to be one , but the body is different from the  clothes; in the same way soul  and body appear to be one , but they are different. The redness, wearing out or destruction of the body do not imply redness, wearing out or destruction of the soul; know this for sure. This soul is residing in the body from aspect of vyavahara naya, even then from aspect of own nature of pure supremely blissful form, it is different only. The happiness-unhappiness of the body do not exist in the jiva.

Further it is told that accept the enemy who is destroyer of your body which is a source of unhappiness, as your friend :

Gatha 182-305: O Jiva! This body is your enemy because it generates miseries; know the destroyer of this body as your great friend.

Commentary: This body generates miseries being your enemy hence do not have attachment towards it. Also do not have liking towards one who is serving your body. Further the one who destroys your body, do not treat him as your enemy. When someone destroys your body, then with the spirit of supreme equanimity generated by the contemplation of veetrag knowledge natured, conscious, blissful, one, supreme soul substance , do not develop hatred towards the destroyer of the body. Just as great dharma form Yudhisthir Pandava etc. five brothers did not entertain any hatred towards the Kaurava kumars. In the same way, it is the nature of all the sadhus that they do not have aversion towards the one who harms their body; they treat all of them as friends.

Continued…..