Sunday, June 12, 2022

Tattva Gyan Tarangini .....1

 By Bhattarak Shri Gyan Bhushan

Preface

Tattva Gyan Tarangini is a highly spiritual creation of Bhattarak shri Gyan Bhushan whose period is estimated to be between Vikram Samvat 1500 to 1562. Out of this he was Bhattarak during the period V.S. 1531 to 1557 approximately.  Belonging to area of Gujarat he was disciple of Bhattarak Bhuwankirti who himself was a disciple of Bhattarak  Sakal Kirti. He has sixteen literary creations to his credit , of which eleven are in Sanskrit and five are in Hindi. This particular Tattva Gyan Tarangini  describes the form and nature of soul substance in eighteen chapters with a total of about 400 shlokas. Virtually each of the shloka talks about the pure conscious form which is the characteristics of soul. The language is simple but the meaning is highly spiritual. The attempt to translate them itself was quite engrossing and enlightening. I am sure  the readers would also enjoy it to the same extent.

                                                                                         First Chapter

Characteristics of pure conscious form

Shloka 1 : Offering obeisance to pure conscious nature which is supreme in the world, which enjoys perturbation free incomparable bliss, wishing to attain the same, I (the author) describe its characteristics etc.

Meaning: In this shloka the pure conscious  nature is the substantive while bliss and supreme in the world are its adjectives. Here the term pure conscious form is used in place of pure soul which indicates that consciousness and soul of the form of knowledge etc. are not different substances – soul is knowledge form only. Other faiths do not accept soul to have blissful nature and believe the bliss to be different, to explain to them the term blissful has been used i.e. soul is blissful. The atheist do not accept pure conscious form and nor do they accept  the term supreme; to explain to them here the term supreme in the world has been used i.e. amongst all the substances the pure conscious form is supreme.

Shloka 2:  The one which observes and knows  the entire world together, which is free of Paramanus of karmas and Nokarmas, that alone is pure conscious form.

Meaning: Pudgala Varganas ( aggregate of paramanus with same quality ) of Karmana ( karmic particles) nature are occupying the entire Lokakash. Just as on a thing coated with oil etc. the dust particles blown with the wind get stuck, in the same way pure soul  with the purity like a sapphire stone, gets attached with the karmana varganas on account of raga-dwesha which functions like oily coating. Thus it obscures the knowledge and darshan nature of soul.  However the one which is devoid of karmas and no karma varganas and which observes and knows the entire loka with its indivisible knowledge and darshan by destroying Keval Darshanavarana and Keval Gyanavarana, that alone is called pure conscious form. There are three types of bodies namely Audarik, Vaikriyik and Aharak and six types of Paryapti called body, food, senses, breaths,  speech and mind and the karma pudgala which cause them are called No karmas while Gyanavarana and darshanavarana are called karmas.

Shloka 3: Observing and knowing all the substances just  the way they exist, which is free of all perturbations and which is the  treasury of all qualities, is called pure conscious form. The only difference with respect to previous shloka is that Siddhas were described as pure conscious forms and now Arihants are also described as pure conscious forms.

Shloka 4: This own soul is free of touch, taste, colour, words and  impurities. Hence it is not observed by any of the senses but is observed by own direct  experience.

Meaning: The objects that have touch, taste etc. qualities only are known directly by senses etc. and not any other way. This pure own soul does not have qualities of touch etc. hence due to lack of touch, taste, smell, colour, sound  it cannot be known by their corresponding senses. However with internal direct observation of “I” it is known, thus it should be known.

Shloka 5:  This body is conglomeration of seven elements namely blood, flesh, bones etc. It is devoid of consciousness and can be discarded. However within the same body the one capable of observing and knowing all substances is myself the soul.

Shloka 6: Since birth till now, all the substances that I have experienced, recalling them like lines of the palm, who is bonded strongly by the karmas like gyanavarana etc., even so I am in reality pure conscious form only.  

Shloka 7: Listening from the Agam (scriptures) about all the sentient and insentient substances in all the three lokas and in all the three periods of times, the one who knows and observes them,  that is my own soul which is having characteristics of consciousness. There is no one same as me.  With these three shlokas the author has offered veneration to Acharya, Upadhyaya and general Munis in the form of pure consciousness. Further the author indicates that ‘the pure conscious form’ phrase applies to the following:

Shloka 8:  The pure consciousness form phrase applies to five Parameshthis namely Arhant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya and all Sadhus. Apart from these other pure souls have also been implied with the pure consciousness form phrase. This is so since the word ‘pure’ has several meanings.

Meaning: If told from the aspect of Shuddha Nishchaya Naya then only Siddha Parameshthi can be called as pure conscious form. However from the aspect of Bhavi Naigam Naya ( future happening) the Muni etc. also are considered to be pure conscious form since they shall also attain Siddha form.

Shloka 9: This pure consciousness only is SamyakDarshan, SamyakGyan and SamyakCharitra. It is of the form of tapa, bliss, strength and free of blemishes. It is quality form supreme purush. That alone is venerable and should never be relinquished. It is objective of meditation which is free of manifestations of others. It is most venerated and supreme. Other than pure conscious form there is no substance of the form of Samyak Darshan etc. hence every moment I recall and worship the same.

Meaning: In the world Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan, Samyak Charitra, Tapa, Sukh etc. substances are considered beneficial and supreme. However with the acquisition of pure conscious form, all these get attained automatically, since Samyak Darshan etc. are not different from pure conscious form. Hence those people desirous of Samyak Darshan etc. should contemplate of pure conscious form only.

Shloka 10: Although this conscious form is subject of knowledge and vision, even so by nature it is knower and seer of the substances. There is no other substance which in spite of being subject of knowledge and vision, is also capable of knowing and seeing. Hence this conscious form is supreme amongst all the dravyas.

Meaning: Jiva, Pudgala, Dharma, Adharma, Akash and Kaal are six types of dravyas. Out of them the Jiva dravya is the supreme since in spite of being seen and known to others, Jiva himself knows and sees all. All others dravyas are corporeal hence they are subjects of gyan and darshan. They do not know or see any other substance.

Shloka 11: Those who have pure intelligence- being able to distinguish between self and others, they should recognise the knowledge form their own soul by means of all the states of childhood, young and elderly states, memories of anger, pride, deceit form paryayas, knowledge of ocean and mountains, memories of subjects of senses of colour, taste, smell and own crimes, knowledge of past, present and future, recollection of own and other’s words, studies of grammer, Nyaya etc. scriptures, knowing seeing the holy places, knowledge of the wounds received by weapons, recognition of different kinds of trees and recollection of different substances by their qualities.

Meaning: The corporeal substances do not have the intellect to recognise child, young and elderly states, anger, pride, deceit etc paryayas, mountain, ocean form subjects of the senses, own or others crimes, three periods of time, own and other’s words, grammar, nyaya etc. scriptures, holy places, pains of injury, different kinds of trees, qualities of different substances etc. These can only be known to soul having form of darshan and gyan. Therefore soul should be recognised differently by means of memories of paryaya etc. as above.

Shloka 12-13: The knowledge and vision are called consciousness. The one who is having it , he is called as consciousness form Atma (soul). Just as pure gold devoid of blemishes of other dravya form impurities only is called Gold, in the same way, when this consciousness form becomes free of other dravyas , that time it is described as pure consciousness form. ‘Definitely I am that pure consciousness form’, in this way one should contemplate.

Meaning: Just as Gold is defined by qualities of weight, colour, shine etc. and when by heating in fire, the dark impurities get separated , then it is called pure gold. In the same way, the one having capability of knowledge, darshan, consciousness is called consciousness form and the one which has been separated from all other karmas etc. form other dravyas or the one who believes own soul to be devoid of other dravyas, he should be called as pure consciousness form. And I am such pure consciousness form- thus one should contemplate.

 Shloka 14: My soul is blissful-consciousness form. I do not have any interest in other dravyas whether seen, known, acquainted, good or bad,  well behaved, corrupt, destroyed, generated, big or small, sentient or insentient, favourable or unfavourable to senses.

Meaning: So long as I was unaware of my own blissful consciousness nature, I was engaged in external substances – I used to treat them as mine, and indulge in happiness-unhappiness by treating them as seen, heard, experienced, good, bad, favourable, unfavourable etc. Now when I have realised the blissful conscious nature of soul, then I clearly know that other substances cannot be beneficial to me in any way and none can serve my purpose.

Shloka 15: This blissful consciousness form is free of all the corruptions due to karmas or the body and is equipped with infinite knowledge-vision etc. form several qualities of soul.

Meaning: Body and karmas are corporeal. They cannot corrupt  the blissful consciousness form soul in any way hence this soul is always free of their corruptions and is always adorned with the own nature of infinite gyan, darshan etc.

Shloka 16: Although this consciousness form soul has several forms, even so by nature it has a single form. Those who are ignorant and shackled with the chains of Moha (delusion), they cannot even notice it. However those who have destroyed the Moha completely, they immediately realise it.

Meaning: Soul is a treasury of infinite qualities like  infinite knowledge, infinite darshan, infinite bliss, infinite strength etc. But in reality it is just one consciousness form. Those who are intoxicated with the Moha believing other dravyas to be their own, they cannot realise even an iota of the consciousness form soul. On the other hand those who are devoid of Moha and do not assume ownership of other substances, they experience the taste of its nature very soon.

Shloka 17:  This blissful consciousness form soul is beginningless and endless. It is of the form of tri-states of generation-destruction-permanence. So long as it is bonded with the karmas, till then it is impure and when it becomes free of karmas completely then it becomes pure.

Meaning: This consciousness form soul cannot be said to have been born or destroyed at any time hence it is beginningless and endless. Sometime its knowledge form paryaya of the pot gets generated and sometime it gets destroyed. However its consciousness form always remain existent. Therefore it has  generation, destruction and permanence form three states. So long as it is trapped  in the  cobweb of karmas, it remains impure. The moment it is separated from karmas, it becomes totally pure.

Shloka 18: This consciousness form soul has several dharmas (qualities) of being zero, being non-zero, being large, being small, existence, non-existence, permanence, non-permanence, corporeal, non corporeal etc. and it is free of relationship with other dravyas. Therefore such consciousness form should always be present within my heart.

Meaning: From aspect of Nishchaya naya, this consciousness form soul is absolutely free of karmas hence is zero. From aspect of Vyavahara naya, it is bonded with karmas hence it is non zero also. With respect to own dravya, kshetra, kaal, bhava it is existent while with respect to other dravya, kshetra, kaal and bhava it is non existent also. It remains within own nature hence from aspect of Dravyarthika naya, it is permanent; while its qualities of darshan, gyan etc keeps manifesting at every moment hence from aspect of paryayarthika naya, it is transitory also. It is one with karmas like milk with water hence it is corporeal in some aspect while from aspect of Nishchaya naya, it is always separate from karmas hence it is non corporeal in another aspect. In the same way the qualities of Vastutva, Prameyatva are present within the soul while it is completely separate from body etc. external dravyas.

Shloka 19:  By churning the ocean of the form of divine speech of omniscient, with great fortune I have realised the jewel of the form of pure consciousness. My intellect has become pure by not believing other substances to be my own. Therefore in this world, there is no substance which is worthy of knowledge, observation,  search, description, contemplation, listening, attainment, acceptable and worthy of taking recourse to. This pure consciousness form was never realised earlier and it is extremely dear to me.

Meaning: I had obtained all other worldly substances but not the pure consciousness form substance without which the intellect was getting corrupted believing other substances to be own. Now with the preachment of Bhagwan Jinendra, today I have attained pure consciousness form. The other substances can never be beneficial to me , with such resolution my intellect has been purified. Therefore in this world, there remains no substance worthy of knowing, seeing, searching, etc. With the benefit of pure consciousness I have known, seen and heard all.

Shloka 20:  I, having the nature of pure consciousness, take recourse to my conscious form by means of my supreme pure conscious form for removal of all the blemishes, for attainment of consciousness form which is source of immense bliss . Any other person, ignorant of that subject cannot make efforts in this direction, nor can he attain it. I am pure consciousness form and I have the knowledge of this consciousness form and realise its greatness. Hence I adopt it for attainment of the same by means of the same. However the person who does not have knowledge of consciousness form and its greatness cannot attain it.

Second Chapter

Motivation for  the contemplation of pure consciousness form

Shloka 1:  Just as in spite of having the presence of general reasons , without the presence of extraordinary reason of mud, the pot cannot be made, without threads cloth cannot be made, without wood cart cannot be made and without seed rice cannot be cultivated, in the same way those Munis who are desirous of Moksha, cannot attain the same without taking recourse to pure consciousness form.

Meaning: In spite of having all other common reasons available, if the extraordinary reason is not present, then the work cannot be carried out. In the generation of pot, the extraordinary reason is availability of mud, availability of threads for generation of cloth, wood for production of cart and seed for the production of rice. In the same way for attainment of Moksha the extraordinary reason is recollection of pure soul. Hence in spite of gathering thousands of general reasons, without recollection of pure consciousness form, Moksha cannot be attained . Therefore the people desirous of Moksha should necessarily recollect pure soul always.

Shloka 2:  Recollection of pure consciousness form is the cause for the tree of the form of Moksha. It is the boat to cross the worldly ocean. Great fire to burn the sorrowful forest. Strong fort to protect the people scared of karmas. Strong wind to blow away the vikalpa form dust. It is preventer of activities of Pap. Weapon to conquer the Moha form warrior. Supremely infallible medicine to overcome the diseases of the form of Narak etc. ashubha paryayas. It is house of tapa, knowledge and several qualities.

Meaning: The person who keeps remembering pure consciousness form, he attains Moksha and crosses the worldly ocean. All miseries get eliminated, the fear of karmas get removed, vikalpa and paps get destroyed, Moha is conquered, Narak etc form paryayas are relinquished for ever and several qualities like tapa, knowledge etc. are acquired. Hence one should always remember pure consciousness form.

Shloka 3:  In the world jivas suffer miseries due to hunger, thirst, diseases, vayu, cold, heat, water, harsh words, weapons, king, wife, son, enemies, poverty, fire, shackles, cow, buffalo, money, thorns, conjunction, separation, insects, mosquitoes, fall, dust, humiliation etc. However for those people who contemplate upon the pure consciousness form , those miseries vanish.

Meaning: Those saints who keep remembering pure soul, they do not sufer hunger, thirst, diseases, wind, cold, heat, floods etc. Words of cruel people do not hurt them, kings cannot punish them, they do not suffer miseries due to devilish wife, sons or foes. They do not suffer poverty, vagaries of fire, bondage. Horses, cows do not harm him , there is no worry of theft of wealth, thorns do not cause grief, unfavourable  substances are not conjoined, favourable do not get separated. Insects, mosquitoes do not harm them; they do not suffer fall, dust or humiliation. Therefore remembering pure consciousness form is always means for supreme bliss.

Shloka 4: The meditation of pure conscious form gives  an incomparable and unique bliss whose even an iota   cannot be experienced by the Indra etc. also.

Meaning: Although Indra, Narendra and Dharanendra enjoy the highest form of sensual pleasures, even then that enjoyment is not called bliss since the bliss generated by the contemplation of pure consciousness form in the soul  is permanent compared to its temporary nature as well as dependence upon other substances. Hence it is not even a fraction.

Shloka 5:  ‘I am pure conscious form’. With such contemplation one attains pleasures of different forms -  The victory over Moha, destruction of bad karmas and ashubha asrava, extreme purity, supreme Tatva veneration, attainment of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan, Samyak Charitra form jewels, success of human birth, destruction of worldly fear, equanimity with all jivas, praise by the saints etc.

Meaning: The remembrance of pure consciousness form itself is means for bliss, conqueror of moha, destroyer of ashubha asrava and bad karmas with the attainment of extreme purity and highest reverence, acquisition of jewels of the form of samyak darshan, success of human birth, destruction of worldly fear, equanimity with respect to all jivas and reason for praise by saints; then its attainment shall result in even higher benefits, hence great people should always remember pure consciousness and practice for its attainment.

Shloka 6:  Those great people who are immersed within their pure conscious form, they attain Samyak Charitra, sheel and shastra, conquer the senses, get benefitted with tapa, samyak darshan, supreme spirit and dharma. They acquire primary and secondary qualities. All the Paps are destroyed, the internal and external possessions are discarded and internal disposition gets purified. They can also withstand the waves of different kinds of calamities. 

Meaning: Concentrating the mind upon pure consciousness form  results in attainment of supreme qualities and elimination of miseries. Hence the wise people should make their mind stationary upon the pure consciousness form soul free of karma impurities.

Shloka 7:  The author preaches, “ O intelligent one! I am pure conscious natured, this should always be contemplated upon. These words are the greatest means amongst all the means of the form of pilgrimages to cross the worldly ocean. These are supreme jewel generated out of the ocean of the form of scriptures which are worthy of retaining. These are treasures of all pleasures. These are very fast conveyance for travelling to Moksha Sthan. Further these are strong winds for blowing away the karma form dust and are like  unquenchable fire for burning the worldly forest.

Shloka 8:  We cannot say that ‘ I am pure conscious natured’-  by contemplating this,  where do the Shubha ashubha karmas, possessions of sentients-insentient forms, raga-dwesha form corrupt bhavas vanish?

Meaning: With the contemplation of pure consciousness form the Shubha-Ashubha karmas get destroyed, the relation with sentient-insentient possessions get terminated and raga-dwesha form impure bhavas get sidelined ; hence wise ones should always contemplate of the consciousness form.

Shloka 9:  Just as amongst mountains Meru, amongst trees Kalpa Vriksha, amongst metals gold, amongst drinks Amrit, amongst jewels Chintamani jewel, amongst knowledges Keval Gyan, amongst Charitras equanimity form conduct, amongst Aapts Tirthankara, amongst cows KaamDhenu, amongst human beings Chakravarthy, amongst devas Indra is greatest and supreme; in the same way amongst Dhyans the contemplation of pure conscious form is supreme.

Meaning: The contemplation of pure consciousness form is incomparable to contemplation of all other substances.

Shloka 10. Although different kinds of treasures, kalpa vriksha, kaamdhenu, amrit, Chintamani jewel, wealth of the rulers of devas, asuras, humans and vidhyadharas, enjoyments of Bhogbhoomi, wealth of Ahamindras etc. are means of pleasures in the world; however the type of satisfaction achieved by attainment of pure conscious form is incomparable.

Meaning: All other pleasures are short termed while pure consciousness form is permanent and the bliss generated by it is always existent.

Shloka 11:  The person who is engaged in contemplation of pure conscious form, whether he is dark skinned, spotted, earless, blind, dwarf, humpbacked, with chopped nose, lame, dumb, bald, handless, poor, stupid, deaf, leper etc. ; he is praiseworthy in the opinion of scholars. All the people give them due respect while another person, even though he is handsome but if he is devoid of contemplation of pure conscious form then nobody gives him same respect.

Meaning: Even though a person is ugly and poor, if he has qualities then those qualities are always respected. On the other hand a handsome and rich person, if he is devoid of qualities, then nobody respects him.

Shloka 12:  Along with the soul several forms of karma varganas (molecules) are attached. Their quantum  no human being can compute other than Kevali. However with the contemplation of pure conscious form all those innumerable karma varganas vanish.

Meaning: The soul keeps bonding with infinite karmana varganas at every samaya which cannot be known and seen by anyone other than Kevali. However with the contemplation of pure consciousness form, the soul does not get bonded with any karma vargana.

Shloka 13:  O Atman! You contemplate at every moment of the pure conscious form whose contemplation destroys all the karmas. There is no difference between pure conscious form and own soul- both are the same.

Shloka 14:  “ I am pure conscious form” – this is believed to be the supreme amongst all the contemplations. There is no other introspection which is heard or seen by anyone anywhere.

Meaning: Remembrance of wife, son etc. carried out by jiva at every moment are far inferior to that of pure consciousness form.

Shloka 15:  There is no other objective of contemplation similar to the pure conscious form anywhere, nor will it be there.

Shloka 16:  Those Yogis who have attained the wealth of Moksha-permanent bliss and who shall attain the same , they have all done so by contemplating upon the pure conscious form only. Without veneration of the pure conscious form , no one can attain Moksha-permanent bliss; since this pure conscious form only is the temple of bliss -provider of incomparable permanent bliss.

Shloka 17:  Jinendra Bhagwan has described the Dwadashang scriptures of two kinds namely Ang Pravishta and Ang Bahya. Although these scriptures describe about several substances; even so they are said to be discardable while venerable is told to be pure conscious form.

Shloka 18: On proper contemplation of pure conscious form all qualities are realised. The blemishes of raga-dwesha etc. get destroyed and perturbation free Moksha pleasure is attained.

Shloka 19: With the contemplation of pure conscious form, the Ghatiya karmas namely Gyanavarana, Darshanavarana, Mohaniya and Antaraya get destroyed. When by uttering the name of Veetrag-pure conscious form, its invocation alone, by constructing temple and idols of the same lead to elimination of all the paps and attainment of several punya, then by contemplation of the pure conscious form, would the Manushya not  reap great benefits? Surely the dhyani person of pure conscious form shall attain greatest benefits.

Shloka 20:  The author says- dear learned people! You only think and tell that those Munis who keep contemplating of ‘ I am pure conscious form’ , which are the qualities which they do not attain and which are the flaws which do not get eliminated. In other words, those who contemplate of pure conscious form attain all the qualities and eliminate all the flaws.

Shloka 21:  If one imagines the knowledge to be like a balance in which on one side several great qualities and great pleasures are kept which have been attained with great efforts and fortune, and on the other side extremely pure contemplation of pure conscious form is kept then those qualities cannot be even compared with the contemplation of pure conscious form even in the least bit.

Meaning: Although in the world there are different qualities greater than each other which give different kinds of pleasures; even then from aspect of knowledge they are incomparable to the contemplation of pure consciousness form.

Shloka 22: The wise ones who are practitioner of pure consciousness form and engaged in its contemplation, the ground touched with their feet becomes Teerth (holy) for enabling other people to cross the worldly ocean. Pronouncing their names destroys all the Paps and several Devas become their servants.

Shloka 23: Just as iron results in iron pot and gold makes a gold pot, in the same way the contemplation of pure conscious form makes the soul pure while that of other subjects result in its being impure.

Meaning: The work is produced according to the cause. Just as iron results in iron pot and gold results in gold pot, in the same way the cause for purification of soul is contemplation of pure conscious form. With impure contemplation the soul also becomes impure.

Shloka 24: Those who have the knowledge of the pure conscious form, they are immersed in the same. Those who have the knowledge but are careless in remembering it, they too are immersed in it. In other words, in spite of not remembering , the knowledge of pure conscious form itself is a source of bliss.

Shloka 25: The body is seven dhatu ( metals) form like blood, flesh, veins etc. It is home for impure substances urine-excrement etc. Hence great people should make this inferior and impure body also worthy of other’s veneration and pure  by contemplation of pure conscious form.

Meaning: The impure body turns pure by contemplation of pure  conscious form.

Continued…..

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