328. Through inadvertence a man deviates from his real nature, and the man who has thus deviated falls. The fallen man comes to
ruin, and is scarcely seen to rise again.
329. Therefore one should give up reflecting on the sense-objects, which is the root of all mischief. He who is completely aloof even
while living, is alone aloof after the dissolution of the body. The Yajur-Veda declares that there is fear for one who sees the least bit
of distinction.
330. Whenever the wise man sees the least difference in the infinite Brahman, at once that which he sees as different through
mistake, becomes a source of terror to him.
331. He who identifies himself with the objective universe which has been denied by hundreds of Shrutis, Smritis and reasonings,
experiences misery after misery, like a thief, for he does something forbidden.
332. He who has devoted himself to meditation on the Reality (Brahman) and is free from Nescience, attains to the eternal glory of
the Atman. But he who dwells on the unreal (the universe) is destroyed. That this is so is evidenced in the case of one who is not a
thief and one who is a thief.
333. The Sannyasin should give up dwelling on the unreal, which causes bondage, and should always fix his thoughts on the Atman
as “I myself am This”. For the steadfastness in Brahman through the realisation of one’s identity with It gives rise to bliss and
thoroughly removes the misery born of nescience, which one experiences (in the ignorant state).
334. The dwelling on external objects will only intensify its fruits, viz. furthering evil propensities, which grow worse and worse.
Knowing this through discrimination, one should avoid external objects and constantly apply oneself to meditation on the Atman.
335. When the external world is shut out, the mind is cheerful, and cheerfulness of the mind brings on the vision of the Paramatman.
When It is perfectly realised, the chain of birth and death is broken. Hence the shutting out of the external world is the
stepping-stone to Liberation.
336. Where is the man who being learned, able to discriminate the real from the unreal, believing the Vedas as authority, fixing his
gaze on the Atman, the Supreme Reality, and being a seeker after Liberation, will, like a child, consciously have recourse to the
unreal (the universe) which will cause his fall ?
337. There is no Liberation for one who has attachment to the body etc., and the liberated man has no identification with the body
etc. The sleeping man is not awake, nor is the waking man asleep, for these two states are contradictory in nature.
338. He is free who, knowing through his mind the Self in moving and unmoving objects and observing It as their substratum, gives
up all superimpositions and remains as the Absolute and the infinite Self.
339. To realise the whole universe as the Self is the means of getting rid of bondage. There is nothing higher than identifying the
universe with the Self. One realises this state by excluding the objective world through steadfastness in the eternal Atman.
340. How is the exclusion of the objective world possible for one who lives identified with the body, whose mind is attached to the
perception of external objects, and who performs various acts for that end ? This exclusion should be carefully practised by sages
who have renounced all kinds of duties and actions and objects, who are passionately devoted to the eternal Atman, and who wish
to possess an undying bliss.
341. To the Sannyasin who has gone through the act of hearing, the Shruti passage, “Calm, self-controlled.” Etc., prescribes
Samadhi for realising the identity of the universe with the Self.
342. Even wise men cannot suddenly destroy egoism after it has once become strong, barring those who are perfectly calm through
the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Desires are verily the effect of innumerable births.
343. The projecting power, through the aid of the veiling power, connects a man with the siren of an egoistic idea, and distracts him
through the attributes of that.
344. It is extremely difficult to conquer the projecting power unless the veiling power is perfectly rooted out. And that covering over
the Atman naturally vanishes when the subject is perfectly distinguished from the objects, like milk from water. But the victory is
undoubtedly (complete and) free from obstacles when there is no oscillation of the mind due to the unreal sense-objects.
345. Perfect discrimination brought on by direct realisation distinguishes the true nature of the subject from that of the object, and
breaks the bond of delusion created by Maya; and there is no more transmigration for one who has been freed from this.
