While I was journeying on in the Akas incognito to bathe in the River Ganges, I one day went from the region of Sapta Rishis* to the Kadamba tree where the Muni Dhasoora was initiating his disciple in the night and heard the following from the Muni s mouth which I shall now communicate to you.
“ Now shalt thou hearken to the present story in order that thou mayest rightly understand the true nature of the Brahmic Reality. There was once a great and noble Em peror named Swottha (or that which arises of itself) who re joiced in the possession of immense courage and fame. Even the many protectors of the perishable universe would wear his commands over their heads, as if they (the commands) wereso many rubies and would be weighed by him according to their true deserts. This Emperor was a lover of Truth and wrought many wonders. One may rather count the ocean waves than the myriads of countless actions which he performed produc tive of good or evil to persons (good or bad). Neither sharp instruments nor wind nor fire was able to affect him in the least.
How can the two hands of a person seize and affect the Akasa which is all-pervading ? Not even the eternal Trumurtisf who are ceaselessly engaged in all actions as if In sport, can out-strip this Emperor (in his efforts).
Three persons there were, who formed the bodies of this great personage able to bear up any burden. These persons transcended even the powerful universe. They went by the names, Utthama (high), Madhyama (middle), and Adhama (low). This king abode in the Jnana- Akas out of which he arose and was triple-bodied in person. In this city of Jnana- Akas, there were 14 long streets. All things being triple in their nature, there were in that city Elysian pleasure gardens,
groves, sporting resorts, tendril-like gardens, 7 tanks and two lights which were both hot and cold (at the same moment).
Tents were pitched, whirling in all the three worlds of the city filled with all things the three worlds, Swarga Madhya and Pfitdla. Three massive pillars upbore these three worlds. It was intertwined with the trees of bones. It was coated over with soft skins filled with blood and thickset hairs above.
This king created, with Maya which never is, big halls; each of them had nine windows through which the zephyrs played. It shone with the beautiful lights of the five Indryas (organs). External to it, appeared the two arms. The ghosts of Ahankara, extremely nervous at the approach of Brahmic meditation guarded and protected it. Having like a bird pent up in a cage, amused himself with the ghost of Ahankara in a number of halls and sported gleefully in diverse ways, the king migrates from one hall to another created by him and there dances ghost-like everywhere as he passes along.
The moment he thinks of quitting one from another, he does so accordingly ; the moment he contemplates upon death, he puts an end to his existence. With his mind ever whirling, he will ever subject himself to the cycle of births and deaths. But the seat of all is Jnana-Akas alone. Though dead once, he will again recur like the waves of the ocean. This triple-bodied king will live pleasantly in his city shining like a Gandharva city and being ever oppressed by the ever-surging actions, will sometimes droop, sometimes rejoice ; will sometimes be carried away by the love of Self and sometimes reel giddily or be clear in mind ; will sometimes exclaim * Oh, I am poor, I am low, I am high, I am base, I am noble and so on. Oh, how can I describe the state of the mind of that person which is tossed to and fro, like a light object in a stormy ocean.”
At these words of the Muni, the son asked his father as to what he meant to symbolize by the Emperor mentioned in the above story. To which Dhasoora replied thus Should you know truly the real nature of the King, then you will also be a knower of the unreality of birth and death. In the story related above, I but emphasised upon the illusory character of births and deaths in this mundane existence which has spread itself far and wide through the paltry Sankalpa. It is only Sankalpa that incarnated in the Param-Akas in the form of the King Swottha. It will of itself evolve and disappear at stated times. With the growth of the paltry Sankalpa, there will arise the universe ; with the extinction of the former, the latter also will disappear. Even the primeval Trumurti and other Gods are but the inseparable parts of the bodies of this Sankalpa.
This Sankalpa, viz., the meditation of Brahman which arises in Atma through the budding up of intelligence in it, first creates in Jnana-Akas the town of three worlds : the deities presiding over the several quarters are the 14 Manus : the 14 streets in the town do stand for the 14 worlds; the pleasure gardens, groves, &c., do symbolize the pure earth : the mountains of sport in that city do stand for Mahameru, Mandara, and other mountains ; the two lights that will never be quenched by the wind are the sun and the moon ; the pearl garlands do stand for the many rivers full of water : the 7 tanks in that city do repre sent the 7 oceans rendered into lotus-like forms through Valava-Agni. In such a great city of the universe, the abovementioned King of Sankalpa assumes different bodies through his Karmas. And these bodies are symbolized in the story by the spacious Halls.
The bodies of Devas are located in the higher regions ; those of Nagas in the nether regions ; those of men in the middle ones. Such bodies made of fleshy earth move about through the terrific Prana (life) currents. Migrating in the diverse halls of bodies, the King will consider as true the unreal ghosts of Ahankara which impede his progress in Atma-Jnana. Then when he flirts with them, they will sometimes be and sometimes not. The bodies composed of flesh called here Grahas (houses) will appear and disappear like the waves of the ocean. Moving in the different Grahas, this King of Sankalpa will sometimes die, the moment he comes into possession of them through his Sankalpa. And so long as he is in the clutches of San kalpa, he will be greatly afflicted. Without enjoying happi ness in the least, he will greatly repine at his lot. With the contemplation of * I,” all the train of the ideas of the universe will set in ; otherwise all the universe will vanish as instantaneously as darkness before the sun.
To this Sankalpa-Purusha who is sunk in the enjoyments he contemplates upon, there are three bodies, the high, the low and the intermediate. The three Gunas are his three bodies and form the substratum for the three worlds. Of these* Tamasic-Sankalpa breeds pains through the actions of Prakriti (matter) and is base like Patala worms. The pure Satwic Sankalpa leads to good Dharmas, Jnana and salvation, shin ing like an emperor. The Rajasic Sankalpa leads persons naturally into the mundane existence. Having divested your self of these three Sankalpas, if you are Sankalpa-less, then you will reach the immaculate seat very easily.
Having freed yourself from all desires in the visible objects before you and having made your impure mind firm and steady through your pure mind, may you eradicate quite the Sankalpa aris ing both within your heart and without it. You may un flinchingly perform a stainless Tapas for many myriads of years ; you may be able to travel at once through the three worlds, Svvarga, Patla and Earth ; but never will you be able to reach the stainless Moksha, except through the firm path of the annihilation of Sankalpa. Therefore endeavour, as far as possible, to destroy this Sankalpa and thereby attain Brahmic bliss devoid of pains and heterogeneity.
In the string of Sankalpa, all our countless thoughts are strung like so many beads. If the string be severed to pieces, then you may infer, oh son, what will become of the illusory thoughts which are strung in it.
I hope you will be performing those Karmas only that present themselves before you without the dire Sankalpas (which make you to choose between them.) Should Sankalpa bid adieu to you, then your Jnana will not pinion itself to the visibles. Having reached the Brahmic seat, may you enjoy the supreme bliss in that non-dual state, being free from the heterogeneities of the universe as well as misconcep tions and that in the pleasurable Sushupti state.
At these words of Dhfisoora, his disciple asked him thus What is Sankalpa ? How came it into existence ? And how does it flourish and go out of existence, decreasing gradually ?
To which the Muni replied thus. “ The mere manifestation, as the visibles, of Atma-Jnana the supreme, the true and the universal is Sankalpa. Rising from a small be ginning, this Sankalpa is the primeval seed. Gradually and regularly increasing, it begins to obscure the one clear Paramatma, like the thick clouds, in order to generate firmly the conception of inertness. Oh my son, when the v:: . gence views the visibles outside, then it differentiates thi from itself. Then Sankalpa reigns supreme.
1 he seed oi Jnana is no other than the sprout of Sankalpa. This Sankalpa having considered itself as different from others, will generate itself as well as increase prodigi ously. Such a procedure is for its evil only and is in no way beneficial to it. Therefore do not dream of walk ing in the path of Sankalpa. Do not for a moment con template upon the things of the universe. Through such a contemplation, there will ensue to you supreme happiness. You need not exert yourself too much to rid yourself of this Sankalpa. With the checking of all thoughts, one s mind will perish. To crumple a full-blown flower in one s hand, taxes a little effort, but even that little effort is not needed to do away with Sankalpa. Sankalpa is destroyed with the control of thoughts. Having firmly annihilated the external Sankalpa through the internal one, and having destroyed the impure mind through the pure one, may you rest firmly in your Atma-Jn&na.
If only this path is faithfully followed, then there is no doubt that the highest goal can be achieved through the extinction of Sankalpa in the short space of time required for a black gram to roll from the side of a pot. It is nothing impossible. Take my word for it, it will really happen. As Sankalpa arose only through the misconception of Ajnana only and is not ever existent, it resembles the universe and Akasa. Though the husk is natural to rice, and the rust, to copper, yet the former disappear through efforts made.
Similarly Ajnana which clings to Atma can be made to disappear through Atmic enquiry. Having cleared yourself of all doubts, you should endeavour to walk in the spiritual path through the aid of the spiritual illumination imparted by your Guru. All the visibles seen by us are in vain. Alone the relationship of a Guru and his disciple should be known and worshipped as the torch of light leading to Brahman.
Having heard all these words of Dhasoora Muni, I went to the Muni there ; and having paid him due respects with a good heart, I passed the night with him on the tendril of the tree he was in. As in the case of two libertines, the whole night was passed, as if in a second, in the recitation of many true stories. Then I took leave of Dhasoora and reached the banks of the Ganges. Thus, my son, is this universe as in the story related before (by Dhasoora).
