Through the path of non-desires, the association with the wise and not with the ignorant, the illumination within oneself of the Self-Chaitanya, one s supreme efforts and a ceaseless study of Jnana-^astras, the great shore (or seat) of the vast waters of fleshly re-birth and the source (of all) will, oh Rama wearing garlands of gems and honey-drop ping wreaths, be firmly and directly seen like a Piluluka Euphorbia in the palm of the hand. Oh thou like a cloud showering grace, the special (or second) indifference arises, whenone is in the certitude of quiescent silence, dispelling, truly to a distance, all Sankalpas bodying forth in words, he not being the actor, agency being attributable to Eswara or his own destiny. It also arises when there is no differentiation of thought of worldly objects or non-objects, Chit or non-Chit, internals or externals and height or lowness in the quarters or the Akasa and everything merges into the quiescent state free from thoughts or light or many re-births or beginning or end.
This third stage will bring in its train the matchlesss lotus bud of Jnana which blossoms through the sun of Viveka (dis crimination) arising in the heart and which is at the top of the stalk of the clear mind replete with the thorns of obstacles, arising in the mud of Vasanas. The first stage of Subechcha arises in the mind, like the analogy of a crow and the palmyra fruit, through the association with the stainless wise and the performance of all virtuous actions without any desires for the fruits thereof. This will irrigate his mind with the waters of discrimination and protect it. This stage will be develop ed with non-attractions (or indifference). With the development of this indifference every day through proper efforts, it will be found that the first stage is the substratum of the other stages like low-caste men cultivating lands for others sus tenance. From it, the next two stages Vicharana and Thanu- manasi will be reached. With the cultivation of special indifference, the third stage is reached. A person who has reached this stage will be void of all Sankalpas.
Here Rama remarked How can salvation be obtained by those who are of degraded family, without intelligence, per- forming bondage-giving Karmas, of vicious tendencies and without Jnana? Moreover if ,1 person dies having reached the first, second or third stages, what will be his future fate? Please enlighten me on these points, Oh immaculate Lord.
To which the wise Vasishta replied thus : To the ignorant who are subject to many frailties, there will arise many re-births of diverse kinds. These re-births will not cease till the first Jnana stage is reached. Besides, if the virtuous path be strode, there will arise the stainless indifference, like the analogy of a crow and the palmyra fruit; or with the associa tion with the wise, this indifference will arise ; and when there is indifference, the Jnna stage will not but be reached. Through it, all re-births will cease. All the significance of the S a stras point to this goal only.
Again, hearken to the fates of those who, being in one or other of these Jnna states, breathe their last. Should one satisfy quite the qualifications required of him in the three Jnana states, then all his former Karmas will cease to exist. Then Devas will conduct him on their divine vehicle to Devaloka and other places, where he will feast his eyes upon the pleasant sceneries of Meru, Elysian gardens, caves and beautiful damsels. With the expiry of their enjoyment, all the old two-fold Karmas will perish completely, and then they will at once redescend upon earth as Jndnis. They will incarnate in a family of the wise replete with enormous wealth, good qualities and purity of mind and body) and will unerringly follow the path of Jnna, since they had already subjected themselves to a rigid course of discipline.
As this motley universe is seen without anything special as in the walking state by a Jnani in these three stages, they can well be termed the waking state. It is persons in these three stages that pass for Acharyas to the work-a-day world.
To the ignorant, they appear like those who have attained Moksha and are extolled. They instil spirit into the ignorant to tread the path of Jnana. They will do only things fit to be done, and omit to do things which ought not to be done. They will act consistently with the working of nature. Such men alone are the greatest of men. Those only are the Supreme men who load their lives according to Ach^ras (the religious observances), the Sastric injunctions and the non-noble actions of the world with firmness.
In the first stage of matchless Jnana, the nature (or qualities) of an Acharya will germinate ; in the second stage they will bloom ; and in the third stage, they will fructify. Should a Jnani die while in this (last) state, he will remain in Swarga (Devachan), for a long time ;and after satiating him self with the enjoyments therein which perish on account of their Sankalpa, will reincarnate on earth again as a Jnni. After Ajn^na (ignorance of Truth) perishes through the de velopment of these three stages, the exalted Jn&na will dawn fully in his mind and settle itself firmly there as all- pervading and without beginning and end, like the light of a full moon. It is with this mind associated with Jnana that Yogis shine.
Those who have reached the fourth stage will look stedfastly and coolly upon all things in the universe with an equal eye and like a dream. Oh Rama, all the above three stages can be classified under the Jgrata state, while the abovementioned fourth can be included under the Swdpana state. In this last stage, the mind will perish like the array of clouds in the autumnal season. Then it will remain in the transcendent Sat-Bhdva alone which survives all. With the destruction of the mind, all Vikalpas will notarise.
Then passing over to the fifth stage which will come under Sushupti, he will remain in the absolute certitude of non- duality, when all the specialties of gun^s will disappear. Such a person will be with full Jnana shining in the heart and free from the gloom of duality. He will ever remain in the Sushupti state. He will always rejoice in the possession of the matchless introvision. Though engaged in external ac tions, he will ever be quiescent, as ifin a brown study. The sixth stage being reached, the Turya state ensues, in which he will be engaged in the practices appurtenant to that stage, being completely divested of all the regularly accrued Vasa- nas.
Then he spends his time mindless as the Kevala (one) free from all ideas of differences or non-differences, or being or non-being. A Jiva in this state unaffected by the knot of Ahankara and being neither with the idea (of attain ing) Nirvana nor without it, will be within, like the steady and unflickering light of a lamp. All the worldly creation having then no externals or internals, shines all-full both inside and outside through Brahmic vision, like a pot filled to the brim in the midst of the ocean seething with waves. This personage, though he, to all appearances, seems to have every thing is really with nothing. Having solitarily passed this sixth stage, the Jivanmukta reaches the seventh stage alone. It is in this seventh stage that disembodied salvation is attained. Thus is the extreme verge of the supreme Jnna stages reached, of pure quiescence and beyond all power of speech.
Having instituted nice enquiries into this seventh stage of Videha-mukti, diverse religionists ascribe different names to this stage, Some say it is Paramaaiva, some hold it to be a void ; some hold it to be Vijn&na ; some say it is kala (time) ; and some Prakriti. Others there are who find it an up-hill work for them, through their Vikalpas and firm idea of differentiation of objects in this world, to cognize and describe this disembodied (or formless) state which, being homogeneous, is beyond the power of speech. If these seven Jnana stages are crossed in a non-illusory manner, pains will not in the least come in contact with such a person.
There is a mad rutting elephant with tusks, like unto a a white shell, which, showering rutting water as it goes, stalks with a beautiful gait with its long writhing proboscis spotted with white. If this animal which generates never-ceasing pains be slain, then mankind will cross with you all the various stages of the above mentioned Jndna. So long as this tremendous elephant oozing out rutting water be not slain through one s might, who will become a great warrior in the field of battle (in this universe) replete with pains?
At these words of Vasishta, Rama of the form of grace accosted him thus What is this powerful elephant you acquainted me with ? where is the field of battle ? how can it be annihilated ? what is the seat of its residence ?
To which Vasishta replied thus This grand elephant showering rutting water is no other than the pains-genera- ting desires that ever try to appropriate to “ I” all the things of the universe and disports itself with great mirth and joy in the spacious forest of the body. It has as its young ones, the dire Indryas (or organs) full of anger and greed. It will articulate through its sweet tongue and perform its actions by being merged into the forest of the mind. The terrific and dire twin Karmas (good and bad) are its two tusks. The Va”sanas are the rutting waters shed by it. It has a body which ranges everywhere and at all times. All the visible objects of Samsara are the battle field wherein the carnage takes place ; the powerful desires being no other, as said be fore, than the elephant. This rutting elephant of desires which again and again invests persons with victory or defeat, puts an end to the myriads of poor Jivas. All the firm Vasanas having their own modifications, existence, Manas, Buddhi, Sankalpa, desires and the rest pertain to Antah karana, the lower mind only.
It is most conducive to the progress of a Jnani to conquer fearlessly by all means and as if in sport, this elephant of desires whicli is but a combination of all, through sheer might and the arrows of dauntless bravery. If through the imbecility of thy mind, it longs after things of the world, please hear from me the means of arresting it. So long as these desires exist in thee, so long will the poisonous disease of Samsara creep upon and affect thee. The mind which expands itself everywhere, thus enmeshing itself in bondage can be called the despicable Samsara itself. Its des truction alone is Moksha. Such is the fact.
If only a disciple whose mind is cleansed of all its illu sions which make it real is initiated into the sacred mysteries by a Guru, then it will get quiescence like a drop of oil over a glass surface. Through the illumination of Jnana. this mind which was originally of the form of the seed of desires gives up all the delusion of re-births ; and there arises in it nothing (of the worldly desires) through its Asamvedana (non-recepti vity). If the desires which bring in their train manifold mis chief arise at any time in you, you should destroy them at once through Asamvedana.
Though a host of desires mani fest themselves in you in diverse ways, yet the Vasanas which are inseparably associated with body will never fail to be re moved by Asamvedana. Do not fall in love with your de sires but regard them in the light of a carcase to be loathed. When the mind, through the powerful Pratyahara* mode, hankers not after desires which should be thought of as nothing but Vasanas, then the mind will remain still. This effort is called Asamvedana.
The wise say that the ideas of “ mine” and “ thine” are only the foul creations of the mind. If all objects vanish through the contemplation of Jnana, the wise, oh stainless Prince, say that all the unreal illusions will disappear. The existence of Manas is itself Sankalpa ; but its non-exis tence is Siva itself (auspiciousness or bliss). The contempla tion of feeling and non-feeling after crossing all objects is the true one. May you, after abandoning all ideas of in telligence and non-intelligence and becoming oblivious of all things, remain stedfastly and firmly, like a decayed tree, with great Jnana and in a state unchanged.
Now addressing the assembly, Vasishta said thus In order that all persons in this hall may without exception un derstand the drift of what we say, we shall now, with our hands raised on high, proclaim to all thus It is only Sankalpa destroyed beyond resurrection that constitutes the immaculate Brahmic seat.
Why should not men then contemplate silent ly and secretly in their hearts upon the destruction of this Sankalpa ? Then it will so betide that even the throne of an Emperor, who sways his sceptre over the whole earth will be regarded by them as but a paltry bauble. This Brahmic seat is obtained by those only who observe Mouna (silence towards material pleasures). Like a person who journeys on to a great city in complete reverie within himself unconscious of the pains which his feet underwent in the exertion of walking, so an Atma-Jnni performs all Karma, without his being conscious of the performance of them. There is no use gained in dilating farther on the subjects. Now hear from me in brief, the substance of what I said before. Sankalpa only is Samsara ; its destruction is Moksha.
Majest thou be in a state of Elysian bliss, perceiving all worlds to be of the nature of Jnana which is the one quiescence without parts or end or destruction or fluctuation or Sam sara. That which is described as the imperishable state of quiescent Jn&na is Asamvedana. Perform all thy allotted works, being at the same time in the Jnana state and without the attracting desires. That Jnana which tends to the destruction of the mind a great up-hill work truly is Asamve- dana. Mayest thou be, through this path, in that state of beatitude, which is the quiescent Jnana. All ideas of identi fication of all things with one s Self, will not free him from pains.
Asamvedana will confer upon one Moksha as its re sult. Whatever is dear to thee (or proper in thy eyes), that thou shalt enact. The non-dawning self-light of Siva (the auspicious) is the all-pervading Sat. It alone is the quies cent, auspicious and surpriseless bliss, shorn of all objects. It alone is Jnna of ever-dawning Sat. It is this firm direct cognisance of non-duality that constitutes, Oh Rama, Karma Tyaga or the renunciation of all actions.
Thus did Vasishta initiate Sree-Rama which was again reiterated by Muni Valmiki for the benefit of Baradwaja.
