Verse 2.2.172

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.172:

यथारोग्ये सुषुप्तौ च सुखं मोक्षेऽपि कल्प्यते ।
परं त्व् अज्ञान-संज्ञोऽयम् अनभिज्ञ-प्ररोचकः ॥ १७२ ॥

yathārogye suṣuptau ca sukhaṃ mokṣe'pi kalpyate |
paraṃ tv ajñāna-saṃjño'yam anabhijña-prarocakaḥ || 172 ||

yathā–just as; ārogye–when free from disease; suṣuptau–in deep sleep; ca–and; sukham–happiness; mokṣe–in liberation; api–also; kalpyate–is considered; param tu–indeed; ajñāna-saṃjñaḥ–known as ignorance; ayam–this; anabhijña–to the ignorant; prarocakaḥ–giving great happiness.

Just as one considers himself to be happy when relieved from a painful disease or when sleeping soundly, in the same way, the supposed happiness of liberation is only the absence of suffering. Moreover, the designation ‘liberation’ is symbolic of non-cognizance. That is, as the bondage of illusion or ignorance is unreal (like that of a dream), so that which liberates one from such bondage is also devoid of reality. Therefore, only the ignorant are interested in liberation.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Now, in this verse beginning with yathā, the bhakti-śāstras give examples to establish the inferiority of liberation. They say, “Just as one imagines himself to be happy in a healthy condition, free from the suffering of disease, similarly, one imagines himself to be happy in liberation. Or, the happiness of mokṣa can be likened to that of deep sleep. Although one does not experience any happiness during deep sleep, which is in the mode of ignorance, nevertheless, one supposes that there is some sort of pleasure to be had in sleeping soundly.”

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has given the following example to illustrate this mentality: “etāvantaṃ kālaṃ sukham aham asvāpsam, na kiñcid avediṣam–I slept happily and was not aware of anything at all.”

They say, “In this state of deep sleep, because one is free from the mental perturbation arising from his many cherished desires, and one is not agitated by dreams that are full of yearnings and doubts, he imagines he is happy. The pleasure of mokṣa is similar to this.”

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might question, “When one wakes up from a sound sleep, he remembers, ‘I had a pleasant sleep.’ How can this happiness be considered imaginary?”

The bhakti-śāstras reply, “One does not experience happiness during deep sleep, so there is no question of remembering it. At the same time, one does not experience misery either, as the mind is not being disturbed by dreams. It is only in the absence of such distress that one presupposes a memory of happiness. Similarly, in the state of liberation material miseries, such as birth and death, are absent. In this complete void arising from this absence of suffering, one imagines that there is happiness, but in reality, there is not even an iota of happiness in liberation.”

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might ask, “If this is the case, why have the residents of Brahmaloka and omniscient sages praised liberation so highly?”

The bhakti-śāstras reply in the line beginning with parama. They say, “Only unintelligent people take an interest in the principles of liberation (mokṣa-tattva). [Just as day and night have no existence or reality in the sun, similarly…] there is no factual reality or existence of liberation [or bondage] for the living being (who is transcendental by constitution). These terms or concepts have arisen out of ignorance [of unintelligent people]. Therefore, if liberation, which is characterized by non-cognizance, or ignorance (ajñāna), is unreal, it is established that liberation which brings about freedom from bondage is also unreal.

“Śrī Brahmā affirms this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.26):

अज्ञान-संज्ञौ भव-बन्ध-मोक्षौ द्वौ नाम नान्यौ स्त ऋत-ज्ञ-भावात्
अजस्र-चित्य् आत्मनि केवले परे विचार्यमाणे तरणाव् इवाहनी

ajñāna-saṃjñau bhava-bandha-mokṣau dvau nāma nānyau sta ṛta-jña-bhāvāt
ajasra-city ātmani kevale pare vicāryamāṇe taraṇāv ivāhanī

The concepts of material bondage and liberation are both based on ignorance. They have no place in perfectly pure transcendental awareness, just as day and night have no meaning when one is on the sun.”