Section 7.4 (fourth khaṇḍa) (three texts)

Upaniṣad text:

Now, this Self is the dam, the embankment for the safety of those Regions. This dam, Day and Night, do not cross, nor decrepitude, nor death, nor sorrow, nor merit, nor demerit; all evils turn away from it; as this Brahman-region is free from evil.—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Now, this Self etc., etc.—The ‘Serene and happy Being’ described above is again being eulogised, through its form as being endowed with many qualities, told as well as untold,—for the purpose of thinking it up with the accomplishment of celibacy.

This Self—as described above,—is the dam, like a dam,—the embankment,—the bulwark; the entire universe is held up by this Self which makes it compatible with the character of the acting agent, by rules relating to the divisions into Castes, Life-stages, Action, Actor and results of action. If it were not so held up by God, the universe would be destroyed; hence, He is the ‘dam the ‘Embankment’.—“For what purpose is He the ‘dam’?”—For the safety of these Regions;—for the safety, the non-disintegra-tion, the non-destruction of the Regions of Bhūḥ, (Bhavaḥ) and the rest, which are the locus of Actors, Actions, and Results.—“What are the qualities of this Dam?”—This Dam, the Self—Day and Night,—the determinant of all that is born,—do not cross; other selves entrusted in the cycle of Birth and Death are always determined, circumscribed by time in the shape of Day and Night; this Self, in question however, is not so circumscribed by Time; such is the meaning. This follows from such Śruti-texts as—‘Because the year revolves below through days’ (Bṛhada—Upa. IV. iv. 16.);—for this same reason, decrepititude crosses it not,—it does not approach it;—similarly, death does not cross it; nor sorrow, nor merit, nor demerit;—the terms ‘Sukṛta’ and ‘Duṣkṛta’ stand for Merit and Demerit. What is meant by crossing here is approaching, affecting,—not the acṭual going over from one side to the other; because the Self is the cause (of all things) and no effect (product) can ever cross over (go beyond) its cause. Day and Night and the other things are all the products of Being; where there is approach or crossing, it is always of one thing by another thing, not by itself; the Clay, for instance, is never approached or crossed over by the jar.

Though on a precious occasion the Self has been already described as ‘free from Evil etc.’—by the denial of evil and other things,—yet in the present context, an additional trait is pointed out by the phrase ‘crosses not which denies the possibility of the Self being an object of approach; and along with these, the similar negation of decrepitude and other things also has been reiterated. Day and Night are directly mentioned, and all the other ‘evils’ are not mentioned specifically, they are mentioned by the single common word ‘Evils —All evils turn away from this Dam, the Self, without approaching it;—as this Brahman-Region—the Region, Brahman—has been declared to be free from evil.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

Therefore, having reached this Dam, the blind ceases to be blind, the hurt ceases to be hurt, the afflicted ceases to be afflicted.—Therefore, having reached this Dam, even Night becomes Day as this Brahman-Region is lighted once for all.—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Because blindness and other disabilities, which are the effects of sin, come only to one with a body, and never to one who has no body,—therefore, having reached this Dam,—having got at it,—one ceases to be blind,—even though when he had the body, he was blind;— similarly one who was hurt while he was in the body,—ceases to be hurt,—when, on being separated from the body, he has reached the Dam—similarly one who was afflicted— suffering from disease and other afflictions,—ceases to be afflicted.—Further, because there is no Night and Day at the Dam, therefore, on reaching the dam, even night,—in the form of darkness—becomes day; that is to say, for the knowing man, everything becomes day,—which is of the form of the light of consciousness, and is like the day, comes to be one uniform form—that of Being,—The Brahman-Region is lighted once for all,—i.e. it is ever effulgent and always of the same form of Being,—(2)

Upaniṣad text:

Those who attain this Brahman-Region through Celibacy,—to them belongs this Brahman-Region; and for them there is freedom to act as they please in all regions.—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Such being the case, those who attain this Brahman-Region through Celibacy,—through renouncing all desires for women, and after having learnt the scriptures and received instructions from Teachers,—attain it—i.e. realise it within their own self,—to them—who are equipped with the weapon of celibacy, and have come to know Brahman,—belongs this Brahman-Region,—not to the others, who still entertain longings for the contact of women and other objects of sense,—even though they may have come to know Brahman;—for them there is freedom to act as they please, in all regions,—as already explained above. Thus what is meant is that celibacy is the highest means of success for knowers of Brahman,—(3)

End of Section (4) of Discourse VIII.