Verse 8.4

Verse 8.4: “The inner essence of Elemental beings is the Mutable Existence, and the inner essence of Divine beings is the Purusha (Person). The inner entity of the Sacrifice is no other than Myself residing, here within the body. O best of embodied beings. (30)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

I (now) tell you in brief about what is called Adhibhuta (inner essence of created beings). It is like the clouds that become visible and then disappear. It is that whose real being is hollow, the truth of which is that it never comes into being, which has a visible form given by the five gross elements, which only takes the created things as its substratum and appears through their coming together and disappears as soon as this union is dissolved—all this variety experienced as name and form is called Adhibhuta. Adhidaivata (inner luminous soul) is the Purusha, who experiences whatever is created by Prakriti-Maya (delusion).

This Purusha is the very eye of the sentience. He is the chief presiding agent in the sphere of the sense-awareness as also the tree on which, at the time of the setting of bodily life, the birds in the form of unconscious desire, take shelter. He is in fact the Supreme Spirit itself, but he has become somewhat distinct, getting drowsy through the slumber of ego-sense and experiencing, as he does, the joy and grief in the doings of the Maya, which is only another sleep-condition. What is ordinarily called the life (jīva) is the Adhidaivata in the body formed of the five gross elements. Now, O Son of Pandu, the Supreme Being who longs to rid the distress of bodily existence, know ye, is My own self (known as) the Adhiyajna, the inner entity of the Sacrifice. Both Adhidaivata and Adhibhuta are also myself; yet, does not pure gold form part of the alloy (also) when mixed with such alloy? Pure gold (as such) never gets dim nor becomes part of the alloy: as long as it exists as alloy, it must be called alloy.

In that way these Adhibhuta and others, as long as their true being is hidden by the fabric of the Prakriti-Maya, are to be held as separate from the Pure Sacred Brahman. With the removal of the covering of ignorance (delusion), and the snapping of the hunting knot of distinction, the Adhibhuta and others get melted together, and become one with the Supreme Brahman. And really when were these separate from the Supreme and how? Could they be separate? A crystal slab placed on (a cluster of) hair-combings, looks cracked to the eye, but with the removal of the hair-combings, (there appear no cracks) no one knows where the cracks have gone! No: it (slab) was originally one whole (uncracked), but appeared cracked with the association of hair-combings, but as soon as the latter were removed, the former (slab) became uncracked as before. In the same way with the destruction of the illusory ego-sense on the part of the Adhibhuta and others, they abide as one with the Supreme as they eternally are, the true being unto whom they are united is Myself the Adhiyajna. This is the meaning of the truth. I told you already that all sacrifices arise out of Kannan.

I have thus revealed to you today, O Son of Pandu, the eternal Home (of Rest) of Souls, the Supreme bliss that crowns the path of attachment-free action. At first, should be obtained in abundance, fuel in the form of asceticism and with that should be kindled the fire of all sense-organs, and there-into should be released the oblations in the form of sense—objects. Then clearing the ground in the form of the posture named Vajrasana should be constructed on it the basin (kuṇḍavedikā) in the form of Mulabandha (posture in which the upper half of the body remains balanced on the ‘Adhara-chakra’—the region of pelvis—between the penis and the anus) with the canopy of the body roofing over it.

Getting ready in this way, there should be offered in abundance, in the fire basin in the form of restraint of the senses, the balls of oblations in the form of sense objects, accompanied by the recital of Mantras in the form of ‘Yoga’—discipline. Then should be propitiated, the smokeless fire in the form of knowledge, through the sacrificial material in the form of the control of mind. When all is sacrificed in the fire of knowledge, that knowledge becomes one with the Supreme—the object of knowledge (the Brahman), and then only, this Supreme objective existence abides in its own whole of pure essence. And that object of knowledge is called Adhiyajna (adhiyajña).”

No sooner Lord Krishna said all this, than did Arjuna, of thoughtful mind, grasp it immediately.

At this Lord Krishna said “Well done, Partha! You grasp it all quickly.”

Arjuna was satisfied in his heart. It is only the mother, who can realise the joy (felt by a mother), at seeing the babe fully fed; or it is only the good preceptor, who realises the pleasure (felt by a preceptor), of seeing the disciple getting fully initiated. Therefore, a wave of pure and pious feelings swept over Lord Krishna, even before Arjuna (had felt so), with such exuberance that he could hardly check it, and then Lord Krishna, with great difficulty, steadied himself anyhow; and picking up the thread of reasoning spoke again soft and plain words which were like the flow of cool nectar or like a fully ripened fragrance.

He said, “Oh, hear, ye Dhananjaya—the Prince of hearers: once the delusion thus begins to get burnt, along with it the burning knowledge itself too bums in the fire.