Text 136

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Text 136:

ज्ञानपूर्वकात् तु कृताद् असंकल्पितफलाद् विशुद्धे कुले जातस्य दुह्खविगमोपायजिज्ञासोराचार्यम् उपसङ्गम्योत्पन्नषट्पदार्थतत्त्वज्ञानस्याज्ञाननिवृत्तौ विरक्तस्य रागद्वेषाद्यभावात् तज्जयोर्धर्माधर्मयोरनुत्पत्तौ पूर्वसङ्चितयोश्चोपभोगान् निरोधे सन्तोषसुखं शरीरपरिच्छेदं चोत्पद्य रागादिनिवृत्तौ निवृत्तिलक्षणः केवलो धर्मः परमार्थदर्शनजं सुखं कृत्वा निवर्तते । तदा निरोधात् निर्बीजस्यात् मनः शरीरादिनिवृत्तिः पुनः शरीराद्यनुत्पत्तौ दग्धेन्धनानलवदुपशमो मोक्ष इति ॥ १३६ ॥

jñānapūrvakāt tu kṛtād asaṃkalpitaphalād viśuddhe kule jātasya duhkhavigamopāyajijñāsorācāryam upasaṅgamyotpannaṣaṭpadārthatattvajñānasyājñānanivṛttau viraktasya rāgadveṣādyabhāvāt tajjayordharmādharmayoranutpattau pūrvasaṅcitayoścopabhogān nirodhe santoṣasukhaṃ śarīraparicchedaṃ cotpadya rāgādinivṛttau nivṛttilakṣaṇaḥ kevalo dharmaḥ paramārthadarśanajaṃ sukhaṃ kṛtvā nivartate | tadā nirodhāt nirbījasyāt manaḥ śarīrādinivṛttiḥ punaḥ śarīrādyanutpattau dagdhendhanānalavadupaśamo mokṣa iti || 136 ||

Text (136): When a man with, due knowledge (intelligently) performs acts of Dharma without any thought of the result to follow therefrom, he comes to he born in a pure family; and being thus born he has a longing for finding out the means for the absolute removal of pain; and with this end in view, he betakes himself to a properly qualified teacher, and obtains from him the true knowledge of the six categories, which removes his ignorance; then having acquired thorough dispassion, he becomes free from all affections, aversions and other such like feelings; and the absence of these puts a stop to the production of any Dharma or Adharma; the Dharma and Adharma of his previous lives being exhausted, by his experiences of pleasures and pains, and all affections &c. having ceased, all his actions henceforth are only such as are of the nature of pure ‘Dharma,’ tending forwards ‘cessation’ or ‘peace’; and these actions produce in him the happiness of contentment and a disregard^[1] for the body; and having brought about happiness due to the vision of highest truth, this Dharma also disappears. And thus there being a complete cessation, the soul becomes ‘seedless’; and the present body falling off, it takes no other bodies, and this cessation of equipment with bodies and organs, being like the extinguishing of fire on all its fuel being burnt up, constitutes what is called ‘Mokṣa,’ ‘Final Deliverance.’—(VI-ii-16; V-ii-16, 18).

Commentary: The Nyāyakandalī of Śrīdhara.

(English rendering of Śrīdhara’s commentary called Nyāyakandalī or Nyāyakaṇḍalī from the 10th century)

Having described the process of birth and rebirth though Dharma and Adharma, the author proceeds to describe Final Deliverance. A man has the knowledge that he in reality is indifferent to all things external and internal, all of which are sources of trouble; and then he comes to lose all longing for the pleasures arising from perceptible and imperceptible causes (the latter being those laid down in the scriptures); that is to say, be ceases to have any such desire as ‘may it be thus,’ ‘may such and such thing be mine,' and so forth; and thus having no desire for results, he performs only those actions that are laid down as leading to ‘cessation’ or peace, or those that are prescribed as absolutely necessary duties; and these actions, performed with due knowledge, lead to the person being born, on his next birth, in a pure and noble family, a man not well born is never endowed with true faith; a man devoid of true faith is never moved by a desire to learn the truth; and without such desire one cannot attain true knowledge; and one devoid of true knowledge can never attain deliverance. Consequently actions performed without any desire for results, and tending to deliverance, make the man born in a noble family.

Being born in a noble family the man finds himself daily suffering from a number of troubles; and is moved to find out some means for the removal of such troubles. Moved by this desire he betakes himself to a duly qualified teacher, who imparts to him the true knowledge of the six categories; having thus acquired a verbal knowledge of these, he goes through the practice of ‘śravaṇa’ or ‘listening to the teachings,’ ‘manana or ‘reflecting over the things learnt,’ and ‘nididhyāsana’ or ‘constant meditation over it’; and thereby acquires the direct knowledge of the categories.

Having acquired this True Knowledge, he becomes free from ‘Ignorance’—i.e., from all mistaken cognitions, along with the impressions and longings resulting from these; and thereby becoming endowed with dispassion,—i.e., freedom from the effects of affection and aversion,—he becomes free from all affections and aversions; and thenceforth he produces no Dharma or Adharma, which are the product of those affections and aversions. That is to say, the activities of a man are productive of Dharma and Adharma only when accompained by the ‘Kleśas’ (Ignorance. Egoism, Affection, Aversion, Attachment) and impressions; just as the seed of rice can sprout up only when it is covered with the husk; hence when the Kleśas have been destroyed, the actions being like unhusked rice, ceases to produce Dharma and Adharma. Says Patañjali: ‘It is only when the seed is there that we can have the fruits in the shape of birth, life, and other experiences’ (Yogasūtras II-13), and also Gautama: “Activity is not productive of effects for one whose Kleśa» have been destroyed” (Nyāyasūtra, IV-i-64).

The Dharma and Adharma left by the previous actions of the person come to be destroyed by his experiences during present life; and thenceforth his actions tend to produce only such Dharma as are conducive to ‘nivṛtti’ i.e., ‘cessation,’ of birth and rebirth; and this Dharma appearing in its purest form, being free from all affections and aversions, brings about happiness of contentment and disregard for the body; and having produced happiness born of the perception of the true nature of the self, it disappears.

Thus then, when Dharma disappears after having brought about self-knowledge, the self becomes free from such ‘seeds’ of future birth as Dharma and Adharma; and the body accupied [occupied?] by the soul during the time ceasing to exist, on the exhaustion of all the effects of its previous activity, and there being no cause left for the taking by the self of other bodies, there is a complete cessation of these embodiments; just like the extinguishing of the fire that has burnt all its fuel (the Dharma and Adharma being the ‘fuel’ in the present instance); and it is this cessation that constitutes ‘Deliverance.’

In connection with Deliverance we have to consider the following question: Does Deliverance follow from Knowledge alone, or from the combination of Knowledge and Action?

We hold that Deliverance follows from the combination of Knowledge and Action. Even when a man has ceased to have any other desires, and has ceased from the performance of actions for results, he does not become free from the obligation to perform the ‘necessary’ duties, as also those that are prescribed for certain definite occasions. For instance, there are certain duties laid down for all Brāhmaṇas; and the man desiring Deliverance would be as much a Brāhmaṇa as any other,—his caste remaining the same; and hence if while having the obligation, he should omit these duties, he would be daily committee a sin, which would lead to the most undesirable of bondages for him. This has been thus declared:—“These actions that are performed for the sake of certain results, and those that are prohibited, bind the soul; and the necessary and occasional duties also have a tendency to bind when their performance is neglected.”

Objection: “The non-performance of the prescribed duties would be a negative entity; and a negative entity could never produce any positive entity in the shape of Sin.”

Reply: The sin would be produced by other causes, set in motion by the non-performance of prescribed duties. We do not accept the causal efficiency, of a negative entity by itself; but no one can deny such efficiency of it when it subserves itself to a positive entity. Then again, as a matter, of fact, the soul is never wholly inactive physically, verbally or mentally, in the morning and evening (for which times certain acts of meditation &c., are prescribed as necessary for the Brāhmaṇa), as the very act living is an action. To this end we have the following declaration:—

“The previous negation of actions that we have at the time of the non-performance of necessary duties does not lose its negative character by the mere fact of its being productive of Sin; as what produces the Sin is not actually the non-performance of those duties, but the performance through foolishness of other acts at a time for which other duties are laid down in the scriptures; so that the sin in this case is not produced by the non-performance only.

Objection: “Sin follows from the doing of that which is prohibited; the act of living in the body is not one that is prohibited; so if a mam were to live in the body but omit the performance of the evening and morning meditations, what harm could there be in this?”^[2]

Reply: In as much as the duties prescribed are such as must be performed at the appointed time it follows that at that time the performance of the act of mere living is prohibited; and hence a man who would be merely living, (and not performing the meditations in the morning and in the evening) would be doing something that is prohibited, and thereby acquiring sin.

Objection: “The Knowledge of Self, brought about by a long course of contemplation, carried on strenuously and unceasingly, while destroying affection and aversion from their very roots, would certainly destroy the sin accruing from the non-performance of the prescribed duties.”

Reply: This is not right; as when practice is carried on favourably, then the Knowledge of truth that appears destroys all doubtful and mistaken cognitions; and this knowledge has never been foṇnd to have the power of setting aside anything else. If the Knowledge of self were to destroy actions, then it would destroy those actions that would be undergoing fruition (i.e., whose results will have been begun to be experiṇśed by the person); and if this were the case, then the state of Jīvanmukti—‘Deliverance while living’—would be an absolute impossibility; as no sooner would the person obtain the knowledge of truth than his actions having been destroyed, his body would fall off. As a matter of fact however, we find this state in actual experience, as we find that a man, though having his ignorance destroyed by true knowledge, still continues to live awaiting the falling off of his body, looking upon the world as a mere imaginary picture, and not having bis affection fixed upon even a single thing of the world, but undergoing the experiences resulting from such of his previous actions as have their productive force limited to his present life; his body continuing to exist by reason of the unexhausted forces of his previous actions, though the impelling force of fresh actions has been withdrawn, in the manner of the potter’s wheel, which continues to revolve even after the operation of the poster has ceased, by reason of the momentum already imparted to it. That such is the case is declared by the Veda itself—‘The wise man while living becomes free from pleasures and pains.’ To the same end we have the following declaration of the Sāṅkhyas; ‘True knowledge having been obtained, Dharma and other agencies become deprived of their productive efficiency; and yet the soul continues to exist in the world, being endowed with the body through the force of previous actions, just like the revoling [revolving?] of the wheel’ (Sāṅkhyakārikā—67). What is meant by Dharma becoming deprived of its productive efficiency is that the tendencies and the Kleśa (Ignorance &c.) having been destroyed by the knowledge if truth, Dharma and the other agencies become deprived of their necessary causal force.

It might be regard that,—“The knowledge of truth destroys such actions as have not actually begun to function towards fruition.” But this would not be possible; as these actions also would be incapable of being destroyed by that knowledge; just as much as those actions whose fruition has already commenced. As for the teaching that—‘the Supreme One having been perceived, all his actions are destroyed,’—all that is meant by this is that when the man has obtained the knowledge of truth, all new actions cease to appear; and not that the actions already done are destroyed. This is borne out by another declaration of the scriptures: ‘An action, until its result has been experienced, is pot destroyed even in millions of years.’

Objection: “If knowledge does not destroy actions, then, how are the actions accumulating through many lives, destroyed? If they were destroyed by the experiencing of their results, and also by the performance of actions prescribed for that purpose (of destroying previous actions),—then, how could innumerable actions he destroyed during a single life?

Reply: There is no restriction of time as to the destraction of actions; just as fresh actions are being accumulated during each life, so also are certain previous actions destroyed in each life by the fact of their resultshaving been experienced during that life. And those that may not have been destroyed before the man obtains true knowledge, are destroyed by actual experiencing of their results in the order of the forces set in motion by those actions, and also by fresh actions performed to that end. This has been thus declared:—‘The man knowing the true nature of the soul has got to destroy all his actions; and it is for this reason that after millions of years we have a soul attaining Deliverance.’

Thus then, the omission of necessary duties being productive of sin, and sin being a source of bondage, from which there is no freedom by any other means,—if the man wishes to avoid sin, and attain Deliverance, he should perform such of the prescribed duties at their proper times, as may not be incompatible with his practice of meditation,—just like the actions of begging food and eating it; and this he should continue until he clearly perceives the true nature of the soul. And even for one who has realised the true nature of the soul and who is thus a ‘jīvanmukta’, it is necessary to perform the necessary duties so long as be lives in the world with his body. When however he withdraws himself within the Self, and has his final Delivernece near at hand, then, all his actions being nearly destroyed, they are as good as totally destroyed; as there is no external consciousness of the few that might still remain. And at this time what appears is only the internal cognition of the true nature of the soul,—a cognition which is purified by the force of perfected meditation, which closes the range of experiences by force of accumulated Dispassion; and this resolves all things into one which uproots all tendencies towards ignorance, and concentrates the inner organ towards the single point of soul-perception; this perception is wholly internal, the operation of the external organs having entirely ceased. Under such circumstances, whence could their be any possibility of further actions? Says the Śruti; ‘When he does not hear, be is said to have become Unified &c.’ At this time there is no sin accruing form the non-performance of prescribed duties—as all duties cease to exist for him who is no longer conscious of distinctions of time—as that ‘it is evening now’ (and ‘I must say my evening prayers,’) and soon—or of castes and conditions as that ‘I am a Brāhmaṇa’ and so forth. This has been thus declared: ‘How could the man devoid of such self egotism as that I am a Brāhmaṇa perform any acts.’ For such a person again who has ceased from all activity, and who exists like a log of wood, could not have any such sin accruing to him, as follows from the killing of animals.

As for the continuance for a short time of the body of the person who has perceived what was to be perceived and has destroyed what had to be destroyed, having his mind wholly under his control, who is beyond the reach of pleasures and pains caused by the perception, remembrance and reflection of sensual objects, and who has his meditation securely fixed in Brahman,—this is due to She non-destruction of that much of bis action which goes to limit his life-period which keeps his body in the world; and as soon as this time-limit has been reached, the said Action having its work finished, disappears; and immediately after this its effect, the Body, also drops off; and when the Body has dropped off, along with all the organs, internal and external, the knowledge of truth (which is an effect of the internal organ) also ceases; and what is left is the Self alone in its isolated grandeur.

Thus then, we have found that the Knowledge of the true nature of Self and the Performance of Prescribed Duties operate conjointly towards the setting aside of those actions that tend to Bondage. The man knowing the Self to be something distinct from the body &c., does not regard the favours and disfavours towards these latter to be his Self; and thus all notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ having ceased, he ceases to have any affection towards that which is favourable, or aversion towards the unfavourable; this indifference puts a. stop to his further activity; and there is no further accumulation of fresh actions; the previous accumulations become gradually exhausted, either by actual experience, or by other actions (tending to counteract the force of the previous actions); then, as for the sin accruing from the non-performance of prescribed duties, this is avoided by the actual performance of those duties; and thus all kinds of Actions having been exhausted, when his present body falls off, there are no causes left for the appearance of another body for him; and hence his Self remains left in its own isolated position (free from the limitations of the body &c.,). To this end we have the following declaration:—‘The man destroys, all his sins by the performance of alt necessary and occasional duties, and purifies his Knowledge by practice, and makes it perfect; and having his Knowledge perfected by practice, he attains Isolation.’ Even philosophers of opposite schools of thought have accepted the same view of the matter: ‘By action the nature is purified; by Knowledge is the true nature of the Self ascertained; by practice follows Deliverance from the combination of the other too.’

Question: “What is the true nature of the Self, the resolution where unto would constitute Deliverance?”

Some people hold that the nature of the Self consists in bliss. But this theory is not correct; as it will not bear an examination of the possible alternatives.

For instance, is this bliss actually experienced in the state of Deliverance, or not? If it is not experienced, then, even though extant it is as good as non-existent; for the simple reason that it is not enjoyable. If it is experienced in the state of Deliverance, then it becomes necessary for you to point out the cause of this expedience. You cannot find any such cause, in the absence of the absolute disappearance of bodies and organs. It might be argued that the contact of the internal organ would be the cause of this experience; but this would not be possible; as the internal organ or mind aids in this manner only when it is influenced by Dharma and Adharma; and when the mind is such as has all seeds of good and evil rooted out of it, it can never function towards any purpose of the Self. It might be urged that the mind favours the Self by the force of Dharma born of Yogic practices. But even such Dharma being a product, should be transient; and when this would be destroyed, what would be there to help the mind?

Objection: “If the Self were unconscious, then it would be like a block of stone which experiences neither pleasure nor pain; and if the Self also were to experience neither of these, what would be the difference between it and a block of stone? For this reoson we must regard consciousness to belong to the Self by its very nature; and when this consciousness is drawn outwards by the sense-organs, it tends outwards; but when the sense-organs have ceased to exist, then it becomes merged into the Self itself, whose nature consists of pure bliss. The nature of bliss is such that it must illumine or manifest (render cognisable) something. Hence during the state of Deliverance, if it were to remain inactive (without bringing about any experiences), it would be as good as non-existent. And under the circumstances, it is far better to regard the Self to be an unconscious being.”

Reply: Does Consciousness consist in bliss by its very nature; or is bliss produced in it by some other cause? In the state of deliverance there can be no such cause for the bringing about of the experience (of bliss); as the body and the sense-organs, which alone could be such causes, will have wholly disappeared; as we have already explained above. Then if bliss be held to belong to Consciousness by its very nature, then this bliss would be experienced during the metempsychic or worldly state also, (even without Deliverance), It might be argued that during the worldly state, the bliss, though extant, is not experienced, on account of its being hidden or obstructed by Ignorance. But then, if bliss constituted the nature of Consciousness, in as much as this latter is eternal, it could never be separated from what constitutes its very nature; and under the circumstances, what would be the meaning of the ‘hiding’ or ‘obstruction’ that you speak of? If again, such deprivation of its very nature were possible, what would be the eternality of such consciousness? Hence bliss must be regarded as eternal; and as such being enlivened by the equally eternal Consciousness, it would be experienced equally in the ‘worldly’ and in the ‘delivered’ state. As a matter of fact however, we do’ not find this to be the case; as during the ‘worldly’ state, until ‘Deliverence’ is attained, the bliss or pleasure that the man experiences is only that which can be cognised through the external objects and the sense-organs.

For these reasons then, there can be no eternal bliss for the Self; and hence the experiencing of bliss cannot constitute the state of Deliverance. We must therefore regard Deliverance to consist in the subsistence of the Self in its own pristine condition, marked by the cessation of all the specific qualities pertaining to it (during the ‘worldly’ state). And how this is the supreme end of man’s existence we have shown above (Text-pp. 6 and 7).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

‘Parikheda [Parikhedam]’ is the decidedly better reading; ‘pariccheda’ does not give much sense.

[2]:

A ‘na’ is ovriously [obriously?] required in the text: as even the Siddhānti does not hold any sin to follow from the performance of the necessary duties while living in the body.