“The middle class of jnanis are never deluded by their bodies. Delusion is the false identification of ‘I’ with the body; this never arises with the more advanced jnanis, namely the middle class among them. Identification of the Self with the body is attachment to the body. The middle class of jnanis are never attached to the body. Their minds are mostly dead because of their long practice and continued austerities. They are not engaged in work because they are entirely self-possessed. Just as a man moves or speaks in sleep without being aware of his actions, so also this class of yogi does enough work for his minimum requirements without being aware of it. Having transcended the world, he behaves like a drunken man. But he is aware of his actions. His body continues on account of his vasanas (predispositions) and destiny. Jnanis of the highest class do not identify the Self with the body but remain completely detached from their bodies. Their work is like that of a charioteer driving the chariot, who never identifies himself with the chariot. Similarly the jnani is not the body nor the actor; he is pure intelligence. Though entirely detached from action within, to the spectator he seems to be active. He performs his part like an actor in a drama; and plays with the world as a parent does with a child.
55-56. “Of the two higher orders of jnanis, the one remains steadfast through his sustained practice and control of mind, whereas the other is so on account of the force of his discrimination and investigation. The difference lies in the merits of their intellect, I shall now relate to you a story in this connection.
57-79. “There was formerly a king by name Ratnangada ruling in the City of Amrita on the banks of the Vipasa. He had two sons Rukmangada and Hemangada—both wise and good and dearly loved of their father. Of them Rukmangada was well versed in the Sastras and Hemangada was a jnani of the highest order. On one occasion both of them went out on a hunting expedition into a dense forest, followed by their retinue. They accounted for many a deer, tigers, hares, bisons, etc., and being thoroughly exhausted, they rested beside a spring. Rukmangada was informed by some persons that there was a Brahmarakshas (a species of ghoulish spirit of a learned but degenerate Brahmin) close by, who was very learned, accustomed to challenge pandits for discussion, vanquish them and then eat them. Since Rukmangada loved learned disputations, he went with his brother to the ghoul and engaged him in argument. He was however defeated in the debate and so the ghoul caught hold of him to devour him. Seeing it, Hemangada said to the ghoul, ‘O Brahmarakshas, do not eat him yet! I am his younger brother. Defeat me also in argument so that you may eat us both together.’ The ghoul answered, I have long been without food. Let me first finish this long-wished for prey, and then I shall defeat you in debate and complete my meal with you. I hope to make a hearty meal of you both.
“Once I used to catch any passerby and eat him. A disciple of Vasishta, by name Devarata, once came this way and he cursed me, saying, ‘May your mouth be burnt if you indulge in human prey any more.’ I prayed to him with great humility and he condescended to modify his curse thus: ‘You may eat such as are defeated by you in debate.’ Since then I have been adhering to his words. I have now waited so long for prey that this is very dear to me. I shall deal with you after finishing this.’
“Saying so, he was about to eat the brother; but Hemangada again interceded, saying, ‘O Brahmarakshas, I pray you kindly accede to my request. Tell me if you would relinquish my brother if other food were found for you. I will redeem my brother in that way if you will allow it.’ But the ghoul replied, saying, ‘Listen, King! there is no such price for redemption. I will not give him up. Does a man let his long-wished for food slip away from his hold? However I shall tell you now a vow which I have taken. There are many questions deeply afflicting my mind. If you can answer them satisfactorily, I shall release your brother.’ Then Hemangada asked the ghoul to mention the questions so that he might answer them. The ghoul then put him the following very subtle questions which I shall repeat to you, Parasurâma! They are:
80. “What is more extensive than space and more subtle than the subtlest? What is its nature? Where does it abide? Tell me, Prince.”
81. “Listen, Spirit! Abstract Intelligence is wider than space and subtler than the subtlest. Its nature is to glow and it abides as the Self.”
82. “How can it be wider than space, being single? or how is it subtler than the subtlest? What is that glow? and what is that Self? Tell me, Prince.”
83. “Listen, Spirit! Being the material cause of all, intelligence is extensive though single; being impalpable, it is subtle. Glowing obviously implies consciousness and that is the Self.”
84. Spirit: “Where and how is Chit (Abstract Intelligence) to be realized and what is the effect?”
85. Prince: “The intellectual sheath must be probed for its realization. One-pointed search for it reveals its existence. Rebirth is overcome by such realization.”
86. Spirit: “What is that sheath and what is concentration of mind? Again what is birth?”
87. Prince: “The intellectual sheath is the veil drawn over Pure Intelligence; it is inert by itself. One-pointedness is abiding as the Self. Birth is the false identification of the Self with the body.”
88. Spirit: “Why is that Abstract Intelligence which is ever shining not realized? What is the means by which it can be realized? Why did birth take place at all?”
89. Prince: “Ignorance is the cause of non-realization. Self realizes the Self; there is no external aid possible. Birth originated through the sense of doership.”
90. Spirit: “What is that ignorance of which you speak? What is again the Self? Whose is the sense of doership?”
91. Prince: “Ignorance is the sense of separateness from consciousness and false identification with the nonself. As for the Self, the question must be referred to the Self in you. The ego or the ‘I-thought’ is the root of action.
92. Spirit: “By what means is ignorance to be destroyed? How is the means acquired? What leads to such means?”
93. Prince: “Investigation cuts at the root of ignorance. Dispassion develops investigation. Disgust of the pleasures of life generates dispassion towards them.”
94. Spirit: “What is investigation, dispassion or disgust in pleasures?
95. Prince: “Investigation is analysis conducted within oneself, discriminating the non-self from the Self, stimulated by a stern, strong and sincere desire to realize the Self. Dispassion is non-attachment to surroundings. This results if the misery consequent on attachment is kept in mind.”
96. Spirit: “What is the root cause of the whole series of these requirements?”
97. Prince: “Divine Grace is the root cause of all that is good. Devotion to God alone can bring down His Grace. This devotion is produced and developed by association with the wise. That is the prime cause of all.”
98. Spirit: “Who is that God? What is devotion to Him? Who are the wise?”
99. Prince: “God is the master of the Cosmos. Devotion is unwavering love for Him. The wise are those who abide in Supreme Peace and melt with love for all.”
100. Spirit: “Who is always in the grip of fear, Who of misery, Who of poverty?”
101. Prince: “Fear holds a man possessed of enormous wealth; misery, of large family; and poverty, of insatiable desires.”
102. Spirit: “Who is fearless? Who is free from misery? Who is never needy?”
103. Prince: “The man with no attachments is free from fear; the one with controlled mind is free from misery; the SelfRealized man is never needy.”
104. Spirit: “Who is he that passes men’s understanding and is visible though without a body? What is the action of the inactive?”
105. Prince: “The man emancipated here and now passes men’s understanding; he is seen though he does not identify himself with the body; his actions are those of the inactive.”
106. Spirit: “What is real? What is unreal? What is inappropriate? Answer these questions and redeem your brother.”
107. Prince: “The subject
(i.e., the Self) is real; the object (i.e., the non-self) is unreal; worldly transactions are inappropriate.
“I have now answered your questions. Please release my brother at once.”
108. “When the Prince had finished, the ghoul released Rukmangada with pleasure and himself appeared metamorphosed as a Brahmin.
109. “Seeing the figure of the Brahmin full of courage and tapas (penance), the two princes asked him who he was.
110-112. “‘I was formerly a Brahmin of Magadha. My name is Vasuman. I was famous for my learning and known as an invincible debator. I was proud of myself and sought the assembly of those learned pandits who collected in my country under royal patronage. There was among them a great saint, perfect in wisdom and entirely Self-possessed. He was known as Ashtaka. I went there for love of debate. Though I was a mere logician, I argued against his statement on Self-Realization, by sheer force of logic. He backed his arguments by profuse quotations from the holy scriptures. Since I was out to win laurels, I continued to refute him. Finding me incorrigible, he kept silent. However, one of his disciples, descendant of Kasyapa lineage, was enraged at my audacity and cursed me before the king, saying: ‘You chip of a Brahmin! How dare you refute my Master without first understanding his statements? May you at once become a ghoul and remain so for a long time.’”
“‘I shook with fear at the imprecation and took refuge at the feet of the sage Ashtaka. Being always Self-possessed, he took pity on me though I had figured as his opponent just before; and he modified his disciple’s curse by pronouncing an end to it as follows: ‘May you resume your old shape as soon as a wise man furnishes appropriate answers to all the questions which were raised here by you, answered by me but refuted by your polemics.’
“O Prince! You have now released me from that curse. I therefore consider you as the best among men, knowing all that pertains to life here and beyond.”
“The princes were astonished at that story of his life.
123-124. “The Brahmin asked Hemangada further questions and became further enlightened. Then the princes returned to their city after saluting the Brahmin.
“I have now told you everything, O Bhargava!”
Thus ends the chapter on the Episode of the Ghoul in Tripura Rahasya.
Chapter XXII
The Conclusion
1-4. After Sri Dattatreya had finished, Parasurâma asked again respectfully: “Lord, what further did that Brahmin ask Hemangada and how did the latter enlighten him? The account is very interesting and I desire to hear it in full.” Then Sri Datta, the Lord of Mercy, continued the story: Vasuman asked Hemangada as follows:
5-8. “Prince! I shall ask you a question. Please answer me. I learnt about the Supreme Truth from Ashtaka and later from you. You are a sage; but still, how is it that you go out hunting? How can a sage be engaged in work? Work implies duality; wisdom is non-duality; the two are thus opposed to each other. Please clear this doubt of mine.”
Thus requested, Hemangada told the Brahmin as follows:
9-14. “O Brahmin! Your confusion owing to ignorance has not yet been cleared up. Wisdom is eternal and natural. How can it be contradicted by work? Should work make wisdom ineffective, how can wisdom be useful any more than a dream? No eternal good is possible in that case. All this work is dependent on Self-awareness (i.e., wisdom). Being so, can work destroy wisdom and yet remain in its absence? Wisdom is that consciousness in which this world with all its phenomena and activities is known to be as an image or series of images; duality essential for work is also a phenomenon in that non-dual awareness.
“There is no doubt that a man realizes the Self only after purging himself of all thoughts, and that he is then released from bondage, once for all. Your question has thus no basis and cannot be expected of the wise.”
Then the Brahmin continued further:
15-16. “True, O Prince! I have also concluded that the Self is pure, unblemished Intelligence. But how can it remain unblemished when will arises in it? Will is modification of the Self, giving rise to confusion similar to that of a snake in a coil of rope.”
17-26. “Listen, O Brahmin! You do not yet clearly distinguish confusion from clarity. The sky appears blue to all alike whether they know that space is colorless or not. Even the one who knows speaks of the ‘blue sky’ but is not himself confused. The ignorant man is confused whereas the man who knows is not. The latter’s seeming confusion is harmless like a snake that is dead. His work is like images in a mirror. There lies the difference between a sage and an ignorant man. The former has accurate knowledge and unerring judgment, whereas the latter has a blurred conception and his judgment is warped. Knowledge of Truth never forsakes a sage although he is immersed in work. All his activities are like reflections in a mirror for, being SelfRealized, ignorance can no longer touch him.
“Wrong knowledge due to sheer ignorance can be corrected by true knowledge; but wrong knowledge due to fault cannot be so easily corrected. So long as there is myopia, the eyesight will be blurred and many images of a single object will be seen. Similarly, so long as there is the prarabdha (residual past karma) unaccounted for, the manifestation of the world will continue for the jnani, though only as a phenomenon. This will also vanish as soon as the prarabdha has played itself out and then pure, unblemished Intelligence alone will remain. Therefore I tell you, there is no blemish attached to a jnani though he appears active and engaged in worldly duties.”
Having heard this, the Brahmin continued to ask:
27. “O Prince! How can there be any residue of past karma in a jnani? Does not jnana burn away all karma as fire does a heap of camphor?”
28-29. Then Hemangada replied: “Listen Brahmin! The three kinds of karma (1) mature (prarabdha), (2) pending (agami) and (3) in store (sancita) are common to all—not excluding the jnani. The first of these alone remains for the jnani and the other two are burnt away.
30. “Karma matures by the agency of time; such is divine law. When mature, it is bound to yield its fruits.
31. “The karma of the one who is active after Self-Realization, is rendered ineffective by his wisdom.
32. “Karma already mature and now yielding results is called prarabdha: it is like an arrow already shot from a bow which must run its course until its momentum is lost.”
Note: Prarabdha must bear fruits and cannot be checked by realization of the Self. But there is no enjoyment of its fruits by the realized sage.
33-35. “Environments are only a result of prarabdha: notwithstanding they seem the same for all, jnanis react to them differently according to their own stages of realization.
“Pleasure and pain are apparent to the least among the sages, but do not leave any mark on them as they do on the ignorant; pleasure and pain operate on the middle class of sages in the same way; however, they react only indistinctly to their surroundings, as a man in sleep does to a gentle breeze or to an insect creeping over him; pleasure and pain are again apparent to the highest among the sages, who however look upon them as unreal like a hare growing horns.
36. “The ignorant anticipate pleasure and pain before enjoyment, recapitulate them after enjoyment, and reflect over them, so that they leave a strong impression on their minds.
37. “Jnanis of the lowest order also enjoy pleasure and pain like the ignorant, but their remembrance of such experiences is frequently broken up by intervals of realization. Thus the worldly enjoyments do not leave an impression on their minds.
38. “Jnanis of the middle class, accustomed to control their minds by long-continued austerities, keep their minds in check even while enjoying pleasure and pain, and thus their response to the world is as indistinct as that of a man in sleep to a gentle breeze playing on him or an ant creeping over his body.
39-41. “Jnanis of the highest order are left untouched for they always remain as the burnt skeleton of a cloth (retaining its old shape but useless) after their realization. Just as an actor is not really affected by the passions which he displa
ys on the stage, so also this jnani, always aware of his perfection, is not affected by the seeming pleasures and pains which he regards as a mere illusion like the horns of a hare.
42. “The ignorant are not aware of the pure Self; they see it always blemished and hence they believe in the reality of objective knowledge and are therefore affected by the pleasures and pains of life.
43-49. “As for the lowest order of jnanis, these realize the Self off and on, and spells of ignorance overtake them whenever overcome by their predispositions, they look upon the body as the Self and the world as real. They are often able to over-ride the old tendencies, and thus there is a struggle between wisdom and ignorance—each of them prevailing alternatively. The jnani ranges himself on the side of wisdom and fights against ignorance until falsity is thoroughly blown out, and truth prevails. Therefore jnana is indivisible.
50-57. “Forgetfulness of the Self never overtakes a middle class jnani and wrong knowledge never possesses him. However he of his own accord brings out some predispositions from his own depths in order to maintain his body according to prarabdha. This is the conduct of an accomplished jnani.
“As for the aspirant, there is no forgetfulness of the Self so long as he is engaged in practising samâdhi. But the accomplished jnani is always unforgetful of the Self and picks out his own predispositions according to his own choice.
“The highest jnani makes no difference between samâdhi and worldly transactions. He never finds anything apart from the Self and so there is no lapse for him.
“The middle order jnani is fond of samâdhi and voluntarily abides in it. There is accordingly a lapse, however slight, when he is engaged in worldly affairs, or even in the maintenance of his body.
“On the other hand, the jnani of the highest order involuntarily and naturally abides in samâdhi and any lapse is impossible for him under any circumstances.
Tripura Rahasya Page 19