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In the Name of Shiva, the Most Glorious, the Most Obvious, the |
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SHRI SHIVA RAHASYA THE SIXTH LIGHT (Chapter
Six) 6 Wherein the Mystery of the Supreme Lord’s Wondrous Power (Maya) is revealed Lord
Shiva said: 1.
O Sages! listen you now to God's Great Work of Magic, by knowing
which, man is sure to become a Deathless One.
2. All unenlightened Souls in this World are
known to be Bound Creatures (Pashus).
I am worshipped as their Lord (Pashu-Pati).
3. For My Own Pleasure, I the Lord, bind these
Souls by means of My Cosmic Magic. For
My Own Pleasure, I also set them free.
4. I, the World Soul, the Eternal Overlord of
living things, am the sole Liberator of those who are bound by Maya (God's
Magic Power). Knowers of Spirit,
therefore, know Me as the Liberator of the World. Hear you My Supreme Knowledge! 5.
Though Truth Is Ever One, of Its Own Free Will It manifests Itself as
many. Thus out of the One Supreme
Self, Knower, Knowledge and Known Object are born. Though appearing to be different, the three
are but One. For, the Known Object is
the product of Knowledge; and Knowledge is the activity of the Knowing Self.
6. The object is made of the Five Material
Qualities (Bhuta-Gunas) which are well-known to the Wise. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and
Space. They are born of the Mind in
this way. That activity of the Mind
that gives rise to the experience of an emptiness that spreads out in all
directions like the Sky and wherein other things may be seen to exist, is the
Quality of Space (literally, Sky, Akash-Guna). That which gives rise to the experience of
nearness or distance, location in space and movement, is the Quality of Air
(Vayu-Guna). That which gives rise to
the experience of form, shape and size, is the Quality of Fire
(Agni-Guna). That which gives rise to
the experience of softness, moisture and fluidity, is the quality of Water
(Apas-Guna). And that which gives rise
to the experience of solidity, stability and firmness, is the Quality of
Earth (Dhara-Guna).
7. All objects of the senses are known by
these Five Qualities. When an object
such as a Water-Jar is perceived, it is seen to spread out and fill up a
portion of space as well as being surrounded by emptiness and being itself
empty, either partly or fully, inside.
Thus the Mind-created Quality of Sky (or Space) is plainly seen in the
perception of Jar. The Quality of Air
is manifest in the Jar's nearness or distance in relation to other objects
and to the perceiver himself. The
Quality of Fire is likewise clearly perceived in the Jar's form, shape and
size. The Quality of Water is
perceived as being absent in the Jar itself but present in the water
contained therein. And the Quality of
Earth is perceived in the Jar's stability and firmness that make it an
earthlike experience, as it were.
8. Thus it is established
that an object consists of the Five Material Qualities I have described. If they ask you, My Lord, is a Jar not made
of clay? Say to the doubter: Verily,
what is true of the Jar that also is true of clay. For, the physical things called, Earth,
Water and the rest that make up clay are themselves the product of the Five
Qualities. And these are made of Mind
as explained before. All material
objects are made of the Mind-created Qualities. There shall be no doubt about this.
9. Listen you now how the
Material Qualities are born of the Five Primary Perceptions
(Tanmatra-Gunas). These are: Scent,
Flavour, Colour, Touch and Sound.
Without these, no Material Qualities would be perceived. When the Mind emits a sound vibration in
the Sky of Consciousness, it spreads out in all directions, producing the
perception of a wide expanse like that of Sky (or Space). Thus, from variations in Sound there arises
the Quality of Sky. When the Mind creates
changes in the feeling of Touch, there arises the experience of movement like
that of Air. When the Mind produces
changes in a Colour, it beholds various forms, shapes and sizes like the
flickering flames of Fire. When the
Mind tastes various Flavours it perceives moisture and fluidity as in
Water. And when it smells various
Scents, as a result of their lingering on, there arises within the Mind a
feeling of permanence, stability and firmness like that of Earth.
10. Thus it is established that the Five
Material Qualities are the product of the Five Primary Perceptions: Sound
produces the Quality of Sky; Touch produces Air; Colour produces Fire; Taste
produces Water; and Scent produces Earth.
A material object is a combination of these five.
11. The Five Primary Perceptions in turn are
made of the Mind's Five Powers of Perception which are: Smelling, Tasting,
Seeing, Feeling by Touch and Hearing.
The Power of Hearing produces Sound.
For, when the Mind wishes to hear there arises within it the sensation
of Sound. Thus the Power of Hearing
produces Sound. Feeling produces
Touch. Seeing produces Colour. Tasting produces Flavour. And Smelling produces Scent. Thus it is established that the Mind's
Powers of Perception bring forth the Five Primary Perceptions and these bring
forth the Material Qualities that make up the objects of the World.
12. Now, the Soul acts upon the object by means
of his Five Powers of Action which are: Speaking, Grasping, Moving,
Discarding and Procreating. When the
embodied Soul hears a Sound, he wishes to give answer and emits a Sound. Thus Speech (Vak) is born. When the Soul senses a Touch he wishes to
grasp that which has touched him. Thus
Grasping (Hasta) is born. When the
Soul perceives a Vision of a thing, he wishes to move nearer or further in
relation thereto. Thus Moving About
(Pada) is born. When the Soul has
tasted, eaten and digested some food, he wishes to discard the same from his
body. Thus Discarding (Paya) is
born. When the Soul senses the Sweet
Fragrance of a person of the opposite gender he is overcome by a desire to
produce offspring. Thus Procreating
(Upastha) is born.
13. O noble ones! of the Soul's desire to know,
the Powers of Perception are born; of these are born the Primary Perceptions;
of Perceptions, the Material Qualities; and of Qualities, the object. Likewise, when the Soul desires to act the
Powers of Action are born. Thus a
Soul's Powers of Knowledge and Action are born of the Soul's Power of Will.
14. Verily, everything is born of will. As the Soul, so the Lord too, has a
Will. Only whereas the Lord Wills out
of Plenty, the Soul wills out of lack thereof: Whilst the Lord creates the World,
the Soul creates limited things.
15. It is only when the Soul is impelled by the
Lord's Will, that he desires to accomplish great things. Therefore a man of Spirit is known by his
will. A great man is ever desirous to
know things of the Soul. Whilst the
others follow their craving for material things, he seeks for a Higher Truth.
16. O you who are most wise! know that
Knowledge is of three kinds: Lowly, Middling and High. The lowly is that knowledge acquired from
others. It is called Tradition (Agama)
or Hearsay (Shabda). The middling is knowledge
acquired by oneself through reason.
Hence, it is called Reason (Anumana).
And the highest is knowledge acquired neither from others nor
indirectly through reason but in direct experience. Hence it is called Direct Experience
(Anubhava).
17. As the Knowledge, so men too are of three
kinds: the lowly who never reason but live their life by Tradition or
Hearsay; the middling who make use of their Reason; and the highest who wish
to know for themselves.
18. When, impelled by the Lord's Will a Soul
wishes to know the Truth, he is instructed into Truth. By the Power of that Truth he lifts himself
up to Higher Planes like a bird soaring in the Sky. Having attained to Higher Worlds he becomes
Awakened and Wise. Therefore, hear you
My Word of Truth that you may attain the Highest!
19. The Awakened Soul beholds the Glory of Him
Who Is One. But the Sleeping Soul sees
only the World which is born of his own Power, like a dream. That Power is called Material Energy
(Prakarti). Oblivious to the Joys of
Heaven and wishing to experience worldly life, the Sleeping Soul descends
into the World of Matter. Therein he
abides as if enveloped in a dark shroud.
The upper part of the shroud is the Intellect or Higher Mind, called
Buddhi; the lower part is the Lower Mind, called Manas.
20. Buddhi is that aspect of Material Energy
which has the capacity to reflect Intelligence. It reflects the Soul's Power of Knowledge
and illumines the Lower Mind. The
Sleeping Soul abides between the two.
Looking upwards he perceives the Light of Knowledge. Looking downwards, he sees the Activities
of the Lower Mind. As the Sun abides
between Heaven and Earth, so the Soul, having become an Ego (Limited Person)
abides between the Higher and the Lower Mind.
21. From the will to live, Knowledge and Action
are born. Verily, both Knowledge and
Action are born of desire. Desire is
the activity of the Mind. And the Mind
is that aspect of the Soul which desires.
For, when the Soul rests in himself, he is happy, peaceful and
still. But when he desires a thing he
rests not till he has obtained the object of his will.
22. He impels the Lower Mind to seek out
sensations and the Mind abides by the Soul's will. Like an obedient servant, the Lower Mind
sends out the Senses into the Soul's Field of Perception and returns
forthwith with a great array of objects fashioned by it from the
aforementioned Qualities. Thus the
unawakened Soul lives his life in a World of Qualities which are mere shadows
of the Heavenly Glory and his Original Home.
23. Thoughts, Feelings, Senses and the
Qualities that make up the objects of the World, arise out of the Soul's own
Subconscious Energy.
24. Each and every Soul is endowed with his own
Energy, inseparably attached unto him as his own material aspect and object
of experience. The Material World
perceived by each Soul is born of that Energy. It consists of Three Constituent Qualities
(Maha Gunas).
25. Luminosity, Activity and Darkness, these are
the three Primary Qualities of Matter (Maha Gunas). They are the Life-Strands whereby, in
countless combinations, I weave the Fabric of the Universe of Conditioned
Existence, warp and woof.
26. Being the subtle strands that make up the
living Web of Life, these three are seen only by the Wise (Jnanis) who are
possessed of Higher Knowledge. The
others only see their effects. Listen
therefore to their attributes and functions, that they may be known and seen
by all.
27. Light (Sattva) is knowledge. Darkness (Tamas) is insentience. Activity (Rajas) is the combination of the
two. They are experienced as pleasure,
insentience and pain, respectively.
28. When a man has a perception of a person
dear to him as being near him, his mind is pleasurably affected. He thinks to himself, Happy indeed am
I. This is the Primary Quality called
Pleasure.
29. When he is devoid of all perception, as
when intoxicated or in deep sleep, his mind is overcome by dark
numbness. He thinks nothing at
all. This is the Primary Quality
called Insentience.
30. But when he perceives himself alone,
without the dear one, his mind is tormented with pain. He thinks to himself, Alas, my dear one is
gone. Unhappy indeed am I. This is the Primary Quality called Pain.
31. Thus, Pleasure is consciousness of a
desired object, Insentience is absence of consciousness and Pain is
consciousness combined with the absence of the desired object. They are the constituent elements of all
experience in worldly existence.
32. A man bound to worldly existence constantly
goes through these three states and their countless combinations. All his experiences are born of these. Verily, there is no way out for one who
knows nothing higher.
33. Before the creation of the Material World;
when the World is in a state of Dissolution; and in Deep Sleep, the Three
Qualities lie undifferentiated in perfect equilibrium and inactive.
34. When in perfect equilibrium, they
constitute what is known as Unmanifest Matter (that is, Material Energy in
its not-yet-manifested potentiality).
35. At the time of Universal Creation, at
birth, and upon waking from deep sleep, I stir them into action and they
begin to affect the Soul according to Karma and in conformity with My Cosmic
Plan.
36. At the time of entering deep sleep, at
death, and in Universal Dissolution, I suspend the interaction of the three
and the Soul remains unaffected and inactive.
37. There is no happiness in the World of men
without knowledge of the three constituents of life. For, ignorance thereof produces imbalance
among the Gunas and leads to suffering.
Spiritual Knowledge creates balance among the same and leads to
happiness. Therefore, the wise strive
to increase both knowledge and happiness.
38. The wise know that what is commonly
regarded as Desirable and Undesirable tempts one into the bondage of ordinary
Action (Karma).
39. Each thought, word or deed, leaves a latent
trace in the Soul, like a seed left in the earth by a plant. In due time, it springs to life affecting
one according to its nature, good, indifferent, or bad.
40. As a King who, being forced by a great
fire, earthquake, or flood to abandon his
41. As the King, followed by his people,
departs by the Northern Gate, the Eastern Gate, the Southern Gate, or the
Western Gate as the circumstances may require, so the luminous Soul goes out
by the crown of the head, eyes, or other bodily parts according to his state
of mind. As he leaves, he is followed
by his life-breath, intelligence and knowledge of things present and
past. They all go with him like a
swarm of fireflies or bees.
42. As the King, surrounded by his people,
having left the old City behind, gives orders for a new City to be built upon
a suitable spot, like a hilltop or riverbank, and according to the knowledge
of his priests, architects and masons, so indeed the Soul, the Lord in the
midst of life-breath, intelligence and the rest, makes for himself a new body
when the time is right and according to his mental powers. Then he re-enters the World.
43. According to the Universal Law which says
that man is what he thinks, one's future life, body and circumstance depend
upon one's last thoughts. Therefore,
he who at the time of departing from this World thinks of Me, the Lord, that
one shall go to My Supreme Abode. But
he who thinks of other, lower things, shall go the downward way. For only two ways exist: one that leads to
Me and one that leads away. What
applies to thoughts, that applies to speech and physical deeds.
44. Thus, as the fruits enjoyed by a farmer at
harvest time are born of the seed planted by him at sowing time, even so
one's present life is born of past actions, whereby one is bound. This bondage is called Karma.
45. Having performed an action with a view to
obtaining some object or another, one is bound to the result of one's action
according to the Inexorable Law of Cause and Effect (Karma). But that Action which springs from Knowledge
(and not ignorance), which is selfless and is aimed at Me, the Highest Goal,
leads to Liberation and not to bondage.
46. Ignorance, Egotism, Passion, Aversion and
Attachment shall be known as Bondages (Pashas). They obscure the Soul's Light of Knowledge
and lead him to perform actions that bind him to his painful condition.
47. Maya (Cosmic Illusion) is the sole cause of
these Bondages. It is the Divine Power
(Shakti) whereby I Create Limited Existence.
Through My Power of Maya, I first bring forth the Unmanifested
Material Potentiality whereof all material things are born. Through the Power of Maya, I divide Myself
into Spirit, the Conscious Soul, and Matter, the unconscious Object.
48. I Alone Am the Eternal Supreme God. I Am at once Matter and Spirit and their
products such as the Intellect and the rest, too. I Alone Am the Bondage and the Creator of
Bondage; I Who Create both Bondage and the Bound Souls; I Who Know everything
but Am known to none. I Am the
Primordial and Ever-Living Ancient One.
49. O you who are Tigers amongst men! of My Own
Free Will I Envelop Myself in Maya, even as the Sun envelopes himself in
Clouds. Like the Sun behind the Clouds
I surround Myself with the Veil of Maya and hide Myself from the World.
50. Divested of My Light, the whole World goes
to sleep. Having put the Souls to
sleep, I the Ever Awake, enchant them all with My Great Dream. Verily, there is no greater Work of Magic
than the World wherein all Souls dream. 51.
No Soul shall ever rouse from the Great Sleep of Maya save by My
Divine Command. But My Word of Truth
shall work in those who hear It and they shall stir in their sleep. The chosen ones shall be ready for My
Call. And hearing the Sound of
Awakening they shall rise from their sleep like deer at the call of a great
stag.
52. O you who are the Jewels of the World! he
that understands the Twenty-Five Life-Principles from Soul down to Earth,
perceives himself as a free and happy Soul.
But he who understands the Great Secret of Maya, he is a Knower of all
Thirty-Six Principles and is One with the Great God.
53. The Five Material Qualities, Five Primary
Perceptions, Five Powers of Knowledge and Five of Action; Lower Mind, Ego,
Intelligence, Material Energy and the Soul above these: they are the
Twenty-Five. He who knows this is a
Wise Soul indeed. But he who knows
Maya and what lies beyond, is Three Times Wise. For he knows the Five Fetters, Maya which
is their Support, and the Five Powers Divine.
Verily, such an one knows the Secret of the Thirty-Six which Is the
Greatest Secret of all. There is
naught to be known beside the Thirty-Six.
He who knows these, knows everything and all.
54. As many birds build their nests in a great
Tree, so countless Sleeping Souls weave the dream of their lives in Maya's
Great Abode of Slumber. As
cave-dwellers dwell in their caves within a great Mountain, so myriads of
Dreaming Souls dwell within the Great Cave of Maya which is the Souls' own
Heart. The Yogi who knows this, meditates
upon the Truth within his heart and beholds the Greatest Light.
55. By His infinite Power of Freedom, the Great
Power, the Great Light, creates the Great Cave of Maya. Of Maya are born the Five Fetters that tie
down the Soul to the Material World.
56. As a Great Star shines from afar through
the dark Night Sky, so the Supreme Sun of Consciousness, the Great Light from
the Highest Height, passes down through the dark Veil of Maya and becomes a
Star-like Soul shining with Five Rays of Light: That Light of Lights Which
having enveloped Itself in the Great Veil of Maya, makes a mere mortal of a
Deathless Soul, is the Power of Limited Time (Kala). That which binds an All-Pervading Soul and
determines the fruits of his deeds is the Power of Limited Efficiency
(Niyati). That which makes an All-Wise Soul know only limited things, is the
Power of Limited Knowledge (Vidya).
That whereby an All-Powerful Soul can accomplish only few things, is
the Power of Limited Action (Karma).
And that which causes a Perfect Soul to crave for worldly things, is
the Power of Attachment (Raga).
57. Thus, having become many, the One Great
Light shines in the
58. Now, the Soul who meditates in his deepest
heart upon the Uppermost Star, rises by its light into the dark Maya Sky and
passing through it goes far beyond, to the World of Light wherein he shines
like the One Sun Bright; he then goes higher still where he is One with the
Great Life, the Infinite All-Supporting Sky.
Drinking of the cool waters of the
59. Verily, he who by means of Yoga knows that
I am the Lord of Maya and that he is Identical with Me, he rises above the
World and is forever Free.
60. As a serpent casts off his slough, as an
elephant draws himself out of the mud, as a sick man (upon recovering) rises
from his bed, even so the Yogi shall rise above the World and go to My
Supreme Abode. Thus I, the Great Lord,
teach and declare. Commentary to Chapter Six
5. The Known Object is the product of Knowledge and Knowledge is the
activity of the Knowing Self: Everything that can be said about something
we experience, be it a physical object, a sense perception, emotion or
thought, for example: shape, size, colour, hardness or softness, fulness or
emptiness, distance or nearness in time and space, pleasantness or
unpleasantness, etc., is nothing but an activity of Consciousness and hence a
function of Knowledge, that is, the power Consciousness has of relating to
itself and to other things. For this
reason, in Yoga, such activities or creations of Consciousness are known as
Abhasas or Appearances (from bhas, to shine), that is, what shines or appears
to the experiencing Consciousness, like one’s reflection in the mirror. As manifestations of Consciousness - some
basic, others more complex - the Abhasas represent the fundamental units of
experience that constitute all things from the Universe down to the smallest
possible object. We may, therefore, reasonably conclude that everything is a
creation of the Conscious Self.
14. Verily, everything is born of will: Will is the power whereby
Consciousness is aware of Itself as a force that is capable of performing
action (that is not yet specified). In
practice, will-power means: (a) the power of willing, desiring or intending to
do something, (b) the exercise or use of this power and (c) the capacity to
consciously direct, or exercise control over, a mental impulse, tendency or
inclination. Desire is held to be an
unsatisfied longing for something. But
longing is itself, by definition, a wish or act of will. While will-power represents primarily the
general capacity or power to consciously and deliberately generate, exercise
and control a particular volitional impulse, desire may be said to be an
expression of this power in relation to a particular aim or object, which
expression may moreover be less deliberate, controlled or conscious. (For this reason, we sometimes speak of
involuntary or subconscious desires but never of involuntary or subconscious
will.) In this sense, desire may be
regarded as more emotional and will as more rational. Apart from this, any distinction between
will and desire must be admitted to be merely conceptual rather than actual
or real, the two being expressions of the same one psychological capacity,
called will-power. This is only
natural, for although ordinary people may sometimes be inclined to
differentiate between will and desire, from a Yogic perspective desire always
presupposes and hence equals will. For
example, when we say, "God Wills", we clearly mean to say, "God
Desires". The same also applies
in the case of Yogis or Enlightened Beings whose inner life functions in
complete harmony and unity, whereas in the case of Spiritually untutored
people, distinction between will and desire is only perceived due to insufficiency
of inner harmony and unity. To
children also, desire and will are one.
Having clarified this point, we may now briefly explain the process
whereby, as our verse says, everything is born of will. We have already shown elsewhere that
Consciousness is the ground, or fundamental substratum, of all things. As such, It has two aspects: one that is
unmanifest, constant and still, and one that is manifest, changing and
active. While the unmanifest aspect
consists of Intelligence and Bliss which is the natural state of
Consciousness, the manifest consists of Knowledge and Action which is the
state Consciousness assumes every time It becomes active (Knowledge, etc.,
being activities of Consciousness).
There are two points or phases that may be distinguished in this. The first, consists in a kind of
indescribable, barely perceptible ripple or vibration (spanda) that stirs the
tranquil waters of Consciousness blissfully resting in Itself. The second, is a clearly defined movement,
like a wave rising above the surface and moving in a particular
direction. It is this second moment in
the process of transition from the unmanifest to the manifest, or from the
potential to the actual, that constitutes volition (or will) properly
speaking, the preceding moment being practically identical with Consciousness
resting in Itself. The Power of Will
holds within itself the potentiality of all future manifestation. For example, a potter or a weaver, having
resolved in his heart to make a pot or a cloth, makes a mental representation
of the object he is about to make according to his resolve, and then
translates that representation into action (shaping of clay or weaving) which
results in an actual object. The
resolve or will manifests itself as knowledge of the desired object and then
as the action that brings about the creation of the object, the object being
in the final analysis born of will.
And so is man's life. Says the
Upanishad: "A person is made but of desires. As is his desire, such is his resolve; as
is his resolve, such the action he performs; what action he performs, that
itself he becomes (or obtains)" (Brihad-Aranyaka IV, 4:5-7). As man creates an object, so too, God
creates the World as an activity of His Free and Independent Will: "He
desired, Would that I were many! Let Me procreate Myself! Thus He created
this whole World. He became whatever
there is here" (Taittiriya Upanishad 2:7). However, since the very nature of
Consciousness is Pure, Undifferentiated Intelligence and Bliss, Consciousness
wills not only to act or manifest Itself but also to return to, and rest in,
Its natural, unmanifest state.
Therefore, the return to the original, blissful tranquillity of
Primordial Consciousness is in harmony with Divine Will. By attuning himself to this, the Yogi
returns to the very source and ground of all existence. Says the Vijnana Bhairava: "If, having
perceived the rise of a desire, one puts an end to it, it will merge back in
that very place whence it arose" (96).
When the Yogi's awareness has been enhanced and refined through
Spiritual Practice (Sadhana), he can observe the surge of a volitional
impulse long before it has taken a definite shape. Then, by letting go of that impulse and
directing his attention to its source, it will subside therein like a wave
falling back into the Sea. Having done
this, all that is needed is to remain in that Thought-Free, Tranquil and
Blissful Sea of Consciousness from Which all movement such as desire,
thought, feeling, sense perception and physical action arises and to Which
all movement returns. Thus he returns
to his
16. O you who are most wise! know that Knowledge is of three kinds:
Lowly, Middling and High: Yoga recognises other, more detailed
classification systems of knowledge or cognition (Jnana) such as that which
distinguishes six forms thereof: indeterminate cognition, determinate
cognition, recognition, remembrance, imagination and doubt. (1) Indeterminate cognition (Nirvikalpa
Jnana) is that which arises prior to the formation of thought and corresponds
to a state of mind in which nothing can be said about the object of
perception, as for example, in deep sleep, in meditation, when we are just
born or when we have just opened the eyes and have not yet formed a clear
image of the World before us. At this
stage the object is a uniform mass of perception that is barely
distinguishable from the perceiving subject.
(2) Determinate cognition (Savikalpa Jnana) is that which arises after
a particular object has been selected out of the uniform mass of perception,
compared to the memory of similar or identical objects perceived in the past,
given a name and attributed certain qualities which enable us to make a
positive assertion in respect of the object such as: "I know this",
"This is such and such", "I like/dislike this", etc. (3) Recognition (Pratyabhijna) is that form
of knowledge which arises by bringing into relation past and present
perceptions of an object. (4)
Remembrance (Smriti) is that knowledge which is born of the revived
impressions of past experiences. (5)
Imagination (Utpreksha) is knowledge consisting of mind-created
perceptions. (6) Doubt (Samshaya) is
an incomplete or indecisive knowledge that arises from conflicting notions
with regard to an object, and which may be expressed as: "It may be this
or that", "It may be so or so", etc. These six may be further expanded to
include all forms of human knowledge such as perception, inference, analogy,
presumption and so on. However, for
the purposes of establishing proximity to, or distance from, the Self, the
three Kinds of Knowledge described in verse 16 are quite sufficient.
49. O you who are Tigers amongst men: Man-tiger (Mano-vyaghra) is a
title given to persons of great Spiritual power.
58. The Soul remembers his Five Powers Divine: Consciousness is
Ultimate Reality. According to the
experience of accomplished Yoga Masters, the Universal Consciousness, Supreme
Intelligence or God (Shiva) is an infinite, eternal, independent,
self-luminous, self-aware and creative Entity that contains everything that
exists within Itself and upon which all experience depends. The Universe we live in is but the
expression of the unlimited Power and Freedom of Consciousness. Everything that is perceived or conceived
to exist is the creation or manifestation of the Universal Consciousness,
which is an infinite Power, Force, or Energy.
The natural and essential function of Consciousness is to illuminate
or know Its own existence as well as that of all other things. Consciousness has the unlimited power and
freedom to know and to act. This
unlimited power and freedom, known as Para-Shakti (Supreme Power), has five
main aspects: (1).
Intelligence (Chit), or the Power whereby Consciousness can understand
or perceive Itself, as well as feel, reflect on and examine the events that
occur within Itself. (2). Joy (Ananda), or the Power
whereby Consciousness experiences Its own eternal, independent and infinite
peace and satisfaction. (3). Will-Power (Ichcha), or
the Power whereby Consciousness realises Itself as an infinite and
independent Force that is able to perform any action. (4).
Knowledge (Jnana), or the Power whereby Consciousness can shine upon,
or reveal the existence of, what is conceived of as objects, holding these in
conscious relation with Itself and with one another. (5).
Action (Kriya), or the Power whereby Consciousness can assume
different forms, while remaining essentially a Unity. More specifically, Action is an offshoot of
Knowledge which gives rise to the experience of a fixed series of forms (in
which a thing appears), which (forms) do not shine, or appear,
simultaneously, but in succession. These are the Five Powers of God
which exist in a greatly limited, dormant form, within us as the natural
powers of the Soul. Through Spiritual
Practice (Sadhana) the Divine Powers in us come to life and we return to our
original state of Divinity. End of Chapter 6 and Commentary |