VEDANTAM FOR BEGINNERS - 42. SWAMI SIVANANDA

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Tuesday, December 27, 2022. 06:00. 

TAT TVAM ASI =  That Thou Art :

The Maha-Vakyas :

Post-42.

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Bhagatyaga Lakshana
(As applied to Tat Tvam Asi)

In a foregoing context, while, concluding the details of the a priori method, it was said:

In the sentence Tat Tvam Asi, Tat refers to the reflected consciousness in Maya, and Tvam to

the reflected consciousness in Avidya, the word Asi proclaiming their unity. It asserts that the one

Chit alone, reflected in a twofold way, goes under the names Isvara and Jiva, when it is respectively

qualified by the Upadhis Maya and Avidya in its reflected state.

Now, that conclusion is taken for consideration.

(A) Vachyartha of the word Tat:—

Tat refers to Isvara; He has the following qualifications and associations:

(1) Undifferentiated Maya is the space for the activities of Isvara.

(2) Creation, Maintenance and Destruction (Udhbhava, Sthiti and Samhara), are the three

periods or Kala for Isvara.

(3) Purity, Activity and Inertia (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), are His means for creation,

Srishti-Samagri.

N.B.: Maya and the three Gunas are one and the same thing. So there exists oneness between

the space for Isvara’s creation and Srishti Samagris. Of course, the body of Isvara is also to be

included within that oneness. It is like this:

Earth becomes the space for the potter to do his work. Earth becomes the material for the

potter to do his work. Lastly, earth itself, in the form of bones, etc., becomes the body of the potter.

Thus is the unity of the three things.

(4) Virat, Hiranyagarbha and Avyakrita-Maya are three bodies of Isvara.

(5) Isvara in identification with the three is respectively called Vaisvanara, Sutratma and

Antaryami.

(6) From the thought, ‘I’, the non-dual One, shall become many, till the statement ‘in the

form of Jiva He entered,’ all creation forms the Activity or Karya of Isvara.

(7) Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Being One only, Freedom (Svatantrya),

Efficiency (Samarthya), Parokshattva (Remoteness), and the possessing of Maya as the limiting

adjunct,—all the eight are the Dharmas of Isvara.

(8) (a) Maya in combination with all the eight categories referred to above; (b) Chidabhasa

or the reflection of Chit contained in them; and (c) Brahman, the substratum for them—All of these

go together to make up the Vachyartha of the word Tat.

To sum up, Maya and the rest (the gross, subtle and cosmic bodies) the Consciousness

associated with Her and endowed with omniscience, rulership, etc., (by Consciousness Isvara,

Hiranyagarbha and Vritti are meant here), and Pure eternal Consciousness not associated with any

of the foregoing things,—when these three appear as an inseparable whole like a red-hot iron ball,

they become the primary meaning of the word Tat.

(B) Lakshyartha of the word Tat:—

That Pure, unassociated Consciousness which remains after avoiding Maya and Her retinue

and Chidabhasa, and which serves as the substratum of all these things, i.e., of the limiting adjuncts

and of Isvara limited by them, becomes the implied meaning or Lakshyartha of the word Tat.

At this point, it will be worth one’s while to note the mutual Adhyasa (the recognition of

something previously observed in some other thing, this recognition being apparent and not real)

that exists between Isvara and Brahman. This Paraspara-Adhyasa is born of non-discrimination.

The Real, Eternal nature of Brahman is apparently recognised in Isvara. Hence, Isvara appears as

real. Because the nature of Isvara and his creatorship are apparently recognised in Brahman,

Brahman appears to be the cause of the Universe. Thus there is Anyonya Adhyasa between

Brahman and Isvara, and this Adhyasa can be annihilated only through knowledge born of

discrimination.

(C) Vachyartha of the word Tvam:—

Tvam refers to the individual Jiva with the following qualifications and associations:

(1) The eye, throat and the heart,—these three form the Desa or place for the Jiva.

(2) Jagrat, Svapna and Sushupti-Waking, Dreaming and Deep Sleep states,—these three

form the three periods, Kala, or time for the Jiva.

(3) Sthula, Sukshma and Karana-Gross, Subtle and Causal,—are the three bodies for the

Jiva.

(4) The above three themselves become the Bhoga-Samagri or the means of enjoyment for

the Jiva.

(5) Visva, Taijasa and Prajna are the three names under which the Jiva goes in identification

with the three bodies.

(6) The Samsara beginning from Jagrat and ending in Moksha becomes the Karya for the

Jiva.

(7) Limited power and knowledge and limitation in space (the three things opposed to

Omnipresence, etc.), multiplicity, being subservient (Paratantratva), absence of Samarthya (or

strength), Aparokshatva (immediacy) and possession of Avidya or ignorance as the limiting

adjunct,—these eight form the Dharma for the Jiva.

(8) Avidya associated with the above seven things, Chidabhasa, the reflection of Chit in

Avidya, and Kutastha the substratum for both of them,—these three together become the

Vachyartha for the word Tvam.

In short, individual ignorance or Avidya (including the three bodies), Consciousness

(Visva, Taijasa and Prajna) associated with limited or partial knowledge, etc., and also the Pure

Consciousness which is not associated with any of these attributes,—these three, when they appear

as an inseparable whole like a red-hot iron ball, become the primary meaning of the word Tvam.

(D) Lakshyartha of the Word Tvam:—

Kutastha who is the witness of the Jiva and who forms the substratum for the three bodies,

etc., and who remains after avoiding the Chidabhasa combined with Avidya from the Vachyartha of

the word Tvam, becomes the Lakshyartha for the word Tvam.

Like Brahman and Isvara, there exists mutual Adhyasa between Kutastha and the Jiva. The

reality of Kutastha is recognised in the Jiva and hence the Jiva appears to be real. Likewise, the

nature of the Jiva and his Dharmas are recognised in Kutastha who is non-attached, non-doer,

non-enjoyer and eternally free, and hence Kutastha appears in the opposite way. Thus the mutual

Adhyasa between Kutastha and the Jiva. This can be annihilated only through Viveka-Jnana.

(E) The inapplicability of Jahallakshana and Ajahallakshana:

In Jahallakshana we avoid the whole of the Vachyartha. If we are to apply the Jahallakshana

with reference to the two words Tat and Tvam, the following absurdities result, viz.,

1) The Pure Consciousness, Transcendent Brahman, included in the Vachyartha of the word

‘Tat’ should be avoided, and,

2) as a result we shall have to take the insentient universe, or (by avoiding the entire universe

along with the Pure Consciousness) we shall have to take only Sunyata or Voidness.

Because of these two, only disaster will result and Moksha cannot be attained.

In Ajahallakshana we do not avoid any part of the Vachyartha but take the entire meaning.

In doing so, while retaining the full Vachyartha, for the Lakshyartha portion we shall have to take

again only Sunyata. It does not help us in any way towards our goal. Thus both Jahallakshana and

Ajahallakshana are inapplicable in the case of the Maha-Vakya, Tat Tvam Asi.

In Bhagatyaga-Lakshana we avoid the contradicting portions but retain the

non-contradicting portion. In applying this in the case of the two words, Tat and Tvam,

(1) we avoid Maya and Avidya, the portions that contradict, from the respective

Vachyarthas, and

(2) retain the Pure Consciousness that is non-contradicting.

Hence there exists a means for the goal. So, Bhagatyaga-Lakshana alone is admissible in the

case of the Maha-Vakya Tat Tvam Asi.

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Next- The Identity Between Tat And Tvam

To be continued

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