Maya, Gunas- Sattwa,Rajas, Tamas, Self

Sankara's Viveka Chudamani:  Maya, Gunas- Sattwa,Rajas, Tamas, Self(Verses 108—135) Ø The Maya (Avidya)(108-110) Nescience(Avidya, or  Maya) is also called the  "unmanifest,"   and  is the power of the Lord. It  is   without beginning;  and  comprises the  three Gunas and  is  superior to their  effects.It is   inferred only by  one who has  a  clear intellect from the effects it produces.It is the avidya which  projects the entire universe.(108)  It (Maya)  is neither existent nor non-existent nor  both of these; neither same nor different nor  both  neither made up of parts   nor whole nor  both.  Most wonderful  it  is and beyond description in words. (109) By realisation of  the  pure,non-dual Brahman, Maya can be destroyed, just as the  allusion  of the snake is  removed by  the  discriminative  knowledge of the rope. Its Gunnas   are Rajas, Tamas and Sattawa,distinguished  by  their respective functions(110) Rajogunna- Nature and  Effect(111-112)  Rajas has projecting power(Vikshepasakti).Activity is  its very nature. From  it  the initial     flow of activity has  originated.  From it mental modifications  such  as     attachment  and  grief are  also continuously  produced (111) Desire,  anger, greed, hypocracy, malice,   arrogance, jealousy, egoism, envy,etc.- these  are the  dreadful  attributes   of  Rajas,from which  the worldly tendencies of man are  produced. Rajas is,  therefore, the cause of bondage. (112) Tamogunna-Nature and Effects(113-116) The  veiling (Avriti)  is the power of   Tamas,, which makesa things  appear to be other than what they actually  are.It causes  man's  repeated transmigration  and  initiates   the   action  ofthe projecting  power(vikshepa).   . (113) Even the wise and the learned,  and those  who are proficient in the vision of the  supremely subtle meaning of  the  scriptures,are overpowered by  Tamas   and cannot comprehendTruth, even   though  it  is clearly  explained  in  various ways.  They  consider    it  Real  what  is  superimposed   by  delusion and   attach   themselves  to  its  effects.   Alas! how  powerful is  the  veiling power of dire tamas!(114) Absence of correct judgement  or contrary judgement, lack of definite belief and  doubt...certainly these never leave one who has any connection   with this veiling power; also,  the  projecting  power  gives endless   trouble. (115) Ignorance, laziness,dullness,sleep,inadvertance,stupidity,etc.  are the attributes of the Tamas  One tied up   with  these cannot comprehend any thing, but  remains like one asleep,  or like a stump of wood or a block of stone.116) Sattwa Gunna- Nature and Effects(117-119) Pure Sattwa  is  like clear water, yet  in  combination  with Rajas and Tamas, it provides  for  transmigration. But  when  the light  of the Self gets  reflected  in Sattwa alone,, then like the Sun, it  reveals the  entire world of matter.(117) The  characteristic  of mixed  sattwa are utter  absence  of pride,etc. Niyama, Yama, and  also faith,devotion,yearning for  liberation,  the  divine  tendencies and  a  natural  turning away  from everything  unreal.(118) The  characteristic of pure sattwa  are   cheerfulness,  the  experience  of  one's  own  Self, supreme  peace, contentment, bliss, and  constant  devotion  to the supreme Self, by  which  the  aspirant  comes  toenjoy  everlasting  bliss(119)            The Causal Body - Its  Nature (120-121) This  "Unmanifest", described  as  combination  of all  three Gunas, is the Causal body of the  individual.  Its special state is  deep sleep,  in  which  all  the  functions  of the mind-intellect and the sense-organs are  totally  suspened(120)  The  mind remains   in  a  ssubtleseed-likeformin deepsleep, which  isthe stateofcompletecessation of all kinds ofperceptions. Indeed the universal experiencein  this state is , "  I  didn't know anything."(121) Not-Self- Description(122-123) The body, sense organs, Pranas(, life-breaths), mind,  and  ego etc., all  theirmodifications; thesense-objects and  their  pleasure, etc. the  gross elements,  the ether and all the elements such  as ether, etc.the whole universe upto the Unmanifest... these constitute the not Self. (122) Every thing is due  to the effect  of Maya...from Mahat down  to the  gross  body. Know thou,  that these and Maya itself are the not Self...therefore, they  are uneeal, like the mirage water in the desert(123)  The  Self - Its Nature(124-135) Now  I shall tell  youof the  real nature  of the   supreme Self , realising which a man, is freed from  all  his   personality   encumberances(bondages),  and  attains  liberation(124).  Something  there  is , which  is   the Absolute Entity,  the  Eternal Substratum for  the very awareness  of Ego.It  is  the witness of the three states and it  is distinct from all the five sheaths.(125) There is a certain selfhood wherein the sense of "I" forever rests; who witnesses the three modes of being, who is other than the five veils; who is the only knower  in waking, dreaming, dreamlessness; of all the activities of the knowing soul, whether good or bad—this is the "I". That  which knows everything  that happens in  the  waking,dream and deep-sleep states.That which  is aware of the  presence or absence of the mind and its functions.  That which is the essence behind the ego. That is This."(126) That  which sees  allbut  which noone  can  see; That which  illumines  the  intellect  etc., but  which they  cannot  illumine. That is This."(127)  That   by which  this universe is pervaded,but which is not pervadedby  anything; whichwhen Itshines,  theentireuniverseshines asItsreflection.That is This."(128)  That by whose very  presence the body and the sense organs,the mind and the intellect perform theirr espective functions like a team of servants prompted by their master(129) That,  because of which  everything... the  ego, the body,the sense-objects and the  pleasure etc. are  known,  as clearly  as a jar, is of the  nature of Eternal Knowledge(130) . This inner Self, the ancient Spirit, is everlasting, partless, immediately experienced happiness; ever of one nature, pure waking knowledge, sent forth by whom Voice and the life-breaths move. (130) This (great  Truth)is the  innermost  Self,  the ancient Purusha, whose  essential nature is the constant  experience  of Infinite Bliss, which  is ever the same.  Yet,  It  constantly  gets   reflected  through  different  mental  modifications and, commanded by  it,  the sense organs and the Pranas perform their functions(131) In this verybody,  in  a mind full of Sattwa in  the  secret cave of the intellect,  in  the atmosphere of the Unmanifest, the Atman, opfcaptivating glory, shinesliketheSun, high  in the sky, illumining  this  universeby  Itsvery  effulgence(132). The knower of the modifications of the mind and the ego,  and the activities of the body,  the  sense  organs and the pranas,  which  apparently  take their  forms like the fire in  a ball of iron, is the Self,  which  neither  acts nor changes in  the least(133)  Neither It is born no rdoes  It die;neitherdoesIt grow,nordoes Itdecay; beingeternal,It  doesnotundergo anychange.Even  when  thisbody  is destroyed,It doesnotcease toexist.It  is likethe  space  in the jar  that isbroken...It  is  independent  ofthe jar(134) Different from Prakriti and  its modifications is the Supreme  Self,  ofthe nature of pure knowledge. It  is Absolute and  directly manifests the  entire gross and subtle unverseas  the very  essence behind the  steady sense- of- egoism.  It manifests itself asthe Witness ofthe intellect, thedeterminingfacultyin man(135)

Ved  Prakash