Commentary on the Panchadasi

by Swami Krishnananda

Brahmaṇyā ropita tvena brahmā vasthe ime iti, na śaṅka nīyaṁ sarvaṣāṁ brahmaṇye vādhi ropaṇāt (40). The seven stages – namely, ignorance, veil, vikshepa or distraction, indirect knowledge, direct knowledge, freedom from sorrow, and attainment of bliss – these seven stages are the stages through which the jiva has to pass. They are superimposed on the jiva, and there is tadatmya adhyasa – mutual superimposition – between the condition of the jiva and the stages mentioned.

It should not be supposed that Brahman, the Absolute, has anything to do with these stages. We may not argue that the stages are superimposed on the imperishable Brahman. That would be to argue that clouds are obstructing the sun. The clouds are not obstructing the sun at all. They are obstructing our vision of the sun. The clouds are not superimposed on the sun so that the sun may be affected by the clouds. Hence, in spite of the fact that there is a complete darkness, as it were, as sometimes when there are thick monsoon clouds during the day, we cannot say that these clouds have affected the sun in any way whatsoever. The sun may not even be aware of what is happening in the world.

Thus, these processes, these seven stages – ignorance onwards until liberation – are conditioning factors of the jiva only and are not to be imagined as being superimposed on Brahman because in that case the whole universe is superimposed on Brahman. There is nothing special about it.

Saṁsārya haṁ vibuddho’haṁ niḥśoka stuṣṭa ityapi, jīvagā uttarā vasthā bhānti na brahmagā yadi. (41). Tarhyajño’haṁ brahma sattva bhāne maddṛṣṭito na hi, iti pūrve avasthe ca bhāsete jīvage khalu (42). All these stages, such as the feeling, "I am samsari, I am bound to earthly existence" and "I am liberated, I am free, I am endowed with knowledge, I am now free from sorrow and I am enjoying bliss or happiness" – are subsequent stages of the jiva only. They are subsequent to the preceding stages, namely, ajnana and avarana, ignorance and veiling. They may appear to be superimposed on Brahman, yet they should not be considered as really connected with Brahman in any way whatsoever because the feelings "I am ignorant" and "I am free" cannot arise in Brahman. Even if there is an eclipse of the sun, the sun is not affected by it. The eclipse is only for us who perceive it.

It is a very difficult situation before us when we have to face this quandary of finding a location for these seven stages. All these arguments of the verses arise on account of this peculiar difficulty, namely, where do these seven stages find their location? They must be existing somewhere. Even a process should have some background in order that the process may have some meaning. If the river is flowing, there must be a riverbed that is not flowing.

Now, these seven stages are like processes. They cannot be considered to be moving as processes on Brahman as the base – though, in a way, we may say Brahman is the substratum for all things. To bring the analogy of the sun and the clouds, etc., we may say that everything is caused by the sun. Even the movement of the clouds and the darkening that is caused by the movement of the clouds are all to be attributed only to the sun, of course. Yet nothing is to be attributed to the sun.

Though nothing can exist here in this world – neither bondage nor freedom can exist without Brahman's existence – yet Brahman is uncontaminated with these processes. They are connected only with the jiva. As there are only two principles before us, Brahman and jiva, the processes should belong to one of them. As it is not possible to attribute these stages to Brahman, they have to be attributed only to the jiva. There is no other alternative for us.

Ajñāna syāśrayo brahmeti adhiṣṭhān tayā jaguḥ, jīvā vasthātvam ajñānā bhimā nitvā davā diṣam (43). Is not ignorance rooted in Brahman? Is Brahman not the source of avidya? Where is avidya located? Where is its support? We accept that even ignorance has to find a support; and the ultimate support being Brahman itself for all things, we may in a way concede that Brahman is the support even of ignorance. Yet, it is only a theoretical concession given to Brahman being the substratum of ignorance. Direct organic connection between ignorance and Brahman cannot be there because if a real connection is to be established between ignorance and Brahman, Brahman would be ignorant. It wouldn't be conscious of anything whatsoever.

In order to consider Brahman as the ultimate source of all things, including the jiva and its seven stages, we have said that Brahman is the source of all; but when we say that Brahman is the source of all, we do not actually mean that it is contaminated by the seven stages. Neither is Brahman bound, nor does it aspire for liberation. It only has a relation with jiva. Inasmuch as ultimately everything has to be based on Brahman, we said everything, including the jiva and its ignorance, are also rooted in Brahman. But this is a theoretical concession. Practically, they are not related.

It is something like saying that the sun is the cause of theft taking place in a house. Because there was sunlight, the thief had free access into someone's house. If it was pitch darkness, midnight, it would have been difficult. The sun has contributed to the theft that took place in the house because without its light, the thief would not have succeeded. Can we say the thief has collaborated with the sun? Can we say that some part of the offense goes to the sun because he gave the light? Such is the argument here when we impose the qualities of jiva, such as the seven stages, on Brahman, though without Brahman the stages cannot be there.

Jñāna dvayen naṣṭe’sminn ajñāne tat kṛtāvṛtiḥ, na bhāti nāsti cetyeṣā dvividhāpi vinaṣyati (44). When the two types of knowledge arise in a person, namely indirect knowledge and direct knowledge – that is to say, knowledge derived through study of scriptures and knowledge derived from instruction through a Guru, which is called indirect knowledge, which is to be succeeded by direct knowledge or actual experience – when these two types of knowledge properly take effect, ajnana and all its effects, such as avarana, are destroyed. Then that original ignorance which caused the feeling that Brahman does not exist or Brahman is not known at all – these two types of erroneous feelings also go away, together with the ignorance which was their cause. The two types of knowledge, indirect and direct, dispel ignorance and all the effects of ignorance, such as the wrong notion that God does not exist or that there is no proof for the existence of God because God is not visible. This kind of erroneous argument based on ignorance also gets dispelled when knowledge dawns in a person in both indirect and direct forms.

Parokṣa jñānato naśyet asattvā vṛti hetutā, aparokṣa jñāna nāśyā hyabhāna vṛti hetutā (45). There are two kinds of ignorance, two phases of ignorance, rather: asattavarana and abhana avarana. Due to the avarana of maya, known as asattavarana, one has no consciousness of even the existence of Brahman. Even the remote idea of their being such a thing as Brahman cannot arise in the mind due to this avarana called asattavarana. Avarana, or veil, instils the wrong notion into the mind so that one is made to feel it does not exist. The indirect knowledge which is obtained through study as well as instruction from a Guru is capable of destroying that secondary ignorance which makes us feel that God does not exist, Brahman does not exist, etc. The proper instruction received from the Guru will dispel this peculiar secondary ignorance which is the cause of the feeling that God does not exist or Brahman is not there.

The other one is abhana avarana, the veil that covers the consciousness of there being such a thing at all called Brahman. Direct knowledge or actual experience of Brahman dispels the other kind of ignorance which covers the consciousness of Brahman. That is to say, direct knowledge or experience makes one immediately conscious of Brahman as identical with one's own self.

Abhānā varaṇe naṣṭe jīvatvā ropa saṁkṣayāt, kartṛtvā dyakhilaḥ śokaḥ saṁsārākhyo nivartate (46). This great problem of life, which is called samsara with all its concomitants like the feeling of agency in action, kartritva, and bhoktritva or enjoyment of fruits of action – all these appurtenances connected with the very existence of people in the world, samsara, all vanish in one minute when abhana avarana, the veil that covers the consciousness in respect of Brahman's existence, is dispelled by direct experience.

Nivṛtte sarva saṁsāre nitya muktatva bhāsanāt, niraṅkuśā bhavet tṛptiḥ punaḥ śokā samudbhavāt (47). When the entanglement of the jiva in the world and the feeling that one is entangled in samsara vanishes on account of the other feeling that one is now free from all these entanglements, unlimited bliss arises inside because no sorrow can once again inflict the person. Once ignorance has vanished, it cannot come again. Then the happiness that we experience at that time, the bliss of experience, is indescribable, unthinkable, passing understanding.

Aparokṣa jñāna śoka nivṛttyākhya ubhe ime, avasthe jīvage brute ātmānaṁ cediti śrutiḥ (48). If the verse that was quoted in the beginning of this chapter from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ātmānaṁ cet vijānīyāt ayam asmīti pūrusaḥ, kimicchan kasya kāmāya śarīram anu sanjvaret is understood and appreciated in its true meaning, the meaning that comes out is this: The Atman that is referred to in this verse of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, indicated by the word purusha, is the same jiva about which we have been talking about and describing in the earlier verses, whose ignorance is to be dispelled by indirect knowledge derived from scripture, Guru’s instruction, and direct experience. The conditions of sorrow which are supposed to be dispelled by the indirect knowledge derived from scripture and the grace of the Guru are associates of the jiva consciousness only.