Tattva Bodha 12

स्थूलशरीराभिमानि जीवनामकं ब्रह्मप्रतिबिम्बं भवति । स एव जीवः प्रकृत्या स्वस्मात् ईश्वरं भिन्नत्वेन जानाति । अविद्योपाधिः सन् आत्मा जीव इत्युच्यते । मायोपाधिः सन् ईश्वर इत्युच्यते । एवं उपाधिभेदात् जीवेश्वरभेददृष्टिः यावत्पर्यन्तं तिष्ठति तावत्पर्यन्तं जन्ममरणादिरूपसंसारो न निवर्तते । तस्मात्कारणान्न जीवेश्वरयोर्भेदबुद्धिः स्वीकार्या ।   sthūlaśarīrābhimāni jīvanāmakaṃ brahmapratibimbaṃ bhavati . sa eva jīvaḥ prakṛtyā svasmāt īśvaraṃ bhinnatvena jānāti . avidyopādhiḥ san ātmā jīva ityucyate . māyopādhiḥ san īśvara ityucyate . evaṃ upādhibhedāt jīveśvarabhedadṛṣṭiḥ yāvatparyantaṃ tiṣṭhati tāvatparyantaṃ janmamaraṇādirūpasaṃsāro na nivartate . tasmātkāraṇānna jīveśvarayorbhedabuddhiḥ svīkāryā .   The reflection of Brahman, which identifies itself with the gross body, is called the jiva. This jiva by nature takes Ishwara to be different from himself or herself. The self conditioned by ignorance is called jiva. The self conditioned by maya is Isvara. So long as the notion that the jiva and Ishvara are different remains, which is due to the difference in the conditioning, till then, there is no redemption from samsara which is of the form of repeated birth, death etc. Due to that reason, the notion that the jiva is different from Ishwara should not be accepted.   TAT TVAM ASI – An enquiry into the statement ‘THAT THOU ART’ ननु साहंकारस्य किंचिज्ज्ञस्य जीवस्य निरहंकारस्य सर्वज्ञस्य ईश्वरस्य तत्त्वमसीति महावाक्यात् कथमभेदबुद्धिः स्यादुभयोः विरुद्धधर्माक्रान्तत्वात् । इति चेन्न । स्थूलसूक्ष्मशरीराभिमानी त्वंपदवाच्यार्थः । उपाधिविनिर्मुक्तं समाधिदशासम्पन्नं शुद्धं चैतन्यं त्वंपदलक्ष्यार्थः । एवं सर्वज्ञत्वादिविशिष्ट ईश्वरः तत्पदवाच्यार्थः । उपाधिशून्यं शुद्धचैतन्यं तत्पदलक्ष्यार्थः । एवं च जीवेश्वरयो चैतन्यरूपेणाऽभेदे बाधकाभावः ।   nanu sāhaṃkārasya kiṃcijjñasya jīvasya nirahaṃkārasya sarvajñasya īśvarasya tattvamasīti mahāvākyāt kathamabhedabuddhiḥ syādubhayoḥ viruddhadharmākrāntatvāt . iti cenna . sthūlasūkṣmaśarīrābhimānī tvaṃpadavācyārthaḥ . upādhivinirmuktaṃ samādhidaśāsampannaṃ śuddhaṃ caitanyaṃ tvaṃpadalakṣyārthaḥ . evaṃ sarvajñatvādiviśiṣṭa īśvaraḥ tatpadavācyārthaḥ . upādhiśūnyaṃ śuddhacaitanyaṃ tatpadalakṣyārthaḥ . evaṃ ca jīveśvarayo caitanyarūpeṇā’bhede bādhakābhāvaḥ .   But the jiva is endowed with ego and his knowledge is limited, whereas, Iśvara is without ego and is omniscient. Then how can there be identity, as stated in the mahavakya, “That thou art’, between these two who are possessed of contradictory characteristics?   If there is such a doubt, no {it is not so}. That literal meaning of the word ‘thou’ is the one identified with the gross and subtle bodies. The implied meaning of the word ‘thou’ is pure awareness which is free from all conditionings. So also the literal meaning of the word ‘That is Ishwara having omniscience etc.; the implied meaning of the word that is the pure awareness, free from all conditionings. Thus there is no contradiction regarding the identity between the jiva and Isvara from the standpoint of awareness.   jīvanmuktāḥ एवं च वेदान्तवाक्यैः सद्गुरूपदेशेन च सर्वेष्वपि भूतेषु येषां ब्रह्मबुद्धिरुत्पन्ना ते जीवन्मुक्ताः इत्यर्थः  ।ननु जीवन्मुक्तः कः ? यथा देहोऽहं पुरुषोऽहं ब्राह्मणोऽहं शूद्रोऽहमस्मीति दृढनिश्चयस्तथा नाहं ब्राह्मणः न शूद्रः न पुरुषः किन्तु असंगः सच्चिदानन्द स्वरूपः प्रकाशरूपः सर्वान्तर्यामी चिदाकाशरूपोऽस्मीति दृढनिश्चय रूपोऽपरोक्षज्ञानवान् जीवन्मुक्तः ॥ ब्रह्मैवाहमस्मीत्यपरोक्षज्ञानेन निखिलकर्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्तः स्यात् ।   evaṃ ca vedāntavākyaiḥ sadgurūpadeśena ca sarveṣvapi bhūteṣu yeṣāṃ brahmabuddhirutpannā te jīvanmuktāḥ ityarthaḥ . nanu jīvanmuktaḥ kaḥ ? yathā deho’haṃ puruṣo’haṃ brāhmaṇo’haṃ śūdro’hamasmīti dṛḍhaniścayastathā nāhaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ na śūdraḥ na puruṣaḥ kintu asaṃgaḥ saccidānanda svarūpaḥ prakāśarūpaḥ sarvāntaryāmī cidākāśarūpo’smīti dṛḍhaniścaya rūpo’parokṣajñānavān jīvanmuktaḥ .. brahmaivāhamasmītyaparokṣajñānena nikhilakarmabandhavinirmuktaḥ syāt .   Thus by the words of Vedanta and the teachings of the satguru, those in whom the vision of the truth is born in all beings, are liberated while living {jīvanmuktah}. Then who is a jīvanmuktah? Just as one has firm belief ‘I am the body’; ‘I am a man’; ‘I am a Brahmin’; ‘I am Shudra’, in the same way one who by his immediate knowledge {aparoksha jnana} has firmly ascertained, ‘I am not a Brahmin’; ‘I am not a Shudra’; I am not a man’ but ‘I am unattached’ and of the nature of existence-consciousness-bliss, effulgent, the indweller of all and the formless awareness is a jīvanmuktah. By immediate knowledge that I am Brahman alone, one becomes free from bondage of all karmas.