O’ Lord ! O’ My Lord ! May I never forget You !

|| Shri Hari ||

Divinity Beyond the Ken of Instruments

Swami Ramsukhdas

|| Shri Hari ||

Divinity Beyond the Ken of Instruments

tvameva mata cha pita tvameva

tvameva bandhuscha sakha tvameva |

tvameva vidyaa dravinam tvameva

tvameva sarvam mama devadeva ||

Swami Ramsukhdas

|| Shri Hari ||

Divinity Beyond the Ken of Instruments

‘Kaaraka’ gives birth to an action and conduces it to accomplishment. ‘Kaarakas’ are six in number. Kartaa (Nominative), ‘Karma’ (Objective). ‘Karana’ (Instrumental), Sampradaana (Dative), Apaadaana (Ablative) and Adhikarana (Locative). These six cases are instrumental only in the accomplishment of mundane actions. But in God-realization they are not instrumental, because God-realization is beyond the ken of actions. The perfection of practice is possible only with the help of instruments which are evolutes of Nature. Practice results in a particular new state but does not lead to Self-realization (God-realization) in possible by discrimination and that faculty of discrimination has been bestowed upon all beings by God. Other beings except human beings exercise it for the maintenance of their bodies because they have no thirst for God Who is transcendental*.

*In other beings this discrimination is possessed more by moving beings than by the unmoving ones. Among the moving ones, the birds possess it more than animals on the land, while animals of the land possess it more than aquatic creatures. But in them it is limited to the maintenance of bodies. So they can distinguish the eatable from the uneatable, heat from cold, contact from separation etc. But unlike man, they can’t distinguish the real from the unreal and duty from non-duty, because they don’t possess the faculty of discrimination and right also. This discrimination is aroused in human beings only. The reason is that other sub-human creatures are destined to reap the fruit of their past actions, while a man by attaching importance to his discrimination can realize God and be free from the cycle of birth and death. Therefore it is a man’s special responsibility to realize God in the same way as the income tax has to be paid only by those whose income is taxable.

Other creatures can’t realize God. A man by making proper use of his discrimination and by respecting it can be superior even to the gods and can bring God under his sway. But because of his indulgence in pleasures and misuse of discrimination, he can degrade himself and be inferior even to animals and can pave the way to eighty-four lac species and to hells.**

**Without utilizing discrimination a man degrades himself more than even an animal. A man rather than an animal indulges in such sins as fraud, falsehood, forgery, deception, dishonesty, injustice and violence etc. Animals by reaping the fruit of their past evil actions progress towards a better life while a man degrades himself by incurring new sins because of his greed for pleasures. He misuses his discrimination in committing new sins for the gratification of his desires. The Lord declares - ‘People of demoniac nature look upon the gratification of desires as their highest aim and feel sure that that is all’ (Gita 16/11). Thus animals by reaping the fruit of their past actions pave the way to human life while man by incurring new sins pave the way to hells. So the company of vile persons has been called worse than even residence in hells -

Baru bal baas narak kar tata |

Dusht sang jani deyi bidhaata (Manasa 5/46/4)

The reason is that in hells a man by reaping the fruit of his evil actions is purified while in the company of vile persons he loses purity and incurs sins.

So a man should not indulge in such actions which discrimination does not sanction.

Beings have both lower (material) Prakriti (Nature) and higher (spiritual) Prakriti (Nature). ‘Egoism’ is lower Nature*** while spirit is higher Nature. This relationship between the matter and spirit is called ‘Chijjadagranthi’ (Unreal).

***The Lord in the Gita has divided the lower nature into eight parts - earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and ego - (Gita 7/4-5). Amongst them ‘ego’ is the chief cause of bindage. Though higher or lower in qualities these eight belong to the same class. As the earth is mater, so is ego i.e. ego is like a lump of earth. In order to draw attention to this secret fact the Lord uses the term ‘iyam’ (this) ‘ahankaraitiyam’ (Gita 7/4) and ‘apareyam’ (Gita 7/5) . The Lord has mentioned the same fact by the term ‘etat’ when He declares ‘ego’ as ‘Kshetra’ in ‘etad yo vetti’ (Gita 13/1). This ‘ego’ has been mentioned as ‘this’ in order to clarify that it is distinct from the self and is knowable. The reason is that ‘this’ can never be ‘self’ while ‘self’ can never be ‘this’. A man by ignorance identifies the self with ego and so he is attracted towards the matter and comes under its sway.

Jada chetan hi granthi pari gayi |

Jadapi mrusha chootat kathinayi

(Manas 7/117/2)

This relationship is illusory. Not real because matter and spirit possess antagonistic nature. Spirit is luminous while matter is the object to be illumed. Spirit is changeless, while matter is kaleidoscopic. Spirit never ceases to be while matter never lasts. Both are distinct in nature yet they are not enemy of each other. The spirit is the illuminator and supporter of the matter. The real is the bedrock of the unreal. Inner quest to know the real (divinity) is inimical to the unreal (matter) because inner quest breaks up relationship with the matter. Thus in a sense the ardent quest for Divinity is superior to Divinity. Desire for the mundane materials and actions connects us with them while inner quest breaks up our relationship with them. In the desire or pleasure, there is predominance of matter (ego) while in inquisitiveness, there is preponderance of spirit. When in a man there is predominance of matter, he desires mundane pleasures. But when there is predominance of spirituality, he develops a desire for salvation or God-realization.

So long as a man remains engrossed in the mundane pleasures because of the predominance of matter (ego), he can never attain supreme peace or supreme bliss. Even if he rises to the rank of Brahma, the creator, he can’t attain supreme peace. How can the changeable provide peace to the unchangeable ? How can the unreal satiate the real ? Attaching higher value to the spirit and renouncing the matter when an aspirant advances, his ego will die out and pure self will remain.

With the effacement of relationship with matter, attachment totally vanishes. Then attachment being rooted out, he attains perfection* i.e nothing remains to be done, to be known and to be gained by him.

*Unless attachment is totally annihilated, a man may talk tall, may discuss the subjects lucidly, may deliver discourses on them and even may write books on those topics but can’t attain supreme bliss.

In fact perfection is axiomatic but attachment to the matter doe not allow perfection. As soon as this attachment is totally wiped out, perfection is automatically realized. But it is realized only when there is inner quest and curiosity for God-realization or Self-realization or for God’s love or vision. It means that quest to know (curiosity) will specially arouse discrimination which will cut asunder attachment to the matter. This detachment will root out egoism which in turn will root out the sense of mine** and thus the untainted self will be realized. Thus in Self-realization no instrument (Kaaraka) is necessary.

**When the spirit assumes relationship with the non-self, the sense of I-ness is born. A man has the sense of I-ness and ‘mineness’ with the body while he has the sense of ‘mineness’ with other objects. But being proud of his possessions he also develops the sense of ‘I’ness as ‘I am rich’ etc. (A man gets proud by possessing learning, intelligence and talent etc., while he becomes arrogant by possessing riches and property etc.). With detachment from the non-self, there is effacement of the sense of ‘I’ ness and ‘mineness’ and only the ‘Self’ remains in which there is neither the sense of ‘I’ ness nor that of ‘mineness’.

In all Kaarakas (cases) nominative case is the most important. In Kartaa (nominative case) consciousness is reflected while it is not so in other cases. In fact, ‘Karta’ is not synonymous with consciousness. This (Kartaa) represents assumed relationship with consciousness - ‘With the understanding clouded by egoism, man thinks. I am the doer’ (Gita 3/27).

Therefore in the Gita where the Lord has mentioned five factors - body, agent, senses, various sources of efforts and Samskaara (providence or impressions) for the accomplishment of all actions, there He has censured the person who looks upon his self as the doer, by declaring that such a person is of impure (untrained) mind and perverse understanding.*

*Tatraivam sati kartaaramaatmaanam kevalam tu yah

Pashyatyakrtabuddhitvaanna sapashyati durmatih

(Gita 18/16)

‘Such being the case, the man of impure mind, who on account of perverse understanding looks upon the self as the doer, does not see at all.’

The reason is that the self is neither a doer, nor an enjoyer. Lord Krishna declares - ‘The self, though dwelling in the body neither acts, nor is tainted.’ (Gita 13/31). If the self is not the doer, who is the doer ? The Lord answers in the Gita - ‘All actions are performed only by Nature (Prakriti) (Gita 13/29); ‘All actions are performed by the modes of Nature, and it is the modes which are acting on the modes i.e. the modes are the doer. (Gita 3/27-28; 14/24); ‘There is no agent other than the modes’ (Gita 14/19); The senses move among the sense-objects i.e. senses are the agent’ (Gita 5/9). It means that it is Nature rather than the self which is the doer. Therefore an enlightened soul realizes that he does nothing (Gita 5/8) and he by holding that it is the modes which are acting on the modes does not get attached (Gita 3/28)

The Lord also declares - ‘When the seer beholds no agent other than the modes and knows the self beyond the modes and considers himself totally detached from the modes (which he really is detached)*, then he realizes the self’.^

*’The self is totally free from Gunas (modes)’ (Gita 13/31). The self is the illuminator while modes are to be illumined; the self is unchangeable while modes re changeable; the self is eternal while modes are transitory.

^Nanyam gunebhyah kartaaram yadaa drastaanupasyati

Gunebhyashca param vetti madbhaavam so’dhigacchati

(Gita 14/19)

In the Gita the Lord has attributed doership to Nature and enjoyership to the spirit*.

*Kaarayakaranakartrtve hetuh prakrtiruchyate

Purusah sukhaduhkhaanaam bhoktrtve heturuchyate

(Gita 13/20)

The reason is that it is only the spirit which can experience pleasure or pain. An action takes place in the matter, while the fruit of the action in the form of pleasure and pain. An action takes place in the matter, while the fruit of the action in the form of pleasure and pain is reaped by the self. Which self? The self which is seated in Prakriti (matter or Nature). The Lord declares - ‘The self seated in Prakriti experiences the modes born of Prakriti.’ (Gita 13/21). It means that it is because of the sense of doership that a man has to experience pleasure or pain otherwise he will remain established in the self, which is naturally an embodiment of bliss. The Lord declares - “He is alike in pleasure and pain and remains established in the self.’ (Gita 14/24). Therefore this enjoyership of pleasure and pain is merely an assumption, it is not a fact. In the self there is neither doership, nor enjoyership. As they have no pre-existence so they die out.^

^Yasya nahankrto bhaavo buddhiryasya na lipyate

Hatvaapi sa imumllakaanna hanti na nibadhyate (Gita 18/17)

‘He who is free from egoistic notion, whose intellect is not tainted, though he slays all people, he does not slay nor is he bound.’

Had there been doership and enjoyership in the self, they could have never died out, when the self was alive.

When the self has no doership at all and when It does not bear an iota of relationship with the nominative case, how can it bear any relationship with other cases ? So first of all an aspirant should have a firm determination that he is neither a doer nor an enjoyer; he has neither the sense of I’ness nor that of ‘mineness’ in him. Though it appears that this determination is done by intellect but actually it is awareness of the self. This awareness needs no aid of instruments. It means that first an aspirant thinks and then he determines by his intellect that he is beyond instruments. This awareness that he is beyond the ken of instruments is only of the self. It implies that in this awareness complete detachment from the instruments is there.

The place where an action takes place is known as ‘Adhisthaana (Adhikarana or locative). But the self is not the seat of any action. Every action can be attributed to the self because the self is the substratum of everything and action. The assumed entity has no independent existence of its own except that of the self. Therefore the self is known as the abode, support, base and illuminator of all beings, objects and actions.

Thus in the self there are no ‘Kaarakas’ (cases) such as ‘Karma’ (objective), ‘Karana’ (instrumental) and ‘Adhikarana’ (Locative) etc.*

It proves that Divinity is beyond instruments, actions and objects which are evolutes of Nature. Therefore Self-realization or God-realization is not possible by means of material instrument but it is possible only by cutting asunder the assumed relationship with Prakriti (Nature) and its evolutes.

*Out of the six Kaarakas (cases) the four - Kartaa (nominative), Karma (objective), Karana (instrumental) and Adhikaran (locative) have direct relationship with actions. These four can be used as nominatives. But it is not the case with Sampradaana 9dative) and Apaadaana (Ablative) cases. They are merely helpful in action. This is why the passive voice is not applicable in them. For example - ‘He gave charity to a desreving hand’ - this is dative case. The donor undergoes no deserving hand’ - this is dative case. The donor undergoes no change when charity is offered. If there is no donor, the action of charity is not accomplished. He is called a ‘Kaaraka’ because he is helpful in the action of charity. Similarly - ‘He came from the village’ - this is Apaadana (ablative) case. The village does not undergo any change but it is called a case because his coming is connected with the village.

Actions are fourfold - Utpaadya (production), Vikaarya (modification), Samskaarya (purification) and Aapya (attainment) [sometimes they are called by three names - nirvartya, vikaarya and praapya] Out of them the object case ‘Aapya’ does not undergo any change as in ‘I earned money’ does not undergo any change.

Narayana ! Narayana ! Narayana !