- yo’psu tiṣṭhann,
adbhyo’ntaraḥ, yam ᾱpo na viduḥ, yasyᾱpaḥ,
śarīram, yo’po’ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo'gnau tiṣṭhann, agner
antaraḥ, yam agnir na veda, yasyᾱgniḥ śarīram,
yo'gnim antaro yamayati, eṣa ta amṛtaḥ.
- yo'ntarikṣe
tiṣṭhann antarikṣᾱd antaraḥ, yam
antarikṣaṁ na veda, yasyᾱntarikṣaṁ
śarīram, yo'ntarikṣam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy
amṛtaḥ.
- yo vᾱyau tiṣṭhann
vᾱyor antaraḥ, yaṁ vᾱyur na veda, yasya
vᾱyuḥ śarīram, yo vᾱyum antaro yamayati, eṣa
ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo divi tiṣṭhan
divo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ dyaur na veda, yasya dyauḥ
śarīram, yo divam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- ya ᾱditye tiṣṭhann
ᾱdityᾱd antaraḥ, yam ᾱdityo na veda,
yasyᾱdityaḥ śarīram, ya ᾱdityam antaro yamayati,
eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo dikṣu tiṣṭhan,
digbhyo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ diśo na viduḥ, yasya
diśaḥ śarīram, yo diśo antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yaś candra-tᾱrake
tiṣṭhaṁś candra-tᾱrakᾱd antaraḥ,
yaṁ candra-tᾱrakaṁ na veda, yasya candra-tᾱrakaṁ
śarīram yaś candra-tᾱrakaṁ antaro yamayati,
eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- ya ᾱkᾱśe
tiṣṭhan ᾱkᾱśᾱd antaraḥ, yam
ᾱkᾱśo na veda, yasyᾱkᾱśaḥ
śarīram, ya ᾱkᾱśam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
Now this passage goes on, saying that the
Water Principle, like the Earth Principle, is also controlled in its action by
this inner Ruler, and the Water Principle cannot know it, because it is its
body. Likewise, all the elements are controlled by it. The Fire Principle,
which is above the Water Principle, and the Atmospheric Principle which is in
turn above it, and above which you have got the heaven, then after that you
have got the sun, then there are the quarters, or the Diśas, the various
directions, then the moon, then space and everything that you can think of in
your mind - all these are repeatedly asserted to be the body of the internal
Ruler.
- yas tamasi
tiṣṭhaṁs tamaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tamo na veda yasya
tamaḥ śarīram, yas tamo'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yas tejasi
tiṣṭhaṁs tejaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tejo na veda, yasya
tejaḥ śarīram, yas tejo'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ ity adhidaivatam,
athᾱdhibhῡtam.
This description of the Antaryāmin, or
the internal Ruler, is given from three standpoints - the transcendent, or the Adhidaivika description, the
physical, or the objective, known as the Adhibhautika, and the
internal or the subjective, known as the Adhyātmika. All the
gods, all the celestials are controlled by this principle. All the elements are
controlled by this principle. And every individual being also is controlled by
this principle.
- yaḥ sarveṣu
bhῡteṣu tiṣṭhan, sarvebhyo
bhῡtebhyo'ntaraḥ, yam sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni na
viduḥ, yasya sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni śarīram,
yaḥ sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ, amṛtaḥ. ity
adhibhῡtam; athᾱdhyᾱtmam.
Yaḥ sarveṣu bhῡteṣu tiṣṭhan: In all beings, this
is seated. Sarvebhyo bhῡtebhyo'ntaraḥ: He is internal to all
beings. He is internal to you; internal to me. Though one individual is outside
the other, one is exclusive of the other, this principle is interior to all.
Each individual may be regarded as an object to the other, but this persists in
existing as the internal Reality of every individual. While it is internal to
me, it is internal to you also, despite the fact that you are external to me
and I am external to you. So the externality of ourselves as personalities, or
individuals, does not in any way affect the internality of this Reality. So all
the external manifestations, not withstanding this, remains as a Supreme
internality. Every being is controlled by it. Yam sarvᾱṇi
bhῡtᾱni na viduḥ: Yet no one can know it - yasya
sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni śarīram, yaḥ
sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ, amṛtaḥ. ity
adhibhῡtam; athᾱdhyᾱtmam.
- yaḥ prᾱṇe
tiṣṭhan prᾱṇᾱd antaraḥ, yam
prᾱṇo na veda, yasya prᾱṇaḥ, śarīram,
yaḥ prᾱṇam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo vᾱci tiṣṭhan
vᾱco'ntaraḥ, yaṁ vᾱṅ na veda, yasya vᾱk
śarīraṁ yo vᾱcam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yaś cakṣuṣi
tiṣṭhaṁs cakṣuṣo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ
cakṣur na veda, yasya cakṣuḥ śarīraṁ, yas
cakṣur antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yaḥ śrotre
tiṣṭhan śrotrᾱd antaraḥ, yaṁ
śrotraṁ na veda, yasya śrotraṁ śarīraṁ,
yaḥ śrotram antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo manasi tiṣṭhan
manaso'ntaraḥ, yam mano na veda, yasya manaḥ śarīram, yo
mano'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy
amṛtaḥ.
- yas tvaci tiṣṭhaṁs
tvaco'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tvaṅ na veda, yasya tvak
śarīraṁ, yas tvacam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
- yo vijñᾱne
tiṣṭhan, vijñᾱnᾱd antaraḥ, yam
vijñᾱnaṁ na veda, yasya vijñᾱnaṁ
śarīraṁ, śarīram, yo vijñᾱnam antaro yamayati,
eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
Atha adhyātmam: Now, internal organs are described. The Prāṇa that we
breathe, the breath within, is also the function of this Reality within. The Prāṇa, the speech
(Vāk), the eyes (Cakṣu), the ears (Śrotre), the mind (Manas),
the intellect (Vijñāna) and all the things you call as your own in this
individual body - all these are but formations of this one Being. It appears as
the celestials when you visualise it from the transcendental level; it appears
as the universe outside when you visualise it from the external point of view,
and it appears as the individuals when you conceive it as the visible bodies of
Jīvas. There is no separate group of gods, or celestials, other than this.
There is no world, or universe, outside this. And there are no individuals
external to it. No gods, no world, no individuals! All these three sets of
apparent reality are only the manifestations, or rather appearances, of this
one Supreme Being.
The term 'internal' has a very special
sense in this context. Just as we are inside a hall, we may wrongly imagine
that this Reality is internal to the bodies of individuals, worlds, etc. It is
not located 'inside' in that spatial sense or in a temporal sense. It is a
philosophical concept or a metaphysical one. It is a highly intricate concept
which cannot be absorbed into the mind, inasmuch as the mind usually thinks in
terms of space and time. Whenever we speak of 'inside', we mean 'inside' in
space. But this is not a spatial insideness. It is a spiritual existence, a condition
of consciousness which is called 'internal', because it cannot be regarded as
an object of observation. You cannot observe consciousness; you cannot observe
your own self; you cannot observe your own understanding or your awareness. You
cannot even think it, because even thinking is a spatial activity of the mind.
So in that sense, it is internal. It is the Reality. It cannot be seen, because
it is necessary for the act of seeing. Without its operation, without its
Being, without its existence, nothing can be seen. You cannot think; you cannot
hear; you cannot understand, unless That is there. So, how can you apply this
yardstick or measuring rod of perception to that Reality which is the Cause of
even your perception, hearing, understanding etc.?
- yo retasi tiṣṭhan
retaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ reto na veda, yasya retaḥ
śarīraṁ, yo reto'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ; adṛṣto
draṣṭᾱ, aśrutaḥ śrotᾱ, amato
mantᾱ, avijñᾱto vijñᾱtᾱ. nᾱnyo'to'sti
draṣṭᾱ, nᾱnyo'to'sti śrotᾱ,
nᾱnyo'to'sti mantᾱ, nᾱnyo'to'sti vijñᾱtᾱ;
eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ; ato'nyad
ᾱrtam. tato hoddalᾱka ᾱruṇir upararᾱma.
Eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱ: In short, this is the Ātman. What we call the Antāryamin,
or the Immanent Reality, is the Ātman, the Self. When we say it is the
Self, we mean it is Consciousness. We mean both things in the same sense. It is
an awareness which cannot be the object of another awareness. Therefore, it is
not capable of being seen. Adṛṣto draṣṭᾱ:
This Reality is the unseen Seer of all beings. You cannot see it, but it sees you.
It sees everyone, but no one can see it - adristo drasta. Aśrutaḥ
śrotᾱ: It can hear everything, but no one can hear it. Amato
manta: You cannot think it, but it can think you. Avijñᾱto
vijñᾱtᾱ: You cannot understand it, but it can understand you. Nᾱnyo'to'sti
draṣṭᾱ: There is no other seer but that. Nanyo'to'sti
srota: There is no hearer other than that. Nᾱnyo'to'sti
mantᾱ: There is no thinker but that. Nᾱnyo'to'sti
vijñᾱtᾱ: There is no understander but that. So, if anyone
thinks, it is that which thinks; if anyone hears, it is that which hears; if
anyone sees, it is that which sees. If anyone understands anything, it is not
you or I that understands, it is that which understands. If anyone does
anything, it is that which does.
Eṣa ta
ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ: "This
is the Self; this is the internal Ruler; this is the Reality. This is immortal,
O Uddālaka. Everything else is useless. Other than this, nothing has any
sense or meaning - ato'nyad ārtam. This is the only Being that is
worthwhile considering and approaching and realising." Tato hoddalāka āruṇir
upararāma: The question is answered beautifully, and the Antaryāmin
has been described. Uddālaka holds his speech and occupies his seat. He
has nothing else to say.
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