MANDUKYA UPANISHAD with GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA: 45 - Swami Advayananda.
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MANDUKYA UPANISHAD
GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA
Agama Prakarana – “The Scriptural Treatise”
GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA: PART 4/4:
ALAATA-SHANTI PRAKARANA (100 mantras):
Quenching the Firebrand:
BONDAGE vs. LIBERATION
Karika Section 4.5: mantras 30-32 (3 No.)
Mantram: 4.30: Samsara & Liberation are Initial Concepts
Post-45.
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BONDAGE vs. LIBERATION:
Karika Section 4.5: Mantras 30-32 (3 No.)
HIS SECTION DEALS WITH the concepts of Bondage and Liberation. From the relative standpoint, these concepts have been very useful to us to point the way to the Reality, Brahman. The present section takes a standpoint from Reality on the same concepts. Not surprisingly, the result is quite startling.
[In this discussion, some of the earlier discussions are repeated. The explanation in such cases are kept to a minimum, and the previous mantras are referred to.]
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Mantram: 4.30: Samsara & Liberation are Initial Concepts:
1
Anaadeh samsaarasya, = Moreover, for a World that is beginningless
2
antavattvam cha na setsyati; = its end, cannot be logically established.
3
anantataa mokshasya cha = In like manner, for Liberation to be endless
4
aadimatah, na bhavishyati. = its beginning. cannot be logically established.
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This mantram considers the pure logic behind Samsara and Liberation. It is usually taught that Samsara comes to an end when one gets Liberation, i.e. the ‘end’ of Samsara is the ‘beginning’ of Liberation. This is what is taught to the student in the earlier part of his studies. It helps the student to go forward in his Sadhana to ‘strive’ for Liberation. However, when Liberation is attained, then one sees the whole matter in a totally different light. From the perspective of Reality, the whole scenario is different. This verse tells us what Liberation looks like from the “other side of the fence”.
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1-2
Logic dictates that Samsara, if it is beginningless, can never come to an end.
3-4
Similarly, Liberation, if it is to be endless, can never have a beginning. This logical requirement implies that there is something erroneous about our very concepts of Samsara and Liberation which we held earlier, and that this error needs to be corrected. When the situation is seen from the standpoint of Reality the error is corrected. We see that there is neither any bondage to Samsara nor liberation from it!
The next two mantras are the same as II-6,7. Their relevance here lies in applying them to the case of Samsara and Liberation. The former has an end when the latter begins. When one is liberated, he is freed from bondage to Samsara. This means that the beginning of Liberation is the end of Samsara. By this fact alone, both disqualify to be counted as Reality.
The principle governing the statements of the previous verse is now presented, making very clear what was said earlier.
The first mantram considers Samsara and Liberation as being unreal due to them having an end or a beginning respectively. The second verse considers them to be unreal despite their obvious utility to the Sadhaka who is still not yet liberated.
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Next
Mantram - 4.31: The Unreal Never Exists
Continued
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