In order to explain the Truth regarding the ultimate Reality already stated, we have here the great analogy of the firebrand (alāta). Because of the use of this example, there is a school of critics who claim that Gauḍapāda has bodily borrowed it from the literature of Buddhism. This a certainly an unfair criticism as has already been explained in the introduction to this chapter. In Maitrāyaṇi-upaniṣad (4-24) there is a clear mention of this picture in the ṛṣi’s explanation of the Brahman. It is quite possible that both Gauḍapāda and the Buddhist philosophers got this suggestion from the same source. ~C
47. ṛju-vakrādik-ābhāsam-alāta-spanditaṁ yathā, grahaṇa-grāhak-ābhāsaṁ vijñāna-spanditaṁ tathā. ~G
ॠजु – straight; वक्र – crooked; आदिक – and so on; आभासम् – the appearance of; अलात – the firebrand; स्पन्दितम् – is the motion of; यथा – just as; ग्रहण-ग्राहक – the perceived; the perceiver; आभासम् – the appearance of; विज्ञान – Consciousness; स्पन्दितम् – vibrations, motion of, तथा – so also ~G-trC
As [the line made by] a moving fire-brand appears to be straight, crooked, etc., so Consciousness, when set in motion, appears as the perceiver, the perceived, and the like. ~G-trN
Imagine a dark room and you are in the room with an incense stick. The glowing tip represents Brahman, which is one, and the surrounding darkness is the māyā tattvam. Suppose you start moving the firebrand. Even though it is one glowing tip, as it moves, different patterns will appear in the dark room depending upon the type of movement. Gauḍapāda calls this movement of the alātaṃ, alāta spandanam. ~P
What is it that appears? Vyhdnaspanditam, the vibration of Consciousness, as it were, it being set in motion by ignorance, for the unmoving Consciousness can have no vibration, as it was indeed said earlier, 'birthless, motionless' ~S-trGm
When Consciousness is set in motion, such illusory phenomena as the subject and the object are perceived. In reality, however, there is no motion in Consciousness; it only appears to be moving. This apparent motion is due to ignorance. ~N
48. aspandamānam-alātam-anābhāsam-ajaṁ yathā, aspandamānaṁ vijnānam-anābhāsam-ajam tathā. ~G
अस्पन्दमानम् – not in motion; अलातम् – the firebrand; अनाभासम् – free from all appearances; अजम् – remains changeless (lit. birthless); यथा – just as; अस्पन्दमानम् – not vibrating; विज्ञानम् – the Consciousness; अनाभासम् – free from all appearances; अजम् – remains changeless; तथा – similarly ~G-trC
As the fire-brand, when not in motion, is free from all appearances and remains changeless, so Consciousness, when not in motion, is free from all appearances and remains changeless. ~G-trN
Gauḍapāda wants us to understand that Consciousness fluttering in the mental zone seems to get shattered itself into the very variegated forms and names constituting the world of matter. But when the mind is still, and therefore transcended, when the Self cognises the Self, in the Self, the Self alone exists and as such the pluralistic world of phenomenon is no more. When the firebrand is steady, all the forms get absorbed, as it were, into the glowing tip. ~C
49. alāte spandamāne vai nābhāsā anyato-bhuvaḥ, na tato‘nyatra nispandān-n-ālātam praviśanti te. ~G
अलाते – the firebrand; स्पन्दमाने – being in motion; न वै – do not; आभासाः – forms that are seen; अन्यतः-भुवः – reached it from elsewhere; न – nor do they exist; ततः – that (firebrand); अन्यत्र – apart; निस्पन्दात् – from the motion; आलातम् – the firebrand; ते न प्रविशन्ति – nor do they enter the glowing tip ~G-trC
When the fire-brand is set in motion, the appearances [that are seen in it] do not come from elsewhere. When it is still, the appearances do not leave the motionless fire-brand and go elsewhere, nor do they enter into the fire-brand itself. ~G-trN
The idea is that the appearances of different geometrical shapes that we recognised when the alāta was in motion were all delusory expressions of the very motion and as such neither have they come from elsewhere nor do they go anywhere. Even the possibility that they had gone into the very glowing tip is not true since they did not as such rise from the firebrand. ~C
50. na nirgatā alātāt-te dravyatvābhāva-yogataḥ, vijñāne‘pi tathaiva syur-ābhāsasyāviśeṣataḥ. ~G
न निर्गताः – do not emerge; अलातात् – out of the firebrand; ते – those (appearances); द्रव्यत्व – substantial things; अभाव – lack of; योगतः – applicable to; विज्ञाने-अपि – the case of Consciousness also; तथा-इव स्युः – same will be; आभासस्य – appearance of; अविशेषतः – on account of similarity ~G-trC
50. They did not issue out of the firebrand, by reason of their unsubstantiality. With regard In Consciousness also the appearances must be of a similar kind, for as an appearance there is no distinction. ~G-trGm
Śrī Śaṅkara clearly brings it out in his commentary when he says, ‘Moreover, those appearances do not emerge from the firebrand as something that comes out of a house’. When anything were to come out of something, the emerged must be an entity distinctly different from the thing from which it has come. // An unreal thing cannot enter or emerge. Neither can you fill with mirage water, nor can you pour out even an ounce of mirage water from any bottle! Similarly, these patterns being unreal can neither emerge out nor enter into the firebrand. ~C
51. vijñāne spandamāne vai nābhāsā anyato-bhuvaḥ, na tato-‘nyatra nispandān-na vijñānaṁ viśanti te. ~G
विज्ञाने – the Consciousness; स्पन्दमाने – is associated with the idea of activity; वै – also; न – do not; आभासाः – appearances; अन्यतः-भुवः – come from elsewhere; न – nor; ततः – that; अन्यत्र – apart; निस्पन्दात् – is inactive; न – nor; विज्ञानम् – the Consciousness; विशन्ति – go elsewhere; ते – (do) they. ~G-trC
52. na nirgatās-te vijnānāt-dravyatvābhāva-yogataḥ, kārya-karaṇatābhāvād-yato‘cintyāḥ sadaiva te. ~G
न निर्गताः – not enter into, merge; ते – those (appearances); विज्ञानात् – out of the Consciousness; द्रव्यत्व – real entity; अभाव – are not; योगतः – apprehension; कार्य-कारणता – cause effect relationship; अभावात् – (and) since they are not subject to; यतः – because; अचिन्त्याः – beyond comprehension; सदा-एव – always; ते – they are ~G-trC
51-52 When Consciousness is associated with [the idea of] activity, [as in the waking and dream states,] the appearances [that seem to arise] do not come from anywhere else. When Consciousness is non-active, [as in deep sleep,] the appearances do not leave the non-active Consciousness and go elsewhere, nor do they merge in it. The appearances do not emerge from Consciousness, for their nature is not that of a substance. They are incomprehensible, because they are not subject to the relation of cause and effect. ~G-trN
The ordinary mind can think of an object only through the causal or some other relationship. The objects seen in the waking and dream states cannot be said to be unreal or non-existent, because they are perceived..Nor can they be said to be real or existent, because they are not perceived in deep slecp. Therefore it is impossible to know their true nature. This is maya. As already stated, maya, or appearance, is real to the ignorant; to the intellectual philosopher it is a puzzle; and to the illumined soul it is non-existent. ~N
A relationship can exist only between two separate things. A relationship is not possible when there is only one thing. We assume a relationship to exist because we are counting the firebrand as one thing and the patterns as the other thing. Gauḍapāda says that patterns cannot be counted as a second separate entity at all. Patterns are different names given to the same firebrand alone. Firebrand is alone there and patterns are different names given to the firebrand itself in motion. // Then we can extend this and say that consciousness, Brahman is only one and Brahman and the world cannot have any relationship because the world is another name for Brahman and it is not a separate entity. Because of a certain pattern of appearance we have given a new name, the world, but it is not a new entity. Therefore Brahman and the world cannot have a kārya-kāraṇa relationship. This is ajātivāda. ~P
Legend:
C: Chinmayananda
G: Gaudapada
Gm: Gambhirananda
N: Nikhilananda
P: Paramarthananda
S: Shankara
S/G: Sandeepany / Gurubhaktananda
Sw: Swartz
tr: translated by
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