Dṛg-dṛśya Vivekaḥ 16–17: Who Attains Mokṣa?
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2020-06-02

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Ājñā-cakra
That Māyā is the cause of the appearance of the universe has already been stated. The question now arises, “What is the nature of jīva who suffers by the law of transmigration?” 

Text 16:
sākṣiṇaḥ pura to bhāti liṅgaṁ dehena saṁyutam |
citicchāyā samā-veśāj-jīvas-syād-vadyā-vahārikaḥ ||
“The subtle body (liṅgaṁ) which exists in close proximity to the Witness (sākṣin) identifying itself with the gross body becomes the embodied empirical self, on account of its being affected by the reflection of consciousness.”

The illusory nature of the universe has been described with a view to discuss the real nature of jīva. The empirical self is that which thinks it is the agent, enjoyer etc. This is the jīva that appears to die and be reborn. But the sākṣin or Ātman is birthless, deathless, immutable and without attributes.

Text 17:
asya jīvatvam-āropāt-sākṣiṇ-yava-bhāsate |
āvṛtau tu vinaṣṭāyāṁ bhede bhāte’payāti tat ||
“The character of an embodied self appears through false superimposition in the sākṣin also. With the disappearance of the veiling power, the distinction (between the seer and the object) becomes clear, and with it the jīva character of the sākṣin (Witness) disappears.”

A doubt arises here. The embodied self is unreal, and hence liberation is not possible for it. Again the sākṣin is ever free; therefore no liberation is necessary for it. There is no third entity for whom the scriptures, pointing to liberation, can be prescribed. Therefore scriptures become futile. This verse removes this doubt by showing that the idea of the embodied self is falsely superimposed upon the sākṣin or Witness.

The false superimposition of the empirical self on the sākṣin is due to the projecting power of Māyā. Though the sākṣin is ever free from all taint of worldliness, by the vikṣepa-śakti the Witness appears as the world-bound jīva.

Through knowledge of distinction (viveka) one realizes that the sākṣin is ever free from worldliness and is the eternal seer; and all other ideas, trom the empirical ego to the body, are mere objects and hence negatable (neti-neti). This is possible only through nondual transcendental knowledge (jñāṇa) which one acquires from study and the understanding of the scriptures. Hence scriptures are not futile.

Link to the Anatta-lakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59):
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN22_59.html

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