Uddhava asked: —
"Âtmâ dwells in the transformations of the Gunas forming the body. Why should it not be bound down by the Gunas. Or if Âtmâ is free (like Akâsa) why should it be at all in bondage? What are the indications of Âtmâ in bondage and of liberated Âtmâ? Is Âtmâ ever in bondage? (for connection with the Gunas is eternal. Śridhara) or ever in liberation (for if liberation is a state to be acquired, Âtmâ can not be permanent. Śridhara)"
Sri Krishna replied: —
"Bondage and liberation are terms applied to Me not with reference to my real self, but with reference to My Gunas (the Guna limitations, Satva, Rajas and Tamas that are subordinate to me. Śridhara). The Gunas have their origin in Mâyâ. Therefore I have neither liberation nor bondage.
"Sorrow and delusion, joy and grief, even the attainment of body — these are all due to Mâyâ. The dream is only an illusory form of the mind, even so the course of births is not real. Vidya and Avidyâ both proceed from My Mâyâ, O Uddhava. I am one and the Jiva is only my part (as the ray is of the sun). The bondage of Jiva is caused by Avidyâ and its liberation by Vidya. This is eternally so. Now I shall tell you the different indications of the imprisoned and the liberated Jiva. (The difference is twofold: that between Jiva and Ísvara and that amongst the Jivas themselves. The author first speaks of the former. Śridhara.) Jiva and Ísvara though of different attributes dwell in the same body. They are two birds like each other (for both are manifestations of conciousness), companions that have made a nest for themselves (the heart), in the tree of body, of their own free will.
"Of these one (the Jiva) eats the fruits of the tree. The other (Ísvara) though not a partaker of the fruits is the mightier of the two. For He who does not partake of the fruits is the knower of self as of others. But the partaker of fruits is not so. He (Jiva) who is joined with Avidyâ is always imprisoned. He (Íshvara) who is joined with Vidya is always liberated. (Mâyâ of Íshvara or Vidya does not throw a veil round and does not delude). The "conscious" are two in every individual. The consciousness of Ísvara is universal. Jivâtma however takes upon himself the limitations of individuality and becomes the conscious centre in every man. "I perceive" "I conceive" "I do," that "I" is Âtmâ limited by the sense of individuality. The perception and conceptions are of Jivâtma and he is the partaker of the fruits. This "Jiva" element in an individual is in bondage. But the Ísvara element in him is always liberated. And Jiva becomes liberated, when the individual limitation is withdrawn).
"(Now the difference amongst Jivas liberated and imprisoned).
"The liberated (Jiva) though dwelling in the body does not dwell in it as it were, even like one aroused from dream. (The awakened man remembers his dream body, but realises it as unreal, So the liberated Jiva looks upon his body as unreal or a temporary halting station, not a part of his own self). The ignorant identifies himself with the body, like the man in dream.
"The senses perceive the objects of the senses. The Gunas perceive the Gunas. The wise (Jiva) does not identify self with these. He is therefore not distracted.
"The ignorant, however, while dwelling in this body brought about by prior Karma, in which the senses act, thinks that he is the doer and becomes thus bound down.
"The wise one sees with disgust that the actions of others bind him. Sleeping, sitting, walking or bathing, seeing, touching, smelling, eating or hearing, the wise (Jiva) does not bind himself like the ignorant, for in those acts, he realises that the Gunas (senses) perceive (and not his self). He dwells in the body, but is not attached to it, like the Akâsa, the sun and the air. (Space is in all things, but the things form no part of space. The sun becomes reflected in water, but is not attached to water. The air moves about all around, but does not become attached to any thing). By the force of dispassion, the vision becomes clear. All doubts are removed. And the wise (Jiva) rises as it were from sleep, and withdraws himself from the diversities (of body and other material objects).
"The Jiva whose Prânas, Indriyas, Manas and Buddhi function without the promptings of self-centred desires is freed from the attributes of the body though dwelling in the body.
"Whether injured by others or adored the liberated Jiva is not affected in the least. He neither praises nor blames others for their good or bad deeds or words. He knows no merits nor demerits. He looks on all with an equal eye. He does not do anything, he does not say anything, he does not think on any thing, good or bad. He is self-entranced and moves like a sense-less being (Jada).
"If a man well-versed in the Vedas is not fixed in the Supreme, his labour becomes fruitless like that of a man who keeps a breeding cow that bears no calf. A cow that does not give milk, an unchaste wife, a body that is under the control of others, an undutiful son, wealth that is not given to the deserving and words that do not relate to me: he only keeps these whose lot is misery.
"With discrimination such as this do away with the notion of diversity in self. Then fix your purified mind in Me, who am all pervading, and desist from everything else.
"If you can not fix your mind in Me, then offer up all your actions unconditionally to Me. Hear with faith the words that relate to Me. Sing of Me, meditate on my deeds and Incarnations. Imitate these. Whatever you do, do that for Me. Then will be gained, O Uddhava, fixed devotion to Me. That devotion (Bhakti) is to be acquired in the company of Sâdhus."
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