Perception is Creation-R.Visvanatha Sastri- 1 to 15

oM-zrIM

dRSTi-sRSTiH

(By Sri R. Visvanatha Sastri)

The translation has been done by the son (V. Krishnamurthy) of the author of dRiSTisRiSTiH. Only a free translation has been attempted. Experts are requested to pardon the foolishness of the translator in daring into this venture. Fools enter where angels fear to tread! Only the general purport is intended as ‘translation’. Wherever even the general purport (or sometimes the precise logic of the argument) is unclear to the translator a simple question mark ‘?’ replaces the translation. Scholars are likely to find errors either in the concept, and/or the logic, and/or the translation in the translated version. These are solely the translator’s faults. Readers are requested to consult the original Sanskrit text of the author, before forming an opinion.

1. dRktatvam-aizvaraM tejaH guruzakty-AtmakaM tviti / gAyatrI-praNavAkAraM gANezaM vaiSNavaM tviti //

The philosophy of perceptive knowledge goes back to divine sources like that of gaNeza, the Guru, the primal sound of praNava and gAyatrI .

2. etattejaH paraM sUkSmaM jyotirliMgaM-itIritaM / dRgdraSTRdRzyarUpeNa vizvaM vyApya vyavasthitaM //

This is the Absolute Truth and Subtle Glory of the Lord. He pervades the whole universe as the Perception, the Perceiver and the Perceived.,

3. ziraH pAdau na dRzyete ziraH pAdAdy-abhAvataH / cakSuSaz-cakSurityAdi draSTer-draSTAram-acyutaM //

He is the eye of the eyes. His Head and Feet are not seen because there is neither head nor feet. He is the One Immutable who makes the Seer see.

4. sphuTaM vaktyeva tadrUpaM vareNyaM teja uttamaM / JAnAnandaghanaM nityaM vyApakaM svetarAsahaM //

That Infinite Glory of His pervades everything as dense Consciousness and thus speaks volumes of the non-existence of anything else other than the Self.

5. dRg-dRzyaM ca jagat-sarvaM dRzyaM dRg-gatameva hi / dRzyaM jagac-ca nAstyeva vastuto na janir-mRtiH //

The whole universe is an object of the Seer. Object is non-different from the Subject. In fact the objective world is non-existent. Indeed there is no origination, no dissolution.

6. darzanaM sRSTirityuktaM layo nAmApy-adarzanaM / darzanA-darzane hitvA adhyAropA-pavAdataH //

7. svamAtra-rUpa-kaivalyaM sukham akSayyam-aznute /

It is Perception that is called Creation. Non-perception is dissolution. By negating perception and non-perception, through super-imposition and negation, one attains limitless joy, which is in the form of Pure Self that is non-dual.

dRgdRzyau dvau padArthau sthaH paraspara-vilakSanau//

8. dRgbrahma dRzyaM mAyeti sarva-vedAnta DiNDimaH / dRzyaM yadi dRgapyasti dRzyAbhAve dRgeva na //

The Perceiver and the Perceived are two distinct categories, opposed to each other. The Perceiver is Brahman and the Perceived is mAyA. This is the solid declaration of all Vedanta. If something is perceived, then the Perceiver is also there. In the absence of the Perceived, there is no Perceiver.

9. jagattvam-ahamityAdi dRzyaM svAJa-vikalpitaM / dRzyaM ghaTAdi nAstyeva vAcAraMbhaNam-eva yat //

The concepts of ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ as well as of ‘(this) universe’ are a fancy of our ignorance. What is seen as the pot, etc. is not there (from the Absolute sense); it is only a play of words.

10. dRSTeH pUrvaM kutra AsIt ko’yaM[1] ca kathaM AgataH / ghaTaH ko’yaM kuto vAsyAt ghaTo’yamaghaTo na hi //

Was the pot there before it was seen? What was it then and how was it there? From where did it come into our perception? How is it that it is a pot and not a non-pot?

11. ayamityeSa nirdezaH sarvasyAstIha vastunaH / piNDAvasthA ca nirdiSTA yatra tatraiva kumbhadhIH //

When the mind cognizes the pot, or for that matter any entity, a process of cognition goes on in the mind to recognize the pot.

12. dhImAtra-vyApta-kumbhasya JAtatvaM naiva janyate / ghaTo’yamity-asAvuktiH AbhAsasya prasAdataH //

That awareness of the pot pervades the intellect and terminates in the declaration: This is a pot. It is only a re-cognition of the ‘appearance’ of what was occupying only the intellect.

13. viJAto ghaTa ityuktiH brahmAnugrahato bhavet / dRzyasya nAma-rUpe ca nirNIte yetvihAgrataH //[2]

The statement ‘The pot is known’ is only a God-given power of perception by which apriori we assign names and forms to what is perceived in the world.

14. tyajyete ca kadA hyete apUrvaM dRzyate ca kiM / bhAvidvitIya-nAmAdi gRhyate ramaNIyavat //

When do these names and forms take a future name and form? When do they cast off their old ones? How do they appear with a name and form which were never before seen?

15. vicArite vastu tatve nUtanasya janiH kathaM / anabhivyakta-nAmAdi-rAdau dRSTaM yad-adbhutaM //

Enquiry into the truth of the matter reveals ‘what was really not there can never be truly born’. What really happens is only a naming of the manifestation of something that was unmanifest earlier.

[1] The avagraha normally used in devanagari script of Sanskrit to denote the disappearance of an initial short a is rarely used by the author in his writing in the grantha script. The avagraha’s that find their place in this transliteration are mostly those put in by the editor. The errors in the introduction or non-introduction of the avagraha should therefore be ascribed to the editor and not to the author of the work.

[2] At this point, the author himself has added the following two slokas in a supplementary slip, probably during a later time:

ayaM dAruzceti vRttiH stambhe cApIha dRzyate / dArau ca stambha-vRttirhi na kasyApIha jAyate //

anvaya-vyatirekAbhyAM yat-syAt-sarvatra sarvadA / etan-matam samAtiSTa iti zrI zuka-zAsanaM //

meaning: A pillar comes from the wood of a tree; not the other way. The wood pervades the pillar, this is anvaya. But the wood of the tree is distinct from the pillar, once you throw away the name and form of the pillar. So what is fundamentally real exists always and everywhere. This is a standard quotation from Suka’s words in the Bhagavatam.