4.5    THE STORY OF KACHA

Summary. Having shown in the previous story that it is Saṁkalpa which manifests itself as Jīvas, Īśvara and the universe, the author shows in this story that these are no other than Chit itself.

In the long periods of eternity, a hundred years will not count for even a second, albeit we consider them along period and afflict ourselves with the never-ending excessive desires. Endeavour to make your mind not perch upon desires by not allowing it to roam at large upon the objects of sense. May you live in that state in which you (originally) were, whilst you were devoid of desires. Like beautiful gems which emit a dazzling radiance without any desire or volition ori their part, the universe which is but Sat shines in the one Brahman (and should not be longed after as different from it). Hence in the non-dual Brahman, there are not the dual conceptions of the doer (of actions) and the non-doer. In the absence of desire? there is the uncreate idea of non-doer; but with their presence, the idea of doer arises. Besides these two, there arises not any other conceptions in Ātma. Of these two1, whatever conception suits you best, in that shall you stay. Having swallowed this evergrowing mind of yours, may you rest incomparably firm in your own Self. Whether you mean to be a Kartha (doer) or not, this path of annihilation of your mind will be most beneficial to you and will never generate the least of pains.

If you wish to be the Akartṛ (non-doer), then you should conduct yourself according to the ways of the world. As there is not the conception of another, there should not exist the idea of separateness in the heart. The moment the conceptions of ‘mine’ ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘I did it’ etc. in one there, sorrow is engendered. Will persons be so foolish as to identify their self with the body? Such a conception is tantamount to (the raising up of) twenty-one hells (in them). Even with the visitation of dire pains (in the body), do not confound the ‘I’ with the body. The wise of certain knowledge will be as loth to identify their ‘I’ with the body as flesh-eaters are unwilling to taste dog’s flesh. It is only through the stain of the identification of ‘I’ with the body that the true Jñāna-vision does not arise; but should the stain be dispelled at a distance, then the Jñāna light will shine unobscured like a moon-light in the absence of the clouds. Through such a vision, you will be able to land safely on the other beautiful shore of the ocean of rebirths. Having contemplated upon the fact that you are not a Kartṛ (or doer) of any and that there are no such differences as I, thou and others, may you be the Akartṛ with your mind very firm.

Then there is the other course. You may contemplate thus: ‘I am the Kartṛ of all. All the countless hosts of objects are no other than myself.’ With this contemplation you should rid your mind of all fluctuation and make it immovable. If these two methods do not commend themselves to you, then you should contemplate upon yourself as being neither of these two and as being that one which is beyond speech and mind. You should rest in that state of your own Self which is the supreme of all states. The wise, who have cognized the non-dual supreme state, do abide in their own Self. All the enveloping Vāsanās tend towards bondage; but the extinction of them leads to Mokṣa. Having first destroyed the impure Vāsanās which cling to the mind associating with sound and other objects of the sense, you should eventually abandon even the pure Vāsanās which tend to Mokṣa. And then you should cease to perform even those actions which tend to produce the stainless qualities of love, charity, contentment, amity with all and indifference. Having first cultivated the Vāsanās tending to the incomparable Chinmātra (the absolute consciousness) through the destruction of internal actions, having gradually destroyed even the Vāsanās along with the internal organs (lower mind) and having ceased to put forth the efforts required for accomplishing the above, if you are in a quiescent state as free as Ākāśa completely denuded of all Vāsanās, mind, action, Jñāna and Ajñāna and free from Chidābhāsa (distorted conception), the fluctuation of Prāṇa and their causes, then you will be truly that which you are in fact.

Those who are in that immovable state when they are without Vāsanās and the attachment to the world, are Jīvanmuktas. Such Jīvanmuktas will become the Supreme Īśa, (Lord). It matters not whether they are engaged or not in Karmas or Samādhi; they yet are Jīvanmuktas, having abandoned all Vāsanās. Inasmuch as there is no taint of desire in their mind, no fruit of actions arise to them through their commission or omission. The Śāstric knowledge is not indispensable in the case of those whose minds have been emptied of all Vāsanās, having for long periods been concentrated in one groove. There is no other beneficial state than that Mauna (silent) state which is void of all Vāsanās.

Extremely meagre in number are those who having known that which should be known, after setting their face against the worldly things in which they were whirling, do always worship that Reality which is the goal of this archaic universe; all others do but reel in the illusions of the world. All in this world do perform actions herein through the sight of their body and not Ātma. Search where we will, either in Devaloka or Bhūloka or Pātāla, there exist five elements only and not six. Those who have reached that firm state in which they are able to free themselves from delusion will never be attracted to anything. To the ignorant who have not the advantage of real experience, the cycle of rebirths is like the tepid ocean at the time of deluge; but to those who are not subject to delusion, it (rebirth) is as harmless as the footprints of a cow. The mind of the painless wise, the sensual pleasures will never affect. Of what avail to persons living in towns, are the low females living in barren tracts and incapable of yielding pleasures to any? In the spacious and pure ocean of Brahman, mountains are but foams. Before the sun of Brahman, the earth encircled by the oceans is but a false car. These knotty points were once propounded clearly by Kacha, the son obtained by Bṛhaspati through a boon.

Now listen to that story. Once upon a time Kacha, after having returned from the supreme Samādhi he was in, exclaimed thus with an exhilarating heart and a voice that did not know how to find its expression through its ecstatic enjoyment. What is it that I shall have to do? To which quarters shall I fly, (there being none for me now)? What shall I cease to perform or abstain from? Like the flood of the deluge, my Self alone pervades everywhere in this world. Whether in body or out of it, in the quarters or Ākāśa or in the earth or any other place, my Self alone pervades. There is no object which is not found in my own Self. The Self-shining one is no ether than my own Self and this Sachidānanda alone shines (or is).