Drg Drsya Viveka 5 Trans/Notes

DDV5

Neither rising nor setting, this Consciousness does not increase nor disintegrate, but is self-shining, illuminating all without support.

~A

Nodeti nāstametyeṣā na vṛddhiṁ yāti na kṣayam, svayaṁ vibhātyathānyāni bhāsayet sādhanaṁ vinā.

न उदेति – does not rise; नास्तमेति – does not set; एषा – This (Consciousness); न वृद्धिम् याति – does not increase; न क्षयम् याति – does not decay; स्वयम् – itself; विभाति – shines; अथ – and then; अन्यानि – others; भासयेत् – illumines; साधनम् – aid; विना – without

This (Consciousness) does not rise (is unborn) and does not set (is immortal). It does not increase or decay (is immutable). It shines by Itself and It illumines others without any aid.

~T

एषा this (Consciousness) न उदेति does not rise न अस्तम् एति does not set वृद्धिं increase न याति does not undergo क्षयं decay न (याति) does not undergo स्वयं of itself विभाति shines अथ on the other hand विना without साधनं aid (of other means) अन्यानि other objects भासयेत् illumines.

This Consciousness (1) does neither rise (2) nor set. (3) It does (4) not increase; nor does it suffer decay. Being self-luminous, it illumines everything (5) else without any other aid.

~N

This (Witness) does not rise, nor does It set;

It does not increase, nor does It decrease;

It shines by itself and then others

Does It illumine, without any external aid.

~S

Notes

The pronoun ‘this’ refers to the Consciousness indicated in verse 1 as Sākṣī and in verse 4 as Cit. The very same Consciousness is called Sākṣī (masculine noun), Cit (feminine) and Caitanya (neuter). This means that Consciousness is neither masculine, feminine nor neuter. It is beyond classification.

~T

‘Rising’ means birth, i.e., coming into existence of an entity previously non-existent. This cannot be predicated of Consciousness as it is the Witness of even previous non-existence. Otherwise no one will be aware of such non-existence. All entities from the empirical ego to the gross object perceived have a previous non-existing state, because their appearance and disappearance are cognized by Consciousness.

~N

This Consciousness, seer 3, does not rise nor is it born. It does not have origination or creation. Therefore it does not end. It is never destroyed. Thus consciousness is not limited by time. This is a very important teaching because according to Science, consciousness is generated in matter at a particular time. For Science, matter is fundamental and as matter evolves and combines in a particular form, life originates. Science says that life or consciousness originated in time. But Vedānta says that what Science talks of as origination of life is the origination of cidābhāsa. When matter forms in an ideal configuration, the reflected consciousness originates. When the reflecting medium originates, the reflected consciousness originates. Science talks about the origination of RC (reflected consciousness), whereas Vedānta talks about the eternity of OC, the original consciousness.

~P

On Drg Drsya Viveka 4-5: Self-shining Witness

Pure consciousness witnesses the modifications of the mind in all its thoughts and emotions, including the tangled knot of ego.

The witness can’t be seen by the mind but is always the seer seeing all. The sea can’t be seen by an island.

Big science of the mind mistakes reflected consciousness for pure consciousness. Neuroscience will never get water from a stone.

Beginning with ego, drop the ‘e’, and add a ‘d’ at the end. Eka jiva. Remove avidya and I am God. Remove Maya and I am Brahman.

Self-shining consciousness does not rise nor set. That's the point of view on earth. Make your point of view the sun instead.

~A

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda