DDV7
Of the reflection of consciousness and ego, there is an identity like that of a heated iron ball. It’s further said that ego in turn identifies with the body causing it to attain consciousness too.
~A
Chāyā’haṅkārayor-aikyaṁ taptāyaḥ-piṇḍavan-matam, tadahaṅkāra-tādātmyāt dehaś-cetanatāmagāt.
छाया-अहंकारयोः – of the reflection (of Consciousness) and the ego; ऐक्यम् – the identity; तप्त – heated; अयःपिण्डवत् – like an iron ball; मतम् – it is considered; तत् अहंकार – that ego; तादात्म्यात् – due to identification (with the body); देहः – the body; चेतनताम् – consciousness (life); अगात् – has attained
It is considered (by the wise) that the identity of the reflection (of Consciousness) and the ego is like that of the heated iron ball. That (identified) ego (in turn) due to identification (with the body) enlivens the body.
~T
छायाहंकारयो: of the reflection and egoism ऐक्यं identity तप्त-अय: पिण्डवत् is like the identity of fire and the heated iron ball मतम् opinion (of the wise) तत् that अहंकार egoism तादात्म्यात् owing to the identification देह: body चेतनताम् consciousness अगात् has attained.
In the opinion of the wise, the identity of the reflection (of Consciousness) and of ego (1) is like the identity (2) of the fire and the (heated) iron ball. The body (3) having been identified with the ego (which has already identified itself with the reflection of Consciousness) passes for a conscious (4) entity.
~N
Notes
An iron ball is circular in shape, heavy in weight, black in colour and cold to touch. Fire is formless, weightless, bright in colour and hot to touch. When an iron ball is heated for a long time, fire envelops it so completely that we no longer perceive two different entities, but only a red hot fire ball. The ball now has the shape and weight of iron and the colour and touch of fire. Fire can never have weight, nor iron heat, but their characteristics seem to have become inseparably united. This mutual superimposition of characteristics is called ‘anyonya dharma adhyāsa’. Such a fire ball can, in turn, transfer heat to objects which come in contact with it.
The reflection of Consciousness is different from the ego. The reflection of Consciousness is sentient and unchanging. The ‘I’ notion or ego is inert and changing. The ego rises with every thought. The identification of the ego with the reflection of Consciousness brings into existence the ‘sentient ego’ or jīva.
~T
Conscious entity — That is, movement, etc., are ascribed to the body on account of this identification. Consciousness (चैतन्य) imparts the appearance of sentiency to all objects from egoism to the gross body, because it is the innermost essence of all. The body includes the places where the sense-organs are located. Therefore there is no separate identification with the sense-organs.
~N
Just as the fire and the iron ball get intimately connected, the mind and the reflected consciousness get intimately connected. This is the teaching of the tradition. This mind-RC (reflected consciousness) mixture comes in contact with the inert physical body at the time of every birth and the body borrows sentiency from the sentient mind. The mind borrows sentiency from the sākṣī and the body borrows sentiency from the mind and not from the sākṣī. The body becomes sentient because of its intimate contact with that mind, which has become sentient. The physical parts of the sense-organs in the body being available, the sense-organs become the seers. Thus seer 1 is formed. Seer 3, the sākṣī, makes the mind, seer 2. Seer 2 through the body, makes the sense-organs, seer 1. Sense-organs operate through the respective physical parts in the body. Thus seer 3 creates seer 2 and seer 2 creates seer 1.
~P
The being of aham, the consciousness of aham, is perceived as consciousness of the body. This mutual tādātmyam being there, one is taken for the other. This is sahajam, it is very natural, but it is a mistake. That is natural means avicāra-siddha, that it is a conclusion arrived at without any enquiry, without any pramāṇa. There is no analysis, no viveka. And so, an incorrect understanding, like the iron is taken to have the attribute of heat in hot-iron-ball, persists, unless it Is enquired into. If we look into it, we learn that the heat in the iron belongs to the fire, even though they are together. We understand which belongs to what. Heat belongs to the fire, the ballness belongs to the iron in the perception of a fireball and hot iron. In spite of both of them being together, our understanding is with viveka. If this viveka is not there, there is confusion.
~D
Translators / Commentators Legend
A: Aumdada
D: Dayananda
N: Nikhilananda
P: Paramarthananda
S: Sandeepany
T: Tejomayananda
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