Sloka 124
Sloka 124
Original Text:
यो विजानाति सकलं जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु । बुद्धितद्वृत्तिसद्भावमभावमहमित्ययम् ॥ १२६ ॥
Certainly! Let's delve into the given sloka with a detailed analysis.
- **Transliteration:**
yo vijānāti sakalaṁ jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu | buddhitadvṛttisadbhāvamabhāvamahamityayam || 126 ||
- **Translation:**
"He who knows everything during the waking, dream, and deep sleep states, this one as 'I am' perceives the existence and non-existence of the modifications of the intellect."
- **Word Meanings:**
* yo - who * vijānāti - knows * sakalam - everything * jāgrat - waking * svapna - dream * suṣuptiṣu - in deep sleep * buddhi - intellect * tat - that * vṛtti - modifications * sadbhāvam - existence * abhāvam - non-existence * aham - I * iti - thus * ayam - this one
- **Commentary:**
This sloka is a profound reflection on the nature of the Self as the witness consciousness. It comes from a context that explores the different states of human experience: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. In these three states, the mind undergoes various modifications and experiences differ across each state. However, there remains a constant, unchanging witness — the Self or Atman — that perceives these changes without itself undergoing any alteration.
The "yo" or "he who" refers to the ultimate knower, the Self, which remains constant amidst the impermanent. In Vedantic philosophy, this knower is not limited by time, space, or any state. It is this discerning consciousness that acknowledges the presence (sadbhāvam) and absence (abhāvam) of the vrittis (mental modifications) that appear in the mind or intellect (buddhi).
The concept highlighted here stretches to the non-dual understanding of reality, where one realizes that beneath the diverse states of human experience lies an immutable essence, described here as "aham" or "I". This timeless witness is the true nature of the Self, distinct from the transient processes of the mind and body. By grasping this, one begins the journey towards liberation, recognizing the illusory nature of individual identity and ego that obscures one from realizing their true nature.
This teaching invites practitioners to introspect and recognize that their true self is the unchanging observer of all experiences, which leads to liberation from the cycles of change and suffering characteristic of the empirical existence.
Further Readings: