Ignorance-Knowledge: 41

"Asaktih anabhishvangah putradaragrihadiṣu" means—Asaktih: Not being attached to anything, or detachment. Anabhishvangah: Not becoming deeply entangled or not identifying oneself completely with those objects. Putradaragrihadiṣu: Particularly regarding son, wife (dara), home, and so forth.


"Nityam ca samacittatvam ishtanishtopapattishu" means—Nityam ca samacittatvam: Always maintaining equanimity or keeping the mind in balance. Ishtanishtopapattishu: When what is desired (favorable, pleasant, auspicious) and what is undesired (unfavorable, unpleasant, inauspicious) results arise (are obtained).


Non-attachment toward son, wife, home and other matters, and always maintaining mental equilibrium or remaining unmoved in both situations of gain or loss (pleasant and unpleasant)—these are the characteristics of the wise or the knower. That is, attachment to impermanent objects must be abandoned, because these are changeable. This verse proves that knowledge is not merely bookish learning, but rather qualities of conduct and mental states.


Freedom from bondage: Through this quality, the wise person detaches himself from the primary sources of worldly bondage—family, relationships, and property. Here renunciation does not mean severing relationships, but abandoning selfish attachment (possessiveness) toward those relationships or objects.


Equipoise: For attaining supreme knowledge, the mind must necessarily be kept unshaken in all dualities—pleasure-pain, gain-loss, and pleasant-unpleasant. This equanimity is indispensable for liberation, because it proves that the individual has risen above worldly duality.


Therefore, this verse identifies these two—detachment and equanimity—as the primary qualifications on the path to self-knowledge or liberation.


"Avyayam anityam"—a philosophical mixed phrase—which was probably used in some philosophical text or commentary, where the author expressed a special sentiment using the contrast between these two words—what appears to be imperishable is also impermanent. In Advaita Vedanta, "avyaya" (the Self) is the only truth; but under the influence of ignorance, the world also appears "avyaya-like," though it is impermanent.


Thus, certain philosophers, especially Gaudapadacharya and his followers, showed the impermanence within the apparently imperishable—"Ajam anidram asvapnam advitiyam ca tattvataḥ" (Mandukya Karika, 3.36), meaning—know Him to be birthless, sleepless, dreamless, and in ultimate truth, non-dual.


This verse describes the nature of Brahman (the Turiya Self) and establishes non-dual knowledge. It essentially proves Brahman's eternality by negating the three ordinary states of the individual:


Ajam: He is birthless. This means He has no creation, that is, He is not subject to change. This supports the fundamental principle of Ajativada in Advaita Vedanta.

Anidram: He is sleepless. This 'sleep' refers to the state of deep sleep or sushupti. He is free from the ignorance of the sushupti state.

Asvapnam: He is dreamless. This 'dream' refers to both the dream state and the waking state. He is free from the delusion or duality of these two states.

Advitiyam ca tattvataḥ: And He is non-dual in ultimate truth. That is, there is no second entity different from Him.


This verse clearly declares that liberation is that Turiya state, which is beyond birth and death and free from the delusions of waking, dream, and deep sleep.


The second of the four qualifications (sadhana-chatushtaya) is Iha-amutra Phala-bhoga Viraga. Its meaning—complete detachment from the enjoyment of karmic fruits in this world (on earth) and in the other worlds (heaven and other realms).


Dispassion does not mean abandoning the world; rather, it means lack of attraction toward worldly enjoyments. It is said in the Gita—"Anityamasukham lokamimam prapya bhajasva mam" (Gita, 9.33). That is, "Having taken birth in this impermanent (transient) and unhappy (sorrowful) world, worship Me (offer your devotion to Me)."


This verse describes the importance of devotional yoga for liberation and the nature of worldly life:


The nature of the world: Lord Krishna described worldly life with two adjectives: Anityam: Transient, perishable, or changeable. Asukham: Sorrowful or where there is no lasting happiness.

The duty of the soul: Since this human life is transient and sorrowful, this opportunity must be utilized. Having obtained this life (imam prapya), humans must worship (bhajasva) or offer devotion to that Supreme Being (mam).


This verse is not merely an instruction in devotional yoga, it is a philosophical call—the individual soul is told to realize its transience and, abandoning impermanent objects, focus the mind on the eternal and everlasting truth (Brahman/God).


So that the seeker may understand—no sensual pleasure is permanent; therefore the path to true happiness lies only in self-knowledge. The consequence of dispassion—when the seeker sees that sensual pleasures are momentary and incomplete, then his mind naturally becomes established in dispassion. The Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.12) states—


Parikshya lokan karmachitan brahmano

Nirvedamayan nastyakritah kritena.

Tadvijnanaartham sa gurumevaabhigachchhet

Samitpanih shrotriyam brahmanishṭham.


Analysis: Karmachitan (obtained through karma, that is, through sacrificial rites); lokan (worlds); parikshya (having examined); brahmanah (the Brahmana who is a seeker of Brahman); nirvedam (dispassion); ayat (should practice); [since] kritena (through action); akritah (the uncreated, that is, the eternal object); na asti (does not exist; is not obtained); tat (that eternal object); vijnanartham (for knowing); sah (he); samitpanih (carrying sacred wood in hand); shrotriyam (learned in the Vedas); brahmanishṭham gurum (to a Brahman-established guru); eva abhigachchhet (should go).


The seeker of Brahman knows that the fruits of ritualistic worship are transient. Therefore such ceremonies no longer attract him. He has understood—what is eternal can never be obtained through impermanent actions. Sacrifice, charity, pilgrimage, worship, prayer—the fruits of these are limited, time-bound, and perishable; but the Self is beginningless, infinite, unchangeable. Therefore, for obtaining that Self, he seeks not external action but inward-turning knowledge. Due to this realization, he seeks out a Brahman-established teacher, because knowledge of the Self awakens only through the grace of a living guru (in the sense of 'sadguru'). As a symbol of humility, he approaches that teacher with sacred wood (the pure wood used for sacrifice or fire ceremony) in hand, with a humble heart.


The word 'parikshya' means—to examine, to judge, to consider. The Upanishad says—"Parikshya lokan karmachitan." Here the instruction is that the seeker must analyze his own experience, discriminate between the eternal and the temporal. 'Karmachitan' means objects created by action, and 'akritah' means what was never created—like the Self. The Self is beginningless, it has no origin or destruction; therefore the Upanishad is saying—through impermanent karma (kritena) the uncreated, that is, the eternal Self, cannot be obtained.


When we perform desire-motivated actions, the fruits we obtain are temporary; therefore the Upanishad directs—before enjoying the fruits, consider, is this fruit permanent? Ask yourself: "Will this action give my mind lasting peace? Will I achieve liberation through this?" When this question is asked truthfully, a natural dispassion arises in the mind. The Upanishad calls that state—'nirvedam ayat'—that is, detachment, where the attraction to enjoyment is erased.


The story of Nachiketa in the Katha Upanishad is a brilliant example of this truth. Yama tried to tempt Nachiketa with various pleasures and luxuries. But Nachiketa questioned in his mind—"Can all these things give me liberation? Or can they give peace to my mind?" When he knew—no, they never can, then he immediately rejected everything. This is how dispassion arises—when a person truly understands that there is no external source of happiness.


This same consciousness is seen in the conversation between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. One day Sri Ramakrishna wanted to give Swamiji the eight supernatural powers. Swamiji's question—"Will this lead to self-knowledge or liberation?" Ramakrishna said—"No." Swamiji replied—"Then I don't need all that." Thus on the path of self-knowledge, the true seeker becomes detached and uncompromising. As he knew, one cannot hold both shores simultaneously—trying to save both this shore and that shore causes both to be swept away. Therefore liberation requires uncompromising intense yearning—"I want self-knowledge, I want nothing else. Whatever happens to this body, I will know the truth."


Ashtasiddhi (Eight Supernatural Powers) are eight types of supernatural abilities or yogic powers described in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religions. According to yoga science, through long and deep yogic practice, a practitioner can attain these powers. These powers generally provide the ability to do miraculous works by transgressing physical or worldly laws.


The Ashtasiddhi consists of eight primary supernatural abilities. These powers are generally described as follows:


1. Anima: By attaining this siddhi, the practitioner can transform his body into the minutest particle or make himself extremely small (like an atom).

2. Mahima: Through this power, the practitioner can make his body as large or extremely vast as desired (like a mountain).

3. Laghima: With the help of this siddhi, the practitioner can make his body extremely light, even lighter than air. As a result, he can float or fly in space.

4. Prapti: Through this siddhi, the practitioner can touch or instantly obtain any object at any place—however distant it may be.

5. Prakamya: This is the power of wish-fulfillment. Through this siddhi, the practitioner can fulfill any of his desires and enter others' minds.

6. Ishitva: Through this power, the practitioner gains control over nature and the five elements and can control others' minds and bodies. In one sense, this is god-like power.

7. Vashitva: Through this siddhi, the practitioner can completely subdue or control all beings (humans, animals, nature) and the senses.

8. Kamavasayita: This is freedom from all types of desires and worldly cravings or the ultimate attainment of will. This gives the practitioner the power to ultimately conquer the desired object and detach himself from that object.


In yoga philosophy, especially in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, these siddhis are seen as part of vibhuti (supernatural powers). Although these powers are attained through practice, yogis warn that one should not become attached to these supernatural powers. This attachment creates obstacles on the path to liberation or kaivalya, because the ultimate goal is to transcend even these worldly powers and be established in pure consciousness.


The Upanishads repeatedly say—one must discriminate between the eternal and the temporal, purify the mind through reasoning and meditation. The three stages of this discrimination and practice are—shravana, manana, and nididhyasana. Shravana means hearing the words of ultimate truth from the guru or scriptures—such as the great saying "Tat tvam asi"—"Thou art That Brahman." Manana means reflecting on the meaning of those words through reasoning and self-inquiry, removing doubts. Nididhyasana means meditation established in that truth—until hearing and thinking become experience, and the distinction between "I" and "Brahman" dissolves.