August 26, 2026
naiva tasya kṛtenā ‘rtho nā ‘kṛteneha kaścana
yadyathā nāma saṁpannaṁ tattathā ‘stvitareṇa kiṁ (46)
VASIṢṬHA continued:
The notions “This is happiness” and “This is unhappiness” do not arise in the liberated ones. When they have realised the truth that there is neither “the world” nor “the self” and that the one is the all, “happiness” and “unhappiness” are seen as meaningless words. Their grief is superficial for they are free from sorrow.
It is said that lord Śiva plucked off one of the five heads of lord Brahmā. The latter was surely capable of growing one more to replace it. But he did not for he knew “When all this creation is illusory, what shall I do with one more head?”. He had nothing to gain from doing something or from refraining from doing something. Whatever happens, let it happen even so; why should it be otherwise?
Lord Śiva has his consort in one half of his body, though he has the power to burn up even the god of love. He has the power to abandon all attachment or affection, but he behaves as if he is attached to his consort. He has nothing to gain by remaining so attached nor does he gain anything by non-attachment. Let it be as it is.
Even so lord Viṣṇu engages himself in various activities and inspires others to engage themselves in such activities, too; he “dies” and he kills others; he is born and he grows – though all the time he is totally free from all this. He could easily refrain from all this. But what is to be gained from such restraint? Let all these be as they are. Such is the attitude of one who is established in the realisation of the infinite consciousness.
Even so do the sun, the moon and the fire perform their natural functions, though they are all liberated beings (jīvanmukta). The preceptors of the gods (Bṛhaspati) and of the demons (Śukra) are also jīvanmuktas, though they play the roles of the leaders of opposing forces, fighting each other like ignorant men. King Janaka is also a liberated royal sage; yet, he engages himself in dreadful wars. There were also several royal sages who engaged themselves in royal duties while inwardly remaining free from bondage. While discharging his worldly duties, the enlightened person behaves in the same way as the ignorant person does. The distinction between bondage and liberation lies in the state of one’s consciousness which is conditioned in bondage and unconditioned in liberation. Even several demons had attained liberation: like Bali, Prahlāda, Namuci, Vṛtra, Andhaka, Mura, etc. The enlightened consciousness is unaffected by the rising and setting of likes and dislikes, mental action and supra-mental consciousness. When one is firmly established in the infinite and unconditioned consciousness, even these distinctions vanish. The diversity which people experience in this creation is but an appearance like the colours of a rainbow.
The world appears to be in relation to the infinite consciousness just as spatiality (void or distance) appears to be in relation to space.