Janaka said:Where are the elements, where is the body,
where are the organs, and where is the mind
where is the void, where too is despair ?
for me who am taintless by nature 20.1Where are the scriptures, where is contentment
where is knowledge of the Self,
where is the mind not attached to sense-objects
and where is desireless, ?
for me who am ever devoid of the sense of duality ? 20.2Where is Knowledge and where is ignorance,
where is " I " where is "this" and where is " Mine "
where is bondage and where is liberation ?
where is an attribute to the nature of my self ? 20.3Where commenced actions
where liberation in life or
even (*) where liberation at death.
for me, the ever undifferentiated ? 20.4Note :
To a man of Self-knowledge liberation-in-life
is a contradiction and is as much a creation
of ignorance as bondage. He denies life itself;
and he denies liberation altogether. Liberation
presupposes bondage, but the Self is ever
existent, ever unborn, ever free; it has never
been born; never in bondage. The idea even
of liberation is consequently a serious limitation
to the seeker of wisdom, for it screens him/her
from the true nature of the Self.
The same truth applies to liberation-at-death,
in which state the Self is permanently dissociated
from the body. But the idea of such emancipation
also presupposes the truth of body and bondage,
and therefore goes directly against the true
nature of the Self.Where is the doer or the enjoyer,
where cessation of activities or the
rising of thought or where direct knowledge,
where is reflected knowledge ?
for me who am ever impersonal ? 20.5Where is the world and where is
the aspirant for liberation;
where is the contemplative man and
where is the man of Knowledge; where
is the soul in bondage and where the
liberated soul ?
for me who am non-dual by nature ? 20.6Where are creation and destruction;
where is the end, where the means
where are the seeker and success,
for me abiding in my non-dual nature ? 20.7Where is the knower, means to knowledge,
the objects of knowledge, or knowledge itself
where is anything, and where is nothing
for me who am ever pure ? 20.8Where is distraction, where is concentration;
where knowledge, where delusion,
where is joy and where is sorrow
for me who am ever actionless ? 20.9Where is relative, where is transcendence;
where is happiness or misery
for me who am ever beyond discursive thought ? 20.10Where is illusion, where is the world;
where is attachment or detachment;
where is God for me who am ever pure ? 20.11Where is activity, where is inactivity;
where is liberation or bondage
for me who am ever immutable and
indivisible, and established in the Self ? 20.12Where are instructions and scriptural injunction
where is the disciple and where is the preceptor;
where indeed is the object of life
for me who am absolute good and free from limitation ? 20.13Where is existence, where non-existence;
where is unity, where duality?
what need is there to say more ?
Nothing emanates from me. 20.14
XX Liberation.
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