INTERPRETATION OF RA'MA AND NA'RA'YAN'A KEEP COMPANY WITH THE VIRTUOUS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACROCOSM AND MICROCOSM THE ROLE OF THE COGNITIVE FACULTY A'GAMA AND NIGAMA INTERPRETATION OF RA'MA AND NA'RA'YAN'A official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Words in square brackets [ ] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version. There is a story that once upon a time somebody asked Hanuma'na, `Hanuma'na, you are a devotee, you are a bhakta and you know that fundamentally there is no difference between Na'ra'yan'a and Ra'ma. Then why do you always take the name of Ra'ma and never the name of Na'ra'yan'a, when both are fundamentally the same'. Na'ra'yan'a and Ra'ma are actually the same Entity; only their names are different. The word `Na'ra'yan'a' comes from Sam'skrit. It is a compound word; na'ra + ayanan. In Sam'skrit the word `na'ra' has got three meanings. One meaning of na'ra is 'niira', 'water', another meaning is Parama' Prakrti and the third meaning is 'devotion' (bhakti). Na'ra + da' + da' = Na'rada, the distributor of bhakti. Here, in the case of Na'rada, Na'ra means devotion. And na'ra also means both 'water' and 'Parama' Prakrti', that is, the Cosmic Operative Principle. And `ayana' means ashraya. Shiva'yana means the a'shraya of Shiva. Ra'ma'yana means the a'shraya of Ra'ma: the book in which Ra'ma has been sheltered - Ra'ma'yana. Ayana means a'shraya. Na'ra'yana means the ayana of na'ra, the ayana of the Operative Principle, the ayana of the Parama' Prakrti. Who is the ayana, who is the shelter of Na'ra? Parama Purus'a is the shelter of Parama' Prakrti. So Na'ra'yan'a means Parama Purus'a - the Cosmic Consciousness, the Cognitive Faculty. And what is the meaning of Ra'ma'? One meaning is Ramante yoginah yasmin. That is, Rama is the only object that can be accepted by yogiis as their spirituo-psycho-pabulum, psycho-spiritual pabulum, psycho-spiritual food, psycho-spiritual source of bliss, psycho-spiritual source of happiness. Who is the psycho-spiritual source of happiness for yogiis? Parama Purus'a - the Cognitive Faculty. Hence Ra'ma' also means Na'ra'yan'a. Another meaning of Ra'ma' is 'ra'ti mahiidhara Ra'mah'. The first letter of ra'ti is ra' and the first letter of mahiidhara is ma. 'Rati mahiidharah Ramah': the most glittering object of the entire universe that makes others glitter. He is the most glittering entity and all other glittering entities get their glitterance from Him. The moon gets its glitterance from the Earth. The Earth gets its glitterance from the sun. The sun gets its glitterance from Parama Purus'a. He is the Supreme Entity that makes others glitter. Who is that Supreme Glittering Entity? `Na tatra su'ryo bha'ti na candra ta'rakam' Nema' vidyuto bha'nti kuto'ayamagni, Tameva bha'ntamanubha'ti sarvam' Tasya bha'sa' sarvamidam' vibha'ti.' He is the Supreme Glittering Entity. 'Ra'ti mahiidharam'' means that Parama Purus'a and not another entity, not a separate entity. And the third meaning of Ra'ma' is 'Ra'vanasya maran'am' Ra'mah'. The first letter of Ra'van'asya is 'Ra'' and the first letter of maran'am' is 'ma'. Ra' + m'a = Ra'ma'; that is, the Entity whose pressure kills Ra'van'a. And what is Ra'van'a? Ra'van'a means the evil mind, the depraved mind, that moves in all the ten directions - pu'rva, pashcima, uttara, daks'in'a, u'rddha, adhah, iisha'na, naerta, agni and va'yu - all the ten. The entire evil force, the depraving force that moves in all the ten directions is Ra'vana. Rao + ana = Ra'vana, that is goading the mind towards hell. Now, Ra'vanasya maran'am. Where does the death of Ra'vana lie? When does that ten-faced demon die? He dies when one takes the shelter of Ra'ma'. So 'Ra'vanasya maran'am' is Ra'ma. The one who takes shelter in Ra'ma', in Parama Purus'a, in the Cognitive Faculty, can kill him, can kill that demon. 'Ra'van'asya maranam' means that Supreme Cognitive Principle. Hence there is no difference between Ra'ma and Na'ra'yana. 'Then Hanuma'na, why do you always take the name of Ra'ma' and not Na'ra'yan'a?' Now you see, the reply of Hanuma'na was: "Shriina'the Ja'nakiina'the ca'bhede Parama'tmani, Tatha'pi mama sarvasva Ra'mah kamalalocanah." That is, when you are to move towards a particular object with maximum sincerity, all your propensities should be collected, brought to a particular point. Rather, they are to be pinnacled and that pinnacled `I' feeling is to be goaded unto that Entity without any second form, without any second name, without any second colour, without any second thing. That is why Hanuma'na says, `Shriina'the Ja'nakiina'the.' The yogaru'rha'rtha of the word `shrii' is Laks'mii, the goddess of wealth, the goddess of prosperity and its actual meaning, that is, its bha'va'ru'rha'rtha, is the entity possessing the mutative faculty which is full of energy. In Sam'skrit, every word has got two types of meanings - one meaning is bha'va'ru'rha'rtha, the other meaning is yogaru'rha'rtha. Bha'va'ru'rha'rtha is the meaning as per derivation and yogaru'rha'rtha is the meaning as per common use. Say, painca'nana. Painca'nana means 'five-faced entity' - this is the bha'va'ru'rha'rtha word meaning - but people use the word painca'nana in the sense of Shiva. This is `yogaru'rha'rtha.' Do you follow? Nila. Nila means `wind' and niila means 'blue'. Nila means 'fixed'. Anila means `not fixed', that is, moving. It is the bha'va'ru'rha'rtha but the yogaru'rha'rta is 'air'. Air is never fixed; that is why air is called anila. It is the yogaru'rha'rtha, not the bha'va'ru'rha'rtha. Bha'va'ru'rha'rtha is `not fixed'. There are three letters - `sha', `ra' and `ii'. `Sha' is the acoustic root of the mutative principle, `ra' is the acoustic root of energy, and 'ii' is the feminine term, 'striya'm' `ii'.' The entity that possesses the mutative faculty, is full of energy and at the same time, is a feminine term, is 'shrii'. Everybody wants to be qualified with mutative principle and energy; that is why it is the old usage of the East to use the word `Shrii' before the name, prefixed in the name `Shriina'tha' - Lord of Shrii - is Na'ra'yan'a and Ja'nakiina'tha - Ja'nakii - means 'Siita''. Siita' is the adjective form of `sii'. `Sii' means 'to culture', to fertilize the land with the help of a tractor or plough. And its adjective, siita', means well-cultured; that is, culture to the maximum degree of efficiency. Now where does this culture come from? Who is the Lord of this culture? Who is the source of inspiration or who is the supporter of this culture? Parama Purus'a. However, Shriina'tha or Ja'nakiina'tha means Parama Purus'a. So there remains no difference between Shriina'tha and Ja'nakiina'tha. 'I know it', says Hanuma'na. As, per spiritualism, as per spirituality or spiritual science there is no difference between Shriina'tha and Ja'nakiina'tha. "Tatha'pi mama sarvasva Ra'ma kamalalocana". So, all the propensities of the mind should be guided unto a singular entity with a singular name only using one's own Is't'a mantra and not any second mantra. That is why Hanuma'na says, "I always use the word Ra'ma and never Na'ra'yan'a. I don't know who Na'ra'yan'a is? So every sa'dhaka should know that the only mantra in the universe is his is't'a mantra. He knows no other mantra. 25 September 1978, Patna KEEP COMPANY WITH THE VIRTUOUS official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Regarding the 'do's and 'don't's of life it has been said that: `Tya'ja durjana sam'sargam' bhaja sa'dhu sama'gamam', Kuru pun'yam' ahora'tram smara nityamanityata'm.' `Tya'ja durjana sam'sargam'' - you should renounce the company of `durjana'. What is `durjana'? The man who depraves, who misguides others is called `durjana'. Now, a particular man may not be durjana for all. Suppose Mr. X is durjana for Mr. Y; he may not be durjana for Mr. Z. You see, there are merits and demerits in almost each and every individual. Suppose, Mr. X is durjana for Mr. Y. Say, he has got merit worth 20 points and demerit worth 25 points, the resultant 5 points go in favour of demerit, so he is a durjana and he is durjana for Mr. Y. Suppose Mr. Y is a good man, he has got merit worth 15 points and demerit worth 13 points. So the resultant is 2 points in favour of merit. So, he is a good man. But, in his favour the resultant merit is only 2 and in the case of Mr. X the resultant demerit is 5 points. If Mr. Y comes in contact with Mr. X, Mr. X has demerit worth 5 points, Y has merit worth 2 points, and the resultant goes in favour of demerit. Mr. Y will become bad. But, in the case of Mr. Z, suppose merit is 30 points and demerit 15 points, then the resultant is 15 points in favour of merit. Mr. X has only 5 points demerit, so if Mr. X comes in contact with Mr. Z, Mr. X will become good. So for Mr. Z, Mr. X is not durjana; rather he is in a position to uplift the condition of Mr. X. It is not something permanent; it varies from man to man. So this term durjana is a relative term. `Tya'ja durjana sam'sargam'' - you should avoid the company of a man who is durjana for you, that is, whose resultant demerit is more than your resultant merit. `Tya'ja durjana sam'sargam'.' What should you do? To avoid the company of durjana - 'bhaja sa'dhu sama'gamam' - you should encourage the company of sa'dhus. Let us know who a sa'dhu is? Sa'dhu means; `Pra'nah yatha'tmanoviist'ah bhu'ta'na'm api te tatha', A'tmaopamyena bhu'ta'nam' daya'm' kurvanti Sa'dhavah.' Only using a saffron costume does not make a man a sa'dhu. Sa'dhu is the inner sa'dhu. You should be sa'dhu internally. You may or may not use any external saffron costume. In India, those who were called sa'dhu used all-white costume and those who were sannya'siis used an all-saffron costume. Saffron costume for sannya'siis and white costume for sa'dhus. The system is that sa'dhus will use the suffix 'da'sa' after their names - Govardhana Da'sa, Yamuna' Da'sa, Hari Da'sa etc. In this way sa'dhus are to use the suffix da'sa. And sannya'siis are to use the suffix a'nanda after their names - Viveka'nanda, Parama'nanda - a'nanda after their names. This is the technical difference between sa'dhus and sannya'siis. In A'nanda Ma'rga, they are known as sannya'siis. An avadhuta is a sannya'sii. 'Bhaja Sa'dhu Sama'gamam'. You should always encourage the company of sa'dhu people. And now you know the meaning of sa'dhu. For each and every living entity one's personal life is the dearest thing. One loves one's personal life very much. This is the rule, this is the characteristic of all living beings. But those people who understand this sentiment of living beings and love others with the thought, 'I should not kill, I should not give them any trouble because they love their life as much as I love my own life', are true sa'dhus and those who lack this sentiment are not sa'dhus, they are asa'dhu. Preaching the gospels of peace, and at the same time slaughtering chickens, is not a proper thing for a sa'dhu because the one who kills the chickens loves his life and the chickens also love their own lives. So that man lacks the universal sentiment of love. He is not a sa'dhu. A sa'dhu must be vegetarian. `Bhaja sa'dhu sama'gamam'. You should encourage the company of sa'dhus. Sa'dhu - the detailed meaning is, he who uplifts others in all the strata of life. That is, he who helps others in their physical, psychic and spiritual development is a sa'dhu. Whoever has got more points than you, more resultant points in favour of merit, is a sa'dhu for you. This is just like the explanation of durjana. Suppose the resultant merit in your favour is 45 points, and another man has a resultant merit of, say, 60 points. Having 60 points of merit, that man is a sa'dhu for you. It is a relative term. Utilize each and every moment of your life in enjoying the company of sa'dhus. "Kuru pun'yam' ahora'tram'". You should be engaged in doing 'pun'ya' day and night. 'Ahora'tra' means 24 hours, from sunrise to sunrise. As per occidental calculation, a day is from midnight to midnight and as per oriental system, that is, the system of Asia, a day is from sunrise to sunrise. One day in India means sunrise to sunrise. One day in Europe means midnight to midnight. In Europe, the date changes just after midnight and in India, the date changes after sunrise. That is the system. Day or 'ahah' means from sunrise to sunset and night or 'ra'tri' means sunset to sunrise, that is, night portion. You should be engaged in doing pun'ya karma, day and night, ahora'tram, from sunrise to sunrise. `Kuru Pun'yam''. What is pun'yam'? "As't'a'dashapura'n'es'u Vya'sasya vacanadvayam, Paropaka'rah pun'ya'ya pa'pa'ya parapiiran'am." Vya'sadeva wrote so many pura'n'as. He said that whenever you are engaged in doing some welfare work, you are doing pun'ya. And when you are working against public interest you are doing pa'pa. Be engaged in pun'ya work for twenty four hours; day and night, from sunrise to sunrise. How can one do pun'yam while sleeping? How can one be engaged in pun'ya karma? If during wakeful hours one is engaged in pun'ya karma, then during sleep what will it be? A composure of peace, a composure of welfare. So while sleeping one is also engaged in pun'ya karma. Be engaged in pun'ya karma for the entire day and night - from sunrise to sunrise. In Sam'skrit, the entire literature is divided into four groups. One is ka'vya, the second is itikatha', the third is itiha'sa and the fourth is pura'n'a. Ka'vya is `Va'kyam' rasa'tmakam'.' When a story has been narrated in a lucid way it is called ka'vyam. Then itikatha': itikatha' is a proper record of what happened; that is, that which deals with factual statements is itikatha'. And itiha'sa is that portion of factual statement that has got educative value and helps you in your upliftment. That portion of itikatha' is called itiha'sa. The English term for itikatha' is 'history', in French 'histoire', but there is no English term for itiha'sa. And the last one is pura'n'a. Pura'n'a is not a fact, not at all a factual statement, but a story. That story has got educative value. That story helps you in your physical, mental and spiritual upliftment. The Ra'ma'yana is a pura'na, the Maha'bha'rata is itiha'sa and the history taught in schools and colleges is itikatha'. Itiha'sa is not taught in schools and colleges nowadays. And pura'n'a, just now I told you, is a story, but it has educative value. Vya'sadeva wrote eighteen pura'n'as. What was the central idea? Why did he write so many pura'n'as? His intention was to preach to the world that pun'ya means to help the people in their all-round development and pa'pa means to degrade the people, to misguide the people in all spheres of life. So here the word pun'ya has been used. You should be engaged in pun'ya karma, in helping others, for all the twenty four hours. `Smara nityamanityata'm'. You should always remember that you are in a world of passing shows, moving panorama. No picture, no position, no stance shall remain as they are just at present. That is, everything will change, everything is to undergo changes and you should be ready to adapt yourself, to adjust yourself with those changed phases. 27 September 1978, Patna THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACROCOSM AND MICROCOSM official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Where lies the fundamental difference between Macrocosm and microcosm? It has been said that: "Tayorvirodhayam upa'dhi kalpito na va'stavah kashcidupa'dhires'ah, Isha'dyama'ya' mahada'di ka'ran'am' jiivasya ka'ryam' shrn'u paincakos'am" The fundamental difference lies in certain attributional aspects. That is, the difference is attributional. And these attributional adjectives are not of permanent nature; they are of transitory nature. That is, today they may exist, tomorrow they may not exist. `Isha'dyama'ya mahada'di ka'ran'am'.' These attributional differences are of a temporary nature. Today they are, tomorrow they may or may not be in existence. This is the idea. It has also been said: `Pa'shabaddho bhavejjiivah pa'shamukto bhavecchivah' When they are under the fetters of 'pa'sha' they are 'jiiva' (microcosm) and when those fetters cease to exist, they are Shiva, one with Shiva. 'Na va'stavah kashcidupa'dhires'ah'. Due to the influence, due to the binding effect of the Operative Principle on the Macrocosm, what happens? We get the quinquelemental universe; we get the physical world, metaphysical world and macrocosmic manifestations. 'Jiivasya ka'ryam' shrn'u paincakos'am''. The jiiva microcosm, that is, attributional macrocosm, consists of the paincakos'a'tmaka body, that is, this small physical structure, this small corporeal structure, and the crude mind: ka'mamaya kos'a, manomaya kos'a, atima'nas kos'a and so many kos'as. So, this small body and its small mind of so many stages are the creation of the reactive momenta of the microcosm, are of microcosmic creation. This is the difference. That is, one is attributionally macrocosm and another is attributionally microcosm. Now regarding microcosm it has been said; 'Ya'drshii bha'vana' yasya siddhirbhavati ta'drshii.' According to one's desires one gets the fruits thereof. If somebody is a voracious eater and always hankers after food then it is quite likely that after the death of his physical body he may get the body of a pig in the next life. Suppose somebody wants to be a runner like a deer then it is not impossible that he will eventually get the body of a deer after the death of this present human structure. The world of macrocosm is a big world - we call it the universe - and the world of microcosm is this little quinquelemental physical body and this body has been created according to your reactive momenta, according to your past desires. You wanted to run like a deer; you will get the body of a deer. This is the silver line of differentiation between microcosm and Macrocosm. Now, what to do? "Eta'vupa'dhi para jiivasyastayo samyagnira'sena paro na jiivah, Ra'jyam narendrasya bhat't'asya khet'akayorpaohena bhat't'a na ra'ja'." If the attributional macrocosm is taken away from Parama Purus'a, that is, from Shiva, and if this attributional microcosm is taken away from the jiiva, then there will be no difference. Jiiva will become Shiva and Shiva will become jiiva. No difference. It has been said - `Eta'vupa'dhi para jiivayastya'. Now, if this attributional difference between Para - Para means Parama Purus'a - and jiiva, is taken away, what will happen? If these attributional differences are taken away, there will be neither Para nor jiiva, neither Parama Purus'a nor small jiiva'tma'. They will become one. If there is a man and a kingdom is attached to him - kingdom is something attributional - we will say that that man X is a king because that attribution of kingdom has been attached to him. He is a king. We will call another man who has got big clubs in his hand, a wrestler. He will be known as a wrestler because of the attribution of those clubs. But, if we take away that attribution of the kingdom from Mr. X and that attribution of clubs from Mr. Y, X will become Y. Similarly, if Para becomes something non-attributional, and jiiva also becomes non-attributional, they will become Parama Shiva, both will become Parama Shiva. What is spiritual practice? To wipe out these attributional bondages is sa'dhana'. This is spiritual practice. 28 September 1978, Patna THE ROLE OF THE COGNITIVE FACULTY official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. The Cognitive Faculty is the Supreme Subjectivity, and all other entities are His objects. Nothing remains secret or unknown or unseen for Him. You can not do anything secretly. You can not even think anything secretly. And as you know, human sadhana is a movement from electronic imperfection to nuclear perfection. So, everything in the universe, anything and everything, is just like electrons moving round Him. It may be a big elephant or it may be a small ant, there remains no difference for Him. All are His loving children. `Sama plus'ina sama mashakena sama na'gena samaebhistribhirlokaeh'. `Sama plus'ina' - You may say this insect is a very small insect. It is plusin, that is a white ant, an insignificant creature. `Sama mashakena' - mashaka means 'mosquito'. He has the same love, the same attraction or He attaches the same importance to a mosquito also. A mosquito is a very small creature. `Sama na'gena' - He has the same love, the same importance for na'ga also. What is the meaning of na'ga? There are three meanings of na'ga in Sam'skrit. One meaning is 'python' - a big snake. Another meaning is 'aera'vata', that is, mammoth in English. There are several other meanings also. Na'ga means pertaining to hills. `Sama ebhistribhih lokaeh' - the same importance, same attachment, same love is for the entire tribhuvana. Tribhuvana means the expressed world, the psychic world and the astral world or, you may say, Causal World. He sees everything. He feels everything. Nothing remains unseen or unfelt. His position is just like a clandestine light. Now, when the focus is on the stage you will see so many things happening on the stage - an actor is acting, a dancer is dancing and so many things are happening on the stage and that clandestine light sees everything, all the happenings. Similarly, whatever you do, whatever you think, whatever you smell, whatever you taste, He sees, He witnesses everything and when nothing happens on the stage, that is, there is neither any actor nor any dancer nor any singer on the stage then that clandestine light also sees that vacuum. It is also witnessing the fact that nothing is happening on the stage. Similarly when you do nothing - when you are suspended in your causal body or in your samanya deha then you do nothing - even that stage of yours is witnessed by Him. Similarly, when you are not in a position to do anything or think, smell or taste, He witnesses that also. So, you are closely associated, closely related to Him and He is closely related to you. You are never helpless, never alone. You are always with Him and so you should never entertain pessimism or any inferiority complex. 29 September 1978, Patna A'GAMA AND NIGAMA official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 2, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. `A'tmajina'namidam' devi param' moks'aekasa'dhanam. Sukrtaer Ma'navo bhutva' jina'nii cenmoks'ama'pnuya't.' You know, in Tantra Sha'stra there are two wings - one wing of Tantra is called agama and the other wing is known as nigama. There are two interpretations of the term Tantra, that is, two derived meanings. One meaning is - `Tam' ja'dya't ta'rayet yastu sah Tantrah parikiirttitah'. `Tan' means 'dullness', 'lethargy' and `tra' means liberator. That which liberates you from spiritual dullness, spiritual lethargy is Tantra. Another interpretation of the term Tantra is - `Tan' is a root verb, a Sam'skrit root verb, it means `to expand'. `Tra' means liberator. The root verb `trae' + suffix `d'a' = `tra'. It means liberator; `trae' means to liberate. So Tantra means the science that helps you in all-round expansion, rather that helps you in liberation by your all-round expansion. Tantra is the way to expand. A little boy's body always expands - daily, weekly, monthly. So, the body of a man up the age of 39 is called 'Tanu'. In Sam'skrit tanu means 'expanding'. And after 39 the body of a man is called shariira. Shariira means, that which wanes. There are two wings of Tantra - one is a'gama and the other nigama. A' - gam' + al = a'gama and ni - gam' + al = nigama. `A'gata'm' shivavaktrebhyah gatam' ca girija'shrutao. Matam' ca va'sudevasya Tasma't A'gama ucyate.' Pa'rvatii asked Shiva this question: 'What is the minimum qualification for becoming a spiritual aspirant?' Lord Shiva's reply was that the minimum qualification is that he should have a human body. So, you know this minimum qualifications, this chance can be awaited by each and every human being because each and every human being has a human body. Lord Shiva says: `A'tmajina'namidam' devi param' moks'aekasa'dhanam' Whenever one acquires a'tmajina'nam, that is, when one knows, one gets the chance to realize what one is, then what does happen? One gets moksa. And, for this purpose, that is, to know one self the minimum qualification is `sukrtaer ma'navo bhu'tva''. Passing through so many animal lives in the phase of pratisaincara, one acquires a human body and is eligible - one has acquired the minimum qualifications. `Sukrtaer ma'navo bhu'tva' jina'nii cenmoks'ama'pnuya't'. `Sukrtaer ma'navo bhutva'.' In the phase of pratisaincara, passing through clashes and cohesions, one acquires the human frame, the human structure. `Sukrtaeh' means, in old language, passing through so many forms of so many animals and so many clashes and so many cohesions one gets the human form and that is when one becomes a spiritual aspirant and not before that. While one is in the body of an animal one cannot do any spiritual practice. After getting a human body, if one does not utilize that body in spiritual pursuits, one is surely a fool, because he is not utilizing his potentialities. He is not utilizing one's potentialities. When one becomes jina'nii then one attains moks'a. Also, in the first portion it is said, 'A'tmajina'nam' and in the last portion also it has been said `Jina'nii cenmoks'a ma'pnuya't.' `A'tmajina'nam is jina'nam'. What is a'tmajina'nam? What is self-knowledge? What is self-realization? You see, it is the natural wont of each and every living being to see others, not to see himself. That is, whenever one becomes a subjective entity, he takes others as objective counterpart, but never the self as objective counterpart. One's subjectivity never merges with objectivity and that is the trouble. You want to know so many things but you never want to know yourself. Your `self' is your nearest entity but you never want to know yourself. That is the pity, that is the trouble. A'tmajina'nam means a stage of objectlessness. Seeing one's own self within oneself and not guiding any cognitive or psychic faculty towards any objectivity. You have got so many psychic faculties. You have got so many cognitive faculties, too but you always try to goad your psychic and cognitive faculties to other objects. But, if you withdraw all your psychic and cognitive faculties and goad these faculties towards yourself and be at peace without coming in contact with any objective world that phase of your mind and spirit that stance of relativity, is a'tmajina'nam. It is the true jina'nam because all other knowledges are contaminated by relativities. This jina'nam, because of its non-dependence on any second objectivity is of absolute character and it is a'tmajina'nam. For acquiring this a'tmajina'nam one need not go through volumes of books. One should develop sincere urge to attain this a'tmajina'nam and develop love for the Supreme. This is the sa'dhana'. And in this process, after self-realization, one attains salvation. This is the reply of Shiva. So this should be treated as a'gama. 30 September 1978, Patna