T Ram Sewak

AGYAN GRANTHI

In Shri Ramcharitmanas 7.117, Kakabhushundiji further elucidates on the knot of ignorance (Agyan Granthi) that clouds the jeev (being) and says,

jeev .. biseshi, granthi dekhi

asa karayi, tabahun niruarayi

"The jeev, utterly deluded, is unable to perceive this knot of ignorance that it has created between Matter (Jarh) and Spirit (Chetan). How can it then be resolved or untied? If, by His grace, such conditions (as depicted ahead) are created, even then, the disentanglement of this knot of ignorance would not be easy."

Kakabhushundiji highlights two key concepts here. First, this knot of ignorance is imperceptible; therefore, it is challenging for him to unravel it as well. This means the distinction between the eternal and indestructible atma and the non-eternal, ever-changing body, mind, intellect, ego, and all this material world is not distinguishable to the jeev.

Shri Krishna delineates this subject in Gita, especially in 3.38 and 5.15, where he states that knowledge (Gyan) of the self is clouded (enveloped) by ignorance (Agyan), thereby deluding beings. This ignorance is not a simple lack of information but a more profound, existential ignorance. Thus, the jeev cannot comprehend the imaginary knot between the sentient and the insentient.

The second is that only His grace makes it possible to untie this knot, which happens only when He creates certain favourable conditions. The emphasis is that creating all these favourable coincidences is beyond human capacity, and a being can attain Gyan only through Divine Grace. We find a mirroring of this dictum in Gita 10.11, where Shri Krishna assures us that out of compassion for the sadhaks, He destroys the darkness (in them) born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of knowledge.

The message is that this imaginary knot of ignorance is the primary obstacle to self-realisation for a being, and this can only be untangled through the light of wisdom attained through Ish Kripa! / DAILY WORLD /

The author is a former electrical Engineer and resides in the Himalayas. He can be occasionally reached at ramam.namami@gmail.com