T Ram Sewak

SAPNA

After previously stating that whatever we perceive as real is a delusion born out of ignorance, Lakshman now explains this through an analogy in Shri Ramcharitmanas 2.92.

"sapane hoi bhikhari nrip timi prapanch jiya joi."

"Just as in a dream, a king may become a beggar, or a beggar may become the Lord of paradise. On waking, no one gains or loses anything. Similarly, this illusion of the visible world should be viewed - dreamlike."

Lakshman uses this metaphor to illustrate the impermanence of this world. He underscores that everything we see and experience (the practical truth) is like a dream that fades away when we wake up. The only difference is that this dream appears longer and is on account of the sleep of ignorance under the spell of Maya. He uses the word 'prapanch' to very simply bring out the crux of the concept of Vidya Maya (HIS creation) and Avidya Maya (the illusion of I, mine, you, yours). He describes this world as the Unreal reality -the ultimate paradox.

In the sleep of ignorance, we experience this world as pleasant or painful. The catalyst for these experiences is the circumstances which stem from our actions (karma). These actions, however, are rooted in the egoistic notion of being the doer (karta bhav). Thus, in this sleep of ignorance, we become slaves to the circumstances, although they are transient and disappear like a dream. The question is, who remains awake and does not fall asleep? Shri Krishna says in Gita 2.69 that the self-controlled man keeps awake when all are asleep in ignorance.

The above is also mirrored in Shri Ramcharitmanas 3.39, where Lord Shiva while narrating the katha to Mata Parvati, lays down this dictum:

"Uma kahun main anubhav apna, sat hari bhajan jagat sab sapna"

" Uma, I'll tell you my realisation. This world is a dream; the only reality is devotion to HIM". / DAILY WORLD /

Namami Ramam Musings-60

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