Revelation. She kas departed tv execute your orders. Why should she not find her?
King. How?
Revelation. The goddess Devotion has already told you that Revelation, through fear of Logic, has taken refuge with Gita in the temple of Vishnu, on the mountain Mandara.
King. Why is she afraid of Logic?
Religion. This wili be explained to you. Let us pro- ceed. Here is Man sitting alone, and ig waiting to see you.
King. (Going towards him.) Venerable Sire, I greet thee, Man. Learning reverses'the order of nature. Your great learning has enabled you to instruct me, which gives you the authority ofa Father. Thus when the Rishi bad lost the road of virtue, he asked directions from his son; and after being well instructed, he said to him, ‘ Hearken; you must act towards me as a father—this is your duty.”
Tranquillity. O goddess! The lord is sitting in company with Reason; let us go to them. (Going to them.) O Lord, the goddess Revelation has come to prostrate herself at your feet. Man. No, no, she is my mother, by whom I was instruct- ed respecting the First Principle, and it becomes me to raverence her. There is however agreat difference between the goddess and a mother, in regard to instruction. Our mother binds the knot of worldly affections, the goddess cuts it asunder.—-(REVELATION seeing Reason, salutes him, and sits down at a distance.)
Act VL] RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELLECT. 93 Man.,,My mother, tell me where have you lived this long time?
Revelation. I have spent the time at Maths’, in public places?; and in temples which contain no image of God®, hearing the discourse of foolish people.
Man. Did they understand any thing respecting your opinions?
Revelation. No; they mercly expressed whatever came into their own imagination, without understanding my words, like a chattering of Dravid women‘. “They spoke for the sake of gain, and not to get a knowledge of my doctrines.
Man. Say on.- - Revelation. Departing thence, I met Sacrifice* on the road, surrounded with deer-skins, fire-wood, clarified butter, and sacrificial vessels, along with Ishti, Pashu, and Soma’, and whose rites are described in the Puranas, in the Sections on Duties.
Man. Well. Revelation. I thought that she who is named the Bearer’ of Books’, must have some Knowledge of my principles and LS ED MSE No oR SN a vO nec eter 1 The retreat of Sanyasis, Gosanvis, Digambaras &c, Jain colleges are algo named maths.; 2 A squaro in which people meet;- any public place.
8 I have not been able to ascertain the Sect to which these temples belonged; it is evident, however, that they belonged to some Hindu Soctarios. _ 4 It is said that Dravid women cannot pronounce distinctly.
5 Yajna-vidya.
6 Different kinds of Sacrifices.
7 Alluding to the number of books in which sacrificial rites and cere- monies are described, 94 PRABODHA CHANDRODAYA, OR, [Act VI. therefore I resolved to pass a few days with her.
Man. Proceed.
Revelation. On approaching, she received me courte- ously,nnd asked what were my desires? I answered, having no protector, I desire permission to abide with you.
Man. Go oa.
Revelation. She then inquired respecting the nature of my worship.
Man. Well.: Revelation. I replied, I worship him by whom the world was created, in whom it moves, to whom it shall return, and in whose light it shines; the Lord, whose glory is eternal and unspeakable, who is without change, everlast- ting, quiescent, and to whom holy men proceed who have dis- pelled the darkness of error?. She said, “How can He be God who is without action? It is action? which dissolves sensual connections, and not spiritual contemplation; on this account, those who perform actions to deliver them- selves from worldly passions, and whose minds are tranquil desire to live one hundred years. Your presence is not re- quired, unless you worship Him who acts and enjoys;— how long must I abide in spiritual Contemplation, and what is there objectionable in my doctrjnes’ King. (in derision.) The understanding of Sacrifice is corrupt; her vision is obstructed by smoke, and she is bewild. ered by false Logic. The Almighty Lord commands Maya 1 The error of duality, or of believing more existences than one. 2 Religious rites and duties.
Act VI.J RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELLECT, 95 by a nod;' who then spreads out the universe: thus iron ’ though motionless itself, is moved by the presence of the maguet 1. Such, however, is his state of vision who is under the influence of error. Sncrifice pretends to remove by ac- tion this sensual state, which proceeds from ignorance: this is like employing darkness to cure a person whose want of sight proceeds from darkness. But the enlightened man is absorbed in him who creates the seven perishable delusive worlds; and in no other way can deliverance be obtained from mortal births, ‘ Man. Go on.
Revelation. Sacrifice, after some reflection, said, “ My friend, if you stay here, my disciples, who are immersed in evil desires, will despise their duties; be gracious, then, and if it please you, depart to some other place.”
Man. Proceed.
Revelation. I then left her, and went on; Man. Well.
Revelation. Afterwards I saw Mimansa, attended with Karma Kanda?; she who subdivides duties which are accom- panied with reward, and performs them by means of her assistants ® who are publicly known; she who has recipro- cally connected the various duties together, and who is sup- 1 Maya is not itself active, but moves and acts as directed by the living Apirit. 2 A‘division of the system which treats of the different rites and duties. [See Colebrooke's Essays, Vol, I. p. 296.] 3 Anga, «& 96 PRABODHA CHANDRODAYA, of, [Act VIported by the authority of the Vedas }.
Man. Well.
" Revelation. As in the former instance, I requested per- mission to remain with her a short time, she said, “ Remain;” and then asked about my worship. I repeated the words— “I worship him,” &c.
Revelation. Upon this, she looked at those who were standing beside her, and said, “ she cannot assist us, because she does not admit that men go to another world, where the reward of virtue is enjoyed?; she ought ‘to be instructed how to perform the requisite duties,” One of her disciples answered, “this is extremely proper, ” another, named Kuma- rila Swami;®> who is greatly celebrated, and knows her senti- ments intimately, said, “ O goddess, she will not unite herself to man who acts, but she will adhere to the Lord, who neither acts nor enjoys, and with whom actions are not required.” Another said, ‘‘ What! is there any other being besides those visible beings ‘whom we behold?” Kumarila Swami smiled, :and said, “ Yes there is; there is one who beholds the actions of all, and ‘there is one whose intellect is darkened by passions ‘there is one who seeks the rewards of actions, and there is 1 This passage is too elliptical to be perfectly understood, but it will ‘receive some illustration from what is said of the Mimansa tenets, in the Appendix, 2 he believes that the soul should desire the state of the eternal, ‘one, all pervading Being, and not thereward of actions in aseparate states of blessedness, 3 An eminent discipte of Jaimini, the founder of the Mimansa philoso- phy. [See Colebrooke’s Essays, Vol. I. pp. 297. 298, 312.]
[Act VI. RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELTECT. 97 one who confers the reward; there is one who performs du- tics, and there is one who dispenses retribution, Why, then, should action be ascribed to the Supreme impassible Lord?”
King. Well said! Kumarila Swami, your understanding is excellent; may you be renowned?! “ Two birds, who always accompanied each other, and were mutual friends, perched upon one tree 2: one of them ate the ripe fruit; the other refrained from. eating, hut merely sat and looked at it.”
Man. Well.
Bevelation. I then took leave of Mimansa, and departed Man. Well. Revelation. Proceeding onwards, I beheld Metaphysics, attended by a number of pupils, such as those * who affirm that there is a being distinct from the universe,; those * who, deal in syllogisms and talk about principles and elements;. who delight in sophistry, and in puzzling people’s understand-. ings; who dispute for-victory, and in order to fix the impu- tation of error on other persons’ opinions; those ° who main- tain that God and nature are separate beings, are perpetually (ote tnietneeertenetereeeeneen tenet geen 2s none eemaneeneemnennemneennn EeneeeRnamnememnnmenes pemememtrene ed 1 This is cited from one of the Vedas; the bird which ate of the fruit is the sentient soul, the other is pure spirit. The example of a bird is used because it flics freely through the air; denoting that these two were free agents.
2 Body, Matter, or Maya. 3 Com.—Patanjalists.
4 Com.—Naiyayikas or Logicians. [Colebrooke’s Essays, V. I p. 261.]} 5 Com.— The Sankbyas, who maintain that nature, in Which the three qualities reside, is the origin of all things.—The Three qualities are Sat- ya, Raja, Tama, or truth, passion, and darkness. [Colebr’sEss, V.1.p.249.]
98 PRABODHA CHANDRODAYA, OR, [Act VI.
enumerating the twenty-five elements, saying, that conscious, ness arose from magnitude +, &c. and so on in successive pfo- gression.
Man. Well. Revelation. I went to them, and the same introductory conversation passed between us as with the other, They then began to talk derisively; one said, “ O Revelation, the world arose from atoms?; another said, “ Why do you ascribe change to God, and depend on virtues which are of a perish- able nature?” and a third affirmed that the world was pro- duced by nature, King. Erroneous sentiments! These persons do not even understand logical reasoning. Every thing finite or visible, ia created because it is an effect; as a goblet, &c. atoms (fini- tude) therefore, must be admitted; but this world being an effect, is not real °, is finite, and is destroyed and renewed; it is like the moon which is seen: in water, the appearance of cities in the air, dreams, and the objects exhibited by leger- demain; it seems to exist only while the soul is not perceived to be comprehended in Hara; but when the knowledge of the first principle is obtained, it vanishes away; thus the pearl- oyster presents the appearance of silver, and a cord that of a serpent *, The objection which charges us with attributing 1 Primary matter; the principle of magnitude; it does not possess figure or Visibility itself,'but is the origin of all visible and figured things 2 What is measurable, finitude. 8 Nonens; it has no real permanent existence, being “dependent on what is ens, or Spirit.
4 Whilst the real nature of the Oyster and the cord are not known, - Act VI] RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELLECT, 99 change to God is fit only for children. How can the Supreme Spirit, who is unchangeable, without parts, perfect, with- out beginning or end, and whose glory is eternal, suffer chang® in the work of creation? Does the appearance of clouds cause a change in the ether.
Man. Well said: this discourse delights my soul; it is the reasoning of a wise man. (Zo REVELATION.) Proceed.— Revelation. Then they all said, “ this person maintains that the soul is released front confinement when all things are annihilated; she walks in the road of the Nastikas; do not permit her to escape.” On this they all attempted in a tumul- tuous manner, to seize me, Man. Very bad.
Revelation. I fled with the utmost speed, and entered the country of Dandakaranya, where, not far from & temple of Vishnu, which stands on the mountain Mandara*, they broke off the bracelets from my arms and wrists, and stole,the orna- ment which bound up my hair.
Man. Well. Revelation. Meantime, some men rushed out of the temple armed with clubs, and beat them so severely that they tall fled from the country.
King (With joy.) How could the divine Lord endure those who sought your ruin?
Man. Well.
Revelation. My necklace broken, my clothes carried away, the ornaments dropped from my feet, and full of terror, * [In Bhagalpur— See Francklin’s Site of Palibothra, Pt. II, p. 14] 100. PRABODHA CHANDRODAYA, OR; [Act VI.
I sought refuge in the house of Gita. My daughter, Gita, sceing me come,was overwhelmed with joy, and calling out, “mother, mother,” she embraced me, and caused me to sit down. After hearing what had happened, she said, “my mother, be not distressed; these demoniacal minded persons deny your credibility, and walk according to their own ima- ginations; but God will punish them: he has declared con- cerning them, I will cast down these malicious, cruel, abject, wretches into an abode of misery, and the womb of evil spirit,” Man (With wonder.) O goddess, I wish to be informed by your favour, what is the name of God?
Revelation. (Azgrily.) How can an answer be given to him who does not comprehend his own spirit, any more than itis possible to inform a blind man respecting the figure of his body?.
Man. (With delight.) Wow can I, who am spirit, be the Supreme Lord?
Revelation. The eternal God is not distinct from thee; and thou art not distinct from God, the greatest of beings: but thou appearest to be a separate being in consequence of Maya, like an image of the sun reflected in water.
Man. (To Reason.) Ido not fully comprehend what the goddess has said; for she affirms that I, who am united to body, who ama separate individual, and subject to birth and death,—am the immutable, happy, and living spirit. | Reason. Being ignorant of the thing, you do not under- stand her words; your acknowledgment is true, * Act VI] RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELLECT. 101 Man. ‘Inform me by what means I may understang their meauing.
Reason. When thou shalt know that the soul is com prehended in living spirit; when thou shalt meditate on the first principle, swhen thy mind aud consciousness shall be destroyed, and when every thing around thee shall disap- pear, then the glorious God, who removes mental error, who is unchangeable, eternal, and happy, will become manifest.
(Man reflects with joy on what he has heard.)
MEDITATION enters. Meditation. I have been commissioned by Devotion, to reveal her secret thoughts to Revelation and Reason, and she has also commanded me to abide with Man. (Looking.) Here is the goddess, not far off from Reason and Man. I shall approach her. (Approaches, and addresses her.) The god Devotion thus spoke to me in the assembly, “The gods are merely ideas of the understanding; this I know by divine vision, Thou O goddess, art pregnant, and in thy womb are twins—Science and Intellect; and this Science and whe Science of Devotion? shall meet together in thy mind” Revelation. May it be as the goddess has said.
(Goes out along with Reason, 1 Sankarshana Vidya; that knowledge which is acquired by Yoga, devotion, or ecstatic vision.
102 PRABODHA CHANDRODAYA, OR, [Act VI.
Mepiration enters into May.
Man. (Reflecting on what has happened behind the scene.) Wonderful! Wonderful! she * who sprung from the divided breast of Mind, has suddenly vanished; asa bright stream of lightning rending the clouds illumines the world and ina moment disappears, she engulphed ‘Passion and his- adherents, and that glorious being Intellect has arisen in Man.
INTELLECT enters.
INTELLECT enters.
Intellect. I am Intellect, beforc whose splendour the three worlds pass away, and metaphysical errors cease respecting pervading, removing, carrying, destroying, polishing, and ornamenting, for there is nothing. This is man:I shall go to him (Goes to him.) O Man, Intellect salute thee!
Man. (With delight.) My child, come and embrace me, ' (They embrace.
Man. (Joyfuily.)) The shades of darkness are dis- persed, and the morning appears for the blackness of passion is removed, and my sleep is broken; the cool- beams of intellect shine upon me: Religion, Reason, Under- standing, Tranquillity, Penance, &c. the whole world seem to be Vishnu. Through the favour of Vishnu I am, become perfect. Now I have no consciousness of existence; I speak to none, itis indifferent where I go, or what befalls me: Tam tranquil, carnal ties, fear, sorrow, the influence of former actions, and passion, have come to an end. I have 1, Science, Act VI.] RISE OF THE MOON OF INTELLECT. 103 renched the state of annihilation, and immediately I shall assume the condition of a Muni.
Devotion enters.
Devotion: (Walking joyfully.). All my wishes have been speedily accomplished. I now behold you. delivered from all your enemies.
Man. O Devotion, when-you are propitious, how can there be distress! I prostrate myself at your feet.
Devotion. (Raising him-up.) Rise up, my son; have you any other request to make? Man. What can I desire? Reason having conquered the enemy, his purposes are finished, O lotus-eyed damsel, I am now seated at the feet of the Supreme Lord.
May plentiful rain water the earth; may prosperous kings pavevr the world; may holy men, who remove ignorauce by the light of the first principle, safely cross the sea of pas- sion, the bottom of which are sensible objects and affection.
[ They all go out.