CHAPTER 3
NATURE OF PURE KNOWLEDGE
Even after much effort the Self remains unrealised because the sadhak is not acquainted with it and so does not recognise it even in
Its presence. Now listen, the mind when checked remains inert for some time. At the end of it darkness is perceived.
darkness supervenes there is an interval of pure knowledge which is quite unaware of the body or environment; only this pure
Knowledge shines along with objects when the mind is active; when the mind is checked it shines of Itself. This state of pure
Knowledge is called the residual state (sesha bhaava). This can by no means be eliminated because being self-resplendent, it
shines of Itself, as is experienced by one just risen from sleep who says “For long I remained unaware of anything.” This residual
state is the one of pure Knowledge void of objects. Always contemplate ‘I am.’ That is the state of Bliss beyond the ken of great
pandits, yogis or even sadhakas of a sort.
Though the jagat is variegated the whole of it can be classified under the two heads. Knowledge and the knowable. Of these the
knowable is established by direct perception, inference, etc. and it is always the non-self. Being non-self, it is not worthwhile
investigating; therefore knowledge alone will be examined here. Being self-evident, it requires no external evidence. In its absence
nothing else can exist. Being the background of all, like a mirror of the images reflected in it, nothing can shine without it; so it
cannot in any way be obviated. Objection: Unreasonable to say that nothing else can exist without it, because the proven is proved
by proofs. A.: If the proof be valid the proven is established by it. The validity of the proof is known by the proven. To say so is
absurd, being interdependent. But without the knower the proof does not gain authority, i.e., the knowable cannot be said to be. A
proof only proves a fact but is not the fact. If you object saying that the knower (knower is the same as knowledge) also can be
known only by a proof, I reply there must be equally a knower to deny the knower as to know him. Therefore, we say that the
knower is self-proven and does not require extraneous proof to establish its Being. Being conscious, being always self-shining it
requires no proof like the self-shining sun requiring no candle light to illumine it. Were one to deny pure Knowledge itself – the
knowable is dependent on knowledge and it cannot be in the absence of knowledge; therefore he cannot raise the question nor
expect an answer i.e., to say, he is out of consideration.
Pure knowledge means the state of awareness free from objective knowledge; it is knowledge remaining unmoded. This state forms
the interval between deep sleep and waking state; it must be distinguished from the other two. Deep sleep means the dormant state
of mind; waking consists of a series of broken knowledge; in it objects are perceived by the senses external to the mind whereas in
dream the mind is at one with the senses and its latencies are objectified and perceived within itself like particles of dust in water. In
deep sleep supervening after dream the mind together with the senses merges into its source – prakriti; then the tamasic or dull
aspect of prakri remains predominant on overwhelming the satvic and rajasic aspects. In this state the Self shines only very
indistinct like the sun behind very heavy clouds. In the interval between deep sleep and waking the mind continues to be inward
turned and cannot reflect objects external to it; at the same time the tamas of prakrti has lost its solidity and does not hide the Self.
In this manner the Self that is Chit shines unobjectified i.e., as unbroken knowledge.
In the same manner with the intervals of broken knowledge: the background namely pure knowledge remains unbroken in the interval
of Knowledge of a pot, does not itself continue to subsist as that of a piece of cloth; the difference between the two is obvious. In the
interval between the two kinds of knowledge, pure Knowledge persists devoid of the two forms : this cannot be denied. This is samvit
(Knowledge) shining in its own merit.
Samvit is the seer or the ego. Just as the water in a tank passes through an outlet into a channel to irrigate a field and mixes with
the water already in the field, so also at the instant of perception, the samvit of the seer passes through the senses to unite with the
samvit of the object. In this case Chit remains as the body, mind etc., of the seer; in the sky it remains as the sun; in the
intervening space covered by it samvit is formless and this is its real state. All this indicates these intervals to be the seats of
realisation of the Self. The Self is no more than this. Pure Chit devoid of objective knowledge is the true Self. If this is realised as the
Self the universe will appear to be just an image reflected in the mirror of Chit and so results the state of fearlessness, for to see a
tiger reflected in a mirror does not cause fright.