Chapter 18 Shloka 16

तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।

पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।१६।।

Despite this, he who sees

the Atma as the sole doer,

that foolish one of aberrated intellect

does not see truly.

Chapter 18 Shloka 16

तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।

पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।१६।।

Look little one, the Lord reiterates:

Despite this, he who sees the Atma as the sole doer, that foolish one of aberrated intellect does not see truly.

Little one! Listen to what the Lord is saying!

a) Only the foolish.

b) Only the one devoid of an intellect.

c) Only the one with a sinful intellect.

d) Only the one with an impure intellect.

– can consider the Atma to be the doer.

Akrit (अकृत)

a) That which is incomplete.

b) That which is wrong, impure, ignorant and foolish.

The essence of the Atma

Little one, the Lord has said earlier that:

1. The Atma is ever the uninfluenced non-doer.

2. The Atma never dies nor does it kill.

3. The Atma is the essence itself.

4. The Atma is formless.

5. Despite being manifest, it is unmanifest.

6. Even though it seemingly performs deeds, in reality it is a non-doer.

7. It permeates every sphere.

8. It is the mainstay of all – none else supports it.

9. That Atma is in all, yet no one is in it.

10. All actions occur by its power, yet there is no action it performs.

Understand this in the following manner. Just as:

a) the conscious energy permeates every pore of the individual, yet that conscious energy is not the doer of deeds;

b) there is a constant change in each pore of the individual, yet this change is not an act of that conscious energy;

c) the constant flux in the universe takes place within That Brahm, yet Brahm is not the doer;

d) it is the attributes which are the doer – they interact within themselves and cause change;

– so also, the body, mind and intellect of man are comprised of the three attributes. As one attribute interacts with another, the influences that accrue from such interaction comprise action.

Atma

1. The individual Atma cannot claim any action as its own.

2. The individual Atma is merely a discerning entity.

3. The individual Atma is merely a witness.

4. The individual Atma is the epitome of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

5. The individual Atma is silence itself.

6. The individual Atma is blameless and devoid of aberration.

It is sheer ignorance to fetter That One through actions, who is ever devoid of any aberration, ever satiated, immortal and ever uninfluenced. It is only foolishness to think that the Atma can be influenced. The Lord says, “He who perceives the Atma as a doer, cannot witness the Truth.”

Now hear about the one who takes pride in doership – one who possesses a polluted intellect.

The consequences of attachment with qualities

Dear one, when the individual becomes attached to his own qualities:

1. He is ever immersed in the veiling of his inferior qualities.

2. He is ever absorbed in arrogant pride on account of his superior qualities.

3. He is ever engrossed in the suppression of the Truth and in the projection of the false.

4. He is so absorbed in this mixed task that his internal energies are benumbed.

5. He becomes more or less internally blinded to the external reality.

6. It is only when the internal thought processes are silenced that one can hear the sounds of external reality or Truth.

7. There is a constant war that rages within.

8. We continue to conceal ourselves in our own homes as well as outside. All this happens due to false pride.

a) ‘Nobody should see my lacunae.’

b) ‘Nobody should become aware of my reality.’

c) ‘Nobody should consider me to be inferior.’

d) ‘Let me veil my inadequacies so that others do not become aware of them.’

e) ‘Let me keep others under my thumb.’

Thus man lies and it becomes imperative for him to hide his true self. Since his inherent desire is so full of untruth, how can his eyes witness the Truth? The mind cannot perceive the Truth in any case. Then the attributes, the attachments and the ego of such a one are bound to be full of arrogant pride.

What is ego?

The essence of ego:

a) is only delusion;

b) is deceit and betrayal;

c) is pride and futile conceit;

d) is self praise.

The result of all this can only be:

a) lies,

b) duplicity,

c) dishonour,

d) the increase of demonic qualities,

e) the unbreakable fetters of one’s mental knots and complexities,

f) the tendency to stray from the right path and avoid one’s duty,

g) corrupt, degraded conduct.

Thereafter, anger erupts, greed is augmented, mental aberrations occur. Ego is the root of countless sorrows.