One has to understand the root cause of slavery and put an end to it. The root cause of bondage is the individual’s ignorance of the Self. The common example given in the Vedas is the analogy of the rope and the snake. In semi-darkness, one might not see a rope as a rope, leading to a misinterpretation of it as a snake. This not seeing the rope leads to seeing a snake. In Vedantic terms, this non-apprehension leads to misunderstanding. Similarly, when I do not see the real Self, I misunderstand that the Self is the not-self.

In clear light we see the rope AS IS and similarly, when we realize the true nature of the Self, the identification with anatman disappears and we separate from the body-mind-intellect.

In Vedantic terms, ‘sat’ is ‘real’, which means that it exists at all times, past, present and future. ‘asat’ is temporary and limited by time and space. In the rope-snake analogy, the snake is imaginary and cannot be real because it is destroyed by knowing the rope. Asat never exists, never existed, exists and will never exist. Now the serpent, although imaginary and seen in a state of ignorance, is illusory and existed at one point, so it cannot be described as Asat’.

Therefore, it is neither sat nor asat. All illusory objects are classified under a special term called ‘anirvacaniya’ or ‘unexplained’ which means that which is ‘mithya’ – ‘that which is apparently real or solid existence’. Here the term ‘apparently’ is important.

Example: The absence of knowledge is ignorance but ignorance does not exist by itself. It’s like the dark. Darkness is nothing more than the absence of light, darkness does not exist by itself but at the same time we cannot deny the presence of darkness. So also we cannot deny ‘ajana’ or ignorance through an illusory existence and it is also anirvacaniya.

The Three Gunas – Personalities – Sattva, Rajas, Tamas

Guna is nothing but the quality/characteristic of ajana/ignorance. Like sweetness is the characteristic of sugar. Ignorance is of three gunas: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. In Vedanta, the world simply means ‘all that can be objectified’. The world is all that is and can be perceived by the senses and the sense organs mind, intellect. These are all objects of perception of the witness ‘I’

Vedantic masters have analyzed the world from 5 elements, 5 organs of knowledge, 5 pranas, mind and intellect and the three qualities knowledge, action and inertia permeate the entire world.

* The organs of the senses, the mind and the intellect are endowed with the power of knowledge.
* The organs of action the pranas are capable of action
* Much of the cosmos is filled with inert substances such as earth and water. (5 elements, mountains and rivers, etc.)

Since the entire world is the effect of ignorance and is pervaded by the three qualities, we can conclude that ignorance (cause of this world) has the characteristic of producing knowledge (sattva), the characteristic of generating activity (rajas) and the aspect of creating inertia (tamas). Therefore ajana is also known as ‘trigunathmakam’ that which is constituted by three gunas.

The meaning of ignorance is called ‘sakti’ or ‘power’.

Sakti is power. Ignorance is called ‘sakti’, which means the power of the ‘Self’ to make it appear deluded. This sounds absurd, but the following example explains it well.

Just as the clouds generated by the power of the Sun cover the Sun itself, so too the ignorance driven by the ‘Self’ covers the ‘Self’ for its own existence. Therefore, ignorance is called the deluded power of the Self. In truth, clouds can never cover the omnipresent Sun, but when the obstruction appears in the perceiver’s path of vision, he thinks it is covered. Once the cloud moves, the Sun is visible. So too, the ‘Self’ can never be covered. It seems to be covered due to our lack of understanding and misunderstanding of the ‘Self’ and it is up to the individual to remove the veil and realize the presence of the ‘Self’ (ever-present, all-pervading, indestructible), which is not tied. for any limitation.

Ignorance is the cause of bondage.

• Ignorance/ajana in Vedantic terms means identifying with the anatman (body, mind and intellect) and being attracted to worldly objects believing them to be real.

• Ignorance also means not recognizing and not realizing the supreme power ‘Self’ in every form. Atman when identified with the body, mind and intellect is jivatma.

• We can also define this ignorance as the absence of knowledge of the ‘Self’.

The two powers of ignorance/ajana are: avarna-sakti and viksepa sakti – the powers that veil and project. They not only veil the truth of the ‘Self’; they also overlay the ‘Self’ with a false identification.

Ãvarna-sakti watches over us so that we do not perceive the ‘Self’ in us AS IT IS. The ‘Self’ (Sat-Cit-Ananda nature), the substratum is veiled, cloudy like a muddy mirror, making it appear vague.

Viksepa-sakti: This is the consequence of Ãvarna-Å›akti veiling the ‘Self’ and projects an illusory object (of the false forms and names in the world) onto an unapprehended substratum, the ‘Self’.

My mind creates all kinds of thoughts, desires, and I am attracted to objects that I like and away from those that I dislike. I am trapped in the plurality of worldly life. I become a slave to my thoughts in my mind, causing my emotions to take over me, directing actions as an effect of those thoughts.

This results in elation, excitement and/or dissipation and exhaustion. This is samsara, bondage. When we identify with the anatman, we limit ourselves and perceive ourselves as doers and enjoyers. We believe that the world is real and we value our worldly possessions as a means to progress and success.

As long as we identify with the anatman, this process of samsara will continue and lead to a vicious circle of birth and death. Unless and until we realize that we are not the body, mind and intellect, and that we are Atman, a speck of Brahman (one that appears as many in shapes, forms and colors) and we interact in this world with detachment , (removing ourselves from the condition of maker and enjoyment) we are bound by slavery.

Swami Vidyaranya explains the power of ignorance with a simple example. The foam, the bubble and a wave are nothing but water in different forms. There is no real creation to produce these forms nor is there a destruction of water. Just as the foam, the bubble and the wave are expressions of water in different forms and names, so each Atman is an expression of Brahman (the substratum) in various forms, figures and names.

There is a colossal difference between being a parent (where one is letting the child experience life) versus being a parent (where the parent is anxious about the child’s every move). We are all here to play our roles and nothing more.

To be only’!!