FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.13.5

सुप्तिप्रबोधयो: सन्धावात्मनो गतिमात्मद‍ृक् । पश्यन्बन्धं च मोक्षं च मायामात्रं न वस्तुत: ॥ ५ ॥
supti-prabodhayoḥ sandhāv
[supti-prabodhayoh sandhaav]
ātmano gatim ātma-dṛk
[aatmano gatim aatma-drik]
paśyan bandhaṁ ca mokṣaṁ ca
[pashyan bandham cha moksham cha]
māyā-mātraṁ na vastutaḥ
[maayaa-maatram na vastutah]
Word-for-word
supti — in the state of unconsciousness prabodhayoḥ — and in the state of consciousness sandhau — in the state of marginal existence ātmanaḥ — of oneself gatim — the movement ātma-dṛk — one who can actually see the self paśyan — always trying to see or understand bandham — the conditional state of life ca — and mokṣam — the liberated state of life ca — also māyā-mātram — only illusion na — not vastutaḥ — in fact.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
supti-prabodhayoḥ sandhāv
supti
in the state of unconsciousness
prabodhayoḥ
and in the state of consciousness
sandhau
in the state of marginal existence
ātmano gatim ātma-dṛk
ātmanaḥ
of oneself
gatim
the movement
ātma-dṛk
one who can actually see the self
paśyan bandhaṁ ca mokṣaṁ ca
paśyan
always trying to see or understand
bandham
the conditional state of life
ca
and
mokṣam
the liberated state of life
ca
also
māyā-mātraṁ na vastutaḥ
māyā-mātram
only illusion
na
not
vastutaḥ
in fact.
During unconsciousness and consciousness, and between the two, he should try to understand the self and be fully situated in the self. In this way, he should realize that the conditional and liberated stages of life are only illusory and not actually factual. With such a higher understanding, he should see only the Absolute Truth pervading everything.
Purport

The unconscious state is nothing but ignorance, darkness or material existence, and in the conscious state one is awake. The marginal state, between consciousness and unconsciousness, has no permanent existence. Therefore one who is advanced in understanding the self should understand that unconsciousness and consciousness are but illusions, for they fundamentally do not exist. Only the Supreme Absolute Truth exists. As confirmed by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) :

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” Everything exists on the basis of Kṛṣṇa’s impersonal feature; nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the advanced devotee of Kṛṣṇa can see the Lord everywhere, without illusion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
During deep sleep, dreaming and waking states, one whose aim is ātmā and who sees the truth about ātmā sees bondage and liberation as unreal. Having the goal of ātmā at all times (ātmā-dṛk) in the juncture which reveals the state of deep sleep (in which ātmā-tattva is covered by tamas) and the waking and dream states (in which ātmā-tattva is distorted), not experiencing tamas or agitation at those times, seeing the truth about ātmā (ātmanaḥ gatim), seeing bondage and liberation as only māyā, he should see Supreme Brahman everywhere. It is said in the yoga scriptures: nidrādau jāgarasyānte yo bhāva upajāyate taṁ bhāvaṁ bhāvayan nityaṁ mucyate netaro yatiḥ The sannyāsī who meditates constantly upon the state which presides in sleep and after waking is liberated. No one else is liberated.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Through waking, sleeping, and the state between, recognize that conditioned and liberated stages are illusory. The eternal self is the constant. The states pass; you do not pass with them.
Reflection Questions
  • What does your sense of self do when you cross from waking to sleeping each night?
  • Where can you locate the constant beneath the changing states?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 13