Devi Gita (Class 37): "The Seer and the Seen" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 9 & 10 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 26 March 2025.

एवं नानाविधानि स्युर्नामानि निगमादिषु | तस्या जडत्वं दृश्यत्वाज्ज्ञाननाशात् ततोऽसती ||११|| evaṃ nānāvidhāni syurnāmāni nigamādiṣu | tasyā jaḍa-tvaṃ dṛśya-tvāj-jñāna-nāśāt tato'satī ||11|| 11. Such are its various names found in the Vedic and other sacred texts. Since Māya is something we can perceive, it has the nature of non-conscious matter; since knowledge destroys it, it is not truly existent. 

चैतन्यस्य न दृश्यत्वं दृश्यत्वे जडमेव तत् | स्वप्रकाशं च चैतन्यं न परेण प्रकाशितम् || १२ || caitanyasya na dṛśyatvaṃ dṛśyatve jaḍameva tat | svaprakāśaṃ ca caitanyaṃ na pareṇa prakāśitam || 12 ||= 12. "Consciousness is not something we can perceive; what we perceive is indeed non-conscious. Consciousness is self-luminous; nothing else illuminates it."

अनवस्थादोषसत्त्वान्न स्वेनाऽपि प्रकाशितम् | कर्मकर्तृविरोधः स्यात् तस्मात् तद्दीपवत् स्वयम् || १३ || anavasthā-doṣa-sattvānna svenā'pi prakāśitam | karma-kartṛ-virodhaḥ syāt tasmāt tad-dīpavat svayam || 13 || 13. It does not even illuminate itself, for that would lead to the fallacy of infinite regress. As an agent and the object acted upon are distinct entities, so consciousness itself, like a lamp...

प्रकाशमानमन्येषां भासकं विद्धि पर्वत | अत एव च नित्यत्वं सिद्धसंवित् तनोर्मम || १४ || prakāśa-mānamanyeṣāṃ bhāsakaṃ viddhi parvata | ata eva ca nityatvaṃ siddha-saṃvit tanormama || 14 || 14. While shining brightly, illuminates what is other than itself. Know, this, O Mountain, for thus have I demonstrated that consciousness, belonging to My own nature, is eternal.