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.