No. 62.— 1909.] 



^tnAna vasishtam. 



307 



This traditional illustration of the pure Non-dualists, 

 prominently set forth in the very opening verse of the poem, 

 shows that the author — who, in spite of his outcast birth, is 

 " the venerated sage and law-giver of the Tamil people," 

 whom every Hindu sect is proud to claim — was a Vedantist of 

 the pure Non- dualist type. 



The study of the Vedanta is held in high esteem in India as 

 the most effective cure for the disease ajndnam, or ignorance, 

 which keeps the soul from God. The doctrines of the Vedanta 

 are expounded in the J nana Vasishtam mainly on the lines of 

 Sankaracharya, with endless variety of illustration, in the 

 form of stories which convey to the thoughtful reader, with 

 all the interest of a romance, an easy understanding of the 

 most difficult problems of philosophy — Who am I ? Whence ? 

 Whither ? It is no uncommon thing in the towns and villages 

 of Tamil-land for groups of earnest seekers to meet in the 

 quiet hours of the day or night to listen to the reading and 

 exposition of the poem and ponder on the great questions. At 

 such seances women are not the least interested of the listeners 

 nor the least keen of the questioners. 



The J nana Vasishtam not only explains the doctrines of the 

 Vedanta as to the nature of God, the soul and the universe, 

 but teaches the practical methods by which the soul may 

 effect its union with God. The mode of effecting this union 

 or ' yoking ' is called Yoga, a word having the same root as 

 the English yoke. It is treated here under two heads : 

 Karma Yoga, or the Way of Work, and J nana Yoga or the Way 

 of Knowledge. It is the latter form of yoga of which the book 

 mainly treats. Karma Yoga in its higher forms — work for 

 work's sake, duty for duty's sake, without reference to any 

 ulterior motive or reward — is given a prominent place and 

 shown to have the same goal as Jndna Yoga. Four chapters 

 — the stories of Uttalakan, Vitakavyan, Pusundan, and 

 Sikitvasan — discuss Karma Yoga in its lower forms (bodily 

 penances and mortifications), which are said to be rewarded 

 with wonderful powers over nature called the Siddhis. But 

 their pursuit is generally discouraged by the sages as likely 

 to involve the soul in the bonds of desire and to perpetuate its 

 ignorance and separation from God. Another and most 



z 26-4)9 



