Know Thyself
“Pahale aap pehechaano re saadho, pahele aap pahchaano.
Bina aap cheenhe Paarbrahm ko, kaun kahe maen jaano.”
Meaning: Enthused by the in-dwelling power of Aksharaateet Paar Brahm, Mahamati says, thus, O’ascetics and sages! Seek the benignity of Paramaatma(Paar Brahm-Supreme Truth God) and try to know ‘who you are and what is the true form of your inner self?’ Without knowing oneself one cannot know Paar Brahm and, if any one says that “one has known Sat-Chit-Anand(Truth-Consciousness-Bliss) Paar Brahm”, one is a victim of delusion.
To comprehend thyself and Paar Brahm, there are two schools of thought. One is that, one should know Aatman first before one could realize Paar Brahm. The other is that, only after realizing Paar Brahm, one can know of oneself (with His grace). Even after performing multitudes of devotional acts and varied rigorous penances, Shri Devchandraji could not realize his true self until Paar Brahm HImself manifested and guided him. Obviously, without the grace or mercy of Paar Brahm, can neither one identify one self nor be enlightened of Paramaatma. It is said in Kattopanishad (an auxiliary text of Veda) ” Yamaha aeva aeshaha vrinuthe the’n labhyha” meaning – whoseever Paramaatma choses (or is blessed by His grace) can only be enlightened of His absolute form. The book of Kiranthan can also be a revelation and an invigorating elixir for the masters of Vedantha. It is the averment of Kiranthan that “one can know oneself and ralize the eternal form of Paramaatma only by HIs Grace.