मरीचेऽन्तर्यथा तैक्ष्ण्यमृते भोक्तुर्न लक्ष्यते । चिन्मात्रत्वं चिदाकाशे तथा चेत्यकलां विना ॥ २३ ॥
marīcē’ntaryathā taikṣṇyamṛtē bhōkturna lakṣyatē | cinmātratvaṁ cidākāśē tathā cētyakalāṁ vinā || 23 ||
Translation
As the sharpness within a pepper is not perceived without one who tastes it, so pure awareness in the space of awareness is not perceived without a trace of the knowable.
Word by word
- marīcē
- of a pepper
- antar
- (antaḥ) within
- yathā
- as
- taikṣṇyam
- the sharpness
- ṛtē
- without
- bhōktur
- (bhoktuḥ) one who tastes
- na
- not
- lakṣyatē
- is perceived
- cinmātratvaṁ
- pure awareness
- cid
- of awareness
- ākāśē
- in the space
- tathā
- so
- cētya
- of the knowable
- kalāṁ
- a trace
- vinā
- without
Meaning
The answer to the question "how is it not awareness?" begins here. Marica is black pepper: its pungency is in it, but no one can speak of that pungency until someone tastes it. The commentary: so in the space of awareness the being of awareness cannot be known without the seen. Truth (pure awareness) is known as seeing, as the witness, only in relation to something seen; when there is nothing seen, it is no longer fit even to be called seeing. The verse does not say awareness ceases. It says that "awareness" as we use the word, awareness of something, needs a something; without a trace (kalā) of the knowable, the word has nothing to grip.