| 2. The Sovereign
Science, the Sovereign Secret, the Supreme Purifier is this ; immediately
comprehensible, unopposed to Dharma, very easy to perform, imperishable.Of
sciences it is the king, because it is of great splendor Indeed, the science
of Brahman is the most brilliant t of all sciences. So also, it is the king
of secrets. Of all the purifiers, this knowledge of Brahman is the best
purifier. That it is a purifier needs no saying, since it reduces karma
to ashes in an instant, root and all; all the karma, dharma and adharma,
which has been accumulated during many thousand births Moreover, it can
be comprehended by patyakshapratyaksha, by immediate perception, like the
feeling of pleasure and so on. What is possessed of many a desirable quality
may be opposed to Dharma ; but not so is the knowledge of Atman opposed
to Dharma ; on the other hand it is not separable from Dharma, i.e not opposed
to it. Even then it may be supposed that it is very difficult to attain
; but it is not so, says the Lord. It is very easy to acquire, like the
power of discriminating gems. Now, of the other acts, those which involve
little trouble and are easily accomplished are seen to be productive of
small results, and difficult acts are found to be productive of great results.
Accordingly it may be imagined chat this Brahmaj aana which is so easily
attained perishes when its effect is exhausted: to prevent this supposition,
the Lord says that it is imperishable. It does not perish like an act when
the effect is exhausted. Wherefore knowledge of Atman (Self) is worth acquiring.But,
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