Paramahaṁsa-Dharma: The Avadhūta-like Sannyāsī and Prahlāda’s Dialogue with the ‘Python’ Saint
सुप्तिप्रबोधयो: सन्धावात्मनो गतिमात्मदृक् । पश्यन्बन्धं च मोक्षं च मायामात्रं न वस्तुत: ॥ ५ ॥
supti-prabodhayoḥ sandhāv ātmano gatim ātma-dṛk paśyan bandhaṁ ca mokṣaṁ ca māyā-mātraṁ na vastutaḥ
ໃນຊ່ວງຮອຍຕໍ່ລະຫວ່າງຫຼັບແລະຕື່ນ ຜູ້ເຫັນອາຕະມັນຄວນພິຈາລະນາການເຄື່ອນໄຫວຂອງອາຕະມັນ. ເຂົາຄວນຮູ້ວ່າສະພາບຜູກມັດແລະຫຼຸດພົ້ນເປັນພຽງມາຍາ ບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງ; ດ້ວຍປັນຍາສູງນັ້ນ ໃຫ້ເຫັນແຕ່ສັດຈະສູງສຸດທີ່ແຜ່ຊາຍທົ່ວທຸກແຫ່ງ.
The unconscious state is nothing but ignorance, darkness or material existence, and in the conscious state one is awake. The marginal state, between consciousness and unconsciousness, has no permanent existence. Therefore one who is advanced in understanding the self should understand that unconsciousness and consciousness are but illusions, for they fundamentally do not exist. Only the Supreme Absolute Truth exists. As confirmed by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) :
This verse teaches that to one who truly sees the Self, both bondage and liberation are perceived as māyā-produced appearances, not the soul’s ultimate reality.
He uses the transition between sleep and waking to illustrate how states and identities shift, helping the listener discern the soul’s constancy beyond māyā’s changing conditions.
Practice stepping back from changing mental states—success, failure, fear, pride—and remember the steady witness (ātmā); this reduces attachment and strengthens devotional, self-aware living.