शिवज्ञानबोध (मेय्कण्डार - शैव सिद्धान्त का आधारभूत दार्शनिक सूत्र ग्रन्थ)

NINTH SUTRA. 95
need not pass beyond this either. The principle of this Sadana
is contained in the 2nd argument and brought out more fully in
illustration (c). This principle is what is called Soham bavana
Soham is from the root 'Ṣa' meaning It (denoting Brahm) and
Aham meaning I or Me (denoting soul). The word 'Sivoham'
is also its equivalent; and the word means Brahm is myself or I
am Brahm. This in fact is also the purport of the four Maha
Vakyas in the Veda which are 4 Mantras intended for practice
or Sadana and to be taught by the Guru to the initiate. Like
every other Sadana provided for the first three stages which are
mistaken for the end itself, this Soham Sadana is mistaken for
the end itself by Vedantists and these proclaim that they are them-
selves God. And the caution is therefore conveyed and repeat-
ed several times in the 1st and 2nd arguments and in the illustra-
tions (see especially illustration 2 (b)) that the soul practising
Soham bavana should not mistake itself for God. This practice
of the Gnani therefore is as much a symbolic worship or Bavana
as that of the Yogi (illustration 2 (c) Sutra VI.) But the Yogi
gains certain Sudhia or Siddhis by his Bavana and the Gnani
also gains something and what this is shown in the 3rd argu-
ment. The great mistake of Vedantic writers and Vedantic books
consists in this that instead of treating of the Maha Vakya in
its proper place and confining it within its proper scope, they
discuss it, when they speak of proof or in the argumentative or
expository stage. And this is what makes many of these books
ridiculous. To say to ordinary mortals that he is God and he must
believe himself to be God is certainly absurd when as we have
seen above, to whom and by whom this instruction (Mantra) has
to be imparted and even then, accompanied with proper caution.
This then is what constitutes throwing pearls before swine and
who is the more blame worthy of the two?
I must now proceed to explain the principle of Soham bavana
contained in 2 (c). As the illustration of the Snake charmer points