The Secret Doctrine of Goddess Lalita
(Sri LalitaAṣṭottara Rahasyārthamu)
9. sarvōpādhi vinirmuktā
She who is free from all limitations.
When we say śakti pervades everything (names and forms), we should not assume that they are really existing separately, and śakti pervades them. This mantra removes this misconception. Names and forms are upādhi-s, adjuncts through which śakti expresses itself. But śakti is not limited or restrained in any way by these upādhi-s. Consciousness is the subject and these are objects known to It. Although we refer to them as this and that (subject and object), in reality, there are no two separate entities. There is only Consciousness, and It is cognizing Itself! When Consciousness is cognizing something, It becomes the “subject.” When It is cognizing Itself, it becomes an object. Hence, Consciousness is both the subject that knows as well as the object that is known. Only Consciousness is capable of playing the two roles as the subject and the object. Hence, it is a mistake to consider the world as separate from Consciousness. Whatever we perceive as “existing” is Consciousness only. The divine name of the Goddess, vijñāna ghana rūpini, reveals this truth. When we think of gold, the image of a solid mass of gold comes to our mind. Similarly, vijñāna ghana rūpini means Devī is nothing but Pure Knowledge or Pure Consciousness. The word “nothing” refers to the illusory and transitory names and forms that appear to us. These are only the upādhi-s, the instruments through which Consciousness appears as objects to us, but neither the objects nor the upādhi-s have any real existence of their own.
A thing that is superimposed on another thing is an upādhi. According to Advaita, a superimposition can occur in two ways. A book placed on top of a table is one type of superimposition. A wooden log that appears as a plank is another type of superimposition. In the former case, the book and the table are two separate objects, one superimposed on the other. In the latter case, the wooden log and the plank are not two separate objects. The log is the plank and the plank is the log. Aside from the log, there is no separate plank to be seen. If a plank is seen in the place of a log, it is not because a plank really exists. It is only because of an optical illusion. All there is, is a log of wood, but the log can appear either as a log of wood or a plank. This is true of Consciousness as well.
Consciousness is the only substance that IS. Names and forms (upādhi-s) are only Its appearance. They do not have an independent existence of their own. Names and forms are like the plank that is superimposed on the log, and not like the book that is superimposed on a table. The book is different from the table. The plank is not different from the log. It only appears as though it is. The log itself appears both as a log and the plank. Similarly, the upādhi-s, names and forms, we see everywhere, do not really exist as separate entities. They are superimposed on Consciousness. Just like the plank that is not different from the log, names and forms are not different from Consciousness. Pure Consciousness Itself appears as the names and forms. As the seer, Consciousness is the subject. As an appearance (world), it is an object.
In reality, the names and forms we perceive do not exist, not even as a superimposition. Since we are used to seeing duality, we think the world is an upādhi superimposed on Consciousness. In reality, however, the world neither exists nor is it superimposed on Consciousness. When a thing is known only to Consciousness and ceases to exist if it loses touch with Consciousness, how can it be real? It cannot be real! Yet we perceive objects as though they are real!
Why do we perceive objects when they are unreal? The truth is that we do not really see objects. We only see Consciousness appearing as objects (names and forms), just like the ocean appearing as waves and froth. Since śakti or Consciousness itself appears as the upādhi-s (names and forms), She is sarvōpādhi vinirmuktā - She who is free of all limitations. That means there are no upādhi-s whatsoever separate from Consciousness. All that IS, is Pure Consciousness.