SNAKE AND THE ROPE

The 'vedantins', particularly those who follow 'adwaitha' philosophy, often quote the analogy of 'serpant and rope' to bring out the truth that "Brahman alone is real; the world is unreal". Simple to know, but complex to understand! There are similar analogies: (1) desert and the mirage; (2) ocean and waves; (3) ghost and post ( 4) Real and reflection; (5) Pearl and silver. One is real and the other is appearance. All analogies have their limitations. They cannot be stretched beyond a limit. Further, these are all concepts only to find out the inconceivable. Once we start talking about the Absolute, we actually bring the same down to the phenomenal level of subject-object concepts. All concepts arise in Consciousness--expression (swaroopa) of the Absolute. This Consciousness is the substratum (athishtanam) on which phenomena of subject-object concepts appear, as if the waves arise, exist and dissolve in the Ocean. Absolute is the base (aadharam); Consciousness is the substratum (athishtanam) and the phenomena is the appearance (prathibhasam). With this concept firm in mind, the analogy of 'serpant-rope' may be analysed.


The very analysis is a concept and whatever conclusion we arrive at cannot be anything other than another concept. The saying "Sankalpanam paro - bandha; tat-abhavo vimukthatha. Concept is the bondage and absence of the same is liberation. The understanding of the 'rope' casting away the illusory appearance of 'serpant' is at the phenomenal level only; an exercise at the intellectual level. When we talk about the analogy of serpant and rope, it is implied that there is an 'observer' to perceive the rope which was mis-identified as serpant earlier. Further there need a concept of rope as well as serpant for this perception. Thus, a perceiver, an object perceived and the act of perceiving come into the scene. The truth is that there is only 'perceiving'. We can observe that this "perceiving' alone is present in the innocent observation of a two months old baby. The child doesnt differentiate either 'serpant' or 'rope'. The child merely percives without concepts. A popular analogy - When Devdatta was recognised by his friend after 40 years of interval, although the name is forgotten and the place of meting is different, and the form of the person is also thoroughly changed, the very fact of recognition "isness' of the person brings fulfilment to the friend. The name and form and the time and place concerning Devadatta, are relegated to the background.


There is a slight difference between the two analogies viz, snake and rope and mirage and desert. In the former analogy, once we realise that it is a rope , the snake disappears for ever. In the latter case, the mirage would continue to exist even after knowing the base the desert. For that matter, we cannot quench our thirst with the water in the mirage nor can we drain the water with all our intellectual exercise!
In the case of ocean and waves analogy, when once we realise that the nature of the wave is water only whether in the form of ocean or in the form of different waves, we can reconcile with the wave/waves and the ocean too placing them in their proper perspective. This analogy would help us to remember our Oneness with the Ocean and to overcome the sense of individuality and doership. The irony is we are still caged in a wave!!