Verse 153Nonduality

One Worshiper, No Worship

Bhairava

This verse says that if you become fully realized, the usual setup of one person worshiping a separate divine object no longer makes sense. The one who worships and what is worshiped are not two. It is like reaching the destination and no longer needing the map.

यैरेव पूज्यते द्रव्यैस्तप्यन्ते वा परापरः । यश्चैव पूजकः सिद्धः स एवैकः क्व पूजनम् ॥ १५३ ॥

yaiḥ eva pūjyate dravyais tapyante vā parāparaḥ | yaś caiva pūjakaḥ siddhaḥ sa eko 'rth qu pūjanam || 153 ||

Translation

With the very substances by which the higher-and-lower reality is worshiped, it is afflicted. But if the worshiper himself is accomplished, he alone is the one—where then is worship?

He teaches that when the worshiper is realized, dualistic worship collapses because the subject-object split is gone.

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