In plain words
They give a place to sandals stitched from the hides of animals, but they do not give a place to a man's corpse. What is the reason for this? All these come up in the inquiry, now and then. Sandals have value, but the body has no value. Going on inquiring in this way: ‘There is someone in this. I must find out who its doer is, who its enjoyer is’; so he began the inquiry. Going on and on like this, at long last he came home: ‘Father! What is the most important thing in life? What drives everything? What abides as the oneness in all things?’ he asked. Then the father said, ‘Son! This is not something that can be known in words. You must inquire into it yourself and know it,’ he said. By now he had come to know a few things, had he not! They gave value to a dead rabbit, but they did not give value to a man. They gave value to sandals, but they did not give value to a corpse.
All Sādhanas Are for Ānanda Alone!
There is one thing that is unknown, that stays hidden. As long as it is in this body, they give this body value. They say, ‘Śivaṃ’, ‘Śivaṃ’. If that power leaves this body, they say, ‘Śavaṃ’, ‘Śavaṃ’. ‘What is the difference between this śavaṃ and that śivaṃ?’ he pondered. ‘Find it out, son! Do sādhana and come to know it,’ said the father. He went off to tapas again. He looked. What is the root cause of this body? He came to know that it was ‘prāṇa’. He came home. ‘Father, I have come to know. Prāṇa is Brahman,’ he said. ‘What is the use of having prāṇa, son! There is prāṇa; but if there is no resolve in the Manas to eat, can you take food!’ said the father. So there is no use in merely having prāṇa. Before an operation, the doctor gives an anaesthetic and cuts open the belly. There is prāṇa, but what is the use? ‘Is the operation going on, what are they doing’: you know nothing at all. He went back to the forest.