Vivekachudamani – Self-Knowledge gives Liberation – Verses 194-206   «   »

Vivekachudamani – Self-Knowledge gives Liberation – Verses 194-206   «   »

श्रीगुरुरुवाच
सम्यक्पृष्टं त्वया विद्वन्सावधानेन तच्छृणु ।
प्रामाणिकी न भवति भ्रान्त्या मोहितकल्पना ॥ १९४ ॥
śrīgururuvāca
samyakpṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vidvansāvadhānena tacchṛṇu |
prāmāṇikī na bhavati bhrāntyā mohitakalpanā || 194 ||
194. The Teacher said: Thou hast rightly questioned, O learned man! Listen therefore attentively: The imagination which has been conjured up by delusion can never be accepted as a fact.
भ्रान्तिं विना त्वसङ्गस्य निष्क्रियस्य निराकृतेः ।
न घटेतार्थसंबन्धो नभसो नीलतादिवत् ॥ १९५ ॥
bhrāntiṃ vinā tvasaṅgasya niṣkriyasya nirākṛteḥ |
na ghaṭetārthasaṃbandho nabhaso nīlatādivat || 195 ||
195. But for delusion there can be no connection of the Self – which is unattached, beyond activity and formless – with the objective world, as in the case of blueness etc., with reference to the sky.
Notes: Blueness etc.—The sky has no colour of its own but we mentally associate blueness with it. The blueness is in our mind, and not in the sky. Similarly, limitation exists not in the Absolute Self, but in our own minds.
स्वस्य द्रष्टुर्निर्गुणस्याक्रियस्य
प्रत्यग्बोधानन्दरूपस्य बुद्धेः ।
भ्रान्त्या प्राप्तो जीवभावो न सत्यो
मोहापाये नास्त्यवस्तुस्वभावात् ॥ १९६ ॥
svasya draṣṭurnirguṇasyākriyasya
pratyagbodhānandarūpasya buddheḥ |
bhrāntyā prāpto jīvabhāvo na satyo
mohāpāye nāstyavastusvabhāvāt || 196 ||
196. The Jīvahood of the Ātman, the Witness, which is beyond qualities and beyond activity, and which is realised within as Knowledge and Bliss Absolute – has been superimposed by the delusion of the Buddhi, and is not real. And because it is by nature an unreality, it ceases to exist when the delusion is gone.
Notes: As Knowledge and Bliss Absolute—These are Its essence, and therefore can never depart from It, as heat from fire.
यावद्भ्रान्तिस्तावदेवास्य सत्ता
मिथ्याज्ञानोज्जृम्भितस्य प्रमादात् ।
रज्ज्वां सर्पो भ्रान्तिकालीन एव
भ्रान्तेर्नाशे नैव सर्पोऽपि तद्वत् ॥ १९७ ॥
yāvadbhrāntistāvadevāsya sattā
mithyājñānojjṛmbhitasya pramādāt |
rajjvāṃ sarpo bhrāntikālīna eva
bhrānternāśe naiva sarpo’pi tadvat || 197 ||
197. It exists only so long as the delusion lasts, being caused by indiscrimination due to an illusion. The rope is supposed to be the snake only so long as the mistake lasts, and there is no more snake when the illusion has vanished. Similar is the case here.
अनादित्वमविद्यायाः कार्यस्यापि तथेष्यते ।
उत्पन्नायां तु विद्यायामाविद्यकमनाद्यपि ॥ १९८ ॥
प्रबोधे स्वप्नवत्सर्वं सहमूलं विनश्यति ।
अनाद्यपीदं नो नित्यं प्रागभाव इव स्फुटम् ॥ १९९ ॥
198-199. Avidya or Nescience and its effects are likewise considered as beginningless. But with the rise of Vidyā or realisation, the entire effects of Avidya, even though beginningless, are destroyed together with their root – like dreams on waking up from sleep. It is clear that the phenomenal universe, even though without beginning, is not eternal – like previous non-existence. 
Notes: Their root—i. e. Avidya.
Previous non-existence—Prâgabháva—a term of Hindu logic. When we say a thing comes into being at a definite point of time, we imply also that there was non-existence of that particular thing prior to the moment of its birth. And this ‘nonexistence’ is obviously beginningless. But it ceases as soon as the thing comes into being. Similarly, Avidya which means absence of Vidya or knowledge, even though beginningless, disappears when realisation comes.
अनादेरपि विध्वंसः प्रागभावस्य वीक्षितः ।
यद्बुद्ध्युपाधिसंबन्धात्परिकल्पितमात्मनि ॥ २00 ॥
जीवत्वं न ततोऽन्यस्तु स्वरूपेण विलक्षणः ।
संबन्धस्त्वात्मनो बुद्ध्या मिथ्याज्ञानपुरःसरः ॥ २0१ ॥
200-201. Previous non-existence, even though beginningless, is observed to have an end. So the Jīvahood which is imagined to be in the Ātman through its relation with superimposed attributes such as the Buddhi, is not real; whereas the other (the Ātman) is essentially different from it. The relation between the Ātman and the Buddhi is due to a false knowledge.
Notes: Superimposed attributes: Just as a crystal placed near a red flower seems to appear as red. Or when we look at a thing behind a curtain through an aperture, as the aperture becomes bigger and bigger we see more and more of the thing behind; but we erroneously think that the thing is growing, whereas, in reality all the change takes place in the curtain only. Similarly we see the Atman through the covering of Prakriti or Nature, of which Buddhi etc. are manifestations, and Nature which is continually changing, leads us to think that the Atman back of it is changing too, which is a mistake.
विनिवृत्तिर्भवेत्तस्य सम्यग्ज्ञानेन नान्यथा ।
ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वविज्ञानं सम्यग्ज्ञानं श्रुतेर्मतम् ॥ २0२ ॥
vinivṛttirbhavettasya samyagjñānena nānyathā |
brahmātmaikatvavijñānaṃ samyagjñānaṃ śrutermatam || 202 ||
202. The cessation of that superimposition takes place through perfect knowledge, and by no other means. Perfect knowledge, according to the Śrutis, consists in the realisation of the identity of the individual soul and Brahman.
तदात्मानात्मनोः सम्यग्विवेकेनैव सिध्यति ।
ततो विवेकः कर्तव्यः प्रत्यगात्मसदात्मनोः ॥ २0३ ॥
tadātmānātmanoḥ samyagvivekenaiva sidhyati |
tato vivekaḥ kartavyaḥ pratyagātmasadātmanoḥ || 203 ||
203. This realisation is attained by a perfect discrimination between the Self and the non-Self. Therefore one must strive for the discrimination between the individual soul and the eternal Self.
जलं पङ्कवदत्यन्तं पङ्कापाये जलं स्फुटम् ।
यथा भाति तथात्मापि दोषाभावे स्फुटप्रभः ॥ २0४ ॥
jalaṃ paṅkavadatyantaṃ paṅkāpāye jalaṃ sphuṭam |
yathā bhāti tathātmāpi doṣābhāve sphuṭaprabhaḥ || 204 ||
204. Just as the water which is very muddy again appears as transparent water when the mud is removed, so the Ātman also manifests Its undimmed lustre when the taint has been removed.
Notes: Water is naturally pure, but it is polluted by foreign substances mixing with it. These impurities can be removed by filtration, distillation etc. So the apparent impurity of the soul can be removed by discrimination, which shows that it is Nescience that hides the real nature of the Self.
असन्निवृत्तौ तु सदात्मना स्फुटं
प्रतीतिरेतस्य भवेत्प्रतीचः ।
ततो निरासः करणीय एव
सदात्मनः साध्वहमादिवस्तुनः ॥ २0५ ॥
asannivṛttau tu sadātmanā sphuṭaṃ
pratītiretasya bhavetpratīcaḥ |
tato nirāsaḥ karaṇīya eva
sadātmanaḥ sādhvahamādivastunaḥ || 205 ||
205. When the unreal ceases to exist, this very individual soul is definitely realised as the eternal Self. Therefore one must make it a point completely to remove things like egoism from the eternal Self.
Notes: Things—which are in reality superimpositions.
अतो नायं परात्मा स्याद्विज्ञानमायाशब्दभाक् ।
विकारित्वाज्जडत्वाच्च परिच्छिन्नत्वहेतुतः ।
दृश्यत्वाद्व्यभिचारित्वान्नानित्यो नित्य इष्यते ॥ २0६ ॥
ato nāyaṃ parātmā syādvijñānaMāyāśabdabhāk |
vikāritvājjaḍatvācca paricchinnatvahetutaḥ |
dṛśyatvādvyabhicāritvānnānityo nitya iṣyate || 206 ||
206. This knowledge sheath (Vijñānamāyā Kośa) that we have been speaking of, cannot be the Supreme Self for the following reasons – because it is subject to change, is insentient, is a limited thing, an object of the senses, and is not constantly present: An unreal thing cannot indeed be taken for the real Ātman.
Notes: Subject to change.—Whereas the Atman is changeless, Knowledge Absolute, unlimited, the eternal Subject, and the universal substratum of all things. Just as the rope is the only reality with regard to the mistaken snake-idea etc.

Vivekachudamani – Introduction
1: Devoted Dedication
2: Glory of Spiritual Life
3: Unique Graces in Life
4-7: Miseries of The Unspiritual Man
8-13: Means of Wisdom
14-17: The Fit Student
18-30: The Four Qualifications
31: Bhakti – Firm and Deep
32-40: Courtesy of Approach and Questioning
41-47: Loving Advice of the Guru
48-49: Questions of the Disciple
50: Intelligent Disciple – Appreciated
51-55: Glory of Self-Effort
56-61: Knowledge of the Self-Its Beauty
62-66: Direct Experience – Liberation
67-71: Discussion on Questions Raised
72-75: Gross Body
76-82: Sense Objects a Trap – Man Bound
83-86: Fascination for Body Criticised
87-91: Gross Body Condemned
92: Organs of Perception and Action
93-94: Inner Instruments
95: The Five Pranas
96-101: Subtle Body – Effects
102: Functions of Prāna
103-105: Ego Discussed
106-107: Infinite Love – the Self
108-110: Māyā – Pointed Out
111-112: Rajoguņa – Nature and Effects
113-116: Tamoguņa – Nature and Effects
117-119: Sattvaguņa – Nature and Effects
120-121: The Causal Body – Its Nature
122-123: Not-Self – Description
124-135: The Self – Its Nature
136: Advice for Self-control
137-142: What is Bondage – The Reply
143-144: The Powers – Agitation and Veiling
145-146: Bondage in Action
147-153: Ātman and Anātman – Discrimination
Negation of the Kośas
154-164: – Annamaya kośa (Food sheath)
165-166: – Prņamaya kośa (Vital air sheath)
167-183: – Manomaya kosa (Mental sheath)
184-188: – Vijnanamaya kośa (Intellectual sheath)
189-191: Ātman – Unattached
192-193: What is Liberation? – Disciple
194-206: Self-Knowledge gives Liberation
207-210: Anandamaya kośa (Bliss sheath)
211: Ātman – Other than the Five Kośas
212: What is Ātman? – Disciple
213-225: Nature of the Self – Discussion
226-236: All Manifestation Absolute
237-240: Brahman – Its Nature
241-249: That Thou Art – Explanation
250-253: Attitude in Meditation
254-266: Aids to Meditation
267-276: Give up Vāsanās – the Method
277-292: End Superimposition – The Means
293-297: The Perceived I’ Factor – False
298-309: Condemnation of the Ego
310-319: Actions, Thoughts and Vāsanās – Renounce
320-329: Total Vigilance – Its Price
330-338: In the One, No Plurality
339-348: Spiritual Growth – the Secret
349-353: Cause-Effect – False
354-372: Samadhi – Its Nature
373-378: Fully Detached – Samadhi Easy
379-383: Meditation – the Technique
384-397: Continuous Attention to Self
398-406: No Diversity in Reality
407-413: Ātma-vicāra – Contemplation
414-418: Give up Perceptions
419-425: The Science of Reality – Its Benefits
426-445: Signs of a Realised Seer
446-464: Prārabdha for a Saint
465-471: There is No Plurality
472-479: Experience of Selfhood
480-520: Practice of Knowledge – Disciple
521-575: Final Words of Advice
576-578: Blessed Disciple Liberated
579-581: The Glory of the Textbook

Sri Adi Sankaracharya

Links
Sri Adi Sankaracharya’s Vivekachudamani – Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda
Transcript of Swami Paramarthananda’s classes on Vivekachudamani

Vivekachudamani – Verses 194-206 – Vivekachudamani Verses 194-206 – By Adi Sankaracharya – In Sanskrit with English Meaning, Transliteration, Translation, Commenary, Lyrics, Audio – Vivekachudamani-194-206