Vivekachudamani – The Four Qualifications – Verses 18-30   «   »

Vivekachudamani – The Four Qualifications – Verses 18-30   «   »

साधनान्यत्र चत्वारि कथितानि मनीषिभिः ।
येषु सत्स्वेव सन्निष्ठा यदभावे न सिध्यति ॥ १८ ॥
sādhanānyatra catvāri kathitāni manīṣibhiḥ |
yeṣu satsveva sanniṣṭhā yadabhāve na sidhyati || 18 ||
18. Regarding this, sages have spoken of four means of attainment, which alone being present, the devotion to Brahman succeeds, and in the absence of which, it fails.
आदौ नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः परिगम्यते ।
इहामुत्रफलभोगविरागस्तदनन्तरम्
शमादिषट्कसम्पत्तिर्मुमुक्षुत्वमिति स्फुटम् ॥ १९ ॥
ādau nityānityavastuvivekaḥ parigamyate |
ihāmutraphalabhogavirāgastadanantaram
śamādiṣaṭkasampattirmumukṣutvamiti sphuṭam || 19 ||
19. First is enumerated discrimination between the Real and the unreal; next comes aversion to the enjoyment of fruits (of one’s actions) here and hereafter; (next is) the group of six attributes, viz. calmness and the rest; and (last) is clearly the yearning for Liberation.
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्येत्येवंरूपो विनिश्चयः ।
सोऽयं नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः समुदाहृतः ॥ २0 ॥
brahma satyaṃ jaganmithyetyevaṃrūpo viniścayaḥ |
so’yaṃ nityānityavastuvivekaḥ samudāhṛtaḥ || 20 ||
20. A firm conviction of the mind to the effect that Brahman is real and the universe unreal, is designated as discrimination (Viveka) between the Real and the unreal.
तद्वैराग्यं जिहासा या दर्शनश्रवणादिभिः ।
देहादिब्रह्मपर्यन्ते ह्यनित्ये भोगवस्तुनि ॥ २१ ॥
tadvairāgyaṃ jihāsā yā darśanaśravaṇādibhiḥ |
dehādibrahmaparyante hyanitye bhogavastuni || 21 ||
21. Vairāgya or renunciation is the desire to give up all transitory enjoyments (ranging) from those of an (animate) body to those of Brahmāhood (having already known their defects) from observation, instruction and so forth.
Notes: From those…… Brahmáhood.—Brahmá is the highest being in the scale of relative existence.
The seeker after Freedom has to transcend this scale, undetained by enjoyments implying subject-object relation, and realise his Self as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.
Having already known etc.—“darśanaśravaṇādibhiḥ”—may also be rendered as, “(the giving up being effected) through all the enjoying organs and faculties.”
विरज्य विषयव्राताद्दोषदृष्ट्या मुहुर्मुहुः ।
स्वलक्ष्ये नियतावस्था मनसः शम उच्यते ॥ २२ ॥
virajya viṣayavrātāddoṣadṛṣṭyā muhurmuhuḥ |
svalakṣye niyatāvasthā manasaḥ śama ucyate || 22 ||
22. The resting of the mind steadfastly on its Goal (viz. Brahman) after having detached itself from manifold sense-objects by continually observing their defects, is called Śama or calmness.
विषयेभ्यः परावर्त्य स्थापनं स्वस्वगोलके ।
उभयेषामिन्द्रियाणां स दमः परिकीर्तितः
बाह्यानालम्बनं वृत्तेरेषोपरतिरुत्तमा ॥ २३ ॥
viṣayebhyaḥ parāvartya sthāpanaṃ svasvagolake |
ubhayeṣāmindriyāṇāṃ sa damaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
bāhyānālambanaṃ vṛttereṣoparatiruttamā || 23 ||
23. Turning both kinds of sense-organs away from sense-objects and placing them in their respective centres, is called Dama or self-control. The best Uparati or self-withdrawal consists in the mind-function ceasing to act by means of external objects.
Notes: Both kinds of organs—viz. The organs of knowledge and those of action.
सहनं सर्वदुःखानामप्रतीकारपूर्वकम् ।
चिन्ताविलापरहितं सा तितिक्षा निगद्यते ॥ २४ ॥
sahanaṃ sarvaduḥkhānāmapratīkārapūrvakam |
cintāvilāparahitaṃ sā titikṣā nigadyate || 24 ||
24. The bearing of all afflictions without caring to redress them, being free (at the same time) from anxiety or lament on their score, is called Titikṣā or forbearance.
शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् ।
सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥ २५ ॥
śāstrasya guruvākyasya satyabuddhyavadhāraṇam |
sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiryayā vastūpalabhyate || 25 ||
25. Acceptance by firm judgment as true of what the Scriptures and the Guru instruct, is called by sages Śraddhā or faith, by means of which the Reality is perceived.
Notes: Acceptance by firm judgment etc.—Not to be confused with what is generally called blind acceptance. The whole mind must attain to that perfect state of assured reliance on the truth of instructions received, without which a whole-hearted, one-pointed practice of those instructions is not possible.
सर्वदा स्थापनं बुद्धेः शुद्धे ब्रह्मणि सर्वदा ।
तत्समाधानमित्युक्तं न तु चित्तस्य लालनम् ॥ २६ ॥
sarvadā sthāpanaṃ buddheḥ śuddhe brahmaṇi sarvadā |
tatsamādhānamityuktaṃ na tu cittasya lālanam || 26 ||
26. Not the mere indulgence of thought (in curiosity) but the constant concentration of the intellect (or the affirming faculty) on the ever-pure Brahman, is what is called Samādhāna or self-settledness.
अहंकारादिदेहान्तान् बन्धानज्ञानकल्पितान् ।
स्वस्वरूपावबोधेन मोक्तुमिच्छा मुमुक्षुता ॥ २७ ॥
ahaṃkārādidehāntān bandhānajñānakalpitān |
svasvarūpāvabodhena moktumicchā mumukṣutā || 27 ||
27. Mumukṣutā or yearning for Freedom is the desire to free oneself, by realising one’s true nature, from all bondages from that of egoism to that of the body – bondages superimposed by Ignorance.
मन्दमध्यमरूपापि वैराग्येण शमादिना ।
प्रसादेन गुरोः सेयं प्रवृद्धा सूयते फलम् ॥ २८ ॥
mandamadhyamarūpāpi vairāgyeṇa śamādinā |
prasādena guroḥ seyaṃ pravṛddhā sūyate phalam || 28 ||
28. Even though torpid or mediocre, this yearning for Freedom, through the grace of the Guru, may bear fruit (being developed) by means of Vairāgya (renunciation), Śama(calmness), and so on.
वैराग्यं च मुमुक्षुत्वं तीव्रं यस्य तु विद्यते ।
तस्मिन्नेवार्थवन्तः स्युः फलवन्तः शमादयः ॥ २९ ॥
vairāgyaṃ ca mumukṣutvaṃ tīvraṃ yasya tu vidyate |
tasminnevārthavantaḥ syuḥ phalavantaḥ śamādayaḥ || 29 ||
29. In his case, verily, whose renunciation and yearning for Freedom are intense, calmness and the other practices have (really) their meaning and bear fruit.
एतयोर्मन्दता यत्र विरक्तत्वमुमुक्षयोः ।
मरौ सलीलवत्तत्र शमादेर्भानमात्रता ॥ ३0 ॥
etayormandatā yatra viraktatvamumukṣayoḥ |
marau salīlavattatra śamāderbhānamātratā || 30 ||
30. Where (however) this renunciation and yearning for Freedom are torpid, there calmness and the other practices are as mere appearances, like water in a desert.
Notes: Mere appearances etc.—i. e. they are without any stability and may vanish like the mirage any time. For without burning renunciation and desire for Freedom, the other practices may be swept off by a strong impulse of or some strong blind attachment.

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 18-30 – Vivekachudamani Verses 18-30 – By Adi Sankaracharya – In Sanskrit with English Meaning, Transliteration, Translation, Commenary, Lyrics, Audio – Vivekachudamani-18-30