Vivekachudamani – Prārabdha for a Saint – Verses 446-464   «   »

Vivekachudamani – Prārabdha for a Saint – Verses 446-464   «   »

सुखाद्यनुभवो यावत्तावत्प्रारब्धमिष्यते ।
फलोदयः क्रियापूर्वो निष्क्रियो न हि कुत्रचित् ॥ ४४६ ॥
sukhādyanubhavo yāvattāvatprārabdhamiṣyate |
phalodayaḥ kriyāpūrvo niṣkriyo na hi kutracit || 446 ||
446. Prārabdha work is acknowledged to persist so long as there is the perception of happiness and the like. Every result is preceded by an action, and nowhere is it seen to accrue independently of action.
अहं ब्रह्मेति विज्ञानात्कल्पकोटिशतार्जितम् ।
सञ्चितं विलयं याति प्रबोधात्स्वप्नकर्मवत् ॥ ४४७ ॥
ahaṃ brahmeti vijñānātkalpakoṭiśatārjitam |
sañcitaṃ vilayaṃ yāti prabodhātsvapnakarmavat || 447 ||
447. Through the realisation of one’s identity with Brahman, all the accumulated actions of a hundred crore of cycles come to nought, like the actions of dream-state on awakening.
यत्कृतं स्वप्नवेलायां पुण्यं वा पापमुल्बणम् ।
सुप्तोत्थितस्य किं तत्स्यात्स्वर्गाय नरकाय वा ॥ ४४८ ॥
yatkṛtaṃ svapnavelāyāṃ puṇyaṃ vā pāpamulbaṇam |
suptotthitasya kiṃ tatsyātsvargāya narakāya vā || 448 ||
448. Can the good actions or dreadful sins that a man fancies himself doing in the dream-state, lead him to heaven or hell after he has awakened from sleep?
स्वमसङ्गमुदासीनं परिज्ञाय नभो यथा ।
न श्लिष्यति च यत्किंचित्कदाचिद्भाविकर्मभिः ॥ ४४९ ॥
svamasaṅgamudāsīnaṃ parijñāya nabho yathā |
na śliṣyati ca yatkiṃcitkadācidbhāvikarmabhiḥ || 449 ||
449. Realising the Ātman, which is unattached and indifferent like the sky, the aspirant is never touched in the least by actions yet to be done.
न नभो घटयोगेन सुरागन्धेन लिप्यते ।
तथात्मोपाधियोगेन तद्धर्मैर्नैव लिप्यते ॥ ४५0 ॥
na nabho ghaṭayogena surāgandhena lipyate |
tathātmopādhiyogena taddharmairnaiva lipyate || 450 ||
450. The sky is not affected by the smell of liquor merely through its connection with the jar; similarly, the Ātman is not, through Its connection with the limitations, affected by the properties thereof. 
Notes: The Atman, like the sky, is always unattached, though the ignorant man superimposes connection with external things on It.
ज्ञानोदयात्पुरारब्धं कर्मज्ञानान्न नश्यति ।
अदत्वा स्वफलं लक्ष्यमुद्दिश्योत्सृष्टबाणवत् ॥ ४५१ ॥
jñānodayātpurārabdhaṃ karmajñānānna naśyati |
adatvā svaphalaṃ lakṣyamuddiśyotsṛṣṭabāṇavat || 451 ||
451. The work which has fashioned this body prior to the dawning of knowledge, is not destroyed by that knowledge without yielding its fruits, like the arrow shot at an object.
व्याघ्रबुद्ध्या विनिर्मुक्तो बाणः पश्चात्तु गोमतौ ।
न तिष्ठति छिनत्येव लक्ष्यं वेगेन निर्भरम् ॥ ४५२ ॥
vyāghrabuddhyā vinirmukto bāṇaḥ paścāttu gomatau |
na tiṣṭhati chinatyeva lakṣyaṃ vegena nirbharam || 452 ||
452. The arrow which is shot at an object with the idea that it is a tiger, does not, when that object is perceived to be a cow, check itself, but pierces the object with full force.
प्राब्धं बलवत्तरं खलु विदां भोगेन तस्य क्षयः
सम्यग्ज्ञानहुताशनेन विलयः प्राक्षंचितागामिनाम् ।
ब्रह्मात्मैक्यमवेक्ष्य तन्मायातया ये सर्वदा संस्थिताः
तेषां तत्त्रितयं नहि क्वचिदपि ब्रह्मैव ते निर्गुणम् ॥ ४५३ ॥
prābdhaṃ balavattaraṃ khalu vidāṃ bhogena tasya kṣayaḥ
samyagjñānahutāśanena vilayaḥ prākṣaṃcitāgāminām |
brahmātmaikyamavekṣya tanMāyātayā ye sarvadā saṃsthitāḥ
teṣāṃ tattritayaṃ nahi kvacidapi brahmaiva te nirguṇam || 453 ||
453. Prārabdha work is certainly very strong for the man of realisation, and is spent only by the actual experience of its fruit; while the actions previously accumulated and those yet to come are destroyed by the fire of perfect knowledge. But none of the three at all affects those who, realising their identity with Brahman, are always living absorbed in that idea. They are verily the transcendent Brahman.
Notes: The Prárabdha……Knowledge—The argument in the Srutis in support of Prárabdha being binding on even the Jnani (as set forth in the first half of this Sloka as well as in Slokas, 445 and 451-2) is only a re-statement (anuvâda) of the popular view. Strictly speaking, the Jnani himself is not even aware of its existence. The real truth about it is given in the last half of this Sloka
and in Sloka 463, and reasons for this view are set forth in Sloka 454 et seq. We may add in passing that we have here the boldest pronouncement of the exalted status of a man of realisation, who is affected by nothing whatsoever in creation.
उपाधितादात्म्यविहीनकेवल
ब्रह्मात्मनैवात्मनि तिष्ठतो मुनेः ।
प्रारब्धसद्भावकथा न युक्ता
स्वप्नार्थसंबन्धकथेव जाग्रतः ॥ ४५४ ॥
upādhitādātmyavihīnakevala
brahmātmanaivātmani tiṣṭhato muneḥ |
prārabdhasadbhāvakathā na yuktā
svapnārthasaṃbandhakatheva jāgrataḥ || 454 ||
454. For the sage who lives in his own Self as Brahman, the One without a second, devoid of identification with the limiting adjuncts, the question of the existence of Prārabdha work is meaningless, like the question of a man who has awakened from sleep having any connection with the objects seen in the dream-state.
न हि प्रबुद्धः प्रतिभासदेहे
देहोपयोगिन्यपि च प्रपञ्चे ।
करोत्यहन्तां ममतानिदन्तां
किन्तु स्वयं तिष्ठति जागरेण ॥ ४५५ ॥
na hi prabuddhaḥ pratibhāsadehe
dehopayoginyapi ca prapañce |
karotyahantāṃ mamatānidantāṃ
kintu svayaṃ tiṣṭhati jāgareṇa || 455 ||
455. The man who has awakened from sleep never has any idea of ‘I’ or ‘mine’ with regard to his dream-body and the dream-objects that ministered to that body, but lives quite awake, as his own Self.
न तस्य मिथ्यार्थसमर्थनेच्छा
न संग्रहस्तज्जगतोऽपि दृष्टः ।
तत्रानुवृत्तिर्यदि चेन्मृषार्थे
न निद्रया मुक्त इतीष्यते ध्रुवम् ॥ ४५६ ॥
na tasya mithyārthasamarthanecchā
na saṃgrahastajjagato’pi dṛṣṭaḥ |
tatrānuvṛttiryadi cenmṛṣārthe
na nidrayā mukta itīṣyate dhruvam || 456 ||
456. He has no desire to substantiate the unreal objects, nor is he seen to maintain that dream-world. If he still clings to those unreal objects, he is emphatically declared to be not yet free from sleep.
तद्वत्परे ब्रह्मणि वर्तमानः
सदात्मना तिष्ठति नान्यदीक्षते ।
स्मृतिर्यथा स्वप्नविलोकितार्थे
तथा विदः प्राशनमोचनादौ ॥ ४५७ ॥
tadvatpare brahmaṇi vartamānaḥ
sadātmanā tiṣṭhati nānyadīkṣate |
smṛtiryathā svapnavilokitārthe
tathā vidaḥ prāśanamocanādau || 457 ||
457. Similarly, he who is absorbed in Brahman lives identified with that eternal Reality and beholds nothing else. As one has a memory of the objects seen in a dream, so the man of realisation has a memory of the everyday actions such as eating.
कर्मणा निर्मितो देहः प्रारब्धं तस्य कल्प्यताम् ।
नानादेरात्मनो युक्तं नैवात्मा कर्मनिर्मितः ॥ ४५८ ॥
karmaṇā nirmito dehaḥ prārabdhaṃ tasya kalpyatām |
nānāderātmano yuktaṃ naivātmā karmanirmitaḥ || 458 ||
458. The body has been fashioned by Karma, so one may imagine Prarabdha work with reference to it. But it is not reasonable to attribute the same to the Ātman, for the Ātman is never the outcome of work.
अजो नित्यः शाश्वत इति ब्रूते श्रुतिरमोघवाक् ।
तदात्मना तिष्ठतोऽस्य कुतः प्रारब्धकल्पना ॥ ४५९ ॥
ajo nityaḥ śāśvata iti brūte śrutiramoghavāk |
tadātmanā tiṣṭhato’sya kutaḥ prārabdhakalpanā || 459 ||
459. The Śrutis, whose words are infallible, declare the Ātman to be ‘birthless, eternal and undecaying’. So, the man who lives identified with That, how can Prārabdha work be attributed?
Notes: “Birthless” etc.—The reference is to Katha Upanishad I. ii. 18.—“ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre”—“The Atman is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ever new (ancient), and is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
प्रारब्धं सिध्यति तदा यदा देहात्मना स्थितिः ।
देहात्मभावो नैवेष्टः प्रारब्धं त्यज्यतामतः ॥ ४६0 ॥
prārabdhaṃ sidhyati tadā yadā dehātmanā sthitiḥ |
dehātmabhāvo naiveṣṭaḥ prārabdhaṃ tyajyatāmataḥ || 460 ||
460. Prārabdha work can be maintained only so long as one lives identified with the body. But no one admits that the man of realisation ever identifies himself with the body. Hence Prārabdha work should be rejected in his case.
शरीरस्यापि प्रारब्धकल्पना भ्रान्तिरेव हि ।
अध्यस्तस्य कुतः सत्त्वमसत्यस्य कुतो जनिः
अजातस्य कुतो नाशः प्रारब्धमसतः कुतः ॥ ४६१ ॥
śarīrasyāpi prārabdhakalpanā bhrāntireva hi |
adhyastasya kutaḥ sattvamasatyasya kuto janiḥ
ajātasya kuto nāśaḥ prārabdhamasataḥ kutaḥ || 461 ||
461. The attributing of Prārabdha work to the body even is certainly an error. How can something that is superimposed (on another) have any existence, and how can that which is unreal have a birth? And how can that which has not been born at all, die? So how can Prārabdha work exist for something that is unreal?
Notes: The body being an effect of Maya is unreal, and it is absurd to speak of Prârabdha as affecting this unreal body.
ज्ञानेनाज्ञानकार्यस्य समूलस्य लयो यदि ।
तिष्ठत्ययं कथं देह इति शङ्कावतो जडान् ॥ ४६२ ॥
समाधातुं बाह्यदृष्ट्या प्रारब्धं वदति श्रुतिः ।
न तु देहादिसत्यत्वबोधनाय विपश्चिताम् ॥ ४६३ ॥
jñānenājñānakāryasya samūlasya layo yadi |
tiṣṭhatyayaṃ kathaṃ deha iti śaṅkāvato jaḍān || 462 ||
samādhātuṃ bāhyadṛṣṭyā prārabdhaṃ vadati śrutiḥ |
na tu dehādisatyatvabodhanāya vipaścitām || 463 ||
462-463. ‘If the effects of ignorance are destroyed with their root by knowledge, then how does the body live?’ – it is to convince those fools who entertain a doubt like this, that the Śrutis, from a relative standpoint, hypothesise Prārabdha work, but not for proving the reality of the body etc., of the man of realisation.
परिपूर्णमनाद्यन्तमप्रमेयमविक्रियम् ।
एकमेवाद्वयं ब्रह्म नेह नानास्ति किंचन ॥ ४६४ ॥
paripūrṇamanādyantamaprameyamavikriyam |
ekamevādvayaṃ brahma neha nānāsti kiṃcana || 464 ||
464. There is only Brahman, the One without a second, infinite, without beginning or end, transcendent and changeless; there is no duality whatsoever in It.

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 446-464 – Vivekachudamani Verses 446-464 – By Adi Sankaracharya – In Sanskrit with English Meaning, Transliteration, Translation, Commenary, Lyrics, Audio – Vivekachudamani-446-464