THE WORKS OF SANKARA

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI

SLOKAS 181 TO 190

 
tÓmn:SaEDn|    kayI|    p#yÏnEn    m¤m¤XNa    ,
¢vS¤Ñ¯DE    s¢t    cWt¢ÞmÓm¤¢³:    krPlaytE    ,   181   ,  
tÓmn:SaEDn|   purify the mind
kayI|   must do
p#yÏnEn   carefully
m¤m¤XNa   the seeker
¢vS¤Ñ¯DE  s¢t   cWt¢ÞmÓm¤¢³:   when this is purified, the liberation is, as easy of access
krPlaytE   as a fruit on the palm of one's hand
 
181.   One who hopes for liberation must first purify his mind when freedom appears like a fruit in the hand.  
maEXWksÀÏYa    ¢vxyEx¤    rag|
¢nm¥IÚy    s|ÓyÞy    c    svIkmI    ,
sÅCѯDYa    y:    ½vNa¢d¢n¿aE
rj:ÞvBav|    s    D¤naE¢t    b¤Ñ¯DE:    ,   182   ,  
maEXWksÀÏYa   of onepointed devotion to liberation
¢vxyEx¤   to sense-objects
rag|   the attachment
¢nm¥IÚy   roots out
s|ÓyÞy   c   renounces
svIkmI   all actions
sÅCѯDYa    with faith in the real Brahman regularly
y:   he who
½vNa¢d¢n¿aE   practises hearing etc.,
rj:ÞvBav|   in purging the rajas guna
s:   he alone
D¤naE¢t   succeeds
b¤Ñ¯DE:   nature of the intellect.
 
182.  I say to you, strive for liberation alone and for nothing else. Root out attachment to sense-objects and activities that lead to such attachment. Have faith, listen to and reflect on the words of the scriptures. Thus will you get rid of Tamas and Rajas and gain Sattvic quality.
mnaEmyaE    na¢p    BvEÏpraÏma
/aïÓtvÏvaÏp¢rNa¢mBavat¯    ,
Ѥ:KaÏmkÏva¢¹xyÏvhEtaE:  
d#¾a    ¢h    èÜyaÏmtya    n    è¾:    ,   183   ,  
mnaEmy:   na¢p   the mental sheath also
BvEÏpraÏma   cannot be the Supreme self
/aïÓtvÏvaÏp¢rNa¢mBavat¯    because it has a beginning and an end, is subject to modifications
Ѥ:KaÏmkÏva¢¹xyÏvhEtaE:    is characterised by pain and suffering, and is an object
d#¾a   ¢h   whereas the subject can
èÜyaÏmtya   with the objects of knowledge
n   è¾:   never be identified

183.   The third sheath, the Manomaya Kosa, is not the Atman as it has a beginning, an end, and is subject to change, pain and misery.You can see the mind but the Atman is unseen, because it is the seer Himself.
b¤¢Ñ¯Db¤IѯD£¢Ód#yW:    saDI|    sv¦¢äO:    kr¯t¦lXN:    ,                    
¢våOanmykaES:    ÞyaÏp¤|s:    s|sarkarNm¯    ,   184   ,              
b¤¢Ñ¯Db¤IѯD£¢Ód#yW:    the Buddhi with its modifications
saDI|   and the organs of knowledge
sv¦¢äO:   with its characteristics
kr¯t¦lXN:   of the agent
¢våOanmykaES:   form the Vijnanamaya Kosa or know ledge sheath
ÞyaÏp¤|s:   man's transmigration
s|sarkarNm¯   which are the cause of
 
184. The fourth sheath is the buddhi, the organs of feeling and their actions. This has the feeling of being the doer and seer. This Vijnanamaya Kosa is the cause of the embodied world of the Purusha.
An¤v#j¢Åct¯p#¢t¢bØbS¢³¢vIåOans|åO:    p#k]tE¢vIkar:    ,
åOan¢@yavanh¢mÏyj*| dEhE¢Ód#ya¢dÝv¢BmÓytE    B¦Sm¯    ,   185   ,  
An¤v#j¢Åct¯p#¢t¢bØbS¢³:    which seems to be followed by a reflection of the power of the Cit
¢våOans|åO:   this knowledge sheath
p#k]tE¢vIkar:   is a modification of the Prakrti
åOan¢@yavanh¢mÏyj*|   with the function of knowledge, and always wholly identifies itself
dEhE¢Ód#ya¢dÝv¢BmÓytE    with the body, organs etc.,
B¦Sm¯   is endowed
 
185.   This intellect is a reflection of consciousness, but is a form of Prakriti. It works as the `I' `I feel', `I do', etc.
Ana¢dkalaE{ymh|ÞvBavaE
j£v:    smÞtÛyvharvaEFa    ,
kraE¢t    kmaIÎy¢p    p¥vIvasn:
p¤ÎyaÓyp¤Îya¢n    c    tt¯Pla¢n    ,   186   ,  
Ana¢dkalaE{ymh|ÞvBavaE   it is without beginning, characterised by egoism
j£v:   is called the Jiva
smÞtÛyvharvaEFa   all the activities on the relative plane
kraE¢t   carries on
kmaIÎy¢p   it performs
p¥vIvasn:   previous desires
p¤ÎyaÓyp¤Îya¢n   c   good and evil actions
tt¯Pla¢n   and experiences their results
 


186 This Kosa is beginningless, and from time immemorial, engaged in the world's activities, good and bad, and enjoying their results.

B¤Hq³E    ¢v¢cæOaÞv¢p    yaE¢nx¤    v#j °aya¢t    ¢nyaIÏyD    UÒvImEx:    ,
AÞyWv    ¢våOanmyÞy    jag#t¯ Þvp"aïvÞTa:    s¤KѤ:KBaEg:    ,   187   ,  
B¤Hq³E   experiences
¢v¢cæOaÞv¢p   other states
yaE¢nx¤   being born in various bodies
v#j   carries
°aya¢t   comes
¢nyaIÏyD   and goes
UÒvImEx:   up and down
AÞyWv   it is this
¢våOanmyÞy   knowledge sheath
jag#t¯   has the waking
Þvp"aïvÞTa:   dream and other states
s¤KѤ:KBaEg:   and experiences joy and grief
 
187.  This sheath takes different types of bodies and the three states belong  to this sheath of intellect, as also pleasure and pain.
dEha¢d¢n¿a½mDmIkmI
g¤Na¢Bman|     stt|    mmE¢t    ,
¢våOankaESaE{ym¢tp#kaS:
p#k]¾sa¢°ÒyvSaÏpraÏmn:    ,
AtaE    BvÏyEx    upa¢DrÞy
ydaÏmD£:    s|sr¢t    B#mEN     ,   188   ,  
dEha¢d¢n¿a½mDmIkmI   the duties,functions, and attributes of the orders of life which belong to the body
g¤Na¢Bman|  and qualities
stt|   is always
mmE¢t   as its own
¢våOankaESaE{ym¢tp#kaS:   the knowledge sheath is exceedingly radiant
p#k]¾sa¢°ÒyvSaÏpraÏmn:    owing to its close proximity to the Supreme Self
AtaE   hence
BvÏyEx   identifying itself
upa¢DrÞy   with it
ydaÏmD£:   transmigration
s|sr¢t   suffers through
B#mEN   delusion
 
188.   Being closest to the Atman, this sheath reflects the Atman the most. The Atman manifests here as the doer and gives rise to all shapes though itself taking no shape.
yaE{y|    ¢våOanmy:    p#aNEx¤    ¶¢d    ÞP[rÏyy|    ÇyaE¢t:    ,
k\zÞT:    s°aÏma    ktaI    BaE³a    BvÏy¤pa¢DÞT:    ,   189   ,  
yaE{y|   ¢våOanmy:   which is Pure Knowledge
p#aNEx¤   in the midst of the Prana
¶¢d   within the heart
ÞP[rÏyy|   shines
ÇyaE¢t:   like a lamp
k\zÞT:   self-radiant
s°aÏma   Atman
ktaI   becomes the agent
BaE³a   and experiencer
BvÏy¤pa¢DÞT:   owing to Its superimposition, the knowledge sheath.
 
189.  The mind or Buddhi creates everything, but manifesting as adjuncts, the Atman appears to be the doer, the enjoyer.  
Þvy|    p¢rÅCEdm¤pEÏy    b¤Ñ¯DE ÞtadaÏØydaExEN    pr|    m¦xaÏmn:    ,
svaIÏmk:    s°¢p    v£XtE    Þvy|    Þvt:    p¦TkqÏvEn    m¦daE    Gza¢nv    ,   190   ,  
Þvy|   the Self
p¢rÅCEdm¤pEÏy   of everything that exists
b¤Ñ¯DE   of the Buddhi
ÞtadaÏØydaExEN  pr|   Itself assuming the limitations
m¦xaÏmn:   wrongly identifying Itself
svaIÏmk:   with this totally
s°¢p   unreal entity
v£XtE   looks upon
Þvy|   Itself
Þvt:   p¦TkqÏvEn   as something different
m¦daE   from the clay of which they are made
Gza¢nv   like earthen jars
 
190.  This Atman, though common to all,sees itself as separate as it identifies with the finite intellect, just as an earthern jar regards itself as different, though it is part of the common earth.  


PROCEED TO SLOKAS 191 TO 199
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