THE WORKS OF SANKARA

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI

SLOKAS 241 TO 250

 
tt¯Ïv|pda×yam¢BD£ymanyaErqb#'aÏmnaE:    SaE¢DtyaEyId£ÏTm¯    ,
½¤Ïya    tyaEÞtÏvms£¢t    sØygEkÏvmEv    p#¢tpaïtE    m¤h^:    ,   241   ,
 
eEÀy|    tyaElI¢XtyaEnI    vaÅyyaE   ¢nIgïtE{ÓyaEÓy¢vâѯDD¢mINaE:    ,
KïaEtBaÓvaE¢rv    rajB¦ÏyyaE:   k\paØb¤raÜyaE:    prmaN¤mEva©I:    ,   242  ,  
tt¯Ïv|pda×yam¢BD£ymanyaE:    "Thou art that"(TatTvam-Asi)in the dictum
b#'aÏmnaE:   the absolute identity of Brahman (or Iswara) and Jiva
SaE¢DtyaEyId£ÏTm¯   by the terms respectively
½¤Ïya   If thus the Sruti
tyaEÞtÏvms£¢t   That(Tat) and thou (Tvam)
sØyk¯   absolutely
ekÏvmEv   of their relative associations
p#¢tpaïtE   divesting these terms
m¤h^:   in repeated way
eEÀy|   the identity
tyaElI¢XtyaEnI   of their implied
vaÅyyaE   meanings which is sought to be inculcated
¢nIgïtE{ÓyaEÓy¢vâѯDD¢mINaE:    for they are of attributes contradictory to each other
KïaEtBaÓvaE¢rv   like the sun and a glowworm
rajB¦ÏyyaE:   the king and a servant
k\paØb¤raÜyaE:   the ocean and a well
prmaN¤mEva©I:   or Mount Meru and an atom.
 
241. `Thou' when purified as prescribed by the scriptures, becomes one with `That'.
242.  Is there  an inconsistency here? `Thou' is so finite and `That' is Infinite.
 
tyaE¢vIraEDaE{ym¤pa¢Dk¢ÚptaE
n    vaÞtv:    k¢àѤpa¢DrEx:    ,
iISÞy    maya    mhda¢dkarN|
j£vÞy    kayI|    ½¤N¤    p·kaESm¯    ,   243   ,  
tyaE¢vIraEDaE{ym¤pa¢Dk¢ÚptaE    this contradiction between them is created by superimposition
n   vaÞtv:   and is not something real
k¢àѤpa¢DrEx:   this superimposition
iISÞy   in the case of Isvara (the Lord)
maya   is Maya or nescience
mhda¢dkarN|   which is the cause of Mahat and the rest
j£vÞy   and in the case of the Jiva ( the individual soul)
kayI|   the reason
½¤N¤   listen
p·kaESm¯   consists of five sheaths,which are the effects of Maya
 
243.  In essence they are one, the difference arises only through Upadhi or qualification. The Upadhi of God is Maya which is the cause of Mahat and its works. The five sheaths and their works  are the Upadhi of the Jiva.  
etav¤paD£    prj£vyaEÞtyaE:
sØyHq¢nrasE    n    praE    n    j£v:    ,
raÇy|    nrEÓd#Þy    BzÞy    KEzk
ÞtyaErpaEhE    n    BzaE    n    raja    ,   244   ,  
etav¤paD£   these two are the
prj£vyaEÞtyaE:   the superimpositions of Isvara and the Jiva respectively
sØyHq¢nrasE   and when these are perfectly eliminated
n   praE   there is neither Isvara
n   j£v:   nor Jiva.
raÇy|   a kingdom is the
nrEÓd#Þy   symbol of a king
BzÞy   of the soldier
KEzk   a shield
ÞtyaErpaEhE   and when these are taken away
n   BzaE   there is neither a soldier
n   raja   nor a king.
 
244.   Both are one substance, which with Maya and Mahat are God.The same substance with the five sheaths is the jiva.

ATat    AadES    i¢t    ½¤¢t:    Þvy|
¢nxED¢t    b#'a¢N    k¢Úpt|    ¹ym¯    ,
½¤¢tp#maNan¤g¦h£tbaEDa
äOyaE¢nIras:    krN£y    ev    ,   245   ,    
ATat   AadES  i¢t    "Now then is the injunction" etc.,
½¤¢t:   The Vedas
Þvy|   themselves
¢nxED¢t  repudiate
b#'a¢N   in the Brahman
k¢Úpt|   imagined
¹ym¯   those two
½¤¢tp#maNan¤g¦h£tbaEDat¯    superimpositions by means of realization
tyaE¢nIras:   supported by the authority of the Vedas
krN£y   ev   needs elimination.

245. The Supreme self  is free of all Upadhis. You may therefore follow the scriptural prescriptions and do awy with all Upadhis.
nEd|    nEd|    k¢ÚptÏva°    sÏy|
rÇj¤è¾Ûyalvt¯Þvp"vÅc    ,
iÏT|    èÜy|    saD¤y¤³ya    ÛypaE/
åOEy:    pàadEkBavÞtyaEyI:    ,   246   ,  
nEd|   nEd|   neither this gross nor this subtle
k¢ÚptÏva°  sÏy|   being imagined, they are not real
rÇj¤è¾Ûyalvt¯Þvp"vÅc    like the snake seen in the rope, and like dreams
iÏT|   in this
èÜy|   way
saD¤y¤³ya   by means of reasoning
ÛypaE/   perfectly eliminating
åOEy:   the objective world
pàadEkBavÞtyaEyI:   one should realize the oneness that underlies Isvara andthe Jiva

246. Not this, not this, says the Sruthi, in dismissing all attributes.Follow this method to reject the unreal in the dream or the snake in the rope.  
ttÞt¤    taW    lXNya    s¤lßyaW           
tyaErKÎfWkrsÏv¢sÑGyE    ,
nal|    jhÏya    n    tTa{jhÏya
¢kÓt¥ByaTaI¢ÏmkyWv    BaÛym¯    ,   247   ,
ttÞt¤   hence
taW   lXNya   those two terms (Isvara and Jiva)
s¤lßyaW  must be carefully considered
tyaErKÎfWkrsÏv¢sÑGyE   through their implied meanings so that their absolute identitymay be established.
nal|   neither
jhÏya   the method of total rejection
n   tTa{jhÏya   nor that of complete retention will do
¢kÓt¥ByaTaI¢ÏmkyWv   through the process which combines the two
BaÛym¯   one must reason it out.
 
247.  Doing away with Upadhis by meditation will lead you to that which remains.
s    dEvdäOaE{y¢mt£h    cWkta
¢vâÑGDmaISmpaÞy    kÐytE    ,
yTa    tTa    tÏvms£¢tvaÀyE
¢vâÑGDmaIn¤ByæO    ¢hÏva    ,   248   ,
s|lßy    ¢cÓmaæOtya    sdaÏmnaE -
rKÎfBav:    p¢rc£ytE    b¤DW:    ,
ev|    mhavaÀyStEn    kÐytE
b#'aÏmnaErWÀymKÎfBav:    ,   249   ,  
s   dEvdäOaE{y¢mt£h   "This is that Devadatta"
cWkta   the identity
¢vâÑGDmaISmpaÞy   eliminating the contradictory portions
kÐytE   is spoken of
yTa   tTa   so in the sentence
tÏvms£¢tvaÀyE   "Thou art That"
¢vâÑGDmaIn¤ByæO    the contradictory elements on both sides
¢hÏva   must give up
s|lßy   recognise the identity of Isvara and Jiva
¢cÓmaæOtya   noticing carefully the essence of both
sdaÏmnaE:   the difference between Paramatma and Jivatma
AKÎfBav:   contradictory portions
p¢rc£ytE   is realized carefully
b¤DW:   the wise men
ev|   thus
mhavaÀyStEn   hundreds of scriptural texts
kÐytE   inculcate
b#'aÏmnaErWÀymKÎfBav:   the oneness and identity of Brahman and Jiva

248. We rccognize a person Devadatta whom we met formerly, ignoring the circumstances of that earlier meeting; so too, the scriptural teaching`That art thou' should disregard any attributes superimposed on `That' and `Thou', in order to identify them.

249. That and This Atman refer to the same subject. Hundreds of aphorisms show that the Jiva is one with Brahman.

AÞT¥l¢mÏyEtds¢°rÞy
¢sѯD|    ÞvtaE    ÛyaEmvdp#trqÀym¯    ,
AtaE    m¦xamaæO¢md|    p#t£t|
jh£¢h    yt¯ÞvaÏmtya    g¦h£tm¯    ,
b#'ah¢mÏyEv    ¢vS¤ÑGb¤ÑGya
¢v¢ÑG    ÞvmaÏmanmKÎfbaEDm¯    ,   250   ,  
AÞT¥l¢mÏyEtds¢°rÞy    eliminating the notSelf, in the light of such passages as"It is not gross"etc.,(one realizes the Atman
¢sѯD|   which is self
ÞvtaE   established
ÛyaEmvdp#trqÀym¯   unattached like the sky,and beyond the range of thought
AtaE   therefore
m¦xamaæO¢md|   this mere phantom
p#t£t|   of a body
jh£¢h   dismiss
yt¯ÞvaÏmtya   which you perceive and
g¦h£tm¯   have accepted as thy own self
b#'ah¢mÏyEv   that you are Brahman
¢vS¤ÑGb¤ÑGya   by means of the purified understanding
¢v¢ÑG   realise
ÞvmaÏmanmKÎfbaEDm¯   thy own Self,the Knowledge Absolute
 
250. You must give up the unreal notions you take as your own self and take only those that are real, self-evident and beyond dispute. Know your true self which is indivisible consciousness, by the pure thought `I am Brahman'.
     


PROCEED TO SLOKAS 251 TO 260
RETURN TO INDEX OF VIVEKA CHUDAMANI