THE WORKS OF SANKARA

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI

SLOKAS 561 TO 570

p#åOanGn    iÏyaÏmlXN|    sÏys¥ckm¯    ,
An¥ïaWpa¢DkÞyWv    kTy¢Ót    ¢vnaSnm¯    .   561   .  
p#åOanGn   "The Embodiment of Knowledge"
iÏyaÏmlXN|   the real nature of the Atman in the words
sÏys¥ckm¯   which indicate Its Reality
An¥ïaWpa¢DkÞyWv   The Srutis, by setting forth, of the apparent limitations merely
kTy¢Ót   speak
¢vnaSnm¯   of the destruction
 
561. The Atman is marked by the  consolidation  of the consciousness and  the   upadhis generated  by Avidya die. 
 
A¢vnaS£    va    ArE{ymaÏmE¢t    ½¤¢traÏmn:    ,
p#b#v£Ïy¢vna¢SÏv|    ¢vnÜyÏs¤    ¢vka¢rx¤    .   562   .  
A¢vnaS£   va   ArE{ymaÏmE¢t    "Verily is this Atman immortal,my dear "
½¤¢traÏmn:   The Sruti passage mentions
p#b#v£Ïy¢vna¢SÏv|   the immortality of the Atman
¢vnÜyÏs¤   in the midst of things perishable
¢vka¢rx¤   and subject to modification
 
562. The scriptures affirm that the Atman is immortal  in the  midst  of            everything  that   changes  and  dies. 
   
paxaNv¦Xt¦NDaÓykfÄðraïa
dÂDa    Bv¢Ót    ¢h    m¦dEv    yTa    tTWv    ,
dEhE¢Ód#yas¤mn    Aa¢d    smÞtèÜy|
åOana¢g"dÂDm¤pya¢t    praÏmBavm¯    .   563   .
 
paxaNv¦Xt¦NDaÓykfÄðraïa    a stone,a tree, grass, paddy, husk,etc.
dÂDa   when burnt
Bv¢Ót   ¢h   are reduced to
m¦dEv   earth (ashes) only
yTa   just as
tTWv   even so
dEhE¢Ód#yas¤mn  Aa¢d   the body, organs, Pranas, manas, and so forth
smÞtèÜy|   the whole objective universe comprising
åOana¢g"dÂDm¤pya¢t    are, when burnt by the fire of realization
praÏmBavm¯   reduced to the Supreme Self.
 
563. The  stone,  tree,  grass,  paddy, etc.,  when  burnt, become ash;  so too, the   body, senses, mind, and  all appearances, burnt by the fire  of  knowledge,   becomes  Brahman.    
¢vlXN|    yTa    ÒvaÓt|    l£ytE    Ban¤tEj¢s    ,
tTWv    skl|    èÜy|    b#'¢Np#¢vl£ytE    .   564   .
 
¢vlXN|   which is distinct (from sunshine)
yTa   as
ÒvaÓt|   darkness
l£ytE   vanishes
Ban¤tEj¢s   in the sun's radiance
tTWv   so
skl|   the whole universe
èÜy|   objective
b#'¢Np#¢vl£ytE   dissolves in Brahman.
 
564. As darkness  subsides and  merges  into the  sunlight,  so too do all appearances  subside and merge in  Brahman.  
GzE    n¾E    yTa    ÛyaEm    ÛyaEmWv    Bv¢t    ÞP[zm¯    ,
tTWvaEpa¢D¢vlyE    b#'Wv    b#'¢vt¯Þvym¯    .   565   .  
GzE   n¾E   when a jar is broken
yTa   as
ÛyaEm   the space enclosed by it
ÛyaEmWv   palpably the limitless place
Bv¢t   becomes
ÞP[zm¯   clearly
tTWvaEpa¢D¢vlyE   so, when the apparent limtationsare destroyed
b#'Wv   becomes Brahman Itself
b#'¢vt¯Þvym¯   the knower of Brahman verily

565. When  the  jar breaks,  the  sky inside and outside it become one, so too,   with  the destruction  of the upadhis, the  knower  of  Brahman  becomes   Brahman.  
X£r|    X£raE    yTa    ¢XçO|    tWl|    jl|    jlE    ,
s|y¤³mEkta|    ya¢t    tTa{{ÏmÓyaÏm¢vÓm¤¢n:    .   566   .
 
X£r|   milk
X£raE   poured into milk
yTa   as
¢XçO|   oil
tWl|   into oil
jl|   and water
jlE   into water
s|y¤³mEkta|   united and one with it
ya¢t   becomes
tTa{{ÏmÓyaÏm¢vÓm¤¢n:    so, the sage who has realized the Atman becomes one in the Atman

566. Just as  milk  and milk, oil  and  oil,  and  water and  water  mix  to become   one,the  knower  of  Brahman  becomes  one  with  Brahman.
ev|    ¢vdEhkWvÚy|    sÓmaæOÏvmK¢Îftm¯    ,
b#'Bav|    p#pïWx    ytnaIvtItE    p¤n:    .   567   .  
ev|   thus
¢vdEhkWvÚy|   isolation that comes of disembodiedness
sÓmaæOÏvmK¢Îftm¯    and becoming eternally identified with the Absolute Reality
b#'Bav|   Brahman
p#pïWx   realizing
ytnaIvtItE   the sage suffers transmigration
p¤n:   no longer
 
567.He who thus becomes one with Brahman,  never   comes   back   again.
 
 
sdaÏmWkÏv¢våOandÂDa¢vïa¢dvx¯rqmN:    ,
Am¤Ýy    b#'B¥tÏvadq    b#'N:    k[t    uëv:    .   568   .  
sdaÏmWkÏv¢våOandÂDa¢vïa¢dvx¯rqmN:    for his bodies, consisting of nescience etc., having been burnt by the realisation of the identity of the Jiva and Brahman
Am¤Ýy   for him
b#'B¥tÏvadq   he becomes Brahman Itself
b#'N:   and Brahman
k[t   how can ever have
uëv:   rebirth
 
568. He  who  comes  back is surely  not  the  Atman but an  upadhi. Burning the seed of Avidya by recognising  oneness with  Brahman, how  can  there  be  any   birth  for  Brahman  ?   
maya²¦çOaW    bÓDmaEXaW    n    Þt:    ÞvaÏm¢n    vÞt¤t:    ,
yTa    rÇjaW    ¢n¢Ý@yaya|    spaIBas¢v¢ngImaW    .   569   .
 
maya²¦çOaW   which are conjured up by Maya
bÓDmaEXaW   bondage and liberation
n   Þt:   do not really exist
ÞvaÏm¢n   in the Atman
vÞt¤t:   one's Reality
yTa   just as
rÇjaW   in the rope
¢n¢Ý@yaya|   which suffers no change
spaIBas¢v¢ngImaW   as the appearance and exit of the snake do not abide
 
569. Bondage  and  liberation  belong  to  Maya  and do  not  exist  in  the  Atman. For the  rope  free  from  change, there  is  no coming  or  going  of  the  snake   upadhi.
 
Aav¦tE:    sdst¯Ïva×ya|    v³ÛyE    bÓDmaEXNE    ,
nav¦¢äOrq    b#'N:    ka¢cdÓyaBavadnav¦tm¯    ,
yïÞÏy¹Wtha¢n:    Þyadq    ¹Wt|    naE    shtE    ½¤¢t:    .   570   .  
Aav¦tE:   no covering
sdst¯Ïva×ya|   when there is the presence or absence
v³ÛyE   may be talked
bÓDmaEXNE   bondage and liberation
nav¦¢äOrq   can be no covering veil
b#'N:   for Brahman
ka¢cdÓyaBavadnav¦tm¯   which is always uncovered for want of a second thing
yïÞÏy¹Wtha¢n:   if there be,destruction to duality
Þyadq   will be contradicted
¹Wt|   the nonduality of Brahman
naE   shtE   can never brook duality
½¤¢t:   the Srutis
 
570. Bondage  or  freedom  refer to the  presence  or absence  of  a covering   entity. But  there is never any  covering  for  Brahman. The scriptures do not envisage any  duality.    
PROCEED TO SLOKAS 571 TO 580
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