Gaudapada's   Karika   on   the   Mandukya   Upanishad
     ADVAITA   PRAKARANA  
%pasnaiïtae   xmaˆR   jate   äüi[   vtRte     ,
p#ag¤ÏpäOErj|   svI|   tEnasaW   k]pN:   Þm¦t:    ¡  1 ¡  

upasna¢½t:

who resorts to devotional exercises

DmI:	the method (adopted by the aspirant)

jatE   b#'¢N

in the conditioned Brahman

vtItE

stays, subsists

p#ak

prior to

uÏpäOE:

creation (of the universe)

Aj|

birthless

svI|

all this

tEn	for that very reason

AsaW

that man

k]pN:

pitiable

Þm¦t:

is considered

 
3.1   A   person   who   is   constantly   in   prayer   that  he   and   the   world   around   him   should   return   to   the   state   of   Brahman,   through   prayer   rather   than    understanding,   is   surely   deluded   for   one   who   knows   non-dual   Brahman   will   see   it   as   ever-existing   and   all   else   as   never-existing.
 
Atae   vúyaMykapR{ymjait   smta<   gtm!       ,
ywa   n   jayte   ik<ic¾ayman<   smNtt>       . 2 .
 

At:

hence

vßya¢m

I shall clarify

AkapIÎym¯

free from limitation

Aja¢t

has no birth

smtam¯

in a state of homogeneity

gtm¯

reached

yTa

how

n

not

jaytE

is born

¢k|¢ct¯

anything

jayman|

seems to be born

smÓtt:

in all respects

 
3.2   I   now   explain   the   nature   of   Brahman   in   all   respects.   It   is   without beginning,   is   all-pervasive,   and   It   is   not   born,   because   anything   born   is   false (impermanent) (like   a   rope   (mis)taken   for   a   snake).  
AaTma   ýakazv¾IvE"RqakazEirvaeidt>      ,
"qaidv½   s<"atEjaRtavetiÚdzRnm!          .  3 .
 

AaÏma

the Self (Brahman)

¢h

indeed

AakaSvt¯

like space

j£vW:

in the form of individual souls

GzakaSW:

in the form of spaces confined within jars

iv	in the same way

u¢dt:

is referred to

Gza¢dvt¯

like the jar etc.

c

and

s|GatW:

in the form of composite things

jataW

in the matter of birth

ett¯

this is

¢ndSInm¯

the illustration

 
3.3   The   Cosmic   Self(Brahman)   is   comparable   to   Space.The   individual   Self   is   space   enclosed in   a   pot,   and   appears   as   a   pot which   is   no   more   than   having
its   limiting   adjuncts in   containing   the   space.
 
 
"qaid;u  àlIne;u  "qakazadyae  ywa      ,
Aakaze  s<àlIyNte  tÖ¾Iva  #haTmin    .  4 .
 

Gza¢dx¤

in the jars etc.

p#l£nEx¤

on the disintegration

GzakaSady:

the space confined within the jars etc.

yTa

just as

AakaSE

in the space

s|p#l£yÓtE

dissolve

t¹t¯

similarly

j£va:

the individual souls

ih

here

AaÏm¢n

in this Self (Brahman)

 
3.4     On   the   dissolution   of   the   pot,the enclosed   space   becomes   one   with   the   outer space.   In   the   same   way, when   bodies   perish,   the   individual Selves   within,   also become   one   with   the   Cosmic   Self.
Note:   This   is   called   the   "Avaccheda   Vada"   as   opposed   to   the   'Bimba   -Pratibimba   Vada"- ,  the   two   streams    of   commentary   by   Vacaspati   Misra   and   Prakasatma   Yati,
known   as   the   Bhamati   and   Vivarana   traditions   on   the   Bhasya   of   Sri   Sankara   on   the   Brahma   Sutras   (also   known   as   Vedanta   Sutras   or   Badarayana   Sutra).  
ywEkiSmn!   "qakaze     rjaexUmaidi-yuRte          ,
n   svˆR   s<àyuJyNte   tÖ¾Iva>   suoaidi->     .  5 .
 

yTa

just as

ek¢Þmn¯

in one of the

GzakaSE

spaces confined in the jar

rjaED¥ma¢d¢B:

by dust,smoke etc.

y¤tE	polluted by, mixed with

n

not

svI	all the spaces (in other jars )

s|p#y¤ÇyÓtE

are defiled by dust or smoke etc.

t¹t¯	just like that

j£va:

beings (individual souls)

s¤Ka¢d¢B:

by happiness etc.

 
3.5   The   space   within   one   pot   may   appear   to   be   fouled   by   smoke   and   dust,   but   space   in   other   pots   may   not   be   be   so   affected.   So   too,   the   individual   Self   may appear    to   be   so   affected,   in   pleasure   and   pain,   while   others   (Selves)     remain   unaffected.
 
êpkayRsmaOyaí   i-*Nte   tÇ   tÇ   vE        ,
AakazSy   n   -edae=iSt   tÖ¾Ive;u   in[Ry>    .  6 .
 

ãpkayIsmaÁya:

forms,actions,names

c

and

¢BïÓtE

differ

tæO

(t)here

tæO

there

vW

indeed

AakaSÞy

of the space

n

no

BEd:	difference

A¢Þt

is

t¹t¯	just like that

j£vEx¤

in the matter of individual beings (Selves)

¢nNIy:

definite conclusion

 
3.6   Space   may   appear   divided,  being   delimited   by   form,   name and   purpose   but   truly   speaking,   space   is   never   divided.   The   same   is   true   of   the individual   Selves   as   well.
 
nakazSy   "qakazae   ivkaravyvaE   ywa       ,
nEvaTmn>   sda   jIvae   ivkaravyvaE   twa     .  7 .
 

n

not

AakaSÞy

of the space

GzakaS:

space within the jar

¢vkar:

transformation

AvyvaW

a part

yTa

as

n

not

iv

like

AaÏmn:

of the supreme (Cosmic) Self (Brahman)

sda

always

j£v:	individual being (Self)

¢vkar:

transformation

AvyvaW

a part

tTa

similarly

 
3.7   Space   in   a   pot   remains   unchanged   by   the   pot,   so   too,   the   individual Self   in   the   body   remains   unchanged,    as   the   Cosmic   Self.
   
ywa   -vit   balana<   ggn<   miln<   mlE>     ,
twa   -vTybuÏanamaTma=ip   milnae   mlE>      .  8 .
 

yTa

just as

Bv¢t

appears

balana|

to the ignorant

ggn|	the sky (ether)

m¢ln|

blackened

mlW:	by dust, impurities

tTa

similarly

Bv¢t

appears

Ab¤¼anam¯

to the unawakened

AaÏma

the supreme Self (Brahman)

A¢p

also

m¢ln:

(appears)tainted

mlW:	impurities

3.8   Just   as   to   children,   the   sky   appears   darkened   by   clouds,   smoke   and   other   things,   so   too,   to   the   ignorant,   the   Self  (Brahman)   appears   blemished   by   impurity
but   the   Self,   like   the   sky,   remains   pure   and   unchanged   by   these   appearances).
 
mr[e   s<-ve   cEv   gTyagmnyaerip          ,
iSwtaE   svRzrIre;u   Aakazenaivl][>       .  9 .
 

mrNE

in death

s|BvE

in birth

c

and

ev

also

g¢t:	going(death)

AagmnyaE:

coming(birth)

A¢p

also

¢ÞTtaW

existence

svISr£rEx¤

in all the bodies

AakaSEn

(compared)to space

A¢vlXN:

not dissimilar

 
3.9   When   being   born,   or   dying   or   traversing   this   world   or   the   other,   whatever   state   you   are   in,   this    (individual)  Self,   like   space,   remains   unchanged.
   
s<"ata>  SvßvTsvˆR AaTmmayaivsijRta>      ,
AaixKye svRsaMye va naeppiÄihR   iv*te     .  10 .
 

s|Gata:

the aggregates

Þvp"vt¯

like dream

svI

all

AaÏmmaya

by the Maya of the Self (Brahman)

¢vs¢jIta:

projected

Aa¢DÀyE

superiority

svIsaØyE

equality of all

va

or

n

no

upp¢äO:

valid ground

¢h

since

¢vïtE

exists

   
3.10   The   body   and   its   components   are   an   illusion   as   in   a   dream,   and   arise from   ignorance   of   the   Self (Brahman).   There   is   no   basis for   our   perception   of
superiority   between   bodies,   they   being   on   par.
   
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