Vivekachudamani: The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination | 551-580

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prārabdhakarmaparikalpitavāsanābhiḥ
saṁsārivaccarati bhuktiṣu muktadehaḥ।
siddhaḥ svayaṁ vasati sākṣivadatra tūṣṇīṁ
cakrasya mūlamiva kalpavikalpaśūnyaḥ॥ 551॥

551. The man of realisation, bereft of the body-idea, moves amid sense-enjoyments like a man subject to transmigration, through desires engendered by Prārabdha work. He himself, however, lives unmoved in the body, like a witness, free from mental oscillations, like the pivot of the potter’s wheel.

naivendriyāṇi viṣayeṣu niyuṅkta eṣa
naivāpayuṅkta updarśanalakṣaṇasthaḥ।
naiva kriyāphalamapīṣadavekṣate sa
svānandasāndrarasapānasumattacittaḥ॥ 552॥

552. He neither directs the sense-organs to their objects nor detaches them from these, but stays like an unconcerned spectator. And he has not the least regard for the fruits of actions, his mind being thoroughly inebriated with drinking the undiluted elixir of the Bliss of Ātman.

lakṣyālakṣyagatiṁ tyaktvā yastiṣṭhetkevalātmanā।
śiva eva svayaṁ sākṣādayaṁ brahmaviduttamaḥ॥ 553॥

553. He who, giving up all such considerations as - this is a fit object of meditation and this is not – lives as the absolute Ātman, is verily Śiva himself, and he is the best among Knowers of Brahman.

jīvanneva sadā muktaḥ kṛtārtho brahmavittamaḥ।
upādhināśādbrahmaiva san brahmāpyeti nirdvayam॥ 554॥

554. Through the destruction of the supervening adjuncts, the perfect knower of Brahman merges himself in the One Brahman without a second – which he had been all along – becomes very free even while living, and attains the consummation of his life.

śailūṣo veṣasadbhāvā bhāvayośca yathā pumān।
tathaiva brahmavicchreṣṭhaḥ sadā brahmaiva nāparaḥ॥ 555॥

555. As an actor, when he puts on the dress of his role, or when he does not, is always a man, so the perfect knower of Brahman is always Brahman and nothing else.  

yatra kvāpi viśīrṇaṁ satparṇamiva tarorvapuḥ patatāt।
brahmībhūtasya yateḥ prāgeva taccidagninā dagdham॥ 556॥

556. Let the body of the Sannyasin who has realised his identity with Brahman, wither and fall anywhere like the leaf of a tree, (it is of little consequence to him, for) it has already been burnt by the fire of knowledge.

sadātmani brahmaṇi tiṣṭhato muneḥ
pūrṇādvayānandamayātmanā sadā।
na deśakālādyucitapratīkṣā
tvaṅmāṁsaviṭpiṇḍavisarjanāya॥ 557॥

557. The sage who always lives in the Reality – Brahman – as Infinite Bliss, the One without a second, does not depend upon the customary considerations of place, time, etc., for giving up this mass of skin, flesh and filth.

dehasya mokṣo no mokṣo na daṇḍasya kamaṇḍaloḥ।
avidyāhṛdayagranthimokṣo mokṣo yatastataḥ॥ 558॥

558. For the giving up of the body is not Liberation, nor that of the staff and the water- bowl; but Liberation consists in the destruction of the heart’s knot which is Nescience.

kulyāyāmatha nadyāṁ vā śivakṣetre'pi catvare।
parṇaṁ patati cettena taroḥ kiṁ nu śubhāśubham॥ 559॥

559. If a leaf falls in a small stream, or a river, or a place consecrated by Shiva, or in a crossing of roads, of what good or evil effect is that to the tree?

patrasya puṣpasya phalasya nāśavad
dehendriyaprāṇadhiyāṁ vināśaḥ।
naivātmanaḥ svasya sadātmakasyā
nandākṛtervṛkṣavadasti caiṣaḥ॥ 560॥

560. The destruction of the body, organs, Prāṇas and Buddhi is like that of a leaf or flower or fruit (to a tree). It does not affect the Ātman, the Reality, the Embodiment of Bliss – which is one’s true nature. That survives, like the tree.

prajñānaghana ityātmalakṣaṇaṁ satyasūcakam।
anūdyaupādhikasyaiva kathayanti vināśanam॥ 561॥

561. The Śrutis, by setting forth the real nature of the Ātman in the words, "The Embodiment of Knowledge" etc., which indicate Its Reality, speak of the destruction of the apparent limitations merely.

avināśī vā are'yamātmeti śrutirātmanaḥ।
prabravītyavināśitvaṁ vinaśyatsu vikāriṣu॥ 562॥

562. The Śruti passage, "Verily is this Ātman immortal, my dear", mentions the immortality of the Ātman in the midst of things perishable and subject to modification.

pāṣāṇavṛkṣatṛṇadhānyakaḍaṅkarādyā
dagdhā bhavanti hi mṛdeva yathā tathaiva।
dehendriyāsumana ādi samastadṛśyaṁ
jñānāgnidagdhamupayāti parātmabhāvam॥ 563॥

563. Just as a stone, a tree, grass, paddy, husk, etc., when burnt, are reduced to earth (ashes) only, even so the whole objective universe comprising the body, organs, Prāṇas, Manas and so forth, are, when burnt by the fire of realisation, reduced to the Supreme Self.

vilakṣaṇaṁ yathā dhvāntaṁ līyate bhānutejasi।
tathaiva sakalaṁ dṛśyaṁ brahmaṇi pravilīyate॥ 564॥

564. As darkness, which is distinct (from sunshine), vanishes in the sun’s radiance, so the whole objective universe dissolves in Brahman.

ghaṭe naṣṭe yathā vyoma vyomaiva bhavati sphuṭam।
tathaivopādhivilaye brahmaiva brahmavitsvayam॥ 565॥

565. As, when a jar is broken, the space enclosed by it becomes palpably the limitless space, so when the apparent limitations are destroyed, the knower of Brahman verily becomes Brahman Itself.

kṣīraṁ kṣīre yathā kṣiptaṁ tailaṁ taile jalaṁ jale।
saṁyuktamekatāṁ yāti tathātmanyātmavinmuniḥ॥ 566॥

566. As milk poured into milk, oil into oil, and water into water, becomes united and one with it, so the sage who has realised the Ātman becomes one in the Ātman.

evaṁ videhakaivalyaṁ sanmātratvamakhaṇḍitam।
brahmabhāvaṁ prapadyaiṣa yatirnāvartate punaḥ॥ 567॥

567. Realising thus the extreme isolation that comes of disembodiedness, and becoming eternally identified with the Absolute Reality, Brahman, the sage no longer suffers transmigration.

sadātmaikatvavijñānadagdhāvidyādivarṣmaṇaḥ।
amuṣya brahmabhūtatvādbrahmaṇaḥ kuta udbhavaḥ॥ 568॥

568. For his bodies, consisting of Nescience etc., having been burnt by the realisation of the identity of the Jīva and Brahman, he becomes Brahman Itself; and how can Brahman ever have rebirth?

māyākḷptau bandhamokṣau na staḥ svātmani vastutaḥ।
yathā rajjau niṣkriyāyāṁ sarpābhāsavinirgamau॥ 569॥

569. Bondage and Liberation, which are conjured up by Māyā, do not really exist in the Ātman, one’s Reality, as the appearance and exit of the snake do not abide in the rope, which suffers no change.

āvṛteḥ sadasattvābhyāṁ vaktavye bandhamokṣaṇe।
nāvṛtirbrahmaṇaḥ kācidanyābhāvādanāvṛtam
yadyastyadvaitahāniḥ syāddvaitaṁ no sahate śrutiḥ॥ 570॥

570. Bondage and Liberation may be talked of when there is the presence or absence of a covering veil. But there can be no covering veil for Brahman, which is always uncovered for want of a second thing besides Itself. If there be, the non-duality of Brahman will be contradicted, and the Śrutis can never brook duality.

bandhañca mokṣañca mṛṣaiva mūḍhā
buddherguṇaṁ vastuni kalpayanti।
dṛgāvṛtiṁ meghakṛtāṁ yathā ravau
yato'dvayāsaṅgacidetadakṣaram॥ 571॥

571. Bondage and Liberation are attributes of the Buddhi which ignorant people falsely superimpose on the Reality, as the covering of the eyes by a cloud is transferred to the sun. For this Immutable Brahman is Knowledge Absolute, the One without a second and unattached.

astīti pratyayo yaśca yaśca nāstīti vastuni।
buddhereva guṇāvetau na tu nityasya vastunaḥ॥ 572॥

572. The idea that bondage exists, and the idea that it does not, are, with reference to the Reality, both attributes of the Buddhi merely, and never belong to the Eternal Reality, Brahman.

atastau māyayā kḷptau bandhamokṣau na cātmani।
niṣkale niṣkriye śānte niravadye nirañjane
advitīye pare tattve vyomavatkalpanā kutaḥ॥ 573॥

573. Hence this bondage and Liberation are created by Māyā, and are not in the Ātman. How can there be any idea of limitation with regard to the Supreme Truth, which is without parts, without activity, calm, unimpeachable, taintless, and One without a second, as there can be none with regard to the infinite sky?

na nirodho na cotpattirna baddho na ca sādhakaḥ।
na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramārthatā॥ 574॥

574. There is neither death nor birth, neither a bound nor a struggling soul, neither a seeker after Liberation nor a liberated one – this is the ultimate truth.

sakalanigamacūḍāsvāntasiddhāntarūpaṁ
paramidamatiguhyaṁ darśitaṁ te mayādya।
apagatakalidoṣaṁ kāmanirmuktabuddhiṁ
svasutavadasakṛttvāṁ bhāvyitvā mumukṣum॥ 575॥

575. I have today repeatedly revealed to thee, as to one’s own son, this excellent and profound secret, which is the inmost purport of all Vedanta, the crest of the Vedas – considering thee an aspirant after Liberation, purged of the taints of this Dark Age, and of a mind free from desires.

iti śrutvā gurorvākyaṁ praśrayeṇa kṛtānatiḥ।
sa tena samanujñāto yayau nirmuktabandhanaḥ॥ 576॥

576. Hearing these words of the Guru, the disciple out of reverence prostrated himself before him, and with his permission went his way, freed from bondage.

gurureva sadānandasindhau nirmagnamānasaḥ।
pāvayanvasudhāṁ sarvāṇvicacāra nirantaraḥ॥ 577॥

577. And the Guru, with his mind steeped in the ocean of Existence and Bliss Absolute, roamed, verily purifying the whole world – all differentiating ideas banished from his mind.

ityācāryasya śiṣyasya saṁvādenātmalakṣaṇam।
nirūpitaṁ mumukṣūṇāṁ sukhabodhopapattaye॥ 578॥

578. Thus by way of a dialogue between the Teacher and the disciple, has the nature of the Ātman been ascertained for the easy comprehension of seekers after Liberation.  

hitamidamupadeśamādriyantāṁ
vihitanirastasamastacittadoṣāḥ।
bhavasukhaviratāḥ praśāntacittāḥ
śrutirasikā yatayo mumukṣavo ye॥ 579॥

579. May those Sannyasins who are seekers after Liberation, who have purged themselves of all taints of the mind by the observance of the prescribed methods, who are averse to worldly pleasures, and who are of serene minds, and take a delight in the Śruti – appreciate this salutary teaching!

saṁsārādhvani tāpabhānukiraṇaprodbhūtadāhavyathā
khinnānāṁ jalakāṅkṣayā marubhuvi bhrāntyā paribhrāmyatām।
atyāsannasudhāmbudhiṁ sukhakaraṁ brahmādvayaṁ darśayaty
eṣā śaṁkarabhāratī vijayate nirvāṇasaṁdāyinī॥ 580॥

580. For those who are afflicted, in the way of the world, by the burning pain due to the (scorching) sunshine of threefold misery, and who through delusion wander about in a desert in search of water – for them here is the triumphant message of Shankara pointing out, within easy reach, the soothing ocean of nectar, Brahman, the One without a second – to lead them on to Liberation. 

॥ इति शंकराचार्यविरचितं विवेकचुडामणि॥

|| iti śaṁkarācāryaviracitaṁ vivekacuḍāmaṇi ||

॥ ॐ तत्सत्‌॥

॥oṁ tatsat॥