Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 3,4 of 101

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

3.

AtmAnAtma-pratItiH prathamam-abhihitA satya-mithyAtva-yogAt

dvedhA brahma-pratItir-nigama-nigaditA

svAnubhUt-yopapattyA /

AdyA dehA-nubhandhAd-bhavati tad-aparA sA ca sarvAtmakatvAt

Adau brahm-Aham-asmIty-anubhava udite khal-vidam brahma

pashcAt //

 

prathamaM : At the outset

abhihitA : is enunciated

Atma-anAtma-pratItiH : the perception of the Self and the

non-Self

Satya-mithyAtva-yogAt : (respectively) by means of Truth

and of ‘MithyA’.

Brahma-pratItiH : Realisation of brahman

nigama-nigaditA : is spoken of by the Vedas

dvedhA : as two-fold

svAnubhUtyA : by means of our experience, (and)

upapattyA : by means of conclusive proof.

AdyA : The former

bhavati : arises

dehAnubhandhAt : by consideration of the body as only an

appendage,

tat aparA sA : while the latter

(bhavati) : (arises)

sarvAtmakatvAt : by consideration of universal immanence.

Adau : In the beginning (the Realisation is)

Brahma-aham-asmi iti : that ‘I am brahman’

anubhave udite : when the experience rises

pashcAt : thereafter, (it is)

idam khalu brahma : ‘All this is indeed brahman’.

 

Note how the Acharya goes to the heart of the problem

right in the beginning. He has 99 shlokas to go; but he

wastes no time!

 

4.

AtmA cid-vit-sukhAtmA’nubhava-paricitaH sarva-dehAdiyantA

satyevaM mUDha-buddhir-bhajati nanu

jano’nitya-dehAtma-buddhiM /

bAhyo’sthi-snAyu-majjA-pala-rudhira-vasA-carma-medo-yug-antaH

viNmUtra-shleshhma-pUrNaM sva-para-vapur-aho samviditvA’pi

bhUyaH //

 

AtmA : The Self

Cit-vid-sukha-AtmA : is of the nature of Consciousness,

Knowledge, Bliss.

anubhava-paricitaH : (It) can be known by direct

experience.

Sarva-dehAdi-yantA : (It) is the inspirer in all bodies,

senses etc.

Evam sati : And yet

mUDha-buddhiH janaH : the foolish person

bhajati : treasures

anitya-deha-Atma-buddhiM : the understanding that this

transient body is the Self.

nanu aho : alas! It is so

api samviditvA bhUyaH : although (he) knows again and again

that

Sva-para-vapuH : the body either of his or of others

bAhyaH : (is) externally

asthi-snAyu-majjA-pala-rudhira-vasA-carma-medo-yug :

composed of bones, tendon, marrow, flesh, blood, nerve,

skin and fat

antaH : (and) internally

viN-mUtra-shleshhma-pUrNaM : full of excrement, urine and

phlegm.

 

Note 1: “samviditvA’pi bhUyaH” is the Acharya’s emphasis

in the shloka.

 

Note 2. Compare with the more succinct version in his own

“Aparokshanubhuti” shloka No.23:

 

deho’ham ityayaM mUDhaH kRtvA tishhTaty-aho janaH /

mamAyam-ityapi jnAtvA ghaTa-drAshhTeva sarvadA //

 

Meaning: How strange is it that a person ignorantly rests

contented with the idea that he is the body, while he knows

it as something belonging to him (and therefore apart from

him) even as a person who sees a pot (knows it as apart

from him) !

 

prANAms to all students of Adi Shankaracharya

profvk

 

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

Also see my webpages on Live Happily, the Gita Way at

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/contentsbeach11.html

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

That last part of stanza 3 beautifully complements our previous

pUrNamadah pUrNamidam discussion! Thanks.

 

It is to be contrasted with the conclusion of DakSinAmUrti StOtram

where Sankara promises sarvAtmatwam and ISwaratwam at the conclusion.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

_____________________

 

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk>

wrote:

>

> 3.

.......................................................................

> Adau : In the beginning (the Realisation is)

> Brahma-aham-asmi iti : that `I am brahman'

> anubhave udite : when the experience rises

> pashcAt : thereafter, (it is)

> idam khalu brahma : `All this is indeed

brahman'............................