Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 11,12 of 101

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

11.

shreyaH preyashca loke dvividham-abhihitaM

kAmyam-AtyantikaM ca

kAmyaM dukhaika-bIjaM kshhaNa-lava-virasaM tac-cikIrshhanti

mandAH /

brahmaiv-AtyantikaM yan-niratishaya-sukhasy-AspadaM

samshrayante

tatvajnAs-tac-ca kATopanishad-abhihitaM shhaD-vidhAyAM ca

vallyAM //

 

loke : In the world

dvividhaM abhihitaM : there are two kinds (of goals),

namely,

shreyaH : what is preferable

preyaH ca : and what is pleasant.

AtyantikaM ca : That which is absolute

kAmyaM : and that which is activated by desire.

kAmyaM : The desire-activated one

dukha-eka-bIjaM : is the sole source of sorrow

kshhaNa-lava-virasaM : and becomes insipid in an instant.

mandAH : The ignorant

tat cikIrshhanti : go after it.

Brahma eva : Brahman alone

AtyantikaM : is the Absolute.

Yat AspadaM : It is the repository

niratishaya-sukhasya : of unsurpassed Bliss.

tatvajnAH : Those who know the Truth

tat samshrayante : take refuge therein.

abhihitaM : (This) is declared

KATopanishat ca : also (by) the Kathopanishad

shhaD-vidhAyAM vallyAM : in its six divisions (‘vallis’).

 

12.

AtmAmbodhes-tarango’smy-aham-iti gamane

bhAvayan-nAsanasthaH

samvit-sUtrA-nuviddho maNir-aham-iti

vA’sm-IndriyArtha-pratItau /

dRshhTo’smy-AtmAvalokAd-iti shayana-vidhau magna

Ananda-sindhau

antar-nishhTo mumukshhuH sa khalu tanubhRtAM yo

nayaty-evam-AyuH //

 

tanubhRtAM : Among all human beings

mumukshhuH : the real seeker of liberation

sa khalu yaH : is indeed he, who

antar-nishhTaH : being inwardly firm,

AyuH nayati : spends his whole life

evam bhAvayan : with the following attitude, (namely)

ahaM tarangaH asmi iti : that ‘I am (only) a wave

AtmAmbodheH : of the Ocean of the Self’

gamane : while going about,

ahaM maNiH iti : that ‘I am (only) a bead

samvit-sUtrAnuviddhaH : strung on the thread of Universal

Consciousness’

AsanasthaH : while seated,

AtmAvalokAt dRshhTaH asmi iti : that ‘I am perceiving

myself through this perception of the Self’

indriyArtha-pratItau : while sense-objects are perceived,

(and)

Ananda-sindhau magnaH : that ‘I am deep into the Ocean of

Bliss’

shayana-vidhau : while sleeping.

 

Note 1: This shloka is a beautifully capsuled answer to

those who like to question: “How does an advaitin live?

What is to be practised for being an advaitin?”.

 

Note 2: This is the time for members to seek parallel

statements in advaitic literature. That would strengthen

our conviction in what is said. That would also help the

‘nidhidhyAsana’ of advaitic logic and its conclusions.

 

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]

A couple of short notes from Sri Atmananda that reflects these wonderful

shloka-s from Adi Shankara:

 

190. HAPPINESS AND MISERY COMPARED (153)

Misery is caused and sustained only by the incessant remembrance of the

objects

connected with it. Happiness also may appear to have a sense object, at the

beginning.

But the sense object as well as the thought of it will both disappear

entirely when

happiness dawns; while the continuance of both these are necessary for

misery.

Thus, when happiness dawns, you are drawn into your real nature, where sense

objects

and thoughts have no place. So, if you want misery, you must go out of your

nature; and if you want happiness, come back to it.

 

 

201. LIFE, THOUGHT AND FEELING DEFINED (164)

Existence conditioned is 'life'.

Consciousness limited is 'thought'.

Peace expressing itself is 'feeling'.

Happiness is something beyond mental pleasure. It means tracing the source

of happiness

you have enjoyed, to your real nature.

The incessant pursuit of objects of pleasure by man and the real source of

all that

pleasure are clearly illustrated by the simple story of a dog. The dog got a

dry bone

and began to munch it hard, for blood. This munching bruised its gum, and a

few

drops of blood came out. The dog immediately tasted this blood and thought

it came

from the bone. So it began to munch the bone harder, and more blood came out

of its

own mouth. This again the dog drank, until at last it was exhausted and left

the bone.

Exactly the same is the condition of man, who hunts after objects of

pleasure, encouraged

by the glimpses of pleasure he occasionally seems to enjoy immediately on

contact with them. Like the dog, man also takes the object to be the source

of the

pleasure enjoyed, and pursues it with still greater avidity.

But the moment he comes to understand aright, that it was his own real

nature of

Happiness that he was enjoying all along in the name of pleasure, the

pursuit of

objects stops altogether; and he becomes Self-centred and eternally happy.

 

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Dennis Waite" <dwaite@a...> wrote:

> A couple of short notes from Sri Atmananda that reflects these

wonderful

> shloka-s from Adi Shankara:

>> The incessant pursuit of objects of pleasure by man and the real

source of

> all that

> pleasure are clearly illustrated by the simple story of a dog. The

dog got a

> dry bone

> and began to munch it hard, for blood. This munching bruised its

gum, and a

> few

> drops of blood came out. The dog immediately tasted this blood and

thought

> it came

> from the bone. So it began to munch the bone harder, and more

blood came out

> of its

> own mouth. This again the dog drank, until at last it was

exhausted and left

> the bone.

> Exactly the same is the condition of man, who hunts after objects

of

> pleasure, encouraged

> by the glimpses of pleasure he occasionally seems to enjoy

immediately on

> contact with them. Like the dog, man also takes the object to be

the source

> of the

> pleasure enjoyed, and pursues it with still greater avidity.

> But the moment he comes to understand aright, that it was his own

real

> nature of

> Happiness that he was enjoying all along in the name of pleasure,

the

> pursuit of

> objects stops altogether; and he becomes Self-centred and

eternally happy.

 

Namaste, Dennis-ji and all

 

This story is a wonderful searchlight on the fact that we wrongly

pursue happiness outside of us. I have heard my father tell this

story, in those good old days when I had the pleasure, as a boy, of

hearing his expositions. Thank you Dennis, for your note and the

story.

 

PraNAms to all students of Adi Shankaracharya

profvk