Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 17,18 of 101

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Namaste.

 

17.

shaktyA nirmokataH svAd-bahir-ahir-iva yaH pravrajan

svIya-gehAt

chhAyAM mArga-drumotthAM pathika iva manAk samshrayet

deha-samsthAM /

kshhut-paryAptaM tarubhyaH patita-phalam-ayaM prArthayet

bhaikshhyam-annaM

svAtmA-rAmaM praveshhTuM sa khalu sukha-mayaM

pravrajet-dehato’pi //

 

yaH : He who

shaktyA : by strength of will,

pravrajan : leaving

svIya gehAt : from one’s home

ahiH iva : like a snake

svAt nirmokataH bahiH : out of its slough,

manAk samshrayet : might occasionally attend to

deha-samsthAM : the sustenance of his body

pathika iva : like a traveller

mArga-drumotthaM chAyAM : (resorting to) the shade of a

wayside tree;

ayam : (however) he

tarubhyaH prArthayet bhaikshhyam-annaM: should beg of

trees (only) that much food

kshut-paryAptaM : as would be enough to appease his hunger.

saH pravrajet : He should go forth

dehataH api : also from his body

praveshhTuM : in order to enter

svAtma-ArAmaM : the garden of his own Self

sukha-mayaM : that is full of bliss.

 

Note: Recall that when Lord Krishna summarises, at the end

of the 18th chapter, the whole of his teaching, his

description (in two shlokas : 52, 53) of the behaviour of

the Seeker of the Ultimate, includes ‘laghvAshI’ –

meaning, the one who eats less, that is, only that much to

support the life – as one of the essential qualifications.

 

18.

kAmo buddhA-vudeti prathamam-iha

manasy-uddishaty-artha-jAtaM

tad-gRhNAtI-ndriy-Asyais-tad-anadhi-gamataH krodha

Avirbhavec-ca /

prAptA-varthasya samrakshhaNa-matir-udito lobha etat-trayaM

syAt

sarveshhAM pAta-hetus-tad-iha matimatA

tyAjyam-adhyAtma-yogAt //

 

iha : In this world

kAmaH : desire

udeti : arises

prathamam : first

buddhau : in the intellect;

manasi : in the mind

uddishati : it directs (the individual)

artha-jAtaM : (towards) various objects

tat gRhNAti : (mind) then grasps the objects

indriyAsyaiH: through the medium of the senses.

tad-anabhigamataH : At the non-obtaining of that object

Avirbhavet ca : there also springs

krodhaH : anger.

prAptau : When the aim is attained

uditaH : there arises

lobhaH : greed (in the form of)

samrakshhaNa-matiH : eagerness for the preservation

arthasya: of that object.

Etat trayaM : These three

sarveshhAM pAta-hetuH syAt: are the cause of every one’s

ruin.

matimatA : By the wise

tyAjyaM : it is to be shunned

adhyAtma-yogAt : by constant meditation of the Self.

 

Note: One would naturally recall the famous ‘dhyyato

vishhayAn pumsaH ..’ shloka from Gita Ch.II. But recall

also the shloka (XVI-21) ‘trividhaM narakasyedam ...’ .

 

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