Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 21, 22 of 101

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Namaste

 

21.

loke bhojas-sa evA-rpayati gRha-matAy-Arthine’nnaM kRshAya

yas-tasmai pUrNam-annaM bhavati makha-vidhau

jAyate’jAta-shatruH /

sakhye nAn-nArthine yo’rpayati na sa sakhA sevamAnAya

nityaM

samsakthAy-Annam-asmAt vimukha iva

parAvRttim-icched-kadaryAt //

 

sa eva : He alone

loke : in the world

bhohaH : is the giver

arpayati : (who) offers

annaM : food

kRshAya arthine : to the famished seeker (of food)

gRha-matAya : who comes to his house.

tasmai : To such a one

pUrNaM annaM bhavati : there is plenty of food

makha-vidhau : for the requirement of yajna-ritual,

jAyate : and he turns out to be

ajAta-shatruH : devoid of all enemies.

yaH saH na arpayati : He who does not offer

sakhye : to the friend

anna-arthine : who seeks food,

nityaM sevamAnAya : who has continuously served him

annaM samsaktAya : with an attachment for food,

na sakhA : is not a true friend.

asmAt kadaryAt : From such a miser

vimukha iva : as if out of disregard

parAvRttim icchet : one should turn away.

 

Note 1: Here is one of the many instances to show that

Shankara’s is not a ‘dry’ armchair philosophy.

 

Note 2: Recall (thanks to Ken-ji) from Rg Veda: X – 117.

sá íd bhojó yó gRháve dádaaty ánnakaamaaya cárate kRshaáya

Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him

in want of food and feeble.

ná sá sákhaa yó ná dádaati sákhye sacaabhúve sácamaanaaya

pitváH

No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes

imploring food, will offer nothing

 

Note 3 : Let me also recall, though the context is

different, from the Yajur veda Taittiriya Aranyaka (I – 8):

Ko nu marya amithitaH , sakhA sakhAyam-abravIt, jahAko

asmad-Ishhate, yastityAda-sakhividam-sakhAyaM, na tasya

vAcyapi bhAgo asti, yadIM shRNoty-alakam-shRNoti.

 

Is there a friend who mistrusts a friend from whom he has

derived only good? Whoever discards such a good friend in

mistrust and doubt, for him there is no right to read and

hear the scriptures any more; even if he hears them, he

listens in vain.

The context is different, because, here the ‘friend’

referred to is ‘shruti’, the vedas. But note the

parallelism in the words and thought process employed.

 

22.

svAjnAna-jnAna-hetU jagad-udaya-layau sarva-sAdhAraNau staH

 

jiveshh-vAsvarNa-garbhaM shrutaya iti jagur-hUyate

sva-prabhodhe /

vishvaM brahmaNy-abodhe jagati punar-idaM hUyate brahma

yadvat

shuktau roupyaM ca roupye’dhikaraNam-athavA

hUyate’nyonya-mohAt //

 

jagad-udaya-layau : The manifestation and dissolution of

the universe

sva-ajnAna-jnAna-hetU : have for their (respective) cause,

ignorance or

knowledge of the Self

sarva-sAdhAraNau staH : and are applicable to all

jIveshhu : beings

AsvarNa-garbhaM : from Creator Brahma downwards –

iti shrutayaH jaguH : Thus the vedas declare.

sva-prabodhe : When the Self is revealed

vishvaM : the universe

brahmaNi hUyate : is sacrificed into Brahman;

abodhe : When (the Self is) not realised,

punaH brahma hUyate jagati : again Brahman is sacrificed

into the universe. –

yadvat : just as

roupyam shuktau hUyate : (the appearing) silver disappears

into the mother-of-pearl

athavA : or

adhikaraNam roupye : the substance into the silver

anyonya-mohAt : owing to the non-recognition of each of

them in turn.

 

Note 1: There is a subtly-advanced advaita here. That the

Reality is what appears in the form of the universe is very

often talked about in advaita. But here the unreal

disappearing into the real is also talked about in the same

fashion. “anyonya-mohAt”. Non-duality par excellence!

There is matter here for a deep ‘nidhidhyasana’.

 

Note 2 : Starting from this shloka, until the end, without

any digression, the Acharya waxes eloquent on advaitic

thoughts, in his inimitable profound manner.

 

PraNAms to all students of Adi Shankaracharya.

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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