Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 23,24 of 101

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

23.

tucchatvAn-nAsad-AsId-gagana-kusumavat bhedakaM no sad-AsIt

kintv-AbhyAm-anyad-Asid-vyavahRti-gatisan-nAsa

lokas-tadAnIM /

kintv-arvAg-eva shuktau rajatavad-aparo no

virAD-vyoma-pUrvaH

sharmaNy-Atmany-athaitat-kahaka-salilavat kiM

bhaved-AvarIvaH //

 

na asat AsIt : Non-entity was not there

tucchatvAt : that being absolutely non-existent

gagana-kusumavat : like the sky-flower

no sat AsIt : Nor was there an entity

bhedakaM : that could admit of division

kintu : But

AbhyAM anyat AsIt : there was something different from

these two.

tadAnIM : Then

na Asa lokaH : the universe was not there

vyavahRti-gati-sat : as it now exists in its phenomenal

condition.

Kintu : However,

arvAg-eva : already

(Asa) : it existed

aparaH : differently

shuktau rajatavat : like silver (already existing) in the

mother-of-pearl.

no : Nor was (then)

virAT : the primordial Cosmic substance

vyoma-pUrvaH : sprung from Space.

atha etat kiM bhavet : For what is there,

kahaka-salilavat : like the water produced by a magician

sharmaNi Atmani : that can cover the Self?

AvarIvaH: ???

 

Note 1: It is for us now to recall the ‘Nasadiya-sukta’ of

Rg Veda (X – 129)!

 

Note 2 : It might be worthwhile to find, in the light of

the wonderful presentation of Ken-ji on ‘MayA in the Rg

Veda’, whether the word ‘kahaka’ occurs in the Rg Veda and,

with what sense.

 

Note 3. I would need help on the word ‘AvarIvaH’.

 

24.

bandho janmA-tyayAtmA yadi na punar-abhUt tarhi mokshho’pi

nAsIt

yadvad-rAtrir-dinaM vA na bhavati taraNau kintu dRgdoshha

eshhaH /

aprANaM shuddham-ekaM samabhavad-atha tan-mAyayA

kartR-samjnaM

tasmAd-anyacca nAsIt-parivRtam-ajayA jIva-bhUtaM tadeva //

 

yadi na bandhaH punar-abhUt : If there had been no bondage

janma-atyaya-AtmA : in the form of birth and death

tarhi : then indeed

mokshaH api na AsIt : there was no liberation either,

yadvat : just as

taraNau : in the Sun

rAtriH dinaM vA na bhavati : there is neither night nor day

kintu eshhaH dRgdoshhaH : it is only a limitation of

vision.

EkaM tat : That One

aprANaM shuddhaM : which is motionless and unconditioned

mAyayA : by its own mAyA,

kartR-samjnaM : became the ‘maker’ (Hiranyagarbha).

tasmAt anyat ca na AsIt : There was nothing else than that.

Tat eva : That itself

parivRtaM : veiled

ajayA : by the Unborn (= mAyA)

jIva-bhUtaM : became the individual soul.

 

Note: Advaita in a nut-shell!

 

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]

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk> wrote:

>

> Note 2 : It might be worthwhile to find, in the light of

> the wonderful presentation of Ken-ji on `MayA in the Rg

> Veda', whether the word `kahaka' occurs in the Rg Veda and,

> with what sense.

>

> Note 3. I would need help on the word `AvarIvaH'.

 

Namaste,

 

kahaka may be a mis-type for 'kuhaka' - deception - Maitri VII:8 .

 

AvarIvaH appears close enough as a derivative from A-vR - cover,

(AvaraNa) - Avivarti occurs in RV 1:164:31.

 

(sharmaNi Atmani may mean 'in the bliss of the Self').

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

--- Sunder Hattangadi <sunderh wrote:

>> kahaka may be a mis-type for 'kuhaka' -

> deception - Maitri VII:8 .

 

 

Namaste Professorji and Sunderji

 

Kuhaka appears in later writings and not in the

Rgveda.

 

Kuha has the meaning of cheat, rogue but it is not

used in this sense in the RgVeda. Kuha is used on

several occasions with the meaning of 'Where?'

This is interesting inasmuch it often is used in a

sense of wonderment and awe.

If you want to follow this go to RV. X.22. 1, for

example....using www.flaez.ch

Click on the blue 'kuha' which will take you to the

dictionary meaning and other occasions when the word

is used in the RV. I have found several more by the

way.

If you click on the Monier Williams link you will find

that the word is used in the Ramayana II.109.27 to

mean rogue. You will also find that Kuhaka is used in

the Unadi Sutras.

 

What I did find interesting also is that Panini

includes kuha as a verbal root in his dhattupatha. he

gives the following dhattvartha:

vismApane which has the meaning of illusion and deceit

but also the act of astonishing and surprising. It is

in the latter sense that it is used in BG. 18.77

vismayo me mahAn rAjan

the amazement of me is great O King.

 

If I find anymore later, relevant to the shatashloki,

I will post it,

 

Ken Knight

 

=====

‘From this Supreme Self are all these, indeed, breathed forth.’