Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 33 TO 38 of 101: Dream Analogy

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

[important note: I am presenting the next six shlokas

below in one go, because all the six are about the dream

analogy. Since the present discussion on the main thread

of this month is now on Chittaranjan-ji’s beautiful thesis

on the dream analogy, I think these six shlokas may also

be relevant for the discussion. It is a providential

coincidence that the presentation of Shata-shlokI is

intersecting with the main thread of this month so nicely

at this point!]

 

33.

bhunjAnaH svapna-rAjyaM sa sakala-vibhavo jAgaraM prApya

bhUyaH

rAjya-bhrashhTo’ham-itthaM na bhajati vishhamaM tan-mRshhA

manyamAnaH /

svapne kurvan-nagamyA-gamana-mukham-aghaM tena na

pratyavAyI

tadvaj-jAgrad-dashAyAM vyavahRtim-akhilAM

svapnavad-vismarec-cet //

 

bhunjAnaH : Having enjoyed

svapna-rAjyaM : a dream kingdom,

sakala-vibhavaH saH : one with all that ‘glory’,

jAgaraM prApya bhUyaH : on waking thereafter,

na bhajati vishhamaM : does not feel downcast

rAjya-brashhTaH ahaM ithaM : that ‘I have been banished

from my kingdom’

tat mRshAA manyamAnaH : knowing that it was all unreal.

na pratyavAyI : Nor (does one become) liable to be punished

for

agamyA-gamana-mukhaM aghaM : evil deeds such as adultery

and the like,

svapne kurvan : committed in a dream.

tadvat : So also (will it be)

akhilaM vyvahRtiM : (with) all activities

jAgrad-dashAyAM : (committed) in the waking state

vismaret cet : if (only) they are forgotten

svapnavad : as if (they were part ) of a dream.

 

Note: The meaning of ‘vismaret cet’ (‘if forgotten’) has to

be properly interpreted. I would think that it means: “if

we remember that it is also sublated at a higher state of

consciousness”.

 

34.

svapnA-vasthA-nubhUtaM shubham-atha vishhamaM tan-mRshhA

jAgare syAt

jAgratyAM sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM tan-mRshA

svApa-kAle /

itthaM mithyAtva-siddhA-vanisham-ubhayadhA sajjate tatra

mUDhaH

satye tad-bhAsake’smin-niha hi kuta idaM tan-na vidmo vayaM

hi //

 

shubhaM atha vishhamaM : The pleasure or pain

svapna-avasthA-anubhUtaM : experienced in the dream state

--

tat mRshhA syAt : that becomes unreal

jAgare : on waking.

sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM : The objects towards which

the activities of the physical body are directed

jAgratyAM : in the waking state --

tan-mRshhA : they (become) unreal

svApa-kAle : during sleep.

itham mithyAtva-siddhau : Although unreality is thus

established

anishaM : with certainty

ubhayadhA : both ways

mUDhaH : the ignorant person

tatra sajjate : clings to it (the body-mind-intellect

experience)

asmin satye tad-bhAsake : although its very illuminer is

the True Self.

iha tad-idaM kutaH : How does this situation arise here?

vayaM na vidmaH : we don’t know!

 

Note 1. It is interesting that the Acharya himself focuses

on our inability to pinpoint the cause of this colossal

error of the ignorant.

 

Note 2. Reality is that which exists in the three stages of

Time – past, present and future.

 

35.

jIvantaM jAgratIha svajanam-atha mRtaM svapna-kAle

nirIkshhya

nirvedaM yAty-akasmAt-mRtam-amRtam-amuM vIkshya harshhaM

prayAti /

smRtvA’pyetasya jantor-nidhanam-asuyutiM bhAshhate tena

sAkaM

satyevaM bhAti bhUyo’lpaka-samaya-vashAt satyatA vA

mRshAtvaM //

 

nirvedaM yAti akasmAt: One is filled with sudden grief

nirIkshhya : on seeing,

svapna-kAle : during a dream,

svajanaM mRtaM : the death of a relative

jIvantaM : who is alive

jAgrathi iha : in one’s waking state, in this world.

harshhaM prayAti : So also does one feel happy

amRtaM vIkshhya : on seeing alive, (in a dream)

amuM mRtaM : one that was dead (in one’s waking state).

smRtvA api : Although remembering

nidhanaM : the death, (in the dream)

etasya jantoH : of this person

tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with him (in the

waking state)

smRtvA api : Although remembering

nidhanaM : the death, (in the waking state)

etasya jantoH : of the (other) person

asuyutiM tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with the

‘living’ him (in the dream state).

Evam sati : this being so,

satyatA : reality

mRshhAtvaM vA : or falsity

bhAti : depends on

bhUyaH alpaka-samyatvAt : the longness or the shortness of

time!

 

Note 1. I am not very happy with the above translation of

mine. I would like to be told of a better way of

translating the verse.

 

Note 2. The general purport, however, seems to be clear.

The seeming reality of waking experiences and unreality of

dream experiences are probably distinguished only by the

difference in their duration. From the ultimate

standpoint, both are unreal!

 

36.

svApna-strI-sanga-soukhyAd-api bhrsham-asato yA ca

retash-cyutis-syAt

sA dRshyA tadvad-etat-sphurati jagad-asat-kAraNaM

satya-kalpaM /

svapne satyaH pumAn syAd-yuvatir-iha mRshhaiv-AnayoH

samyutishca

prAtaH shukreNa vastropahatir-iti yataH kalpanA-mUlametat

//

 

svApna-strI-sanga-soukhyAt : From the pleasure, in the

dream, of having a union with a woman

bhrsham asataH api : though totally unreal

yA ca retash-cyutiH syAt : whatever discharge results

therefrom,

sA dRshyA : that is visible.

tadvat : In the same way

etat jagat: this universe

sphurati satya-kalpaM : appears as real,

asat-kAraNaM : even though it has sprung from unreality

(that is, mAyA).

svapne : In the dream

pumAn satyaH syAt : the man (dreamer) may be real

yuvatiH iha mRshA eva : however, the woman (of the dream)

is certainly unreal

anayaoH samyutiH ca : as well as their union;

prAtaH : In the morning

yataH shukreNa vastropahatiH : the fact of the soiling of

the cloth by the discharge

etat kalpanA mUlaM : is only having imagination as its

source.

 

Note 1. The lesson is: This universe that appears is only

having imagination (kalpanA) as its source or root-cause.

 

Note 2: Another lesson is: The real may spring up from the

unreal. See Shloka #38 below.

 

37

pashyaty-ArAmam-asya prati-divasam-amI jantavaH svApa-kAle

pashyaty enaM na kashcit karaNa-gaNamRte mAyayA kRIDamAnaM

/

jAgraty-artha-vrajAnAm-atha ca tanu-bhRtAM bhAsakaM cAlakaM

vA

no jAnIte sushhuptau parama-sukham-ayaM

kashcid-Ashcaryam-etat //

 

amI jantavaH : All these human beings

pashyati : witness

asya AramaM : this sport of the Self

prati-divasam : every day

svApa-kAle : in the dream state

na kashcit : but no one however

enaM pashyati : sees this

mAyayA kRIDamAnaM : as flirting with mAyA

karaNa-gaNamRte : without any of the sense-organs;

no jAnIte kashcit : nor does any one realise (it)

bhAsakaM cAlakaM vA : as the illuminer and inspirer,

jAgrati : in the waking state,

artha-vrajAnAM : of all objects of perception

atha ca : as well as

tanubhRtAM : of all embodied beings

sushhuptau : (and) in the deep sleep state

parama-sukhaM ayam : as that which is full of supreme

bliss!

Ashcaryam-etat. : This is wonderful, indeed!

 

Note: The punchline here, namely, ‘Ashcaryam-etat’ reminds

us of the folloowing yaksha-prashna in the Mahabharata and

Yudhishtira’s answer to the question:

Q: What is the most wonderful thing in this world?

A: Day after day there enter into the Temple of Death,

countless lives. Looking on this spectacle, the rest of

them, those who remain, believe themselves to be permanent,

immortal. Can anything be more wonderful than this.?

In fact, the whole shloka 37 is a deeper presentation,

befitting the fundamental advaitic base in all of Acharya’s

writings, of the same idea as contained in Yudhishtira’s

answer!

 

38

svapne mantro-padeshaH shravaNa-paricitaH satya eshha

prabodhe

svApnAd-eva prasAdAd-abhilashhita-phalaM satyatAM

prAtar-eti /

satya-prAptistv-asatyAd-api bhavati tathA kim-ca

tat-sva-prakAshaM

yenedaM bhAti sarvaM caram-acaram-athoc-cAvacaM

dRshya-jAtaM //

 

mantro-padeshaH : The transmission of a mantra

svapne shravaNa-paricitaH : acquainted by the ears in a

dream

satyah eva : (becomes) real indeed

prabodhe : on waking.

svApnAt eva prasAdAt : As a result of benediction even in a

dream

abhilashhita-phalam : the yearned result

satyatAm eti : is attained in reality

prAtaH : in the morning.

Satya-prAptiH tu bhavati : The real may thus spring up

asatyAt api : even from the unreal.

tathA : Further,

kim ca tat sva-prakAshaM : That self-effulgent Self

yena idaM sarvaM : by which all this

caraM acaraM : animate and inanimate

bhAti : is manifest

atha uccAvacaM : also all the variety of

dRshya-jAtaM : everything in the visible universe.

 

Note. The punchline is: “satya-prAptistu asatyAd-api”.

Therefore although all phenomena are illusory, the

realisation of brahman is not an illusion. This is a

key-point which must be emphasized.

 

 

 

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]

Professorji,

 

What a Divine Co-incidence. These slokas are very timely and their

appearance at this time when we are discussing the 'dream analogy' is

a wonder of wonders!

 

Professorji writes...

 

The general purport, however, seems to be clear.

The seeming reality of waking experiences and unreality of

dream experiences are probably distinguished only by the

difference in their duration. From the ultimate

standpoint, both are unreal!

 

May I please share with readers what our beloved Mahasrshi (shri

Ramana Bhagwan) says on this crucial topic...?

 

There is no difference between the dream and the waking state except

that the dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of

the mind. Our real state is beyond the waking, dream and sleep

states, is called turiya.

 

The Self (the Infinite) alone exists, remains as it is. The three

states owe their existence to avichara (non-inquiry into the Self and

hence ignorance of reality), and inquiry puts an end to them. However

much one may explain, this fact will not become clear till one

attains Self-realization and wonders how he was blind to the self-

evident and only existence so long.

 

All that we see is a dream, whether we see it in the dream state or

waking state. On account of some arbitrary standards about the

duration of the experience and so on, we call one experience a dream

and another waking experience.

 

With reference to reality both the experiences are unreal. A man

might have such an experience as getting anugraha (grace) in his

dream and the effects and influence of it on his entire subsequent

life may be so profound and so abiding that one cannot call it

unreal, while calling real some trifling incident in the waking life

that just flits by, is casual and of no moment and is soon forgotten.

 

Once I had an experience, a vision or a dream, whatever you may call

it. I and some others including Chadwick had a walk on the hill.

Returning we were walking along a huge street with great buildings on

either side. Showing the street and the buildings, I asked Chadwick

and others whether anybody could say that what we were seeing was

dream and they all replied "Which fool will say so?" and so we walked

along and entered the hall and the vision or dream ceased, or woke

up. What are we to call this?

 

Just before waking up from sleep, there is a very brief state free

from thought. That should be made permanent.

 

In dreamless sleep there is no world, no ego and no unhappiness. But

the Self remains. In the waking state there are all these. Yet there

is the Self. One has only to remove the transitory happenings in

order to realize the ever-present beatitude of the Self.

 

Your nature is bliss. Find that on which all the rest are imposed and

you then remain as the pure Self.

 

In sleep there is no space or time. They are concepts which arise

after the 'I' thought has arisen (at the sub-conscious level). YOU

are beyond time and space. The 'I' thought is limited 'I'. The

real 'I' is unlimited, universal, beyond time and space.

 

Just while rising from sleep and before seeing the objective world

there is a state of awareness which is your pure Self. That must be

known.

 

Our real nature is mukti (liberation). But we are imagining that we

are bound and are making various strenuous attempts to become free,

while we are all the time free. This will be understood only when we

reach that stage. We will be surprised that we frantically were

trying to attain something which we have always been and are.

 

An illustration will make this clear. A man goes to sleep in this

hall. He dreams he has gone on a world tour, is roaming over hill and

dale, forest and country, desert and sea, across various continents

and, after many years of weary and strenuous travel returns to this

country and walks into this hall.

 

Just at that moment he wakes up and finds he has not moved an inch,

but was sleeping where he lay down. He has not returned after great

effort to the hall but is and always has been in the hall. It is

exactly like that. If it be asked why being free we imagine we are

bound, I answer "Why being in this hall did you imagine you were on a

world adventure, crossing hill, dale, desert and sea?" It is all mind

or maya (the world illusion).

 

http://www.truthisone.org/docs/insights/three-states.htm - 8k -

 

(maybe our dear friend Harsha-ji might like to add something on

the 'duration' of waking and dream states and how 'iunreal' both

states are !!! he is a treasure-house of Sri Ramana's wisdom.

 

ps- btw, professorji-how about sharing your waves paper with all of

us either through the 'files' section of this group ( of course, it

is sunderji's call) or adding this paper to the 'science and

spirituality' web site.

 

SADAJI, same request to you as well.

 

Knowledge Grows by sharing!!! Vidya dhanam is Maha DHAANAM !( WEALTH

OF KNOWLEDGE IF SHARED IS THE BIGGEST FORM OF CHARITY)

 

love and regards

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

As the Dream Analogy theme continues to hold the

interest of the discussants, I thought I would try to do the home-work

Prof. V.K.-ji had given in this message, namely translation of Verse

#35 of Shatashloki. I had submittd an initial draft to him off-list,

and he encouraged me to post it. I modified the draft, gratefully

considering his comments.

 

The translation is as follows:

 

Thus, here, while awake one sees one's kith alive, and while dreaming

sees them dead, and grieves.

He rejoices when suddenly he sees them alive (after waking up).

Even after remembering their death (while dreaming), (when awake) he

speaks with them as with live beings.

This being so, the reality or falsity [in this case of being alive or

dead] appears dependent on the duration of the experience.

 

[implied conclusion: The true nature of Reality cannot be grasped

through any experience that changes with time.]

 

jIvantaM = alive; jAgrati = (while) awake; iha = here (in this

world); svajanaM = one's kith.

 

atha = thus; mRtaM = dead; svapnakAle = (while) dreaming; nirIkShya =

observing.

 

nirvedaM yAti = grieves; akasmAt = suddenly; mRtaM = dead.

 

amRitaM = alive; amuM = them; vIkShya = seeing; harShaM prayAti =

rejoices.

 

smRtvA = remembering; api = even; etasya = of these; jantoH = of

living; nidhanaM = death.

 

asuyutiM = living (breathing); bhAShate = speaks; tena sAkaM = with them.

 

sati evaM = this being so; bhAti = appears; bhUyaH = long; alpaka = short.

 

samaya = time; vashAt = dependent; satyatA = reality; vA = or;

mRShAtvaM = falsity

 

Corrections are welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

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

> 35.

> jIvantaM jAgratIha svajanam-atha mRtaM svapna-kAle

> nirIkshhya

> nirvedaM yAty-akasmAt-mRtam-amRtam-amuM vIkshya harshhaM

> prayAti /

> smRtvA'pyetasya jantor-nidhanam-asuyutiM bhAshhate tena

> sAkaM

> satyevaM bhAti bhUyo'lpaka-samaya-vashAt satyatA vA

> mRshAtvaM //

>

> nirvedaM yAti akasmAt: One is filled with sudden grief

> nirIkshhya : on seeing,

> svapna-kAle : during a dream,

> svajanaM mRtaM : the death of a relative

> jIvantaM : who is alive

> jAgrathi iha : in one's waking state, in this world.

> harshhaM prayAti : So also does one feel happy

> amRtaM vIkshhya : on seeing alive, (in a dream)

> amuM mRtaM : one that was dead (in one's waking state).

> smRtvA api : Although remembering

> nidhanaM : the death, (in the dream)

> etasya jantoH : of this person

> tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with him (in the

> waking state)

> smRtvA api : Although remembering

> nidhanaM : the death, (in the waking state)

> etasya jantoH : of the (other) person

> asuyutiM tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with the

> `living' him (in the dream state).

> Evam sati : this being so,

> satyatA : reality

> mRshhAtvaM vA : or falsity

> bhAti : depends on

> bhUyaH alpaka-samyatvAt : the longness or the shortness of

> time!

>

> Note 1. I am not very happy with the above translation of

> mine. I would like to be told of a better way of

> translating the verse.

>

> Note 2. The general purport, however, seems to be clear.

> The seeming reality of waking experiences and unreality of

> dream experiences are probably distinguished only by the

> difference in their duration. From the ultimate

> standpoint, both are unreal!