Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 45, 46 of 101

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Namaste

 

45

yas-satvAkAra-vRttau pratiphalati yuvA deha-mAtrAvRto’pi

taddharmair-bAlya-vArddhyAdibhir-anupahataH prANa

AvirbabhUva /

shreyAn-sAdhyas-tam-etaM sunipuNa-matayaH

satya-sankalpa-bhAjo

hy-abhyAsAd-devayantaH pariNata-manasA sAkam-UrdhvaM

nayanti //

 

yaH satvAkAra-vRttau : From such realisation of the Truth

pratiphalati : (what) results (is that)

yuvA prANaH AvirbabhUva : a buoyant youthful life springs

up

deha-mAtrAvRtaH api : (which) though encased in a body (and

the senses)

anupahataH : is unaffected

taddharmaiH : by their natural attributes

bAlya-vArddhyAdibhiH : belonging to boyhood, old age and

the like.

shreyAn : It is full of bliss;

sAdhyaH : It can accomplish (great things).

sunipuNa-matayaH : Men of supreme wisdom

satya-sankalpa-bhAjaH : whose resolution is unfailing

devayantaH : and those who seek to become divine

abhyAsAt : by (spiritual) practice

nayanti hi : lead indeed

tam etam : such a life

UrdhvaM : (to) the highest goal

pariNata-manasA sAkaM : along with the purified mind.

 

Note 1: “yaH satvAkAra-vRttau” : Recall the Acharya was

talking about jIvan-mukti in the previous shloka #44.

 

Note 2: (VK’s doubt): Who is leading whom here? Supremely

wise men and unfailingly resolute spiritual people help the

jIvan-mukta’s life to go along smoothly towards its natural

end. Is this what is being said? [i am not happy at this

conclusion! – VK]

 

 

46.

prAyo’kAmo’stakAmo niratishaya-sukhAy-Atmakamas-tadAsau

tat-prAptA-vApta-kAmaH sthita-carama-dashas-tasya

dehA-vasAne /

prANA nai-votkramanti krama-viratimitAH svasva-hetau

tadAnIM

kvAyaM jIvo vilIno lavaNam-iva jale’khaNDa Atmaiva pashcAt

//

 

prAyaH : Mostly

tadA asau : then, this person

akAmaH : (now) almost without desire,

astakAmaH: his desires having disaappeared,

AtmakAmaH : longs only for the Self

niratishaya-sukhAya : for the sake of its unsurpassed

bliss.

tat-prAptau : When That is obtained

Apta-kAmaH : all his desires have been attained

Sthita-carama-dashaH : and he remains in that final

condition.

deha-avasAne : When the body dies,

prANAH : the life-forces

na eva utkramanti : do not rise therefrom (for any future

birth)

krama-viratimitAH : but gradually dissolve themselves

sva-sva-hetau : in their respective sources

tadAnIM : And then,

kva ayaM jIvaH : where is this individual soul

vilInaH : having been dissolved

lavaNam iva jale : like salt in water?

pashcAt : Thereafter,

akhaNDa Atma eva : it is nothing but the Infinite Self

itself!

 

Note: These two shlokas (#s45 and 46) are relevant in the

context of standard questions like “What happens to a

jIvan-mukta in his life as a jIvan-mukta?”.

 

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