mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 24

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*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.24- Sentences conveying instructions.*

 

78. ekam Adyantarahitam cinmAtram amalam tatam, khAdyapyatitarAm sUkshmam

tad brahma asi na samSayaH—

 

Adyantarahitam – devoid of beginning or end, cinmAtram- consciousness

itself, amalam- pure, tatam- all-pervading,

 

khAdyapyatitarAm—khAd api- much more than even space, kham means space and

khAd means 'than space'.sUkshmam-subtle.

 

You are that brahman which is only one, without beginning or end (eternal),

consciousness itself, pure, all-pervasive, and much more subtle than even

space. There is no doubt.

 

79. rakshako vishNuH ityAdi brahmA sRshTeH tu kAraNam samhAre rudra iti evam

sarvam mithyA iti niScinu—

 

Be certain that vishNu as the protector of the world, brahmA as the cause of

creation, and rudra as the destroyer—all these are mere mithyA.

 

brahman alone is real. brahman associated with the sattvaguNa of mAyA is

vishNu, with rajoguNa is brahmA and with tamoguNa is rudra. All these three

are the result of mAyA and so they are not absolutely real like brahman, but

only mithyA. These three are forms of ISvara who is brahman associated with

mAyA. Though ISvara is mithyA, He is real for us as long as we are in

ignorance, just as the world is real for us. The jIva is under the control

of mAyA, but ISvara is the controller of mAyA. It is only with His grace

that we can cross over mAyA and so we worship ISvara as long as we remain in

ignorance.

 

80. AdimadhyAvasAneshu duHkham sarvamidam yataH, tasmAt sarvam parityajya

tattvanishTho bhavAnagha—

 

Because all this is sorrow in the beginning, middle and end, therefore,

renouncing all this, be established in the Reality, O sinless one!

 

81. nidrAyA lokavArtAyAH SabdAdeH AtmavismRteH, kvacinnA avasaram dattvA

cintaya AtmAnam Atmani-

 

Without ever giving any scope for sloth, worldly talk, empty words,

forgetfulness of the Self, keep only the thought of the Self in your mind.

 

 

82. sarvavyApAram utsRjya aham brahmeti bhAvaya, aham brahmeti niScitya tu

ahambhAvam parityaja—

Giving up all worldly activities, contemplate on " I am brahman " . With the

determination as 'I am brahman', give up the ego.

S.N.Sastri

(To be contd)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

>

> *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.24- Sentences conveying instructions.*

> " ...Be certain that vishNu as the protector of the world, brahmA as

>the cause of creation, and rudra as the destroyer—all these are mere

>mithyA... "

 

Question: Isn't Rudra another name for Shiva?

 

The Shaivites believe it is Shiva alone who is the Supreme and, " This

Lord Shiva, who is completely independent (svatantra), has the

diversity of creation and destruction existing in His own nature "

(quote from a Kashmir Shaivism text by Abhinavagupta)

 

To put it in simple terms with my limited understanding (and obviously

I'm not being modest here) Shiva is similar to Brahman except Shiva

creates change, if looked at from one perspective, and is changeless

if looked at the perspective that it is all He.

 

 

Also Shiva is said to create and destroy Sadashiva. Would the latter

be what has been called Rudra?

 

All replies and answers will be appreciated.

 

Richard