advaita in one Sloka

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The essence of advaita vedAnta is given in a nutshell in the following Sloka

in nArAyaNIyam of nArAyaNa bhaTTatiri (daSaka 98, Sloka 7):--

 

bhUshAsu svarNavadvA jagati ghaTaSarAvAdike mRttikAvat

 

tattve sancintyamAne sphurati tadadhunApyadvitIyam vapuste |

 

svapnadrashTuH prabodhe timiralayavidhau yadva-

 

dvidyAlAbhe tathaiva sphuTamapi vikaset kRshNa tasmai namaste ||

 

tattve sancintyamAne- When one reflects on the true nature of things,

bhUshAsu svarNavadvA—like gold in ornaments, or,

ghaTaSarAvAdike—in pots and other vessels, mRttikAvat—like clay,

jagati- in the universe,

tat advitIyam te vapuH—That non-dual aspect of thine (alone),

adhunA api—even now (when we experience the universe as existing),

sphurati- shines.

svapnadrashTuH- for the dreamer,

prabodhe- on waking up,

timiralayavidhau—when the darkness is removed (by light),

jIrNarajjoH ca- of the worn-out rope also,

yadvat tathA eva—in the same way itself,

vidyAlAbhe—on the dawn of knowledge,

sphuTam vikaset api—the Reality will also shine clearly,

(he) kRshNa, tasmai te namah—O kRshNa, prostrations to Thee, who art that

(the Reality).

 

When one reflects on the true nature of things, one will realize that,

just as there is nothing but gold in all gold ornaments, and nothing but

clay in all pots and other earthen vessels, so also, there is only Thy

non-dual Self in reality even when this universe is seen as existing. This

Reality will shine clearly on the dawn of knowledge, just as the things seen

in a dream are found, on waking up, to have never existed and the worn-out

rope (which was mistaken for a snake) is seen clearly when the darkness is

removed by a light. O kRshNa, prostrations to Thee who art that Reality.

S.N.Sastri