A beautiful shloka

[Guest guest]

The following is a shloka from

HastAmalakIyam, a short work of HastAmalaka, one of the disciples of Shri

Shankara. The beauty of the shloka lies in the way the same words are repeated.

This shloka brings out the gist of the kenopaniShad.

manaschakShurAder viyuktaH

svayam yo 

manaschakShurAder

manaschakShurAdiH |

manaschakShurader agamyasvarUpah

 

sa nityopalabdhisvarUpo’ham AtmA

||   

 

I am that Self which is of the

nature of eternal consciousness, which is different from the mind, eye and

other organs, but is itself the mind of the mind, the eye of the eye, the ear

of the ear and so on. It is however inaccessible to the mind and sense-organs.

 

The Self is different from the

mind and organs, that is to say, from the gross and subtle bodies. The external

objects are experienced by the mind through the sense organs. The mind and the

sense organs are clearly seen to be different from the experienced objects. By

the same reasoning, the Self which illumines the mind and the organs must

necessarily be different from them.

 

It is only by the light of the

Consciousness that is the Self that the mind and organs, which are themselves

insentient, perform their functions of thinking, seeing, hearing and so on.

This is why it is said in this verse that the Self is the mind of the mind, eye

of the eye and so on. This is based on the kenopaniShad which says:--

" He (the Self) is the ear

of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the vital air of the

vital air and the eye of the eye " (1.2).

 

The mind and the organs of sense

can experience only external objects. They cannot know the Self. The mind has

by itself no consciousness, but appears to be conscious only because of the

reflection of the consciousness of the Self on it. The sense organs also derive

their apparent sentiency only from this reflected consciousness. This being so,

it is obvious that the mind and organs cannot know the Self. This is what is

stated in kenopaniShad, 1.3.

 

Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing Sastri-ji and for also providing the

English translation. That is indeed a very beautiful Shloka. The same truth is

repeated again and again in different Upanishads. Self is in a continuous and

unbroken state of Self-Revelation. Self is always Self-Revealing. There is no

other for the Self to reveal It Self to. It has no reference point.

 

Namaste and love to all

Harsha

 

 

 

 

advaitin [advaitin ] On Behalf Of S.N.

Sastri

Saturday, February 06, 2010 4:34 AM

advaitin

A beautiful shloka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following is a shloka from HastAmalakIyam, a short work

of HastAmalaka, one of the disciples of Shri Shankara. The beauty of the shloka

lies in the way the same words are repeated. This shloka brings out the gist of

the kenopaniShad.

manaschakShurAder viyuktaH svayam yoÂ

manaschakShurAder manaschakShurAdiH |

manaschakShurader agamyasvarUpah

sa nityopalabdhisvarUpo’ham AtmA ||  Â

Â

I am that Self which is of the nature of eternal

consciousness, which is different from the mind, eye and other organs, but is

itself the mind of the mind, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear and so on.

It is however inaccessible to the mind and sense-organs.

Â

The Self is different from the mind and organs, that is to

say, from the gross and subtle bodies. The external objects are experienced by

the mind through the sense organs. The mind and the sense organs are clearly

seen to be different from the experienced objects. By the same reasoning, the

Self which illumines the mind and the organs must necessarily be different from

them.

Â

It is only by the light of the Consciousness that is the

Self that the mind and organs, which are themselves insentient, perform their

functions of thinking, seeing, hearing and so on. This is why it is said in this

verse that the Self is the mind of the mind, eye of the eye and so on. This is

based on the kenopaniShad which says:--

" He (the Self) is the ear of the ear, the mind of the

mind, the speech of speech, the vital air of the vital air and the eye of the

eye " (1.2).

Â

The mind and the organs of sense can experience only

external objects. They cannot know the Self. The mind has by itself no

consciousness, but appears to be conscious only because of the reflection of

the consciousness of the Self on it. The sense organs also derive their

apparent sentiency only from this reflected consciousness. This being so, it is

obvious that the mind and organs cannot know the Self. This is what is stated

in kenopaniShad, 1.3.

Â

Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri