Vivekacudamani Verses on the Atman

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Vivekacudamani by Adi Shankara

Verses on the Atman

Translated by Swami Turiyananda

 

Now I shall speak about the nature of your real Self, knowing which one,

becomes free from all bondage and enjoys the state of isolation of being

alone, of oneness. - 124

 

There is One - self-existent, eternal, who is the base of all belief

that " I am, " and who is the witness of the three states of consciousness

- jagrat, svapna, and sushupti - and who is separate from the five

sheaths. - 125

 

Who knows everything in the three states (jagrat, svapna and sushupti),

who knows the intellect and its action, when it is present and when it

is absent; - 126

 

Who sees everything, but whom none sees; who enlightens the intellect,

but whom nothing can enlighten; - 127

 

Who permeates the whole universe, but whom nothing can permeate; who

shining, everything shines after Him; - 128

 

From whose nearness, the intellect, mind, senses and body work, as if

engaged by Him; - 129

 

Who knows all, from body to ego, but whom none knows; - 130

 

This is the Atman - indivisible, eternal, blissful knowledge, ever

uniform - understood in the understanding only; and engaged by whom, all

the senses and organs work - 131

 

Here in the cave of the heart - but not in all hearts - in the heart of

one (established) in the sattva quality, in that heart alone, as the sun

shines in the sky, dwells the Atman. - 132

 

He is the knower of the Self, the mind and its transformations, of the

body, the senses, the pranas, and their actions. As fire in the iron, He

works in all these, and does not undergo any change. - 133

 

Beyond all transformations of nature, pure intelligence in His nature.

Existence and non-existence come from him. Beyond all specification,

such is the Paramatman, who shines as the witness in jagrat, svapna and

sushupti. - 135

 

" I am He. " Know this by the purification of your heart, By the

controlled mind, know thine own Self. Birth and death are waves of that

shoreless ocean. Cross it safely, dwell in your real state as Brahman.

- 136