Vivekachudamani - 2 - Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada

[Guest guest]

Here are a few more shlokas from the book Vivekachudamani

written by Sri Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada.

-------------------------

vadhanthu shAsthrANi yajanthu devAn

kurvanthu karmANi Bhajanthu dhevathA: |

AthmaikyaboDhena vinApi mukthir

na siDhyathi brahmashathAnthare-api || 6 ||

 

Let people quote the scriptures and sacrifice to the gods,

let them perform rituals and worship the deities, but there

is no liberation without the realization of one's identity

with the Atman, no, not even in the lifetime of a hundred

Brahmas put together.

 

[Lifetime etc. -- That is, an indefinite length of time.

One day of Brahma (the Creator) is equivalent to 432

million years of human computation, which is supposed

to be the duration of the world.]

 

amruthasthvasya nAshAsthi viththenethyeva hi shruthi: |

bravathi karmaNo muktherhethuthvam sfutam yatha: || 7 ||

 

There is no hope of immortality by means of riches --

such indeed is the declaration of the Vedas. Hence it

is clera that works cannot be the cause of liberation.

 

[The reference is to Yajnavalkya's words to his wife

Maitreyi, Brhadaranyaka II.iv.2. Cf. the Vedic dictum

a karmaNA na prajayA Dhanena thyAgenaike

amruthathvamAnashu: -- 'Neither by rituals, not by

progreny, nor by riches, but by renunciation alone

some attained immortality.']

 

atho vimukthyai prayathetha vidhvAn

sanyasthabAhyArThasuKhaspruha: san |

santham mahAntham samupethyam dheshikam

thenopadhiShtArTham samAhithAthmA || 8 ||

 

Therefore the man of learning should strive his best

for liberation, having renounced his desire for

pleasures from external objects, duly approaching a

good and generous preceptor, and fixing his mind on

the truth inculcated by him.

 

[Duly -- That is, according to the prescribed mode.

(Vide Mundaka, I.ii.12) This characterization of a

qualified Guru are given later on in shloka

(verse) 33.]

-------------------------

Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya, Text with

English Translation, Notes and Index by Swami Madhavananda,

© Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Calcutta-700 014.