Mah Av Akyaratn Avali H

mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH
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As desired by Shri R.S. Mani I propose to give the meanings of the vAkyas in the booklet 'MahAvAkyaratnAvaliH. The first set of vAkyas under the heading 'vidhivAkyAni' are now taken up. VidhivAkyAni--Statements conveying injunctions. 1. sarvam khalvidam brahma tajjalAn iti SAnta upAsItachAndogya up. 3.14.1All this is brahman. This universe is born from it (brahman ), dissolves in it and has existence in it. One should meditate thus by being calm, that is, self-controlled and free from attachment, aversion, etc. The substance of these statements is that the universe is only an appearance of brahman and does not have any reality of its own. By meditating on this statement one will be able to realize that brahman is the only reality. 2. AtmAnamevAved aham brahmAsmItibRhad. up. 1.4.10. Though this sentence has been put under vidhivAkyAni, there is no vidhi or injunction in it. This is one of the four main mahAvAkyas which express the identity of the jIvAtmA and paramAtmA. The meaning is:-- He (the jIva) knew himself as "I am brahman". The jIva is really brahman even when he thinks of himself as other than brahman and as an individual limited to his body-mind complex. When he realizes that he is brahman the wrong notion, which was due to avidyA, ceases. 3. AtmA vA are drashTavyaH Srotvyo mantavyo nididhyAsitavyayaH- bRhad. up. 2.4.5- This is one of the most important sentences in the whole upanishadic literature. The meaning is:-- The Self should be realized, it should be heard about, reflected on, and meditated upon. The preceding sentences in this paragraph say that the wife loves her husband not for the husband's sake but for her own sake; the husband loves his wife not for the wife's sake but for his own sake; love of all other persons and objects is not for the sake of the person or object loved but for one's own sake. The idea is that we love other persons and objects only because they give us happiness. Sri Sankara therefore says that our love for other objects and persons is only secondary and our love for our own self is primary. Swami Vidyaranya explains this with an illustration. A father goes on kissing his baby. The baby's tender skin is irritated by the man's moustache and beard rubbing against it and the baby cries out in pain, but the man goes on kissing the child because he gets pleasure from it. Sri Sankara says that the object of
the upanishad in stating this is to teach us the need for renunciation and make us give up attachments. The sentence that follows the one quoted is also very important. It isAtmano vA are darSanena SravaNena matyA vijnAnena idam sarvam viditam. The meaning is; "By the realization of the Self alone, through hearing, reflection and meditation, all this becomes known". All that we experience in this world is in reality nothing but brahman. So by knowing brahman everything is known, just as by knowing gold all ornaments made of gold are known. Or, since brahman is the only reality, when it is known nothing else remains to be known because there is nothing else that exists. This is the passage where SravaNam, mananam and nididhyAsanam are laid down as the means to realization. SravaNam is not merely listening to the teacher. It involves much more than that. The definitions of each of these and the purpose served by each are given on my website www.geocities.com/snsastri/vedarealization.html under the heading 'The means to Self-realization'. (To be continued) S.N.Sastri
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mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.2* In my previous post, item No. 2 was the mahAvakya 'aham brahma asmi' from the bRhad. up. This is one of the four main mahAvakyas from the four vedas. The method of interpreting the mahAvAkya 'tat tvam asi' has been dealt with in vivekachUDAmaNi, Slokas 243 to 251. The explanation of Jagadguru Chandrasekhara Bharati on these Slokas may be seen at www.geocities.com/snsastri/vedamahavakya.html The mahAvakya 'aham brahma asmi' can also be interpreted on the same lines by taking the implied meaning of the words.
4. mahatpadam jnAtvA vRkshamUle vasetsubAlopanishad, section 13 Knowing the supreme goal, one should live at the foot of a tree. The idea isOne who desires to attain liberation should lead a life of renunciation and
contemplation. 5. satchidAnandAtmAnam advitIyam brahma bhAvayet- One should meditate on the self which is existence-consciousness-bliss as the non-dual brahman. i.e., one should meditate on the identity of the individual self and brahman. 6. aham brahma asmi iti anusandhAnam kuryAtOne should constantly meditate on the mahAvAkya 'aham brahma asmi'. 7. sa tajjno bAlonmattapiSAcavat jaDavRttyA lokam AcaretmaNDalabrAhmaNopanishad, 5.4-He who has known 'that' (brahman ) goes about in the world like a child, a mad man, or a ghost, behaving like an ignorant person. 8. brAhmaNaH samAhito bhUtvA tattvampadaikyam eva sadA abhyasetThe wise man should always contemplate only the identity of tat and tvam with concentrated mind. 9. sarvatra advaitabrahmabuddhim kuryAt- One should see everything as the non-dual brahman. 10. ASAmbaro na namaskAro na svAhAkAro na svadhAkAro na nindAstutiH yAdRcchiko bhavet- The enlightened person has only the quarters as his clothes. He does not prostrate before anybody. He does not make any oblations to the gods (svAhAkAra) or to the manes (svadhAkAra). He neither censures nor praises others. He lives on whatever comes to him by chance. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.3* Note- In vAkya No.1 above the word tajjalAn is the combination of three wordstajja, meaning 'that from which all this is born; talla, meaning 'that into which everything merges; and tadana, meaning 'that in which all these exist. This is according to the bhAshya. This is a word coined by the sruti for the purpose. 11. sarvataH svarUpam eva paSyan jIvanmuktim avApya
prArabdha-pratibhAsa-nASaparyantam svarUpAnusandhAnena vaset-sarvataH- In everything, svarUpam eva- one's real nature (pure Consciousness or brahman) alone, paSyan- seeing, jIvanmuktim avApya- attaining jIvanmukti, prArabdha-pratibhAsa-nASaparyantam- till the destruction of the illusory prArabdhakarma, svarUpAnusandhAnena- by contemplating one's real nature, vaset- one should remain. The prarabdhakarma is described as illusory because as far s the jIvanmukta is concerned, it does not affect him and so it has no reality, but to others it appears as if he is experiencing the fruits of his prArabdha karma. On the dawn of knowledge only the accumulated karma of past lives and the karma accumulated in the present birth upto the time of the dawn of knowledge is burnt off. The prArabdha karma which has given the present birth has to be exhausted by being experienced, and only when it is exhausted the body of the jIvanmukta falls and he becomes a videhamukta. The actions performed after the dawn of knowledge do not produce any karma phala as they are 'akarma'. 12. svarUpAnusandhAnam vinA anyathAcAraparo na bhavetsvarUpAnusandhAnam vinA- Without constantly remembering one's real nature, anyathAcAraparo na bhavet- one should not be engaged in other activities. The idea is, even when engaged in the performance of other functions one should always remember one's own real nature as brahman . This is the same as the idea contained in gItA, 8.7 where the Lord tells Arjuna, "Think of Me at all times and fight". 13. vedantaSravaNam kurvan yogam samArabheta- One should practise yoga while hearing Vedanta. 14. yacchet vAng manasI prAjnaH tadyacchet jnAna Atmani. jnAnam Atmani mahati niyacchet tadyacchet SAnta AtmanikaTha. up. 1.3.13. Meaning according to Sri Sankara's bhAshya-prAjnaH- the discriminating individual, yacchet-should merge, vAk- the organ of speech (i.e., all the organs, vAk being used suggestively for all the organs), manasI= manasi, the lengthening of the last letter being a vedic licence- into the mind. tat- the mind, yacchet- he should merge, jnAna Atmani- into the intellect. jnAnam- the intellect, niyacchet- he should merge, mahati Atmani- in the Great Soul, i.e., hiraNyagarbha tadyacchet- he should merge that, Santa Atmani- into the peaceful Self which is within all and is the witness of all the modifications of the intellect. Just as the water in a mirage and the snake on a rope are eliminated through the
knowledge of the real nature of the mirage and rope, similarly by dissolving in the Self through the knowledge of the true nature of one's own Self, all that is projected by ignorance, and that is constituted of name, form and action , one becomes established in the Self and his goal is achieved. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.4* 15. AtmAnam cet vijAnIyAt ayam asmIti pUrushaH, kim icchan kasya kAmAya SarIram anu samjvaretbRhad. up. 4.4.12pUrushaH- A man, AtmAnam- the supreme Self, ayam asmi iti- as I am this, vijAnIyAt cet- if he knows, kim icchan- desiring what, kasya kAmAya- for whose sake, SarIram anu- in the wake of the body, samjvaret- would be afflicted? If a man realizes that he is the Self (brahman ), then desiring what and for whose sake will he suffer in the wake of the body? Sri Sankara says that the word 'if' indicates that persons who acquire Self-knowledge are very rare. Once a person has realized that he is brahman, there is nothing different from him which he would desire. Every one desires only what he considers to be different from himself and which he does not have. An unenlightened person may desire to get some thing for his wife, son, etc., but for a jnAni there is no one separate from himself and so such desires too cannot arise. An ordinary person exerts his body for the fulfillment of desire and suffers because of such exertion. But a jnAni does not exert himself because he has no desires at all. Even if he engages himself in some action for the benefit of the world, he does not suffer thereby because he has no identification with his body. Chapter 7 of Panchadasi is a commentary on this mantra. A summary of this chapter may be seen at www.geocities.com/snsastri/panchadasi-chapter-7.html
16. tameva dhIro vijnAya prajnAm kurvIta brAhmaNaH. na anudhyAyAt bahUn
SabdAn vAco viglApanam hi tat- bRhad. up. 4.4.21. dhIraH brAhmaNaH- The intelligent aspirant after brahman, tam eva vijnAyaknowing about the Self alone, prajnAm kurvIta- should strive for realization, bahUn SabdAn- many words, na anudhyAyAt- should not keep thinking of, tat hi- that indeed, vAcaH- for the vocal organ, viglApanamvery fatiguing. The intelligent aspirant after brahman, knowing about the Self alone, should strive for realization. He should not go on merely thinking about (and uttering) many words, for that is fatiguing to the vocal organ. (In all these translations I am going by the meaning of words as given by Sri Sankara in his bhAshya. In many cases these may be different from the dictionary meaning). Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya on this mantra:-The intelligent spiritual aspirant, after knowing about the Self from the teacher and from the scriptures, should strive for realization by cultivating renunciation, calmness, self-control, withdrawal of the senses from sense-objects, fortitude and concentration. The restriction on thinking of too many words implies that a few words dealing exclusively with the nature of the Self should be meditated on. Thinking of too many words is fatiguing to the organ of speech and does not help in achieving the ultimate goal. (Obviously 'thinking' here includes uttering the words loudly because mere thinking cannot strain the vocal organs. We have to go by the substance and not interpret the words literally). S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.5* 17. yato nirvishayasyAsya manaso muktirishyate, ato nirvishayam nityam manaH kAryam mumukshuNA- amritabindu upanishad, 3. yataH- because, nirvishayasya- which is free from desire for objects, asya manasaH- of the mind, muktiH ishyate- liberation is predicated, ataHtherefore, nityam-always, manah nirvishayam kAryam- the mind should be made
free from desire, mumukshuNA- by the seeker after liberation. Since liberation is predicated of the mind devoid of desire for sense-objects, therefore, the mind should always be kept free from desire, by the seeker after liberation. 18. cittam eva hi samsArah tat prayatnena Sodhayetmaitreyyupanishad, 5Mind itself is (the cause) of samsAra. Therefore it should be purified with effort. 19. dRSyam hyadRSyatAm nItvA brahmAkAreNa cintayet- tejobindu up. 1.50 dRSyam- the perceived objects, adRSyatAm nItvA- making not perceived, brahmAkAreNa- as brahman, cintayet- one should think of. Turning the mind and senses away from all the perceived external objects, one should think of them all as brahman. One should ignore the names and forms and see all as brahman. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.6* 20. vijneyo'ksharatanmAtro jIvitam cApi cancalam. VihAya SAstrajAlAni yat satyam tad upAsyatAmaksharatanmAtrah vijneyaH- the Imperishable One alone is to be known, jIvitam ca api cancalam- life is itself uncertain, SastrajAlAni vihAyadiscarding the numerous SAstras, yat satyam- that which is the Reality, tad upAsyatAm- let that be meditated on. 21. yasya strI tasya bhogecchA, nistrIkasya kva bhogabhUH- He who has a wife has the desire for enjoyment; for one who has no wife, where is the question of enjoyment? 22.. striyam tyaktvA jagat tyaktam, jagat tyaktva sukhI bhavet- By renouncing (desire for) woman, the world is renounced; by renouncing the world one becomes happy. 23. cittam kAraNam arthAnAm tasmin sati jagattrayam, tasmin kshINe jagat
kshINam tat cikitsyam prayatnataHThe mind is the cause for the appearance of objects. When the mind is, the three worlds are there. When the mind ceases (to project objects), the world also ceases to exist. The mind should be treated with effort, i.e., the mind should be controlled ( so that it ceases to project the notions of likes and dislikes). 24. supterutthAya suptyantam brahmaikam pravicintyatAm- From the time of waking up from sleep till the time of going to sleep again one should constantly think only of brahman. 25. gacchan tishThan upaviSan SayAno vA anyathApi va, yathecchayA vased vidvAn AtmArAmaH sadA muniH- Whether walking, standing, sitting, lying down or doing anything else, the enlightened man of contemplation who ever revels in the Self remains as he pleases, (not dependent on any one else). S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
It appears that Translation No.7 has not been sent through oversight. I am giving it below; *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.7* Some of the vAkyas are only portions of slokas. It is difficult to know their meaning unless the whole Sloka is available. I am therefore leaving out such vAkyas for the present. 26. jyotirlingam bhruvormadhye nityam dhyAyet sadA yatiH. The ascetic should always meditate on the effulgent lingam in the space between the eyebrows. 27. AtmAnam AtmanaH sAkshAd brahmabuddhyA suniScalam. dehajAtyAdi sambandhAn varNASramasamanvitAn, vedaSAstrapurANAni padapAmsumiva tyajet- One should unwaveringly meditate on one's self as brahman. Connections with the body, caste, the varNas and Asramas, the veda, Sastras and purANas should be discarded like the dust of one's feet. This must be meant for the yogArUDha who has acquired total dispassion towards all actions, both secular and religious and towards the fruits thereof. Such a person must devote himself exclusively to meditation. As the gItA says, Sama is what he should
practise. 28. ekAkI niHspRhaH tishThet na hi kena saha Alapet. The ascetic should always be alone and without any desire. He should not converse with a anybody. 29. udyan nArAyaNetyevam prativAkyam sadA yatiH- The ascetic should with effort answer only with the word 'nArAyaNa' to any one. 30. muniH kaupInavAsAH syAt nagno vA dhyAnatatparaH- The muni should be clad only in a loincloth or be naked. He should be intent only on meditation. 31. adhyAtmaratiH AsInaH nirapekshaH nirASishaH, Atmanaiva sahAyena sukhArthI vicared iha- Ever revelling in the Self alone, not dependent on anybody, free from desire, with himself alone as company (remaining solitary) he should go about in the world, seeking only the bliss of the Self. 32. sandigdhaH sarvabhUtAnAm varNASramavivarjitaH andhavat jaDavat ca api mUkavat ca mahIm caretLooked upon with suspicion by all (because of his strange behaviour), free from all connection with varNa and ASrama, he should go about on the earth like a blind man, an idiot, and a dumb man. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.8* 33. yadyat paSyati cakshurbhyAm tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- Whatever one sees with the eyes, that he should look upon as the Self. 34. yadyat SRNoti karNAbhyAm tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- whatever one hears with the ears, that he should look upon as the Self. 35. labhate nAsayA yadyat tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- Whatever one smells through the nose, that he should look upon as the Self. 36. jihvayA yad rasam hyatti tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- Whatever he eats (tastes) with the tongue, that he should look upon as the Self. 37. tvacA yadyat spRSed yogi tattad Atmeti bhAvayet-Whatever the yogi
touches with his skin, that he should look upon as the Self. 38. dRshTim jnAnamayIm kRtvaA paSyet brahmamayam jagat- With the vision of knowledge, one should see the whole universe as brahman. 39. drashTRdarSanadRSyAnAm virAmo yatra vA bhavet, dRshTiH tatraiva kartavyA na nAsAgrAvalokanI- One's sight should be fixed on that in which the triad of seer, seeing and seen ceases (i.e., brahman), and not on the tip of the nose. Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya on gitA 6.13 in the context of the expression 'samprekshya nAsikAgram svam" :- What is intended here is not an injunction to look at the tip of one's nose! What then? It is fixing the gaze of the eyes by withdrawing it from external objects; and that is enjoined with a view to concentrating the mind (on the Self). 40. devAgnyagAre tarumUle guhAyAm vased asango alakshitaSIlavRttaH devAgnyagAre- In a temple or a place where sacrificial fire has been lit. Or under a tree, or in a cave, one should dwell, free from all attachment, and with such self-effacement that his way of life is not noticed by any one (alakshitaSIlavRttiH). No one should know that he is a jnAnI. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.9* 41. nirindhanajyotiriva upaSAnto na ca udvijed yatrakutra. nirindhana-deprived of fuel, jyotiH iva- like a flame, upaSAntaHextinguished, na udvijed- should not be agitated, yatrakutra- anywhere by anything. Becoming calm like a flame whose fuel has been exhausted, he should not be agitated by anything. 42. SAnto dAnta uparataH titikshuH yo'nUcAno hyabhijajnau samAnaHSAntaH-With controlled mind, dAntaH-controlled senses, uparataH-withdrawing the senses from their objects, titikshuH- forbearing, or bearing all sorrows without seeking any means to counter them, free from worry and lamentation (sahanam sarvaduHkhAnAm apratIkArapUrvakam cintAvilAparahitamthis is the definition of titikshA according to vivekacUDAmaNi, Sloka 25), anUcAnaHwithout speaking to any one, abhijajnau- in looking upon others, samAnaH-
equal. The muni should control his mind and senses, withdraw the mind from external objects, put up with all suffering without lamentation or worry, should not indulge in conversation with others and look upon every one with an equal eye. 43. tyakteshaNo hyanRNaH tam viditvA maunI vased ASrame yatra kutratyakteshaNaH- giving up the three desires-- for progeny, wealth, and approbation in the world (putraishanA, vittaishaNA, lokaishaNA), hi anRNah- indeed free from the three debtsto the Rshis, gods and ancestorsa sannyAsI is free from these, tam viditvA- knowing the Self, maunI- always in contemplation, vased- he should live , ASrame yatra kutrain an ASrama anywhere. 44. yamaiSca niyamaiSca hi AsanaiSca susamyataH, nADISuddham ca kRtvA Adau prANAyAmam samAcaretPatanjali's yoga has eight limbs and so it is known as ashTAnga yoga. The limbs are: yama, niyama, Asana, prANAyAma, pratyAhAra, dhAraNA, dhyAna, and samAdhi. Each of these is explained below: yama has five limbsahimsA (non-injury), satya (honesty), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (celibacy), and aparigraha (non-acceptance of gifts). niyama also has five limbs-Sauca (inner and outer purity), santosha (contentment), svAdhyAya (study of the scriptures), tapa (austerities), and ISvarapraNidhAna (worship of God). The meaning of the whole sentence is:-- One who has attained self-control by the practice of yama, niyama, and Asana (proper posture for meditation), and has purified his nADIs, should first practise prANAyAma or regulation of the breath. 45. sarvacintAm parityajya sAvadhAnena cetasA, nirvikalpaH prasannAtmA prANAyAmam samAcaret- Giving up all thoughts, with an attentive mind, with mind at peace and free from different conceptions, one should practise prANAyAma. Here nirvikalpa means 'without forming various conceptions about objects on the basis of likes and dislikes. In 'prasannAtmA' the word 'AtmA' means the mind. The word AtmA is used in the sense of mind, body, nature, etc., and so
the meaning has to be determined according to the context. 46. marudabhyasanam sarvam manoyuktam samabhyaset- marud is vAyu or prANa. The practice of prANAyAma should be along with the mind, that is, the mind should be controlled during prANayAma. 47. itaratra na kartavyA manovRttirmanIshiNA- The wise man should not allow his mind to have other vRttis or thoughts- it should be controlled. ManIshI means a wise man. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.10- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation * 1. dehAdIn Atmatvena abhimanyate saH abhimAnaH AtmanaH bandhaH- tannivRttiH mokshaH--The body, etc., (mind, senses) are looked upon as the self. This notion is one's bondage. Cessation of this notion is liberation. (The words AtmanaH bandhaH should not be translated as the bondage of the self, as there is no bondage for the self; the bondage is for the jIva and it is not real but is only wrongly thought to be there. The word 'AtmanaH' means 'belonging to oneself'. e.g., saH AtmanaH gRham gacchati means "He is going to his house" The bondage of the jIva is that he considers himself to be the body-mind complex while in reality he is brahman itself. When this wrong notion is eradicated by the realization of his real nature he is said to be liberated. Thus realization is not the attainment of some state which did not exist previously, but only the realization that he was always brahman and was never the limited being that he thought himself to be). 2. devamanushyAdi-upAsanAkAmasankalpo bandhaH-The resolution to worship gods, serve human beings, etc., (for fulfillment of desires) is bondage. How is the desire to worship gods a bondage? To understand this we have to go to the bRhadAraNyaka upanishad, 1.4.10 which says:-- He who worships another god thinking, "He is one, and I am another," does not know. He is like an animal to the gods. As many animals serve a man, so does each man serve the gods. Even if one animal is taken away, it causes anguish, what should one say of many animals. Therefore it is not liked by the devas that men know brahman". Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya on this mantra: "While one who is not a knower of brahman, who worships another god different from himself, approaches him in a subordinate position, offering him praises, salutations,
sacrifices, presents, devotion, meditation, etc., thinking, 'He is one, non-self, different from me, and I am another, qualified for rites, and I must serve him like a debtor"--- worships him with such ideas, does not know the truth. He, this ignorant man, has not only the evil of ignorance, but is also like an animal to the gods". This ignorance is bondage. What has been said above should not be taken to mean that worship of gods should be given up. Sri Sankara continues in his bhAshya on the same mantra, "Hence as men try to save their animals from being seized by tigers, etc., so the gods seek to prevent men from attaining the knowledge of brahman lest they should cease to be their objects of enjoyment. Those, however, whom they wish to set fee, they endow with faith and the like; while the opposite class they visit with lack of faith, etc. Therefore a seeker of liberation should be devoted to worshipping the gods, have faith and devotion, be obedient to the gods and be alert about the attainment of knowledge or about knowledge itself. The mention of the dislike of the gods is an indirect hint at all this". The gist of the above is that worship of gods should be without desire for any fruit and only for purification of the mind and becoming fit for Self-knowledge. Service to human beings with a motive is also described as bondage because such service implies dependence, which is bondage. The liberated person is not dependent on any human being or any other living creature or on any object. gItA, 3.18 says that for the liberated person there is no dependence on any object. So he need not serve any body. This sentence is not from any of the ten principal upanishads or the SvetASvatara upanishad. It may be in one of the remaining upanishads. I have not been able to find out from which upanishad. 3. kartRtvAdi-ahankArasankalpo bandhaHThe notion of oneself as doer, enjoyer, etc., is bondage. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.11- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation * 4. aNimAdyashTaiSyaryASAsiddhasankalpo bandhaH-
The constant thinking of the eight siddhis such as aNima out of desire to attain them is bondage. The eight siddhis are 1. aNima- contracting the body to atomic size. 2. mahimA- making the body very big. 3. laghimA- making the body very light. 4. garimA- making the body very heavy. 5. prApti- reaching another place by thought. 6. prAkAmyam- to have fulfillment of every desire. 7. ISitvam- lordship over others. 8. vaSitvam- to remain detached while enjoying the pleasures of the senses. (In some texts the siddhis mentioned may be slightly different). There are ten more powers such as clair-voyance, clair-audience, etc. All these are described in SrImad bhAgavatam XI.15. All these powers are hindrances to one who seeks liberation. So desire for these powers is bondage. 5. yamAdyashTAngayogasankalpo bandhaH- Constantly thinking of the limbs of yoga such as niyama to see whether one has achieved perfection in them is bondage. In jIvanmuktiviveka, chapter 2, vidyAraNya refers to the obsession with the mechanical observance of injunctions as 'Sastra vAsanA' which is an impure vAsanA. Such impure vAsanAs are a bondage. This seems to be what is meant in the present sentence. 6. kevalam mokshApekshAkAmasankalpo bandhaH- Constantly thinking of the attainment of moksha is bondage. This appears paradoxical because mumukshutvam or the intense desire for moksha is one of the essential prerequisites for the spiritual aspirant and is the last item in sAdhanachatushTayam. The idea seems to be that worrying all the time about when one would attain moksha is itself bondage. This explanation is supported by Sri Sankara's bhAshya on gItA, 5.10 where he says: One who is ignorant of the Truth and is engaged in karmayoga, who dedicates all actions to God, by renouncing attachment even with regard to the resulting liberation, is not affected by sin just as a lotus leaf is not made wet by water". So one should go on with sAdhanA without thinking about when he would get liberation.
7. sankalpamAtrasambhavo bandhaH- The rise of thoughts about various things in the mind is bondage. 8. nityAnityavastyvicArAd-anityasamsArasukhaduHkhavishaya-samastakshetramamatA-band\ hakshayo mokshaH-nityAnityavastyvicArAd- by examination of what is eternal and what is ephemeral, anityasamsArasukhaduHkhavishaya- the cause of the joys and sorrows of the impermanent worldly life, samastakshetramamatAbandha- the notion of mine in the entire field (body, senses, mind, relations, possessions, etc., that is the bondage, kshayaH- the cessation, mokshaH- is liberation. Liberation is the cessation, as a result of the examination of what is permanent and what is impermanent, of bondage which consists in the notion of 'mine' with regard to the body, mind, senses, relations, possessions, etc., which are the cause of joys and sorrows in this impermanent worldly life of repeated births and deaths. S.N.Sastri (to be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.12- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation * 9. mana eva manushyANAm kAraNam bandhamokshayoH, bandhAya vishayAsaktam muktyai nirvishayam smRtam- amRtabindu upanishad, 2. The mind alone is the cause of bondage as well as liberation of human beings. When the mind is attached to sense-objects it leads to bondage. When the mind is free from attachment to sense-objects it leads to liberation.
10. mameti badhyate jantuH, na mameti vimucyate-mama iti- Because of the notion of 'mine-ness' . As long as one has the notion of mine-ness with regard to one's body, mind, senses, relations, possessions, etc., and consequently attachment to them, one remains in bondage. When the notion of mine-ness is given up, attachment ceases and the person is released from bondage. 11. mamtvena bhavet jIvaH, nirmamatvena kevalaH mamatvena- by the notion of mine-ness, nirmamatvena- by the cessation of the notion of mine-ness. As long as one has the notion of mine-ness, one remains a jIva, in bondage. When the notion of mine-ness is eradicated, one becomes the pure Self, i.e., realizes that he is the Self or brahman. 12. svasankalpavaSAt baddhah, niHsankalpAt vimucyate-svasankalpavaSAt- by one's own thoughts (of sense-objects). Because of constantly thinking about sense-objects one remains in bondage. By becoming free from such thoughts one attains liberation. gItA, 2.62 and 63 may be referred to here. 13. drashTA dRSyavaSAt baddho dRSyAbhAve vimucyateThe seer becomes bound because of the seen. When there is nothing seen, he is liberated. Here seeing means experiencing external objects through all the sense-organs. As long as the sense-organs are engaged in experiencing their respective sense-objects the mind cannot be concentrated on the Self. This is the state of bondage. When the senses are withdrawn from external objects the mind can be concentrated on the Self and that will lead to liberation. The same idea is expressed in kaThopanishad, II.i.i- "The Lord made the organs outgoing. So one sees only external objects and not the inner Self. A rare discriminating individual, desiring immortality, turns his eyes away and then sees the indwelling Self". 14. icchAmAtram avidyA iyam tannaSo moksha ucyate-This avidyA is nothing but desire. The destruction of that (desire) is called moksha.
Since avidyA is the cause of desire, the two are identified, because the effect is not different from the cause. 15. bhogecchAmAtrakam bandhaH tattyAgo moksha ucyate- Desire for sensual enjoyment is itself bondage. Giving up that is called liberation (leads to liberation). 16. ciccaityakalanA bandhaH, tanmuktiH muktirucyate cit- consciousness, AtmA. caityam- the object of consciousness, not-self, kalanA- combining the two as one. Looking upon the combination of self and not-self as one, i.e., not distinguishing the self from the not-self, is bondage. Becoming free from this notion is liberation. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.13- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation * 17. anAsthaiva hi nirvANam, duhkham AsthAparigrahaH Indifference to worldly matters is (the means to) liberation. Concern about worldly matters is sorrow. 18. karmaNA badhyate jantuH vidyayA ca vimucyateOne is bound by karma and liberated by knowledge. Actions are performed only because of desire. As long as there is desire there is bondage. So action is an indication of being still in bondage. The karma of a liberated person is akarma (not karma) because he has no sense of doership and no desire. 19. svarUpAvasthitiH muktiH, tadbhramSo'hamtvavedanamBeing established in one's real nature (as brahman) is liberation. The notion of 'I-ness' (in the body, etc.,) is fall from that state of one's real nature. 20. citte calati samsAro niScale moksha ucyateWhen the mind is restless it is the state of transmigration. When the mind becomes calm, it is called liberation. 21. bandho hi vAsanAbaddho mokshaH syAd vAsanAkshayaHBondage is being under the control of vAsanAs. Elimination of vAsanAs is liberation.
22. padArthabhAvanAdArDhyam bandha iti abhidhIyateThe strong inclination towards worldly objects is known as bondage. 23. na moksho nabhasaH pRshThe na pAtAle na bhUtale. Liberation is not above the sky (not being in heaven), nor in the nether regions, nor on the earth. Liberation is not going to some other world or attaining some other state on this earth itself; it is only realizing one's real nature by getting rid of the wrong notion that one is in bondage. 24. sarvASAsamkshaye cetaHkshayo moksha iti ishyate-sarvASAsamkshayewhen all desires have subsided, cetaHkshayaH- the eradication of the mind, moksha iti ishyate- is known as moksha. When the mind becomes absolutely calm because of being free from desires, that state is liberation. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.14- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation *
25. moksho me astu iti cintA antarjAtA ced utthitam manaH, mananotthe manasi esha bandhaH sAmsAriko mataHIf the thought, "May I attain moksha" arises in the mind, then the mind has awakened. When the mind has awakened, that bondage in the mind is said to indicate the transmigratory nature of existence. The idea is that most people do not even know that there are such things as bondage and liberation. It is said in avadhUtagItA that even the desire to know the non-dual brahman arises only by God's grace (ISvarAnugrahAdeva pumsAm advaitavAsanA). Such a desire arises only when a person realizes that he is a limited being. This is the state of bondage which is mentioned here. Those who do not realize that they are in bondage are also in bondage, but since they are not aware of it, the desire for liberation does not arise in their minds. 26. tadamArjanamAtram hi mahAsamsAratAm gatam
tadamArjanamAtram- not wiping it away or not removing it, mahAsamsAratAmgreat or intense transmigration, gatam= avagatam- is understood to be. Not removing it (bondage) is itself the state of intense transmigration. 27. tatpramArjanamAtram tu moksha iti abhidhIyate-tatpramArjanamAtramremoving it alone. Removal of the bondage is itself known as liberation. Thus liberation is merely cessation of the wrong identification with the body, etc and not the attainment of anything new. End of sentences dealing with bondage and liberation. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.15- Sentences censuring the unenlightened. * 28. atha yo anyAm devatAm upAste anyo asau anyo ahamasmi iti na sa veda yathA paSuH evam sa devAnAmbr. up. 1.4.10He who worships another god, thinking, "He is different and I am different", does not know. He is like an animal to the gods. This sentence taken in isolation and out of context cannot be properly understood unless the whole paragraph, 1.4.10, which forms a composite whole, is read. This paragraph is reproduced below: "This (self) was indeed brahman in the beginning. It knew only Itself as, "I am brahman'. Therefore It became all. And whoever among the gods knew It also became That; and the same with sages and men. The sage VAmadeva, while realizing this (self) as That knew, 'I was manu, and the sun'. And to this day whoever in like manner knows It as, 'I am brahman', becomes all this. Even the gods cannot prevail against him, for he becomes their self. While he who worships another god thinking, 'He is different and I am different', does not know. He is like an animal to the gods. As many animals serve a man, so does each man serve the gods. Even if one animal is taken away, it causes anguish, what to say of many animals! Therefore it is not liked by the gods that men should know this (brahman).
The central point of this paragraph is the mahAvAkya 'aham brahma asmi' 'I am brahman'. The central idea is that one should meditate on the identity of the individual self and brahman and thus realize that he is brahman and not the body-mind complex. brahman is the self of all beings, including the gods. And so when a person realizes that he is brahman, he becomes the self of all, including the gods themselves. As long as a person considers himself to be different from the gods and worships them with the idea of this difference, he is in bondage. He therefore serves the gods just as animals such as cows, horses, etc., owned by a person serve him. This is the idea brought out here. One should therefore strive for realization of the self so that he becomes independent. This does not mean that worship of gods is not necessary. Sri Sankara's says in his commentary on this paragraph:--"Hence, as men try to save their animals from being seized by tigers, etc., so also the gods seek to prevent men from attaining knowledge of brahman, as they would then cease to be their objects of enjoyment. Those, however, whom they wish to set free, they endow with faith and the like. Therefore a seeker of devotion should be devoted to worshipping the gods, have faith and devotion, be obedient to the gods and be alert about attainment of knowledge of the self. The mention of the dislike of the gods is an indirect hint at all this". 29. atra bhidAm iva manyamAnaH SatadhA sahasradhA bhinno mRtyoH sa mRtyum ApnotiHe who perceives things as different, as hundreds and thousands of different things, goes from death to death. One who sees things and beings in this world as different from one another, i.e., one who has not realized that everything is brahman alone, continues in the cycle of repeated births and deaths. 30. kartRtvAdyahamkArabhAvanArUDhaH mUDhaH kartRtva-adi- doership, etc. ahamkAra- ego. bhAvanArUDhaH- rooted in the notion. One who is rooted in the notion of being a doer, etc., is a deluded person. mUDhah- does not mean 'fool' or 'a person deficient in intelligence' as is generally thought. It is derived from the verbal root 'muh' which means 'to be deluded'. Therefore it means 'one who is deluded'. Every one who has not attained brahma-jnAna looks upon the world as real, however learned or intelligent he may be, and is therefore deluded by avidyA. S.N.Sastri
(To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.16- Sentences censuring the unenlightened. * 31. mRtyoH sa mRtyum Apnoti ya iha nana iva paSyatibRhad. up. 4.4.19He who sees as though there is difference here goes from death to death. As long as one has not realized that all this is in reality brahman alone and sees differences, one continues in the state of transmigration. 32. anubhUtim vinA mUDho vRthA brahmaNi modate, pratibimbitaSAkhAgraphalAsvAdanamodavatThe deluded person, without attaining realization, rejoices in brahman in vain, like a person enjoying the eating of the reflection of a fruit at the tip of a branch of a tree. Pratibimbita- reflected, SakhAgraphala- the fruit at the tip of a branch of a tree, AsvAdana- eating, modavat- like the joy. The idea is that merely acquiring intellectual knowledge about brahman and remaining satisfied with it is fruitless. Unless this knowledge translates into the actual realization that one is brahman, the person continues to be under delusion. 33. ativarNASramam rUpam saccidAnandalakshaNam, yo na jAnAti so avidvAn kadA mukto bhavishyatiThe unenlightened person who does not know the Existence-Consciousness-Bliss which is beyond varNas and ASramas, when will he ever be liberated! 34. kuSalA brahmavArtAyAm vRttihInAH surAgiNah, te api ajnAnatayA nUnam punarAyAnti yAnti caThose who are adept as speaking about brahman, who, though not engaged in any particular activity, are full of desires, they too, because of ignorance, return to this earth and go back again. Those who have studied the scriptures and can give discourses on them, but are full of various desires are still ignorant because they have not attained realization. They are therefore subject to repeated births and deaths. Merely giving up activity (karma) is of no use unless one attains total detachment. Mere scholarship is also of no use. 35. advitIyabrahmatattvam na jAnanti yadA tadA, bhrAntA eva akhilAh, teshAm kva muktiH kveha vA sukhamAs long as they do not know the non-dual brahman they are all deluded indeed. How can they have liberation or even happiness here (in this world)?
36. ajnAnopahato bAlye yauvane vanitAhataH, Seshe kalatracintArtaH, kim karoti narAdhamaHIn childhood he is overwhelmed by ignorance. As a young man he is captivated by women. During the rest of his life he is tormented by worries about his wife. What can such a despicable man do? 37. icchAdveshasamutthena dvandvamohena jantavaH, dharAvivara-magnAnAm kITAnAm samatAm gatAH dharA- earth, vivara-hole. magna- immersed in, kITAH- worms. Because of the illusion of duality arising from likes and dislikes men have become like worms living inside holes in the earth. End of the sentences censuring the unenlightened.
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.17- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.* 38. na anyat kincana mishat- aitareya up. 1.i.1- There was nothing else that was active. This should be read along with the preceding sentence which is:-AtmA vA idam eka eva agre AsIt- In the beginning this (perceptible world) was the Self alone. Before the creation of the world, during pralaya, the world was unmanifest and was merged in brahman. 39. vAcArambhaNam vikAro nAmadheyam mRttika iti eva satyamchAndogya up. 6.1.4All transformation is a mere matter of words, and is nothing but name. The truth is that it is only clay. Pots and pans of various shapes and sizes are made out of clay and given different names, but they are all nothing but clay and do not have any reality apart from clay. Similarly, the world consisting of various names and forms is in reality nothing but brahman and has no existence apart from brahman. 40. ato anyad Artam.bRhad. Up. 3.4.2Everything else (other than brahman ) is perishable. na tu tad dvitIyam asti- bRhad.up. 4.3.23--There is no second thing. 41. na atra kAcana bhidA asti- There is no difference here (in brahman).
42. sarvam vikArajAtam mAyAmAtram- All transformations are only due to mAyA. 43. sarvatra nahi asti dvaitasiddhiHDuality is not established anywhere. 44. na asti dvaitam kuto martyamThere is no duality, so how can there be anything that is perishable? S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.18- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.* 45. prapanco yadi vidyeta nivarteta na samSayaH. mAyAmAtram idam dvaitam advaitam paramArthataHIt is well known that this is in mANDUkya kArikA (I.17), but it appears also in one of the 'minor upanishads'. (I have not been able to trace which). The world would cease to exist only if it did exist. There is no doubt about this. This duality is nothing but mAyA; in reality there is only non-duality. The world is superimposed on brahman like a snake on a rope. We can say that the snake "will cease to exist" when the rope is known only if it existed earlier, when it was seen. The snake never existed and so the question of its 'ceasing to exist' cannot arise at all. Similarly, since the world does not exist even now, we cannot say that it will cease to exist when brahman is known. Even now, when we experience the world, what actually exists is only brahman. This is what is brought out by this Sloka. The reality is only the non-dual brahman. The purport is that there is no world which appears and later disappears. 46. vikalpo vinivarteta kalpito yadi kenacit. upadeSAd ayam vAdo jnAte dvaitam na vidyate- mANDUkya kArikA, I.18. Diversity would disappear if it had been imagined by anyone. This talk is for the sake of instruction. Duality ceases to exist on realization. Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya:-How can such fancies as instruction, instructor, and the instructed disappear? To this the answer is: Just as this phenomenal world is analogous to magic or a snake superimposed on a rope, so also such fancies as the differences of the instructed, etc., are only for the sake of teaching (vedAnta). When the result of the teaching is accomplished, on the realization of the supreme Reality, all duality ceases to exist.
47. dvitIyakAraNAbhAvAd anutpannamidam jagat- (It would have been helpful if the name of the upanishad in which the sentence appears had been given by the person who made this collection. Statements from the main ten upanishads and SvetASvatara upanishad can be recognized straightaway from memory, but statements from the remaining 97upanishads (out of the total of 108 mentioned in muktikopanishad) cannot be easily traced. Moreover, in some instances only a part of the whole Sloka is given, adding to the difficulty in understanding the meaning). Because of the absence of another cause, this world must be considered as not having originated. I am not able to explain this further without knowing the context in which it appears. If any one is able to locate the upanishad in which this appears, kindly let me know. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.19- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.* 48. yathA eva idam nabhaH *SUnyam* jagat Sunyam tathA eva hiJust as this sky is void, so is the world void. The idea is that the world is devoid of any real substance, it is 'asAram', and so no importance should be attached to the pleasures and pains arising in it. 49. idam prapancam yat kincit yadyad jagati vIkshyate, dRSyarUpam ca dRgrUpam sarvam SaSavishANavatThis universe, whatever is seen it, in the forms of the seen and the seer, everything is like the horn of a rabbit. Here the seer must be taken to be the mind aided by the sense-organs and not brahman. In the work known as 'vedAntaDiNDimA', attributed to Sri Sankara, it is said that there are only two padArtha's (categories), namely dRk and dRSyam; dRk is brahman and dRSyam is mAyA. Obviously 'dRk' cannot have this meaning here because it cannot be like the horn of a rabbit, non-existent. Nor can dRk be taken to mean jIva because jIva is in reality none other than brahman and so he cannot be described as non-existent like the horn of a rabbit. So the mind has to be taken as dRk here and all the objects of cognition as dRSyam. That means the entire vyAvahArika world. But even this world is not non-existent like the rabbit's horn according to advaita. It is mithyA, which means it cannot be described as either real or as unreal; it is 'anirvacanIya'. It is described sometimes as non-existent as in the present statement only to create total detachment in us.
50. idam prapancam na asti eva, na utpannam no sthitam jagatThis world does not exist at all. It has not come into existence nor does it exist. 51. cittam prapancam iti AhuH, na asti na asti eva sarvadAIt has been said that the mind is the world. It (the world) does not exist, it does not exist at any time. (I have not tried to trace the upanishads in which these sentences appear because it would be too time-consuming. They are not in the principal upanishads). S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.20- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.*
52. mAyAkAryAdikam nAsti mAyA nAsti bhayam na hiThe effects of mAyA have no real existence. mAyA itself has no existence. There is no fear. The word mAyA is derived as 'yA mA, sA mAyA'meaning, mAya is that which is not. (One of the meanings of the word 'mA' is 'not'- e.g.- mA phaleshu kadAcana- never in the fruit). So its effect, the world, also has no existence. The br.up says-"Fear arises only from a second". When no duality is seen and everything is seen as the one non-dual brahman, there is no cause for fear. It is said in pancadaSi that from the absolute standpoint mAyA has no existence at all. 53. param brahma aham asmi iti smaraNasya mano na hi When there is the thought "I am the supreme brahman, the mind does not exist. The meaning is that when the mind is fixed on brahman it becomes free from other thoughts, desires, attachment, aversion, etc. 54. vandhyAkumAravacane bhItiH cet astu idam jagatIf one is afraid of the words of the son of a barren woman, then let the world be existent. The world is non-existent like the son of a barren woman. 55. SaSaSRngeNa nAgendraH mRtaH cet jagat asti satIf a mighty elephant is
killed by the horn of a rabbit, then the world is real. 56. mRgatRshNAjalam pItvA tRptaH cet astu idam jagatIf one is satisfied by drinking water from a mirage, then let this world be considered real. 57. gandharvanagare satye jagat bhavati sarvadA 'gandharvanagara' means the patterns made on the sky by clouds which may sometimes have the appearance of a town, etc. If that is real, then the world is also always real. 58. gagane nIlimA satye jagat satyam bhavishyati- If the blueness of the sky is real, then the world is also real. 59. mAsAt pUrvam mRto martyo hyAgataH cet jagat bhavetIf a mortal who died a month ago has come back, then the world is real. 60. gostanAt udbhavat kshIrapunarAropaNe jagat- (The sentence is not complete). If the milk which issues out from the udders of a cow goes back (into the udders), then the world (is real). 61. jvAlAgnimaNDale padmavRddhiH cet astu idam jagat- If lotuses can grow inside a circle of blazing fire, then let this world be real. 62. jnAninah hRdayam mUDhaiH jnAtam cet astu idam jagat- If ignorant persons can know the mind of the enlightened, let this world be real. 63. ajakukshau jagat na asti, hi Atmakukshau jagat na hiThere is no world in the belly of a lamb; there is no world in the belly of the Atma either. 64. sarvadA abhedakalane dvaitAdvaitam na vidyateWhen there is always non-difference, there is no such thing as duality and non-duality. 65. nAsti nAsti jagat sarvam guruSishyAdikam na hiThere is no world at all. All such notions as teacher, disciple, etc., do not exist. 66. satcidAnandamAtro'ham anutpannam idam jagatI am ExistenceConsciousness-Bliss alone. This world has not come into existence at all. The above statements are made from the pAramArthika standpoint where there is nothing but brahman. End of sentences declaring the world as mithyA. S.N.Sastri
(To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.21- Sentences conveying instructions.*
67. sa ya esho'Nimaitadaatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa AtmA tattvamasi Svetaketoch. up. 6.8.7This is one of the famous mahAvAkyas. That which is this subtle essence, all this has That as the Self. That is the Truth. That is the Self. That thou art, O Svetaketu. The instruction "That thou art" is repeated nine times in this upanishad by taking different examples. The meaning of this mahAvAkya has to be understood by taking the implied meaning of the words 'That' and 'thou'. For a detailed note on this, please see www.geocities.com/snsastri/vedamahavakya.html
68. abhayam vai janaka prApto'si- bRhad. up. 4.2.4(Like several other statements in this collection, this single sentence has been picked out and presented out of context. This sentence does not by itself convey any instruction, though it has been put under the heading 'upadeSavAkyAni'.) The meaning of this sentence is: "O Janaka, You have attained That which is free from fear". The whole section has to be studied to understand the import of this sentence. 69. brahmacaryam ahimsAm ca aparigraham ca satyam ca yatnena he rakshato he rakshata- O, protect with effort celibacy, non-injury, non-acceptance of gifts and truth. 70. tat tvam asi tvam tad asi- That thou art, thou art that. 71. yanmnasA na manute yenAhurmano matam, tadeva brahma viddhi nedam yadidam upAsatekenopanishad, 1.6That which cannot be comprehended by the mind, but that because of which the mind comprehends, know that to be brahman, and not that which is meditated on. brahman, which is pure Consciousness enables the sense-organs and the mind to perform their respective functions of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking by its mere presence. But neither the sense-organs
nor the mind can know brahman. This brahman is to be realized as one's own indwelling self. This is the pure unconditioned brahman which is nirguNa, attributeless. What is meditated on is saguNa brahman or brahman associated with mAyA which is made up of the three guNas. Sri Sankara says that nirguNa brahman is 'jneyam', to be known, while saguNa brahman is 'dhyeyam', to be meditated on. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.22- Sentences conveying instructions.* 72. yat param brahma sarvAtmA viSvasyAyatanam mahat, sUkshmAt sUkshmataram nityam tat tvam eva tvam eva tat That which is the supreme brahman, the Self of all, the supreme support of the universe, which is subtler than the subtle, eternal, that thou alone art, thou alone art that. 73. antaHpUrNo bahiHpUrNaH pUrNakumbha ivArNave, antaHSUnyo bahiHSUnyaH SUnyakumbha ivAmbareIt (brahman) is full within and full without, like a pot full of water in the ocean. It is empty within and empty without like an empty pot in the sky. There is really neither inside nor outside for brahman which is infinite. Since there is nothing other than brahman, it can be described as full or as empty. Sri Sankara says in 'daSaSlokI':-"Brahman has no such thing as upper or lower (part), it has no inside or outside, it has no middle or any 'across', and it has no eastern or western direction, because it is all-pervading like space (or pervades space also). It is one and without parts. I remain as the one auspicious self free from all attributes".
74. mA bhava grAhyabhAvAtmA grAhakAtmA ca mA bhava, bhAvanAm akhilAm tyaktvA yat SishTam tanmayo bhavagrAhaka= what grasps, i.e., the sense-organs. grAhya= what is grasped, sense-objects.
Do not identify yourself with your sense-organs. Do not identify yourself with sense-objects, by developing attachment towards them. Giving up all thoughts (imaginations), be one with that which remains, namely, the Self. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
75. dRshtR-darSana-dRSyAdi tyaktvA vAsanayA saha, darSanapratham AbhAasam AtmAnam kevalam bhajadRshtR-darSana-dRSyAdi- the triad (tripuTI) of seer, seeing and seen, i.e., all worldly experience. tyaktvA- giving up. vAsanayA saha- along with vAsanAs. darSanapratham- which is worth seeing (realizing), AbhAsam- effulgence (in the present context). This word also means 'semblance' as in 'AbhAsavAda'. AtmAnam kevalam bhaja- meditate on the pure Self. Giving up indulging in worldly affairs, along with all vAsanAs which prompt one towards worldly action, meditate on the pure Self which is self-luminous and which alone is worth knowing (realizing). 76. bhogaikavAsanAm tyaktvA tyaja tvam bhedavAsanAmGiving up your inclination towards enjoyment of worldly pleasures, give up the tendency to see difference. 77. tyaja dharmam adharmam ca ubhe satyAnRte tyaja. ubhe satyAnRte tyaktvA yena tyajasi tat tyaja--Give up (the notions of) dharma and adharma and give up both (the notions)
of reality and unreality. After giving up both the notions of reality and unreality, give up that by which you give up these (i.e., the mind). These are very profound statements appearing in the mahAbhArata. Dharma, adharma, reality, unreality, are relative terms. The Lord says in SRImad bhAgavata, skandha XI, chapter 21, "What is right may in certain circumstances be wrong; what is wrong may, if enjoined as a duty, become right. The rules that declare what is right and what is wrong thus show only that the distinction is based on no intrinsic difference". The world appears real to us. But from the absolute point of view it has no reality. Thus all these are notions created by the mind. It is the mind that creates notions of what is favourable and what is unfavourable. We have to go beyond all these notions. As the Gita says, we must go beyond the guNas. S.N.Sastri (to be contd)
*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, khAdyapyatitarAmkhAd 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 destroyerall 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 AtmaniWithout 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)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.25- Sentences conveying instructions.* 83. ghaTAkASam mahAkASe iva AtmAnam parAtmani, vilApya akhaNDabhAvena tUshNIm bhava sadA mune--Like the pot-space in the total space, merge your self in the supreme Self and, as a partless entity, remain always quiet (at peace), O meditator! akhaNDabhAvena- as the infinite partless brahman. muni is who is always engaged in contemplation. 84. cid iha asti iti cinmAtram idam cinmayam eva ca, cit tvam cid aham ete ca lokAH cid iti bhAvaya Contemplate thuspure consciousness is here, this (universe) is only consciousness, and it is pervaded by consciousness, you are consciousness, I
am consciousness, these worlds are also consciousness. 85. satyacidghanam akhaNDam advayam sarvadRSyarahitam nirAmayam, yat padam vimalam advayam Sivam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya--satyacidghanam- Reality and a mass of consciousness. sarvadRSyarahitam- devoid of all the objects seen- this stand for all objects experienced by all the senses. nirAmayam- free from blemish. That which is reality and a mass of consciousness, whole (partless), non-dual, devoid of all superimposed objects, free from blemish, pure, auspicious, that I always amwith this thought, practise quietude. 86. janma-mRtyu-sukha-duHkha-varjitam jAti-nIti-kula-gotra-dUragam, cidvivarta-jagato'sya kAraNam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya With the knowledge that you are ever that (brahman) which is free from birth, death, joy (the transitory joy from sensual enjoyment) and sorrow, far from being governed by considerations of caste, any established order, clan and lineage, and the cause of this universe which is only an apparent transformation (vivarta) of consciousness, practise meditation. The difference between pariNAma or transformation and vivarta or apparent transformation, usually known as 'transfiguration' is given below:-The transformation of a thing into another form with the same level of reality is pariNAma, like milk becoming curd. The transformation into a form of a different level of reality is vivarta, like a rope appearing as a snake. Another definition is- when the effect is of the same nature as the cause it is pariNAma. When the effect is of a different nature from the cause it is vivarta. Or, pariNAma is when the effect is non-different from the cause. When the effect, even without being non-different from the cause, cannot be said to exist apart from the cause, it is vivarta. For example, the snake is not non-different from the rope, i.e., it is different, but it has no existence apart from the rope. Thus there are three levels of realityBrahman is pAramArthika, the universe, which is a vivarta of brahman, is vyAvahArika and the rope-snake is prAtibhAsika. 87. pUrNam advayam akhaNDacetanam viSvabhedakalanAdivarjitam advitIyaparasamvidAtmakam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya---
That (brahman) which is infinite, non-dual, partless consciousness, devoid of all the apparent differences in the universe, of the nature of supreme non-dual consciousness, that I always am. With this thought practise meditation. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.26- Sentences conveying instructions.* 88. svAtmanaH anyatayA bhAtam carAcaram idam jagat svAtmamAtratayA buddhvA tadasmi iti vibhAvaya This world consisting of the moving and the unmoving, which appears as if it is different from your self, knowing it to be nothing but your own self, be firm in the knowledge "I am that self". 89. vilApya vikRtim kRtsnAm sambhava-vyatyaya-kramAt pariSishTam ca cinmAtram cidAnandam vicintayaMerging all the modifications in the order opposite to the order of their origin, meditate on the pure consciousness and bliss which is left. vilApya- merging, kRtsnam-entire, vikRtim- modifications of prakRti, namely, the five elements; or this may be taken as referring to the five sheaths, those of food, vital air, mind, intellect, and bliss. sambhava-origin, vyatyaya- opposite, kramAt- in the order. pariSishTam- what is leftthe Self. The order of creation isether, air, fire, water and earth. Earth should be merged mentally in its cause, water, i.e., it should be considered as having no existence apart from its cause, water. Similarly, water must be merged in fire, fire in air, air in ether, and ether in its cause, brahman. Thus all things in this world which are all made up of the five elements should be merged in brahman. Or, the sheaths may be merged one by one and ultimately in brahman. End of sentences containing instructions S.N.Sastri
(To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.27- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.* 90. sa yaSca ayam purushe yaSca asau Aditye, sa ekaHtaitt. up. 2.8.5He who is in this human being, and he who is there in the sun, are one. The same brahman is the indwelling self in human beings as well as in the sun. brihad. up. 3.7.9 says: He who dwells in the sun, who is within it, whom the sun does not know, whose body is the sun, and who controls the sun from within, is the Internal Ruler (antaryAmI), your own immortal self. The same statement is made with regard to earth, water, fire, air, sky, heaven, the quarters, moon, ether, etc., and it is finally concluded thus: He who dwells in all beings, who is within them, whom no being knows, whose body is all beings, and who controls all beings from within, is the Internal Ruler, your own immortal self. 91. satyam AtmA brahma eva, brahma AtmA eva atra hi eva na vicikitsyam--AtmA is really brahman itself, and brahman is AtmA itself. In this matter there need not be any doubt at all. 92. tvam brahma asi, aham brahma asmi, AvayoH antaram na vidyate, tvam eva aham, aham eva tvam You are brahman, I am brahman, there is no difference between us, you yourself are I, I myself am you. 93. gatAH kalAH pancadaSa pratishTha devASca sarve pratidevatAsu, karmANi vijnAnamayaSca AtmA pare avyaye sarva ekIbhavanti---muNDaka up. 3.2.7--The fifteen kalAs or constituents of the body starting with prANa, which are mentioned in the answer to the last question in the praSna upanishad, merge in their source (brahman) when the person gets liberation. The presiding deities of the sense-organs withdraw from the body and merge in the respective gods. The accumulated karma of the person becomes unified with
brahman. The jIvAtma realizes his identity with brahman. Note. The fifteen kalAs mentioned in the praSna up. areprANa, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, organs, mind, and food. 94. yena Iyate SRNoti idam jighrati vyAkaroti ca, svAdu asvAdu vijAnAti tat prajnAnam udIritamThat because of which one moves, hears, smells, does various actions, knows what is tasty and what is not, that is called consciousness. 95. caturmukhendradeveshu manushyAsvagavAdishu caitanyam ekam brahma ataH prajnAnam brahma mayi apiThe one brahman who is pure consciousness is in the four-faced Creator (brahmA), indra, other gods, men, horse, cow, etc. Therefore brahman who is consciousness is in me also. S.N.Sastri (To be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.28- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.* 96. paripUrNaH parAtmA asmin dehe vidyAdhikAriNi , buddheH sAkshitayA sthitvA sphuran aham iti Iryate In this body which is fit for knowledge dwells the infinite supreme Self, as the witness of the intellect and shines. It is called "I". vidyAdhikAriNiwhich is competent to attain knowledge (of brahman). Self-knowledge dawns in the mind. It is only in a human incarnation that attainment of this knowledge is possible. 97. svataH pUrNah parAtmA atra brahmaSabdena varNitaH. asmi iti aikyaparAmarSAt tena brahma bhavAmi aham The supreme Self who is infinite in nature is described by the word 'brahman' here. By identifying myself with it as 'I am" I am brahman. 98. ekam eva advitIyam sat nAmarUpavivarjitam, sRshTeH purA adhunA api asya tAdRktvam tad iti Iryate
Only one Reality, without a second, devoid of name and form was there before creation. Now also it is the same. It is known as 'That'. Before creation there was only brahman. Even now when the world is experienced by us there is really only brahman, because the world has no existence apart from brahman and is merely a superimposition on brahman. This brahman is known as 'That'. 99. SroturdehendriyAtItam vastu atra tvampadA Iritam. ekatA grAhyate asi iti tadaikyam anubhUyatAm This reality which is beyond the body and sense organs of the hearer, is denoted by the word 'thou'. By the word 'art', the identity (with That) is taught. Let that identity be experienced. 100. svaprakASAparokshatvam ayam iti uktito matam. ahankArAdidehAntAt pratyagAtmA iti gIyate By the word 'this' its self-luminousness and immediateness are stated. Being that which pervades from the ego-sense to the gross body it is called the indwelling self. S.N.Sastri (to be contd)
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.29- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.* 101. dRSyamAnasya sarvasya jagataH tattvam Iyate, brahmaSabdena tad brahma svaprakASAtmarUpakam--The essence of all this perceptible world is denoted by the word 'brahman'. That brahman is self-luminous in nature and is the indwelling self. 102. mAyAvidye vihAya eva upAdhI parajIvayoH, akhaNDam satcidAandam param brahma vilakshyae Discarding mAyA and avidyA which are the limiting adjuncts of ISvara and jIva respectively, the supreme brahman which is partless and ExistenceConsciousness- Bliss is indicated.
akhaNDa- whole, without any parts. Here mAyA is taken as the upAdhi or limiting adjunct of ISvara and avidyA as the upAdhi of jIva. vilakshyate- indicatedbrahman cannot be expressed by the primary meaning of words. It can only be indicated through its appearance as ISvara and jIva due to upAdhis. 103. kshIram kshIre yathA kshiptam tailam taile jalam jale, samyuktam ekatAm yAti tathA Atmani Atmavit muniH Just as milk becomes one with milk, oil with oil, water with water, so also the meditator who knows the Self becomes one with the Self. 104. ghaTe nashTe yathA vyoma vyoma eva bhavati svayam, tathA eva upAdhivilaye brahma eva brahmavit svayam--Just as space (inside a pot) becomes space itself when the pot is destroyed, so also the knower of brahman becomes brahman itself when his upAdhi (the mind) dissolves (on the attainment of Self-kmowledge). 'He becomes brahman' means only that he realizes that he is brahman, which he always was, but thought otherwise. The mind dissolving means that the mind becomes free from likes, dislikes, etc., and so does not make any judgments such as 'This is good', 'This is bad', etc., as the minds of the unenlightened do. End of sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.30- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni). * 105. ahamannam ahamannam ahamannam, ahamannado' hamannado' hamannadaHtaitt. up. 3.10. The meaning is --- I am food, I am food, I am food; I am the eater of food, I am the eater of food, I am the eater of food. The taitt. up. says that on attaining Self-knowledge the jIvanamukta sings these words. Food stands for everything that is experienced, and eater of food means the one who experiences. On realizing that he is brahman the jIvanmukta sees everything as himself. He is the experiencer as well as the objects experienced, because there is nothing other than himself.
106. aham manuH abhavam sUryaH cabRhad. up. 1. 4. 10. The meaning is :--"I was Manu and the sun". This is a mantra in Rg veda IV. xxvi. 1, which was 'seen' by sage Vamadeva when he attained he attained realization. This means that he attained identity with all. 107. aham eva idam sarvam asAni Let me be all this. 108. yathA phenatarangAdi samudrAd utthitam punaH, samudre lIyate tadvad jagat mayi anulIyate Just as foam, waves, etc., which arise from the ocean, merge again in the ocean, so also this world merges back in me (the Self). I am the Self or brahman. The whole world arises from me and ultimately merges in me. 109. anAtmadrishTeH avivekanidram aham mama svapnagatim gato'ham, svarUpasUrye'bhyudite sphuToktaiH guroH mahAvAkyapadaiH prabuddhaH Because of perceiving only the not-Self I fell into the sleep of indiscrimination and dreamed of 'I' and 'mine'. By the clear teachings of my guru based on the mahAvAkyas the sun that is my real nature has risen and I have woken up (become enlightened). S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.31- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni). * 110. prANAH calantu taddharmaiH kAmairvA hanyatAM manaH, AnandabuddhipUrNasya mama duHkham katham bhavet--Here 'prANAH' means the sense-organs, which is one of the meanings of this
word in the upanishads. Let the sense-organs engage themselves in their own functions. Let the mind be full of desires. How can there be any sorrow for me who am pure bliss and consciousness. A person who has realized that he is not the body-mind complex but Brahman is not affected by any actions performed by his senses, etc. He remains as a mere witness. 111. na me bandho na me muktiH na me shAstram na me guruH, mAyAmAtravikAsatvAt mAyAtIto'ham advayaH There is no bondage or liberation for me; there is no scripture or guru for me, because all these are only the effects of mAyA. I am beyond mAyA and am without a second. 112. AtmAnam anjasA vedmi kvApi ajnAnam palAyitam, kartRtvam api me nashTam kartavyam vApi na kvacit I know the Self clearly. My ignorance has gone away somewhere. My sense of being a doer has gone. I have no more any duty to be performed. 113. brAhmaNyam kulagotre ca nAmasaundaryajAtayaH, sarve sthUlagatA hi ete sthUlAd bhinnasya me nahi--Brahminhood, clan, lineage, name, beauty, and caste, all these pertain to the gross body only and not to me who am different from the gross body. 114. kshutpipAsAndhyabAdhiryakAmakrodhAdayo' khilAH, lingadehagatA hi ete hi alingasya na vidyate--kshut- hunger, pipAsA- thirst, Andhya- blindness, bAdhirya-deafness, kAma- desire, krodha- anger, akhilAH- all. lingadehagatA- pertain to the subtle body. Hunger, thirst, blindness, deafness, desire, angerall these pertain only to the subtle body and not to me who am different from the subtle body.
115. jaDatvapriyamodatvadharmAH kAraNadehagAH, na santi mama nityasya nirvikArasvarUpiNaH--Insentience, being dear, and being joyful are qualities of the causal body. I who am eternal and unchanging by nature do not have them. The causal body is the Anandamayakosha. In shloka 210 of Vivekachudamani (the shloka No.s vary in different editions) it is said that the Anandamayakosha is fully manifested in deep sleep when there is only ignorance and happiness. S.N.Sastri**
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.32- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni).* ** 116. cidrUpatvAt na me jADyam satyatvAt na anRtam mama, AnandatvAt na me duHkham ajnAnAt bhAti satyavat Since I am of the nature of consciousness, I am not insentient. Being the Reality, there is no falsity in me. Being Bliss itself, I have no sorrow. Because of ignorance (the world) appears as real. 117. nAham deho janmamRtyU kuto me nAham prANaH kshutpipAse kuto me, nAham cetaH Sokamohau kuto me nAham kartA bandhamokshau kuto me--I am not the body, so how can there be birth and death for me? I am not the vital airs, so how can there be hunger and thirst for me? I am not the mind, so how can there be grief and delusion for me? I am not a doer, so how can there be bondage and liberation for me? There are six afflictions, which are called 'waves'. They are in three pairs-birth and death, hunger and thirst, grief and delusion. Of these, birth and death relate to the body. Hunger and thirst relate to the vital airs. Grief and delusion relate to the mind. The sense of doership is the cause of bondage. If that goes there is no
bondage. Bondage is not real but is only imagined due to ignorance. Since bondage is not real, liberation is also not real. 118. Anandam antarnijam Asrayantam ASApiSAcIm avamAnayantam, Alokayantam jagadindrajAlamApatkatham mAm praviSed-asangam How can any suffering befall me who am unattached, who remain established in my own inner bliss, who have rejected the ghost in the form of desire, who see the world as merely a product of magic? 119. devArcanasnAnaSaucabhikshAdau vartatAm vapuH, tAram japatu vAk, tadvat paThatu AmnAyamastakam, vishNum dhyAyeta dhIH, yadvA brahmAnande vilIyatAm, sAkshI aham kincid api atra na kurve nApi kAraye--AmnAya means the vedas. Mastakam means head. So AmnAyamastakam means the most important part of the vedas, namely, the upanishads. Let the body be engaged in worship of God, bathing, purification, begging for alms, etc. Let the speech chant the tAraka mantra, and read the upanishads. Let the mind meditate on vishNu, or let it merge in the bliss of brahman. I who am the witness do not do anything at all in all this, nor do I cause them to do anything. 120. jnAtam jnAtavyam adhunA dRshTam drashTavyam adbhutam, viSrAnto'smi ciram SrAntaH cinmAtrAt nAsti kincana--Now I have known what is to be known and seen the wonder that is to be seen. I who had been under strain for long am now at peace. There is nothing other than pure consciousness. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.33- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni).* 121. na bhUtam na bhavishyam ca cintayAmi kadAcana, na staumi na ca nindAmi hi Atmano anyat na hi kvacit-I never think of the past or the future. I do not praise or censure any one because there is none other than myself.
122. alepako aham ajaro nIrAgaH SantavAsanaH, svapUrNAtmAtirekeNa jagat jIveSvarAdayaH, na santi nAsti mAyA ca tebhyaH ca aham vilakshaNaH I cannot be tainted (by action, sin, etc.), I am free from aging, I am devoid of attachment, my vAsanas have been eliminated. The world, jivas, ISvara, etc., have no existence apart from my own infinite Self. mAyA too has no existence (for me). I am totally different from all of them. 123. kim karomi kva gacchAmi kim gRhNAmi tyajAmi kim, yanmayA pUritam viSvam mahAkalpAmbunA yathA What can I do? Where can I go? What can I take and what can I give up, since the whole universe is filled by me, just as it is by the waters of the great Deluge (at the time of pralaya)? End of sentences for reflection S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.34- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. * 124. sa tatra paryeti jakshat krIDan ramamANaH strIbhirvA yAnairvA j~nAtibhirvA vayasyairvA nopajanam smarannidam SarIramch. up. VIII. 12. 3. There he moves about laughing, sporting, and enjoying with women, vehicles, or kinsmen, but not rembering this body born from the contact of man and woman. 125. sa vA esha evam paSyan evam manvAnaH evam vijAnan AtmaratiH AtmakrIDaH AtmamithunaH AtmAnandaH sa svarAD bhavatich. up. VII. 25.2 Anyone who sees thus, reflects thus, understands thus, revels in the Self, disports in the Self, is united with the Self, enjoys happiness in the Self, becomes sovereign. 126. devAH putreshaNAyASca vitteshaNAyASca lokeshaNAyASca sasAdhanebhyo vyutthAya nirAgArA nishparigrahA aSikhA ayajnopavItA andhA badhirA mugdhAH klIbA mUkA unmattA iva parivartAmAnAH SantA dAntA uparatAH titikshavaH, samAhitA AtmaratayaH AtmakrIDA AtmamithunA AtmAnandAH praNavam eva param brahmAtmaprakASam Sunyam jAnantaH tatraiva parisamAptAH ---
The enlightened ones, having given up desire for progeny, wealth and worldly achievements along with the means for attaining them, devoid of any fixed place of residence, devoid of all possessions, renouncing tuft and sacred thread, moving about as if blind, deaf, ignorant, like eunuchs, as if dumb and mad, having controlled their minds and senses, withdrawing from worldly activities, bearing all hardships without trying to counter them, with mind concentrated, revelling in the Self, sporting in the Self alone, in union with the Self, immersed in the bliss of the Self, considering the OM to be the supreme Brahman-consciousness and seeing everything else as insubstantial, attain to that (Brahman) alone. Blind, deaf, etc., mean that they do not see, hear, etc., anything in the world. This is the state of the jIvanmukta. 127. kucelo asahayaH ekAkI samAdhisthaH AtmakAma AptakAmo nishkAmo jIrNakAmo hastini simhe damSe maSake nakule sarparAkshasagandharveshu mRityo rUpANi viditvA na bibheti kutaScaneti Ill-clad, alone (without any companion), with mind concentrated on brahman, desiring only the Self, with all desires fulfilled (no desires at all), whose desires are all exhausted, knowing the elephant, lion, the sting of a snake, mosquito, mangoose, serpent, demon, gandharva, to be only various forms of death, does not fear anything at all. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.35- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. * 128. sarvadharmAn parityajya nirmamo nirahangkAro bhUtvA brahmishTham SaraNam upagamya tattvamasi sarvam khalvidam brahma neha nanAsti kincana ityAdi mahAvAkyArthAnubhavajnAnAd brahmaivAham asmi iti niScitya nirvikalpakasamAdhinA svatantro yatiH carati sa sannyAsI sa muktaH sa pUjyaH sa yogi sa paramahamsaH so'vadhUtaH sa brahmaNaH iti jIvaH pancavimSakaH svakalpitacaturvimSatitattva parityajya shaDvimSakaparamatmAhamiti niScayAt jIvanmukto bhavati---Renouncing all action, becoming free from the notions of 'I-ness' and 'mine-ness', taking refuge in a supreme knower of brahman, attaining the definite knowledge in the form "I am brahman itself" by understanding and experiencing the meaning of the mahAvAkyas 'That thou art', 'all this is
indeed brahman', 'there is no diversity whatever here', etc., becoming independent through nirvikalpakasamAdhi, the ascetic moves about. He is a snnyAsI, he is liberated, he is worthy of worship, he is a yogi, he is an ascetic of the highest order, he is an avadhUta (beyond all Ashramas). he is a brAhmaNa. Having rejected the twentyfour categories conjured up by him, he, as the twentyfifth, realizing with certainty that he is the supreme Self who is the twentysixth, becomes a jIvanmukta. The twenty five categories are, according to sAnkhyaprkRiti, mahat, ahankAra, the five tanmAtras (sound, touch, form, taste and smell), the five subtle elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth), the five organs of perception, the five organs of action, and the mind. These are prakRiti and its evolutes which are all not-self. These have to be rejected. The indwelling self of the jIva is the twentyfifth. This self is identical with brahman which has been mentioned as the twentysixth here. 129. turIyam aksharam iti jnAtvA jAgarite sushuptyavasthApanna iva yadyat Srutam yadyat dRishTam tat sarvam avijnAtam iva yo vaset tasya svapnAvasthAyAm api tAdRig avasthA bhavati sa jIvanmukto bhavati-Knowing that the fourth (Self) is imperishable, one who, even in the waking state, remains as if whatever is heard or seen is not known, as in the state of deep sleep, for whom the dream state also similar, is a jIvanmukta. The idea is that even in the waking state his mind is fixed on the Self and so he is oblivious of the world, as in deep sleep. Dreams are the projection of vAsanas. A jIvanmukta is free from vAsanasit is said in vivekachUdAmaNi that liberation is the elimination of vAsanasvAsanAtAnavam eva mukti. So it appears that his dream is also like deep sleep in which nothing is experienced. (I have however not seen any such specific statement any where else in works on advaita). 130sakRitvibhAtasadAnandAnubhavaikagocaro brahmavid vidvAn cakshurAdibAhya prapancoparataH sarvam jagad Atmatvena paSyan Atmeti bhAvayan kRitakRityo bhavati--The enlightened knower of brahman who experiences only the existence-bliss which comes in a flash and has withdrawn his senses such as eyes from the world sees the whole world as the Self alone, considers it to be the Self and becomes fulfilled. 131. nirdvandvaH sadA acancalagAtraH paramaSAntim svIkRitya nityaSuddhaH paramAtmA aham eva iti akhaNDAnandaH pUrNaH kRitArthaH paripUrNaparamAkASamagnamanAH prAptonmanyavasthaH samnyastasarvendriyavargaH anekajanmArjitapuNyapunjaparipakva-kaivalyaphalaH
akhaNDAnandanirastasarvakleSakaSmalaH brahma aham asmi iti kRitakRityaH bhavati-One who has gone beyond the pairs of opposites, ever firm, having attained supreme calmness, ever pure, being himself infinite bliss as a result of the realization that he is the supreme Self, infinite, fulfilled, his mind always immersed in the infinite supreme space (brahman), having attained the state of being free from mental activities, having given up all activities of the organs, having attained the fruit of the merits earned in innumerable lives, being himself infinite bliss, free from all taints of sorrow, becomes fulfilled by the realization "I am brahman". S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.36- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. * 132. brahma eva aham asmi iti anavaratam brahmapraNavAnusandhAnena yaH kRitakRityaH bhavati sa paramahamsaparivrATHe who, by constantly meditating on the OM of the vedas, with the thought 'I am brahman' becomes fulfilled, he is a wandering ascetic of the highest order. 133. nimishaardham na tishThanti vRittim brahmamayIm vinA, yathA tishThanti brahmAdyAH sanakAdyAH SukAdayaH They (the enlightened) do not remain even for half a moment without a mental state in the form of brahman (i.e., without their mind being fixed on brahman), just as Lord brahmA, sages sanaka, Suka and others do. ** 134. adhyAtmaratirAsIno nirapeksho nirASishaH, sarvadvandvaiH vinirmuktaH brahmaNi eva avatishThate Ever revelling in the Self, not dependent on anything, not expecting anything, free from all pairs of opposites, he remains established in brahman alone. 135. kapAlam vRikshamUlAni kucelani asahAyatA, samatA caiva sarvasmin etat muktasya lakshaNam The signs of an enlightened person are, having only a single old pot as vessel, the foot of a tree for dwelling, a rag for clothing, being always unaccompanied by any one, and looking upon every one with an equal eye. 136. smRitvA spRishTvA ca bhuktvA ca dRishTvA jnAtvA SubhASubham, na hRishyati glAyati yaH sa SAnta iti kathyate
He is called a man of self-control who neither rejoices nor feels aversion while remembering, feeling, experiencing, seeing, and knowing both what is pleasant and what is unpleasant. 137. aprAptam hi parityajya samprApte samatAm gataH, adRishTakhedAkhedo yaH santushTa iti kathyate A person who renounces (does not long for) what he has not got, looks with equanimity on whatever he has got, accepts joys and sorrows which come as the result of destiny, is said to be a contented person. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.37- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. * 138. maunavAn nirahambhAvo nirmAno muktamatsaraH, yaH karoti gatodvegaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate --He who maintains silence, is free from ego, free from pride, does not envy any one, performs actions without any mental agitation, such a person is called a jIvanmukta. 139. sarvecchAH sakalAH SankAH sarvehAH sarvaniScayAH, dhiyA yena parityaktAH sa jIvanmukta ucyate--He who has mentally renounced all desires, all doubts, all actions, and all resolutions, is called a jIvanmukta. 140. janmasthitivinASeshu sodayAstamayeshu ca, samameva mano yasya sa jIvanmukta ucyate --He whose mind is the same in regard to the origination, continuation, destruction, rise, and decline (of any objec) is called a jIvanmukta. (He is totally indifferent to all happenings in the world). 141. sarvAdhishThAna cinmAtre nirvikalpe cidAtmani, yo jIvati gatasnehaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate---
He who lives without attachment, established in the Self that is pure consciousness, the substratum of all, in which there are no distinctions, is called a jIvanmukta. 142. kriyAnASAt bhavet cintAnASo asmAd vAsanAkshayaH , vAsanAprakshayo mokshaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate--By the destruction (giving up) of action, there results the destruction of agitating thoughts, by their destruction the vAsanAs are destroyed. Elimination of vAsanAs is liberation. He who has attained this state is called a jIvanmukta. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.38- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. * 143. dehendriyeshu ahambhAvaH, idambhAvaH tadanyake, yasya no bhavataH kvApi sa jIvanmukta ucyate--He who never has the notion 'I' with regard to the body and sense-organs, nor the notion of 'it' with regard to everything else, is called a jIvanmukta. 144. na pratyagbrahmaNorbhedam kadApi brahmasargayoH, prajnayA yo vijAnAti sa jIvanmukta ucyate--He who in his consciousness does not see any difference between the indwelling self and brahman, or between brahman and the created world, is called a jIvanmukta. 145. sAdhubhiH pUjyamAno'pi pIDyamAno'pi durjanaiH, samameva bhaved yasya sa jIvanmukta ucyate He who maintains his equipoise, whether honoured by the good or harassed by the evil-minded, is called a jIvanmukta. 146. rAgadveshabhayAdinAm anurUpam carannapi, yo'ntarvyomavadatyacchaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate
Though outwardly appearing to be prompted by attachment, aversion, fear, etc., he who is absolutely pure within, like the sky, is called a jIvanmukta. 147. dehatrayAtirikto'ham Suddhacaitanyamasmi aham, brahmAhamiti yasyAntaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate--He who has the conviction, "I am different from the three bodies, I am pure consciousness, I am brahman" is called a jIvanmukta. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.39- Sentences relating to realization (svAnubhUti-vAkyAni). * 148. trishu dhAmasu yad bhojyam bhokta bhogaSca yad bhavet, tebhyo vilakshaNaH sAkshI cinmAtro'ham sadASivaH ---kaivalyopanishad, 18. I am distinct from that which is the object of enjoyment, the enjoyer, and the enjoyment itself in all the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep). I am the witness, pure consciousness, and ever auspicious. 149. mayyeva sakalam jAtam mayi sarvam pratishThitam, mayi sarvam layam yAti tad brahma advayam asmi aham---kaivalyopanishad, 19. Everything is born in me, everything is sustained by me and everything merges in me. I am that non-dual brahman. 150. nirvANo'smi nirIho'smi niramSo'smi nirIpsitaH, cidAtmAsmi niramSo'smi parAparavivarjitaH I am devoid of body and organs(or I am liberation itself), I am actionless, I am without parts, I am free from desire, I am the self that is pure consciousness, I am partless, there is nothing higher or lower than me (because I am the only reality). 151. brahma eva aham sarvavedAntavedyam nAham vedyam vyomavAtAdirUpam
I am brahman itself. I can be known only through the Vedanta (upanishads). But I am not knowable like space, air, etc. brahman is not an object of knowledge like the elements and the objects that are their products. The upanishads do not directly point out to brahman because btahman is beyond the reach of words. So the upanishads exclude all objectifiable things by the words 'not this, not this' and imply that what is left is brahman. 152. rUpam nAham nAma nAham na karma brahma eva aham satcidAnandarUpamI am not form orname or action. I am brahman who is of the nature of exustence-consciousness-bliss. S.N.Sastri
** *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.40- Sentences relating to samAdhi.*
153. jIvAtmaparamAtmaikyAvasthA tripuTirahitA paramAnandarUpA shuddhacaitanyAtmikA samAdhiH samAdhi is the state of identity of the individual self and the supreme self, which is free from the triad (of knower, knowing and known), which is of the nature of supreme bliss, and in which there is only pure consciousness. 154. dhyAtRidhyAne vihAya nivAtasthitadIpavad dhyeyaikagocaram cittam samAdhiHsamAdhi is the mind being fixed on the object of meditation alone, without meditator and meditation, like a lamp in a windless place. 155. yadA pan~cAvatishThante j~nAnAni manasA saha, buddhiSca na viceshTate tamAhuH paramAm gatimkaThopanishad, 2.3.10. When the five senses of knowledge come to rest together with the mind, and the intellect, too, does not function, that state is called the highest. 156. salile saindhavam yadvat sAmyam bhajati yogataH, tathA Atmamanoraikyam samAdhirabhidhIyate Just as salt becomes one with water (in which it dissolves), similarly the Self and the mind becoming one is called samAdhi.
The same idea has been expressed in the following:-In mANdUkya kArika, III. 35 it is said:-For that mind loses itself in sleep, but does not lose itself when under control. That very mind becomes the fearless brahman, possessed of the light of consciousness all around. In his bhAshya on mANDUkya kArika, III. 46 Sri Sankara says:-When the mind becomes motionless, like a lamp in a windless place, it does not appear in the form of any object imagined outside; when the mind assumes such characteristics, then it becomes brahman; or in other words, the mind then becomes identified with brahman. 157. brahmAkAramanovRittipravAho ahamkRitim vinA, sampraj~nAtasamAdhiH syAd dhyAnAbhyAsaprakarshataH When the mental state is a continuous flow of the form of brahman, without ego, it is sampraj~nAtasamAdhi, attained by the perfection of the practice of dhyAna. 158. praSAntavRittikam cittam paramAnandadIpakam, asampraj~nAtanAmAyam samAdhiryoginAm priyaH. When the mental state is absolutely calm, and reflects supreme bliss, it is called asampraj~nAtasamAdhi, which is very dear to yogis. 159. svAnubhUtirasAveSAd dRiSyasabdau upekshituH, nirvikalpasamAdhiH syAt nivAtasthitadIpavat The person who is indifferent to all sights and sounds because of being absorbed in the bliss of the experience of the Self is in nirvikalpasamAdhi which is likened to a flame in a windless place. S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.41- Miscellaneous statements.* **
160. shrotrasya shrotram manaso mano yadvAco ha vAcam sa u prANasya prANaH, cakshhushhaH chakshuH, atimucya dhIrAH pretyAsmAllokAd amrita bhavantikenopanishad, 1.2. He (the Self) is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the vital air of vital air, the eye of the eye. The wise, giving up (identification with the senses), and renouncing all desires and all dealings involving the ideas of "I' and "mine", become immortal. It is the Self that gives the organs the power to perform their respective functions. Realising this, one should give up identification with the subtle and gross bodies and realize his real nature as the pure Self. 161. yo vai bhUmA tat sukhamn na alpe sukham astichandogya up. 7.23.1. That which is infinite is bliss. There is no happiness in the finite. The word bhUmA has the same meaning as 'brahman'. Shri Shankara says in his bhAshya:-- There is no happiness in the finite because finitude is a cause for the thirst for more. And thirst is the seed of sorrow. The bhUmA (Infinite) is that in which one does not see anything else, does not hear anything else, and does not know anything else. Phenomenal dealing does not exist in the Infinite. There is finitude as long as there is ignorance. 162. neti neti na hyetasmAditi netyanyatparamasti atha nAmadheyam satyasya satyamiti prANA vai satyam teshAmesha satyambr. up. 2.3.6. Not this, not this. Because there is no other and more appropriate description than this 'Not this'. Now its name: The Truth of Truth. The vital force is Truth and It (brahman) is the Truth of that. Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya: Through these two terms 'Not this, not this', it is sought to describe the Truth of Truth by the elimination of all differences due to limiting adjuncts. The words 'Not this, not this' refer to some thing that has no distinguishing mark such as name, or form, or action, or heterogeneity, or species, or qualities. brahman has none of these distinguishing marks. Therefore the only way to describe it is as 'Not this, not this', by eliminating all possible specifications of it. In the above statement 'vital force' stands for the subtle body. The subtle body has empirical (vyAvahArika) reality and so it is described as Truth. The Self or brahman is the Truth of this. 163. sa paryagAt Sukram akAyam avraNam asnAviram Suddham apApaviddhamIsa up. 8.
He (brahman) is all-pervasive, pure, bodiless, without any wound, without sinews, taintless, untouched by sin. Sri Sankara explains that akAyam, bodiless, means, 'without a subtle body'. By the two words avraNam and asnAviram which mean 'without any wound and without sinews' the gross body is negated. By the word Suddham, taintless, meaning devoid of ignorance, the causal body is negated. apApaviddham, untouched by sin, means beyond merit and demerit (puNya and papa). S.N.Sastri
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.42- Miscellaneous statements.*
164. praNavo hyaparam brahma, praNavaSca paraH smRitaH The praNava , Om, is the conditioned brahman. Om is also known to be the supreme (brahman). In kaTha up, 1.2.16, it is said:-- This letter (Om) is the inferior (conditioned) brahman. This Om itself is also the supreme (unconditioned) brahman. Om is the symbol for both the conditioned and the unconditioned brahman. 165. na nirodho na cotpattiH,na baddho na ca sAdhakaH, na mumukshuH na vai muktaH, ityeshA paramArthatAIt is well known that this is in the mANDUkya kArikA (II.32). This appears also in one of the minor upanishads. Meaning: There is no dissolution, no origination; there is none in bondage, and no sAdhaka. There is no aspirant for liberation, nor is there any one liberated. This is the absolute truth. This is spoken from the point of view of the jnAni. 166. dehatrayavihInatvAt kAlatrayavivarjanAt, jIvatrayaguNAbhAvAt, tApatrayavivarjanAt, lokatrayavihInatvAt, sarvam Atmeti SasanAt Because of being devoid of the three bodies, absence of the three periods of time, absence of the three gunas of the jIva, absence of the three kinds of suffering, absence of the three worlds, everything is declared to be the AtmA.
167. cittAbhAvAt cintanIyam dehabhAvAt jarA na ca, pAdAbhAvAt gatirnAsti, hastAbhAvAt kriya na ca. mRityurnAsti jananAbhAvAt, buddhyabhAvAt sukhAdikam Since (for the AtmA) there is no cogitating mind, there is nothing to be thought of. Because there is no body, there is no decay. Since there are no feet, there is no walking. Since there are no hands, there is no action. There is no death because there is no birth. Since there is no judging intellect, there is no joy, etc. The joy that appears to arise from external objects is really one's own natural bliss reflected in the mind. Such joys arise when some thing considered pleasant happens. The ideas of something being pleasant and some thing else being unpleasant are all mere creations of the judging intellect. When such notions do not exist, one does not have to depend on external objects or circumstances for attaining happiness. S.N.Sastri
*mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 43. Miscellaneous statements.*
168. sa eshho akalo amRitaH He (AtmA) is partless and immortal. 169. na antaHprajnam na bahiHprajnam nobhayataHprajnam na prajnAnaghanam na prajnam nAprajnam. adRishyam avyavahAryam agrAhyam alakshhanam acintyam avyapadeshyam ekAtmapratyayasAram prapancopashamam shAntam shivam advaitam caturtham manyante sa AtmA sa vijneyaHmANDUkya up. 7. They consider the Fourth to be that which is not conscious of the internal world, nor conscious of the external world, nor conscious of either of the worlds, nor a mass of consciousness, nor simple consciousness, nor unconsciousness; which is not visible, beyond empirical dealings, beyond the grasp (of the organs of action), devoid of any indicatory marks and so not knowable by inference, which is not accessible to thought, indescribable; which is known only by the knowledge that it is the one Self that exists in all the three states; in which all phenomena cease; which is unchanging, auspicious, and non-dual. That Self is that which is to be known. (It is very difficult to translate this passage satisfactorily. I have taken
Swami Gambhirananda's translation and made some changes on the basis of the bhAshya to make it clearer. It is easy for any one to pick out individual words and find fault with the translation. One should try to understand the spirit of the passage as a whole.) Shri Shankara explains the various terms in this passage as under: na antaHprajnamnot conscious of the internal worldBy this the dream state is eliminated. na bahiHprajnamnot conscious of the external worldBy this the waking state is eliminated. nobhayataHprajnamnot conscious of either of the worldsBy this the intermediate state between dream and waking is eliminated (Shri Shankara seems to assume the existence of such a stateI do not kow what it is). na prajnAnaghanamnot a mass of consciousnessby this is denied the state of deep sleep, for this consists in a state of latency where everything becomes indistinguishable. (One may ask how the state of deep sleep sleep can be said to be a mass of consciousness, when the person is not conscious of anything at all. I do not know the answer. I have only copied what Shankara has said. If anybody can explain this, I shall be grateful). na prajnamnot simple consciousnessby this is denied the awareness of everything simultaneously. (This too, I cannot explain further. Help will be welcome). nAprajnamnot unconsciousnessBy this, insentience is denied. shAntamunchanging. The statement "That is to be known" implies, according to Shri Shankara, that just as the rope is known to be different from the (illusory) snake, the Self is to be known as different from the three states. This is stated from the standpoint of the previous state of ignorance, for, on the dawn of knowledge no duality is left. (Shri Shankara seems to say this in order to meet the possible objection that the Self cannot be known). S.N.Sastri
170. amAtraH caturtho avyavahAryaH prapancopashamaH shivo'dvaitaHmANDUkya up. 12. Om which is partless is turIya (fourth)beyond all empirical relationships, the total negation of the universe, the auspicious and non-dual. Shri Shankara gives the meanings of the words in this sentence as under:-amAtraHthat which has no matra, part--- Om as a whole. (In the preceding three mantras of this upanishad the three letters, a u and m of Om have been considered separately. The letter a is said to represent the waking state, the letter u the dream state and the letter m the deep sleep state. In the present mantra Om as a whole represents the Self). caturthaHturIya, the absolute Self. avyavahAryaHbeyond empirical relations, because of the disappearance of names and nameables (forms), that are nothing but creations of the speech and the mind. prapancopashamaHthe total negation of the phenomenal world. 171. yatra nAnyat pashyati nAnyat shRiNoti nAnyat vijAnAti sa bhUmAchAndogya up. 7.23.1. The Infinite (bhUmA) is that where one does not see anything else, does not hear anything else, and does not know anything else. (The word 'bhUmA' is derived from the same root 'bRimh' (to grow), as the word 'brahman' and so it has the same meaning as 'brahman'.) 172. sa eshha neti netyAtmA agRihyo nahi gRihyate ashIryo na hi shIryate asango nahi sajyate asito na vyathate na rishhyati--- bRihad. up. 3.9.26. This Self is what has been described as 'Not this, not this'. It is imperceptible, for it is never perceived; undecaying, for it never decays; unattached, for it is never attached; untrammeled, for it does not suffer, nor perish. 173. sa yathA saindhavaghano anantaro abAhyaH kRitsnaH rasaghana eva evam vA are ayam AtmA anantaro abAhyaH kRistnaH prajnAnaghana eva-- brih. up. 4.5.13. This is spoken by sage yAjnavalkya to maitreyI.
As a lump of salt has neither inside nor outside and is but a homogeneous mass of taste, even so this Self, my dear, has neither inside nor outside and is but a homogeneous mass of consciousness through out. 174. vilIne manasi gate samkalpavikalpe dagdhe puNyapApe sadAshivaH When the mind has ceased, resolves and cogitations have come to an end, merit and sin have been burnt off, the person is sadAshiva (supreme brahman ). The mind or antaHkaraNa has four functions and has four names according to these functions. When it is debating about the pros and cons of some thing it is called manas or mind. When it comes to a decision it is called buddhi (intellect). The function of storing information is called citta. The "I-ness" behind all these functions is called 'ahamkAra' or ego. All these functions are propelled by the desires, likes and dislikes in the mind. On the realization of one's nature as the supreme brahman, all desires, likes and dislikes come to an end. Thereafter the mind ceases to function in the ordinary manner. This is what is meant in the above statement. Of course the jnAni continues to have his intellectual powers, and uses them for the benefit of the world. S.N.Sastri
175. eshha shuddhaH pUtaH shUnyH shAnto aprANo anIshAtmA ananto akshhayaH sthiraH shAshvataH ajaH svatantraH sve mahimni tishhThati This (brahman) is pure (free from the taint of ignorance), sacrosanct, devoid of qualities, calm, without vital air, without any ruler; it is the Self, infinite, undecaying, firm, eternal unborn, independent, established in its own glory. Note. The word shUnya has to be interpreted as 'devoid of qualities', since it cannot obviously mean 'void'.
The impossibility of describing brahman by words has been brought out by Shri Shankara in the last shloka of his Dashashloki, which is as below: na caikam tadanyad dvitIyam kutaH syAt na vA kevalatvam na ca akevalatvam/ na shUnyam na ca ashUnyam advaitakatvAt katham sarvavedAntasiddham bravImi//10
Meaning:-- "It is not one; how can there be a second different from it? It has neither absoluteness nor non-absoluteness. It is neither void nor non-void since it is devoid of duality. How can I describe that which is established by the entire Vedanta!
176. cakshhushho drashhTA shrotrasya drashhTA manaso drashhTA vAco drashhTA tamaso drashhTA sarvasya drashhTA tataH sarvasmAd anyo vilakshhaNaH sadghano ayam cidghana Anandaghana eva ekaraso avyavahAryaH It (brahman ) is the seer (knower) of the sense of sight, the knower of the sense of hearing, the knower of the mind, the knower of speech, the knower of ignorance, the knower of everything; therefore, different from everything and of a different nature; it is pure existence, a mass of consciousness, a mass of bliss, homogeneous, and indescribable. Note. The kenopanishad describes brahman as the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, etc. The same idea has been brought out above.
In this context the following shloka from hastAmalakIyam, a work of twelve verses by hastAmalaka, one of the four disciples of Shri Shankara is also relevant. manashcakshhurAderviyuktaH svayam yo manashcakshhurAdermanashcakshhurAdiH/
manashcakshhuraderagamyasvarUpaH sa nityopalabdhisvarUpo'ham AtmA// The interesting feature in this shloka is that the term 'manashcakshhurAdi' is repeated four times.
Meaning:-- 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 the idea contained in kaTha up. 2.1.1. S.N.Sastri
Message #37463
R.S.Mani
The name of the book is mahAvAkyaratnAvali Srimad Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Acharya Ramchandra Yati grathita IshAvAsyAdi aShTottara shatopaniShadam sArasaMgraha. Published by Panduranga Javali and printed by Ramchandra Bhogde at Nirnaya Sagar Press, 26-28 Kolbha Street, Bombay, in Saka 1858 and AD 1936. (asya sarve adhikArA angayitra rakShitAH santi). The Book contains in all 1008 vakyas, classified into the following groups: vidhi vAkyAni bandhamokSha vAkyAni avidyAnindA vAkyAni jaganmithyA vAkyAni upadesha vAkyAni jIvabrahmaikya vAkyAni manana vAkyAni svanubhUti vAkyAni samAdhi vAkyAni nAnAli~NgasvarUpa vAkyAni puMli~Nga vAkyAni strIli~Nga vAkyAni napuMsakali~Nga vAkyAni AtmasvarUpa vAkyAni sarvasvarUpa vAkyAni
brahmasvarUpa vAkyAni avashiShTa vAkyAni phala vAkyaNi videhamukti vAkyAni upasaMhAra
Transln. by S.N.Sastri VidhivAkyAni--Statements conveying injunctions.
1. sarvam khalvidam brahma tajjalAn iti SAnta upAsItachAndogya up. 3.14.1 2. AtmAnamevAved aham brahmAsmItibRhad. up. 1.4.10 3. AtmA vA are drashTavyaH Srotvyo mantavyo nididhyAsitavyayaHbRhad. up. 2.4.5 4. mahatpadam jnAtvA vRkshamUle vasetsubAlopanishad, section 13 5. satchidAnandAtmAnam advitIyam brahma bhAvayet vajrasuchika 9 6. aham brahma asmi iti anusandhAnam kuryAt paingala 3:1 7. sa tajjno bAlonmattapiSAcavat jaDavRttyA lokam AcaretmaNDalabrAhmaNopanishad, 5.4 8. brAhmaNaH samAhito bhUtvA tattvampadaikyam eva sadA abhyaset paingala 3:4
9. sarvatra advaitabrahmabuddhim kuryAt ???
10. ASAmbaro na namaskAro na svAhAkAro na svadhAkAro na nindAstutiH yAdRcchiko bhavet paramahamsa 11
11. sarvataH svarUpam eva paSyan jIvanmuktim avApya prArabdha-pratibhAsa-nASaparyantam svarUpAnusandhAnena vaset narayanaparivrajaka 12. svarUpAnusandhAnam vinA anyathAcAraparo na bhavet narayanaparivrajaka
13. vedantaSravaNam kurvan yogam samArabheta - ???paramahamsa-parivrajaka???
14. yacchet vAng manasI prAjnaH tadyacchet jnAna Atmani. jnAnam Atmani mahati niyacchet tadyacchet SAnta AtmanikaTha. up. 1.3.13 15. AtmAnam cet vijAnIyAt ayam asmIti pUrushaH, kim icchan kasya kAmAya SarIram anu samjvaretbRhad. up. 4.4.12 16. tameva dhIro vijnAya prajnAm kurvIta brAhmaNaH. na anudhyAyAt bahUn SabdAn vAco viglApanam hi tat- bRhad. up. 4.4.21 17. yato nirvishayasyAsya manaso muktirishyate, ato nirvishayam nityam manaH kAryam mumukshuNA- amritabindu upanishad, 3 18. cittam eva hi samsArah tat prayatnena Sodhayet maitreyyupanishad, 5 19. dRSyam hyadRSyatAm nItvA brahmAkAreNa cintayet- tejobindu up. 1.50 20. vijneyo'ksharatanmAtro jIvitam cApi cancalam. VihAya SAstrajAlAni yat satyam tad upAsyatAm- paingala 4:17 21. yasya strI tasya bhogecchA, nistrIkasya kva bhogabhUHyajnavalkya 17 22.. striyam tyaktvA jagat tyaktam, jagat tyaktva sukhI bhavetyajnavalkya 17 23. cittam kAraNam arthAnAm tasmin sati jagattrayam, tasmin kshINe jagat kshINam tat cikitsyam prayatnataH- yogashikha 3:21
24. supterutthAya suptyantam brahmaikam pravicintyatAm- varaha 2:64 25. gacchan tishThan upaviSan SayAno vA anyathApi va, yathecchayA vased vidvAn AtmArAmaH sadA muniH kundika 28 26. jyotirlingam bhruvormadhye nityam dhyAyet sadA yatiH. brahmavidya 80
27. AtmAnam AtmanaH sAkshAd brahmabuddhyA suniScalam. dehajAtyAdi sambandhAn varNASramasamanvitAn, vedaSAstrapurANAni padapAmsumiva tyajet - brahmavidya 29 28. ekAkI niHspRhaH tishThet na hi kena saha Alapet. naradaparivrajaka 3:59
29. udyan nArAyaNetyevam prativAkyam sadA yatiH- ???
30. muniH kaupInavAsAH syAt nagno vA dhyAnatatparaHnaradaparivrajaka 4:32 31. adhyAtmaratiH AsInaH nirapekshaH nirASishaH, Atmanaiva sahAyena sukhArthI vicared iha naradaparivrajaka 3:44 32. sandigdhaH sarvabhUtAnAm varNASramavivarjitaH andhavat jaDavat ca api mUkavat ca mahIm caret naradaparivrajaka 4:36 33. yadyat paSyati cakshurbhyAm tattad Atmeti bhAvayet1 yogatattva 69 34. yadyat SRNoti karNAbhyAm tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- 1 yogatattva 70 35. labhate nAsayA yadyat tattad Atmeti bhAvayet-.1 yogatattva 70 36. jihvayA yad rasam hyatti tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- 1 yogatattva 71 37. tvacA yadyat spRSed yogi tattad Atmeti bhAvayet- 1 yogatattva
71 38. dRshTim jnAnamayIm kRtvaA paSyet brahmamayam jagattejobindu 9:29 39. drashTRdarSanadRSyAnAm virAmo yatra vA bhavet, dRshTiH tatraiva kartavyA na nAsAgrAvalokanI- tejobindu 1:30 40. devAgnyagAre tarumUle guhAyAm vased asango alakshitaSIlavRttaH shatyayani 21
41. nirindhanajyotiriva upaSAnto na ca udvijed yatrakutra. ????
42. SAnto dAnta uparataH titikshuH yo'nUcAno hyabhijajnau samAnaH- shatyayani 5 43. tyakteshaNo hyanRNaH tam viditvA maunI vased ASrame yatra kutra- shatyayani 6 44. yamaiSca niyamaiSca hi AsanaiSca susamyataH, nADISuddham ca kRtvA Adau prANAyAmam samAcaret- trishikhibrahmana 2:53 45. sarvacintAm parityajya sAvadhAnena cetasA, nirvikalpaH prasannAtmA prANAyAmam samAcaret- varaha 2:83 46. marudabhyasanam sarvam manoyuktam samabhyaset- shandilya 1:7:37 47. itaratra na kartavyA manovRttirmanIshiNA- shandilya 1:7:37
Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation * 1 dehAdIn Atmatvena abhimanyate saH abhimAnaH AtmanaH bandhaH- tannivRttiH mokshaH-- ????
2. devamanushyAdi-upAsanAkAmasankalpo bandhaHniralamba 21 3. kartRtvAdi-ahankArasankalpo bandhaH niralamba 21
4. aNimAdyashTaiSyaryASAsiddhasankalpo bandhaH- niralamba 21

5. yamAdyashTAngayogasankalpo bandhaH- ????
6. kevalam mokshApekshAkAmasankalpo bandhaH- niralamba 21 7. sankalpamAtrasambhavo bandhaH- - niralamba 21 8. nityAnityavastyvicArAd-anityasamsArasukhaduHkhavishayasamastakshetramamatA-bandhakshayo mokshaH niralamba 22 9. mana eva manushyANAm kAraNam bandhamokshayoH, bandhAya vishayAsaktam muktyai nirvishayam smRtam- amRtabindu upanishad, 2. 10. mameti badhyate jantuH, na mameti vimucyatepaingala 4:20 + 11. mamtvena bhavet jIvaH, nirmamatvena kevalaH yogachudamani 84 12. svasankalpavaSAt baddhah, niHsankalpAt vimucyatemaha 2:70 13. drashTA dRSyavaSAt baddho dRSyAbhAve vimucyatemaha 4:48 14. icchAmAtram avidyA iyam tannaSo moksha ucyatemaha 4:16 15. bhogecchAmAtrakam bandhaH tattyAgo moksha ucyatemaha 5:97 16. ciccaityakalanA bandhaH, tanmuktiH muktirucyate maha 6:77 17. anAsthaiva hi nirvANam, duhkham AsthAparigrahaH maha 4:111 18. karmaNA badhyate jantuH vidyayA ca vimucyate1 sannyasa 2:28 19. svarUpAvasthitiH muktiH, tadbhramSo'hamtvavedanammaha 5:2
20. citte calati samsAro niScale moksha ucyateyogashikha 6:58 21. bandho hi vAsanAbaddho mokshaH syAd vAsanAkshayaH muktika 2:68 22. padArthabhAvanAdArDhyam bandha iti abhidhIyatemaha 2:41 23. na moksho nabhasaH pRshThe na pAtAle na bhUtale. annapurna 2:23 24. sarvASAsamkshaye cetaHkshayo moksha iti ishyate. annapurna 2:23 25. moksho me astu iti cintA antarjAtA ced utthitam manaH, mananotthe manasi esha bandhaH sAmsAriko mataH. annapurna 2:24 26. tadamArjanamAtram hi mahAsamsAratAm gatam annapurna 4:56 27. tatpramArjanamAtram tu moksha iti abhidhIyate annapurna 4:56
Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.15- Sentences censuring the unenlightened. *
28. atha yo anyAm devatAm upAste anyo asau anyo ahamasmi iti na sa veda yathA paSuH evam sa devAnAmbr. up. 1.4.10 29. atra bhidAm iva manyamAnaH SatadhA sahasradhA bhinno mRtyoH sa mRtyum Apnotinrisimha 8:7 30. kartRtvAdyahamkArabhAvanArUDhaH mUDhaHniralamba 26 31. mRtyoH sa mRtyum Apnoti ya iha nana iva paSyatibRhad. up. 4.4.19 32. anubhUtim vinA mUDho vRthA brahmaNi modate, pratibimbitaSAkhAgraphalAsvAdanamodavatmaitreyi 2:22 33. ativarNASramam rUpam saccidAnandalakshaNam, yo na jAnAti so avidvAn kadA mukto bhavishyativaraha 2:6
34. kuSalA brahmavArtAyAm vRttihInAH surAgiNah, te api ajnAnatayA nUnam punarAyAnti yAnti catejobindu 1:46 35. advitIyabrahmatattvam na jAnanti yadA tadA, bhrAntA eva akhilAh, teshAm kva muktiH kveha vA sukhamvaraha 2:57 36. ajnAnopahato bAlye yauvane vanitAhataH, Seshe kalatracintArtaH, kim karoti narAdhamaHmaha 6:26 37. icchAdveshasamutthena dvandvamohena jantavaH, dharAvivaramagnAnAm kITAnAm samatAm gatAHsannyasa 2:30
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.18- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.*
45. prapanco yadi vidyeta nivarteta na samSayaH- MandukyaKarika Agama Prakarana 17 46. vikalpo vinivarteta kalpito yadi kenacit. - MandukyaKarika Agama Prakarana 18 47. dvitIyakAraNAbhAvAd anutpannamidam jagat-maha 5:58 48. yathA eva idam nabhaH *SUnyam* jagat Sunyam tathA eva hi maha 5:184 49. idam prapancam yat kincit yadyad jagati vIkshyate, dRSyarUpam ca dRgrUpam sarvam SaSavishANavattejobindu 5:75 50. idam prapancam na asti eva, na utpannam no sthitam jagat tejobindu 5:31 51. cittam prapancam iti AhuH, na asti na asti eva sarvadA tejobindu 5:32
67. sa ya esho'Nimaitadaatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa AtmA tattvamasi Svetaketoch. up. 6.8.7
68. abhayam vai janaka prApto'si- bRhad. up. 4.2.4 69. brahmacaryam ahimsAm ca aparigraham ca satyam ca yatnena he rakshato he rakshata- aruni 3 70. tat tvam asi tvam tad asi-. paingala 3:1 71. yanmnasA na manute yenAhurmano matam, tadeva brahma viddhi nedam yadidam upAsatekenopanishad, 1.6 78. ekam Adyantarahitam cinmAtram amalam tatam, khAdyapyatitarAm sUkshmam tad brahma asi na samSayaH annapurna 5:65
79. rakshako vishNuH ityAdi brahmA sRshTeH tu kAraNam samhAre rudra iti evam sarvam mithyA iti niScinu ????
80. AdimadhyAvasAneshu duHkham sarvamidam yataH, tasmAt sarvam parityajya tattvanishTho bhavAnaghaakshi 50
81. nidrAyA lokavArtAyAH SabdAdeH AtmavismRteH, kvacinnA avasaram dattvA cintaya AtmAnam Atmani-adhyatma 5
82. sarvavyApAram utsRjya aham brahmeti bhAvaya, aham brahmeti niScitya tu ahambhAvam parityajatejobindu 6:104
83. ghaTAkASam mahAkASe iva AtmAnam parAtmani, vilApya akhaNDabhAvena tUshNIm bhava sadA mune---adhyatma 7 84. cid iha asti iti cinmAtram idam cinmayam eva ca, cit tvam cid aham ete ca lokAH cid iti bhAvayavaraha 2:47 85. satyacidghanam akhaNDam advayam sarvadRSyarahitam nirAmayam, yat padam vimalam advayam Sivam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya--- varaha 3:6 86. janma-mRtyu-sukha-duHkha-varjitam jAti-nIti-kula-gotradUragam, cidvivarta-jagato'sya kAraNam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya varaha 3:7 87. pUrNam advayam akhaNDacetanam viSvabhedakalanAdivarjitam
advitIyaparasamvidAtmakam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya--varaha 3:8
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.26- Sentences conveying instructions.* 88. svAtmanaH anyatayA bhAtam carAcaram idam jagat svAtmamAtratayA buddhvA tadasmi iti vibhAvaya???? 89. vilApya vikRtim kRtsnAm sambhava-vyatyaya-kramAt pariSishTam ca cinmAtram cidAnandam vicintaya???? *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.27- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.*
90. sa yaSca ayam purushe yaSca asau Aditye, sa ekaHtaitt. up. 2.8.591. satyam AtmA brahma eva, brahma AtmA eva atra hi eva na vicikitsyam---????
92. tvam brahma asi, aham brahma asmi, AvayoH antaram na vidyate, tvam eva aham, aham eva tvampaingala 3:1 93. gatAH kalAH pancadaSa pratishTha devASca sarve pratidevatAsu, karmANi vijnAnamayaSca AtmA pare avyaye sarva ekIbhavanti---muNDaka up. 3.2.7--94. yena Iyate SRNoti idam jighrati vyAkaroti ca, svAdu asvAdu vijAnAti tat prajnAnam udIritamaitareya 3:1 95. caturmukhendradeveshu manushyAsvagavAdishu caitanyam ekam brahma ataH prajnAnam brahma mayi apishukarahasya 3:2
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.28- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.*
96. paripUrNaH parAtmA asmin dehe vidyAdhikAriNi , buddheH sAkshitayA sthitvA sphuran aham iti Iryateshukarahasya 3:3 97. svataH pUrNah parAtmA atra brahmaSabdena varNitaH. asmi iti aikyaparAmarSAt tena brahma bhavAmi aham
shukarahasya 3:4 98. ekam eva advitIyam sat nAmarUpavivarjitam, sRshTeH purA adhunA api asya tAdRktvam tad iti Iryateshukarahasya 3:5 99. SroturdehendriyAtItam vastu atra tvampadA Iritam. ekatA grAhyate asi iti tadaikyam anubhUyatAmshukarahasya 3:6 100. svaprakASAparokshatvam ayam iti uktito matam. ahankArAdidehAntAt pratyagAtmA iti gIyateshukarahasya 3:7
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.29- Sentences declaring the identity of the jIva and brahman.*
101. dRSyamAnasya sarvasya jagataH tattvam Iyate, brahmaSabdena tad brahma svaprakASAtmarUpakam--shukarahasya 3:8 102. mAyAvidye vihAya eva upAdhI parajIvayoH, akhaNDam satcidAnandam param brahma vilakshyate adhyatma 32 103. kshIram kshIre yathA kshiptam tailam taile jalam jale, samyuktam ekatAm yAti tathA Atmani Atmavit muniHatma 23 104. ghaTe nashTe yathA vyoma vyoma eva bhavati svayam, tathA eva upAdhivilaye brahma eva brahmavit svayam--atma 22
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.30- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni). *
105. ahamannam ahamannam ahamannam, ahamannado' hamannado' hamannadaHtaitt. up. 3.10.
106. aham manuH abhavam sUryaH cabRhad. up. 1. 4. 10. 107. aham eva idam sarvam asAnichandogya 5:2:6
108. yathA phenatarangAdi samudrAd utthitam punaH, samudre lIyate tadvad jagat mayi anulIyatejabaladarshana 10:6:7
109. anAtmadrishTeH avivekanidram aham mama svapnagatim gato'ham, svarUpasUrye'bhyudite sphuToktaiH guroH mahAvAkyapadaiH prabuddhaHshukarahasya 3:9
Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.31- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni). * 12/22/2007
110. prANAH calantu taddharmaiH kAmairvA hanyatAM manaH, AnandabuddhipUrNasya mama duHkham katham bhavet--atmaprabodha:20 111. na me bandho na me muktiH na me shAstram na me guruH, mAyAmAtravikAsatvAt mAyAtIto'ham advayaHatmaprabodha:19 112. AtmAnam anjasA vedmi kvApi ajnAnam palAyitam, kartRtvam api me nashTam kartavyam vApi na kvacit atmaprabodha:21 113. brAhmaNyam kulagotre ca nAmasaundaryajAtayaH, sarve sthUlagatA hi ete sthUlAd bhinnasya me nahi--atmaprabodha:22 114. kshutpipAsAndhyabAdhiryakAmakrodhAdayo' khilAH, lingadehagatA hi ete hi alingasya na vidyate--- atmaprabodha:23 115. jaDatvapriyamodatvadharmAH kAraNadehagAH, na santi mama nityasya nirvikArasvarUpiNaH--- atmaprabodha:24
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.32- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni).* **
116. cidrUpatvAt na me jADyam satyatvAt na anRtam mama,
AnandatvAt na me duHkham ajnAnAt bhAti satyavat atmaprabodha:31 117. nAham deho janmamRtyU kuto me nAham prANaH kshutpipAse kuto me, nAham cetaH Sokamohau kuto me nAham kartA bandhamokshau kuto me---sarvasara:12 118. Anandam antarnijam Asrayantam ASApiSAcIm avamAnayantam, Alokayantam jagadindrajAlamApatkatham mAm praviSed-asangam maitreyi 1:17 119. devArcanasnAnaSaucabhikshAdau vartatAm vapuH, tAram japatu vAk, tadvat paThatu AmnAyamastakam, vishNum dhyAyeta dhIH, yadvA brahmAnande vilIyatAm, sAkshI aham kincid api atra na kurve nApi kAraye---avadhuta:24 120. jnAtam jnAtavyam adhunA dRshTam drashTavyam adbhutam, viSrAnto'smi ciram SrAntaH cinmAtrAt nAsti kincana---maha 5:59
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.33- Sentences for reflection (manana vAkyAni).*
121. na bhUtam na bhavishyam ca cintayAmi kadAcana, na staumi na ca nindAmi hi Atmano anyat na hi kvacitannapurna 5:57 122. alepako aham ajaro nIrAgaH SantavAsanaH, svapUrNAtmAtirekeNa jagat jIveSvarAdayaH, na santi nAsti mAyA ca tebhyaH ca aham vilakshaNaH annapurna 5:92 123. kim karomi kva gacchAmi kim gRhNAmi tyajAmi kim, yanmayA pUritam viSvam mahAkalpAmbunA yathAvaraha 2:35
End of sentences for reflection *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.34- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. *
124. sa tatra paryeti jakshat krIDan ramamANaH strIbhirvA yAnairvA j~nAtibhirvA vayasyairvA nopajanam smarannidam SarIramch. up.
VIII. 12. 3. 125. sa vA esha evam paSyan evam manvAnaH evam vijAnan AtmaratiH AtmakrIDaH AtmamithunaH AtmAnandaH sa svarAD bhavatich. up. VII. 25.2 126. devAH putreshaNAyASca vitteshaNAyASca lokeshaNAyASca sasAdhanebhyo vyutthAya nirAgArA nishparigrahA aSikhA ayajnopavItA andhA badhirA mugdhAH klIbA mUkA unmattA iva parivartAmAnAH SantA dAntA uparatAH titikshavaH, samAhitA AtmaratayaH AtmakrIDA AtmamithunA AtmAnandAH praNavam eva param brahmAtmaprakASam Sunyam jAnantaH tatraiva parisamAptAH ---nrisimhottaratapani 6:3 127. kucelo asahayaH ekAkI samAdhisthaH AtmakAma AptakAmo nishkAmo jIrNakAmo hastini simhe damSe maSake nakule sarparAkshasagandharveshu mRityo rUpANi viditvA na bibheti kutaScanetisubala 13:1
Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.35- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. *
128. sarvadharmAn parityajya nirmamo nirahangkAro bhUtvA brahmishTham SaraNam upagamya tattvamasi sarvam khalvidam brahma neha nanAsti kincana ityAdi mahAvAkyArthAnubhavajnAnAd brahmaivAham asmi iti niScitya nirvikalpakasamAdhinA svatantro yatiH carati sa sannyAsI sa muktaH sa pUjyaH sa yogi sa paramahamsaH so'vadhUtaH sa brahmaNaH iti jIvaH ancavimSakaH svakalpitacaturvimSatitattva parityajya shaDvimSakaparamatmAhamiti niScayAt jIvanmukto bhavati---niralamba : 32
129. turIyam aksharam iti jnAtvA jAgarite sushuptyavasthApanna iva yadyat Srutam yadyat dRishTam tat sarvam avijnAtam iva yo vaset tasya svapnAvasthAyAm api tAdRig avasthA bhavati sa jIvanmukto bhavatinarada-parivrajaka 5:1 130sakRitvibhAtasadAnandAnubhavaikagocaro brahmavid vidvAn cakshurAdibAhya prapancoparataH sarvam jagad Atmatvena paSyan Atmeti bhAvayan kRitakRityo bhavati---mandalabrahmana : 2
131. nirdvandvaH sadA acancalagAtraH paramaSAntim svIkRitya nityaSuddhaH paramAtmA aham eva iti akhaNDAnandaH pUrNaH kRitArthaH paripUrNaparamAkASamagnamanAH prAptonmanyavasthaH samnyastasarvendriyavargaH anekajanmArjitapuNyapunjaparipakva-kaivalyaphalaH akhaNDAnandanirastasarvakleSakaSmalaH brahma aham asmi iti kRitakRityaH bhavati-- ??
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.36- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. *
132. brahma eva aham asmi iti anavaratam brahmapraNavAnusandhAnena yaH kRitakRityaH bhavati sa paramahamsaparivrATparamahamsa-parivrajaka : 11 133. nimishaardham na tishThanti vRittim brahmamayIm vinA, yathA tishThanti brahmAdyAH sanakAdyAH SukAdayaHtejobindu 1:47 134. adhyAtmaratirAsIno nirapeksho nirASishaH, sarvadvandvaiH vinirmuktaH brahmaNi eva avatishThatenarada-parivrajaka 3:44 135. kapAlam vRikshamUlAni kucelani asahAyatA, samatA caiva sarvasmin etat muktasya lakshaNam narada-parivrajaka 3:54 136. smRitvA spRishTvA ca bhuktvA ca dRiShTvA jnAtvA SubhASubham, na hRishyati glAyati yaH sa SAnta iti kathyate??? 137. aprAptam hi parityajya samprApte samatAm gataH, adRishTakhedAkhedo yaH santushTa iti kathyatemaha 4:36
138. maunavAn nirahambhAvo nirmAno muktamatsaraH, yaH karoti gatodvegaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate ---maha 2:50 139. sarvecchAH sakalAH SankAH sarvehAH sarvaniScayAH, dhiyA yena parityaktAH sa jIvanmukta ucyate---maha 2:58 140. janmasthitivinASeshu sodayAstamayeshu ca,
samameva mano yasya sa jIvanmukta ucyate ---maha 2:59 141. sarvAdhishThAna cinmAtre nirvikalpe cidAtmani, yo jIvati gatasnehaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate---??? 142. kriyAnASAt bhavet cintAnASo asmAd vAsanAkshayaH , vAsanAprakshayo mokshaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate---adhyatma 12
143. dehendriyeshu ahambhAvaH, idambhAvaH tadanyake, yasya no bhavataH kvApi sa jIvanmukta ucyate---adhyatma 45 144. na pratyagbrahmaNorbhedam kadApi brahmasargayoH, prajnayA yo vijAnAti sa jIvanmukta ucyate---adhyatma 46 145. sAdhubhiH pUjyamAno'pi pIDyamAno'pi durjanaiH, samameva bhaved yasya sa jIvanmukta ucyateadhyatma 47 146. rAgadveshabhayAdinAm anurUpam carannapi, yo'ntarvyomavadatyacchaH sa jIvanmukta ucyatevaraha 4:24 147. dehatrayAtirikto'ham Suddhacaitanyamasmi aham, brahmAhamiti yasyAntaH sa jIvanmukta ucyate---tejobindu 4:2
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.39- Sentences relating to realization (svAnubhUti-vAkyAni). *
148. trishu dhAmasu yad bhojyam bhokta bhogaSca yad bhavet, tebhyo vilakshaNaH sAkshI cinmAtro'ham sadASivaH ---kaivalyopanishad, 18.
149. mayyeva sakalam jAtam mayi sarvam pratishThitam, mayi sarvam layam yAti tad brahma advayam asmi aham---kaivalyopanishad, 19. 150. nirvANo'smi nirIho'smi niramSo'smi nirIpsitaH, cidAtmAsmi niramSo'smi parAparavivarjitaHsannyasa 2:56 151. brahma eva aham sarvavedAntavedyam nAham vedyam
vyomavAtAdirUpamsarvasara 11 152. rUpam nAham nAma nAham na karma brahma eva aham satcidAnandarUpam sarvasara 11
*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.40- Sentences relating to samAdhi.*
153. jIvAtmaparamAtmaikyAvasthA tripuTirahitA paramAnandarUpA shuddhacaitanyAtmikA samAdhiHshandilya 1:11
154. dhyAtRidhyAne vihAya nivAtasthitadIpavad dhyeyaikagocaram cittam samAdhiHpaingala 3:2 155. yadA pan~cAvatishThante j~nAnAni manasA saha, buddhiSca na viceshTate tamAhuH paramAm gatimkaThopanishad, 2.3.10. 156. salile saindhavam yadvat sAmyam bhajati yogataH, tathA Atmamanoraikyam samAdhirabhidhIyatevaraha 2:75
157. brahmAkAramanovRittipravAho ahamkRitim vinA, sampraj~nAtasamAdhiH syAd dhyAnAbhyAsaprakarshataH muktika 2:53 158. praSAntavRittikam cittam paramAnandadIpakam, asampraj~nAtanAmAyam samAdhiryoginAm priyaH. muktika 2:54 159. svAnubhUtirasAveSAd dRiSyasabdau upekshituH, nirvikalpasamAdhiH syAt nivAtasthitadIpavatsarasvatirahasya 2829
160. shrotrasya shrotram manaso mano yadvAco ha vAcam sa u prANasya prANaH, cakshhushhaH chakshuH, atimucya dhIrAH pretyAsmAllokAd amrita bhavantikenopanishad, 1.2. 161. yo vai bhUmA tat sukhamn na alpe sukham astichandogya up. 7.23.1.
162. neti neti na hyetasmAditi netyanyatparamasti atha nAmadheyam satyasya satyamiti prANA vai satyam teshAmesha satyambr. up. 2.3.6. 163. sa paryagAt Sukram akAyam avraNam asnAviram Suddham apApaviddhamIsa up. 8.
164. praNavo hyaparam brahma, praNavaSca paraH smRitaH Mandukya Karika , I:26 165. na nirodho na cotpattiH,na baddho na ca sAdhakaH, na mumukshuH na vai muktaH, ityeshA paramArthatA mANDUkya kArikA (II.32); Atma 2:31 166. dehatrayavihInatvAt kAlatrayavivarjanAt, jIvatrayaguNAbhAvAt, tApatrayavivarjanAt, lokatrayavihInatvAt, sarvam Atmeti SasanAt Tejobindu 5:17 167. cittAbhAvAt cintanIyam dehabhAvAt jarA na ca, pAdAbhAvAt gatirnAsti, hastAbhAvAt kriya na ca. mRityurnAsti jananAbhAvAt, buddhyabhAvAt sukhAdikamTejobindu 5:19
168. sa eshho akalo amRitaHPrashna 6:5 169. na antaHprajnam na bahiHprajnam nobhayataHprajnam na prajnAnaghanam na prajnam nAprajnam. adRishyam avyavahAryam agrAhyam alakshhanam acintyam avyapadeshyam ekAtmapratyayasAram prapancopashamam shAntam shivam advaitam caturtham manyante sa AtmA sa vijneyaH mANDUkya up. 7.
170. amAtraH caturtho avyavahAryaH prapancopashamaH shivo'dvaitaHmANDUkya up. 12.
171. yatra nAnyat pashyati nAnyat shRiNoti nAnyat vijAnAti sa bhUmAchAndogya up. 7.23.1. 172. sa eshha neti netyAtmA agRihyo nahi gRihyate ashIryo na hi shIryate asango nahi sajyate asito na vyathate na rishhyati--- bRihad. up. 3.9.26. 173. sa yathA saindhavaghano anantaro abAhyaH kRitsnaH rasaghana eva evam vA are ayam AtmA anantaro abAhyaH kRistnaH prajnAnaghana eva-- brih. up.4.5.13. 174. vilIne manasi gate samkalpavikalpe dagdhe puNyapApe sadAshivaHhaMsa 11
175. eshha shuddhaH pUtaH shUnyH shAnto aprANo anIshAtmA ananto akshhayaH sthiraH shAshvataH ajaH svatantraH sve mahimni tishhThatimaitrAyaNi 2:4 176. cakshhushho drashhTA shrotrasya drashhTA manaso drashhTA vAco drashhTA tamaso drashhTA sarvasya drashhTA tataH arvasmAd anyo vilakshhaNaH sadghano ayam cidghana Anandaghana eva ekaraso avyavahAryaHnRRisiMha-uttaratApnI 2:1

Mah Av Akyaratn Avali H

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What are some of the main Mahavakyas mentioned in the text?

What are some of the main Mahavakyas mentioned in the text?

What are the three means to self-realization mentioned?

What are the three means to self-realization mentioned?

mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH

16. tameva dhIro vijnAya prajnAm kurvIta brAhmaNaH. na anudhyAyAt bahUn

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.14- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation *

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.20- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.*

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.21- Sentences conveying instructions.*

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.23- Sentences conveying instructions.*

** *Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.40- Sentences relating to samAdhi.*

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.41- Miscellaneous statements.* **

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.42- Miscellaneous statements.*

*mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 43. Miscellaneous statements.*

*mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 44. Miscellaneous statements.*

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*mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 45. Miscellaneous statements.*

brahmasvarUpa vAkyAni avashiShTa vAkyAni phala vAkyaNi videhamukti vAkyAni upasaMhAra

Transln. by S.N.Sastri VidhivAkyAni--Statements conveying injunctions.

10. ASAmbaro na namaskAro na svAhAkAro na svadhAkAro na nindAstutiH yAdRcchiko bhavet paramahamsa 11

2. devamanushyAdi-upAsanAkAmasankalpo bandhaHniralamba 21 3. kartRtvAdi-ahankArasankalpo bandhaH niralamba 21

4. aNimAdyashTaiSyaryASAsiddhasankalpo bandhaH- niralamba 21

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.18- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.*

67. sa ya esho'Nimaitadaatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa AtmA tattvamasi Svetaketoch. up. 6.8.7

advitIyaparasamvidAtmakam tat sadA aham iti maunam ASraya--varaha 3:8

105. ahamannam ahamannam ahamannam, ahamannado' hamannado' hamannadaHtaitt. up. 3.10.

116. cidrUpatvAt na me jADyam satyatvAt na anRtam mama,

*Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.37- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti. *

153. jIvAtmaparamAtmaikyAvasthA tripuTirahitA paramAnandarUpA shuddhacaitanyAtmikA samAdhiHshandilya 1:11

170. amAtraH caturtho avyavahAryaH prapancopashamaH shivo'dvaitaHmANDUkya up. 12.

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Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.14- Sentences dealing with bondage and liberation

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.20- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.21- Sentences conveying instructions.

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.23- Sentences conveying instructions.

** Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.40- Sentences relating to samAdhi.

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.41- Miscellaneous statements. **

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.42- Miscellaneous statements.

mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 43. Miscellaneous statements.

mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 44. Miscellaneous statements.

mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 45. Miscellaneous statements.

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.18- Sentences declaring the world as mithyA.

Translation of mahAvAkyas- No.37- Sentences relating to jIvanmukti.