Vivekachudamani

by Shankara | 1921 | 49,785 words | ISBN-13: 9788175051065

The Vivekachudamani is a collection of poetical couplets authored by Shankara around the eighth century. The philosophical school this compilation attempts to expose is called ‘Advaita Vedanta’, or non-dualism, one of the classical orthodox philosophies of Hinduism. The book teaches Viveka: discrimination between the real and the unreal. Shankara d...

प्राब्धं बलवत्तरं खलु विदां भोगेन तस्य क्षयः
सम्यग्ज्ञानहुताशनेन विलयः प्राक्षंचितागामिनाम् ।
ब्रह्मात्मैक्यमवेक्ष्य तन्मायातया ये सर्वदा संस्थिताः
तेषां तत्त्रितयं नहि क्वचिदपि ब्रह्मैव ते निर्गुणम् ॥ ४५३ ॥

prābdhaṃ balavattaraṃ khalu vidāṃ bhogena tasya kṣayaḥ
samyagjñānahutāśanena vilayaḥ prākṣaṃcitāgāminām |
brahmātmaikyamavekṣya tanMāyātayā ye sarvadā saṃsthitāḥ
teṣāṃ tattritayaṃ nahi kvacidapi brahmaiva te nirguṇam || 453 ||

453. Prārabdha work is certainly very strong for the man of realisation, and is spent only by the actual experience of its fruit; while the actions previously accumulated and those yet to come are destroyed by the fire of perfect knowledge. But none of the three at all affects those who, realising their identity with Brahman, are always living absorbed in that idea. They are verily the transcendent Brahman.

 

Notes:

[The Prárabdha......Knowledge—The argument in the Srutis in support of Prárabdha being binding on even the Jnani (as set forth in the first half of this Sloka as well as in Slokas, 445 and 451-2) is only a re-statement (anuvada) of the popular view. Strictly speaking, the Jnani himself is not even aware of its existence. The real truth about it is given in the last half of this Sloka

and in Sloka 463, and reasons for this view are set forth in Sloka 454 et seq. We may add in passing that we have here the boldest pronouncement of the exalted status of a man of realisation, who is affected by nothing whatsoever in creation.]

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