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...
Verse 474
स्वस्याविद्याबन्धसंबन्धमोक्षात्
सत्यज्ञानानन्दरूपात्मलब्धौ ।
शास्त्रं युक्तिर्देशिकोक्तिः प्रमाणं
चान्तःसिद्धा स्वानुभूतिः प्रमाणम् ॥ ४७४ ॥svasyāvidyābandhasaṃbandhamokṣāt
satyajñānānandarūpātmalabdhau |
śāstraṃ yuktirdeśikoktiḥ pramāṇaṃ
cāntaḥsiddhā svānubhūtiḥ pramāṇam || 474 ||474. In the realisation of the Ātman, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, through the breaking of one’s connection with the bondage of Avidya or ignorance, the Scriptures, reasoning and the words of the Guru are the proofs, while one’s own experience earned by concentrating the mind is another proof.
Notes:
[Texts: The word ‘Pramana’ can be translated also as ‘proofs’ or ‘authority.’
Scriptures—which tell of one’s eternal identity with Brahman, and declare all duality to be unreal.
Reasoning—upon those scriptural statements so as to be convinced of their truth. For instance, one can argue that bondage being a creation of one's mind must be unreal and that Knowledge of Brahman dispels it, and so on.
Words......Guru: The Guru is a man of Realisation and perfectly unselfish and all-loving. He is therefore an Apta, and as such his words are authority.
One’s own experience &c.: This is the ultimate test. For otherwise one is not perfectly satisfied.
Concentrating &c.—in Samadhi.]