Verse 3206

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

ज्ञानं वैराग्यमैश्वर्यमिति योऽपि दशाव्ययः ।
शंकरः श्रूयते सोऽपि ज्ञानवानात्मवित्तया ॥ ३२०६ ॥

jñānaṃ vairāgyamaiśvaryamiti yo'pi daśāvyayaḥ |
śaṃkaraḥ śrūyate so'pi jñānavānātmavittayā || 3206 ||

“When Śaṅkara is spoken of as equipped with ‘ten imperishable qualities’ in the shape of knowledge, dispassion, supreme power and so forth,—he also is ‘possessed of knowledge’ only in the sense of knowing his own self.”—(3206)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question:—In connection with God, we read of ‘ten imperishable qualities’, in the shape of knowledge and the rest; and if He is equipped with these imperishable qualities, why cannot He be regarded as omniscient?

Answer:—[see verse 3206 above]

‘Knowledge’—recognition of truth;—‘Dispassion’—detachment from objects;—‘Supreme Power’—of eight kinds, ‘Smallness’, ‘Lightness’, ‘Greatness’, ‘Attainment’, ‘Capacity for Enjoyment’, ‘Power’, ‘Control’, ‘Freedom of Movement’;—these ten qualities belong to God, in their imperishable form.

‘Smallness’—is that quality by virtue of which having assumed a subtle body, one becomes capable of going to happy regions, being unseen by people.

‘Lightness’—by virtue of which one moves about like Air.

‘Greatness’—by virtue of which one is respected among all men, honoured and worshipped as the greatest of the great.

‘Attainment’—by virtue of which one gets whatever he thinks of.

‘Capacity for Enjoyment’—by virtue of which one, when having strong desires, is capable of satisfying them and enjoying things.

‘Power’—by virtue of which one becomes the master of the Three Regions.

‘Control’—by virtue of which one brings under his control all beings moveable and immoveable,—and becomes master of them.

‘Freedom of Movement’—by virtue of which one is able to live in all regions,—of Brahmā, of Prajāpati, of Devas, of Gandharvas, of Yakṣas, of Rākṣasas, of Pitṛs, of Piśācas, of human beings, of lower animals and other places.

‘Only in the sense of His knowing His own self’.—It is on account of knowing His own self that He is ‘equipped with knowledge’,—not because He knows all things.—(3206)