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...

शरीरस्यापि प्रारब्धकल्पना भ्रान्तिरेव हि ।
अध्यस्तस्य कुतः सत्त्वमसत्यस्य कुतो जनिः
अजातस्य कुतो नाशः प्रारब्धमसतः कुतः ॥ ४६१ ॥

śarīrasyāpi prārabdhakalpanā bhrāntireva hi |
adhyastasya kutaḥ sattvamasatyasya kuto janiḥ
ajātasya kuto nāśaḥ prārabdhamasataḥ kutaḥ || 461 ||

461. The attributing of Prārabdha work to the body even is certainly an error. How can something that is superimposed (on another) have any existence, and how can that which is unreal have a birth? And how can that which has not been born at all, die? So how can Prārabdha work exist for something that is unreal?

 

Notes:

[The body being an effect of Maya is unreal, and it is absurd to speak of Prarabdha as affecting this unreal body.]

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: