Vivekachudamani (Swami Madhavananda)/1

by Adi Shankara

ViVekAchudAmani.

Sloka #1

सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् |
गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् || १ ||

Translation (of Sloka)

I bow to Govinda, whose nature is Bliss Supreme, who is the Sadguru, who can be known only from the import of all Vedanta, and who is beyond the reach of speech and mind.

Meaning (of Title)

'Viveka' means discrimination, 'Chuda' is crest, and 'Mani' is jewel. Hence the title means 'Crest-jewel of discrimination.' Just as the jewel on the crest of a diadem is the most conspicuous ornament on a person's body, so the present treatise is a masterpiece among works treating of discrimination between the Real and the Unreal.

Meaning of Sloka

In this opening stanza salutation is made to God (Govinda), or to the Guru, in his absolute aspect. It may be interesting to note that the name of Sankara's Guru was Govindapada, and the Sloka is ingeniously composed so as to admit of both interpretations.

Glossary

Sadguru — lit. the highly qualified preceptor, and may refer either to Sankara's own Guru or to God Himself, who is the Guru of Gurus.

Sloka #2

जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभमतः पुंस्त्वं ततो विप्रता
तस्माद्वैदिकधर्ममार्गपरता विद्वत्त्वमस्मात्परम् |
आत्मानात्मविवेचनं स्वनुभवो ब्रह्मात्मना संस्थितिः
मुक्तिर्नो शतजन्मकोटिसुकृतैः पुण्यैर्विना लभ्यते || २ ||

Translation

For all beings a human birth is difficult to obtain, more so is a male body, rarer that that is Brahmimhood, rarer still is the attachment to the path of Vedic religion; higher than this is erudition in the Scriptures; discrimination between the Self and not- Self, Realisation, and continuing in a state of identity with Brahman, —these come next in order. (This kind of) Mukti (Liberation) is not to be attained except through the well-earned merits of a hundred crore of births.

Sloka #3

Translation

There are three things which are rare indeed and are due to the grace of God — namely, a human birth, the longing for Liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage.

Sloka #4

Translation

The man who having by some means obtained a human birth, with a male body and mastery of the Vedas to boot, is foolish enough not to exert for self-liberation, verily commits suicide, for he kills himself by clinging to things unreal.

Sloka #5

Translation

What greater fool is there than the man who having obtained a rare human body, and a masculine body too, neglects to achieve the real end of this life.

Glossary

The real end: vis. Liberation, mankind's real destiny is Liberation

Sloka #6

Translation

Let people quote scriptures and sacrifice to the gods, let them perform rituals and worship the deities, there is no Liberation for anyone without the realisation of one's identity with the Atman, no, not even in the lifetime of a hundred Brahmas put together.

Glossary

Lifetime of a hundred Brahmas put together: an indefinite length of time.
One day of Brahma (the Creator) is equivalent to 8.64 billion years of human computation, which is supposed to be the duration of the world.
see Wikipedia:en:Hindu units of time#Reckoning of time for Brahma

Sloka #7

Translation

There is no hope of Immortality by means of riches — such indeed is the declara- tion of the Vedas. Hence it is clear that works cannot be the cause of Liberation.

Glossary

The reference is to Yajnavalkya's words to his wife Maitreyi, Brihadaranyaka Il.iv. 2. Cf. —the Vedic dictum, (): 'Neither by rituals, nor progeny, nor by riches, but by renunciation alone some attained immortality.
see Wikipedia:Yajnavalkya

Sloka #8

Translation

Therefore the man of learning should strive his best for Liberation, having renounced his desire for pleasures from external objects, duly approaching a good and generous preceptor, and fixing his mind on the truth inculcated by him.

Glossary

[ duly approaching agood and generous preceptor — i. e. according to the prescribed mode. (Vide Mundaka I. ii. 12). The characteristics of a qualified Guru are given later on in sloka 33. ]

Sloka #9

Translation

Having attained the Yogarudha state, one should recover oneself, immersed in the sea of birth and death, by means of devotion to right discrimination.

Yogarudha state — Described in Gita VI. 4. — "When one is attached neither to sense-objects nor to actions, and has given up all desires, then he is said to be Yogdrudha or to have ascended the Yoga-path."

Sloka #10

Translation

Let the wise and erudite man, having commenced the practice of the realisation of the Atman, give up all works (not done for God) and try to cut loose the bonds of birth and death.

All works — only "Sakama Karma" or works performed to gain more sense-enjoyment are meant. "All works" here excludes "selfless work" or work without any motives.