!! Viveka Chudamani  of Shankaracharya !!

Slokas 196-197 with meanings in English

||om tat sat ||

Viveka Chudamani Slokas 196-197


In the earler Slokas ( 194-195) we heard ,   the disciple says : "भ्रमेणाप्यन्यथा वास्तु जीवभावः परात्मनः"- "through delusion or otherwise that the thing that has no beginning can have no end" etc , the Self is imbued with Jiva and may not have an end. So how can Jiva attain Liberation?


In the question itself , disciple admitted that because of delusion ( or otherwise) he has this question about liberation. Immediate anwer will have to note the delusion part as the origin of the doubt. . Guru does the same.


श्रीगुरु उवाच:   Guru says..


सम्यक् पृष्ठं त्वया विद्वन् 

सावधानेन तत् शृणु।

प्रामाणिकी न भवति

भ्रान्त्या मोहित कल्पिता॥196||


भ्रान्तिं विना त्वसंगस्य

निष्क्रियस्य निराकृतेः।

न घटेतार्थसंबन्धो

नभसो निलितादिवत् ॥197||


Guru first compliments the disciple  for asking the question. Then proceeds to answer.


सम्यक् पृष्ठं त्वया विद्वन् 

सावधानेन तत् शृणु।

प्रामाणिकी न भवति

भ्रान्त्या मोहित कल्पिता॥196||



सम्यक् पृष्ठं त्वया विद्वन् 

O learned one, you have put a proper question;


सावधानेन तत् शृणु।

Listen then carefully;


भ्रान्त्या मोहित कल्पिता

that conjured up  by imagination


प्रामाणिकी न भवति

does not become a fact


Summary:


Guru Says "O learned one, you have put a proper question; Listen then carefully ; that conjured up  by imagination does not become a fact."


Here Guru first compliments his disciple for asking right question. This is as per the custom of those days. Gurus enourage their disciple to have an enquiring mind and ask questions. Then he goes on to say, that which is conjured up by imagination can not become a fact. 


That which is seen the in state of dream does not become a fact. That Jiva which has no beginning will have no end and hence it is eternal, is only his imagination not a fact.


Sloka 2 : Guru elaborates on that theme


भ्रान्तिं विना 

without delusion, 


 असंगस्य - 

that one without attachment 


निष्क्रियस्य निराकृतेः त्वत्।

without activity and without form


न घटेतार्थसंबन्धो

can have no connection with object world


Is there an example to back this up ? Yes.



नभसो निलितादिवत् ॥


"Just as sky has no connection with blueness," except for the delusion of our mind. 


Similarly, Self has no connection with the object world!


Summary:


Guru says: "Without delusion, that one without attachment, without activity and without form, can have no connection with object world, like the as sky which has no connection with blueness ."

 

A sage considers the world with detachment ( no connection with objective world) because he is with no delusion, no attachment. But for delusion, Self has  no connection with the objectie world. 


 An example of such detachment is Sky which is indifferent to its blueness as it is superimposed by the seer. Blueness is in our mind , not in the sky. Similarly there is no attachment in the Supreme Self, it is only in our own minds.


||Om tat sat||









 



||om tat sat||









 













 






 






Viveka Chudamani Home


Viveka Chudamani Slokas 196-197 with meanings in English

- Sloka Text in Devanagari

- Sloka Text in Telugu 

Om tat sat !

 

 

 

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