||om tat sat ||

Viveka Chudamani Slokas 219- 220

In response to the disciple's cry that after negating all five sheaths, he is seeing nothing , the master responds that the very nothingness he sees is itself the - the Self which he is in search of.  Continuing that thought Master elaborates on Self in Slokas 217 and 218. 

Whether one recognizes or not, Self is that thing inside us. In the waking hours, the happiness and sorrow, the highs and lows we go through are witnessed by it. Whether we respond or not it is that tugs at our heart, reminding us of other path when we are seemingly lost in confusion of good and bad. When our ego rules our heart, and we are on a high, the witness for all that is the same Self. It is that which sparks bliss on seeing something generating happiness due to merits of past. Ultimately it is that of the form of unlimited bliss, when you free yourself from other bondages,

To have a question on one's mind as to reality of unlimited bliss is quite possible. Question is really, is it possible to feel the unlimited pure bliss, or it is only a myth on the spiritual path?  

When we can overcome the attachment to happiness and sorrow or move beyond the happiness and sorrows of daily life, when we can see the sameness in our fellow beings, then we slide into a state of being witness to all that is happening around us. Witnessing the joys and sorrows, we also reach a state of being able to laugh at the highs and lows we went through. Then the mind is at ease. Mind at peace generates that bliss. then we may be laughing at our own foolishness. That reach for detachment generates the bliss. So, at point it is no longer a myth.

The same thought is reinforced in Slokas 218 onwards. 

Sloka 219:

जाग्रत् स्वप्न सुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरं योऽसौ समुज्जृंभते

प्रत्यग् रूपतया सदा अहमहम् इत्यंतः स्फुरन्नैकधा।

नानाकार विकार भागिन इमान्  पश्यन्नहं  धीमुखान्

नित्यानंद चिदात्मना स्फुरति तं विद्धि स्वमेतं हृदि॥

The last line reads - ’तं विद्धि स्वमेतं हृदि’, 

stating, 'know that as the Self within your own heart.'

That means that the first three lines and first part of the last line simply refer to the nature of "that" Self in different ways.

We now go through the first three lines explaining the nature of "that" Self.

First line 

जाग्रत् स्वप्न सुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरं योऽसौ समुज्जृंभते

जाग्रत् स्वप्न सुषुप्तिषु  -  

In the waking dream and deep sleep states 

स्फुटतरं योऽसौ समुज्जृंभते - 

that which manifests very clearly. 

That which manifests very clearly in the waking dream and deep sleep states, that is Self which is there as the witness. In the three states it is present all the time, present as a witness.

Second line:

प्रत्यग् रूपतया सदा अहमहम् इति

अंतः स्फुरन् एकधा

प्रत्यग् रूपतया सदा अहमहम् -

that is the inner self which always appears as I the individual ego self.

अंतः स्फुरन् एकधा

shining within same way (as a witness from within) 

that is the inner self which always appears as I the individual ego self-shining within same way (as a witness) 

Third line:

नानाकार विकार भाजिनः इमान्  पश्यन् अहं  धीमुखान्

नानाकार विकार भाजिनः   - 

having various forms and modifications 

अहं  धीमुखान् -  the ego and intellect 

इमान् पश्यन् -  seeing them ( as witness)

that which sees these ego and intellect having various forms and modifications (as a witness) 

fourth line:

नित्यानंद चिदात्मना स्फुरति तं विद्धि स्वमेतं हृदि

नित्यानंद चिदात्मना हृदि स्फुरति -

shines as the eternal Bliss and consciousness within your heart.

तं विद्धि स्वमेतं  - 

तं विद्धि स्वं एतं -

know that as your own Self. 

that which shines as the eternal Bliss and consciousness within your heart, know that as your own Self. 

Summarizing the complete Sloka

That which manifests very clearly in the waking dream and deep sleep states, that is Self which is there as the witness; That which is the inner self which always appears as I the individual ego self-shining within same way ( as a witness); That which sees these ego and intellect having various forms and modifications as a witness; That which shines as the eternal Bliss and consciousness within your heart ;  Know that as your own Self 

Here the ever-present Self has been described in its form as a witness as well as itself. When one is locked in with his relationships and desires and wishes, the Self is present. It is present in the form of a witness. When we are able to move aside, step away from the relationships and associated wishes and desires, then Self continues to see the events with detachment and even a joy that comes out of such detachment. That is the true from of Self.

Now we see Self from a different perspective in Sloka 220.

Sloka 220

घटोदके बिम्बितं अर्कबिम्बम्

आलोक्य मूढोः रविमेव मन्यते।

तदाचिदाभास मुपाधि संस्थम्

भ्रान्त्याहं इत्येव जडोऽभिमन्यते॥

First line:

घटोदके बिम्बितं अर्कबिम्बम्,

"That reflection of Sun which is seen in the water of a pot "; ..what happens with that reflection? 

आलोक्य मूढोः रविमेव मन्यते

आलोक्य - seeing that ( reflection)  , मूढः ,the fool thinks it is the Sun.  

Summarizing the first two lines - "just as fool seeing the reflection of Sun in the water of a pot thinks that it is the Sun". Here the master is making a proposition using reflection of Sun which shines on its own and seen in jar of water by a fool. The proposition will end up, describing how Self is mistaken by another fool! It becomes clear in lines 3 and 4.

Lines 3 and 4

तदाचिदाभास मुपाधि संस्थम्

भ्रान्त्याहं इत्येव जडोऽभिमन्यते॥

Similarly, the reflection of Self or super imposition of Self on the intellect etc,; 

 भ्रान्त्या अहं इत्येव  -

in delusion thinks of I as the Self,

who thinks like that - जडोऽभिमन्यते- a fool without discrimination.

Sloka summary - 

Just as fool seeing the reflection of Sun in the water of a pot thinks that it is the Sun, a foolish man without discrimination identifies himself with the reflection of Chid-atma caught in the intellect (like jar of water).   

This is superficially simple. But needs some reflection. 

If our attention is on the reflection of Sun, the real sun is not perceivable. The minute we lift our eyes from the reflection, the water and the jar and look at the sky, only then Sun is perceivable. The man not aware of Sun and lost in the reflection thinks that is illuminator. The one unaware of Self, sees the self-reflected in his intellect, in various forms of I, imagines himself to be that Self.  

||om tat sat ||