||om tat sat ||

VivekaChudamani Slokas 230- 231 

In the previous Slokas (228,229) we heard the following   

1 This Brahman of absolute oneness is real, since there is nothing other than Self. In the state of realization of Supreme truth, indeed there is nothing else. 

2 All this world appears as of different forms due to ignorance. All of that is Brahman alone which is free from all limitation of thoughts.

That all this world appears as of different forms because of limitation of thoughts, though it is one only is the thesis.

Vedantic lore always supports a statement by an example. If one were to ask, 'Is there any example to illustrate this thought?'- the answer is yes.  And the Master comes with an example. The example is elaborated in the next two Slokas using clay and a pot.

Slokas 230-231

मृत्कार्यभूतोऽपि मृदो न भिन्नः

कुम्भोऽस्ति सर्वत्र तु मृत्स्वरूपात्।

न कुम्भरूपं पृथगस्ति कुम्भः

कुतो मृषाकल्पित नाममात्रः॥230||

केनापि मृद्भिन्नतया स्वरूपम्

घटस्य संदर्शयितुम् न शक्यते।

अतो घटः कल्पित एव मोहात्

मृदेव सत्यं परमार्थ भूतम्॥231||

Elaboration of the Sloka:

Sloka 230:

मृत्कार्यभूतोऽपि मृदो न भिन्नः

कुम्भोऽस्ति सर्वत्र तु मृत्स्वरूपात्।

न कुम्भरूपं पृथगस्ति कुम्भः

कुतो मृषाकल्पित नाममात्रः॥230||

First line:

मृत्कार्यभूतोऽपि मृदो न भिन्नः-

मृत्कार्यभिन्नः मृदो न भिन्नः अपि -

though a modification of clay, it is not different from clay.

कुम्भोऽस्ति सर्वत्र तु मृत्स्वरूपात्  -

 कुम्भः सर्वत्र तु मृत्स्वरूपात् अस्ति-

a pot, in every part of it, is only clay.

न कुम्भरूपं पृथग् अस्ति कुम्भः -

कुम्भरूपं पृथग् न अस्ति -

Pot has no separate form.

कुम्भः कुतः- where is Pot.

How did this name come about?

मृषाकल्पित नाममात्रः 

It is only an imagined name.

Sloka 230 Summary:

Though a modification of Clay, it is no different from clay. A pot in every part of it is clay only. Pot has no separate form. The name, pot, came about as an imagined name only. 

So here teacher has established an entity (clay) which takes different forms and different names. It is like Brahman taking different forms, all of which appearing as different form in this world, though in fact they are all one.

Sloka 231:

केनापि मृद्भिन्नतया स्वरूपम्

घटस्य संदर्शयितुम् न शक्यते।

अतो घटः कल्पित एव मोहात्

मृदेव सत्यं परमार्थ भूतम्॥231||

Elaboration of the Sloka 231

केनापि -  can anyone, 

घटस्य मृद्भिन्नतया स्वरूपम्

essence of Pot as other than the clay  

 संदर्शयितुम् न शक्यते

cannot be able to show thus. 

अतो घटः कल्पित एव मोहात्

so, Pot is only falsely created name due to illusion.

मृदेव सत्यं परमार्थ भूतम्।

clay alone is the enduring reality. 

Summary of Sloka 232 

It is not possible for anyone to show that the essence of Pot as other than the clay. So, Pot is only falsely created name due to illusion. Clay alone is the enduring reality. 

Summary of both Slokas put together:

 Pot, though a modification of Clay, it is no different from clay. A pot in every part of it is clay only. Pot has no separate form. The name, pot, came about as an imagined name only. It is not possible for anyone to show that the essence of Pot as other than the clay. So, Pot is only falsely created name due to illusion. Clay alone is the enduring reality of a pot.

Just as a pot of different names and forms appear differently, they are in essence made of the same clay, similarly various entities of this world, which are forms of Brahman, though appear different, they too are the essence of Brahman.

||ओम् तत् सत् ॥