||om tat sat ||

Viveka ChuDamani Slokas 204-205

विनिवृत्तिः भवेत् तस्य

सम्यग् ज्ञानेन नान्यथा।

ब्रह्मात्वैकत्वविज्ञानं 

सम्यग् ज्ञानं श्रुतेः मतम्॥ 204||

तदात्मा आनात्मनोःसम्यक् 

विवेकेनैव सिद्ध्यति।

ततो विवेकः कर्तव्यः 

प्रत्यगात्माऽसदात्मनोः॥205||

In the earlier sloka , it has been stated that linkage of Self with Jivahood, was because of false knowledge. How would one know it is false knowledge and get rid of false knowledge. Guru answers this in Slokas 204-205 

Sloka 204 meanings:.

विनिवृत्तिः भवेत् तस्य

सम्यग् ज्ञानेन नान्यथा।

तस्य विनिवृत्तिः भवेत् - 

the termination of that ( false knowledge) will happen 

When?

सम्यग् ज्ञानेन नान्यथा;

only by right knowledge , no other way

To get rid of ignorance, knowledge is needed . There is no other way. Similarly to get rid of false knowledge, right knowledge is neede, There is no ther way. Here the right knowledge required is that of Self.

ब्रह्मात्वैकत्वविज्ञानं 

सम्यग् ज्ञानं श्रुतेः मतम्॥ 204||

ब्रह्मात्वैकत्वविज्ञानं -

the knowledge (realization) of identity of Brahman and Self 

सम्यग् ज्ञानं श्रुतेः मतम्-

is the right knowledge - Shrutis are clear on that.

That Brahman and Self are one is the right knowledge. This is stated in Shrutis.  

Shrutis by statemenst such as, 'अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’; ’अयं अत्मा ब्रह्म ’; confirm that . Self and Brahman are oene and teh same. That is also the right knowledge. Guru says only such knowledge can terminate the false knowledge.

So skoka 204 says: 

"The termination of false knowledge will occur with right knowledge,. There is no other way. The knowledge (realization) of identity of Brahman and Self is the right knowledge. This is stated in Shrutis".

 

That is the right knowledge . But how do we arrive at this knowledge? 

We hear that in Sloka 205.

तदात्मा आनात्मनोः

सम्यक् विवेकेनैव सिद्ध्यति।

ततो विवेकः कर्तव्यः 

प्रत्यगात्माऽसदात्मनोः॥205||

तदात्मा आनात्मनोः 

सम्यक् विवेकेनैव सिद्ध्यति।

तदात्मा आनात्मनोः -

that knowledge of self and non-Self 

the differences) 

सम्यक् विवेकेनैव सिद्ध्यति

right discrimination  makes it possible

The knowledge of Self and non Self is , made possible by  right discrimination 

ततो विवेकः कर्तव्यः 

प्रत्यगात्माऽसदात्मनोः॥

ततः - Hence

प्रत्यगात्माऽसदात्मनोः - 

about the inner self and Brahman

 

विवेकः कर्तव्यः  -

right discrimination is one's duty

The right discrimination about inner self and Brahman is once duty.

Thus the complete Sloka 205 says 

Regarding the knowledge of differences of Self and non Self, is only possible  through right discrimination. The right discrimination ( identity of) about inner self and Brahman is once duty .

Looking back, we can summarize.

The query of the discipkle in Sloka 194, came about because of lack of knowledge of differences between Self and non Self. If the disciple knew the differences between non Self ( jivahood) and Self ,he would have known that the the begining less Jiva would have an end. Hence the fear that one may not attain Moksha would not be there. 

Guru , instead of curtly telling that he should study the differences of Self and non self , he takes a path of enlightening the disciple  about the embedded false knowledge. First he removes the false knowledge of the one without begining may indeed have an ending. Then suggests that one ought to have clarity of or right discrimnation of Self and non Self.

 

In the subsequent slokas Guru brings that discrimination.

 

||om tat sat||