||om tat sat ||

Viveka Chudamani Slokas 299-301:

In the 298th Sloka, saying  "त्यज अभिमानं कुलगोत्र नाम" , guru implores the disciple to renounce the tittles associated with gross body etc, and attain unlimited peace. The main obstacle standing in the way of such renouncement is ego . In the next 11 Slokas Guru talks about ego 

Sloka 299

सन्ति अन्ये प्रतिबन्धाः पुंसः
संसार हेतवो दृष्टाः।
तेषां एषां मूलं प्रथम
विकारो भवत्यहंकारः
                                    
सन्ति अन्ये प्रतिबन्धाः पुंसः-
there are also other obstacles for the man;


What are the obstacles  ?

संसार हेतवो दृष्टाः:
the causes of the life which are seen;

There are many reasons for the man to get lost in the sea of life and death, the other name for that being "Samsara". These are also the obstacle for the man to know his true Self  .

तेषां एषां मूलं-
among them there is one root cause ;

While there are many the root cause is one. We may also call that as the first cause among all of the causes. Guru brings up ego as that first cause.


प्रथम विकारो भवत्यहंकारः -
प्रथम विकारः भवति अहंकारः -
that first modification is ego ;

This ego is the root cause of many. Without ego there are no ownership and doer-ship issues. 

Summary of Sloka 299:

"There are also other obstacles for the man, namely the causes of the life which are seen. Among them there is one root cause, that is the first modification, namely ego"

Sloka 300

यावत् स्यात् स्वस्य सम्बन्धो
अहंकारेण दुरात्मना।
तावन्न लेशमात्रापि
मुक्तिवार्ता विलक्षणा॥ 

यावत् स्यात् स्वस्य सम्बन्धो -
as long as there is any relationship;


अहंकारेण दुरात्मना। -
with this vile ego;


तावन्न लेशमात्रापि - तावत् न लेशमात्रेण -
till that time, there cannot be even the slightest;


मुक्तिवार्ता विलक्षणा(न) -
talk of liberation, which is unique;


For the one with ego there is no question of liberation. For the one without ego, the possibility of liberation is there.
 
Summary of Sloka 300 - :

As long as there is any relationship with this vile ego, till that time, there cannot be even the slightest talk of liberation, which is unique;

                                                                                       
Sloka  301

अहंकारग्रहात् मुक्तः
स्वरूपमुपपद्यते।
चन्द्रवत् विमलः पूर्णः
सदानन्दः स्वयं प्रभः॥


1अहंकारग्रहात् मुक्तः-
one who is free from the shackles of ego;

2 स्वरूपमुपपद्यते -
attains his true nature;

Ego is like an evil planet of Indian lore. One who is free from the evil influences of that planet attains his true nature. A more simple example is that of eclipse. After the eclipse one sees the full moon in its true glory.  Similarly ego envelopes the true Self. Once one is free of ego the true self is seen.

How is the true form?

3 चन्द्रवत् विमलः पूर्णः
like the moon ( released from eclipse) is untainted and full;
 
4 सदानन्दः स्वयं प्रभः-
 ever blissful and self effulgent;

Summary of Sloka 301:

"One who is free from the shackles of ego , attains his true nature being ever blissful and self effulgent, like the moon which  is untainted and full being released from eclipse."

||om tat sat||
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