Vivekachudamani – 16

 

Select verses 81 to 88

Verse 81

mrtkaryam sakalam ghatadi satatam, mrnmatramevabhitah

tadvatsajjanitam sadatmakamidam, sanmatramevakhilam |

yasmannasti satah param kimapi tat, satyam sa atma svayam

tasmattattvamasi prasantamamalam, brahmadvayam yatparam ||251||

All modifications of clay such as the pot are accepted by the mind as real but are, in fact, clay alone. So too, the entire universe which emanates from Brahman is Brahman alone and nothing other than Brahman, the Self-existent Reality, and one‘s very own essential Self. Thou art That, the Serene, the Pure, the Supreme Brahman, the non-dual.

Verse 82

nidrakalpitadesakalavisaya-jnatradi sarvam yatha

mithya tadvadihapi jagrati jagat, svajnanakaryatvatah |

yasmadevamidam sarirakarana-pranahamadyapyasat

tasmattattvamasi prasantamamalam, brahmadvayam yatparam ||252||

Just as the place, time, objects, their knower etc., in a dream are all unreal, so too is the world we experience in our waking-state, is projected due to our own ignorance. Since the body, the organs, the vital breath, the ego etc., are also thus unreal, therefore, Thou art That, the Serene, the Pure, the Supreme Brahman, the Non-dual.

                All things made of mud such as pots jars and cups etc., being the effects of mud, are nothing but mud.  They are all mud +nama, rupa only.  Same way all things born of Brahman, which comprise the world, are in essence nothing but Brahman only. So the whole universe, the subject-object world of one’s experiences and also the experiencer is only in essence Brahman who is prasanta, free from any kind of modification; amala, pure, free from punya-papa, raga-dwesha etc. and param, limitless.  Extending this to Jiva, Jiva’s essential Self, Athma, is Brahman only, validating “Tat Tvam Asi”.  This same idea is expressed in the next verse, but in a reverse manner.  Instead of affirming the Reality (as clay in pots), we look at the unreality of dreams and affirm that everything about a dream, all its individual components, are unreal. Just as the dream-world, the dream-equipments and the dream-experiences, which are true to the dreamer in dream are all seen as unreal as one wakes up, the waking world will be seen as unreal as one wakes up to a higher plane of Consciousness, with the internalisation of Athma Jnanam.  The waker, on waking, realises that in the dream, the dream-world and the dreamer is not different from him. He is both the subject and object in the dream.  Same way the Athma Jnani knows that just as in dream so too in the waking, the world of duality is not separate from the Athma, his Real Self.  He understands that the body-mind-sense complex, the world, and anything else that one experiences and can think of are only mithya as it was in the dream. Only the Brahman, the pure Consciousness, that does not undergo any change, is the same just as the Athma, the Real Self, that does not undergo any change in all the three states i.e. waking, dream and deep sleep and this Athma is that Brahman only as stated in “Tat Tvam Asi” 

Verse 83

brahmatmanoh sodhitayoh, ekabhavavagahini |

nirvikalpa cha chinmatra, vrttih prajneti kathyate ||

susthita sa bhavedyasya, jivanmuktah sa ucyate ||427||

The anthakarana-vriti whose object is oneness between Brahman and Athma (Brahman and Jiva), which is in the form of Consciousness, free from the subject-object duality is called prajna.  He, for whom this knowledge is firm, is called as a Jivanmuktha i.e. liberated while living. 

            Guru describes Jivanmuktha from this verse.  Jivanmuktha is one who feels liberated with the firm knowledge of the identity of his Real Self, Athma, with the Universal Self, Brahman, all the time.  This knowledge is not because of any physical or mental change but it is based on the svarupa of Athma, which is Brahman.  He is free from confusions such as; ‘I am kartha/bhoktha/sukhi/dukhi’ etc., as he is free from all the wrong notions about Athma.  He knows Athma is always free, whether he knows it or not.  Only he feels bound, if he does not know it and feels free, when he knows it convincingly.  Consciousness is the svarupa of Athma, which is Satyam, Jnanam, Anantham, Brahma, that is one's Self.  Ignorance with reference to the Consciousness is negated by the vritti, which is called knowledge, prajna.  For getting this vritti, one needs to do satra Vichara under the guidance of a qualified guru, sastra being the relevant Pramana.

Verse 84

yasya sthita bhavetprajna, yasyanando nirantarah |

prapancho vismrtaprayah, sa jivanmukta ishyate ||428||

One who has steady wisdom, who experiences endless Bliss, who has (more or less) forgotten the phenomenal world, that person is said to be a Jivanmukta i.e. liberated while living.

            A Jivanmuktha has a clear knowledge “I am Brahman” and he steadily holds to it in the background in all his relationships and dealings with the external world. This knowledge is reflected in his actions and attitude.  Being Sat-Chit-Aananda Svarupaha as Brahman all the time he has Aananda, which is continuous without any break.  This is possible because he feels he is happiness himself and does not require a particular situation to feel happy.  The world does not disturb him as he knows all the time the world is mithya and he as Athma is sathya and mithya cannot affect sathya.  For him the world exists only ‘as though’.  He may engage in worldly activity according to his prarabdha but then it will be with mental detachment only.

Verse 85

vartamane’pi dehe’smin, chayavadanuvartini |

ahamtamamatabhavah, jivanmuktasya laksanam ||431||

The absence of concepts of “I” and “mine” even in his body which persists like a shadow, is the characteristic of the Jivanmukta.

Verse 86

atitananusandhanam, bhavisyadavicharanam |

audasinyamapi prapte, jivanmuktasya laksanam ||432||

Not recollecting the past with guilt or regret, not concerned about the future and indifference for the present, are the characteristics of the Jivanmukta. 

                For the Jivanmuktha, the body is comparable to the shadow.  That means he is not affected by the limitations of the body even as a person is not affected by what happens to his shadow.  He continues to identify with his body, but there is no “I” sense and “my” sense with reference to it.  He has ahamkara and mamakara but they are sublated.  They are used merely for transacting with the world.  For the past he holds no regrets, nor does he ruminate over his enjoyments. He does not brood over what he did not do or what he did which he should not have.  The future holds no anxieties or worries for him as he has no expectations.  Whatever comes to him in the present moment he surrenders himself to it, accepts it as it is, without reacting against it or favouring it making him ‘carefree’ towards his experiences in the present.

Verse 87

gunadosavisiste’smin, svabhavena vilaksane |

sarvatra samadarsitvam, jivanmuktasya laksanam ||433||

Seeing everywhere with an eye of equality, this world riddled with elements possessing merit and demerit, characteristically different one from other, is the characteristic of the Jivanmukta.

Verse 88

ishtanistarthasampraptau, samadarsitayatmani |

ubhayatravikaritvam, jivanmuktasya laksanam ||434||

When confronted with things pleasant or unpleasant, to remain unperturbed in both cases, by maintaining equanimity, is the characteristic of the Jivanmukta.

                The Jivanmuktha has samadarsitva, same undisturbed calmness with reference to all situations.  He has got samathva born of Athma Jnanam.  The Jivanmuktha knows himself being Brahman and Brahman is always sama, without modifications.  As Samadarsi, Jivanmuktha is also not subject to changes.  Even if a reaction takes place in his mind, it does not stay.  It fades away even as it rises. For he knows that everything in the world comes and goes and is only transitory and not permanent.  Praise and censure, heat and cold, joy and sorrow – the pairs of opposites – have no power to perturb the Jivanmuktha.  He is able to remain calm and steady under the most fluctuating circumstances. These descriptions do not mean that he is an inert statue. This attitude arises from the fact that his mind is ever fixed on higher things, so much so that petty things of the world cannot disturb his peace of mind. His mind is anchored beyond their reach. He is free from being insecure and unhappy.  He is aware of his Self as Brahman all the time.  Because of this awareness, samadarsitva comes natural to him and there is no elation or depression for him in any circumstance.  The Jivanmuktha is described as sthithaprajna by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (2-55to72)

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