Vivekachudamani – 18

 

Select verses 97 to 104

Verse 97

Upadhitadatmyavihinakevalabrahmatmanaivatmani tisthato muneh|

prarabdhasadbhavakatha na yukta, svapnarthasambandhakatheva jagratah ||454||

For the sage who is ever absorbed in his own Self as Brahman, Non-dual and free from limitations---the question of existence of prarabdha is meaningless, just as the question of a man having anything to do with dream-objects is meaningless when he has awakened.

Verse 98

ajo nitya iti brute, srutiresa tvamoghavak |

tadatmana tisthato’sya, kutah prarabdhakalpana ||459||

The Self, “Athma”, is “birthless, eternal and undecaying”---such is the infallible declaration of the Sruti. How can prarabdha be attributed to one abiding in that very Athma?

Verse 99

sarirasyapi prarabdha-kalpana bhrantireva hi |

adhyastasya kutah sattvam, asattvasya kuto janih ||

ajatasya kuto nasah, prarabdhamasatah kutah ||461||

Only as long as one lives identified with one‘s body, can one accept that prarabdha exists. But no one accepts that a man of Realisation ever identifies with the body. Hence, in this case, prarabdha should be abandoned.

Verse 100

jnanenajnanakaryasya, samulasya layo yadi |

tisthatyayam katham dehah, iti sankavato jadan |

asamadhatuṃ bahyadrstya, prarabdham vadati srutih ||462-463||

If the effects of ignorance are completely destroyed by Knowledge, how can the body continue to exist? Sruti, from a relative standpoint, postulates the concept of prarabdha for the ignorant people who entertain such doubts. 

                    Body meaning body-mind-intellect, continues after Self-Realisation, no doubt, but prarabdha cannot be for the Jivanmuktha who knows he is Athma, the Self and Athma is asangha, free from the upadhis, and has no prarabdha.  Since a Jivanmuktha has no identification with upadhis and considers himself as Athma only, there is no prarabhdha for him.  Just as the dream experience to the waker, the prarabhdha karma has no relevance to the jivanmuktha.  Kathopanishad (1.ii.18) says that “Athma is neither born, nor does it die-----It is birthless, eternal, undecaying-----“.  The words of the scriptures are infallible and so prarabdha cannot be attributed to one who lives identified with that Athma.  Only those who identify with their bodies continue to enjoy and suffer the fruits of prarabdha.  But it does not apply to one who as Athma has disassociated himself from the body.  The Upanishads condescend to recognise the play of prarabhdha for a Jivanmuktha only out of their infinite grace to accommodate fools who are living in the world of plurality and do not have the total vision of the one Reality, Brahman.  Bhagavad Gita (4-37) says “--- The fire of knowledge reduces all karmas to ashes----“.   But this is from the standpoint of Brahman and is Ok when one has understood everything.  Until that time even Sruthi condescends to accept prarabdha for the Jivanmuktha, from a relative stand point.

Verse 101

vedantasiddhantaniruktiresa,

brahmaiva jivah sakalam jagacca |

akhandarupasthitireva moksah,

brahmadvitiye srutayah pramanam ||478||

The conclusive view of the Vedantic doctrine is this: that the individual self as well as the entire universe are in truth only the Brahman; that liberation means to be rooted in Brahman, the indivisible entity; the statement that Brahman is non-dual has its authority in Sruthi.

            Acharya concludes the teaching, summing up the Vedantic doctrine briefly as follows:

1)    Jiva, the individual, is Brahman alone.

2)    Jagat, the world of plurality, is also Brahman. 

3)    Moksha is being rooted in the knowledge of the essential oneness of Jiva and Brahman, the Supreme one without a second.

4)    Sruthi alone is the valid means of knowledge with reference to Brahman.

Verse 102

sishyah uvacha

dhanyo’ham krtakṛtyo’ham, vimukto’ham bhavagrahat |

nityanandasvarupo’ham, purno’haṃ tvadanugrahat ||488||

Blessed am I; I have reached the fulfilment of my life; I am free from the jaws of samsara. I am of the nature of eternal Bliss, I am the whole, all by your Grace.

Verse 103

svarajyasamrajyavibhutiresa, bhavatkṛpasrimahitaprasadat|

prapta maya srigurave mahatmane, namo namaste’stu punarnamo’stu||517II

By the supreme majesty of your Grace, I have gained the glory of the sovereignty of Self-effulgence. O noble Teacher, salutations to thee, again and again. 

            Sishya thanks the teacher for the teaching in verse 102, by offering the fruits of Realisation at the feet of the Acharya with the grateful remarks that this has been possible only due to the Grace of Acharya.  The fruits listed are:

1)    Attainment of the goal of human life

2)    Freedom from samsara

3)    Experience of eternal Bliss

4)    Feeling whole and fulfilled, lacking nothing

He further says in verse 103 that by the Grace of the Acharya that glory of mastery over one’s self (swarajya) and that over the world around him (samrajya) has been gained by him and offers his prostrations to the Acharya again and again addressing him not only as Guru but also as Mahathma.

Verse 104

sriguruh uvacha

svameva sarvatah pasyan, manyamanah svamadvayam |

svanandamanubhunjanah, kalam naya mahamate ||524||

O noble one, spend your time beholding your Self, Athma, everywhere; contemplating upon the Self, which is non-dual; and enjoying the Bliss of the non-dual Self.

            Acharya in his parting words addresses the student as a noble one recognising he has realised the Truth and advises him to spend his life seeing in all beings, at all times, in all conditions, the play of his own Self, Athma and contemplating upon his non-dual Real Nature.  He further advises “See the play of Self alone in the world as extrovert, keeping in mind the thought that world is nothing but Brahman.  As introvert, feel that the inner world is also Brahman in the silence of your mind.  Thus enjoy the Bliss of Brahman as your Self always.”  In short the final advice is “Behold, contemplate and enjoy your Self, Athma, all the time”

-------------------