Aparokshanubhuti
by Adi Sankaracharya
Translated by Swami Vimuktananda
Published by Advaita Ashram, Kolkatta
yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha ।
yanmaunaṃ yogibhirgamyaṃ tadbhajetsarvadā budhaḥ ॥ 107॥
vāco yasmānnivartante tadvaktuṃ kena śakyate ।
prapañco yadi vaktavyaḥ so'pi śabdavivarjitaḥ ॥ 108॥
iti vā tadbhavenmaunaṃ satāṃ sahajasaṃjñitam ।
girāṃ maunaṃ tu bālānāṃ prayuktaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ ॥ 109॥
ādāvante ca madhye ca jano yasminna vidyate ।
yenedaṃ satataṃ vyāptaṃ sa deśo vijanaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥ 110॥
kalanāt sarvabhūtānāṃ brahmādīnāṃ nimeṣataḥ ।
kālaśabdena nirdiṣṭo hyakhaṇḍānandako'dvayaḥ ॥ 111॥
sukhenaiva bhavedyasminnajasraṃ brahmacintanam ।
āsanaṃ tadvijānīyānnetaratsukhanāśanam ॥ 112॥
siddhaṃ yatsarvabhūtādi viśvādhiṣṭhānamavyayam ।
yasminsiddhāḥ samāviṣṭāstadvai siddhāsanaṃ viduḥ ॥ 113॥
yanmūlaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ yanmūlaṃ cittabandhanam ।
mūlabandhaḥ sadā sevyo yogyo'sau rājayoginām ॥ 114॥
aṅgānāṃ samatāṃ vidyātsame brahmaṇi līnatām ।
no cennaiva samānatvamṛjutvaṃ śuṣkavṛkṣavat ॥ 115॥
dṛṣṭiṃ jñānamayīṃ kṛtvā paśyedbrahmamayaṃ jagat ।
sā dṛṣṭiḥ paramodārā na nāsāgrāvalokinī ॥ 116॥
draṣṭṛdarśanadṛśyānāṃ virāmo yatra vā bhavet ।
dṛṣṭistatraiva kartavyā na nāsāgrāvalokinī ॥ 117॥
cittādisarvabhāveṣu brahmatvenaiva bhāvanāt ।
nirodhaḥ sarvavṛttīnāṃ prāṇāyāmaḥ sa ucyate ॥ 118॥
niṣedhanaṃ prapañcasya recakākhyaḥ samīraṇaḥ ।
brahmaivāsmīti yā vṛttiḥ pūrako vāyurīritaḥ ॥ 119॥
tatastadvṛttinaiścalyaṃ kuṃbhakaḥ prāṇasaṃyamaḥ ।
ayaṃ cāpi prabuddhānāmajñānāṃ ghrāṇapīḍanam ॥ 120॥
viṣayeṣvātmatāṃ dṛṣṭvā manasaściti majjanam ।
pratyāhāraḥ sa vijñeyo'bhyasanīyo mumukṣubhiḥ ॥ 121॥
yatra yatra mano yāti brahmaṇastatra darśanāt ।
manaso dhāraṇaṃ caiva dhāraṇā sā parā matā ॥ 122॥
brahmaivāsmīti sadvṛttyā nirālambatayā sthitiḥ ।
dhyānaśabdena vikhyātā paramānandadāyinī ॥ 123॥
nirvikāratayā vṛttyā brahmākāratayā punaḥ ।
vṛttivismaraṇaṃ samyaksamādhirjñānasaṃjñakaḥ ॥ 124॥
evañcākṛtrimānandaṃ tāvatsādhu samabhyaset ।
vaśyo yāvatkṣaṇātpuṃsaḥ prayuktaḥ san bhavetsvayam ॥ 125॥
tataḥ sādhananirmuktaḥ siddho bhavati yogirāṭ ।
tatsvarūpaṃ na caikasya viṣayo manaso girām ॥ 126॥
samādhau kriyamāṇe tu vighnānyāyānti vai balāt ।
anusandhānarāhityamālasyaṃ bhogalālasam ॥ 127॥
layastamaśca vikṣepo rasāsvādaśca śūnyatā ।
evaṃ yadvighnabāhulyaṃ tyājyaṃ brahmavidā śanaiḥ ॥ 128॥
bhāvavṛttyā hi bhāvatvaṃ śūnyavṛttyā hi śūnyatā ।
brahmavṛttyā hi pūrṇatvaṃ tathā pūrṇatvamabhyaset ॥ 129॥
107. The wise should always be one with that silence wherefrom words together with the mind turn back without reaching it, but which is attainable by the Yogins.
108-109. Who can describe That (i.e., Brahman) whence words turn away ? (So silence is inevitable while describing Brahman). Or if the phenomenal world were to be described, even that is beyond words. This, to give an alternate definition, may also be termed silence known among the sages as congenital. The observance of silence by restraining speech, on the other hand, is ordained by the teachers of Brahman for the ignorant.
110. That solitude is known as space, wherein the universe does not exist in the beginning, end or middle, but whereby it is pervaded at all times.
111. The non-dual (Brahman) that is bliss indivisible is denoted by the word ‘time’, since it brings into existence, in the twinkling of an eye all beings from Brahman downwards.
112. One should known that as real posture in which the meditation on Brahman flows spontaneously and unceasingly, and not any other that destroys one’s happiness.
113. That which is well known as the origin of all beings and the support of the whole universe, which is immutable and in which the enlightened are completely merged … that alone is known as Siddhasana (eternal Brahman).
114. That (Brahman) which is the root of all existence and on which the restraint of the mind is based is called the restraining root (Mulabandha) which should always be adopted since it is fit for Raja-yogins.
115. Absorption in the uniform Brahman should be known as the equipoise of the limbs (Dehasamya). Otherwise mere straightening of the body like that of a dried-up tree is no equipoise.
116. Converting the ordinary vision into one of knowledge one should view the world as Brahman itself. That is the noblest vision, and not that which is directed to the tip of the nose.
117. Or, one should direct one’s vision to That alone where all distinction of the seer, sight, and the seen ceases and not to the tip of the nose.
118. The restraint of all modifications of the mind by regarding all mental states like the Chitta as Brahman alone, is called Pranayama.
119-120. The negation of the phenomenal world is known as Rechaka (breathing out), the thought, “I am verily Brahman”, is called Puraka (breathing in), and the steadiness of that thought thereafter is called Kumbhaka (restraining the breath). This is the real course of Pranayama for the enlightened, whereas the ignorant only torture the nose.
121. The absorption of the mind in the Supreme Consciousness by realizing Atman in all objects is known as Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind) which should be practiced by the seekers after liberation.
122. The steadiness of the mind through realization of Brahman wherever the mind goes, is known as the supreme Dharana (concentration).
123. Remaining independent of everything as a result of the unassailable thought, “I am verily Brahman”, is well known by the word Dhyana (meditation), and is productive of supreme bliss.
124. The complete forgetfulness of all thought by first making it changeless and then identifying it with Brahman is called Samadhi known also as knowledge.
125. The aspirant should carefully practice this (meditation) that reveals his natural bliss until, being under his full control, it arises spontaneously, in an instant when called into action.
126. Then he, the best among Yogis having attained to perfection, becomes free from all practices. The real nature of such a man never becomes an object of the mind or speech.
127-128. While practicing Samadhi there appear unavoidably many obstacles, such as lack of inquiry, idleness, desire for sense-pleasure, sleep, dullness, distraction, tasting of joy, and the sense of blankness. One desiring the knowledge of Brahman should slowly get rid of such innumerable obstacles.
129. While thinking of an object the mind verily identifies itself with that, and while thinking of a void it really becomes blank, whereas by the thought of Brahman it attains to perfection. So one should constantly think of (Brahman to attain) perfection.
nimeṣārdhaṃ na tiṣṭhanti vṛttiṃ brahmamayīṃ vinā ।
yathā tiṣṭhanti brahmādyāḥ sanakādyāḥ śukādayaḥ ॥ 134॥
kārye kāraṇatā''yātā kāraṇe na hi kāryatā ।
kāraṇatvaṃ svato gacchetkāryābhāve vicārataḥ ॥ 135॥
atha śuddhaṃ bhavedvastu yadvai vācāmagocaram ।
draṣṭavyaṃ mṛdghaṭenaiva dṛṣṭāntena punaḥ punaḥ ॥ 136॥
anenaiva prakāreṇa vṛttirbrahmātmikā bhavet ।
udeti śuddhacittānāṃ vṛttijñānaṃ tataḥ param ॥ 137॥
kāraṇaṃ vyatirekeṇa pumānādau vilokayet ।
anvayena punastaddhi kārye nityaṃ prapaśyati ॥ 138॥
kārye hi kāraṇaṃ paśyetpaścātkāryaṃ visarjayet ।
kāraṇatvaṃ svato naśyedavaśiṣṭaṃ bhavenmuniḥ ॥ 139॥
bhāvitaṃ tīvravegena yadvastu niścayātmanā ।
pumāṃstaddhi bhavecchīghraṃ jñeyaṃ bhramarakīṭavat ॥ 140॥
adṛśyaṃ bhāvarūpañca sarvametat cidātmakam ।
sāvadhānatayā nityaṃ svātmānaṃ bhāvayedbudhaḥ ॥ 141॥
dṛśyaṃ hyadṛśyatāṃ nītvā brahmākāreṇa cintayet ।
vidvānnityasukhe tiṣṭheddhiyā cidrasapūrṇayā ॥ 142॥
ebhiraṅgaiḥ samāyukto rājayoga udāhṛtaḥ ।
kiñcitpakvakaṣāyāṇāṃ haṭhayogena saṃyutaḥ ॥ 143॥
paripakvaṃ mano yeṣāṃ kevalo'yaṃ ca siddhidaḥ ।
gurudaivatabhaktānāṃ sarveṣāṃ sulabho javāt ॥ 144॥
134. The aspirants after Brahman should not remain a single moment without the thought of Brahman, just like Brahma, Sanaka, Suka and others.
135. The nature of the cause inheres in the effect and not vice versa; so through reasoning it is found that in the absence of the effect, the cause, as such also disappears.
136. Then that pure reality (Brahman) which is beyond speech alone remains. This should be understood again and again verily through the illustration of earth and the pot.
137. In this way alone there arises in the pure-minded a state of awareness (of Brahman), which is afterwards merged into Brahman.
138. One should first look for the cause by the negative method and then find it by the positive method, as ever inherent in the effect.
139. One should verily see the cause in the effect, and then dismiss the effect altogether. What then remains, the sage himself becomes.
140. A person who meditates upon a thing with great assiduity and firm conviction, becomes that very thing. This may be understood from the illustration of the wasp and the worm.
141. The wise should always think with great care of the invisible, the visible, and everything else, as his own Self which is consciousness itself.
142. Having reduced the visible to the invisible, the wise should think of the universe as one with Brahman. Thus alone will he abide in eternal felicity with mind full of consciousness and bliss.
143. Thus has been described Raja-Yoga consisting of these steps (mentioned above). With this is to be combined Hatha-Yoga for (the benefit of) those whose worldly desires are partially attenuated.
144. For those whose mind is completely purified this (Raja-Yoga) alone is productive of perfection. Purity of the mind, again, is speedily accessible to those who are devoted to the teacher and the Deity.
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