Select verses from Maanasollasa - A Commentary on Sri Dakshinamurti Stothram by Sri Sureshwara Charya

Maanasollasa Select Verses

Commentary on Sri Dakshinamurti Stotram by Sri Sureshwaracharya

Main References:

1.      

1.     DAKSHINAMURTI STOTRA OF SRI SANKARACHARYA WITH SRI SURESWARACHARYA’S MANASOLLASA Texts and translation in English by Alladi Mahadeva Sastry

2.     Sri Sankaracharya’s Daksinaurthy stotra with the vartika Manasollasa of Sureshwaracharya – Swami Harshanandaji

3.     Vivekachudamani – Swami Madhavanandaji

4.     Mundaka Upanisad, Brihadaranyaka Upanisad, Taittriya Upanisad – translations from Sri Ramakrishna mission.

5.     Swami Vivekananda’s complete work for comments on Two Bird on Self-Same Tree (Mu.Up discussion).
6.    Sanskrit Doc Link

PDF version of this is available here. 

viśvaṃ darpaṇadṛśyamānanagarītulyaṃ nijāntargataṃ

paśyannātmani māyayā bahirivodbhūtaṃ yathā nidrayā ।

yaḥ sākṣātkurute prabodhasamaye svātmānamevādvayaṃ

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 1॥

Salutations Sri Dakshinamurti, who is the Guru, who at the time of spiritual awakening, has verily realized his own Self, the one without a second, having understood that the world is within oneself even as city reflected in a mirror is, but projected as if it is outside, by the maya as in dream. 

maṅgaḷaṃ diśatu me vināyako

maṅgaḷaṃ diśatu me sarasvatī ।

maṅgaḷaṃ diśatu me maheśvari

maṅgaḷaṃ diśatu me sadāśivaḥ ॥ 1॥

1.May Sri Vinayaka be auspicious to me! May Sri Sarasvati be auspicious to me! May Sri Mahesvari be auspicious to me! May Sri Sadasiva be auspicious to me!

ātmalābhātparo lābho nāstīti munayo viduḥ ।

tallābhārthaṃ kaviḥ stauti svātmānaṃ parameśvaram ॥ 2॥

2. The sages hold that there is no greater gain than gain of Atman, the Self. With a view to this gain, the sage adores his own Self, the Parameshwara.

svecchayā sṛṣṭamāviśya viśvaṃ yo manasi sthitaḥ ।

stotreṇa stūyate'nena sa eva parameśvaraḥ ॥ 3॥

3. He who, having entered into the Universe created by His own will, manifests Himself in the mind of everyone, it is the Parameswara, verily that is being adored by this hymn.  (tat srstva tadevAnuprAvisat – Tai Up 2.6)

śrutyā''cāryaprasādena yogābhyāsavaśena ca ।

īśvarānugraheṇāpi svātmabodho yadā bhavet ॥ 14॥

bhuktaṃ yathā'nnaṃ kukṣisthaṃ svātmatvenaiva paśyati ।

pūrṇāhantākabaḷitaṃ viśvaṃ yogīśvarastathā ॥ 15॥

When, by Sruti, by the master’s favour, by practice of Yoga, and by the Grace of God, there arises a know ledge of one’s own Self, then, as a man regards the food he has eaten as one with himself, the Adept Yogin sees the universe as one with his Self, absorbed as the uni verse is in the Universal Ego which he has become – 14-15

śivo brahmādideheṣu sarvajña iti bhāsate ।

devatiryaṅmanuṣyeṣu kiñcijjñastāratamyataḥ ॥ 26॥

jarāyujo'ṇḍajaścaiva svedajaḥ punarudbhidaḥ ।

ete caturvidhāḥ dehāḥ kramaśo nyūnavṛttayaḥ ॥ 27॥

26-27. Siva manifests Himself as the Omniscient in the bodies of Brahma and the like; and in Devas, lower animals and man, He manifests Himself with a finite knowledge of various degrees. There are four kinds of bodies, the womb-born, the egg-born, the sweat-born, and the earth-born, arranged in their descending order.

brahmādistambaparyantā svapnakalpaiva kalpanā ।

sākṣātkṛte'navacchinnaprakāśe paramātmani ॥ 28॥

When the Paramatman of infinite light is intuitively realized, all creatures from Brahma down to the blade of grass,  melt into an illusion like unto a dream

aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyāniti vedavāk ।

rudropaniṣadapyetaṃ stauti sarvātmakaṃ śivam ॥ 29॥

Vedas speak of Him as smaller than an atom and greater than the great; and the Rudra-Upanishad, too, extols Siva as the Sarvatman, the Self of all.

īśvaro gururātmeti mūrtibhedavibhāgine ।

vyomavadvyāptadehāya dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ ॥ 30॥

To Him who is manifested in the different forms as Isvara, as the Teacher, as the Self; who is all pervading like space; to Sri-Dakshinamurti, —to the Effulgent Form Facing the South; to Him (Siva) be this Salutation !

To bow to the Supreme Lord means to offer one’s own Self to Him in the thought that the two are one and identical. The term * Dakshinamurti’ is variously explained: (l) it is applied to a special incarnation of Siva in the form of a Teacher, who, seated at the foot of a fig-tree with His face to wards the south, is engaged in imparting spiritual instruction to the highest sages of the world such as Sanaka. (2) It is applied to Siva who, in His mighty form composed of Existence, Intelligence and Bliss, and with His beginningless and unthinkable power of Maya, can create, preserve and destroy the universe, and yet who has really no form whatever. (3) Siva is so called because the spiritual wisdom forms the only means by which He can be known and realised.

bījasyāntarivāṅkuro jagadidaṃ prāṅnirvikalpaṃ punaḥ

māyākalpitadeśakālakalanāvaicitryacitrīkṛtam ।

māyāvīva vijṛmbhayatyapi mahāyogīva yaḥsvecchayā

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 2॥

Obeisance to him, Sri Dakshinamurti who is the Guru, who, out of his free will like the magician, great yogi, manifests this world, which was before creation, undifferentiated even as the sprout was within the seed, and became variegated later, on account of its association with space and time, brought forth by maya.

kālarūpakriyāśaktyā kṣīrātpariṇameddadhi ।

jñātṛjñānajñeyarūpaṃ jñānaśaktyā bhavejjagat ॥ 14॥

By His Kriya-Sakti or energy of activity assuming the form of Time, milk is transformed into curd. By His Jnana- Sakti or energy of intelligence, the universe comes into being as made up of the perceiver and the objects of perception.

The Samkhya holds that an effect comes into being independently of a sentient being, and adduces, in evidence of his theory, the fact of milk transforming itself into curd without the intervention of a sentient being. As against' this, the Vedantin holds that it is the Isvara dwelling, as the Sruti (Bri-Up. 5-7-15) declares, in all objects of creation controlling and guiding them from within, who, by His Kriya-Sakti, assuming the form of Time acts upon milk so as to transform it into curd. Milk by itself cannot become curd. If it could, then it would ever be changing into curd. Again, there is a state of Maya in which it is associated with a semblance of Brahman’s consciousness and forms the consciousness of Isvara, the author of the universe, who, at the beginning of creation, is said to have had before his view all that was to be created, and from whom proceeds our consciousness of the universe. This conscious ness of Isvara is what is called Jnana-Sakti, the energy of intelligence. Itself, thus assuming the form of intelligence, Maya converts its basis, Brahman associated with Maya, into a conscious entity, while it also presents itself to His view as the universe to be created, as the object of perception. Thus by Jnana-Sakti of Isvara the universe comes into being.

jñānaṃ dvidhā vastumātradyotakaṃ nirvikalpakam ।

savikalpantu saṃjñādidyotakatvādanekadhā ॥ 15॥

15.Consciousness is of two kinds: Nirvikalpa or the undifferentiated consciousness illumines the Thing itself, while Savikalpa or the differentiated consciousness is manifold as illumining the designations, etc.

The Jnana-Sakti takes two forms. First, there is the consciousness which at the beginning of creation expressed itself in the form u may I be come many,” and relates to the external universe as a whole in general. It is known as Nirvikalpa or the undifferentiated consciousness. Again, the same consciousness, when relating to the objects of external universe in their respective special characteristics, such as the several elements of matter and material objects, becomes what is called savikalpa or differentiated consciousness. Thus, though consciousness is one and homogeneous in itself, it appears to be different in the different forms illumined by it.

īśvaro'nantaśaktitvātsvatantro'nyānapekṣakaḥ ।

svecchāmātreṇa sakalaṃ sṛjatyavati hanti ca ॥ 48॥

Almighty as possessed of infinite power, independent as having nothing to resort to outside Himself, by His mere will He creates, preserves and destroys all.

na kārakāṇāṃ vyāpārātkartā syānnitya īśvaraḥ ।

nāpi pramāṇavyāparāt jñātā'sau svaprakāśakaḥ ॥ 49॥

The Isvara does not create by way of operating on materials (external to Himself); self-conscious as He is, neither is He the knower by way of operating on pramanas or organs of perception

50-51 His consciousness and agency are quite absolute because of His independence. In the very variety of His will consists His absolute freedom. Who can define the self-reliant will of Isvara by which He is free to act, or not to act, or to act otherwise?

He is conscious and active independently of all else, without undergoing- any change in Himself. So, too, is His will characterized by thorough independence and absence of all obstruction.

52. The Sruti also has declared Isvara’s creation by will, in the words, “He desired,” and “ From Him, the Atman, was Akasa born.”

tasmānmāyāvilāso'yaṃ jagatkartṛtvamīśituḥ ।

bandhamokṣopadeśādivyavahāro'pi māyayā ॥ 56॥

Wherefore the Isvara’s creation of the universe is all a display of Maya, and all worldly experience including Revelation as to bondage and liberation is (the effect) of Maya.

yasyaiva sphuraṇaṃ sadātmakamasatkalpārthagaṃ bhāsate

sākṣāttattvamasīti vedavacasā yo bodhayatyāśritān ।

yatsākṣātkaraṇādbhavennapunarāvṛttirbhavāmbhonidhau

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 3॥

To Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, whose light, which is Existence itself, shines forth entering the objects which are almost non-existent, to Him incarnate in the Guru who instructs the disciples in the Vedic text “That thou art;”—to Him who being realized there will be no more return to the ocean of samsara, to Him (Siva) be this Salutation.

ātmasattaiva sattaiṣāṃ bhāvānāṃ na tato'dhikā ।

tathaiva sphuraṇaṃ caiṣāṃ nātmasphuraṇato'dhikam ॥ 3॥

3.These things have their being in the being of Atman, and no more ; and so also, the light by which they shine is the light of Atman and no more.

The questioner’s standpoint may be either that the phenomenal things exist quite apart from Atman like the mirror existing apart from the objects which are reflected in it; or that they exist independently of Atman and shine by a light of their own, so that they do not depend on Atman for their existence and light. In the first case the Teacher answers as follows: The phenomena have no separate existence; they are unreal because they are inert and momentary, like the illusory serpent, -, where a rope is mistaken for a serpent. Atman alone exists and appears as the things which we perceive, like a rope appearing to be a serpent. When we speak of the existence and light of Atman as conjoining with the phenomenal things, we mean only that Atman puts on the appearance of these phenomenal things. If these things could exist separately and shine by themselves, then they would have appeared in dependently of Atman, like the mirror appearing independently of the objects reflected in it. The phenomenal things having thus no separate existence from that of Atman, we cannot speak of the existence and light of Atman either as being actually reflected in them or as actually conjoining with them.

ghaṭādikāni kāryāṇi viśrāmyanti mṛdādiṣu ।

viśvaṃ prakāśābhinnatvādviśrāmyetparameśvare ॥ 7॥

All products such as pots rest in (their causes) such as clay. (So) the universe, as one with the Light, must rest in the Supreme Lord

svagatenaiva kāḷimnā darpaṇaṃ malinaṃ yathā ॥

ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ॥ 8॥

ghaṭākāśo mahākāśo ghaṭopādhikṛto yathā ।

dehopādhikṛto bhedo jīvātparamātmanoḥ ॥ 9॥

8. Just as the mirror is dimmed by a stain attaching to it, so knowledge is veiled by avidya, and thereby creatures are deluded.

All creatures are deluded as to the real nature of Atman by avidya which leads them to look upon as real all distinctions in the phenomenal world such as perceiver and objects perceived, cause and effect, and so on.

9. As the Akasa within a jar is marked off from the infinite (Maha) Akasa by the upadhi of the jar, so is the distinction between Jivatman and Paramatman caused by the upadhi of the body.

tattvamasyādivākyaistu tayoraikyaṃ pradarśyate ।

soyaṃ puruṣa ityukte pumāneko hi dṛśyate ॥ 10॥

10. By scriptural texts, such as “ That thou art,” their unity is indeed taught On saying, for instance, ‘ He is this person,” one man alone is referred to.

yajjagatkāraṇaṃ tattvaṃ tatpadārthaḥ sa ucyate ।

dehādibhiḥ paricchinno jīvastu tvaṃpadābhidhaḥ ॥ 11॥

11. The world ‘that’ denotes the Principle which is the cause of the universe ; while Jiva limited by the body, etc., is denoted by the word ‘ thou.’

mukhyaṃ tadetadvaiśiṣṭyaṃ visṛjya padayordvayoḥ ।

pummātraṃ lakṣayatyekaṃ yathā soyaṃ pumānvacaḥ ॥ 13॥

pratyaktvaṃ ca parāktvaṃ ca tyaktvā tattvamasīti vāk ।

tathaiva lakṣayatyaikaṃ jīvātmaparamātmanoḥ ॥ 14॥

13-14. Just as the sentence “He is this person” points to an identical man, while the specific circumstances referred to by ‘he’ and ‘this’ are lost sight of, so, losing sight of inwardness and outwardness, the passage “That thou art” points to the identity of Jivatman and ParamAtman.

As absolute Consciousness they are identical.

evaṃ kaṃcukitaḥ kośaiḥ kaṃcukairiva pañcabhiḥ ॥ 30.5॥

paricchinna ivābhāti vyāpto'pi parameśvaraḥ || 31||

Thus garmented with the five kosas (sheaths), with five coats as it were, the Paramesvara, the Supreme Lord, though all-pervading, appears as though He were limited by them

yathā salilamāviśya bahudhā bhāti bhaskaraḥ ॥ 31॥

tathā śarīrāṇyāviśya bahudhā sphuratīśvaraḥ ।

As the sun, entering water, appear as many, so, entering the bodies, does Isvara appear as many

saccidānandarūpatvaṃ svarūpaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ tayoḥ । 33

So the essential definition of Isvara and Jiva consists in describing them as Sat-chit-dnanda, as Existence, Consciousness and Bliss

ekalakṣaṇayoraikyaṃ vākyena pratipādyate ॥ 34॥

tasmādekaprakāśatvaṃ sarvātmatvamiti sthitam

Unity of the two beings as one in their essential nature is taught by the scriptural text “ That thou art/’ Hence the truth that the One Light is the Self in all.

evaṃ prakāśarūpatvaparijñāne dṛḍhīkṛte ॥ 36॥

punarāvṛttirahitaṃ kaivalyaṃ padamaśnute ।

sakṛtprasaktamātro'pi sarvātmatva yadṛcchayā ॥ 37॥

When this conviction of being one with the Light is steadied, one attains

to Kaivalya, to the state of Liberation, from which there is no more return.

sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ śivaloke mahīyate ।

sarvātmabhāvanā yasya paripakvā mahātmanaḥ ।

saṃsāratārakaḥ sākṣātsa eva parameśvaraḥ

37- 38. Even he, who by chance but once cherishes the notion that he is the Self in all, is freed from all sins, is adored in Siva-loka, adored as Siva Himself.

38- 39. That Mahatman, that mighty- souled Being whose contemplation of the one Self in all has been perfected, He is the very Deliverer (of all) from samsara, He is the Supreme Lord Himself.

nānācchidraghaṭodarasthitamahādīpaprabhābhāsvaraṃ

jñānaṃ yasya tu cakṣurādikaraṇadvārā bahiḥspandate ।

jānāmīti tameva bhāntamanubhātyetatsamastaṃ jagat

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 4॥

All this world shines after Him alone shining in the consciousness “I know,” after Him alone whose consciousness, luminous like the light of a mighty lamp standing in the bosom of a many-holed pot, moves outwards through the sense- organs such as the eye. To Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, to Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, to Him (Siva) be this Salutation.

yadā buddhigataiḥ puṇyaiḥ preritendriyamārgataḥ ॥ 23॥

śabdādīn viṣayān bhuṅkte tadā jāgaritaṃ bhavet

23-24. When the Atman, through the sense-organs which are impelled by the good (and bad) karma ingrained in the Buddhi, perceives sound and other objects of sense, then it is the Jagrat or waking state.

saṃhṛteṣvindriyeṣveṣu jāgratsaṃskārajānpumān ॥ 24॥

mānasānviṣayānbhuṅkte svapnāvasthā tadā bhavet ।

manasopyupasaṃhāraḥ suṣuptiriti kathyate ॥ 25॥

24-25. When these sense-organs are withdrawn, Atman is conscious of the mental images generated by the impressions of Jagrat experience. It is the Svapna-avastha or the dream-state

25. The withdrawal of even manas itself is spoken of as Sushupti

tatra māyāsamācchannaḥ sanmātro vartate pumān ।

mūḍho jaḍo'jña ityevaṃ māyāveśātprakāśate ॥ 26॥

sukhamasvāpsamityevaṃ prabodhasamaye pumān ।

saccidānandarūpaḥ san samyageva prakāśate ॥ 27॥

26. Then the Atman remains as pure. Existence, veiled by Maya. It is by connection with MayA that He appears as deluded, inert, ignorant, and so on.

27. “I slept happy:” thus on awaking does Atman clearly manifest Himself as Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.

The word ‘happy’ refers to the essential constant nature of Atman as self-conscious Existence and Bliss. The word ‘slept’ refers to the then quiescent state of all upadhis. The happiness experienced in sushupti is not, indeed, accidental; it does not come from an external source, since then the sense-organs by which the external objects can be experienced are quiescent. The feeling “ I slept happy ” is clearly a case of remembering what has been experienced. Thus the happiness experienced I during sleep points to the self-luminous nature of Atman as Bliss. The immutable, partless, self- conscious Atman cannot be spoken of as lying down or as going, or as sleeping, in Himself. All this is, therefore, due to His association with the upadhis which undergo changes of state

itthaṃ jagatsamāviśya bhāsamāne maheśvare

28. It is by Mahesvara, penetrating the whole universe and manifesting Himself, that even the sun and other (lights) shine; what to speak of pots and other things?

tasmātsattā sphurattā ca bhāvānāmīśvarāśrayāt ।

satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ ca śrutyā brahmopadiśyate ॥ 29॥

29. Therefore, all things derive their being and light from the being and light of Isvara in whom they abide. And Sruti declares Brahman to be “the Real (Satyam), Consciousness (Jnanam), the Infinite (Ananta).”

ahamityaiśvaraṃ bhāvaṃ yadā jīvaḥ prabudhyate ॥ 34॥

sarvajñaḥ sarvakartā ca tadā jīvo bhaviṣyati ।

34~35* When Jeeva is well awakened to his sense of being one with Isvara, then he will be the all-knower and the all-maker

māyayādhikasammūḍho vidyayeśaḥ prakāśate ॥ 35॥

nirvikalpānusandhāne samyagātmā prakāśate ।

avidyākhyatirodhānavyapāye parameśvaraḥ ।

dakṣiṇāmūrtirūposau svayameva prakāśate ॥ 36॥

35-36. The Lord, by MayA quite deluded, by Vidya manifests Himself. By meditating on the ahamkara (which is essentially) Nirvikalpa (Bodham), Atman shines in full

36-37. The veil of avidya removed, the Supreme Lord, He who is Dakshinamurti in form, shines in full Himself.

dehaṃ prāṇamapīndriyāṇyapi calāṃ buddhiṃ ca śūnyaṃ viduḥ

strībālāndhajaḍopamāstvahamiti bhrāntā bhṛśaṃ vādinaḥ ।

māyāśaktivilāsakalpitamahāvyāmohasaṃhāriṇe

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 5॥

Those who contend that the Ego is the body, or the vitality, or the sense-organs, or the fickle Buddhi, or the void, they are verily on the same level with women and children, with the blind and the possessed: they are quite deluded. To Him who destroys the mighty delusion set up by the play of Maya’s power, to Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, to Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, to Him (Siva) be this Salutation

dehastāvadayaṃ nātmā dṛśyatvācca jaḍatvataḥ ॥ 10॥

rūpādimattvātsāṃśatvādbhautikatvācca kumbhavat ॥

Now, the physical body cannot be Atman, because like a pot it is visible, insentient, endued with color, etc., made up of parts and evolved out of matter.

mama dehoyamityevaṃ strībālāndhāśca manvate ॥ 13॥

dehohamiti nāvaiti kadācidapi kaścana ।

13-14. “This is my body;” thus feels a woman, a child, and even the blind man; none ever feels “I am the body”

prāṇopyātmā na bhavati jñānābhāvātsuṣuptiṣu ।

jāgratsvapnopabhogotthaśramavicchittihetave ॥ 18॥

suṣuptiṃ puruṣe prāpte śarīramabhirakṣitum ।

śeṣakarmobhogārthaṃ prāṇaścarati kevalam ॥ 19॥

18-19. Not even Prana is Atman; for there is no consciousness in times of sushupti (or swoon or coma etc). When man goes to sushupti to gain a respite from the worry caused by Jagrat and svapna life, PrAna acts for the mere preservation of the body, wherewith to reap the fruits of karma yet unspent.

prāṇasya tatrācaitanyaṃ karaṇoparame yadi ।

prāṇe vyāpriyamāṇe tu karaṇoparamaḥ katham ॥ 20॥

samrāji hi raṇodyukte viramanti na sainikāḥ ।

tasmānna karaṇasvāmī prāṇo bhavitumarhati ॥ 21॥

20-21. If Prana’s unconsciousness then (in sushupti) be due to the inactivity of the sense-organs, how, then, while Prana acts, can the senses be inactive? When the king is still engaged in battle, the army cannot, indeed, cease to fight. Prana, therefore, cannot be the Lord of the sense-organs.

manasaḥ prerake puṃsi virate viramantyataḥ ।

karaṇāni samastāni teṣāṃ svāmī tataḥ pumān ॥ 22॥

Atman, the director of manas, ceasing to work, then all sense-organs cease to work. Their lord is therefore Atman.

yo manasi tiṣṭhan manaso’ntaraḥ, yam mano na veda, yasya manaḥ śarīram, yo mano’ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ātmāntaryāmy amṛtaḥ. Brih Up.3.7.20

He who inhabits the mind (Manas) but is within it, whom the mind does not know, whose body is the mind, and who controls the mind from within, is the Internal Ruler, your own immortal self

buddhistu kṣaṇikā vedyā gamāgamasamanvitā ।

ātmanaḥ pratibimbena bhāsitā bhāsayejjagat ॥ 23॥

Be it known that Buddhi is but a momentary thing which comes and goes. Illumined only by Atman’s reflection, it illumines the universe.

ātmanyutpadyate buddhirātmanyeva pralīyate ।

prāgūrdhvaṃ cāsatī buddhiḥ svayameva na sidhyati ॥ 24॥

In Atman is Buddhi born, in Atman alone does it dissolve; non-existent before and after, by itself it does not exist.

There should be a self-conscious entity perceiving the changes which the Buddhi undergoes from moment to moment, no further evidence is necessary to show that Buddhi is not Atman.

dehādiṣvahamityevaṃ bhramaḥ saṃsārahetukaḥ ॥ 32॥

antaḥ praviṣṭaḥ śāsteti mokṣāyopādiśacchrutiḥ

The illusion that the physical body or the like is the Self arises from (avidya which is the cause of) samsara. “The Lord has entered within” (Taittiriya Pravesha Sruti see below) thus the Sruti has taught with a view to liberation

sō.kāmayata. bahu syāṅ prajāyēyēti. sa tapō.tapyata. sa tapastaptavā. idaō sarvamasṛjata. yadidaṅ kiṅ ca. tatsṛṣṭrā. tadēvānuprāviśat. tadanupraviśya. sacca tyaccābhavat. niruktaṅ cāniruktaṅ ca. nilayanaṅ cānilayanaṅ ca. vijñānaṅ cāvijñānaṅ ca. satyaṅ cānṛtaṅ ca satyamabhavat. yadidaṅ kiṅca. yadidaṅ kiṅca. tatsatyamityācakṣatē. tadapyēṣa ślōkō bhavati৷৷2.6.1৷৷

He (the Self) wished, ‘Let me be many, let me be born.’ He undertook a deliberation. Having deliberated, he created all this that exists. That (Brahman), having created (that), entered into that very thing. And having entered there, It became the formed and the formless, the defined and the undefined, the sustaining and the non-sustaining, the sentient and the insentient, the true and the untrue. Truth became all this that there is. They call that (Brahman) Truth.

īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṅ hṛddēśē.rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayansarvabhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā৷৷18.61৷৷

18.61 O Arjuna, the Lord resides in the region of the heart of all creatures, revolving through Maya all the creatures (as though) mounted on a machine!

evameṣā mahāmāyā vādināmapi mohinī ॥ 33॥

yasmātsākṣātkṛte sadyo līyate ca sadāśive ।

Thus, this mighty Maya deludes even these disputants; for, once Sadasiva is seen, it immediately vanishes away

dehendriyāsuhīnāya mānadūrasvarūpiṇe ।

jñānānandasvarūpāya dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ ॥ 34॥

To Him who has neither body, nor sense-organs, nor vital airs, whose nature is inaccessible to all organs of perception, who is Consciousness and Bliss in essence, to Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, be this bow

rāhugrastadivākarendusadṛśo māyāsamācchādanāt

sanmātraḥ karaṇopasaṃharaṇato yo'bhūtsuṣuptaḥ pumān ।

prāgasvāpsamiti prabodha samaye yaḥ pratyabhijñāyate

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 6॥

Namaskarams to Sri Dakshinamurti, who is the Guru, the Atman who in sushupti, induced by the withdrawal of the senses, being covered by Maya – like the sun/moon eclipsed by Rahu – was existence only, who at the time of waking, recognized Himself as “I is I who previously slept”.

pratyabhijñāyata iti prayogaḥ karmakartari ।

ātmā svayaṃ prakāśātvājjānātyātmānamātmanā ॥ 22॥

The expression “Atman is recognized” is in the reflexive passive voice. Being self-luminous, Atman knows Himself by Himself.

The usage of the verb ‘pratyabhijnayate’ is to indicate the following truth – in the process of recognition, after DeepSleep, the person who recognizes and the person recognized are the same. How is this possible? Because, the Atman is self-revealing. 

suṣuptau māyayā mūḍhaḥ jaḍondha iti lakṣyate ।

aprakāśatayā bhāti svaprakāśatayāpi ca ॥ 23॥

Deluded as He is, by Maya in sushupti, He then appears as inert and unconscious; He shines as non-luminous and self-luminous

jaḍātmani ca dehādau sākṣādīśo vivicyate ।

eṣaiva mohinī nāma māyāśaktirmaheśituḥ ॥ 24॥

From the physical body and other upadhis which are all unconscious in themselves, He is clearly distinguished as their Lord. This verily is the stupefying power of the Mighty Lord’s Maya (Mohini).

mohāpohaḥ pramātṝṇāṃ mokṣa ityabhidhīyate ।

avasthātrayanirmukto doṣadibhiranāvilaḥ ॥ 25॥

Removal of this illusion from the cogniser (knower) is spoken of as moksha. Free from the three states (avasthas), tainted by no evil passion or thought

iṣīka iva sanmātro nyagrodhakaṇikopamaḥ ।

bāhyābāhyadaḷonmuktakadaḷīkandasannibhaḥ ॥ 26॥

26. The One Existence, which is like unto the isheeka reed, like unto the nyagrodha (banyan) seed, like unto the inside stalk of the plantain trunk stripped off its outer and inner sheaths

niraṃśo nirvikāraśca nirābhāso nirañjanaḥ ।

puruṣaḥ kevalaḥ pūrṇaḥ procyate parameśvaraḥ ॥ 27॥

27.Atman is said to be the Paramesvara Himself who is partless, changeless, unmanifested, stainless, all-pervading, and free (from all upadhis) ;

vāco yatra nivartante mano yatra vilīyate ।

ekībhavanti yatraiva bhūtāni bhuvanāni ca ॥ 28॥

samastāni ca tattvāni samudre sindhavo yathā ।

kaḥ śokastatra ko moha ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ॥ 29॥

He from whom all words recede; in whom manas itself dissolves; in whom all beings and worlds merge into one, as also all principles, as rivers merge in the ocean. “To him who sees this unity, where is grief and where is delusion?” (Isa Up, 7).

yasminsarvāṇi bhūtānyātmaivābhūdvijānataḥ ।

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ॥ 7॥

English Translation By Swami Gambirananda

।।1.1.7।।. When to the man of realization all beings become the very Self, then what delusion and what sorrow can there be for that seer of oneness? (Or – In the Self, of the man of realization, in which all beings become the Self, what delusion and what sorrow can remain for that seer of oneness?)

English Translation By Swami Sivananda

।।1.1.7।।. When, to the knower, all beings become one with his own Atman, how shall he be deluded, what grief is there when he sees everywhere oneness?

English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami Gambirananda

।।1.1.7।।. Yasmin vijanatah, when to the man who has realized the supreme Reality, (or-in the aforesaid Self-of the man who has realized the supreme Reality-,in which); sarvani bhutani, all those beings; atma eva bhut, have become the Self alone-as a result of the realization of the supreme Self; tatra, at that time (or, to that Self); kah mohah kah sokah, what delusion and what sorrow can there be? Sorrow and delusion come to the ignorant man who does not perceive the seed of desire and actions, but not anupasyatah ekatvam, to the man who realizes the absolute oneness of the Self which is like that of space. The impossibility of grief and delusion, the effects of ignorance, having been indicated through the estion, 'What delusion and what sorrow can there be?, the total eradication of worldly existence, with its cause, has been shown ipso facto. 

bālyādiṣvapi jāgradādiṣu tathā sarvāsvavasthāsvapi

vyāvṛttāsvanuvartamānamahamityantaḥ sphurantaṃ sadā ।

svātmānaṃ prakaṭīkaroti bhajatāṃ yo mudrayā bhadrayā

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 7॥

Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurti, who is the Guru, who by the auspicious Mudra, is revealing to his Bhaktas his own Self, which is persistently present as “I” always shining inside, in all the various and mutually exclusive states like childhood etc., as also waking etc.

The blessed symbol here referred to is variously named as follows: Chinmudra, the symbol of consciousness; Vyakhya-mudra, the symbol of exposition; Tarka-mudra, the symbol of investigation; Jnana-mudra, the symbol of wisdom. It consists of a circle formed by joining the thumb and the index-finger at their tips.

bhātasya kasya citpūrvaṃ bhāsamānasya sāmpratam ।

so'yamityanusandhānaṃ pratyabhijñānamucyate ॥ 3॥

3. Pratyabhijnna consists in recognizing a thing—in the form ‘ this is the same as that’—which, having once before presented itself to consciousness, again becomes an object of consciousness at present.

māyānuṣṅgasañjātakiñcijjñatvādyapohanāt ।

sarvajñatvādivijñānaṃ pratyabhijñānamātmanaḥ ॥ 5॥

5. The Pratyabhijnna of Atman consists in His becoming conscious that He is omniscient, etc., after casting aside the notion that He is of limited knowledge and so on, —a notion engendered by His association with Maya.

That is to say, the recognition of Atman’s self-identity consists in the intuitive realization of His essential nature as the infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss, after eliminating all limitations of Maya and its effects ascribed to Him by the ignorant. After eliminating the ‘little knowledge brought about by Maya (Superimposition), the persistent infinite nature of Atman reveals itself.

arthānācchadayenmāyā vidyā vyākṣipya darśayet ।

pratyabhijñaiva sarveṣāṃ pramāṇānāṃ ca sādhanam ॥ 16॥

16. Maya enshrouds, and Vidya uncovers and manifests, all things. It is indeed Pratyabhijnna, the all-witnessing Consciousness, which underlies all pramaanas, all sources of right knowledge.

Pratyabhijna is not just the recognition based on memory, but the very reflection of the sakshi chaithanya or witness consciousness in the mind.

īśvaronyohamapyanya iti vicchedakāriṇīm ।

vyākṣipya vidyayā māyāmīśvarohamiti smṛtiḥ ॥ 17॥

17. It (Pratyabhijnna) is the consciousness that I am Isvara, arising on the removal, by wisdom (Vidya), of the veil of Maya which causes the (idea of) separation that “the Isvara is one and I am another.”

īṣatprakāśobhūdīśo māyāyavanikāvṛtaḥ ।

samyagāvaraṇāpāye sahasrāṃśuriva sphuret ॥ 18॥

18. Screened by the curtain of Maya, Isvara emitted but little light. The curtain fully removed, like the sun may He shine. 

               Atman is self-luminous and self-existent but his becomes more manifest. 

jaḍānṛtaparicchinnadehadharmāścidātmani ।

satyajñānasukhātmatvaṃ mohāddehe'pi kalpyate ॥ 21॥

śuktau rajatamityevaṃ yathā vyāmuhyate'nyathā ।

21-22. By ignorance, the attributes of the insentient, unreal, and finite body are ascribed to the conscious Atman; as also the reality, consciousness and bliss (of Atman) are ascribed to the body; just as the mother-o’-pearl is mistaken for silver which is quite a different thing.

yuktihīnaprakāśatvād bhrānterna hyasti lakṣaṇam ।

yadi syāllakṣaṇaṃ kiṃcid bhrāntireva na sidhyati ॥ 27॥

27. Illusion being an unaccountable appearance, it cannot be defined (as sat or asatj. If it could be defined, then there would be no illusion.

Thus, the appearance of silver cannot be accounted for in any one of the ways shown above; it cannot be defined as existent or non-existent. If it could be defined as the one or the other, then it would no longer be an illusion, and no knowledge could remove it; a conclusion which is opposed to our experience.

Having thus far illustrated the nature of illusion by an example, the Vartikakara concludes that the whole universe is a mere illusory appearance of the One Self.

jalacandravadekasminnirbhaye rajjusarpavat ।

pratīyate yathā svarṇe kāraṇe kaṭakādivat ॥ 28॥

28. The one (Atman) appears to be many as one moon appears to be many in waters; the Fearless appears to cause fear like the rope appearing to be a serpent. The Cause appears to be the effect, like gold appearing to be a bracelet.

upātte rūpyavacchuktau vyāpte yakṣapurīva khe ।

raśmyambuvatsphuradrūpe sthāṇau coravadakriye ॥ 29॥

asatkalpamidaṃ viśvamātmanyāropyate bhramāt ।

svayaṃprakāśaṃ sadrūpaṃ bhrāntibādhavivarjitam ॥ 30॥

29-30. By illusion this almost non existent universe is imagined to exist in Atman—in the one self-existent (Atman), as silver in the mother-o’-pearl; in the all-pervading (Atman), as a city of Yakshas conjured up in the Akasa ; in the Luminous,(Atman), as the mirage appears in the rays of the sun; in the Immutable (Atman), as a thief in a pillar (which is mistaken for a thief at night).

pratyabhijñāyate vastu prāgvanmohe vyapohite ।

dehādyupādhau nirdhūte syādātmaiva maheśvaraḥ ॥ 31॥

30-31. The illusion removed, the self- luminous and existent Reality, never (Himself) subject to illusion or contradiction, is recognised as He is. The body and other upadhis shaken off, Atman verily is the Mahesvara, the Great Lord.

smṛtiḥ pratyakṣamaitihyamityādīnyaparāṇyapi ।

pramāṇānyāptavāgāha pratyabhijñāprasiddhaye ॥ 32॥

32. It is to prove conclusively that Pratyabhijnna (is valid means of knowledge) that the Veda has described other means of knowledge such as Smriti, pratyaksa, aitihya  (oral tradition passed on from the Guru to the disciples as in tat-tvam-asi), etc.

viśvaṃ paśyati kāryakāraṇatayā svasvāmisaṃbandhataḥ

śiṣyācāryatayā tathaiva pitṛputrādyātmanā bhedataḥ ।

svapne jāgrati vā eṣa puruṣo māyāparibhrāmitaḥ

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 8॥

To the Atman who (as Jiva), is (seen to be) deluded by Maya, sees, in jagrat or svapna, the universe in variety, as cause and effect, as master and servant, as teacher and disciple, as father and son, and so on; to Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, Sri Dakshinamurti, to Him (Lord Siva) be this Namaskarams !

prakāśavyatirekeṇa padārthaḥ ko'pi nāsti cet ।

paramārthopadeśānto vyavahāraḥ kathaṃ bhavet ॥ 1॥

If, apart from the Light, no object exists, then how arises all the experience ending with initiation into the Supreme Truth?

kasya bandhaśca mokṣaśca badhyate kena hetunā ।

māyayā lakṣaṇaṃ kiṃ syādityevaṃ paripṛcchataḥ ॥ 2॥

2-3. Who is bound and liberated? Why is one bound ? What may be the definition of Maya? Thus may an enquirer ask. With a view to answer these questions, and in order (that the disciple may) understand the matter with ease, what has been taught in the seven stanzas is again told in brief

svayaṃprakāśe sadrūpe'pyekasminparameśvare ।

kāryakāraṇasambandhādyanekavidhakalpanā ॥ 5॥

rāhoḥ śiraḥ suṣiḥ khasya mamātmā pratimāvapuḥ ।

ityādikalpanā tulyā na pṛthagvastugocarā ॥ 6॥

5-6. To imagine in Parameśvara, in the One Self-luminous Existence, the relation of cause and effect and other things of various sorts, is like imagining the head of Rahu, empty space in Akasa, ‘myself,’ the body of an idol, and so on,—as not referring to distinct realities.

Rahu and Ketu are, respectively, the head and the trunk of one Rakshasa’s body severed into two; so that, when one speaks of the head of Rahu, we cannot suppose that the head exists distinct from Rahu. The two are, in fact, one. Similarly when Paramesvara is spoken of as the cause of the universe, we should not understand that the universe is distinct from Paramesvara. There is only one existence, namely? Paramesvara.

upāsyopāsakatvena guruśiṣyakrameṇa ca ।

svāmibhṛtādirūpeṇa krīḍati svecchayeśvaraḥ ॥ 7॥

7. Isvara amuses Himself assuming, of His own accord, the forms of worshipper and the worshipped, of teacher and disciple, of master and servant, and soon.

pitaraṃ prati putro yaḥ putraṃ prati pitaiva saḥ ।

eka eva hi nāneva kalpyate śabdamātrataḥ ॥ 8॥

8. He who is a son with reference to his father is himself the father with reference to his son; one alone, indeed, is imagined in various ways according to mere words

tasmātprakāśa evāsti paramārthanirūpaṇe ।

bhedapratītirmithyaiva māyayā''tmani kalpitā ॥ 9॥

9. Therefore, on investigating supreme truth, we find that the Light alone exists. False (mithya) indeed is all notion of difference in Atman, caused as it is by Maya.

mithyātvaṃ nāma bādhyatvaṃ samyagjñānodaye sati ।

śiṣyācāryopadeśādi svapnavatpratibhāsate ॥ 10॥

10. Falseness (mithyatva) consists in being nullified when right knowledge arises. Then, the master instructing the disciple and all else appear like a dream.

mithyābhūto'pi vedāntaḥ satyamarthaṃ prabodhayet ।

devatāpratimāvacca citravatpratibimbavat ॥ 11॥

11. The Vedanta, though in itself false may enable one to understand the Real Truth, like the image of a Deity, or like a drawing, or like a reflection.

The image of the Deity is not the powerful Deity yet the Deity accepts the worship of its icon and grants the boons asked for by the worshipper. The mirror image helps to know if our face is clean and we clean it if needed. Similarly Vedanta also helps us to now and attain to our nature as Brahman.

yuktihīnaprakāśasya saṃjñā māyeti kathyate ।

nāsatī dṛśyamānā sā bādhyamānā na vā satī ॥ 13॥

13. The name ‘maya’ is given to an appearance which cannot be accounted for. It is not non-existent, because it appears; neither is it existent, because it is nullified.

na prakāśādiyaṃ bhinnā chāyevārkasya tāmasī ।

na cābhinnā jaḍatvena virodhānnobhayātmikā ॥ 14॥

14. It is not distinct from the Light, as the dark shadow is distinct from the sun. Neither is it identical with the Light because it is insentient. Nor can it be both distinct from and identical with the Light, because it is a contradiction in terms.

sannāpyasannāpyubhayātmikā no
bhinnāpyabhinnāpyubhayātmikā no |
sāṅgāpyanaṅgā hyubhayātmikā no
mahādbhutānirvacanīyarūpā || 109 ||

Vivekachudamani 109. She is neither existent nor non-existent nor partaking of both characters; neither same nor different nor both; neither composed of parts nor an indivisible whole nor both. She is most wonderful and cannot be described in words.

tābhiḥ karoti karmāṇi punastairbadhyate manaḥ ।

manasaḥ kevalaḥ sākṣī bhānuvatpuruṣaḥ paraḥ ॥ 19॥

yathā prāṇikṛtairarkaḥ karmabhirnaiva badhyate ।

tathā manaḥkṛtairātmā sākṣitvānnaiva badhyate ॥ 20॥

19. On account of these (illusions) manas performs acts and is again bound by them. A mere witness of manas is the Atman beyond, just as the sun (is the witness of our acts).

20. Just as the sun is never affected by acts which are done by creatures below, so also, Atman, witness as He is, is never bound by the doings of manas.

ātmā karoti karmāṇi badhyate mucyate ca taiḥ ।

ityaupacārikī klṛptirbhramamātraiva kevalam ॥ 21॥

dhūmābhradhūlīnīhārairaspṛṣṭo'pi divākaraḥ ।

yathā channa ivābhāti tathaivātmā'pi māyayā ॥ 22॥

21. That Atman does acts, that He is bound by them, and that He is released from them, is true only in a figurative sense; it is a mere illusion.

22. Just as the sun, though untouched by smoke, clouds, dust and fog, yet looks as if he were covered by them, so Atman looks as if He were covered by Maya. 

yathā līlāvaśātkaścidbhrāmyamāṇaḥ kumārakaḥ ।

bhramattatpaśyati jagat śatacandraṃ nabhaḥsthalam ॥ 23॥

tathaiva māyayā jīvo bhrāmito vāsanāvaśāt ।

nānākāramidaṃ viśvaṃ bhramamāṇaṃ ca paśyati ॥ 24॥

23-24. Just as a young lad whirling round and round in Sport, sees the world around him revolving round and round and the heavens containing hundreds of moons; so Jiva, deluded by MAyA, in virtue of the vAsanAs (tendencies caused by former experience) sees this whole universe revolving in various forms.

saṃsṛjya manasā devaḥ saṃsaranniva lakṣyate ।

yathā'rko jalasaṃsargāccalannāneva lakṣyate ॥ 25॥

25. In contact with manas, the Divine Atman looks as if He were coursing through the world, just as the sun, by contact with water, appears to move in many a form.

yogābhyāsavaśādyena mano nirviṣayaṃ kṛtam ।

nivṛttaḥ sa pumāṃsadyo jīvanmukto bhaviṣyati ॥ 26॥

26. That man who, by practice of Yoga, has freed manas from objects, becomes abstracted from this world, and he shall, at once, grow into a Jivanmukta.

Rising of Atma Jnana and liberation are simultaneous. Atman is eternal, Atma Jnana is the event horizon.

dvā suparṇau ca sayujābhavanmāyayā śivaḥ ।

ajāmekāṃ juṣanneko nānevāsīditi śrutiḥ ॥ 27॥

27. The Sruti says: By Maya, Siva became two birds always associated together; the One, clinging to the one unborn (Prakriti), became many as it were (vide Mundaka-Up. 3-1; Yajniki- Upanishad 12-5).

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vṛkṣam pariṣasvajāte, tayor anyaḥ pippalaṁ svādv atty anaśnann anyo’bhicakaśīti  Mu Up 3.1.1

Two inseparable companions of fine plumage perch on the self-same tree. One of the two feeds on the delicious fruit. The other not tasting of it looks on.

The whole of the Vedanta philosophy is in this story: Upon the same tree there are two birds, one on the top, the other below. The bird on the top is calm, silent, and majestic, immersed in his own glory; the bird on the lower branches, eating sweet and bitter fruits by turns, hopping from branch to branch, is becoming happy and miserable by turns.

The upper bird is God, the Lord of this universe; and the lower bird is the human soul, eating the sweet and bitter fruits of this world. The lower bird was, as it were, only the substantial- looking shadow, the reflection of the higher; he himself was in essence the upper bird all the time. This eating of fruits, sweet and bitter, this lower, little bird, weeping and happy by turns, was a vain chimera, a dream: all along, the real bird was there above, calm and silent, glorious and majestic, beyond grief, beyond sorrow.

After a time the lower bird eats an exceptionally bitter fruit and gets disgusted and looks up and sees the other bird, that wondrous one of golden plumage, who eats neither sweet nor bitter fruits, who is neither happy nor miserable, but calm, and who sees nothing beyond his Self.

Thus gradually it approaches God, and as it gets nearer and nearer, it finds its old self melting away. It finds that its individuality—its low. vulgar, intensely selfish individuality—is melting away. When it has come near enough, it sees that it is no other than God, and it exclaims, “Why, it was my own glory whom I called God. and this little T, this misery, was all hallucination, it never existed. I was never a woman, never a man, never any of these things.” Then the soul gives up all sorrow.

There is no other purpose in life, save to reach this freedom. Consciously or unconsciously we are all striving for perfection. Every being must attain to it – Swami Vivekananda

bhūrambhāṃsyanalo'nilo'mbaramaharnātho himāṃśuḥ pumān

ityābhāti carācarātmakamidaṃ yasyaiva mūrtyaṣṭakam ।

nānyatkiñcana vidyate vimṛśatāṃ yasmātparasmādvibhoḥ

tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ॥ 9॥

To Him whose eightfold form is all this moving and unmoving universe, appearing as earth, water, fire, air, Akasa, the sun, the moon, and self; beyond whom, supreme and all-pervading, there exists none else for those who investigate; to Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, to Him in the Effulgent Form of Sri Dakshinamurti, Lord Siva, I bow down.

kathamevaṃvidhā māyā nivarteteti pṛcchataḥ ।

īśvaropāsanārūpastadupāyaḥ prakīrtyate ॥ 1॥

ṣaṭtriṃśattattvarūpāsu parameśvaramūrtiṣu ।

pratyakṣeṇopalabhyante sarvairapyaṣṭamūrtayaḥ ॥ 2॥

ameyāsu manaḥ kṣipramāroḍhuṃ nārhatītyataḥ ।

mūrtyaṣṭakamayīṃ brūta guruḥ sarvātmabhāvanām ॥ 3॥

1.How can Maya of this sort cease? To him who thus asks, Devotion to Isvara Is taught as the means to that end.

2.Of the thirty-six tattvas or principles which are the bodies of Parameśvara, the eight forms are immediately perceived by all.

For the thirty-six principles enumerated in the Saiva-Agamas, see chapter, II, 31-42. See Appendix:

3.Inasmuch as manas cannot readily ascend to incomprehensible matters, the Guru teaches the contemplation of SarvAtman, of the Universal Self in the eight (visible) forms (mentioned in the ninth stanza).

virāṭcharīre brahmāṇḍe prāṇināmapi vigrahe ।

ṣaṭtriṃśattattvasaṅghātaḥ sarvatrāpyanuvartate ॥ 4॥

4.In the Brahmanda,—in the body of the VirAj,—as well as in the body of man, the aggregate of the thirty-six principles is present everywhere

caturviṃśo'nuvākaḥ । sarvo vai rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu । puruṣo vai rudraḥ sanmaho namo namaḥ । viśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃ bahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yat । sarvo hyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu ॥ Mahanarayana Upanisad (says everything in past, present in name and form, is verily Rudra – salutation to Him)

vyāptirvyaṣṭiśarīre'sminmanaso vyaṣṭirūpiṇaḥ ।

tasmātsarvātmakamidaṃ svaśarīraṃ vicintayet ॥ 5॥

5* The microcosmic (vyashti) manas pervades this microcosmic body. Therefore, the individual body should be regarded as one with the universe.

vyaṣṭyupāsanayā puṃsaḥ samaṣṭivyāptimāpnuyāt ।

upasaṃkrāmatītyevaṃ daśakṛtva upādiśat ॥ 6॥

6. By contemplating Mahesvara (dwelling) in the microcosm (vyashti), the devotee I will become co-extensive with the macrocosm. This the Sruti has declared ten j times in the words “he unites with Atman.”

Ētam annamayam ātmānamupasaṅkrāmati.

ētaṅ prāṇamayam ātmānamupasaṅkrāmati.

ētaṅ manōmayam ātmānamupasaṅkrāmati.

ētaṅ vijñānamayam ātmānamupasaṅkrāmati.

Etam ānandamayam ātmānamupasaṅkrāmati.

tadapyēṣa ślōkō bhavati৷৷.2.8.1৷৷

sa ya evaṃvit |

asmāllokātpretya |

etamannamayamātmānamupasaṅkramya |

etaṃ prāṇamayamātmānamupasaṅkramya |

etaṃ manomayamātmānamupasaṅkramya |

etaṃ vijñānamayamātmānamupasaṅkramya |

etamānandamayamātmānamupasaṅkramya |

imān lokaṅkāmānnī kāmarūpyanusañcaran |

etat sāma gāyannāste ॥ Brighu Valli ९ ॥

He who thus knows, departing from this world and attaining this Annamaya self, then attaining this Prāṇamaya self, then attaining this Manomaya self, then attaining this Vijñanamaya self, then attaining this Ānandamaya self, traversing these worlds, having the food he likes, taking the form he likes, this song singing he sits.

brahmāṇḍasyodare lokāḥ saptabhūrādayaḥ smṛtāḥ ।

mūlādibrahmarandhrānteṣvādhāreṣu vasanti te ॥ 7॥

7- The bosom of Brahmanda, seven worlds such as Bhur said to exist. These dwell in the (seven) adharas (in the human body), form Muladhara up to Brahmarandhra:

vīṇādaṇḍo mahāmerusthīni kulaparvatāḥ ।

gaṅgā tu piṅgaḷā nāḍī yamuneḍā prakīrtitā ॥ 8॥

8.The back-bone is the Mahameru, and the bones near it are the Kula- parvatas. The Ganges is Pingaia Nadi, while Ida is said to be Yamuna

sarasvatī suṣumnoktā nāḍyonyāḥ puṇyanimnagāḥ ।

dvīpāḥ syurdhātavaḥ sapta svedabāṣpādayobdhayaḥ ॥ 9॥

9. Sushumna is the Sarasvatl, and other nadls the other sacred rivers. The seven dhatus are the seven dvipas; sweat, tears and the like are the ocean

mūle tiṣṭhati kālāgnirasthimadhye ca bāḍabaḥ ।

vaidyutogniḥ suṣumnāyāṃ pārthivo nābhimaṇḍale ॥ 10॥

hṛdi tiṣṭhati sūryāgniḥ kapāle candramaṇḍalam ।

nakṣatrāṇyaparāṇyāhurnetrādīnīndriyāṇyapi ॥ 11॥

10. In the muladhara dwells the Kaiagni, amidst bones is Badaba fire. In sushumna lies the fire of lightning, and the earthly fire in the region of the navel.

11. In the heart lies the sun-fire ; in the skull, the lunar orb; the eye and other sense-organs are the other luminaries

ekaviṃśatisāhasraṃ ṣaṭchataṃ śvāsasaṅkhyayā ।

so'hamityuccaratyātmā mantraṃ pratyahamāyuṣe ॥ 42॥

42. In order to live (in the body), Atman daily repeats the mantra “Soham, He I am.’" 21,600 times per day (via breathing).

sakāraṃ ca hakāraṃ ca lopayitvā prayojayet ।

sandhiṃ vai pūrvarūpākhyaṃ tato'sau praṇavo bhavet ॥ 43॥

43. By omitting s and h, and by merging a in 0 preceding it, the Pranava (Om) is formed (rules of poorvaroopa sandhi).

akāraścāpyukāraśca makāro bindunādakau ।

pañcākṣarāṇyamūnyāhuḥ praṇavasthāni paṇḍitāḥ ॥44

44. The wise say that a, u, m, the bindu and the nada are the five aksharas (sounds) of the Pranava.

The bindu is the nasal vowel-sound, without which the consonant m cannot be sounded. The nada is one with the sonant prana. It starts from Muladhara and becomes manifested in the cavity of the nadi through which the heated prana passes,. The component parts of Pranava being manifested by this nada, the Pranava is said to end with nada. Thus a, u, m, bindu, and nada are the five aksharas or sounds residing m Pranava, the body of man which is called Pranava.

A~Brahma

U~Vishnu

M~Rudra

Bindu~Isvara

Naada~SadaSiva

guruprasādāllabhate yogamaṣṭāṅgalakṣaṇam ।

śivaprasādāllabhate yogasiddhiṃ ca śāśvatīm ॥ 46॥

46. By the Guru’s grace, the devotee attains the eight-stepped Yoga; by Siva’s Grace, he attains perfection in Yoga which is eternal.

Perfection in Yoga consists in the intuitive recognition of the true nature of Atman.

saccidānandarūpāya bindunādāntarātmane ।

ādimadhyāntaśūnyāya gurūṇāṃ gurave namaḥ ॥ 47॥

47 To Him who is Being, Consciousness, and Bliss; who dwells in Bindu and Nada; who has no beginning, middle or end; to the Guru of the Gurus be this bow!

This explains the meaning of Pranava. Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss represented respectively by a, u, m, constitute the Pranava and form the essential nature of Brahman. Bindu and nada stand for name and form, the one standing for the manifested name and form, and the other for the unmanifested name and form; so that they Show that He is the cause of the origin, continuance and dissolution of the universe. They describe Him through His acts, but not as He is in Himself.

sarvātmatvamiti sphuṭīkṛtamidaṃ yasmādamuṣmiṃstave

tenāsya śravaṇāttadarthamananāddhyānācca saṃkīrtanāt ।

sarvātmatvamahāvibhūtisahitaṃ syādīśvaratvaṃ svataḥ

siddhyettatpunaraṣṭadhā pariṇataṃ caiśvaryamavyāhatam ॥ 10॥

Because the universality of Atman has thus been explained in this hymn, therefore by hearing it, by reflecting and meditating upon its teaching, and by reciting it, that Divine State which is endued with the mighty grandeur of being the Universal Self shall, of itself, come into being, as also that unimpeded Divine Power presenting itself in forms eight.

pāke pravartamānasya śītādiparihāravat ।

prāsaṅgikāśca sidhyanti stotreṇānena sarvadā ॥ 3॥

As cold is warded off from him who is engaged in cooking, so by this hymn all gain (including incidental fruits) will accrue to him.

aiśvaryamīśvaratvaṃ hi tasya nāsti pṛthaksthitiḥ ।

puruṣe dhāvamāne'pi chāyā tamanudhāvati ॥ 4॥

4. Aishwarya is in the very nature of Isvara. It has, indeed, no separate existence from Him. Though man may be running, yet his shadow accompanies him.

anantaśaktiraiśvaryaṃ niṣyandāścāṇimādayaḥ ।

svasyeśvaratve saṃsiddhe sidhyanti svayameva hi ॥ 5॥

5.. Infinite Power is in the nature of Isvara, the Divine Being; and anima and the like are only a few drops that trickle down from it. When the devotee has himself become Isvara, they come to him of themselves.

yadīyaiśvaryavipruḍbhirbrahmaviṣṇuśivādayaḥ ।

aiśvaryavanto śāsante sa evātmā sadāśivaḥ ॥ 6॥

6. Atman is none other than Sadasiva, and it is by drops of Atman’s power that Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva shine so powerful.

(compare with Vivekachudamani verse below:-)

nārāyaṇo'haṃ narakāntako'haṃ
purāntako'haṃ puruṣo'hamīśaḥ |
akhaṇḍabodho'hamaśeṣasākṣī
nirīśvaro'haṃ nirahaṃ ca nirmamaḥ || 494 ||

494. I am Nārāyaṇa, the slayer of Nāraka; I am the destroyer of Tripura, the Supreme Being, the Ruler; I am knowledge Absolute, the Witness of everything; I have no other Ruler but myself, I am devoid of the ideas of "I’ and "mine".

stotrametatpaṭheddhīmānsarvātmatvaṃ ca bhāvayet ।

arvācīne spṛhāṃ muktvā phale svargādisambhave ॥ 20॥

20. The wise man should recite this hymn and contemplate on the idea that he is the Self in all, abandoning all yearning for the lesser fruits arising from svarga and so on.

svargādirājyaṃ sāmrājyaṃ manute na hi paṇḍitaḥ ।

tadeva tasya sāmrājyaṃ yattu svārājyamātmani ॥ 21॥

21. No wise man, indeed, ever looks upon the kingdom of svarga as a great empire. That alone is his empire, namely, the identity of his Self with the Supreme Being.

yasya deve parā bhaktiryathā deve tathā gurau ।

tasyaite kathitā hyarthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ॥ 23॥

23. “Who so hath highest love for God, and for the Guru as for God, to that "Mahatman the truths here taught shine in full."

prakāśātmikayā śaktyā prakāśānāṃ prabhākaraḥ ।

prakāśayati yo viśvaṃ prakāśo'yaṃ prakāśatām ॥ 24॥

24.He Who, by His light, affords light to all lights, Who lights the whole universe, may that Light shine full in His light!

Om Tat Sat.