Commentary on the Panchadasi

605 Pages·2010·1.78 MB·English

by  Swami Krishnananda

COMMENTARY ON
THE PANCHADASI

SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
The Divine Life Society
Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India
Website: swami-krishnananda.org
PUBLISHERS' NOTE
Panchadasi is a comprehensive text of Advaita Vedanta
written by Sri Swami Vidyaranya who is regarded highly
as a great scholar in Advaita philosophy after Jagadguru
Sri Sankaracharya. Sri Swami Vidyaranya has also
adorned Sringeri Sharada Peetham established by Sri
Sankaracharya as its spiritual head. In his masterpiece
work ‘Panchadasi’, he has very beautifully brought out
the essence of all Upanishads and intrinsic Vedanta
philosophy in sublime ode. This metrical composition
has fifteen chapters divided into three sections of five
chapters each viz. Viveka Panchaka, Deepa Panchaka and
Ananda Panchaka.
The 42 discourses that became these two volumes were
given by Worshipful Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj
to sadhakas and spiritual seekers from August to October
1989. Then there was a break due to Sri Swamiji Maharaj’s
ill health, and when Swamiji recovered he thought these
lectures are sufficient to understand the crucial import of
the Panchadasi. At the beginning of the Sixth Chapter,
Chitradipa, Light on the Analogy of a Painted Picture,
Swamiji mentions that it is philosophically the most
important of all the chapters. We are, therefore, very
fortunate to have this chapter in its entirety and to be able
to bring it out in print on this most auspicious occasion.
May the blessings of Sadgurudev Sri Swami
Sivanandaji Maharaj and Worshipful Sri Swami
Krishnanandaji Maharaj be upon all!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Publishers’ Note ..............................................................2
Introduction ....................................................................7

CHAPTER ONE
Tattva Viveka
Discrimination of Reality
Discourse 1: Verses 1-5 .................................................10
Discourse 2: Verses 6-13 ...............................................20
Discourse 3: Verses 14-27 .............................................35
Discourse 4: Verses 28-43 .............................................48
Discourse 5: Verses 44-55 .............................................65
Discourse 6: Verses 54-65 .............................................81

CHAPTER TWO
Pancha Mahabhuta Viveka
Discrimination of the Elements
Discourse 7: Verses 1-18 ...............................................95
Discourse 8: Verses 19-34 ...........................................110
Discourse 9: Verses 33-52 ...........................................124
Discourse 10: Verses 53-66 ..........................................139
Discourse 11: Verses 60-77 ..........................................154
Discourse 12: Verses 78-99 ..........................................167
Discourse 13: Verses 100-109 ......................................180
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CHAPTER THREE
Pancha Kosha Viveka
Discrimination of the Five Sheaths
Discourse 14: Verses 1-10 ............................................190
Discourse 15: Verses 11-23 ..........................................204
Discourse 16: Verses 21-37 ..........................................218
Discourse 17: Verses 37-43 ..........................................232

CHAPTER FOUR
Dvaita Viveka
Discrimination of Duality
Discourse 18: Verses 1-26 ............................................240
Discourse 19: Verses 26-37 ..........................................260
Discourse 20: Verses 38-57 ..........................................276
Discourse 21: Verses 58-69 ..........................................292

CHAPTER FIVE
Mahavakya Viveka
Discrimination of the Mahavakyas
Discourse 21 (Continued): Verses 1-8 .........................301

CHAPTER SIX
Chitradipa
Light on the Analogy of a Painted Picture
Discourse 22: Verses 1-18 ...........................................308
Discourse 23: Verses 19-35 .........................................322
Discourse 24: Verses 36-54 .........................................335
Discourse 25: Verses 55-72 .........................................350
Discourse 26: Verses 70-77 .........................................365
Discourse 27: Verses 78-100 .......................................380
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Discourse 28: Verses 99-125 .......................................395
Discourse 29: Verses 125-153 .....................................409
Discourse 30: Verses 154-174 .....................................426
Discourse 31: Verses 175-186 .....................................441
Discourse 32: Verses 187-209 .....................................452
Discourse 33: Verses 209-230 .....................................465
Discourse 34: Verses 231-248 .....................................481
Discourse 35: Verses 248-262 .....................................497
Discourse 36: Verses 263-290 .....................................511

CHAPTER SEVEN
Triptidipa Prakaranam
Light on Supreme Satsfaction
Discourse 37: Verses 1-15 ...........................................531
Discourse 38: Verses 16-22 .........................................541
Discourse 39: Verses 23-40 .........................................556
Discourse 40: Verses 40-56 .........................................569
Discourse 41: Verses 57-67 .........................................582
Discourse 42: Verses 68-81 .........................................594
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Aitareya Upanishad . . . . . A.U.
Amritabindu Upanishad . . . . Am.U.
Brahmasutra . . . . . . B.S.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad . . . . B.U.
Chhandogya Upanishad . . . . C.U.
Isavasya Upanishad . . . . . Isa.U.
Katha Upanishad . . . . . K.U.
Mandukya Upanishad . . . . Ma.U
Manusmriti . . . . . . Manu
Mundaka Upanishad . . . . M.U.
Nasadiya Sukta . . . . . N.S.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras . . . . Y.S.
Purusha Sukta . . . . . P.S.
Svetasvatara Upanishad . . . . S.U.
Taittiriya Upanishad . . . . T.U.

Unless otherwise specified, all the verses quoted in this
book are from the Panchadasi.
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INTRODUCTION
The Panchadasi is a great masterpiece of Swami
Vidyaranya. Prior to his sannyasa, he was called Madhava,
and his brother was Sayana. They were two brothers.
Sayana wrote Sanskrit commentaries on all the Vedas—
the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.
Superhuman work is Sayana’s Sanskrit commentary. The
stupendous scholarship that is behind these commentaries
on the Vedas would make anyone feel that Sayana was
not a human being. He must have been a superhuman
personality, to say the least.
Sayana’s brother was Madhava. There is a story about
him. As Madhava before his sannyasa, he wrote many
books Madhava Nidanam, medical books, books on
Dharmasastra, and so on. It appears that financially they
—
were very poor. All great learned people are financially
poor. It is a peculiar irony of fate. They had so much
difficulty in maintaining the family. Madhava, it appears,
took to Gayatri purascharana a number of times to
have darshan of Devi so that he could be freed from
financial stress. After completing several purascharanas,
he heard a voice: “You shall not have darshan of me in this
birth.” He became frustrated and gave up the purascharana.
He got initiated into sannyasa and went away.
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8 COMMENTARY ON THE PANCHADASI
Immediately Devi appeared before him and asked,
“What was it for which you were thinking of me?”
He replied, “How is it that you now give me darshan,
when you had said that you will not give me darshan in
this birth?”
Devi said, “This sannyasa is another birth that you
have taken. That is why I have come.”
“But anyhow, I don’t want anything. I have taken to
sannyasa and I want nothing. You can go.”
“No, I will not go,” Devi said. “When I come, I must
always give and go.”
“But I cannot ask for anything as my needs are no
more,” said Vidyaranya.
Devi said, “As you want nothing, you shall have
everything.” Then she vanished.
Vidyaranya became omniscient in his knowledge.
There is no subject on which he has not written.
Vidyaranya has written on aesthetics, ethics, civics,
morality, Dharmasastra, religion, medical science,
anatomy, physiology, metaphysics, astrology. There is
nothing on which he has not written; and in every field,
his book is the best. In every field, his work is the standard.
It shows the mastery of both these brothers.
Vidyaranya is the person responsible for founding the
Vijaynagar Empire. He acted as the minister to Hakka and
Bukka, the first kings of Vijaynagar. He actually initiated
the founding of the Vijaynagar Empire, and he worked as
a minister, as a spiritual guide, to these kings.
One of Vidyaranya’s great works is the Panchadasi.
It is a masterpiece in Vedanta philosophy and spiritual
IntroductIon 9
practice. It contains fifteen chapters, which is why it is
called the Panchadasi. The book by itself has no name; it is
named after the number of chapters. Panchadasa is fifteen,
and panchadasi is a work that contains fifteen chapters.
These fifteen chapters are classified into three sections
of five chapters each, as it is said that the Bhagavadgita,
containing eighteen chapters, is also classifiable into
three sections: the first six, the middle six, and the last
six. The first five chapters of the Panchadasi deal with
Existence, or Sat in Sanskrit. The second five chapters
deal with Consciousness, or Chit. The last five chapters
deal with Ananda, or Bliss. Therefore, the book as a
whole is an exposition of Sat-Chit-Ananda the nature of
the Absolute expounded in minute detail in Vidyaranya’s
—
own novel way.
I think this is the third time that I am taking up the
study and discourse on the Panchadasi. In one course,
when I was speaking in the Bhajan Hall, some people
were taking down notes, and one of them gave me the
typed manuscript of these lectures that he had taken
in shorthand. I went through it, corrected it, and that
book was published by the name of The Philosophy of the
Panchadasi.
•Discourse 1•
CHAPTER ONE: VERSES 1-5
TATTVA VIVEKA
DISCRIMINATION OF REALITY
The first two verses of the First Chapter of the Panchadasi
constitute a prayer to Swami Vidyaranya’s Guru. In
all ancient texts, the Guru is offered a prayer first. This
is a tradition which has been followed always, and the
Panchadasi author also follows this respected tradition.
Namaḥ śrī śaṅkarānanda guru pādāmbu janmane, savilāsa
mahā moha grāha grāsaika karmaṇe (1). Sankarananda
was a great sannyasin under whom Vidyaranya appears
to have studied. Sankarananda wrote, to our knowledge,
two great works, one which is called Atma Purana, an epic
type of description of the contents of the Upanishads.
The other book by Sankarananda is Commentary on the
Bhagavadgita. Very few people read that commentary, as
it is very tough and technical. This Sankarananda, the
great Master, is now offered obeisance. “Prostrations to
the lotus feet of the Guru Sri Sankarananda, who is
engaged in the great function of the destruction of that
crocodile which harasses people everywhere in the form
of illusion, delusion and ignorance, and dances in ecstasy
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