Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya [microform] : text, with English translation, notes and an index

1921·11.5 MB·English

by  Sankaracarya

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VIVEKA CHUDAMANI
-
OF
SANKARACHARYA
SRI
N
HKEHY
iRARY
I
VERSITY OF
I
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Himalayan Scries So. XL!II.
VIYEKAGHUDAMANI
OF
SANKARACHARYA
SRI
Text with English Translation, Notes
and an Index,
BY
SWAMI MADHAVANANDA.
• .;.^.A
THE ADVAITA A5HRAMA, MAYAVATI,
Dt. Almora, Himalayas.
1921
All righlb received, i'lice Rs. T>vo,
j [
Published by Swaml Madhavaoaada, Presldeatf
Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati.
Printed by Mohan Lai Sah Chowdhary
at the Prabuddha Bharata Press, Mayavati,
Dt. Almora.
b 133
S39I/53
nil
FOREWORD
Scarcely any introductiou is needed for
a book that professes to be, as its title-7~
—
'Crest-jewel of Discrimination ' shows, a
masterpiece on Advaita V^ed^anta, the
cardinal tenet of which is: Wp "if^^fi^^^JT
Sftfr ar|r^ ^TTT^:—'Brahman alone is real, tlie
universe is unreal and the individual soul
is no other than the Universal Soul.'
Being an original production of Sankara's
genius, the book combines with a search-
ing analysis of our experience an authori-
tativencss and a depth of sincerity that
at once carry conviction into the heart of
its readers. The whole book is instinct
with the prophetic vision of a Seer, a
man of Realisation, and the expression,
too, is so lucid and poetical that quite a
new life has been breathed into the dry
bones of philosophical discussion, and
that, too, on the most abstruse subject
ever known.
In preparing this edition, which is a
reprint in book -form ti om the Piabuddh'i
803
r.
[ ii ]
Bhaiata, the translator gratefully ac-
knowledges his indebtedness to the ad-
mirable Sanskrit commentary of Swami
Kesavacharya of the Munimandal, Kan-
khal, which along with the Hindi trans-
lation wonld be highly useful to those who
want a fuller knowledge of this book.
For facility of reference an Index has
been added, and the book, it is hoped,
will in its present form be a vade-mecum
to.all students of Advaita: Philosophy^
M.
ViVekAchudAmani.
^^%?TfriftT^rf?rnr^'f ?m'TT^':fl[
i
•v, r^
I. I bow to Govinda, whose nature is Bliss
Supreme, who is the Sadguru, who can be
known only from the import of all Vedanta,
and who is beyond the reach of speech and
mind.
['Viveka' means discrimination, ' Chuda is
'
crest, and * Mani," jewel. Hence the title means
* Crest-jewel of discrimination.' Just as the jewel
on the crest of a diadem is the most conspicuous
ornament on a person's body, so the present
treatise is a masterpiece among works treating of
discrimination between the Real and the unreal.
In this opening stanza salutation is made to
God ( Govinda), or to the Guru, in his absolute
aspect. It may be interesting to note that the
name of Sankara's Guru was Govindapada, and the
Sloka is ingeniously composed so as to admit of
both interpretations.
—
Sadgiirii lit. the highly qualified preceptor, and
may refer either to Sankara's own Guru or to God
Himself, who is the Guru of Gurus.
]
A
VIVEKACHUDAMAWI
2
2. Foff all bemgs a huma?!!i birth is di&
cult to obtain, more so is- a ma^ie body,,
Brahmmhood,
rarer thai5 that is rarer still is
the attaGhment! to tfee path of ¥edic religion
;
higher than thiis is eruditioft in the Scriptures
;
discrimination between the Self and not-
Self, Realisation, and co-ntia'oing in a state o£
—
identity with Brahm^n^ these come next
ini
m
order. ( This kind of ) Mukts not to be
attained except throisgh the weU-earnecS
merits of a hundred crore of births,
There are three things whkh are ra?e in^
3.
—
deed and are d»e to the grace ofGod namely^
a human birth^ the longjng for Liberation^
and the protecting care of a perfected sage,
The man who having by some mear^
4.
obtained a human birth, with a male body