Sloka - 33 and 34

Hari OM,

SLOKA 33:

amanastvaanna me duHkharaagadveshhabhayaadayaH .
apraaNo hyamanaaH shubhra ityaadi shrutishaasanaat.h ..33 ..

Pada artha:
Amanasvataat: because of not being the mind
Na: not
Me: for me
Dukhaha: sorrow
Raga: attachment
Dwesha: malice
Bhaya aadayaha: fear etc.
Apraanaha: without breath
Hi: verily
Amaanaha: without mind
Shubraha: pure
Ityaadi: etc.
Shruti shaasanaat: for the great scripture says so.

I am other than the mind and hence, I am free from sorrow, attachment, malice and fear, for “HE is without breath and without mind, Pure, etc.”, is the Commandment of the great scripture, the Upanishads.

The next sloka is also considered as the 33rd sloka of Atma bodha by some Acharyas while it is not considered as part of Atma Bodha by others. Swami Nikhilananda of RK Mutt considers this as part of Atma Bodha, while Swami Harshananda and Swami Chinmaya do not mention this in their commentaries, yet lets us learn this sloka also as this sloka also conveys the same import as the previous one that the Atman is other than prana, mind and senses because they are transitory and are endowed with a beginning and an end. It would be helpful if someone could provide the word meaning of this sloka.

etasmaa.njaayate praaNo manaH sarvendriyaaNi cha .
khaM vaayurjyotiraapaH pR^ithivii vishvasya dhaariNii . ..

From it are born breath, mind and all organs of sense, ether, air, light, water and earth, which is the support of all.

Acharya Sankara in the previous verses explained that the bodies are perishable and the Self is always distinct from all the sense objects and the senses and is ever free from any modifications. Here in these slokas we learn that the Self or the real ‘I’ am always free from any emotions of sorrow etc. and it is only from Self that all organs, elements are born. Self is without mind, ever pure etc. so says the shruti. Acharya Sankara is here explaining the nature of Self through the quoting from Shruti. The Shruti which Acharya mentions here is from Mundaka Up. 2.1.2 and 2.1.3.

Munduka Upanishad explains Self as transcendental since It is formless and is all that ever exists. Atman is all that is internal, external and is birth less. Hence, Self is without prana or mind which are temporary and is ever pure. It is from Self only that the pranas as well as the mind, all senses, and all elements that support every object of the world originate.

Thus Self is ever free from all the emotions of fear, anger etc. and from the mind and breath as it is ever distinct from them. Sorrow, desire etc. are only characteristics of the mind, and it is only through the mind that one hears, sees and perceives all duality. “Desire, deliberation, doubt, faith, patience, impatience, shame, intelligence and fear all are but of the mind” so says Brihadaranyaka Up. 1.5.3. The Self which is ever distinct from the mind thus can never be subject to any emotions.
Prana or Breath is also a modification of matter and hence can never belong to Atman. The bodies and different objects of the world which are but matter can hence never be the Self. Thus Acharya Sankara is explaining in this sloka through the shruti quotations that Self which is the substratum of all objects of the world is ever distinct from them.

SLOKA 34:

nirguNo nishhkriyo nityo nirvikalpo nira.njanaH .
nirvikaaro niraakaaro nityamukto.asmi nirmalaH . 34..

Pada artha:Nirgunaha: without attributesNishkriyaha: without actionsNitya: eternalNirvikalpaha: without desire and thoughtNiranjanaha: without any dirtNirvikaraha: without any changeNiraakaraha: without formNitya muktaha: ever liberatedAsmai: I amNirmalaha: ever pure

I am without attributes and actions; Eternal (Nitya) without any desire and thought (Nirvikalpa), without any dirt (Niranjana), without any change (Nirvikara), without form (Nirakara), ever-liberated (Nitya Mukta) ever-pure (Nirmala).

Explanation in next post..

Hari OM

With regards,
Mallika R
What you have is God's gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to God