Sloka - 35 and 36
Hari OM
SLOKA 35:
ahamaakaashavatsarvaM bahirantargato.achyutaH .
sadaa sarvasamassiddho nissaN^go nirmalo.achalaH .. 35..
Pada artha:
Aham: I
Aakashavaat: like space
Sarvam: all things
Bahihi: without
Antaha: within
Gataha: fill in
Achyutaha: changeless
Sadaa: always
Sarva samaha: same in all
Shudhaha: pure
Nishangaha: unattached
Nirmalaha: stainless
Achalaha: motionless
Like the space I fill all things within and without. Changeless and the same in all, at all times I am pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.
The assertion of the nature of Self is continued in these two slokas. A substance is that which has physical qualities, which is made up of matter and hence is finite. Scriptures proclaim that Atman is that from which all these elements are born as "Yatova imani bhootani jaayante"; as we have also learnt in the previous sloka. Thus Atman which is the origin of all the elements and hence all the objects. It is ever distinct from these objects percieved and hence has no properties. Atman is also free from activities, desire, thoughts etc. because it is always distinct from the body, the senses and the mind.
Acharya is here explaining that Atman is attribute less and ever existent. That which is ever existent and infinite has to be attribute less alone as having attributes is also a limitation. For example, the attribute of thin means not being fat, attribute of small means not being big. Thus all attributes such as name, form, pure, impure are limitations alone and Atman which is limitless and ever existent bliss is thus described here are Nirguna (attribute less), nirakara (formless)etc. The same import is also found in Acharya Sankara’s Dasa sloki, 6th sloka as: "I am neither white nor black, nor red nor yellow, neither dwarfish nor stout, neither short nor long. As I am the nature of light, I am shapeless also. I am that residue, the auspicious, Shiva alone."
Atman is explained here as Nirmala (without dirt) as it is never affected by time nor thoughts. It is ever different from all finite and temporary objects, is hence ever liberated, i.e. free from any bondages as all attributes and bondages are only superimpositions on the Atman. Acharya Sankara explains the same in Nirvanashatkam also as " I am changeless, formless, enveloping all, Untouched by senses, I am omnipresent, Unfathomable, I am beyond freedom, I am the embodiment of knowledge and bliss" through the sloka,
ahaM nirvikalpo niraakaararuupovibhuvyaa.rpya sarvatra sarvendriyaaNaam.h .sadaa me samatvaM na muktirna bandhaHchidaana.ndaruupaH shivo.ahaM shivo.aham.h
Acharya continues to emphasize on the same in the next sloka also. Like the space that fills up all things in the world and is still not contaminated by any objects that exist in it, Self is all pervading and is never affected by the modifications to the body or the mind or any objects superimposed on it. Atman can never be localized to some part of the body or to an object but it is that which is inside and outside of everything. Isha Upanishad also explains the same as "Tadantaransya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyataha" i.e. as "That which is the interior of everything and also that which is the exterior of everything”.
Thus, through these two slokas Acharya is explaining that like the space that fills everything, Atman is all pervading and all the attributes of names and forms are only illusions on it, like the illusory snake on the rope.
SLOKA 36:
nityashuddhavimuktaikamakhaNDaanandamadvayam.h .
satyaM GYaanamanantaM yatparaM brahmaahameva tat.h .. 36..
Pada artha:
Nitya: eternal
Shuddha: pure
Vimukta: free
Ekam: one
Akhanda anandam: invisible bliss
Advayam: non dual
Satyam: truth ( changeless in all the three periods of time)
Jnaanam: knowledge
Anantam: infinite
Yatparam brahma: that supreme Brahman
Ahameva : I alone
Tat: that
I am verily that Supreme Brahman alone which is Eternal, Pure and Free, One, indivisible and non-dual and of the nature of Changeless-Knowledge-Infinite.
In this sloka Acharya is again reinstating the nature of the Self as that of Brahman. It is only by constant contemplation of the truth that a seeker gains self experience. Hence we find that Acharya is again repeating about the nature of Self in this sloka also.
Brahman which is sat-chit-anandam is ever pure and free as it is never affected by ignorance and is not bounded to anything. That which is ever existent and non dual can never be related to anything hence it is explained here as eternal, pure and free from all bonding. It is also described as one, indivisible and non dual, which means that it is devoid of any distinctions or differences.
Distinctions or Bhedas can be of three types. Swajaateeya or differences between like substances, vijateeya or difference due to different kinds of substances and swagatha or inherent differences. Brahman is verily consciousness and there can never be multiple consciousness as it will end in an infinite regression only. Also it is that from which everything else is born and as explained in the first slokas, it is but consciousness alone which is the substratum of all the creations perceived. Thus Brahman can never have swajateeya and Vijateeya bhedas.
Brahman which is verily existence-Consciousness-bliss can never have any parts. Also it is infinite and limitless and devoid of any changes. Hence there can be no swagatha bedha also. Thus Brahman is devoid of any differences and is one and indivisible as said by the scriptural statement “Ekam eva Adviteeyam” i.e. one, alone without second.
Acharya is also explaining here the nature of Brahman as changeless knowledge infinite. Taittariya Upanishad proclaims the nature of Brahman as “Satyam Jnanam Anantham Brahma”. Acharya is explaining the same here also as that Brahman which is of the nature of changeless-knowledge- infinite and “I am verily that Brahaman” which is the import of all the Mahavakyas.
Let us learn more of Acharya’s statement “I am that Brahman which is of nature of Changeless-knowledge-infinite” in the next slokas.
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
SLOKA 35:
ahamaakaashavatsarvaM bahirantargato.achyutaH .
sadaa sarvasamassiddho nissaN^go nirmalo.achalaH .. 35..
Pada artha:
Aham: I
Aakashavaat: like space
Sarvam: all things
Bahihi: without
Antaha: within
Gataha: fill in
Achyutaha: changeless
Sadaa: always
Sarva samaha: same in all
Shudhaha: pure
Nishangaha: unattached
Nirmalaha: stainless
Achalaha: motionless
Like the space I fill all things within and without. Changeless and the same in all, at all times I am pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.
The assertion of the nature of Self is continued in these two slokas. A substance is that which has physical qualities, which is made up of matter and hence is finite. Scriptures proclaim that Atman is that from which all these elements are born as "Yatova imani bhootani jaayante"; as we have also learnt in the previous sloka. Thus Atman which is the origin of all the elements and hence all the objects. It is ever distinct from these objects percieved and hence has no properties. Atman is also free from activities, desire, thoughts etc. because it is always distinct from the body, the senses and the mind.
Acharya is here explaining that Atman is attribute less and ever existent. That which is ever existent and infinite has to be attribute less alone as having attributes is also a limitation. For example, the attribute of thin means not being fat, attribute of small means not being big. Thus all attributes such as name, form, pure, impure are limitations alone and Atman which is limitless and ever existent bliss is thus described here are Nirguna (attribute less), nirakara (formless)etc. The same import is also found in Acharya Sankara’s Dasa sloki, 6th sloka as: "I am neither white nor black, nor red nor yellow, neither dwarfish nor stout, neither short nor long. As I am the nature of light, I am shapeless also. I am that residue, the auspicious, Shiva alone."
Atman is explained here as Nirmala (without dirt) as it is never affected by time nor thoughts. It is ever different from all finite and temporary objects, is hence ever liberated, i.e. free from any bondages as all attributes and bondages are only superimpositions on the Atman. Acharya Sankara explains the same in Nirvanashatkam also as " I am changeless, formless, enveloping all, Untouched by senses, I am omnipresent, Unfathomable, I am beyond freedom, I am the embodiment of knowledge and bliss" through the sloka,
ahaM nirvikalpo niraakaararuupovibhuvyaa.rpya sarvatra sarvendriyaaNaam.h .sadaa me samatvaM na muktirna bandhaHchidaana.ndaruupaH shivo.ahaM shivo.aham.h
Acharya continues to emphasize on the same in the next sloka also. Like the space that fills up all things in the world and is still not contaminated by any objects that exist in it, Self is all pervading and is never affected by the modifications to the body or the mind or any objects superimposed on it. Atman can never be localized to some part of the body or to an object but it is that which is inside and outside of everything. Isha Upanishad also explains the same as "Tadantaransya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyataha" i.e. as "That which is the interior of everything and also that which is the exterior of everything”.
Thus, through these two slokas Acharya is explaining that like the space that fills everything, Atman is all pervading and all the attributes of names and forms are only illusions on it, like the illusory snake on the rope.
SLOKA 36:
nityashuddhavimuktaikamakhaNDaanandamadvayam.h .
satyaM GYaanamanantaM yatparaM brahmaahameva tat.h .. 36..
Pada artha:
Nitya: eternal
Shuddha: pure
Vimukta: free
Ekam: one
Akhanda anandam: invisible bliss
Advayam: non dual
Satyam: truth ( changeless in all the three periods of time)
Jnaanam: knowledge
Anantam: infinite
Yatparam brahma: that supreme Brahman
Ahameva : I alone
Tat: that
I am verily that Supreme Brahman alone which is Eternal, Pure and Free, One, indivisible and non-dual and of the nature of Changeless-Knowledge-Infinite.
In this sloka Acharya is again reinstating the nature of the Self as that of Brahman. It is only by constant contemplation of the truth that a seeker gains self experience. Hence we find that Acharya is again repeating about the nature of Self in this sloka also.
Brahman which is sat-chit-anandam is ever pure and free as it is never affected by ignorance and is not bounded to anything. That which is ever existent and non dual can never be related to anything hence it is explained here as eternal, pure and free from all bonding. It is also described as one, indivisible and non dual, which means that it is devoid of any distinctions or differences.
Distinctions or Bhedas can be of three types. Swajaateeya or differences between like substances, vijateeya or difference due to different kinds of substances and swagatha or inherent differences. Brahman is verily consciousness and there can never be multiple consciousness as it will end in an infinite regression only. Also it is that from which everything else is born and as explained in the first slokas, it is but consciousness alone which is the substratum of all the creations perceived. Thus Brahman can never have swajateeya and Vijateeya bhedas.
Brahman which is verily existence-Consciousness-bliss can never have any parts. Also it is infinite and limitless and devoid of any changes. Hence there can be no swagatha bedha also. Thus Brahman is devoid of any differences and is one and indivisible as said by the scriptural statement “Ekam eva Adviteeyam” i.e. one, alone without second.
Acharya is also explaining here the nature of Brahman as changeless knowledge infinite. Taittariya Upanishad proclaims the nature of Brahman as “Satyam Jnanam Anantham Brahma”. Acharya is explaining the same here also as that Brahman which is of the nature of changeless-knowledge- infinite and “I am verily that Brahaman” which is the import of all the Mahavakyas.
Let us learn more of Acharya’s statement “I am that Brahman which is of nature of Changeless-knowledge-infinite” in the next slokas.
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
posted by vedanta | 8:20 PM
1 Comments:
HARI AUM
Prostrations to all.
Some comments/questions for sloka 36
Distinctions or Bhedas can be of three types. Swajaateeya or differences between like substances, vijateeya or difference due to different kinds of substances and swagatha or inherent differences. Brahman is verily consciousness and there can never be multiple consciousness as it will end in an infinite regression only. Also it is that from which everything else is born and as explained in the first slokas, it is but consciousness alone which is the substratum of all the creations perceived. Thus Brahman can never have swajateeya and Vijateeya bhedas.
It is not "SWAJATEEYA" but "SAJATEEYA" (sa jaateeya and vi jaateeya -- sa meaning same and vi meaning different and jati indicating particular type or universal quality as propounded by the vaisheshika-nyaya systems).
Is SATYAM interpreted as "changeless"??? Is this what Chinmaya also says......
Yes, SATYAM can be shown to have the meaning of changeless as sankara himself defines SAT as that which doesn't change in his gita bhashya. But Vidyaranya while explaining this vakya of SATYAM JNAANAM ANANTHAM BRAHMA in the pancha kosha viveka prakarana of panchadashi explains SATYAM as "baadha raahityam" or "that which never ceases to exist or that which cannot be sublated" -- this is in accordance with the Lord's statement of "na abhaavo vidhyathe satah" in the 2nd chapter of Gita.
If we interpret SATYAM as "existent" or "existence", that seems to be more proper to grammar -- and since SAT is that which never vanishes, it has to be changeless as well. Thus "changeless" can be a derivative meaning for SAT or SATYAM instead of the direct meaning.
Any particular reason for using the word "changeless" as this interpretation seems to be intentional as used throughout this mail for the word SATYAM.
Prostrations to all.
HARI AUM
Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God
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