Adyaya II, Valli I - The nature of Atman and its importance

Text: पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत्स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् । कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्शुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् ॥ १ ॥ parāñci khāni vyatṛṇatsvayambhūstasmātparāṅpaśyati nāntarātman | kaściddhīraḥ pratyagātmānamaikṣadāvṛttacakśuramṛtatvamicchan || 1 || 1. The self-existent created the senses out-going: therefore, one sees outside and not the atman within. Some intelligent man, with his senses turned away, (from their object), desirous of immortality, sees the atman within. Shankara’s Commentary: It was stated that this atman concealed in all living beings does not shine but is seen by the subtle intellect....

Text: पराचः कामाननुयन्ति बालास्ते मृत्योर्यन्ति विततस्य पाशं । अथ धीरा अमृतत्वं विदित्वा ध्रुवमध्रुवेष्विह न प्रार्थयन्ते ॥ २ ॥ parācaḥ kāmānanuyanti bālāste mṛtyoryanti vitatasya pāśaṃ | atha dhīrā amṛtatvaṃ viditvā dhruvamadhruveṣviha na prārthayante || 2 || 2. The ignorant pursue external objects of desire; they get into the meshes of widespread death: but the intelligent, knowing sure immortality, do not covet the uncertain things here. Shankara’s Commentary: The natural tendency to see external objects which are not atman is the cause of the obstacle, i....

Text: येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान्स्पर्शाँश्च मैथुनान् । एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ३ ॥ yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdānsparśām̐śca maithunān | etenaiva vijānāti kimatra pariśiṣyate | etadvaitat || 3 || 3. By which alone, one knows form, taste, smell, sounds, touch and the pleasures of the sexes; what remains here unknown to that. This verily is that. Shankara’s Commentary: How is that to be known, other than the knowledge of which Brahmins do not crave anything....

Text: स्वप्नान्तं जागरितान्तं चोभौ येनानुपश्यति । महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ ४ ॥ svapnāntaṃ jāgaritāntaṃ cobhau yenānupaśyati । mahāntaṃ vibhumātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati ॥ 4 ॥ That by which a mortal perceives, both in dream and in waking, by knowing that great all-pervading Ātman the wise man grieves no more. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book. The alternate translation for the verse presented above is from Swami Paramananda....

Text: य इमं मध्वदं वेद आत्मानं जीवमन्तिकात् । ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते । एतद्वै तत् ॥ ५ ॥ ya imaṃ madhvadaṃ veda ātmānaṃ jīvamantikāt | īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat || 5 || He who knows this Ātman, the honey- eater (perceiver and enjoyer of objects), ever near, as the lord of the past and future, fears no more. This verily is That. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book....

Text: यः पूर्वं तपसो जातमद्भ्यः पूर्वमजायत । गुहां प्रविश्य तिष्ठन्तं यो भूतेभिर्व्यपश्यत । एतद्वै तत् ॥ ६ ॥ yaḥ pūrvaṃ tapaso jātamadbhyaḥ pūrvamajāyata | guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantaṃ yo bhūtebhirvyapaśyata | etadvai tat || 6 || Who sees him seated within the five elements,—him who was born of Tapas (Brahman) who was born before the waters and who having entered the cavity of the heart, is therein seated. This verily is that....

Text: या प्राणेन संभवत्यदितिर्देवतामयी । गुहां प्रविश्य तिष्ठन्तीं या भूतेभिर्व्यजायत । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ७ ॥ yā prāṇena saṃbhavatyaditirdevatāmayī | guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantīṃ yā bhūtebhirvyajāyata | etadvaitat || 7 || 7. Who is born along with prapa manifested as all Devas, the eater, seated, having entered the heart, who was born with the elements. This verily is that. Shankara’s Commentary: Devatamayi_ in the form of all the Devatas. Prapena as Hiranyagarbha; is born from the highest Brahman; aditi so called, because she eats as it were sounds, etc....

Text: अरण्योर्निहितो जातवेदा गर्भ इव सुभृतो गर्भिणीभिः । दिवे दिवे ईड्यो जागृवद्भिर्हविष्मद्भिर्मनुष्येभिरग्निः । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ८ ॥ araṇyornihito jātavedā garbha iva subhṛto garbhiṇībhiḥ | dive dive īḍyo jāgṛvadbhirhaviṣmadbhirmanuṣyebhiragniḥ | etadvaitat || 8 || 8. The fire lodged in the aranis, as the foetus is well-borne by the pregnant woman fit to be worshipped every day by watchful offerers and other men. This verily is that. Shankara’s Commentary: Again, the sacrificial fire lodged in the upper arani and the lower arani, the eater of all offerings and the fire within the body; which are well-maintained by the ritviks and yogins, respectively, as the foetus is well-maintained in the world by pregnant women, by means of food, drink, etc....

Text: यतश्चोदेति सूर्योऽस्तं यत्र च गच्छति । तं देवाःसर्वे अर्पितास्तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ९ ॥ yataścodeti sūryo’staṃ yatra ca gacchati | taṃ devāḥsarve arpitāstadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvaitat || 9 || 9. Whence also the sun rises and where he sets, on that, all the Devas depend. None certainly passes beyond that. This verily is that. Shankara’s Commentary: Moreover, that prana from which the sun rises and that where alone the sun every day sets, that prana....

Text: यदेवेह तदमुत्र यदमुत्र तदन्विह । मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥ १० ॥ yadeveha tadamutra yadamutra tadanviha | mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyumāpnoti ya iha nāneva paśyati || 10 || 10. What indeed is here, is there; what there, that here again; from Death to Death he goes; who here sees, as if different. Shankara’s Commentary: This is said in order that the doubt may not arise in anybody; that what exists in all from the Brahma down to the immovable and appears, being subject to particular conditions, as something other than Brahman and subject to samsara, he is different from the highest Brahman....

Text: मनसैवेदमाप्तव्यन्नेह नानास्ति किंचन । मृत्योः स मृत्युं गच्छति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥ ११ ॥ manasaivedamāptavyanneha nānāsti kiṃcana | mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati || 11 || 11. By mind alone could this be obtained, there is no difference here at all. He goes from death to death who sees as if there were difference here. Shankara’s Commentary: Before attaining the knowledge of the oneness, by the mind purified by the sastras and by the preceptor, this unalloyed essence of the Brahman should be attained in the form ‘There is the Brahman alone, nothing else exists....

Text: अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति । ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते । एतद्वै तत् ॥ १२ ॥ aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati | īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat || 12 || The Puruṣa (Self), of the size of a thumb, resides in the middle of the body as the lord of the past and the future, (he who knows Him) fears no more. This verily is That....

Text: अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ज्योतिरिवाधूमकः । ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य स एवाद्य स उ श्वः । एतद्वै तत् ॥ १३ ॥ aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo jyotirivādhūmakaḥ | īśāno bhūtabhavyasya sa evādya sa u śvaḥ | etadvai tat || 13 || That Puruṣa, of the size of a thumb, is like a light without smoke, lord of the past and the future. He is the same today and tomorrow. This verily is That. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book....

Text: यथोदकं दुर्गे वृष्टं पर्वतेषु विधावति । एवं धर्मान् पृथक् पश्यंस्तानेवानुविधावति ॥ १४ ॥ yathodakaṃ durge vṛṣṭaṃ parvateṣu vidhāvati | evaṃ dharmān pṛthak paśyaṃstānevānuvidhāvati || 14 || As rain water, (falling) on the mountain top, runs down over the rocks on all sides; similarly, he who sees difference (between visible forms) runs after them in various directions. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book. The alternate translation for the verse presented above is from Swami Paramananda....

Text: यथोदकं शुद्धे शुद्धमासिक्तं तादृगेव भवति । एवं मुनेर्विजानत आत्मा भवति गौतम ॥ १५ ॥ yathodakaṃ śuddhe śuddhamāsiktaṃ tādṛgeva bhavati । evaṃ munervijānata ātmā bhavati gautama ॥ 15 ॥ 15. As water pure poured into pure becomes the same only, so the atman of the thinker who knows thus, becomes; Oh Gautama. Shankara’s Commentary: But how becomes the atman of a thinker who has acquired knowledge, whose perception of difference due to conditions has been destroyed, and who knows the atman pure, dense with knowledge unalloyed, and one without a second, is explained....