Mandukya Karika, verse 4.2


Text


अस्पर्शयोगो वै नाम सर्वसत्त्वसुखो हितः ।
अविवादोऽविरुद्धश्च देशितस्तं नमाम्यहम् ॥ २ ॥

asparśayogo vai nāma sarvasattvasukho hitaḥ |
avivādo'viruddhaśca deśitastaṃ namāmyaham || 2 ||

2. I salute this Yoga known as the Asparśa (i.e., free from all touch which implies duality), taught through the scripture,—the Yoga which promotes the happiness of all beings and conduces to the well-being of all and which is free from strife and contradictions.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

Now salutation is made to the Yoga taught by the Advaita Philosophy, in order to extol it. The word Asparśayoga 1 in the text means the Yoga which is always and in all respects free from sparśa or relationship with anything and which is of the same2 nature as Brahman. This Yoga is well known as the Asparśayoga to all Knowers of Brahman. This Yoga is conducive3 to the happiness of all beings. There are certain forms of Yoga such as Tapas or austerity, which though conducive to the supreme happiness, are associated with misery. But this is not of that kind. Then what is its nature? It tends to the happiness of all beings. It may however be contended that the enjoyment of certain desires gives pleasure but certainly does not tend to one’s well-being. But this Asparśayoga conduces to both4 happiness and well-being. For,5 it never changes its nature. Moreover, this6 Yoga is free from strife, that is to say, in it there is no room for any passage-at-words, which is inevitable in all disputes consisting of two opposite sides. Why so? For, it is non-contradictory7 in nature. To this kind of Yoga, taught in the scripture, I bow.8