Mandukya Upanishad Shankara Bhashya

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.79 Text अभूताभिनिवेशाद्धि सदृशे तत्प्रवर्तते । वस्त्वभावं स बुध्वैव निःसंगं विनिवर्तते ॥ ७९ ॥ abhūtābhiniveśāddhi sadṛśe tatpravartate | vastvabhāvaṃ sa budhvaiva niḥsaṃgaṃ vinivartate || 79 || 79. On account of attachment to the unreal objects, the mind runs after such objects. But it comes back (to its own pure state) when it becomes unattached (to objects) realising their unreality. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Attachment to the unreal (objects) is due to the firm belief that duality exists, though in reality such duality is ever non-existent....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.80 Text निवृत्तस्याप्रवृत्तस्य निश्चला हि तथा स्थितिः । विषयः स हि बुद्धानां तत्साम्यमजमद्वयम् ॥ ८० ॥ nivṛttasyāpravṛttasya niścalā hi tathā sthitiḥ | viṣayaḥ sa hi buddhānāṃ tatsāmyamajamadvayam || 80 || 80. The mind, thus freed from attachment (to all external objects) and undistracted (by fresh objects) attains to its state of Immutability. Being actually realised by the wise, it is undifferentiated, birthlcss and non-dual. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) When the mind is withdrawn from all duality of objects, and when it does not attach itself to any objects,—as no objects exist—then the mind attains to the state of immutability which1 is of the same nature as Brahman....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.81 Text अजमनिद्रमस्वप्नं प्रभातं भवति स्वयम् । सकृद्विभातो ह्येवैष धर्म धातुस्वभावतः ॥ ८१ ॥ ajamanidramasvapnaṃ prabhātaṃ bhavati svayam | sakṛdvibhāto hyevaiṣa dharma dhātusvabhāvataḥ || 81 || 81. (Reality which is) free from birth, (which is) free from sleep and dream, reveals itself by itself For, this Dharma (i.e., Ātman) is from its very nature ever-luminous. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The nature of that which is realisable by the wise is again described:—It (Ātman) reveals itself by itself....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.82 Text सुखमाव्रियते नित्यं दुःखं विव्रियते सदा । यस्य कस्य च धर्मस्य ग्रहेण भगवानसौ ॥ ८२ ॥ sukhamāvriyate nityaṃ duḥkhaṃ vivriyate sadā | yasya kasya ca dharmasya graheṇa bhagavānasau || 82 || 82. On account of the mind apprehending single objects, the Bliss (i.e., the real essence of the Self) always remains concealed and misery comes to the surface. Therefore the ever-effulgent Lord (is not realised though taught again and again by Scriptures and teachers)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.83 Text अस्ति नास्त्यस्ति नास्तीति नास्ति नास्तीति वा पुनः । चलस्थिरोभयाभावैरावृणोत्येव बालिशः ॥ ८३ ॥ asti nāstyasti nāstīti nāsti nāstīti vā punaḥ | calasthirobhayābhāvairāvṛṇotyeva bāliśaḥ || 83 || 83. Childish persons verily cover It (fail to know It) by predicating of It such attributes as existence, nonexistence, existence and non-existence and absolute nonexistence, derived respectively from their notion of change, immovability, combination of both and absolute negation. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Attachment of the learned to such predicates1 as existence, non-existence, etc....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.84 Text कोठ्यश्चतस्र एतास्तु ग्रहैर्यासां सदाऽऽवृतः । भगवानाभिरस्पृष्टो येन दृष्टः स सर्वदृक् ॥ ८४ ॥ koṭhyaścatasra etāstu grahairyāsāṃ sadā''vṛtaḥ | bhagavānābhiraspṛṣṭo yena dṛṣṭaḥ sa sarvadṛk || 84 || 84. These are the four alternative theories regarding (the nature of) Ātman, on account of attachment to which It always remains covered (from one’s view). He who has known that Ātman is ever-untouched by any of these (predicates) indeed sees all....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.85 Text प्राप्य सर्वज्ञतां कृत्स्नां ब्राह्मण्यं पदमद्वयम् । अनापन्नादिमध्यान्तं किमतः परमीहते ॥ ८५ ॥ prāpya sarvajñatāṃ kṛtsnāṃ brāhmaṇyaṃ padamadvayam | anāpannādimadhyāntaṃ kimataḥ paramīhate || 85 || 85. What else remains for him to be desired when he has attained to the state of the Brāhmaṇa—a state of complete omniscience, non-duality and a state which is without beginning, end or middle? Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The1 state of the Brāhmaṇa signifies the state in which one is established in Brahman....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.86 Text विप्राणां विनयो ह्येष शमः प्राकृत उच्यते । दमः प्रकृतिदान्तत्वादेवं विद्वाञ्शमं व्रजेत् ॥ ८६ ॥ viprāṇāṃ vinayo hyeṣa śamaḥ prākṛta ucyate | damaḥ prakṛtidāntatvādevaṃ vidvāñśamaṃ vrajet || 86 || 86. This (i.e., the realisation of Brahman) is the humility natural to the Brāhmaṇas. Their tranquillity (of mind) is also declared to be spontaneous (by men of discrimination). They are said to have attained to the state of sense-control (not through any artificial method as it comes quite natural to them....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.87 Text सवस्तु सोपलम्भं च द्वयं लौकिकमिष्यते । अवस्तु सोपलम्भं च शुद्धं लौकिकमिष्यते ॥ ८७ ॥ savastu sopalambhaṃ ca dvayaṃ laukikamiṣyate | avastu sopalambhaṃ ca śuddhaṃ laukikamiṣyate || 87 || 87. (Vedānta) recognises the ordinary (empirical) state of waking in which duality, consisting of objects and ideas of coming in contact with them, is known. It further recognises another more subtle state (i.e., the dream common to all) in which is experienced duality, consisting of the idea of coming in contact with the objects, though such objects do not exist....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.88-89 Text अवस्त्वनुपलम्भं च लोकोत्तरमिति स्मृतम् । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च विज्ञेयं सदा बुद्धैः प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ८८ ॥ avastvanupalambhaṃ ca lokottaramiti smṛtam | jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca vijñeyaṃ sadā buddhaiḥ prakīrtitam || 88 || 88. There is another state (admitted by the wise) which is free from contact with (external) objects ana altogether free from the idea of coining in contact with objects. This state is beyond all empirical experiences....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.90 Text हेयज्ञेयाप्यपाक्यानि विज्ञेयान्यग्रयाणतः । तेषामन्यत्र विज्ञेयादुपलम्भस्त्रिषु स्मृतः ॥ ९० ॥ heyajñeyāpyapākyāni vijñeyānyagrayāṇataḥ | teṣāmanyatra vijñeyādupalambhastriṣu smṛtaḥ || 90 || 90. The four things to be known first are: the thing to be avoided, the objects to be realised, the things to be attained (by practice) and the thoughts to be rendered ineffective. Among these four, the three things, excepting what is to be realised, viz., the Supreme Reality, exist only as imaginations....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.91 Text प्रकृत्याऽऽकाशवज्ज्ञेयाः सर्वे धर्मा अनादयः । विद्यते न हि नानात्वं तेषां क्वचन किंचनः ॥ ९१ ॥ prakṛtyā''kāśavajjñeyāḥ sarve dharmā anādayaḥ | vidyate na hi nānātvaṃ teṣāṃ kvacana kiṃcanaḥ || 91 || 91. All Dharmās (entities) are, by their very nature, beginningless and unattached like the Ākāśa. There is not the slightest variety in them, in any way, at any time. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Those who seek liberation should regard, from the standpoint of the1 Ultimate Reality, all Jīvas, as by their very nature without beginning, i....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.92 Text आदिबुद्धाः प्रकृत्यैव सर्वे धर्माः सुनिश्चिताः । यस्यैवं भवति क्षान्तिः सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥ ९२ ॥ ādibuddhāḥ prakṛtyaiva sarve dharmāḥ suniścitāḥ | yasyaivaṃ bhavati kṣāntiḥ so'mṛtatvāya kalpate || 92 || 92. All Jīvas are, by their very nature illumined from the very beginning and they are ever immutable in their nature. He who, having known this rests without (sees the needlessness of) seeking further knowledge, is alone capable of realising the Highest Truth....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.93 Text आदिशान्ता ह्यनुत्पन्नाः प्रकृत्यैव सुनिर्वृताः । सर्वे धर्माः समाभिन्ना अजं साम्यं विशारदम् ॥ ९३ ॥ ādiśāntā hyanutpannāḥ prakṛtyaiva sunirvṛtāḥ | sarve dharmāḥ samābhinnā ajaṃ sāmyaṃ viśāradam || 93 || 93. All Dharmās or Jīvas are from the very beginning and by their very nature, all peace, unborn and completely free. They are characterised by sameness and are nonseparate from one another. Therefore the Jīvas are Ātman unborn, always established in “sameness” and “purity” itself....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.94 Text वैशारद्यं तु वै नास्ति भेदे विचरतां सदा । भेदनिम्नाः पृथग्वादास्तस्मात्ते कृपणाः स्मृताः ॥ ९४ ॥ vaiśāradyaṃ tu vai nāsti bhede vicaratāṃ sadā | bhedanimnāḥ pṛthagvādāstasmātte kṛpaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || 94 || 94. Those who always rely on (attach themselves to) separateness can never realise the innate purity of the Self Therefore those who are drowned in the idea of separateness and who assert the separateness of (entities) are called narrow-minded....