Mandukya Upanishad Shankara Bhashya

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.31 Text स्वप्नमाये यथा दृष्टं गन्धर्वनगरं यथा । तथा विश्वमिदं दृष्टं वेदान्तेषु विचक्षणैः ॥ ३१ ॥ svapnamāye yathā dṛṣṭaṃ gandharvanagaraṃ yathā | tathā viśvamidaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ vedānteṣu vicakṣaṇaiḥ || 31 || 31. As are dreams and illusions or a castle in the air seen in the sky, so is the universe viewed by the wise in the Vedānta. “This duality of the universe, perceived by the wise like a hole seen in darkness in the ground, is unstable like the bubbles that appear in rain-water, always undergoing destruction, ever devoid of bliss, and ceasing to exist, after dissolution....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.32 Text न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिर्न बद्धो न च साधकः । न मुमुक्षुर्न वै मुक्त इत्येषा परमार्थता ॥ ३२ ॥ na nirodho na cotpattirna baddho na ca sādhakaḥ | na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramārthatā || 32 || 32. There is no dissolution, no birth, none in bondage, none aspiring for wisdom, no seeker of liberation and none liberated. This is the absolute truth. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) This verse sums up the meaning of the chapter....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.33 Text भावैरसद्भिरेवायमद्वयेन च कल्पितः । भावा अप्यद्वयेनैव तस्मादद्वयता शिवा ॥ ३३ ॥ bhāvairasadbhirevāyamadvayena ca kalpitaḥ | bhāvā apyadvayenaiva tasmādadvayatā śivā || 33 || 33. This (the Ātman) is imagined both as unreal objects that are perceived and as the non-duality. The objects (Bhāvas) are imagined in the non-duality itself. Therefore, non-duality (alone) is the (highest) bliss. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The reason for the interpretation of the previous verse is thus stated: Just as in a rope, an unreal snake, streak of water or the like is imagined, which are nonseparate (non-dual) from the existing rope,—the same (rope) being spoken of as this snake, this streak of water, this stick, or the like,—even so this Ātman is imagined to be the innumerable objects such as Prāṇa, etc....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.34 Text नाऽऽत्मभावेन नानेदं न स्वेनापि कथंचन । न पृथङ्नापृथक्किंचिद् इति तत्त्वविदो विदुः ॥ ३४ ॥ nā''tmabhāvena nānedaṃ na svenāpi kathaṃcana | na pṛthaṅnāpṛthakkiṃcid iti tattvavido viduḥ || 34 || 34. This manifold does not exist as identical with Ātman nor does it ever stand independent by itself. It is neither separate from Brahman nor is it non-separate. This is the statement of the wise. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Why is non-duality called the highest bliss?...

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.35 Text वीतरागभयक्रोधैर्मुनिभिर्वेदपारगैः । निर्विकल्पो ह्ययं दृष्टः प्रपञ्चोपशमोऽद्वयः ॥ ३५ ॥ vītarāgabhayakrodhairmunibhirvedapāragaiḥ | nirvikalpo hyayaṃ dṛṣṭaḥ prapañcopaśamo'dvayaḥ || 35 || 35. By the wise, who are free from attachment, fear and anger and who are well versed in the meaning of the Vedas, this (Ātman) has been verily realised as totally devoid of all imaginations (such as those of Prāṇa, etc.), free from the illusion of the manifold, and non-dual....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.36 Text तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनम् अद्वैते योजयेत्स्मृतिम् । अद्वैतं समनुप्राप्य जडवल्लोकमाचरेत् ॥ ३६ ॥ tasmādevaṃ viditvainam advaite yojayetsmṛtim | advaitaṃ samanuprāpya jaḍavallokamācaret || 36 || 36. Therefore knowing the Ātman to be such, fix your attention on non-duality. Having realised non-duality behave in the world like an insensible object. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) As non-duality, on account of its being the negation of all evils, is bliss and fearlessness, therefore knowing it to be such, direct your mind to the realisation of the non-dual Ātman....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.37 Text निःस्तुतिर्निर्नमस्कारो निःस्वधाकार एव च । चलाचलनिकेतश्च यतिर्यादृच्छिको भवेत् ॥ ३७ ॥ niḥstutirnirnamaskāro niḥsvadhākāra eva ca | calācalaniketaśca yatiryādṛcchiko bhavet || 37 || 37. The man of self restraint should be above all praise, salutation and all rites prescribed by the Smṛti in connection with the departed ancestors. He should have this body and the Ātman as his support and depend upon chances, i.e., he should be satisfied with those things for his physical wants, that chance brings to him....

Mandukya Karika, verse 2.38 Text तत्त्वमाध्यात्मिकं दृष्ट्वा तत्त्वं दृष्ट्वा तु बाह्यतः । तत्त्वीभूतस्तदारामः तत्त्वादप्रच्युतो भवेत् ॥ ३८ ॥ tattvamādhyātmikaṃ dṛṣṭvā tattvaṃ dṛṣṭvā tu bāhyataḥ | tattvībhūtastadārāmaḥ tattvādapracyuto bhavet || 38 || 38. Having known the truth regarding what exists internally (i.e., within the body) as well as the truth regarding what exists externally (i.e., the earth, etc.) he becomes one with Reality, derives his pleasure from It and never deviates from the Real....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.1 Text उपासनाश्रितो धर्मो जाते ब्रह्मणि वर्तते । प्रागुत्पत्तेरजं सर्वं तेनासौ कृपणः स्मृतः ॥ १ ॥ upāsanāśrito dharmo jāte brahmaṇi vartate | prāgutpatterajaṃ sarvaṃ tenāsau kṛpaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || 1 || 1. The Jīva betaking itself to devotion (upāsanā) thinks itself to be related to the Brahman that is supposed to have manifested Himself He is said to be of narrow intellect because he thinks that before creation all was of the nature of the unborn (Reality)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.2 Text अतो वक्ष्याम्यकार्पण्यमजाति समतां गतम् । यथा न जायते किंचित् जायमानं समन्ततः ॥ २ ॥ ato vakṣyāmyakārpaṇyamajāti samatāṃ gatam | yathā na jāyate kiṃcit jāyamānaṃ samantataḥ || 2 || 2. Therefore I shall now describe that (Brahman) which is free from limitations, unborn and which is the same throughout; and from this, one understands that it is not (in reality) born though it appears to be manifested everywhere....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.3 Text आत्मा ह्याकाशवज्जीवैर्घटाकाशैरिवोदितः । घटादिवच्च संघातैर्जातावेतन्निदर्शनम् ॥ ३ ॥ ātmā hyākāśavajjīvairghaṭākāśairivoditaḥ | ghaṭādivacca saṃghātairjātāvetannidarśanam || 3 || 3. Ātman may be said to be similar to Ākāśa (ether) manifested in the forms of the Jīvas (embodied selves) which may be compared to the ether enclosed in pots. Again, as pots, etc., are said to be produced from the Ākāśa (ether), similarly (gross) bodies are said to be evolved from the Ātman....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.4 Text घटादिषु प्रलीनेषु घटाकाशादयो यथा । आकाशे संप्रलीयन्ते तद्वज्जीवा इहात्मनि ॥ ४ ॥ ghaṭādiṣu pralīneṣu ghaṭākāśādayo yathā | ākāśe saṃpralīyante tadvajjīvā ihātmani || 4 || 4. As on the destruction of the pot, etc., the ether enclosed in the pot, etc., merges in the Ākāśa (the great expanse of ether), similarly the Jīvas merge in the Ātman. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) As the creation of ether enclosed within the pot, etc....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.5 Text यथैकस्मिन्घाटाकाशे रजोधूमादिभिर्युते । न सर्वे संप्रयुज्यन्ते तद्वज्जीवाः सुखादिभिः ॥ ५ ॥ yathaikasmiṅghāṭākāśe rajodhūmādibhiryute | na sarve saṃprayujyante tadvajjīvāḥ sukhādibhiḥ || 5 || 5. As any portion of Ākāśa enclosed in a pot being soiled by dust, smoke, etc., all such other portions of Ākāśa enclosed in other pots are not soiled, so is the happiness, etc., of the Jīvas, i.e., the happiness, misery, etc., of one Jīva do not affect other Jīvas....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.6 Text रूपकार्यसमाख्याश्च भिद्यन्ते तत्र तत्र वै । आकाशस्य न भेदोऽस्ति तद्वज्जीवेषुनिर्णयः ॥ ६ ॥ rūpakāryasamākhyāśca bhidyante tatra tatra vai | ākāśasya na bhedo'sti tadvajjīveṣunirṇayaḥ || 6 || 6. Though form, function and name are different here and there yet this does not imply any difference in the Ākāśa (which is one). The same is the conclusion (truth) with regard to the Jīvas. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) (Objection)—If1 Ātman be one then how is it possible to justify the variety of experiences pointing to the multiplicity of Ātman (which is explained as being) due to Avidyā (ignorance)?...

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.7 Text नाऽऽकाशस्य घटाकाशो विकारावयवौ यथा । नैवाऽऽत्मनः सदा जीवो विकारावयवौ तथा ॥ ७ ॥ nā''kāśasya ghaṭākāśo vikārāvayavau yathā | naivā''tmanaḥ sadā jīvo vikārāvayavau tathā || 7 || 7. As the Ghaṭākāśa (i.e., the ether portioned off by the pot) is neither the (evolved) effect nor part of the Ākāśa (ether), so is the Jīva (the embodied being) neither the effect nor part of the Ātman. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) (Objection)—Our experience of the variety of forms, functions, etc....