Sloka 108
Sloka 108
Original Text:
शुद्धाद्वयब्रह्मविभोधनाश्या सर्पभ्रमो रज्जुविवेकतो यथा । रजस्तमःसत्त्वमिति प्रसिद्धा गुणास्तदीयाः प्रथितैः स्वकार्यैः ॥ ११0 ॥
- **Transliteration:**
``` śuddhādvayabrahmavibhodhanāśyā sarpabhramo rajjuvivekato yathā | rajastamaḥsattvamiti prasiddhā guṇāstadīyāḥ prathitaiḥ svakāryaiḥ || 110 || ```
- **Translation:**
"Just as the illusion of a snake disappears through the knowledge of the rope, similarly, the delusion regarding the pure non-dual Brahman is dispelled. The well-known qualities of purity, activity, and inertia are the attributes of that Brahman, manifesting through their respective functions."
- **Word Meanings:**
* **śuddha** - pure * **advaya** - non-dual * **brahma** - Brahman, the ultimate reality * **vibhodha** - knowledge * **nāśyā** - destruction, dispelling * **sarpa** - snake * **bhramaḥ** - illusion, delusion * **rajju** - rope * **vivekataḥ** - through discrimination * **yathā** - just as * **rajas** - quality of activity * **tamaḥ** - quality of inertia * **sattvam** - quality of purity * **iti** - thus * **prasiddhāḥ** - well-known, famous * **guṇāḥ** - qualities, attributes * **tadīyāḥ** - of that (Brahman) * **prathitaiḥ** - manifesting, known * **svakāryaiḥ** - through their own functions
- **Commentary:**
This verse draws a parallel between the removal of illusion through discernment and the understanding of Brahman through wisdom. In Vedantic philosophy, the world and its attributes often appear real due to ignorance, much like mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. This error is corrected through proper knowledge and understanding, which is referred to as 'viveka' or discernment. Similarly, the realization of the true nature of Brahman—a state of pure consciousness that transcends the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, and tamas)—dispels ignorance about reality. The guṇas are attributes of Prakriti or nature and are responsible for the diversity and functions of the manifested universe. Understanding these qualities helps one in discerning the self (Atman) from the non-self, leading to the realization of the non-dual nature of Brahman. Hence, this verse emphasizes the importance of discriminative wisdom in spiritual awakening and the ultimate realization of the non-dual Brahman.
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