Sloka 27
Sloka 27
Original Text:
अहंकारादिदेहान्तान् बन्धानज्ञानकल्पितान् । स्वस्वरूपावबोधेन मोक्तुमिच्छा मुमुक्षुता ॥ २७ ॥
- Transliteration:
ahaṃkārādidehāntān bandhān ajñānakalpitān | svasvarūpāvabodhena moktum icchā mumukṣutā || 27 ||
- Translation:
The desire to be liberated (mumukṣutā) is the wish to release the bonds, from egoism to the very body, which are imagined due to ignorance, through the realization of one's true nature.
- Word Meanings:
* ahaṃkāra - egoism, the sense of 'I' * ādi - beginning with, etc. * deha - body * anta - end, up to * bandhān - bonds * ajñāna - ignorance * kalpitān - imagined, conceived * sva - one's own * svarūpa - true nature, essence * avabodhena - through realization, by understanding * moktum - to release, to liberate * icchā - desire * mumukṣutā - desire for liberation
- Commentary:
This verse from a treatise on Vedantic philosophy emphasizes the essential condition for spiritual liberation or moksha, which is the intense aspiration or desire to be free, known as mumukṣutā. The verse highlights that the bonds which tie the soul, ranging from ego to the physical body, are not real but rather imagined due to ignorance (ajñāna). The root cause of bondage, as per Vedantic thought, is ignorance of one's own true nature, which is identical with the supreme reality, Brahman.
The progression mentioned—from the ego (ahaṃkāra) to the body (deha)—illustrates the hierarchy of attachments and identifications that humans incorrectly associate with their true self. These identifications create a sense of separateness and perpetuate the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
Liberation is attainable through svasvarūpāvabodhena, the profound realization of one's true self, which transcends all these imagined differences and dualities. When a seeker truly understands their inherent oneness with the absolute, the bindings of ignorance dissolve naturally. Thus, this sloka serves as a clarion call for aspirants to cultivate a deep yearning and focused effort towards self-knowledge and ultimately, liberation.
Further Readings: