Sloka 55
Sloka 55
Original Text:
अविद्याकामकर्मादिपाशबन्धं विमोचितुम् । कः शक्नुयाद्विनात्मानं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ५५ ॥
Certainly! Here is the analysis of the given sloka:
- **Transliteration:**
avidyākāmakarmādipāśabandhaṁ vimocitum | kaḥ śaknuyādvinātmānaṁ kalpakoṭiśatairapi || 55 ||
- **Translation:**
Who can release oneself from the bonds of ignorance, desire, and actions without realizing the Self, even in hundreds of millions of kalpas?
- **Word Meanings:**
* avidyā - ignorance * kāma - desire * karma - actions * ādi - etcetera / and so forth * pāśa - bonds * bandham - bondage * vimocitum - to liberate / to release * kaḥ - who * śaknuyāt - can be able to * vinā - without * ātmānam - the Self / one's own true nature * kalpa - an aeon of time * koṭi - crore / ten million * śatairapi - even with hundreds of times
- **Commentary:**
This sloka highlights a profound teaching found in Vedantic philosophy regarding the essential nature of self-realization. The bonds mentioned here, namely ignorance (avidyā), desire (kāma), and the resulting actions (karma), form the fundamental causes of human suffering and entrapment in the cycle of birth and death (samsara). These are likened to chains that bind the being, preventing liberation (moksha).
The rhetorical question asks who could possibly liberate themselves from these entanglements without true knowledge or direct realization of the Self (ātman). It suggests that without inner awakening to one's true nature, external efforts, even if continued for multiple cosmic cycles (kalpas), would not suffice for complete liberation.
In essence, the sloka emphasizes that self-realization is the key to liberation, and that other pursuits, no matter how prolonged, cannot replace this inner discovery. This calls for an inward journey and deep introspection, transcending superficial remedies and rituals, to understand and embody the eternal Self. Such realization dissolves ignorance and desire, removing the binding influences of karma, and thus leading to ultimate freedom.
Further Readings: