Section 1 8

Bhandam, Anatma

Summary (in English)

This section of slokas from the Vivekachudamani encapsulates the Vedantic philosophy of self-realization through the discrimination between the self (ātman) and the non-self (anātman). Sloka 137 highlights the bondage arising from the ignorance-driven misidentification of the body as the self, comparing this delusion with a silkworm weaving its own cocoon. Sloka 138 uses the metaphor of mistaking a rope for a snake to illustrate how ignorance creates false realities leading to misfortune. The slokas progress to discuss how the veiling power of ignorance (māyā) conceals the infinite majesty of the self, akin to Rāhu eclipsing the sun. Misidentification leads to mental turmoil fueled by desire and anger. Slokas then describe the metaphorical drowning in the ocean of worldly desires, highlighting the arduous spiritual path amidst distractions and delusions. Further, slokas explain that the ego, like clouds obscuring the sun, hides and then reveals the self, underscoring the transition from ignorance to realization. Ignorance-based bondage is portrayed as beginningless and sustained by attachments. Liberation, dictated by the discernment (viveka) and realization of one's true nature as Sat-chit-ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss), involves transcending the layers or sheaths (kośas) that obscure the self, likened to clearing algae from a pond. The section culminates with the wise being urged to engage in ātmānātma-viveka to achieve liberation, emphasizing detachment, and dissolving external phenomena in the awareness of the self.

सारांश

विवेकचूडामणि के इस खंड में आत्मा (स्वयं) और अनात्मा (गैर-स्वयं) के बीच विवेक के माध्यम से आत्म-प्राप्ति का वेदांतिक दर्शन सम्मिलित किया गया है। श्लोक 137 में शरीर को अपने रूप में पहचानने से उत्पन्न बंधन का वर्णन किया गया है, जो कीड़ा अपने कोकून में बुनने के समान बताया गया है। श्लोक 138 अज्ञान के झूठे वास्तविकताओं को सर्प रस्सी के भ्रम के रूपक से व्याख्यायित करता है, जिससे दुर्भाग्य उत्पन्न होता है। इसके बाद के श्लोकों में अज्ञान (माया) के आवरणी शक्ति को समझाने हेतु दीप्तिमान आत्मा की महिमा को छिपाने के लिए राहु के सूर्य को ग्रहण करने की तुलना की गई है। ग़लत पहचान इच्छा और क्रोध द्वारा मानसिक चिंता उत्पन्न करती है। इसके बाद के श्लोक सांसारिक इच्छाओं के महासागर में डूबने के रूपक के माध्यम से कठोर आध्यात्मिक मार्ग को समझाते हैं। उन्नति की प्रक्रिया को बादल और सूर्य के रूपक के माध्यम से व्याख्यायित किया गया है। आत्मा को आवृत्त करने वाले विभिन्न कोशों (परतों) से अतिक्रमण करते हुए मुक्ति प्राप्त करने पर बल दिया गया है। अन्त में, विद्वानों से आत्मा और अनात्मा के विवेक में संलग्न रहने का अनुरोध किया गया है, जिससे निद्रा अवस्था में तात्विक आत्मज्ञान प्राप्त कर आत्म-प्राप्ति की जाती है।

Important Concepts (महत्वपूर्ण अवधारणाएँ)

• anātman (अनात्मन्)
• ājñāna (अज्ञान)
• māyā (माया)
• viveka (विवेक)
• mokṣa (मोक्ष)
• ātman (आत्मा)
• kośa (कोश)
• rāhu (राहु)
• vikṣepa (विक्षेप)

Topics

• Illusion and ignorance as the roots of bondage
• The importance of discrimination and viveka in self-realization
• The metaphoric relationship between the observable world and underlying realities in Vedantic philosophy
• Liberation through understanding one's true self beyond bodily identification

Categories (वर्गीकरण)

• Teaching a method (Discrimination between self and non-self)
• Describing bondage and its causes
• Metaphoric explanations for spiritual concepts
• Pathways to liberation

S-V-O Tuples or Propositions as Text

Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O) Tuples

Subject	Verb	Object
Ignorance	causes	Bondage
The Self	is obscured	by māyā
One	must practice	ātma-anātma-viveka
Discrimination	leads	to Liberation
Ego	obscures	The Self's nature
Wisdom	reveals	Truth
Viveka	liberates	from suffering

Slokas & Translations

Sloka 137

अत्रानात्मन्यहमिति मतिर्बन्ध एषोऽस्य पुंसः
प्राप्तोऽज्ञानाज्जननमरणक्लेशसंपातहेतुः ।
येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत्सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्ध्या
पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयैस्तन्तुभिः कोशकृद्वत् ॥ १३७ ॥

Translation: In this body, the thought of 'I' in the non-self is the bondage of this person, arising from ignorance and causing the cycle of birth and death's sufferings. By this, he maintains, nourishes, and protects this body, falsely considering it true like a silkworm weaves its cocoon with threads (of sensory experiences).

Sloka 138

अतस्मिंस्तद्बुद्धिः प्रभवति विमूढस्य तमसा
विवेकाभावाद्वै स्फुरति भुजगे रज्जुधिषणा ।
ततोऽनर्थव्रातो निपतति समादातुरधिकः
ततो योऽसद्ग्राहः स हि भवति बन्धः शृणु सखे ॥ १३८ ॥

Translation: The deluded intellect perceives a snake where there is a rope due to ignorance, leading to great misfortune and bondage. Listen, O friend.

Sloka 139

अखण्डनित्याद्वयबोधशक्त्या
स्फुरन्तमात्मानमनन्तवैभवम् ।
समावृणोत्यावृतिशक्तिरेषा
तमोमयी राहुरिवार्कबिम्बम् ॥ १३९ ॥

Translation: This veiling power, like Rahu (eclipse) obscuring the solar disc, conceals the ever-shining, infinite majesty of the self endowed with undivided, eternal, non-dual consciousness.

Sloka 140

तिरोभूते स्वात्मन्यमलतरतेजोवति पुमान्
अनात्मानं मोहादहमिति शरीरं कलयति ।
ततः कामक्रोधप्रभृतिभिरमुं बन्धनगुणैः
परं विक्षेपाख्या रजस उरुशक्तिर्व्यथयति ॥ १४० ॥

Translation: When the Self is obscured, the pure Self-effulgent individual, out of delusion, identifies with the body, and thus is tormented by the powerful, distracting force of attachment, anger, and bondage.

Sloka 141

महामोहग्राहग्रसनगलितात्मावगमनो
धियो नानावस्थां स्वयमभिनयंस्तद्गुणतया ।
अपारे संसरे विषयविषपूरे जलनिधौ
निमज्योन्मज्यायं भ्रमति कुमतिः कुत्सितगतिः ॥ १४१ ॥

Translation: The deluded mind, swayed by the crocodile of intense delusion, sinks and rises in the unfathomable ocean of worldly desires, poisoned with sensory temptations, adopting perverse ways due to its own distorted nature.

Sloka 142

भानुप्रभासंजनिताभ्रपङ्क्तिः
भानुं तिरोधाय विजृम्भते यथा ।
आत्मोदिताहंकृतिरात्मतत्त्वं
तथा तिरोधाय विजृम्भते स्वयम् ॥ १४२ ॥

Translation: Just as the row of clouds generated by the sun hides and then reveals the sun, so does the ego, born of the Self, obscure and reveal the nature of the Self itself.

Sloka 143

कवलितदिननार्थे दुर्दिने सान्द्रमेघैः
व्यथयति हिमझंझावायुरुग्रो यथैतान् ।
अविरततमसात्मन्यावृते मूढबुद्धिं
क्षपयति बहुदुःखैस्तीव्रविक्षेपशक्तिः ॥ १४३ ॥

Translation: As the relentless cold storm wind disturbs those engulfed in dense clouds on a gloomy day, similarly, the fierce disturbing power erodes the deluded mind in the perpetually darkened self through manifold sufferings.

Sloka 144

एताभ्यामेव शक्तिभ्यां बन्धः पुंसः समागतः ।
याभ्यां विमोहितो देहं मत्वात्मानं भ्रमत्ययम् ॥ १४४ ॥

Translation: Bondage arises for a person due to these two powers by which, being deluded, he identifies the body as the self and wanders.

Sloka 145

बीजं संसृतिभूमिजस्य तु तमो देहात्मधीरङ्कुरो<br />रागः पल्लवमम्बु कर्म तु वपुः स्कन्धोओऽसवः शाखिकाः ।<br />अग्राणीन्द्रियसंहतिश्च विषयाः पुष्पाणि दुःखं फलं<br />नानाकर्मसमुद्भवं बहुविधं भोक्तात्र जीवः खगः ॥ १४५ ॥

Translation: The seed of worldly existence is ignorance, sprouts as the body-centered intellect; desire is the tender leaf, water is action, and the body is the trunk. Life forces are branches, sensory organs are the flower buds, objects are the flowers, and suffering is the fruit. The bird (soul) that eats is the enjoyer here, born of various actions.

Sloka 146

अज्ञानमूलोऽयमनात्मबन्धो
नैसर्गिकोऽनादिरनन्त ईरितः ।
जन्माप्ययव्याधिजरादिदुःख
प्रवाहपातं जनयत्यमुष्य ॥ १४६ ॥

Translation: This bondage, rooted in ignorance and the non-self, is said to be natural, beginningless, and endless, and it results in the cascade of suffering like birth, decay, illness, and old age.

Sloka 147

नास्त्रैर्न शस्त्रैरनिलेन वन्हिना
छेत्तुं न शक्यो न च कर्मकोटिभिः ।
विवेकविज्ञानमहासिना विना
धातुः प्रसादेन शितेन मञ्जुना ॥ १४७ ॥

Translation: The bondage cannot be cut by weapons, wind, fire, nor by countless actions, but by the sharp, pleasing sword of discrimination and knowledge granted by the Creator's grace.

Sloka 148

श्रुतिप्रमाणैकमतेः स्वधर्म
निष्ठा तयैवात्मविशुद्धिरस्य । 
विशुद्धबुद्धेः परमात्मवेदनं
तेनैव संसारसमूलनाशः ॥ १४८ ॥

Translation: Through steadfastness in one's own duty, under the guidance of Shruti, one attains self-purification, leading to the realization of the Supreme Self, and thus entirely destroys the root of worldly existence.

Sloka 149

कोशैरन्नमयाद्यैः पञ्चभिरात्मा न संवृतो भाति ।
निजशक्तिसमुत्पन्नैः शैवालपटलैरिवाम्बु वापीस्थम् ॥ १४९ ॥

Translation: The self, though covered by the five sheaths like annamaya, appears uncovered, much like water in a reservoir concealed by layers of algae generated by its own power.

Sloka 150

तच्छैवालापनये सम्यक्सलिलं प्रतीयते शुद्धम् ।
तृष्णासन्तापहरं सद्यः सौख्यप्रदं परं पुंसः ॥ १५0 ॥

Translation: When impurities are removed, water appears pure, quenching thirst and providing bliss to people.

Sloka 151

पञ्चानामपि कोशानामपवादे विभात्ययं शुद्धः ।
नित्यानन्दैकरसः प्रत्यग्रूपः परः स्वयंज्योतिः ॥ १५१ ॥

Translation: Beyond the five sheaths shines the pure, eternal, blissful, singular essence, the transcendent inner form, self-illuminating.

Sloka 152

आत्मानात्मविवेकः कर्तव्यो बन्धमुक्तये विदुषा ।
तेनैवानन्दी भवति स्वं विज्ञाय सच्चिदानन्दम् ॥ १५२ ॥

Translation: Discrimination between the Self and non-Self should be practiced by the wise for liberation. By this alone, one becomes blissful upon realizing one's own essential nature as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

Sloka 153

मुञ्जादिषीकामिव दृश्यवर्गात्
प्रत्यञ्चमात्मानमसङ्गमक्रियम् ।
विविच्य तत्र प्रविलाप्य सर्वं
तदात्मना तिष्ठति यः स मुक्तः ॥ १५३ ॥

Translation: He who remains established in his true self, distinct from all seen beyond the body, without attachment, actionless, and dissolves everything in That, he is liberated.