MANEESHA PANCHAKAM Sri Adi Shankaracharya

MANEESHA PANCHAKAM

Sri Adi Shankaracharya

सत्याचार्यस्य गमने कदाचिन् मुक्ति दायकम्,

काशी क्षेत्रम् प्रति सह गौर्या मार्गे तु शंकरम्,

Once, a great godly man is on a stroll in the famous, heavenly place – the Varanasi. During his walk after his ritualistic, sacred and purified bath he came juxtaposed to two people – a man and his consort walking opposite to him almost bumping into his way. The strange couple were none other than The LORD SHIVA and PARVATHI.

अंत्य वेषधरम् दृष्ट्वा गच्छ गच्छेति चा ब्रवीत्

शंकरस्योपि चंडालः तम् पुनः प्राह शंकरम्

The couple is in the disguise of a lowly placed and unkempt downtrodden family. This learned and holy man, though theoretically very well versed in the Atma Jnaana, not recognizing the true nature of the persons coming into him, uttered the words, you…. Go away, Go away, Go aloof - in some form of scorn and hatred. Then, Parama Siva in the chandaala roopam replied to the learned man as follows…

Chandala Asks!

अन्नमयाद् अन्नमयम् अथवा चैतन्यमेव चैतन्यात्

यतिवर दूरीकर्तुम् वांछसि किम् ब्रूहि गच्छ गच्छेति

Chandala spoke as follows: Oh ! The perfect man of Self realization - Sir, I wish to know, whom are you addressing to get away from your esteemed presence out of hatred ? Do you mean the physical body of us – it's one and the same for all !! Or, perhaps, if you mean the internal cosmic energy within us, it's all the more same in all! .....

प्रत्यग्वस्तुनि निस्तरन्ग सहजानन्दावबोधाम्बुधौ विप्रो

अयम् श्वपचोयमित्यपि महान् को अयम् विभेद भ्रमः?

Chandala continues his query: 

Isn't the indwelling essence in all of us the same wave-less and steady ocean called the innate and natural Bliss Absolute; While this should be the perfect understanding of the learned, (for you too) O! Great soul, why is this (indeed hatred inducing) illusion of discrimination (that) one is learned and a Brahmin and that the other one is an outcaste and is untouchable!

किम् गंगाम्बुधि बिंबितेम्बर मणौ चंडाल वीधी पयः

पूरेवा अन्तरमस्ति कांचनघटी मृत्कुम्भयोर्वांबरे?

The precious jewel of the sky, the Sun, isn't he shining in the same way in this very sacred and holy waters of this river - the mother Ganges and in the polluted cesspools there in the dirty lanes of the outcastes? Will the reflected sky be inferior in an earthen pot, compared to the one in a golden vessel ! Aren't the Sun and the Sky absolutely the same without any difference?

These very pithy and piercing arrows of questions from Chandala posed to the mind of Sri Shankara, the nija swaroopa of the Chandala (Lord Shiva in the disguise) is perceived by Sri Shankara and the following 5 slokas form the firm conviction and understanding attained by Sri Shankara.

Verse 1

Sri Shankara answers!

जाग्रत्स्वप्न सुषुत्पिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते

या ब्रह्मादि पिपीलिकान्त तनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी |

सैवाहं न च दृश्य वस्त्विति दृढ प्रज्ञापि यस्यास्तिचे

च्चण्डालोस्तु स तु द्विजोस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥

Whoever has the firm knowledge of being that awareness, which effortlessly shines in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep (in an individual) which permeates all the upadhis, from Brahma right down to an ant, and is the witness of the creation, he is indeed my guru, be he a chandala or a Brahmin ; thus is my firm conviction. (1)

Verse 2

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं

सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुणयाशेषं मया कल्पितम् |

इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले

चण्डालोस्तु स तु द्विजोस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥

I am indeed Brahman and the entire creation is nothing but an extension of Chit, consciousness. All this has been projected by me on account of ignorance having the three-fold attributes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. In this manner, one whose knowledge is firmly rooted in that which is happiness, eternal, limitless, and pure, he indeed is my guru, be he a Chandala or a Brahmin ; thus is my firm conviction. (2)

Verse 3

शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचागुरो:

नित्यं ब्रह्म निरन्तरं विमृशता निर्व्याज शान्तात्मना |

भूतं भावि च दुष्कृतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके

प्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥

By the teaching of his guru, one who has ascertained that the entire universe is constantly perishing, who is constantly contemplating effortlessly upon the eternal brahman with a tranquil mind, who burns past and future bad actions in the fire of knowledge, and who has offered his body (both gross and subtle) to prarabdha, destiny, such a one indeed is my guru, thus is my firm conviction (3)

Verse 4

या तिर्यङ्नरदेवताभिरहमित्यन्तः स्फुटा गृह्यते

यद्भासा हृदयाक्षदेहविषया भान्ति स्वतो चेतनाः |

ताम् भास्यैः पिहितार्कमण्डलनिभां स्फूर्तिं सदा भावयन

न्योगी निर्वृतमानसो हि गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ||

That which is clearly experienced as 'I" by animals, human beings and gods, by the light of which the mind, sense organs, sense objects and the body shine in spite of themselves being inert, that which like the sun concealed by clouds is covered by the very body, mind, etc that it illumines, on that awareness the yogi contemplates and is thus fulfilled at heart ; he, indeed, is my guru. Thus is my firm conviction (4) 

Verse 5

यत्सौख्याम्बुधि लेशलेशत इमे शक्रादयो निर्वृता

यच्चित्ते नितरां प्रशान्तकलने लब्ध्वा मुनिर्निर्वृतः |

यस्मिन्नित्य सुखाम्बुधौ गलितधीर्ब्रह्मैव न ब्रह्मविद्

यः कश्चित्स सुरेन्द्रवन्दितपदो नूनं मनीषा मम ॥

By gaining a fraction of a fraction of which ocean of happiness the gods like Indra etc, are fulfilled, and having gained which in a mind that is completely at rest, the muni or the sage is fulfilled. He is one whose intellect is totally absorbed in the eternal ocean of happiness, and is, therefore, brahman itself and not merely knower of brahman; whoever he may be, his feet are worshipped even by the king of the gods (Indra). He indeed is my guru. Such is my firm conviction (5)

The Epilogue

दासस्तेहं देहदृष्ट्यास्मि शंभो

जातस्तेशो जीवदृष्ट्या त्रिदृष्टे

सर्वस्यात्मन् अत्मदृट्या त्वमेव

त्वेवं मे धीर्निश्चिता सर्वशास्त्रैः ॥

O! Lord, the three eyed one (who is the all knower of the past, present and future)! In the form of this physical equipment, the body, I am the servant of You and thus of all. In the form of the life principle with in me, I am the part and parcel of You and thus of all. In the form the soul, You are within me and similarly in every other being or animal or thing that I behold. I have arrived at this conclusion after thorough reflection in my intellect - illuminated by all the sacred texts.

This concludes the sacred teaching "Maneesha Panchakam" by Jagadguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya. 

Om Tat Sat