Vivekachoodamani : ( 05/05/2013. )

====================================================================== ====================================================================== 10/12/2019 VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Verses 1-66, 66 No.) 1.3 THE MEANS TO LIBERATION (Verses 6-16, 11 No.) ------------------------------------------------------ Verse 7: Good Works Alone are Not Enough -------------------------------------------------------- "Amritattvasya na aashaa asti vittena iti eva hi shrutih; braveeti, karmanah mukteh declare –ahetutvam sphutam yatah." || 7|| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 amritattvasya na aashaa asti                = There is no hope for immortality 2 vittena iti eva hi shrutih;                     = by means of wealth. Thus does the Sruti herself 3 braveeti, karmanah mukteh declare – = that by good works alone, liberation 4 ahetutvam sphutam yatah.                  = cannot be e

======================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Verses 1-66, 66 No.) 1.3 THE MEANS TO LIBERATION (Verses 6-16, 11 No.) THE ELEVEN VERSES OF this section seem to have been carved out of the great anguish which the author clearly feels for humanity that is searching but not availing itself of the true and only means for liberation, viz. Knowledge of the Self. Sri Shankaracharyaji stood first and foremost for a rational approach to spirituality. There was no room in his approach for superficial display of religiosity if Knowledge were to be excluded from it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Verse 6: The Need for Knowledge on this Path : -----------------------------------------

======================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16/10/2019. Verse 5: How Foolish to Waste the Opportunity! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "ita ko nvasti mudhatma  yastu svarthe pramadyati | durlabham manusham deham prapya tatrapi paurusham" || 5|| ita = than this; kah nu = who indeed; asti = is; mudhatma = fool; yah tu = whoever; svarthe = in the real end of his (rediscovery of Self); pramadyati = neglects; durlabham = rare; manusham deham = human body; prapya = having gained; tatra api = there too; paurusham = masculine qualities.      Is there a greater fool than the person who, having got the rare chance of a human birth and there too, the masculine qualities of the head and heart, falls short in his efforts to

======================================================================== VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), 1.2 PRECIOUSNESS OF HUMAN BIRTH : (Verses 3-5, 3 No.) - Verse 4: The Three Graces of Life : Swami Chinmayananda -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Sri Swami Adi Sankaracharya *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=========================================================================== ========================================================================= 10/08/2019 *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Sri Swami Adi Sankaracharya *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), ========================================================================== 1.2 PRECIOUSNESS OF HUMAN BIRTH (Verses 3-5, 3 No.) ========================================================================= Verse 3: The Three Graces of Life "durlabham trayam eva etad eva anugraha hetukam; manushyatvam mumukshutvam mahaapurushha samshrayah" 1 durlabham trayam eva etad        =  There are three things which are rare indeed; 2 deva anugraha hetukam;            =  When found, they are due to the Lord’s Grace: 3 manushyatvam mumukshutvam  =  i) a human birth, ii) yearning for liberation, and 4 mahaapurushha samshrayah.      =    iii) the Grace of an

23/06/2019 *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Sri Swami Adi Sankaracharya *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), *INVOCATION & OVERVIEW : (Verses 1-2, 2 No.), Glory of Spiritual Life (verse 2) "Jantunam narajanma durlabhamata pumstavam tato viprata  tasmat-vaidika-dharmam-argaparata vidvattvam-asmat-param,  atmanatma-vivecanam svanubhavah brahmatmana samsthitih  muktirh satajanma-koti-sukrtaih punyah-vina-labhyate." Jantunam = Among the living creatures; narajanma = human birth; durlabham = rare; atah = further; pumstavam = man / womanhood; tatah = thereupon; viprata = Brahmin-hood (Satvic life) ( not caste brahmin ); tasmat =  thereafter; vaidika-dharmam-argaparata = steadfastness on the path of spirituality enjoined by the Vedas; vidvattvam = correct knowledge of the scriptures; asmat = from this; param = higher; atmanatma-vivecanam = discrimination of the Real and t

18/05/2019 *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Sri Swami Adi Sankaracharya *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), *INVOCATION & OVERVIEW : (Verses 1-2, 2 No.), *Invocation (verse 1) : “Namaskara Mangalacharana” "sarva vedaanta siddhaanta  gocharam tam agocharam; govindam paramaanandam  sadgurum pranato’smyaham." 1 sarva vedaanta siddhaanta = Only through the Upanishads, is the essence of 2 gocharam tam agocharam; = That perceived, not through any other means; 3 govindam paramaanandam = To Govinda, who is of the nature of Bliss Absolute, 4 sadgurum pranato’smyaham. - who is my Sad-Guru, I offer my salutations! How is the Truth Known? 1-2 ( First line of the mantram ) The Vedas have many messages, for all stages of growth observed in mankind. There is something in it for everyone. Its final message, however, is to be found in the Upanishads. The philosophy of the Upanishads

VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), INVOCATION & OVERVIEW : (Verses 1-2, 2 No.), verse 2, - Swami Chinmayananda 26/03/2019 *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Swami Chinmayananda *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), Verse 2: Overview of the Whole Book "jantoonaam narajanma durlabham atah, pumstvam tatah viprataa; tasmaad vaidika dharma maarga parataa, vidvattvam asmaat param; aatma anaatma vivechanam svanubhavah, brahmaatmanaa samsthitih; muktir no shata-janma-koti sukritaih, punyair vinaa labhyate." 1. jantoonaam narajanma durlabham atah, pumstvam tatah viprataa; = Among all living creatures, a human birth is very hard to obtain; further, more difficult is it to attain full manhood; and even rarer is a Sattwic attitude in life. 2. tasmaad vaidika dharma maarga parataa,

01/03/2019 *VIVEKACHOODAMANI – “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" - Swami Chinmayananda *Vol. 1. PART-1, - "The PURPOSE of Human Life" - (Verses 1-66, 66 No.), *INVOCATION & OVERVIEW : (Verses 1-2, 2 No.), *Invocation (verse 1) : * "sarva vedanta siddhanta gocaram tamagocaram | govindam paramanandam sadgurum pranatah asmi aham || 1|| " * sarva vedanta siddhanta gocaram - Perceivable through the suggestive import of the conclusions of Vedanta; tam - that; agocaram - who is beyond sense-perception; govindam - to Sri Govinda; paramanandam - who is of the nature of Bliss Supreme; sadgurum - the Spiritual master; pranatah - bowing respectfully; asmi - am; Ahm! - aham (atma). * "My salutations to Sri Sad-Guru Govinda who is of the nature of Bliss Supreme, who can be known only through the import of the essence of Vedanta and who is beyond the reach of the known instruments of perception." * "I bow to Gov

11/02/2019 VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 1 “The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination" GENERAL INTRODUCTION PUJYA SWAMI CHINMAYANANDAJI writes the following in his Introduction to his book on the Viveka Choodamani : “Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta, not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani, which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination’. “A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to enquire will give any student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and he can, even without a very serious study of the scriptures, start his daily practices with tremendous benefits. “There are hundreds of seekers who, without understanding the fundamentals, are aimlessly struggling along

07/01/2019 All these confusions arose from the mind’s *projections. When you assert that you are the mind, all the imperfections of the *mind become your imperfections. Birth, *death, old age and so on, and *sorrows of endless varieties, come to you. This is called samsara. ‘I’ identified with the *ego gets blinded, and hence has no experience of the Self, which is of the form of the light of *Consciousness. ‘You are not this’, ‘You are that infinite Consciousness’, ‘Come to apprehend It yourself’, so the *Upanishads thunder forth. To be continued ...