7/21/2019 Atma Bodha

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 Atma Bodha By Adi Sankaracharya , Translated by Swami Chinmayananda

Published by Chinmaya Mission, Mumbai

1. I am composing the ATMA-BO!A, this treatise o" the #no$ledge o" the %el", "or those $ho ha&e puri"ied themsel&es by austerities and are peace"ul in heart and calm, $ho are "ree "rom cra&ings and are desirous o" liberation.

'. (ust as the "ire is the direct cause "or coo)ing, so $ithout #no$ledge no emancipation can be had. Compared $ith all other "orms o" discipline #no$ledge o" the %el" is the one direct means "or liberation.

*. Action cannot destroy ignorance, "or it is not in con"lict $ith or opposed to ignorance. #no$ledge does &erily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep dar)ness.

+. The %oul appears to be "inite because o" ignorance. hen ignorance is destroyed the %el" $hich does not admit o" any multiplicity truly re&eals itsel" by itsel" li)e the %un $hen the clouds pass a$ay.

. Constant practice o" )no$ledge puri"ies the %el" /0(i&atman2, stained by ignorance and then disappears itsel" 3 as the po$der o" the 0#ata)a-nut settles do$n a"ter it has cleansed the muddy $ater.

4. The $orld $hich is "ull o" attachments, a&ersions, etc., is li)e a dream. It appears to be real, as long as it continues but appears to be unreal $hen one is a$a)e /i.e., $hen true $isdom da$ns2.

5. The (agat appears to be true /%atyam2 so long as Brahman, the substratum, the basis o" all this creation, is not realised. It is li)e the illusion o" sil&er in the mother-o" pearl.

6. 7i)e bubbles in the $ater, the $orlds rise, e8ist and dissol&e in the %upreme %el", $hich is the material cause and the prop o" e&erything.

9. All the mani"ested $orld o" things and beings are pro:ected by imagination upon the substratum $hich is the ;ternal All-per&ading <ishnu, $hose nature is ;8istence-Intelligence= :ust as the di""erent ornaments are all made out o" the same gold.

1>. The All-per&ading A)asa appears to be di&erse on account o" its association $ith &arious conditionings /?padhis2 $hich are di""erent "rom each other. %pace becomes one on the destruction o" these limiting ad:uncts %o also the Omnipresent Truth appears to be di&erse on account o" Its association $ith the &arious ?padhis and becomes one on the

destruction o" these ?padhis.

11. Because o" Its association $ith di""erent conditionings /?padhis2 such ideas as caste, colour and position are super-imposed upon the Atman, as "la&our, colour, etc., are super-imposed on $ater.

1'. etermined "or each indi&idual by his o$n past actions and made up o" the @i&e elements 3 that ha&e gone through the process o" "i&e-"old sel"-di&ision and mutual combination /Panchee)arana2 3 are born the gross-body, the medium through $hich pleasure and pain are e8perienced, the tent-o"-e8periences.

1*. The "i&e Pranas, the ten organs and the Manas and the Buddhi, "ormed "rom the rudimentary elements /Tanmatras2 be"ore their "i&e-"old di&ision and mutual combination $ith one another /Panchee)arana2 and this is the subtle body, the instruments-o"-e8perience /o" the indi&idual2.

1+. A&idya $hich is indescribable and beginningless is the Causal Body. #no$ "or certain that the Atman is other than these three conditioning bodies /?padhis2.

1. In its identi"ication $ith the "i&e-sheaths the Immaculate Atman appears to ha&e borro$ed their ualities upon Itsel"= as in the case o" a crystal $hich appears to gather unto itsel" colour o" its &icinity /blue cloth, etc.,2.

14. Through discriminati&e sel"-analysis and logical thin)ing one should separate the Pure sel" $ithin "rom the sheaths as one separates the rice "rom the hus), bran, etc., that are co&ering it.

15. The Atman does not shine in e&erything although !e is All-per&ading. !e is mani"est only in the inner euipment, the intellect /Buddhi2 :ust as the re"lection in a clean mirror.

16. One should understand that the Atman is al$ays li)e the #ing, distinct "rom the body, senses, mind and intellect, all o" $hich constitute the matter /Pra)riti2= and is the $itness o" their "unctions.

19. The moon appears to be running $hen the clouds mo&e in the s)y. 7i)e$ise to the non-discriminating person the Atman appears to be acti&e $hen It is obser&ed through the "unctions o" the sense-organs.

'>. epending upon the energy o" &itality o" Consciousness /Atma Chaitanya2 the body, senses, mind and intellect engage themsel&es in their respecti&e acti&ities, :ust as men $or) depending upon the light o" the %un.

'1. @ools, because they lac) in their po$ers o" discrimination superimpose on the Atman, the Absolute-;8istence-#no$ledge /%at-Chit2, all the &aried "unctions o" the body and the senses, :ust as they attribute blue colour and the li)e to the s)y.

''. The tremblings that belong to the $aters are attributed through ignorance to the re"lected moon dancing on it li)e$ise agency o" action, o" en:oyment and o" other limitations /$hich really belong to the mind2 are delusi&ely understood as the nature o" the %el" /Atman2.

'*. Attachment, desire, pleasure, pain, etc., are percei&ed to e8ist so long as Buddhi or mind "unctions. They are not percei&ed in deep sleep $hen the mind ceases to e8ist. There"ore they belong to the mind alone and not to the Atman.

'+. (ust as luminosity is the nature o" the %un, coolness o" $ater and heat o" "ire, so too the nature o" the Atman is ;ternity, Purity, Deality, Consciousness and Bliss.

'. By the indiscriminate blending o" the t$o 3 the ;8istence-#no$ledge-aspect o" the %el" and the thought-$a&e o" the intellect 3 there arises the notion o" I )no$.

'4. Atman ne&er does anything and the intellect o" its o$n accord has no capacity to e8perience 0I )no$. But the indi&iduality in us delusorily thin)s he is himsel" the seer and the )no$er.

'5. (ust as the person $ho regards a rope as a sna)e is o&ercome by "ear, so also one considering onesel" as the ego /(i&a2 is o&ercome by "ear. The ego-centric indi&iduality in us regains "earlessness by realising that It is not a (i&a but is Itsel" the %upreme %oul.

'6. (ust as a lamp illumines a :ar or a pot, so also the Atman illumines the mind and the sense organs, etc. These material-ob:ects by themsel&es cannot illumine themsel&es because they are inert.

'9. A lighted-lamp does not need another lamp to illumine its light. %o too, Atman $hich is #no$ledge itsel" needs no other )no$ledge to )no$ it.

*>. By a process o" negation o" the conditionings /?padhis2 through the help o" the scriptural statement 0It is not this, It is not this, the oneness o" the indi&idual soul and the %upreme %oul, as indicated by the great Maha&a)yas, has to be realised.

*1. The body, etc., up to the Causal Body 3 Ignorance 3 $hich are ob:ects percei&ed, are as perishable as bubbles. Dealise through discrimination that I am the 0Pure Brahman e&er completely separate "rom all these.

*'. I am other than the body and so I am "ree "rom changes such as birth, $rin)ling, senility, death, etc. I ha&e nothing to do $ith the sense ob:ects such as sound and taste, "or I am $ithout the sense-organs.

**. I am other than the mind and hence, I am "ree "rom sorro$, attachment, malice and "ear, "or !; is $ithout breath and $ithout mind, Pure, etc., is the Commandment o" the great scripture, the ?panishads.

*+. I am $ithout attributes and actions= ;ternal /Eitya2 $ithout any desire and thought /Eir&i)alpa2, $ithout any dirt /Eiran:ana2, $ithout any change /Eir&i)ara2, $ithout "orm /Eira)ara2, e&er-liberated /Eitya Mu)ta2 e&er-pure /Eirmala2.

*. 7i)e the space I "ill all things $ithin and $ithout. Changeless and the same in all, at all times I am pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.

*4. I am &erily that %upreme Brahman alone $hich is ;ternal, Pure and @ree, One, indi&isible and non-dual and o" the nature o" Changeless-#no$ledge-In"inite.

*5. The impression I am Brahman thus created by constant practice destroys ignorance and the agitation caused by it, :ust as medicine or Dasayana destroys disease.

*6. %itting in a solitary place, "reeing the mind "rom desires and controlling the senses, meditate $ith uns$er&ing attention on the Atman $hich is One $ithout-a-second.

*9. The $ise one should intelligently merge the entire $orld-o"-ob:ects in the Atman alone and constantly thin) o" the %el" e&er as contaminated by anything as the s)y.

+>. !e $ho has realised the %upreme, discards all his identi"ication $ith the ob:ects o" names and "orms. /Therea"ter2 he d$ells as an embodiment o" the In"inite Consciousness and Bliss. !e becomes the %el".

+1. There are no distinctions such as #no$er, the #no$ledge and the Ob:ect o" #no$ledge in the %upreme %el". On account o" Its being o" the nature o" endless Bliss, It does not admit o" such distinctions $ithin Itsel". It alone shines by Itsel".

+'. hen this the lo$er and the higher aspects o" the %el" are $ell churned together, the "ire o" )no$ledge is born "rom it, $hich in its mighty con"lagration shall burn do$n all the "uel o" ignorance in us.

+*. The 7ord o" the early da$n /Aruna2 himsel" has already looted a$ay the thic) dar)ness, $hen soon the sun rises. The i&ine Consciousness o" the %el" rises $hen the right )no$ledge has already )illed the dar)ness in the bosom.

++. Atman is an e&er-present Deality. Fet, because o" ignorance it is not realised. On the destruction o" ignorance Atman is realised. It is li)e the missing ornament o" ones nec).

+. Brahman appears to be a 0(i&a because o" ignorance, :ust as a post appears to be a ghost. The ego-centric-indi&iduality is destroyed $hen the real nature o" the 0(i&a is realised as the %el".

+4. The ignorance characterised by the notions 0I and 0Mine is destroyed by the )no$ledge produced by the realisation o" the true nature o" the %el", :ust as right in"ormation remo&es the $rong notion about the directions.

+5. The Fogi o" per"ect realisation and enlightenment sees through his eye o" $isdom /Gyana Cha)shush2 the entire uni&erse in his o$n %el" and regards e&erything else as his o$n %el" and nothing else.

+6. Eothing $hate&er e8ists other than the Atman the tangible uni&erse is &erily Atman. As pots and :ars are &erily made o" clay and cannot be said to be anything but clay, so too, to the enlightened soul and that is percei&ed is the %el".

+9. A liberated one, endo$ed $ith %el"-)no$ledge, gi&es up the traits o" his pre&iously e8plained euipments /?padhis2 and because o" his nature o" %at-chit-ananda, he &erily becomes Brahman li)e /the $orm that gro$s to be2 a $asp.

>. A"ter crossing the ocean o" delusion and )illing the monsters o" li)es and disli)es, the Fogi $ho is united $ith peace d$ells in the glory o" his o$n realised %el" 3 as an Atmaram.

1. The sel"-abiding (i&an Mu)ta, relinuishing all his attachments to the illusory e8ternal happiness and satis"ied $ith the bliss deri&ed "rom the Atman, shines in$ardly li)e a lamp placed inside a :ar.

'. Though he li&es in the conditionings /?padhis2, he, the contemplati&e one, remains e&er unconcerned $ith anything or he may mo&e about li)e the $ind, per"ectly unattached.

*. On the destruction o" the ?padhis, the contemplati&e one is totally absorbed in 0<ishnu, the All-per&ading %pirit, li)e $ater into $ater, space into space and light into light.

+. Dealise That to be Brahman, the attainment o" $hich lea&es nothing more to be attained, the blessedness o" $hich lea&es no other blessing to be desired and the )no$ledge o" $hich lea&es nothing more to be )no$n.

. Dealise that to be Brahman $hich, $hen seen, lea&es nothing more to be seen, $hich ha&ing become one is not born again in this $orld and $hich, $hen )no$ing lea&es nothing else to be )no$n.

4. Dealise that to be Brahman $hich is ;8istence-#no$ledge-Bliss-Absolute, $hich is Eon-dual, In"inite, ;ternal and One and $hich "ills all the uarters 3 abo&e and belo$ and all that e8ists bet$een.

5. Dealise that to be Brahman $hich is Eon-dual, Indi&isible, One and Bliss"ul and $hich is indicated in <edanta as the Immutable %ubstratum, realised a"ter the negation o" all tangible ob:ects.

6. eities li)e Brahma and others taste only a particle, o" the unlimited Bliss o" Brahman and en:oy in proportion their share o" that particle.

9. All ob:ects are per&aded by Brahman. All actions are possible because o" Brahman there"ore Brahman permeates e&erything as butter permeates mil).

4>. Dealise that to be Brahman $hich is neither subtle nor gross neither short nor long $ithout birth or change $ithout "orm, ualities, colour and name.

41. That by the light o" $hich the luminous, orbs li)e the %un and the Moon are illuminated, but $hich is not illumined by their light, realise that to be Brahman.

4'. Per&ading the entire uni&erse out$ardly and in$ardly the %upreme Brahman shines o" Itsel" li)e the "ire that permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glo$s by itsel".

4*. Brahman is other than this, the uni&erse. There e8ists nothing that is not Brahman. I" any ob:ect other than Brahman appears to e8ist, it is unreal li)e the mirage.

4+. All that is percei&ed, or heard, is Brahman and nothing else. Attaining the )no$ledge o" the Deality, one sees the ?ni&erse as the non-dual Brahman, ;8istence-#no$ledge-Bliss-Absolute.

4. Though Atman is Pure Consciousness and e&er present e&ery$here, yet It is percei&ed by the eye-o"-$isdom alone but one $hose &ision is obscured by ignorance he does not see It= as the blind do not see the resplendent %un.

44. The 0(i&a "ree "rom impurities, being heated in the "ire o" )no$ledge )indled by hearing and so on, shines o" itsel" li)e gold.

45. The Atman, the %un o" #no$ledge that rises in the s)y o" the heart, destroys the dar)ness o" the ignorance, per&ades and sustains all and shines and ma)es e&erything to shine.

46. !e $ho renouncing all acti&ities, $ho is "ree o" all the limitations o" time, space and direction, $orships his o$n Atman $hich is present e&ery$here, $hich is the destroyer o" heat and cold, $hich is Bliss-;ternal and stainless, becomes All-)no$ing and All-per&ading and attains therea"ter Immortality.

Thus concludes Atma-Bodha.