manishha panchakam

॥ मनीषापकं ॥.. maniShA pa.nchakaM (with translation) ..

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Text title : manIShApaJNchakaMFile name : manishhaa5.itxCategory : panchakaLocation : doc_z_misc_shankaraLanguage : SanskritSubject : philosophy/hinduism/religionTransliterated by : P. P. Narayanaswami swami at math.mun.caProofread by : P. P. Narayanaswami swami at math.mun.ca, Sunder Hattangadisunderh at hotmail.comLatest update : January, 6, 2012Send corrections to : [email protected] access : http://sanskritdocuments.org

॥ मनीषापकं ॥

॥ मनीषापकं ॥Introduction

ManIShA panchakamwaswritten by JagadguruAdi Shankaracharya.A biography of Shankara and his other compositions of vedicliterature can be found in the shankara.itx document.Shri Shankara has been criticized by modern western scholarsforpropounding sectarian beliefs in his commentary (bhashya) ofBrahma sutra where he restricts the recitation of Vedas to theuppercastes only . However, one should note that one is handicappedwhenwriting a commentary on a text . Thus in independent compo-sitions likethe upadesasahasri and this short text, manIShA panchakamhe expoundshis Advaita philosophy in all its glory . Advaita, the non-dualisticphilosophy expounded in detail by Shri Shankara, does notrecognizedifferences between people based on caste, creed, religion,gender etcsince we are all the manifestations of the same Brahman.The scene is set in Varanasi (Kashi/Benaras), the ancientsacred city of India,and the home to the famous kashi visvanatha temple.Adi shankarAchArya, the expounder of the advaitic, non-dualistic

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2 ॥ मनीषापकं ॥

philosophy, was on the way to the temple after finishing hisbath . Suddenlyhe saw a chandAla (an outcaste), on the way, and beckons tohim to keep adistance, as per the practice and custom in those days . Thatoutcaste isnone other than the Lord sha Nkara (Shiva) Himself! At suchbeckoning, theLord addresses his devotee sha NkarAchArya, in the first twostanzas (theprologue), as under:

मनीषापकंअमयादमयमथवा चतैमवे चतैात ।्यितवर रीकत ु वािस िकं ॄिूह ग गिेत ॥

O great ascetic! Tell me . Do you want me to keep a distancefrom you, byuttering ’go away’ ’go away’ taking me to be an outcaste ?Is it addressed from one body made of food to another bodymade of food,or is it consciousness from consciousness — which, O, thebest among ascetics, you wish should go away, by saying“ Go away, go away”? Do tell me.

ूविुन िनरसहजानावबोधाधुौिवूोऽयं पचोऽयिमिप महाोऽयं िवभदेॅमः ।िकं गािुन िबितऽेरमणौ चाडालवीथीपयःपरूे वाऽरमि कानघटीमुृयोवा ऽरे ॥

Answer me . While the supreme Beingis reflected in every object as the sun’s reflecion could be seenin theplacid waveless water bodies why this doubting confusion anddifferentiation i.e . whether one is a brahmin or an outcaste ?who isthe superior one etc ?. Is there any difference in the reflectionof the sun

॥ मनीषापकं ॥ 3

in the waters of the Ganges or in the water present in the streetof an outcaste?Likewise, is there any difference when the water- containershappen to begolden vessels and earthen pots ?(Immediately shankarAcharya realises the presence of theLord Shankarabefore him (who has apparently shown Himself with a view toremoving thelast vestige of imperfection in His devotee) and reels off thefollowing 5stanzas-constituting ’manIShApa nchakam’-ending with a fur-ther stanzain the form of an epilogue).

जामसषुिुष ु ुटतरा या सिंवृतेया ॄािदिपपीिलकातनषु ु ूोता जगािणी ।सवैाहं न च ँयविित ढूािप याि च-ेाडालोऽु स त ु िजोऽु गुिरषेा मनीषा मम ॥ १॥

If one is convinced firmly, that he is that very Soul whichmanifestsitself in all the conditions of sleep, wakefulness and dream, inall theobjects from the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant andwhich isalso the vibrant, but invisible, witnesser of all, then as per myclearconclusion, he is the great teacher/preceptor, be he a twice-born(i.e higher castes) or an outcaste.

ॄवैाहिमदं जग सकलं िचाऽिवािरतंसव चतैदिवया िऽगणुयाऽशषें मया कितम ।्इं य ढा मितः सखुतरे िने परे िनम लेचाडालोऽु स त ु िजोऽु गुिरषेा मनीषा मम ॥ २॥


I am quite convinced that he is the great Master, be he aBrahmin or anoutcaste, who, dwelling on the pure and infinite Brahmanthinks ofhimself as that very Brahman, of whose manifestation thewhole Universeis,though apparently the Universe is assumed to consist ofdifferentthings, due to ignorance and the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas andTamas).

शरमवे िवमिखलं िनि वाचा गरुो-िन ं ॄ िनररं िवमशृता िना जशााना ।भतूं भाित च ृतं ूदहता सिंवये पावकेूाराय समिप तं वपिुरषेा मनीषा मम ॥ ३॥

I am fully convinced by the Preceptor’s words that the entireUniverse isa transitory illusion and that the human body is given toconstantlymeditate on the infinite and supreme Being with a serene andunquestioningmind and thus to burn in that sacred Fire the sins with whichthehuman is born.

या ितय रदवेतािभरहिमः ुटा गृत ेयासा दयादहेिवषया भाि तोऽचतेनाः ।तां भाःै िपिहताकमडलिनभां ूित सदा भावय-ोगी िनवृ तमानसो िह गुिरषेा मनीषा मम ॥ ४॥

In my considered opinion that Yogi is great who has clearlygrasped withinhimself the truth and quality of the supreme Being throughwhich all ouractivities are performed and whose effulgence is hidden byignorance [of


an ordinary person] even as the sun’s halo is covered/hidden bythe clouds.

यौािुधलेशलेशत इमे शबादयो िनवृ तायिे िनतरां ूशाकलन े ला मिुनिन वृ तः ।यििसखुाधुौ गिलतधीॄ वै न ॄिवद ्यः कि सरुेवितपदो ननू ं मनीषा मम ॥ ५॥

I am convinced that whoever has his mind dwelling upon theGreat Beingwho is being worshipped by Indra and other gods and is thuscompletely atpeace with himself has not only understood Brahman but heis himself thatgreat Brahman!

दासऽेहं दहेाऽि शोजातऽशो जीवा िऽ े ।सव ाऽऽाा मवे-ेवें म े धीिन िता सव शाःै ॥

Oh Lord ! In the form of body I am your servant . In the formof life, Othree-eyed one, I am part of yourself . In the form of soul, youarewithin me and in every other soul.I have arrived at this conclu-sion throughmy intellect and on the authority of the various scriptures.

॥ इित ौीमरभगवतः कृतौ मनीषापकं सणू म ॥्

Thus ends the ’manIShApa nchakam’ composed by the Adis-hankarAcharya.

Encoding by Narayanaswami at swami at math.mun.caTranslation by Shri S. V. Ganesan


Shri Kanchi MAhaswami Discourse(English translation of discourse by P N Ramachandranpnramchandran at gmail.com)The Mahaswami (late Shri Chandrashekharendra SarasvatiSwami) isconsidered a saint of recent times. His discourses on varioustopicswhile on a visit toMadras in 1930’s are indeed the benchmark.)The Harijan asked:ANnmyadNnmymtva cEtNymev cEtNyaT(Maneesha Panchakam . Brihatstotram)Which should get away from which, whereto and how? Whatis your intention? Isit that one frame made of bone and flesh and itself a productof food, shouldget away from another frame of same composition and sameorigin? Or, that thesoul (atma) resident in a frame should not come near anothersoul (atma)similarly resident in another frame? Oh! The best amongBrahmins, pleaseanswer me, what is that which should get away?.pratyagvastuni(Maneesha Panchakam . Brihatstotram)The sun.s light falls both on the waters of the Ganges as wellas of those ofdrains. The sun.s image gets reflected from both these surfaces.Is there anydifference between the two images? Similarly, is there anydifference in theimages of the sun reflected in the water contained in a vesselwhether thelatter is made of gold or of mud?There is a permanent reality (paramatma) in our bodies. Para-matma, which is


all perfect has the innate attributes of both bliss and knowledge.There areno differences in it. It is omniscient like the ocean. Even thiscomparison isnot fully correct. In the ocean there are many waves. But in theparamatmathere are no waves. The physical ocean has atmosphere stand-ing upon it. Thiscauses the waves in the ocean. But paramatma exists every-where. There is noplace without it. In view of its omnipresence there are no wavesin it. It isboth unexcellable bliss and limitless knowledge. In the para-matma which is ofsuch nature, how can there be differences?.The question being in the nature of highest knowledge, evokedreply in thesame vein. Adi Sankara said, .If you are such a knower ofBrahmam (supremereality), then you are indeed my Guru (revered teacher).. AdiSankara.s replyis in five slokas known as ManeeshA Panchakam. Maneeshameans firm convictionand Panchakam means five-fold. Adi Sankara sets out these ashis firmconvictions.Adi Sankara replied:jAgratsvapna(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 1)If this type of firm self-knowledge is found in any one . theknowledge thatfrom the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant, in allanimate andinanimate things there is the supreme Brahman that is .I.; thatthe things


which knowledge perceives as .I. are not .I.; then whether hebe a Harijan ora Brahmin, that one alone is my Guru. This is my deepconviction and faith.How are we to look at all living things in the world as identicalwithourselves? This self-knowledge is indeed hard to attain. Thereare threestates of experience: waking (jagrat), dream (swapna) anddeep sleep(sushipti). Although the states differ and the mental attitudesduring thesestates differ, the person who experiences these is one and thesame. Similarlywe should be firmly convinced that one and the same .I. prevailsin variousthings and in various places in the three states of experience.Although weperform or experience in different states acts and mentalattitudes distinctfrom one another and although these acts and attitudes seem tobe the work ofdistinct bodies and minds, we know that it is one and the sameperson thatperforms these acts or experiences these attitudes. Likewisethe acts andmental attitudes, seemingly of other persons, are in reality ourown. Bodiesalone are separate but the inner self (the .I.) is the same. Weshould thuslook at the entire world in this unitary view and not be misledby apparentdifferences.We see an article. The act of seeing has both an object (theparticular


article seen) as well as the subject (one who does the act ofseeing). Thesetwo states (object and subject) are separate and distinct fromone another.The body is seen . so it is the object. Atma (soul) sees . so it isthesubject. This analogy can be extended to other acts such asperception orconsciousness. The body is perceived . so it is the object. Atma(soul) doesthe act of perceiving . so it is the subject. Thus the body andthe soul areseparate from one another. He who considers the soul as thatwhich is seen(that is, confuses the object for the subject) can only be termedas anaggyani (ignorant of reality/truth).yatsaukhya(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 5)Encoded by Narayanaswami at swami at math.mun.caTranslation by Shri S. V. Ganesan

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