ATMA BODHA
(A Treatise on the knowledge of Atma)
by
SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA
This book Atma Bodha or knowledge of Self (Atma) is an outcome of deep thinking about why we are born and living, influencing or getting influenced by every one around us, developing relations with them both physically and mentally, worrying for them and either losing them or leaving them temporarily due to life cycle and permanently by death. According to Bhagavatgeeta and Upanishads it is due to this Birth - Death Cycle.
For everyone this Birth Cycle is continuing. This is what worried the thinkers and philosophers. ''How long should we dwell in these cycles? Is there no end.
Birth is the result of formation of organs of the Body and Mind. This is followed by the ''I'' feeling i.e., I am doing, I am successfull, I am suffering etc., This ''I'' feeling results in either ego and depression.This ego results in Karma which results in competition which results in worry. The worry results in disease. Disease results in Death which is followed by another birth. The cycle continues thus.
The great Jnanis worked hard to find out how to put an end to these cycles of birth and death though the ignorant kept on asking why should we bother when no one guarantees a rebirth or a birth known to us or a birth in which we do not remember any thing about this birth. Such ignorant lived for physical pleasures, suffered or enjoyed as a result of their works and died. This Atma Bodha is not for them. This is for thinkers who are really interested to acquire wisdom and attain liberation for the soul (Atma) from the birth cycle.
Atma Bodha (Knowledge of Self) is one of the works of Adi Sankaracharya. In this work he expounds clearly with the help of homely analogies the nature of the consciousness (Self) and the means of self realisation. The speciality of this Atma Bodha is that though each Sloka has one direct meaning the concept and inner meaning of each Sloka is really more thoughtful and enlightens the reader. An attempt made to explain the inner meaning also.
Atma Bodha by Adi Sankaracharya's Translated
by Swami
Chinmayananda
Published by Chinmaya Mission, Mumbai
Self (Atma) is an outcome of deep
thinking about why we are born and living, influencing or getting influenced by
everyone around us, developing relations with them both physically and
mentally, worrying for them and either losing them or leaving them temporarily
due to life cycle and permanently by death. According to Bhagavatgeeta and Upanishads
it is due to this Birth - Death Cycle.
1. I am composing the Atma-Bodha,
this treatise of the Knowledge of the Self, for those who have purified
themselves by austerities and are peaceful in heart and calm, who are free from
cravings and are desirous of liberation.
2. Just as the fire is the direct
cause for cooking, so without Knowledge no emancipation can be had. Compared
with all other forms of discipline Knowledge of the Self is the one direct
means for liberation.
3. Action cannot destroy
ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge
does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness.
4. The Soul appears to be finite
because of ignorance. When ignorance is destroyed the Self which does not admit
of any multiplicity truly reveals itself by itself: like the Sun when the clouds
pass away.
5. Constant practice of knowledge
purifies the Self (‘ Jivatman ’), stained by ignorance and then disappears
itself – as the powder of the ‘Kataka -nut’ settles down after it has cleansed the
muddy water.
6. The world, which is full of
attachments, aversions, etc., is like a dream. It appears to be real, as long
as it continues but appears to be unreal when one is awake (i.e., when true wisdom
dawns).
7. The Jagat appears to be true
(Satyam) so long as Brahman, the substratum, the basis of all this creation, is
not realized. It is like the illusion of silver in the mother-of pearl.
8. Like bubbles in the water, the
worlds rise, exist and dissolve in the Supreme Self, which is the material
cause and the prop of everything.
9. All the manifested world of
things and beings are projected by imagination upon the substratum which is the
Eternal All-pervading Vishnu, whose nature is Existence-Intelligence; just as
the different ornaments are all made out of the same gold.
10. The All-pervading Akasa
appears to be diverse on account of its association with various conditionings
(Upadhis) which are different from each other. Space becomes one on the
destruction of these limiting adjuncts: So also the Omnipresent Truth appears
to bediverse on account of Its association with the various Upadhis and becomes
one on the destruction of these Upadhis
11. Because of Its association
with different conditionings (Upadhis) such ideas as caste, colour and position
are super-imposed upon the Atman, as flavor , colour , etc., are super-imposed
onwater.
12. Determined for each
individual by his own past actions and made up of the Five elements –that have
gone through the process of “five-fold self-division and mutual
combination”(Pancheekarana) – are born the gross-body, the medium through which
pleasure and pain are experienced, the tent-of-experiences.
13. The five Pranas, the ten
organs and the Manas and the Buddhi, formed from the rudimentary elements
(Tanmatras) before their “five-fold division and mutual combination with
oneanother” (Pancheekarana) and this is the subtle body, the
instruments-of-experience (of theindividual).
14. Avidya which is indescribable
and beginningless is the Causal Body. Know for certain thatthe Atman is other
than these three conditioning bodies (Upadhis).
15. In its identification with
the five-sheaths the Immaculate Atman appears to have borrowedtheir qualities
upon Itself; as in the case of a crystal which appears to gather unto itself
colour of its vicinity (blue cloth, etc.,).
16. Through discriminative
self-analysis and logical thinking one should separate the Pure self within
from the sheaths as one separates the rice from the husk, bran, etc., that are
covering it.
17. The Atman does not shine in
everything although He is All-pervading. He is manifest only inthe inner
equipment, the intellect (Buddhi): just as the reflection in a clean mirror.
18. One should understand that
the Atman is always like the King, distinct from the body,senses, mind and
intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakriti); and is the witness of
their functions.
19. The moon appears to be
running when the clouds move in the sky. Likewise to the non-discriminating
person the Atman appears to be active when It is observed through the functions
of the sense-organs.
20. Depending upon the energy of
vitality of Consciousness (Atma Chaitanya) the body,senses, mind and intellect
engage themselves in their respective activities, just as men workdepending
upon the light of the Sun.
21. Fools, because they lack in
their powers of discrimination superimpose on the Atman,
theAbsolute-Existence-Knowledge (Sat-Chit), all the varied functions of the
body and the senses, just as they attribute blue colour and the like to the
sky.
22. The tremblings that belong to
the waters are attributed through ignorance to the reflectedmoon dancing on it:
likewise agency of action, of enjoyment and of other limitations (which
reallybelong to the mind) are delusively understood as the nature of the Self
(Atman).
23. Attachment, desire, pleasure,
pain, etc., are perceived to exist so long as Buddhi or mindfunctions. They are
not perceived in deep sleep when the mind ceases to exist. Therefore theybelong
to the mind alone and not to the Atman.
24. Just as luminosity is the
nature of the Sun, coolness of water and heat of fire, so too thenature of the
Atman is Eternity, Purity, Reality, Consciousness and Bliss.
25. By the indiscriminate
blending of the two – the Existence-Knowledge-aspect of the Self andthe
thought-wave of the intellect – there arises the notion of “I know”.
26. Atman never does anything and
the intellect of its own accord has no capacity to experience‘I know’. But the
individuality in us delusorily thinks he is himself the seer and the knower.
27. Just as the person who
regards a rope as a snake is overcome by fear, so also oneconsidering oneself
as the ego (Jiva) is overcome by fear. The ego-centric individuality in
usregains fearlessness by realising that It is not a Jiva but is Itself the Supreme
Soul.
28. Just as a lamp illumines a
jar or a pot, so also the Atman illumines the mind and the senseorgans, etc.
These material-objects by themselves cannot illumine themselves because they
areinert.
29. A lighted-lamp does not need
another lamp to illumine its light. So too, Atman which isKnowledge itself
needs no other knowledge to know it.
30. By a process of negation of
the conditionings (Upadhis) through the help of the scripturalstatement ‘It is
not this, It is not this’, the oneness of the individual soul and the Supreme
Soul, asindicated by the great Mahavakyas, has to be realised.
31. The body, etc., up to the
“Causal Body” – Ignorance – which are objects perceived, are asperishable as
bubbles. Realise through discrimination that I am the ‘Pure Brahman’ ever
completely separate from all these.
32. I am other than the body and
so I am free from changes such as birth, wrinkling, senility,death, etc. I have
nothing to do with the sense objects such as sound and taste, for I am
withoutthe sense-organs.
33. I am other than the mind and
hence, I am free from sorrow, attachment, malice and fear, for “HE is without
breath and without mind, Pure, etc.”, is the Commandment of the great
scripture,the Upanishads.
34. I am without attributes and
actions; Eternal (Nitya) without any desire and thought(Nirvikalpa), without
any dirt (Niranjana), without any change (Nirvikara), without form
(Nirakara),ever-liberated (Nitya Mukta) ever-pure (Nirmala).
35. Like the space I fill all
things within and without. Changeless and the same in all, at all timesI am
pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.
36. I am verily that Supreme
Brahman alone which is Eternal, Pure and Free, One, indivisibleand non-dual and
of the nature of Changeless-Knowledge-Infinite.
37. The impression “I am Brahman”
thus created by constant practice destroys ignorance andthe agitation caused by
it, just as medicine or Rasayana destroys disease.
38. Sitting in a solitary place,
freeing the mind from desires and controlling the senses, meditatewith
unswerving attention on the Atman which is One without-a-second.
39. The wise one should
intelligently merge the entire world-of-objects in the Atman alone
andconstantly think of the Self ever as contaminated by anything as the sky.
40. He who has realised the
Supreme, discards all his identification with the objects of namesand forms.
(Thereafter) he dwells as an embodiment of the Infinite Consciousness and
Bliss. Hebecomes the Self.
41. There are no distinctions
such as “Knower”, the “Knowledge” and the “Object of Knowledge”in the Supreme
Self. On account of Its being of the nature of endless Bliss, It does not admit
of such distinctions within Itself. It alone shines by Itself.
42. When this the lower and the
higher aspects of the Self are well churned together, the fire of knowledge is
born from it, which in its mighty conflagration shall burn down all the fuel of
ignorance in us.
43. The Lord of the early dawn
(Aruna) himself has already looted away the thick darkness,when soon the sun
rises. The Divine Consciousness of the Self rises when the right knowledgehas
already killed the darkness in the bosom.
44. Atman is an ever-present
Reality. Yet, because of ignorance it is not realised. On thedestruction of
ignorance Atman is realised. It is like the missing ornament of one’s neck.
45. Brahman appears to be a
‘Jiva’ because of ignorance, just as a post appears to be a ghost.The
ego-centric-individuality is destroyed when the real nature of the ‘Jiva’ is
realised as the Self.
46. The ignorance characterised
by the notions ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ is destroyed by the knowledgeproduced by the
realisation of the true nature of the Self, just as right information removes
thewrong notion about the directions.
47. The Yogi of perfect
realisation and enlightenment sees through his “eye of wisdom” (GyanaChakshush)
the entire universe in his own Self and regards everything else as his own Self
andnothing else.
48. Nothing whatever exists other
than the Atman: the tangible universe is verily Atman. As potsand jars are
verily made of clay and cannot be said to be anything but clay, so too, to
theenlightened soul and that is perceived is the Self.
49. A liberated one, endowed with
Self-knowledge, gives up the traits of his previouslyexplained equipments
(Upadhis) and because of his nature of Sat-chit-ananda, he verily
becomesBrahman like (the worm that grows to be) a wasp.
50. After crossing the ocean of
delusion and killing the monsters of likes and dislikes, the Yogiwho is united
with peace dwells in the glory of his own realised Self – as an Atmaram.
51. The self-abiding Jivan Mukta,
relinquishing all his attachments to the illusory externalhappiness and
satisfied with the bliss derived from the Atman, shines inwardly like a lamp
placedinside a jar.
52. Though he lives in the conditionings
(Upadhis), he, the contemplative one, remains ever unconcerned with anything or
he may move about like the wind, perfectly unattached.
53. On the destruction of the
Upadhis, the contemplative one is totally absorbed in ‘Vishnu’,
theAll-pervading Spirit, like water into water, space into space and light into
light.
54. Realise That to be Brahman,
the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be attained,the blessedness of
which leaves no other blessing to be desired and the knowledge of whichleaves
nothing more to be known.
55. Realise that to be Brahman
which, when seen, leaves nothing more to be seen, whichhaving become one is not
born again in this world and which, when knowing leaves nothing elseto be
known.
56. Realise that to be Brahman
which is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute, which is Non-dual, Infinite,
Eternal and One and which fills all the quarters – above and below and all
thatexists between.
57. Realise that to be Brahman
which is Non-dual, Indivisible, One and Blissful and which isindicated in
Vedanta as the Immutable Substratum, realised after the negation of all
tangibleobjects.
58. Deities like Brahma and
others taste only a particle, of the unlimited Bliss of Brahman andenjoy in
proportion their share of that particle.
59. All objects are pervaded by
Brahman. All actions are possible because of Brahman:therefore Brahman
permeates everything as butter permeates milk.
60. Realise that to be Brahman
which is neither subtle nor gross: neither short nor long: withoutbirth or
change: without form, qualities, colour and name.
61. That by the light of which
the luminous, orbs like the Sun and the Moon are illuminated, butwhich is not
illumined by their light, realise that to be Brahman.
62. Pervading the entire universe
outwardly and inwardly the Supreme Brahman shines of Itself like the fire that
permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glows by itself.
63. Brahman is other than this,
the universe. There exists nothing that is not Brahman. If anyobject other than
Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal like the mirage.
64. All that is perceived, or
heard, is Brahman and nothing else. Attaining the knowledge of theReality, one
sees the Universe as the non-dual Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute.
65. Though Atman is Pure
Consciousness and ever present everywhere, yet It is perceived bythe
eye-of-wisdom alone: but one whose vision is obscured by ignorance he does not
see It; asthe blind do not see the resplendent Sun.
66. The ‘Jiva’ free from
impurities, being heated in the fire of knowledge kindled by hearing andso on,
shines of itself like gold.
67. The Atman, the Sun of
Knowledge that rises in the sky of the heart, destroys the darknessof the
ignorance, pervades and sustains all and shines and makes everything to shine.
68. He who renouncing all
activities, who is free of all the limitations of time, space anddirection,
worships his own Atman which is present everywhere, which is the destroyer of
heatand cold, which is Bliss-Eternal and stainless, becomes All-knowing and
All-pervading and attainsthereafter Immortality.Thus concludes Atma-Bodha.
AUM
