30.07 : SHATA SHLOKI OF SHANKARA - SHLOKAS 31 TO 35
31.
ekAky-AsIt sa pUrvaM mRgayati vishhayAn-AnupUrvyA’ntarAtmA
jAyA me syAt prajA vA dhanam-upakaraNaM karma kurvans-tad-arthaM /
kleshaiH prANA-vasheshhaiH mahad-api manute nAnyad-asmAd-garIyaH
tv-ekA-lAbhe’py-akRtsno mRta iva viramati eka-hAnyA’kRtArthaH //
saH antarAtmA : That Inner Self
pUrvaM ekAkI AsIt : was, at first, by itself.
AnupUrvI vishhayAn mRgayati : Then it seeks objects of enjoyment one after another
jAyA me syAt : “Let me have a wife
prajA vA : and children
dhanam-upakaraNaM : and wealth for support”.
tadarthaM : For their sake, (the man)
karma kurvan : doing actions
prANA-vasheshhaiH kleshaiH : taking difficulties even at the risk of his life
mahad-api : even though great
na manute : does not deem
anyad : anything else
asmAd-garIyaH : to be weightier than them.
eka-alAbhe tu : Even if one of them is not gained
akRtsnaH : (he feels) incomplete
mRta iva : as if he were dead.
eka-hAnya: (So too) if one of them is lost
akRtArthaH viramati : he feels he has entirely missed his purpose of life.
32.
nAsIt-pUrvaM na pashcAt atanu-dina-karAc-chAdako vAri-vAhaH
dRshyaH kint-vantarA’sau sthagayati sa dRshaM pashyato nArka-bimbaM /
no cedevam vinA’rkaM jala-dhara-patalaM bhAsate tarhi kasmAt
tadvad-vishvaM vidhatte dRsham-atha na paraM bhAsakaM cAlakaM svaM //
vAri-vAhaH : The cloud
atanu-dina-kara-AcchAdakaH : that hides the huge Sun
nAsIt pUrvaM : has not existed ever before
na pashcAt : nor (will exist) ever thereafter
dRshyaH kintu antaraH : but is visible during that interval.
saH sthagayati : It obstructs
pashyataH dRshaM : the vision of the spectator
na arka-bimbaM : and not the solar orb;
tarhi evam no cet : For if it were not so,
kasmAt jala-dhara-paTalam bhAsate : how can the group of clouds be visible
vinA arkaM : without the Sun?
tadvat : In the same manner
vishvaM vidhatte dRshaM : does the (appearance of the) universe veil the vision
atha na paraM : but not the Supreme Self
bhAsakaM cAlakaM svaM : which is its own illuminer and inspirer.
33.
bhunjAnaH svapna-rAjyaM sa sakala-vibhavo jAgaraM prApya bhUyaH
rAjya-bhrashhTo’ham-itthaM na bhajati vishhamaM tan-mRshhA manyamAnaH /
svapne kurvan-nagamyA-gamana-mukham-aghaM tena na pratyavAyI
tadvaj-jAgrad-dashAyAM vyavahRtim-akhilAM svapnavad-vismarec-cet //
bhunjAnaH : Having enjoyed
svapna-rAjyaM : a dream kingdom,
sakala-vibhavaH saH : one with all that ‘glory’,
jAgaraM prApya bhUyaH : on waking thereafter,
na bhajati vishhamaM : does not feel downcast
rAjya-brashhTaH ahaM ithaM : that ‘I have been banished from my kingdom’
tat mRshAA manyamAnaH : knowing that it was all unreal.
na pratyavAyI : Nor (does one become) liable to be punished for
agamyA-gamana-mukhaM aghaM : evil deeds such as adultery and the like,
svapne kurvan : committed in a dream.
tadvat : So also (will it be)
akhilaM vyvahRtiM : (with) all activities
jAgrad-dashAyAM : (committed) in the waking state
vismaret cet : if (only) they are forgotten
svapnavad : as if (they were part ) of a dream.
Note: The meaning of ‘vismaret cet’ (‘if forgotten’) has to be properly interpreted. I would think that it means: “if we remember that it is also sublated at a higher state of consciousness”.
34.
svapnA-vasthA-nubhUtaM shubham-atha vishhamaM tan-mRshhA jAgare syAt
jAgratyAM sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM tan-mRshA svApa-kAle /
itthaM mithyAtva-siddhA-vanisham-ubhayadhA sajjate tatra mUDhaH
satye tad-bhAsake’smin-niha hi kuta idaM tan-na vidmo vayaM hi //
shubhaM atha vishhamaM : The pleasure or pain
svapna-avasthA-anubhUtaM : experienced in the dream state --
tat mRshhA syAt : that becomes unreal
jAgare : on waking.
sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM : The objects towards which the activities of the physical body are directed
jAgratyAM : in the waking state --
tan-mRshhA : they (become) unreal
svApa-kAle : during sleep.
itham mithyAtva-siddhau : Although unreality is thus established
anishaM : with certainty
ubhayadhA : both ways
mUDhaH : the ignorant person
tatra sajjate : clings to it (the body-mind-intellect experience)
asmin satye tad-bhAsake : although its very illuminer is the True Self.
iha tad-idaM kutaH : How does this situation arise here?
vayaM na vidmaH : we don’t know!
Note 1. It is interesting that the Acharya himself focuses on our inability to pinpoint the cause of this colossal error of the ignorant.
Note 2. Reality is that which exists in the three stages of Time – past, present and future.
35.
jIvantaM jAgratIha svajanam-atha mRtaM svapna-kAle nirIkshhya
nirvedaM yAty-akasmAt-mRtam-amRtam-amuM vIkshya harshhaM prayAti /
smRtvA’pyetasya jantor-nidhanam-asuyutiM bhAshhate tena sAkaM
satyevaM bhAti bhUyo’lpaka-samaya-vashAt satyatA vA mRshAtvaM //
nirvedaM yAti akasmAt: One is filled with sudden grief
nirIkshhya : on seeing,
svapna-kAle : during a dream,
svajanaM mRtaM : the death of a relative
jIvantaM : who is alive
jAgrathi iha : in one’s waking state, in this world.
harshhaM prayAti : So also does one feel happy
amRtaM vIkshhya : on seeing alive, (in a dream)
amuM mRtaM : one that was dead (in one’s waking state).
smRtvA api : Although remembering
nidhanaM : the death, (in the dream)
etasya jantoH : of this person
tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with him (in the waking state)
smRtvA api : Although remembering
nidhanaM : the death, (in the waking state)
etasya jantoH : of the (other) person
asuyutiM tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with the ‘living’ him (in the dream state).
Evam sati : this being so,
satyatA : reality
mRshhAtvaM vA : or falsity
bhAti : depends on
bhUyaH alpaka-samyatvAt : the longness or the shortness of time!
Note 1. I am not very happy with the above translation of mine. I would like to be told of a better way of translating the verse.
Note 2. The general purport, however, seems to be clear. The seeming reality of waking experiences and unreality of dream experiences are probably distinguished only by the difference in their duration. From the ultimate standpoint, both are unreal!