ATMABODHA OF SRIMAD SANKARACHARYA Atmabodha is one of the most concise works of the First Sankaracharya in which he has expounded

the fundamentals of the advaitic philosophy in 68 pithy verses pregnant with meaning. Chanting these slokas and contemplating their meaning will definitely help the wayfarers on the spiritual path.

This Atmabodha is prescribed and applicable only for those whose sins have been destroyed by austerities, who have a calm mind, who are devoid of attachment and who desire liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.

Compared to other means, knowledge is the only direct means to liberation. Just like food cannot be cooked without fire liberation cannot be attained without knowledge.

Karma (that which springs from ahamkara) does not remove ignorance as it is not opposed to it. Knowledge removes ignorance as light dispels darkness.

The self appears conditioned because of ignorance. Once it is destroyed only the pure Self shines by its own light just as the Sun is seen when the clouds disappear.

The self-tainted by ignorance (of identifying oneself with the body-mindintellect apparatus) is rendered pure by knowledge arising out of constant practice of thinking I am the pure Atman, not the senses, body, mind or intellect. After this, knowledge itself subsides just as the cleaning -nut itself subsides after purifying the water into which it is put.

This samsara full of likes and dislikes is just like a dream. During the dream it appears real but on waking up one realizes that it was unreal.

The world appears real only so long as the non-dual Brahman, which is the substrate of everything, is not known. The analogy given is of the shell which appears like silver. Once it is realized that only the shell is there the illusion of silver disappears.

The worlds appear, subsist and dissolve into the material cause which is only the Supreme Lord, the substrate of everything, just like the bubbles on the surface of water which rise from water, subsist on the surface of the water and finally dissolve into water.

All this multiplicity of names and forms are projected in the eternal Vishnu ( the all-pervading Brahman), the underlying existence-consciousness-self, like bangles and other ornaments in gold. (the different ornaments made of gold, having different names and forms, are basically gold only. Similarly everything is all-pervading Brahman)

Akasha (space) takes the form of any object enclosing it. Similarly the Lord, the indwelling spirit in all beings, appears to be different because of the differences in the bodies. When the names and forms are destroyed what remains is the only Reality.

Because of the differences in adjuncts, differences of caste, name and

ashrama are superimposed on the Atman just as qualities such as taste,

substances).

colour etc, are superimposed on water (because of its contact with other

The body, born of quintuplicate gross elements and acquired as the fruit of past karmas, is said to be the seat where pleasure and pain are experienced.

The subtle body consisting of the five vital airs (prana, apana, vyana,

udanaand samana), mind, intellect and the ten senses of perception and
action, born of subtle elements is the instrument for experiencing (pleasure and pain).

The beginningless and indefinable avidya is called the causal adjunct. The

atma should be understood as different from the the three adjuncts of the
causal, the subtle and the gross.

The self by its association with the five sheaths appears as if it takes on the form of the sheath with which it is in contact just like pure white crystal takes the colours of blue cloth etc with which it comes into contact.

The pure inner Self should be recognized as different from the five sheaths by means of pounding with reason, just as rice is obtained by pounding paddy and removing the husk and bran.

Though the Self is always everywhere it is not manifest everywhere. Just like a reflection is obtained only on a polished clear surface, the self shines only in the intellect.

The Atman should be comprehended as different from the body, sense organs, mind, intellect and the prakritibut as witness to their modes just as the King (who is different from his ministers etc but is a witness to their actions)

The ignorant think that the Self is engaged in action whereas only the sense organs are engaged in actions. When the clouds are moving in the sky, the moon also appears moving, though it is not so.

The body, the sense organs, the mind and the intellect act in their respective spheres powered by the Consciousness which is the self just as people go about their jobs in the light of the Sun.

Because of ignorance, the qualities and activities of the body and the senses are superimposed on the existence-consciousness-self, just as blue colour etc are wrongly attributed to the sky.

Just like the movement of water is superimposed on the reflection of the moon in the water similarly, out of ignorance, the qualities and activities of the mind are also superimposed on the self.

Attachment, desire, pleasure and pain operate only when the intellect is present. In sleep when the intellect is not present attachment, desire etc are also not present. It follows that these belong to the intellect and not to the self.

Just as light is the nature of the Sun, coolness the nature of water and heat eternity and purity.

the nature of fire, the nature of atman is existence-consciousness-bliss,

The existence-consciousness part of the Self and the modes of the intellect combine, due to non-discrimination, giving rise to the cognition I know.

There is no modification of the self and the intellect (being inert) does not have knowledge. The individual self is deluded into thinking that I am the doer and I am the seer because of avidya or ignorance.

Just as mistaking a piece of rope for a snake creates fear, so also the paramatman one becomes fearless. mistaking the atman for Jiva creates fear. Knowing that I am not jiva, I am

The intellect etc. and the senses are illumined by the Atman only, just as a lamp illumines the pot etc. But the Atman is not illumined by the intellect and the senses which are inert

For knowledge of the self there is no need for another knowledge since the self itself is of the nature of knowledge. A lamp does not need another lamp in order to illumine itself.


Negating all adjuncts of the self by the Upanishadic statements of not this, by meditating on the mahavakyas of the Upanishads.

not this, one should realize the identity of the jivatma and the paramatma

Body and other things perceived through the sense organs are born out of avidyaand are ephemeral like the bubbles I am the pure Brahman. on water surface. As distinct from this, one should know that

Since I am different from the body, I do not have birth, old age, decay, death etc. since I do not have any senses I have nothing to do with the objects of the senses like sight, sound, taste, smell, touch etc.

Since I do not have a mind I do not have sorrow, attachment, enmity, fear etc. Sruthi says that It is without the vital air and without a mind and is pure.

I am attributeless, actionless, eternal,

changeless, formless, eternally free and pure.

undetermined,

unblemished,

Like space I pervade everything, inside and outside. I am unchanging, stable. I am always the same in all, complete in myself, unattached, pure and unmoving.

I am the Supreme Brahman eternal, pure, free, alone, undivided bliss, one without a second, absolute-existence-consciousness and infinite.

Thus continuous practice and affirmation of the idea I am Brahman, will remove the projections caused by Avidya just as medicines remove illness.

Seated in a solitary place, unattached and with the senses under control, one should meditate on the infinite non-dual Self with one-pointed mind.

Dissolving all the perceived world in the Self by the intellect (mind), the wise should always contemplate the Self as the pure ether (aakaasha, space).

The realized soul mentally gives up attributes like form and colour and remains firmly established in his real nature of plenary-consciousness-bliss

The distinction of knower, knowledge and object of knowledge does not exist in the self. As it is of the nature of one consciousness-bliss, it shines by its own light.

Thus when continuous churning by meditation takes place in the arani of the Self, the fire of knowledge that bursts out will destroy all the firewood of ignorance.

When the darkness of ignorance is dispelled by the knowledge of

Arunodaya the Self becomes manifest by itself like the Sun.

Though the Self is always attained, it seems to be unattained because of

Avidya(nescience). When Avidyais destroyed it appears as if the Self has

been attained like the ornament worn around the neck. (The analogy is of a person wearing the ornament who searches for it everywhere unaware that it is around his neck but finally finds it around his own neck.)

The state of being individual self is caused in Brahman by delusion like the appearance of the form of a man in a pillar. This delusion is removed when the essence of the individual soul is perceived in Brahman.

The knowledge arising out of the experience of the nature of Truth demolishes the ignorance of the form of I and Mine just like the confusion regarding directions is demolished (when the sun rises dispelling darkness).

wisdom he sees the one self in all. . The Yogi who has true wisdom sees everything in himself. With the eyes of

The entire world is the Self (Atma). There is nothing other than the Atman. The man of wisdom sees all as the Self just like pots and other earthenware are seen as clay only.

That is liberation while living wherein the wise one gives up the previous limiting adjuncts and attains the nature of Existence-Consciousness etc like the worm becoming the wasp.

Having crossed the ocean of delusion and having killed the demons of likes and dislikes, the Yogi revels in the Self in perfect peace.

Abandoning the desire for the ephemeral external pleasures and content with the supreme happiness of the Self, the Yogi ever shines within, like a lamp placed in a pot.

The sage who has silenced his speech and his mind (muni), though staying amidst limiting adjuncts, is not tainted by them like Ether(space). He lives like the ignorant though he knows all. He moves about like air without being attached.

When the adjuncts are dissolved, the sage enters and merges with the undifferentiated all-pervading reality, just like water becomes one with water, space becomes one with space and light becomes one with light.

Gaining which nothing else is to be gained, experiencing the happiness of which no other happiness matters and knowing which nothing else is to be known, know that to be Brahman.

Having seen which nothing else is to be seen, becoming which there is known, know that to be brahman.

nothing else to become and knowing which there is nothing more to be

That which pervades across, above and below, which is the non-dual existence-consciousness-bliss, which is infinite and eternal, know that to be

Brahman.

That which is indicated by the Upanishads in terms of not this, not this, which is immutable and which is non-dual and of the nature of indivisible bliss, know that to be Brahman.

Brahma and all the other celestials become relatively blissful depending on a particle of bliss of that Brahman whose nature is indivisible and infinite Bliss

All objects are united with Brahman and empirical usage is pervaded by consciousness. Thus the all-pervading Brahman is in all like butter (ghee) in milk.

Know that to be Brahman which is not subtle, not gross, not short, not long, unborn, unchanging, without form, quality, caste or name.

That by whose light shine the Sun and other luminous bodies, which does not shine by the light of those illuminated bodies, by which all this shine, know that to be Brahman.

Pervading inside and outside of everything and illuminating the entire universe, Brahman shines like the fire by which a ball of iron has been

made red-hot. [ Though the ball of iron appears rad and hot, what is really bright and hot is the fire which imparts its properties to the iron.]

Brahman is different from the world. There is nothing other than Brahman. If
anything other than Brahman is manifest it is only an illusion as the mirage in the desert.

knowledge it is realized that

Whatever is seen or heard cannot be other than Brahman. Through true consciousness-bliss

Brahman

is

the

non-dual

existence-

He who has eyes of wisdom sees the self which is all-pervading and existence-consciousness. He who has eyes of ignorance does not see just as the blind man does not see the sun that is shining.

Heated in the fire of knowledge kindled by hearing etc. the individual soul becomes free from all impurities and shines by itself like (molten) gold.

The self, the sun of knowledge, rises in the space of the heart and dispels the darkness of ignorance. It pervades everything, it supports all, it shines by itself and illumines everything.

He who, giving up all actions and discarding directions, place, time etc, takes to the holy waters of his own Self which is all-pervading, which destroys cold etc, which is eternal happiness and which is untainted becomes all-knowing, all-pervading and immortal.