Advaita Pancharatnam (Five gems of Non-duality) - Sanskrit Text, Translation, Brief Commentary, Word-for-word meaning, and Chanting
अद्वैतपञ्चरत्नम्
Advaitapañcaratnam
Five gems of Non-duality
Sanskrit Text, English Transliteration and English Translation
नाहं देहो नेन्द्रियाण्यन्तरङ्गो
नाहङ्कारः प्राणवर्गो न बुद्धिः |
दारापत्यक्षेत्रवित्तादिदूरः
साक्षी नित्यः प्रत्यगात्मा शिवोऽहम् ॥ १ ॥
nāhaṃ deho nendriyāṇyantaraṅgo
nāhaṅkāraḥ prāṇavargo na buddhiḥ
dārāpatyakṣetravittādidūraḥ
sākṣī nityaḥ pratyagātmā śivo’ham (1)
I am neither the body, nor the sense organs, nor the mind;
I am neither the ego, nor the pranas (vital airs), nor the intelligence;
I am far removed from wife, child, property, wealth, etc.
I am the eternal witness, the inner Self, the Lord.
रज्ज्वज्ञानाद्भाति रज्जौ यथाहिः
स्वात्माज्ञानादात्मनो जीवभावः।
आप्तोक्त्याऽहिभ्रान्तिनाशे स रज्जु –
र्जीवो नाहं देशिकोक्त्या शिवोऽहम् ॥ २ ॥
rajjvajñānādbhāti rajjau yathāhiḥ
svātmājñānādātmano jīvabhāvaḥ
āptoktyā’hibhrāntināśe sa rajju –
rjīvo nāhaṃ deśikoktyā śivo’ham (2)
Just as ignorance of the rope causes a person to mistake it for a snake,
ignorance of my true nature causes me to mistake myself for an individual.
Through the words of a wise person the rope is recognized, and the delusion of the snake is removed.
Through the words of a guru I realize that I am not an individual, I am the Lord.
आभातीदं विश्वमात्मन्यसत्यं
सत्यज्ञानानन्दरूपे विमोहात् ।
निद्रामोहात्स्वप्नवत्तन्न सत्यं
शुद्धः पूर्णो नित्य एकः शिवोऽहम् ॥ ३ ॥
ābhātīdaṃ viśvamātmanyasatyaṃ
satyajñānānandarūpe vimohāt
nidrāmohātsvapnavattanna satyaṃ
śuddhaḥ pūrṇo nitya ekaḥ śivo’ham (3)
This unreal world appears to me,
whose nature is existence-consciousness-bliss, due to delusion,
just as dreams, which are not real, appear during sleep, due to delusion.
I am the untainted, fulfilled, eternal, unitary Lord.
नाहं जातो न प्रवृद्धो न नष्टो
देहस्योक्ताः प्राकृताः सर्वधर्माः ।
कर्तृत्वादिश्चिन्मयस्यास्ति नाहं-
कारस्यैव ह्यात्मनो मे शिवोऽहम् ॥ ४॥
nāhaṃ jāto na pravṛddho na naṣṭo
dehasyoktāḥ prākṛtāḥ sarvadharmāḥ
kartṛtvādiścinmayasyāsti nāhaṃ-
kārasyaiva hyātmano me śivo’ham (4)
I am neither born, nor grown, nor dead.
All such material attributes are of the body.
The concept of doership, etc. belong solely to the ego,
and not to me who am pure awareness, the Lord.
मत्तो नान्यत्किञ्चिदत्रास्ति विश्वं
सत्यं बाह्यं वस्तु मायोपक्लृप्तम् ।
आदर्शान्तर्भासमानस्य तुल्यं
मय्यद्वैते भाति तस्माच्छिवोऽहम् ॥ ५ ॥
matto nānyatkiñcidatrāsti viśvaṃ
satyaṃ bāhyaṃ vastu māyopaklṛptam
ādarśāntarbhāsamānasya tulyaṃ
mayyadvaite bhāti tasmācchivo’ham (5)
There is nothing other than me in this universe here.
The (appearance of the) external material things is caused by Maya
similar to the things seen in a mirror.
In my non-duality it (the external world) shines, therefore I am the Lord.
Commentary
Advaitapañcaratnam (also known as Ātmapañcakam) consists of five verses (ślokas), explaining the essence of the philosophy of Non-duality (Advaita Vedanta), and hence the title “Five gems of Non-duality”.
Each verse ends with the words “Shivo’ham” (I am Shiva). The usage of the word Shiva here can be interpreted in two ways – either as an abstract noun which means “auspiciousness”, or as a proper noun denoting Lord Shiva. While both interpretations are valid for this hymn, considering that the ultimate conclusion of Non-duality is “I am God” (Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi), it is appropriate to use the interpretation of “I am the Lord”, specifically from the higher standpoint of a liberated soul.
Verse-1
The first verse describes the nature of the true self (pratyagātmā). Enquiry is a pre-requisite for liberation, and while one can enquire about various aspects of existence (for example: what is life, where did this world come from, is there a God, etc.), the easiest point for commencing such an enquiry is with the self, (i.e., who am I really?).
The true nature of the self cannot be understood through conventional enquiry processes such as cognitive analysis. That is because the self is ultimately nothing but pure “awareness” or “consciousness”. It is this awareness (the true self) that enables the intellect to function. So the intellect is dependent on the awareness, and therefore it cannot directly comprehend the true self. It is somewhat like a battery torch that is trying to shine its light on its own battery – it is actually the battery that is enabling the torch to shine, and not the other way around.
Given this limitation of the intellect to directly grasp the true self, one of the traditional and effective methods adopted in the Advaita Vedanta is the method of negation, i.e., ruling out what the self is not. This is called the “neti-neti” (not this - not this) method, and Shri Śhaṅkarācharya starts with this in the very first verse.
Most people know that whatever is outside the boundaries of their physical body is “not the self”. The notion of the “self” begins from the outer boundaries of the body such as skin, hair, nails, etc. But we tend to lump together all that is within the boundaries of the body as one entity and treat it as “myself”. But according to Advaita Vedanta the individual consists of five sheaths (pañcha-koshas), one within the other like concentric circles. The outermost sheath is the physical body (deha), inside which is the sheath of “life force” or “vital airs” (prānas), inside which is the sheath of mind (ahaṅkāra) and sense organs (antaraṅga), inside which is the sheath of intelligence (buddhi), inside which is the sheath of bliss (ānanda). The true self (ātmā) is beyond these five sheaths. In fact, everything up to the intellect and even thoughts are considered to belong to the material world (i.e. made up of gross and subtle primordial matter).
Have clarified what is “not me” (na-ahaṃ) in the first two lines (pādas) of this verse, Śhaṅkarācharya then moves to what is “not mine” (na-mama) in the third line. Our possessions are another source of illusory bondage, which prevent us realized that we are ever-liberated. We bind ourselves to people and objects, never realizing that the concept of possession is itself false since the relationship between the possessor and the possessed is only at the level of the five sheaths and not applicable to the true self. If the body itself does not belong to me, then what to speak of wife (dārā), child (apatya), property (kṣetra), and wealth (vittam), which are purely related to the body?
So if I am neither the limited individual being (including the five sheaths) nor a possessor of relationships and things, when who am I? In the final line of the first verse comes the emphatic reply – I am the eternal witness (nityaḥ sākṣī), the inner self, the Lord. In my presence these things (the five sheaths, the relationships, the possessions) arise and disappear, I am neither the doer (kartā) nor the enjoyer (bhoktā). I am the Lord.
Verse-2
The truth has been stated succinctly in the first verse. But it is quite difficult to accept this truth at first, since “reality” does not seem to reflect what is stated in the first verse. How can I - a miserable little individual who cannot control even the mundane everyday happenings - be the Lord? And how can you say that even the intellect and thoughts are not part of me? What else is left of me, the individual, in that case?
Therefore Śhaṅkarācharya tries to help the confused seeker, by explaining the cause of the bondage that prevents one from realizing that he is the Lord. That cause is delusion (māyā) and Śhaṅkarācharya beautifully explains this delusion with two classic Vedantic examples in the next two verses (verses 2 and 3). The first example is that of the rope-snake, for illustrating the delusion of the self. The second example is that of the dream, for illustrating the delusion of the world.
When we see the rope in semi-darkness, it is easy to mistake it for a snake. In reality it is a harmless, inert rope. But the fear and confusion caused due to the delusion (of it being a snake) is indeed deeply felt. The person is so convinced of the “snakeness” of the rope, that it may even produce involuntary physical reflexes such as sweating, faster heartbeats, etc. This is because of the superimposition of the snake on the rope due to some similarities such as shape, colour, texture, etc. In the same way, we tend to superimpose our true self (which is pure consciousness) on the body. Since “consciousness” is what enlivens the intellect and sense organs, we tend to superimpose consciousness on the inert body-mind-intellect complex. And thus we end up mistaking the eternal and ever-present true self to be this limited mortal individual being.
So, how to get out of this delusion? Upon realization of the rope, the delusion of the snake automatically vanishes. Similarly once we realize our true nature (which is that of the eternal witness), all bondage, limitations and sorrows vanish. Here Śhaṅkarācharya points out the need of a guru (deśika) and upanishadic teachings (ukti) for liberation.
Verse-3
Having clarified the cause for delusion with regarding to the self, we are still left with the issue of the external world. Even if I am convinced that I am nothing but pure consciousness, than what is the role this vast universe that I am part of? What about the various experiences that I undergo every day?
Śhaṅkarācharya gives the illustration of the dream to remove our confusion. Suppose I have a dream where I am walking in a forest on a mountain, when I am attacked by a tiger which is about to kill me. On waking up, I find that I am in the comfort of my bed. Now where did all these objects of my dream arise from? Where were they during the dream? Where did they vanish on waking up? These various objects of the dream – the inert and immovable mountain, the living but immovable trees, the living and moving tiger and the “me” of my dream – each one of these objects arose from within me, was sustained in me, and then disappeared into me. I am the creator, preserver and destroyer of my dream. I am the Lord of my dream. But when I was dreaming, I did not know that I was the Lord of the dream. It felt that I was a slave of circumstances which were beyond my control. It is after waking up that I realized that the terror of being attacked by a tiger was a delusion.
According to Advaita Vedanta, the present life is also similar to a dream experience, where I - the Lord - am identified with a tiny fraction (i.e. the individual self) of my vast creation, and therefore imagine that there is a world outside of me. When I wake up to the higher reality (self-realization) I will realize that the life experiences which seemed so real are in fact as unreal as dream experiences. When I wake up to that higher reality, I realize my true self. And that is that nature of that true self? In the fourth line of the third verse, Śhaṅkarācharya provides four important aspects of the true self which can be a powerful aid to deep and prolonged contemplation (nididhyāsana) – I am untainted by any of the worldly experiences (śuddhaḥ), I lack nothing and am ever-contented (pūrṇaḥ), I am eternal (nityaḥ) and there is nothing else other than me (ekaḥ).
Verse-4
Having dealt with the confusions related to the self and the world in the previous verses, Śhaṅkarācharya moves on to clarify the delusion of experience and doership in the fourth verse.
While Advaita Vedanta claims that the true self is eternal and is only a witness, empirical evidence points out that people are mortal and that they are active participants in the worldly transactions. People are born, they grow, and they also die. They take different choices in life, which affect other people. They are involved in acts of commission and omission which may be good or bad. How can we deny all this and take refuge by claiming “the true self is not tainted any of the worldly experiences (śuddhaḥ)?
To reconcile this apparent contradiction between Vedantic teachings and worldly reality, we need to go back to the first verse and understand “who am I”. It was said that the true self is beyond the five sheaths. If we analyse worldly experiences, we will realize that all experiences are only from the standpoint of the five sheaths. Pleasure and pain are related to the physical body sheath. Benefits and limitations related to physiological systems such as respiration, circulation, digestion, excretion, and reversal are related to the Pranic sheath. Happiness and sadness are related to the mental sheath. Respect and humiliation are related to the intellectual sheath. Our core tendencies (vāsanās) are related to the Bliss (causal body) sheath.
Thus Śhaṅkarācharya says all attributes or qualities (sarvadharmāḥ) such as birth, growth, etc. belong only to the inert, material body (deha) which is created from primordial matter (prākṛtāḥ). Similarly the sense of “doership”, “enjoyership”, etc. (kartṛtvādi) belongs solely to the ego (ahaṃkāra). These attributes and the feeling of doership, etc. dot belong to true self which is pure awareness (cinmaya).
Verse-5
In the fifth and final verse, Śhaṅkarācharya summarizes the core concept of Advaita Vedanta (that of non-duality).
We have seen in the first verse that on deeper analysis of the individual soul (jīvātmā), one realizes that it is nothing but pure consciousness.
Similarly when we analyse the outside world (jagat), we will realize that it is nothing but pure consciousness. For example, if we take any object in the universe, we know that it is made of molecules, which in turn is made of atoms. The atoms themselves are made of sub-atomic particles such as protons, neutrons and electrons. These sub-atomic particles are in turn made up of fundamental particles – different types of quarks. The fundamental particles are made up of energy.
Modern science is unable to analyse beyond the level of energy, since that is the subtlest thing that can be inferred by tools available to human beings (i.e., tools that lie in the realm of the five sheaths). But according to Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate source of energy, and thus the source of everything, a.k.a. God, or the Cosmic soul (Brahman) is also Consciousness (which a capital C, as different from the reflected consciousness in the individual soul).
Thus we will realize that self, world and God are essentially one and the same (jīva, jagat, Brahma aikyam). There is no second thing other than Conciousness. Hence non-duality.
In order to illustrate this non-duality, Śhaṅkarācharya gives the example of the mirror. Imagine you are on top of a hill and there is a town in the foothills. By holding a mirror and looking at it in the proper angle, we will be able to see the entire town in the mirror. But we know that town is not inside the mirror and it is only a reflection.
Now, let us inverse the concept and look at our daily experiences. How do we perceived any object? Take the example of the screen in front of you (on which you are reading this article). How do you know that the screen and the words on the screen exist outside (i.e. in front of you)? The light emitted from the screen enters through your cornea and pupil and falls on the photoreceptors in retina of the eye. The photoreceptors convert the information contained in the light to electrical impulses, which are transmitted through the optic nerve to occipital lobe at the back of the brain. The occipital lobe then processes the visuospatial information and infers the distance, depth, color, texture, object, etc. Based on this functioning of the light, eyes and brain, you infer that the screen is a few inches or feet in front of you.
Thus what appears to be outside is nothing but a reflection within you in your awareness. Similarly all objects and experiences are experienced only within our body-mind-intelligence complex. And we have seen that body-mind-intelligence complex functions only because of the reflected consciousness of the true self. When a person dies, it means that the body-mind-intelligence complex is not longer able to reflect the consciousness and therefore the individual ceases all experiences, including life. But how was it able to reflect earlier and not now? That is work of Māyā, says Śhaṅkarācharya. What is material cannot be eternal. If something has a date of birth, it must also have a date of death. But what really matters is that I (the true self) am eternal. It is in my non-duality that the world shines, therefore I am the Lord (mayyadvaite bhāti tasmācchivo’ham). Therefore I am the Lord (tasmācchivo’ham). I am the Lord (śivo’ham). I am (aham). Om.
Split-sandhis, Prose Order and Word-for-word Meaning
Verse-1
न-अहं देहः न-इन्द्रियाणि-अन्तरङ्गः
न-अहङ्कारः प्राणवर्गः न बुद्धिः
दार-अपत्य-क्षेत्र-वित्त-आदि-दूरः
साक्षी नित्यः प्रत्यक्-आत्मा शिवः-अहम्
अहं न देहः न इ न्द्रियाणि (न) अन्तरङ्गः | (अहं) न अहङ्कारः (न) प्राणवर्गः न बुद्धिः | (अहं) दार-अपत्य-क्षेत्र-वित्त-आदि दूरः | अहं नित्यः साक्षी प्रत्यक्-आत्मा शिवः (अस्मि) ||
अहं न देहः I am not the body न इन्द्रियाणि not the sense organs (न) अन्तरङ्गः not the inner organ (mind) (अहं) न अहङ्कारः I am not the ego (न) प्राणवर्गः not the group of pranas (vital airs) न बुद्धिः not the intellect (अहं) दार-अपत्य-क्षेत्र-वित्त-आदि दूरः I am distant from wife, child, farmland (property), wealth, etc. अहं I am नित्यः eternal साक्षी witness प्रत्यक्-आत्मा the inner self शिवः (अस्मि) I am the Lord
Verse-2
रज्जु-अज्ञानात्-भाति रज्जौ यथा-अहिः
स्वात्म-अज्ञानात्-आत्मनः जीव-भावः
आप्त-उक्त्या-अहिः-भ्रान्ति-नाशः स: रज्जुः
जीवः न-अहं देशिक-उक्त्या शिवः-अहम्
यथा रज्जु-अज्ञानात् रज्जौ अहिः भाति (तथा) स्व-आत्म-अज्ञानात् आत्मनः जीव-भावः | (यथा) स: रज्जुः (इति) आप्त-उक्त्या अहिः भ्रान्ति नाशः (भवति) (तथा) देशिक-उक्त्या अहं जीवः न अहम् शिवः (अस्मि) ||
यथा Just as रज्जु-अज्ञानात् due to ignorance of the rope रज्जौ अहिः भाति the snake appears on the rope (तथा) similarly स्व-आत्म-अज्ञानात् due to ignorance of the self आत्मनः self’s जीव-भावः appearance of living being (यथा) Just as स: रज्जुः (इति) “That is a rope” आप्त-उक्त्या due to the saying of a wise person अहिः snake भ्रान्ति delusion नाशः (भवति) is destroyed (तथा) similarly देशिक-उक्त्या through the Guru’s teachings अहं जीवः न I am not the living being अहम् शिवः (अस्मि) I am the Lord
Verse-3
आभाति-इदं विश्वम्-आत्मनि-असत्यं
सत्य-ज्ञान-आनन्द-रूपे विमोहात्
निद्रा-मोहात्-स्वप्नवत्-तत्-न सत्यं
शुद्धः पूर्णः नित्यः एकः शिवः-अहम्
विमोहात् इदं असत्यं विश्वम् सत्य-ज्ञान-आनन्द-रूपे आत्मनि आभाति | तत्-न सत्यं | निद्रा-मोहात् स्वप्नवत् | अहम् शुद्धः पूर्णः नित्यः एकः शिवः (अस्मि) ||
विमोहात् due to delusion इदं this असत्यं unreal विश्वम् universe सत्य-ज्ञान-आनन्द-रूपे in that whose nature is existence-consciousness-bliss आत्मनि in the true self आभाति appears तत्-न सत्यं that is not real निद्रा-मोहात् due to delusion during sleep स्वप्नवत् like a dream अहम् I (am) शुद्धः pure पूर्णः fulfilled (ever-content) नित्यः eternal एकः unitary (non-dual) शिवः (अस्मि) (I) am the Lord
Verse-4
न-अहं जातः न प्रवृद्धः न नष्टः
देहस्य-उक्ताः प्राकृताः सर्व-धर्माः
कर्तृत्व-आदिः-चिन्मयस्य-अस्ति न-अहं-
कारस्य-एव हि-आत्मनःमे शिवः-अहम्
अहं न जातः न प्रवृद्धः न नष्टः (अस्मि) | उक्ताः सर्वधर्माः प्राकृताः देहस्य (सन्ति) | मे कर्तृत्व-आदिः अहंकारस्य एव हि (अस्ति) | चिन्मयस्य आत्मनः न अस्ति | अहम् शिवः (अस्मि) ||
अहं (अस्मि) I am न not जातः born न not प्रवृद्धः grown न not नष्टः destroyed (dead) उक्ताः said (these) सर्व-धर्माः all attributes प्राकृताः primordial matter’s देहस्य body’s (सन्ति are ) मे my कर्तृत्व-आदिः doership, etc अहंकारस्य ego’s एव alone हि indeed (अस्ति) is चिन्मयस्य of the consciousness आत्मनः of the self न not अस्ति is अहम् शिवः (अस्मि)
Verse-5
मत्त: न-अन्यत्-किञ्चित्-अत्र-अस्ति विश्वं
सत्यं बाह्यं वस्तु माया-उपक्लृप्तम्
आदर्श-अन्तः-भासमानस्य तुल्यं
मयि-अद्वैते भाति तस्मात्-शिवः-अहम्
मत्त: अन्यत् विश्वं अत्र किञ्चित् न अस्ति | बाह्यं सत्यं वस्तु माया-उपक्लृप्तम् (अस्ति) | (तत् वस्तु) आदर्श-अन्तः भासमानस्य (वस्तोः) तुल्यं अद्वैते मयि भाति | तस्मात् अहम् शिवः (अस्मि) ||
मत्त: अन्यत् apart than me विश्वं the world अत्र here किञ्चित् whatever न अस्ति does not exist बाह्यं (the appearance of) external सत्यं material (made up of the five elements) वस्तु thing माया-उपक्लृप्तम् (अस्ति) is caused by maya (तत् वस्तु) that thing आदर्श-अन्तः inside a mirror भासमानस्य appearing (वस्तोः) thing तुल्यं equivalent अद्वैते in the non-dual मयि in me भाति appears तस्मात् therefore अहं शिवः (अस्मि) I am the Lord
Prosody (Chandas)
Advaitapañcaratnam is composed in the Shalini chandaḥ (metre), which consists of 11 syllables in each pāda (quarter), with the heavy (guru) and light (laghu) syllables arranged as follows:
--- --U --U --
Notation:
-denotes guru (Heavy) syllable
U denotes laghu (Light) syllable
The pause (yati) is after the 4th syllable and 11th syllables of each pāda
Chanting (audio file in mp3 format)