Vivekachudamani - Crest Jewel of Wisdom

181st verse: Adhyasa means superimposition of the absolute reality on things that are not the absolute reality, the superimposition of permanence on what is inherently impermanent. Such superimposition causes us to stay in Samsrtih (Samsara) – the cyclic rotation of birth, death and rebirth. Samsara is not a desirable state for someone who is evolved. We can counteract this superimposition with vi...

178th verse: This verse compares the mind to a mighty tiger, an enemy. This mighty tiger wanders about in the forest of sense objects – filled with ambitions, desires, extreme likes and dislikes. Spiritual seekers, desirous of liberation, should not go near such a negative mind. Mind can be our friend or enemy. It does not remain quiet. Therefore, it should be directed towards something positive,...

Title: The Mind, Adhyāsa, and Mistaken Identity Verse: 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 177th verse: “Vedanta recommends two tools to purify the mind and make it ready for liberation. These tools are: (1) Viveka – a discerning wisdom to make proper use of our resources and knowledge and resist the temptation to make improper use (2) Vairagya – ability to renounce what is harmful to us.” 178th verse: This v...

Verse: 171, 174, 175, 176, 326 171st verse: “There is no ignorance (avidya) apart from the mind. The mind is the cause of all bondage and problems in the world. When we transcend the mind, everything becomes calm and quiet. When the mind vibrates again, everything (bondage and problems) reappears.” Everything depends upon the mind. Our emotions, thoughts and ideas are the guiding force of all our...

Title: Going Beyond the Mind Verse: 162, 171, 173 We are discussing components of the body-mind-complex, which constitutes the impermanent. Vivekachudamani analyzes the eternal divine spark within all of us. One of the seven questions asked by the student is: What is the Absolute Reality? To answer this, the teacher does not define the Absolute Reality. He explains what is the non-absolute. What r...

151st verse: “A lake has pure water underneath but is covered by moss, grass and leaves at the top. The pure water is hidden. Similarly, our true nature stays hidden by five sheaths. The five sheaths are: Anamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha.” 153rd verse: “When the five sheaths are taken away, we identify with our true dimension, which is self-eff...

151st verse: “A lake has pure water underneath but is covered by moss, grass and leaves at the top. The pure water is hidden. Similarly, our true nature stays hidden by five sheaths. The five sheaths are: Anamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha.” Anamaya Kosha is the grossest and represents our physical being. Anandamaya Kosha is the most subtle. We i...

Living a life of pleasures in this world is not the ultimate goal of human life. A higher transcendental value should guide us. Divine discontent is the feeling of incompleteness or imperfection in life that any cultured, evolved, human being feels. Great personalities such as Buddha sought higher meaning of life. Without a transcendental outlook, this is not possible. The 147th verse answers the...

The 147th verse answers the question: “How is this bondage sustained?” with a description of the tree of samsara. 147th verse: “Ine the tree of samsara, our ignorance of our true nature is the seed. The idea that we are the body is the shoot, which becomes a tender sprout. Our actions to go after desires are represented by water. The body is represented by the trunk. The senses are the branches. S...

Bondage is the feeling of incompleteness or imperfection in life that any cultured, evolved, human being feels. There are two forces at work that prevent us from understanding our true nature. Avarana shakti conceals our true nature and Vikshepa shakti projects a false identity. 143rd verse: “The wrong understanding of our true nature and our resultant desires is compared to a monstrous crocodile...

Title: Superimpositions on Our True Identity Verse: 140, 141, 142, 143                 140th verse: “Due to the lack of understanding of our true nature, we mistake the physical body to be our true nature. In a reversal of the rope-snake analogy, if we mistake the snake for the rope, it can result in disaster. Similarly, when we take ourselves to be this physical body, there is no end to our troub...

135th verse: “Atman, as the witness, knows everything about us – our mind, emotions, senses, pranas and so on. But it cannot be known empirically by anyone. An iron piece, when heated in fire, gets red hot. The heat belongs to the fire, not the iron piece. Similarly, everything is activated by their proximity to Atman.” Normally, we identify with the gross body. At a higher level, we identify with...

133rd verse: “There is one indivisible, eternal divine principle in all of us, which regulates everything within us.” 134th verse: “This divine spirit that is present everywhere and in everything, is residing in our own inner being, our essence. It is of the  nature of sattva guna. It is self0effulgent and illuminates everything in this world. It is compared to the Sun.” Swami Vivekananda said: “R...

Vivekachudamani is a text on fundamental tenets of Vedanta and has 584 verses. The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differen...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? 126th verse: “Now, I shall teach you about you...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? In response to the student’s questions, the te...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? These questions are triggered by “Divine Disco...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? The teacher starts by answering the 5th questi...

The 120th verse describes someone whom we consider a cultured human being in the world. Sattva is the dominant guna within him. He has some rajo-guna and very little tamo-guna. The person endowed with highest level of sattva guna is contemplative in nature. A normal cultured human being endowed with sattva guna will have a mix of rajo-guna that helps him be active. The 7th-11th verses of 13th chap...

Rajo guna and tamo guna are considered to be levels where we are not aware of our true nature. Tamo guna conceals the truth, Rajo guna projects a false idea. Under the control of rajo guna, we are driven by activity, desire and ambition, which can lead to restlessness. We swing between experiences of success and failure. The 117th verse explains Sattva guna. It implies spiritual level headedness....

Title: Recap of Previous Classes and Verses Vivekachudamani is one of the introductory texts on Vedanta – it focuses on the natural urge of any human being in search of the truth. It has 584 verses. Its author is Shankaracharya. The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about...

116th verse: “Even one who is intellectually advanced, who knows scriptures, who understands the subtle truths and who is convinced of his learning – even such a person, by the power of Tamas, looks upon the unreal as the real and the real and unreal. This is the strength of Maya.” Such a person does not have the power of discretion. What he may know intellectually, he is not able to translate int...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? The teacher starts by answering the 5th questi...

The entire text is built around answering seven questions from the student in the 51st verse. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3) How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman? The teacher starts by answering the 5th questi...

Behind our external appearance (gross body) is our subtle body. It defines our personality. The gross body is just an outer shell of this personality. In the 98th verse, Shankaracharya defines the subtle body (Sukshma-Sarira). It has eight units (Puri-ashtakam): (1) Five organs of perception (2) Five organs of action (3) Five pranas (4) Five subtle elements (5) Antahkarana – mana, buddhi, chittam,...