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VIVEKA CHUDAMANI
सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् ।
गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥
sarva vedanta siddhanta gocaram tamagocaram govindam paramānandam sadgurum pranatosmyaham 1.
सर्व वेदान्तसिद्धान्त गोचरम् - Perceivable through the ( suggestive import of) the conclusions of Vedanta, - that, - who is beyond sense -perception, गोविन्दम् - to Sri Govinda, परमानन्दम्who is of nature Bliss Absolute, the Spiritual Master, प्रणत: - bowing respectfully, अस्मि - am, अहम् • I.
My 'salutations' to Sree Sad-Guru Govind who is of nature Bliss Absolute, who can be understood only through the suggestive import of the essence in all Vedanta-and who is ordinarily beyond the reach of the known instruments of perception.
It is very well-known that the great Sankaracharya was a disciple of Sree Govindapada-who in his turn is traditionally believed to have been the disciple of Sree Gaudapada of the Kärikā -fame. Here we have a stanza in which Sankara, the writer, does his physical prostration to Acharaya Govindapada, the worldly Guru of the master.
The stanza can be interpreted easily in two possible ways.. Considering this to be a mortal's physical act of prostrations unto a finite Guru, it has already been interpreted. The same stanza can be understood to mean a "spiritual salutation" of a man of widom to the Supreme Truth. When interpreted in this sense, the word 'aham', meaning I, should indicate the limited subjective concept which is always associated without body, mind and intellect. This ego-centre in the seeker comes to seek its identity with the Real and discovers for itself that the Supreme Govind-which is the essence in all Vedantic literature, which is not perceivable
