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VIVEKACUDAMAŅI
163
own nature. Vide the śruti: sa ātmā tattvamasi (Chānd.): "That is the atman; That thou art". Also by śruti: asanneva sa bhavati asad brahmeti veda cet (Taitt.): "He himself becomes non-existent if he thinks that Brahman is not". All these show that the Paramātman alone is important.
ayamahamiti sākṣāt viddhi: Until now you were thinking: 'He (Brahman) is one, and I am another! Giving that up, realise your non-difference from Brahman. This (Brahman) is I.'
The fruit of this realisation is conveyed in the second half of the verse.
janimarana-tarangāpārāsamsārasindhum pratara: The samsārasindhu: the sāmsārik ocean has for its waves the alternation of birth and death. This succession is continuous so long as Brahmajñāna is not obtained. It is apāra: shoreless, beause the only shore
is Brahman. So long as that is not realised, this ocean is shoreless. • pratara: cross that ocean. The preposition pra in pratara is
intended to convey the idea of crossing completely and significantly here and now; prakarsena tara: i.e., attain immediate release (sadyomukti).
Being for ever established (samsthaḥ) as Brahman, be a kṛtārtha, i.e., one who has nothing else to accomplish, one who has accomplished everything. Vide the sloka: jñānāmstena trptasya krtakrtyasya yoginaḥ naivāsti kiñcit kartavyam asti cenna sa tattvavit 11 "There is nothing else to be done by the yogi who has realised his oneness with Brahman having drunk of the nectar of jñāna. If there remains anything to be done, that means he has not realised the truth."
139
Beginning with the sloka 127, in 11 ślokas the answer to the question: "What is the Paramātman?” was given. Now the guru proceeds to tell the śişya in the next two ślokas the answer to the first question: "What is bondage”?
अत्रानात्मन्यहमिति मतिः बन्ध एषोऽस्य पुंसः
प्राप्तोऽज्ञानाज्जननमरणक्लेशसंपातहेतुः । येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत् सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्धया
पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयः तन्तुभिः कोशकृत् ॥ १३९ ॥ atrānātmanyahamiti matir bandha eşo’sya pumsaḥ
prāpto'jñānājjananamaraṇakleśasampātahetuḥ,
