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176
VIVEKACŪDAMANI
bondage be destroyed, except by the great, sharp and attractive sword of discrimination obtained by the grace of Parameśvara.
dhātuḥ prasādena sitena mañjunā: by the grace of Parameśvara and by the strong, sharp sword; Vide the śruti: yamevaişa vrņute tena labhyaḥ (Katha.)
mañjunā: by the handsome (sword).
vivekavijñānamahāsinā: by the great sword of the vijñāna of Brahmasākşātkāra born of the discrimination between the ātman and the anātman.
(tena) vinā: without it. na chettum sakyaḥ: cannot be cut off. na astraih: not by missiles like the āgneyāstra. (na) sastraih: not by the iron-pointed arrows etc. (na) anilena: not by wind. (na) vahninā: not by fire can it be burnt off.
na ca karmakoţibhiḥ: it cannot be destroyed by even crores of karmas though prescribed in the śāśtras.
For, its source is ajñāna and it can be destroyed by jñāna only..
Thus, the reply for the question: katham vimokṣaḥ: "how is release obtained?” is given by saying that the release from this bondage is only by the realisation of the non-dual Brahman obtained by the grace of Parameśvara.
• 150 When it is said in the previous sloka na ca karmakoţibhih, it may be thought that karmas prescribed in the Vedas are absolutely unnecessary for breaking the bondage. To remove this doubt, saying that they are necessary to purify the buddhi, the guru proceeds to affirm that they are needed for the knowledge that will lead to destruction of the bondage.
श्रुतिप्रमाणकमतेः स्वधर्मनिष्ठा तयैवात्मविशुद्धिरस्य । विशुद्धबुद्धेः परमात्मवेदनं तेनैव संसारसमूलनाशः ॥१५० ॥ śrutipramānaikamateh svadharma
nişthā tayaivātmavisuddhirasya viśuddhabuddheh paramātmavedanam
tenaiva samsārasamūlanāśaḥ 11
