Viveka Chudamani
Encyclopedia
The Vivekachudamani is a famous work by Adi Shankara
that expounds Advaita Vedanta
philosophy. In Vivekachudamani, Shankara describes developing Viveka—the human faculty of discrimination—as the central task in the spiritual life and calls it the "crown jewel" among the essentials for Moksha
. 'Viveka' means discrimination, 'Chuda' is crest, and 'Mani' means jewel. Hence the title means 'Crest-jewel of discrimination'. Sankara wrote commentaries on the Brahmasutra, the Bhagavad Gita
and the Upanishads. His principal work is the Vivekachudamani.
. It has the form of dialogue between the master and the disciple, where the master explains to the disciple the nature of the Atman
and the ways to research and know the Atman.
The book takes the disciple on a step by step instructions to reach Brahman
.
The text begins with Adi Shankara's salutations to Govinda
, which can be interpreted either as referring to God or to his guru Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada
. It then expounds the significance of Self Realisation, ways to reach it, and the characteristics of a Guru
. It criticizes attachment to the body and goes to explain the various Sareeras, Kosas, Gunas, Senses and Pranas. It teaches the disciple the ways to attain Self realisation, methods of meditation
(dhyana) and introspection of the Atman. The Vivekachudamani describes the characteristics of an enlightened man (Jivanmukta) and a man of steady wisdom (Sthitaprajna) on the lines of Bhagavad Gita.
, the pontiff of Sringeri, wrote a commentary titled Vivekodaya (Dawn of Discrimination) on the first 7 verses of this work. His disciple, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharathi has written a Vyakhya or commentary
on the first 515 verses of this work.
This work has been repeatedly translated into various languages, often accompanied by a commentary in the same language. English translations and commentaries include those by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (Vedanta Press), Swami Madhavananda (Advaita Ashram), and Swami Chinmayananda. Tamil translations and commentaries include those by Ramana Maharshi
.
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
that expounds Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
philosophy. In Vivekachudamani, Shankara describes developing Viveka—the human faculty of discrimination—as the central task in the spiritual life and calls it the "crown jewel" among the essentials for Moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
. 'Viveka' means discrimination, 'Chuda' is crest, and 'Mani' means jewel. Hence the title means 'Crest-jewel of discrimination'. Sankara wrote commentaries on the Brahmasutra, the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
and the Upanishads. His principal work is the Vivekachudamani.
Contents
Vivekachudamani consists of 580 verses in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. It has the form of dialogue between the master and the disciple, where the master explains to the disciple the nature of the Atman
Atman (Hinduism)
Ātman is a Sanskrit word that means 'self'. In Hindu philosophy, especially in the Vedanta school of Hinduism it refers to one's true self beyond identification with phenomena...
and the ways to research and know the Atman.
The book takes the disciple on a step by step instructions to reach Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
.
The text begins with Adi Shankara's salutations to Govinda
Govinda
' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
, which can be interpreted either as referring to God or to his guru Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...
. It then expounds the significance of Self Realisation, ways to reach it, and the characteristics of a Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
. It criticizes attachment to the body and goes to explain the various Sareeras, Kosas, Gunas, Senses and Pranas. It teaches the disciple the ways to attain Self realisation, methods of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
(dhyana) and introspection of the Atman. The Vivekachudamani describes the characteristics of an enlightened man (Jivanmukta) and a man of steady wisdom (Sthitaprajna) on the lines of Bhagavad Gita.
Commentaries
There are two Sanskrit commentaries on this work. Sri Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha BharatiSri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati
-Introduction:Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII was Peethadhipati of Sringeri Matha during the greater part of the 19th century. He was 33rd Sankaracharya of Sringeri Peetha.-Identification as Successor:...
, the pontiff of Sringeri, wrote a commentary titled Vivekodaya (Dawn of Discrimination) on the first 7 verses of this work. His disciple, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharathi has written a Vyakhya or commentary
Commentary (philology)
In philology, a commentary is a line-by-line or even word-by-word explication usually attached to an edition of a text in the same or an accompanying volume. It may draw on methodologies of close reading and literary criticism, but its primary purpose is to elucidate the language of the text and...
on the first 515 verses of this work.
This work has been repeatedly translated into various languages, often accompanied by a commentary in the same language. English translations and commentaries include those by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (Vedanta Press), Swami Madhavananda (Advaita Ashram), and Swami Chinmayananda. Tamil translations and commentaries include those by Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi
Sri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
.
Famous verses
- "To be born as a man, to have longing for release (from bondage) and the association with great souls— these three are difficult to obtain"
- Brahma satyam jagat mithya, jivo brahmaiva naparah—"Brahman is the only truth, the world is unreal, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and individual self"