82 sukham-āvriyate nityaṁ duḥkhaṁ vivriyate sadā, yasya kasya ca dharmasya graheṇa bhagavān-asau. ~G
सुखम् – bliss; आव्रियते – remains hidden; नित्यम् – constantly; दुःखम् – misery; विव्रियते – apprehending; सदा – always, constantly; यस्य – of whose; कस्य – of whom; च – and; धर्मस्य – of objects; ग्रहेण – on account of the mind; भगवान – Self; असौ – this ~G-trC
82. On account of the mind, constantly apprehending individual objects, bliss which is the essential nature of the Self always remains hidden and misery comes to the forefront. Therefore, the ever effulgent Lord is not easily realised. ~G-trC
The Lord (Atman) becomes easily hidden because of attachment to any single object, and is revealed with great difficulty. ~G-trN
Gauḍapāda is declaring here that an individual is not able to experience his own real nature, because of these mental disturbances that are permanently with him. These mental agitations cause the miseries of life and because of these disturbances, the peace and tranquility, bliss and perfection which are our essential nature sink down bringing forth misery to the top. Hence it is that even after repeated teachings and careful study on the part of the students even after years of tapaścaryā and meditation, some seekers do not easily come to experience Selfhood; for, they have not yet succeeded in completely silencing the mind. In saying so, Gauḍapāda is emphasising the need of following his instruction in meditation, and thus, the seeker can tune himself up to ‘the great take-off’ to the land of perfection that lies beyond the horizons of the dream and the sleep states of Consciousness. ~C
The reason for the concealment of the true nature of Atman is the perception of duality and the attachment that follows from it. There is no other cause. ~N
83. asti nāstyasti nāstīti nāsti nastīti vā punaḥ, cala-sthirobhayābhāvair-āvṛṇotyeva bāliśaḥ. ~G
अस्ति – existence; नास्ति – non-existence; अस्ति नास्ति – is existent and non-existent; इति – thus; नास्ति नास्ति – totally non-existent; इति – thus (derived from such notions); वा पुनः – or again; चलः – by impermanent; स्थिरः – the permanent; उभय – combination of both (change and changelessness); अभावैः – non-existence; एव आवृणोति – indeed veils; बालिशः – the childish (a fool or a non-discriminating man) ~G-trC
83. Childish persons veil Truth by predicating on it such attributes as existence, non-existence, derived from their notions of the apparent, the permanent, the impermanent, combination of both and the absolute negation of both. ~G-trC
The ignorant, with their childish minds, verily cover Atman by predicating of It such attributes as existence, non-existence, existence, and non-existence, and total non-existence, deriving these characteristics from the notions of change, immovability, combination of change and immovability, and absolute negation [which they associate with Atman]. ~G-trN
This dialectical quadruped (catuṣkoṭi) borrowed from the Buddhist Nāgārjuna has occasioned some of his critics to condemn Śrī Gauḍapāda as a Buddhist. // The above-mentioned ideas, or special qualities upon the Ᾱtman, such as, ‘it is’, ‘it is not’, ‘it is and it is not’, ‘it neither is nor is not’, are all assertions arrived at by philosophers defining the Ᾱtman in terms of their observations of the apparent, the permanence, the impermanence, both and neither of the two. It is because of this that Gauḍapāda characterises all these schools as schools of philosophy propounded by immature minds. ~C
Atman, in Its true nature, is free from all ideas and objectifications. But people associate It with various ideas, on account of their attachment to their own theories, and therefore cannot know Atman as It really is. “If these learned men act as veritable children on account of their ignorance of Ultimate Reality, what is to be said of those who are by nature unenlightened!” (Sankaricharya.) ~N
84. kotyaś-catasra etāstu grahair-yāsāṁ sadāvṛtaḥ, bhagavān-ābhir-aspṛṣṭo yena dṛṣṭaḥ sa sarvadṛk. ~G
चतस्त्र कोट्यः – four alternative theories; एताः तु – these indeed; ग्रहैः – holding; यासाम् – which; सदा – always; आवृतः – remains veiled; भगवान् – the Self; आभिः – any of these (views); अस्पृष्टः – untouched; येन – by whom; दृष्टः – perceives; सः – that; सर्वदृक् – omniscient (in other words, is a truly enlightened person) ~G-trC
84. These are the four alternative theories regarding nature of the Ᾱtman. On account of one’s attachments to these, it always remains veiled from one’s view. He who has known that the Ᾱtman is untouched by any of these, indeed, perceives the Self. ~G-trC
These are the four theories regarding Atman, through attachment to which It always remains hidden [from one’s view]. He who knows the Lord to be ever untouched by them indeed knows all. ~G-trN
Śrī Gauḍapāda is advising seekers to rise above all these preliminary definitions of the Ᾱtman, and through practice and Self-discovery rise above them all and realise the absolute Self in all Its native purity, as that which is the substratum for all perceptions of the senses, the mind or the intellect. In the deep silence of the within, perceiving the very silence of the mind, stands the silent Self in all Its absolute glory founded upon Its own omnipotence: know the Self and know thyself! ~C
Even the ideas falsely superimposed upon Atman are realized to be Atman when Its rue nature is known. One who knows Atman knows all. There remains for him nothing else to be known. ~N
85. prāpya sarvajñatāṁ kṛtsnāṁ brāhmaṇyaṁ padam-advayam, anāpanna-ādi-madhyāntaṁ kimataḥ param-īhate. ~G
प्राप्य – having attained; सर्वज्ञताम् – omniscience; कृत्स्नाम् – complete; ब्राह्मण्यम् – of Brahman; पदम् – state; अद्वयम् – non-dual; अनापन्न – without; आदि – beginning; मध्य – middle; अन्तम् – end; किम् – what; अतः – now; परम् – thereafter; ईहते – remains to desire or strive for ~G-trC
85. When he has attained the state of Brahman, a state of complete non-duality, which is without beginning and end or a middle, what else, thereafter, remains for him to desire for? ~G-trC
What else remains to be desired by him who has attained the state of the brahmin-——a state of complete omniscience and non-duality, which is without beginning, middle, or end? ~G-trN
Having thus reached the supreme goal of life, resplendent in Its own scope, revelling in Its own nature, satisfied in the very omnipotent and all-pervading egoless Self, becoming one with the Self, It has nothing more for Itself to accomplish or to desire. Such a Self-realised Man of Wisdom is called brāhmaṇa, says Śrī Gauḍapāda. ~C
A real brahmin is one who is endowed with the Knowledge of Brahman. // For a knower of Brahman there remains nothing else to be known. Brahman is the essence of Knowledge. // Brahman is free from the illusory ideas of creation, preservation, and destruction. ~N
86. viprāṇāṁ vinayo hyeṣa śamaḥ prākṛta ucyate, damaḥ prakṛti-dāntatvād-evaṁ vidvāñ-śamaṁ vrajet. ~G
विप्राणाम् – of wise men i.e., brāhmaṇas; विनयः – humility; हि – indeed; एषः – this; शमः – mental equipoise; प्राकृत – natural, spontaneous; उच्यते – declared to be; दमः – sense control;प्रकृति – naturally; दान्तत्वात् – restrained; एवम् – thus; विद्वान् – the wise man; शमम् – absolute peace; व्रजेत् – attains, becomes ~G-trC
86. The realisation of Brahman is itself the humility natural to the brāhmaṇa. Their mental equipoise is also declared to be spontaneous. They are said to have attained perfect sense control, as it comes quite natural to them. He (the wise man) who thus realises the Brahman which is all peaceful, himself becomes tranquil and peaceful. ~G-trC
The humility (vinaya) of the brahmins is natural. Their tranquillity (Sama) is also natural. Further, the control of the senses (dama) comes natural to them. He who has realized Brahman attains peace. ~G-trN
It is not an abject surrender; it is merging of the individual at the feet of the whole. This should necessarily be the mental attitude of one who is self-centred in the Ᾱtman, because from the standpoint of purity of the Ᾱtmā and omnipotence, the mind, intellect and body are mere forced superimpositions upon the true and the Real. ~C
A knower of Brahman does not cultivate tranquillity, humility, or restraint of the senses because of social injunctions or consciousness of duty. He does not employ any external means to acquire calmness. All the virtues mentioned in the text come natural to him. He realizes that all that exists is Brahman. His mind does not run after external objects, simply because they do not exist for him as such. It is impossible for him to be arrogant, because he sees Brahman in all beings. Constantly feeling his oneness with Brahman, which is all peace, he radiates peace. ~N
Legend:
C: Chinmayananda
G: Gaudapada
Gm: Gambhirananda
N: Nikhilananda
P: Paramarthananda
S: Shankara
S/G: Sandeepany / Gurubhaktananda
Sw: Swartz
tr: translated by
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