Friday, May 29, 2009

Maneesha Panchakam - Part 4 of 8

Dear Friends
Greetings to you all. From the time of last posting, in spite of my strong wish to post this fourth part of Maneesha Panchakam, various preoccupations of my time prevented me from reaching you sooner than this. From this post onwards, we will see the FIVE Jewel verses on the understanding of our SELF. These in fact are the "Maneesha Panchakam". Till now what we have dealt is only the preamble and building up the scenario for the main messages.
There are FOUR Mahavakyams from the four Vedas. These five Jewels of Maneesha Panchakam are based on the authority of these four Mahavakyams from Vedas.
Just to recapitulate, Lord Parama Shiva in the chandala roopam has put forth pithy questions into the mind of the leaned man which we have seen in our posts 1 to 3. These questions immediately made an indelible impression on the mind of that holy man and he at once perceived Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi, in the couple opposite to him in the roopam of the outcaste. As this enlightenment dawned on him, the learned man now expounds the true nature of the self with in all - in these FIVE slokas. We will see the first of these five in this post.
These are recited extempore by the learned man with humility in reply to Lord Shiva.

The First slokam is as follows:

జాగ్రత్ స్వప్న సుషుప్తిషు స్ఫుటతరా యా సం విదుజ్జృంభతే

యా బ్రహ్మాది పిపీలికాంత తనుషు ప్రోతా జగత్సాక్షిణీ,

సైవాహం న చ దృశ్య వస్త్వితి ధృఢ ప్రఙ్ఞాపి యస్యాస్తిచేత్

చండాలోస్తు సతు ద్విజోస్తు గురురిత్యేషా మనీషా మమ.


जाग्रत्स्वप्न सुषुत्पिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते

या ब्रह्मादि पिपीलिकान्त तनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी,

सैवाहं न च दृश्य वस्त्विति दृढ प्रज्ञापि यस्यास्तिचे

च्चण्डालोस्तु स तु द्विजोस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम

jaagratswapna sushuptishu sphutataraa yaa sam vidujjrimbhatae
yaa brahmaadi pipeelika anta thanushu prothaa jagat saakshinee,
saiva aham na cha drisya vastwiti drudha prajnaapi yasya asti chaet
chandaalostu sa tu dwijosthu gurur ityaeshaa maneeshaa mama.


The word meaning is as follows
jaagrat = In the wakeful state,
swapna = in dreaming state and
sushupti shu = also in the deep sleep state
sputa taraa = that which very clearly
jrumbhatae = shines in all beings and
sam vidu = perfectly knows every thing;
yaa = That which
protaa = embedded and indwelling
Brahma adi = from the Creator onwards
pipeelika anta = up to the ant,
thanu shu = all living bodies and
saakshinee = which is the witness (for)
jagat = all worldly activity;
sa yaeva aham = and that which is
na cha drusya = not to be perceived by us
vastvu iti = as an object to be
api drudha = in spite of firm
prajnaa = knowledge of material things;
asthi chaeth = It remains verily the same
asthu = may be he is
chandaalo = the down trodden (outcaste)
sa tu = in the same way
asthu Dwijo = may be he is a learned (Brahmin).
maneesha mama = My firm understanding is that
yaesha = that Great one who inculcates this concept
Gurur iti = is the real preceptor.

Purport or Bhava

Oh! Let’s learn that the indwelling (pratyag) atman is distinctly shining with in all the three states; namely the wakeful, the dreaming and the deep sleep states. It is the invisible thread embedded in us and it is the witness with in all from the Creator up to the tiny ant. It is not a cognizable object in spite of any amount of material intelligence. It is very much the same in one and all irrespective of any caste, creed or kind! My firm understanding is that the great one who inculcates this concept is the real preceptor.
Please view the short video narration given below.
See you next week, Bye till then.
Dr. Sarma


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