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Adi Shankara Atma Bodha verses
- Determined for each individual by his own
past actions and made up of the Five elements – that have gone
through the process of “five-fold self-division and mutual
combination” (Pancheekarana) – are born the gross-body, the medium
through which pleasure and pain are experienced, the
tent-of-experiences.
- The five Pranas, the ten organs and the
Manas and the Buddhi, formed from the rudimentary elements (Tanmatras)
before their “five-fold division and mutual combination with one
another” (Pancheekarana) and this is the subtle body, the
instruments-of-experience (of the individual).
- Avidya which is indescribable and
beginningless is the Causal Body. Know for certain that the Atman is
other than these three conditioning bodies (Upadhis).
- In its identification with the
five-sheaths the Immaculate Atman appears to have borrowed their
qualities upon Itself; as in the case of a crystal which appears to
gather unto itself colour of its vicinity (blue cloth, etc.,).
- Through discriminative self-analysis and
logical thinking one should separate the Pure self within from the
sheaths as one separates the rice from the husk, bran, etc., that
are covering it.
- The Atman does not shine in everything
although He is All-pervading. He is manifest only in the inner
equipment, the intellect (Buddhi): just as the reflection in a clean
mirror.
- One should understand that the Atman is
always like the King, distinct from the body, senses, mind and
intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakriti); and is the
witness of their functions.
- The moon appears to be running when the
clouds move in the sky. Likewise to the non-discriminating person
the Atman appears to be active when It is observed through the
functions of the sense-organs.
- Depending upon the energy of vitality of
Consciousness (Atma Chaitanya) the body, senses, mind and intellect
engage themselves in their respective activities, just as men work
depending upon the light of the Sun.
- Fools, because they lack in their powers
of discrimination superimpose on the Atman, the
Absolute-Existence-Knowledge (Sat-Chit), all the varied functions of
the body and the senses, just as they attribute blue colour and the
like to the sky.
- The tremblings that belong to the waters
are attributed through ignorance to the reflected moon dancing on
it: likewise agency of action, of enjoyment and of other limitations
(which really belong to the mind) are delusively understood as the
nature of the Self (Atman).
Atma Bodha Verses
- 1-11,
23-33, 34-44,
45-56, 57-68
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