Manisha Panchakam
Manisha Panchakam
Manisha Panchakam
Einführung
The scene is set in Varanasi (Kashi/Benaras), the ancient sacred city of India,
and the home to the famous kashi visvanatha temple.
Adi shankaraachaarya, the expounder of the advaitic, non-dualistic
philosophy, was on the way to the temple after finishing his bath . Suddenly
he saw a chandaala (an outcaste), on the way, and beckons to him to keep a
distance, as per the practice and custom in those days . That outcaste is
none other than the Lord sha.nkara (Shiva) Himself! At such beckoning, the
Lord addresses his devotee sha.nkarAchArya, in the first two stanzas (the
prologue), as under:
"!$#&% 1 Please
forward corrections to [email protected]
' (
)*+,(
*)
-/.0! 1/2/34)5/.6! 1/2/34)28769
):2/.;<+ =>;?#@2 A B %C.DFE:GH:#I%KJ L =M:NPOQFE OQ"ER5S:2 T
U
or is it consciousness from consciousness — which, O, the
best among ascetics, you wish should go away, by saying
“ Go away, go away”? Do tell me.
D
J L54 1S.N:+ %
O*Q"! G
#:" %$:!$34/:."2/ :; 2%
G
. B % ! 1/2/+,:. )0:/O A5)9 5/% )#@: 2/>769
- % ) ") + & =:2 KG A
2/5 ; :4)5 5 ; :/ B" 5
!
!/" BF2 A G 2 A : @A
BBF2 A O A C/: ; 4)5/0 T D T
In my considered opinion that Yogi is great who has clearly grasped within
himself the truth and quality of the supreme Being through which all our
activities are performed and whose effulgence is hidden by ignorance [of
an ordinary person] even as the sun’s halo is covered/hidden by the clouds.
)4G )8J A :9 " 5 " 5 2 5!#"+,)
P:/. & B 2/
):QF%! $ 5 :/2/; % 342/# " 5 "#&4.0 A :/:B . & B 2 9
):F:( 4)GRA
J A6O:" 2J L B4 1. J L4:.D+ 7
)K#@: 4G GRA 5S; 34+ &.D: 34+,2/+ =M %K T T
I am convinced that whoever has his mind dwelling upon the Great Being
who is being worshipped by Indra and other gods and is thus completely at
peace with himself has not only understood Brahman but he is himself that
great Brahman!
T : 24*Q"E
$; *O.D2 $ # & 2# "!$#&%$G % =3 B >7 T
Which should get away from which, whereto and how? What is your intention? Is
it that one frame made of bone and flesh and itself a product of food, should
get away from another frame of same composition and same origin? Or, that the
soul (atma) resident in a frame should not come near another soul (atma)
similarly resident in another frame? Oh! The best among Brahmins, please
answer me, what is that which should get away?.
pratyagvastuni
(Maneesha Panchakam . Brihatstotram)
The sun.s light falls both on the waters of the Ganges as well as of those of
drains. The sun.s image gets reflected from both these surfaces. Is there any
difference between the two images? Similarly, is there any difference in the
images of the sun reflected in the water contained in a vessel whether the
latter is made of gold or of mud?
The question being in the nature of highest knowledge, evoked reply in the
same vein. Adi Sankara said, .If you are such a knower of Brahmam (supreme
reality), then you are indeed my Guru (revered teacher).. Adi Sankara.s reply
is in five slokas known as Maneeshaa Panchakam. Maneesha means firm conviction
and Panchakam means five-fold. Adi Sankara sets out these as his firm
convictions.
jaagratsvapna
(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 1)
If this type of firm self-knowledge is found in any one . the knowledge that
from the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant, in all animate and
inanimate things there is the supreme Brahman that is .I.; that the things
which knowledge perceives as .I. are not .I.; then whether he be a Harijan or
a Brahmin, that one alone is my Guru. This is my deep conviction and faith.
How are we to look at all living things in the world as identical with
ourselves? This self-knowledge is indeed hard to attain. There are three
states of experience: waking (jagrat), dream (swapna) and deep sleep
(sushipti). Although the states differ and the mental attitudes during these
states differ, the person who experiences these is one and the same. Similarly
we should be firmly convinced that one and the same .I. prevails in various
things and in various places in the three states of experience. Although we
perform or experience in different states acts and mental attitudes distinct
from one another and although these acts and attitudes seem to be the work of
distinct bodies and minds, we know that it is one and the same person that
performs these acts or experiences these attitudes. Likewise the acts and
mental attitudes, seemingly of other persons, are in reality our own. Bodies
alone are separate but the inner self (the .I.) is the same. We should thus
look at the entire world in this unitary view and not be misled by apparent
differences.
We see an article. The act of seeing has both an object (the particular
article seen) as well as the subject (one who does the act of seeing). These
two states (object and subject) are separate and distinct from one another.
The body is seen . so it is the object. Atma (soul) sees . so it is the
subject. This analogy can be extended to other acts such as perception or
consciousness. The body is perceived . so it is the object. Atma (soul) does
the act of perceiving . so it is the subject. Thus the body and the soul are
separate from one another. He who considers the soul as that which is seen
(that is, confuses the object for the subject) can only be termed as an
aggyani (ignorant of reality/truth).
yatsaukhya
(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 5)