Vivekachudamani - Post 36

  Verse 30   

एतयोर्मन्दता यत्र विरक्तत्वमुमुक्षयोः ।
मरौ सलीलवत्तत्र शमादेर्भानमात्रता ॥ ३0 ॥

 

etayormandatā yatra viraktatvamumukṣayoḥ |
marau salīlavattatra śamāderbhānamātratā || 30 ||

 

(Sama and so on, become as ineffectual as the mirage in the desert for him who has a weak detachment and yearning for freedom.) 

 

Sankara is talking about the preparation required on the part of the student before the pursuit of moksha or before the pursuit of self-enquiry. 

First, he talked about certain general intellectual qualifications, like the knowledge of the language, the capacity to think and analyze, etc. because this involves knowledge or understanding. After talking about certain general intellectual qualification like medhavi, panditah, etc. he talked about spiritual qualifications consisting of sadhana catushṭayam, viveka, vairagyam, satka sampatti and mumukshutvam, discrimination, dispassion, discipline and desire.

 

And there afterwards he wanted to arrange these four qualifications in terms of their importance and pointed out that mumukshutvam he will give top importance and next to mumukshutvam he said is vairagyam. So in the three verses 28-30 Shankaracharya underlined mumukshutvam and vairagyam as the important qualifications.

 

So here while reading the three verses, especially the 28 and 30, there is a seeming contradiction, which you should carefully understand. In the 28th verse, Sankara pointed out that even a feeble mumukshutvam would produce phalam. 

 

In the 30th verse, he says, etayor yatra mandata marau salilavat. Feeble mumukṣutvam cannot produce result; it is mirage water; you know mirage water is useless for drinking, taking bath etc. 

 

So the question comes, how Sankara can contradict himself in these three verses.

 

For that we say there is no contradiction, if you see closely, the 28th verse he has put a condition for the feeble mumukshutvam to be feeble and in the 30th verse that condition is not mentioned. 

 

So feeble mumukshutvam is fruitful if the condition is fulfilled; otherwise, it is futile. And what is that condition in the 28th verse? He has used the word pravr̥ddha, that is the crucial word; pravr̥ ddha means what? When it is nourished. 

 

In the 30th verse, the word pravr̥ ddhā is not mentioned. Therefore, it means what; it is a apravr̥ ddha; that it is not nourished. 

 

So now what are the two statements?

 

Feeble mumukshutvam is fruitful when it is nourished and made tīvraḥ mumukshutvam. 

 

30th means what; feeble mumukshutvam is worthless if it is unnourished and kept feeble. What is the final lesson. When feeble mumuksutvam comes, be happy; but do not be complacent; do not be relaxed; allow the feeble mumukshutvam to grow, nourish it like a plant sprouting; 

 

Be happy that the seed sprouted; but do not be complacent and therefore mumukshutvam is important and that too when it is nourished it will take you to the self. Up to this we saw in the last class.

 

In those, who have, neither the spirit of detachment from the unreal, nor a consistent aspiration to evolve, true calmness and so on, cannot flourish. The Acharya says that in such people self-control, self-restraint, joy and happiness are all mere delusion, they are only a similitude of Reality, and they do not thrive well and flower forth to bear fruits. 

 

This, we can observe even in present day world  among  few  who  declare their detachment and mumuksutva and yet, in their life,  they seek to enjoy no calmness and so on, to experience no joy, to  practise no self-control. In such individuals where true vairagya and mumukshutva are absent, sama, dama and so on, can never bear fruit or grow or even germinate.

 

Love.