Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya – 2

On His birthday am just sharing a stotra written by the Adi Shankaracharya with the story behind it. One doesn’t know if the story is true or a folklore but the shatak (षटक) written by the great teacher needs just to be read again and again to experience bliss.

This is one of the rare stotras written by Adi Sankara identifying himself as the Supreme Soul and clearly explaining his theory of non-dualism. It is has a remarkable tempo.

There is a story that one of his disciples started saying Shivoham like the Acharya without understanding its significance.

The Acharya visited a black smith’s house and happily drank one tumbler of molten iron and ordered the disciple to do so. Naturally he was not able to it.

The Acharya told him that as for himself the molten iron or ice cold water are not different because he has realized that he is no different from Supreme So and till the disciple attains that state, there is no point in his repeating Shivoham i.e “I am the Supreme Soul”. 

मनो बुद्ध्यहंकारचित्तानि नाहम्
न च श्रोत्र जिह्वे न च घ्राण नेत्रे
न च व्योम भूमिर् न तेजो न वायु:
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥१॥

I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory,
I am not the ears, the skin, the nose or the eyes,
I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

न च प्राण संज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायु: 
न वा सप्तधातुर् न वा पञ्चकोश:
न वाक्पाणिपादौ न चोपस्थपायू 
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥२॥

I am not the breath, nor the five elements,
I am not matter, nor the 5 sheaths of consciousness
Nor am I the speech, the hands, or the feet,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

न मे द्वेष रागौ न मे लोभ मोहौ 
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्य भाव:
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो ना मोक्ष: 
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥३॥ 

There is no like or dislike in me, no greed or delusion,
I know not pride or jealousy,
I have no duty, no desire for wealth, lust or liberation,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दु:खम् 
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा: न यज्ञा:
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता 
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥४॥

No virtue or vice, no pleasure or pain,
I need no mantras, no pilgrimage, no scriptures or rituals,
I am not the experienced, nor the experience itself,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

न मे मृत्युर्शंका न मे जातिभेद: 
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म
न बन्धुर् न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्य: 
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥

I have no fear of death, no caste or creed,
I have no father, no mother, for I was never born,
I am not a relative, nor a friend, nor a teacher nor a student,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

अहं निर्विकल्पॊ निराकार रूपॊ 
विभुर्व्याप्य सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्
सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्तिर् न बंध
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥६॥ 

I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness,
I exist everywhere, pervading all senses,
I am neither attached, neither free nor captive,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Supreme Soul…

I bow down to this Supreme Soul…

Today is also the birthday of Ramanujacharya, the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita. Bow down to this great Soul as well.

PS : Link to the blog written last year https://ameetkothari.wordpress.com/2019/05/09/jagadguru-adi-shankaracharya/