• Home
• Downloads
• Guest Book
• Most Recent
  • • Ganesh Ji ki Aarthi
    • Shiva Aarthi
    • Chidambharashtakam
    • Bhootha Natha Dasakam
    • Annapurna Devi Aarthi
    • Bhoo Suktam
    • Vaak Suktam
    • Medha Suktam
    • Nila Suktam
    • Pavamana Suktam
    • Saraswathi Suktam
    • Pasurappadi Ramayanam
    • Lalitha Sahasranama Phala Sruthi
    • Durga Pancha Rathnam
    • Durgashtakam
• Site Map
• Other Links
  • Acknowledgement
  • Link Partners
  • Update Newsletter
• Our Websites
  • Spiritual Library
  • Shastras Library
  • Spiritual Store
  • Domain Store
• Contact Us

Home » Summary » Prabodhasudhakara

Prabodhasudhakara of Adi Sankara
The Ocean of the Nectar of Enlightenment
A Summary
By S. N. Sastri

Introduction

Prabodhasudhakara is one of the lesser-known works of Sri Sankaracharya. It consists of 257verses divided into 19 chapters. One distinguishing feature of thiswork is that it recognises the paths of knowledge (jnana) and devotion(bhakti) as equally valid and expressly declares the oneness of Brahmanwith and without attributes.

What is it that human beings desiremost? It would seem that there is no single answer to this question.Desires seem to be as numerous as there are individuals. Some crave forwealth, some for fame, some for power and so on. But is it possible toreduce all these desires to one single desire, of which all these areonly different manifestations? The answer of Vedanta is in theaffirmative. The one desire that is common to all human beings, nay,all living beings, is: "May I always be happy, may I never have toexperience sorrow". Thus everything in this world is desired for thehappiness it is expected to bestow, but happiness is desired for itsown sake and not for the sake of anything else. Vedanta says that thisuniversal desire happiness is because happiness is our real nature. Wesuffer misery only because we have not realized our real nature andwrongly think of ourselves as the body, senses or mind. When a personsays he is stout or lean or tall or short, etc, he looks upon himselfas his body. When he says, "I see", "I hear", "I smell", etc, heidentifies himself with his sense organs. When he says, "I think", "Iunderstand", etc., he identifies himself with his mind. All theseidentifications are wrong and result from ignorance of our real nature.

The highest goal of life according to Advaita Vedanta is theattainment of a state of supreme bliss by the realization of our realnature. This is not a state to be attained in some other world afterthe end of the present life, as in other schools of Vedanta. On theother hand it is to be attained here, in this world and during thislife itself. This is the state known as Jivanmukti orliberation-in-life. This is attained when one realizes that he is notthe body, or the senses, or the mind, but the self or Atma, which isidentical with Brahman. The Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita expound themeans of attaining this state. One essential requisite for this ispurity of mind, which means a mind free from cravings for worldlypleasures. This should not be misunderstood as meaning that one has torenounce the world and take sannyasa. What has to be cultivated is anattitude of detachment. One who has cultivated such an attitude will beable to engage himself in his normal worldly activities, withoutbecoming unduly distressed by adversities or unduly elated byfavourable happenings. Only a person who has attained such a state ofequanimity of mind will be able to concentrate his mind on theteachings of the Upanishads and give up his wrong identification withthe body, senses and mind. When this wrong identification is given up,he remains as what he is in reality, namely, the Atma or self, which isidentical with Brahman. Brahman is bliss and so when one realizes hisidentity with Brahman he enjoys supreme bliss. The first few chaptersof the present book deal with the means by which such a detachment canbe cultivated. Thereafter the book proceeds to deal with such mattersas the nature of the Self, and leads step by step to the ultimate goal.

Chapter-1 - Censure of the physical body

The workcommences with a salutation to Krishna, described as the Supreme Lordof the Yadava race, who is none other than the Unborn, Self-effulgent,Supreme Being, who is Pure Existence, Consciousness and Eternal Bliss.Thus the identity of the Personal God with Nirguna Brahman isestablished at the very outset. The next verse points out that Brahmanwhom even the Vedas are unable to describe, is certainly not accessibleto the words of human beings. Though this is so, He can be attainedthrough the scriptures and by contemplation on, and singing the praisesof, Hari. However, spiritual practices, knowledge and devotion are ofno avail without the cultivation of intense dispassion. Dispassion,knowledge of the Self and devotion-- these three together constitutethe means to liberation. Dispassion is total absence of desire for allobjects of enjoyment. The notions of 'I' and 'mine' are the obstaclesto the rise of dispassion. The notion of 'I' relates to the body andthe notion of 'mine' relates to objects such as wife, son, andpossessions. If one ponders deeply over the nature of the body and itsrelationship with objects, these two notions can be graduallyeliminated. The jiva (individual soul) takes a body in accordance withhis past karma, and is born as a result of the union of the father andthe mother. The jiva is baked by the flames of the digestive fire inthe womb of the mother, surrounded by mucus, urine and faecal matter.After birth he undergoes sufferings of various kinds in childhood dueto illness and other causes. The jiva takes birth in eighty four lakhsof different species such as insects, birds, animals, human beings andso on. The human body is the highest in the scale of evolution. Evenamong human beings, birth in a noble family of learned persons, whichis conducive to the study and practice of the teachings of the Vedas,is the highest and most to be desired. If, even after attaining such avaluable birth, discrimination between the eternal Self and theperishable non-Self is not acquired, the life is merely wasted. Therecannot be a greater loss than this. The next birth may be as an animal,or bird, etc., in which there is absolutely no possibility of spiritualprogress. These creatures cannot even give expression to the sufferingundergone by them.

The physical body is a collection of blood,bones, marrow, fat, flesh and the like. It is covered outside by theskin. But for this covering, it would be snatched and eaten by crows.The very sight of the phlegm emitted by the nostrils and the mouth, andthe faecal matter from the anus is revolting. If a man sees a bonelying on the road, he would walk away from it in disgust, but he doesnot realise that his own body is full of similar bones. The body isfull of foul-smelling matter from the hair on the head to the tip ofthe nails. People anoint this body with sandal paste and variouscosmetics in order to conceal its defects. Fools praise the body,attributing merits to it. If a wound on the body is not cleaned forthree days, worms arise there and a bad smell emanates. The body whichtill then slept on a beautiful couch is bound with ropes and pieces ofwood and thrown into the fire when life departs from it. People worshipwith joy a king seated on his throne, but when he dies they do not likeeven to look at his body. Forgetting the Supreme Lord because of whomthe impure body is sentient and active, man looks upon his body ashimself. Where is the Self which is of the nature of Pure Existence andConsciousness, and where is the body made of flesh, blood and bones!Would any wise man think highly of the impure body?

The object in censuring the physical body in this manner is to generate dispassion in the mind of the spiritual seeker.

Chapter-2 - Censure of the objects of sense

Thedeluded man goes after sense pleasures which only weaken his body. Justas a house made of mud, which has collapsed because of heavy raincannot be strengthened with mud, the man cannot regain his strength byindulging more in sense-pleasures. A man is infatuated with his wifeeven if she is not beautiful and this causes him mental agitation; butif she happens to be beautiful, his unhappiness is even greater becauseothers may look upon her with longing. If the wife is very foolish, ordisobedient to her husband, she becomes worse than an enemy.

TheVeda says that there is no 'world' for a man without a son. What is the'world' referred to by this statement? It is certainly not liberation.It cannot also be this world or heaven, because there are other meansto attain them. The performance of sacrifices such as 'putrakameshti'are useless because they do not lead to real and permanent happiness.Before a son is born, a man is anxious to get one. When a son is born,the father is full of anxiety about his life. He is also worriedwhether the son will be intelligent and of good character, orotherwise. If the son hurts the father, mother or other relatives, hecauses further misery to the parents. Even if the son has all virtues,there will be great unhappiness if he is diseased or dies prematurely.If it is said that a son enables his father to attain to a higher worldafter death, that also does not stand to reason, because each person'sfuture depends on his own actions and merits and not on somebody else.Every person goes through innumerable births, in which he has differentfathers, mothers, sons and relatives. Such associations are thereforepurely transient, like wayfarers meeting at some place and thendispersing. The sons and other dependants are happy only if they arefed and looked after well, otherwise they become angry. Every one putsin great effort to acquire as much wealth as possible. But if excessivewealth is acquired, there is danger from thieves. Taxes levied by theGovernment may take away a substantial portion of the wealth. Quarrelsalso start within the family about the sharing of the wealth. Thus theobjects acquired with great effort for the sake of getting happinesslead ultimately only to unhappiness and mental agitation.

(Theobject of this denunciation of objects of sense is to generatedispassion in the spiritual aspirant. The idea is that one should notget too attached to family, wealth, and possessions).

Chapter-3 - Censure of the mind

Themind, when possessed by the demoness of desire, becomes a devil. Itwanders all over, is sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes angry,and so on. It is sometimes virtuous and sometimes wicked. It is pulledin different directions by pride, greed, desire, anger, jealousy andother emotions. One can attain dispassion by giving up desires. Themind will then become calm.

Chapter-4 - Discarding objects of sense

Theboat in the form of the human body is dragged here and there by theforce of past karma in the ocean of worldly existence which is full ofwater in the form of sense-objects. This boat has nine openings (thetwo eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the mouth and the organs ofexcretion and generation). Water in the form of sense-objects entersthrough these openings and tends to sink the boat. If these openingsare kept closed, the jiva, who is the boatman, can reach the othershore with ease. Without controlling the senses, none can cross theocean of worldly existence.

Some instances where free rein to thesenses contributes to spiritual downfall are now given. A man lookswith longing at the young wife of another man. This results only in hisaccumulating sin. A man listens to scandalous tales about another man,who is, however, not in the least affected by it. The only result isthat the man listening to such tales incurs sin. When a person makesfalse allegations about others, those persons are not affected in theleast, but the person who makes such allegations becomes a great sinner.

Thepleasure enjoyed for a few moments because of the contact of the senseswith an object turns into life-long misery when that object is lost.Therefore the wise man should give up hankering after such fleetingpleasures and seek what is eternal. A man given to sensual pleasures isultimately carried away by death, just like the fish attracted by apiece of flesh in a bait. A frog with half its body in the mouth of asnake goes on devouring flies. Similarly, man who is in the clutches ofdeath runs after sensual pleasures even in old age.

Chapter-5 - Restraint of the mind

Ifthe mind is not allowed to go out towards external objects, but isfixed on the Self, it will become identified with the Self. When themind is thinking of sense objects it becomes tainted and tamogunapredominates. When the mind withdraws itself from sense objects andattains dispassion towards them, sattvaguna will begin to manifest.(Prakriti, which is the material cause of the whole world is said to becomposed of three gunas or modes, namely, sattva, rajas and tamas. Themind is also constituted of the same three gunas. The proportion ofthese gunas varies from person to person. In the same person theproportion varies from time to time, depending on the activities of themind, and one guna or other predominates. When sattvaguna predominates,the mind is calm, receptive to knowledge and pure. When rajogunapredominates, the person is actuated by greed and is inclined to engagein action for the fulfilment of his desires, heedless of theconsequences. When tamoguna predominates, the person becomes lazy andgoes into a torpor). The mind of the ordinary person constantly seekspleasure through the sense organs. If the desired object is notattained the person thinks that he has lost something very valuable andis very unhappy.

Every one has to experience the consequences ofhis actions in this life or in past lives. This is the inexorable law.The only way to prevent the mind from running out in search of sensepleasures is by the cultivation of dispassion.

The happinessexperienced in deep sleep is not born of any sense object because atthat time there is no contact of the mind with external objects throughthe sense organs.

Just as a tiger confined to a place surroundedby high walls makes repeated efforts to jump over the walls and,becoming exhausted, lies down panting, the mind, failing in its effortsto go out on account of the sense organs being restrained, becomescalm. Then it gives up all effort.

The mind gradually gives upall agitation if the breath is controlled through pranayama, if thecompany of sages is resorted to, if the vasanas are given up, and bythe cultivation of devotion to the feet of Hari. The mind and thebreath are like two sides of the same coin and so when one iscontrolled the other also becomes calm.

Chapter-6 - Detachment

Aperson who has come as a guest for a short period to a house will notbe unduly elated or depressed by any good or bad happenings in thathouse. Similarly, a person should stay in his house like a guest,unaffected by whatever happens in the house. One who is free from thenotions of ‘I' and ‘mine' and who has turned his mind away from senseobjects is never affected by anything even if he is staying in hishouse. For a man who sleeps in a forest at the cool foot of a treewhere the ground is covered by sand and thick grass, the trees rich inleaves and fruits, the cool fragrant breeze, the birds which singsweetly and the rivers become friends. The man who has attained totaldispassion, whose mind is tranquil, who is free from desire, and whoenjoys whatever comes to him unsolicited, has attained fulfilment herein this life itself.

If an object is lost due to carelessness,great sorrow is experienced. But if the same object is presented to adeserving and respected person, there is great joy for the giver.Similarly, if sense pleasures cease to be available or if they cannotbe enjoyed because of old age or other reasons, that becomes the causeof sorrow for a long time. But if they are willingly renounced, thereis happiness and ultimately, liberation.

The mind forgets itstrue abode, the Self, and runs about here and there in the terribleforest of sense objects in search of pleasure. It is tormented by theforest fire in the form of the three kinds of afflictions, namely,those caused by physical and mental ailments (known as adhyatmika),those caused by other creatures (adhibhautika), and those resultingfrom natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, etc.,(adhidaivika). It is captivated by desires for enjoyment and runs afterobjects of trifling value. Ultimately it is destroyed by the tiger inthe form of sense objects. The mind is compared to a restless deerwhich roams about in the forest in search of grass and falls prey to atiger. The never ending desires that keep on rising in the mind bringabout the ruin of the human being and stand as obstacles to spiritualprogress. Detachment is the virtue that should be cultivated mostearnestly by every spiritual aspirant.

Chapter-7 - The Self

Althoughthe knowledge about the Self (Brahman) is contained in the Upanishads,the spiritual aspirant should get it only from a Guru. The knowledge ofthe Self obtained from a mere study of the Upanishads is indirect, likethe knowledge from the mere statement that ‘jaggery is sweet', whichcannot give one any idea of what jaggery looks like or what is thenature of its sweetness. The knowledge received from a Guru is like theknowledge obtained by looking at the jaggery from a distance, whichgives an idea of what jaggery looks like, but not about how it tastes.The knowledge obtained by the aspirant by intuitive perception orrealization of the Self is like the delight one gets on actuallytasting jaggery. Thus, while the scriptures and the Guru can only pointout the way, actual realization of the Self depends on one's own effort.

Whatis it that enables us to experience taste, smell, form, sound, andtouch and everything else? It cannot be the physical body or the senseorgans, because these exist even in the dead body, but the dead bodydoes not experience any pain when burnt. It cannot be the vital airs(prana), because, even though the prana is active during sleep, aperson remains ignorant of thieves entering the house and stealingthings. If it is said that it is the mind that enables us to experienceall these, then why is it that the mind does not experience all thesesimultaneously? It is because the mind is itself dependent on the senseorgans. This being so, what is it that enables us to have all theseexperiences?

Let a brightly burning lamp be placed on the floorin a room that is totally dark. Let the lamp be covered by a pot withfive holes on the sides. Let various objects be placed all around thepot. The light from the pot, coming through the holes illumines theseobjects and makes them visible. The visibility of the objects is notcaused by the holes in the pot or the lamp made of earth or any othermaterial, or the oil or the burning wick. It is only the light of thelamp that illumines the objects. Similarly, it is the Self or pureConsciousness within the body that enables us to experience the variousobjects of sense such as taste, smell, etc.

Chapter-8 - Maya

Verse95 of Prabodhasudhakara says that the Supreme Self who is nothing butPure Consciousness saw himself as ‘I'. Thus he got the appellation ‘I'.That was the origin of difference and multiplicity.

The aboveverse is based on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Br. Up), 1.4.1, whichsays-"In the beginning (i.e. before creation), there was nothing butthe Self in the form of a person. He pondered and saw nothing otherthan himself. He said, "I am he". Therefore he came to be called ‘I'(Aham). Therefore, even today, when a person is addressed, he firstsays, "It is I", and then only gives his name".

Verse 96 saysthat the Self existed as (or became divided into) two parts, as husbandand wife. Therefore the space (by the side of the male) has always tobe filled by a female.

This verse is based on Br. Up. 1.4.3,which says (as commented upon by Sri Sankaracharya)--"The Selfprojected a body as big as a man and woman together in embrace. He thendivided this body into two and they became husband and wife. Thereforethe husband and wife are like the two halves of a split pea. Thus, tilla man gets married the space by his side is vacant. This space has tobe filled by a wife". This statement in the Upanishad shows that equalimportance is given to the husband and the wife. Moreover, it isimplied here that a man becomes complete only when he gets married.This should dispel the totally wrong notion held by some that the Hindureligion frowns upon married life and holds up renunciation as themodel for all. The scriptures say that one should normally go throughthe four ashramas one by one and enter the sannyasa ashrama only at thelast stage of life. Of course, a person who has developed totaldetachment can go straight from brahmacharya to sannyasa, without goingthrough the grahastha and vanaprastha ashramas, but that is theexception and not the general rule.

The Supreme Self created allcreatures by its Maya, just as we create various objects in dream. Sothe universe is only like a dream. Maya, which is the power of theSupreme Self is neither different from nor identical with the Self. Itis beginningless and is dependent on the Self which is the onlyreality. It is made up of the three Gunas, namely, Sattva, Rajas andTamas. It brings forth the universe made up of the movable and theimmovable. It is only because of maya that every one identifies himselfwith his body-mind complex and consequently experiences joys andsorrows resulting from external factors. When a person has crossed overthis maya he realises that he is Brahman and remains as Brahman whichis supreme bliss.

The mind is the connecting link between theSelf which is pure consciousness and the physical body. The physicalbody perishes, but the mind continues, taking one physical body afteranother in numerous births. Death is the separation of the mind, alsoknown as the subtle body, from a particular physical body. Birth is theentry of the subtle body into another physical body. The subtle bodyperishes only on the realization of Brahman, when avidya or ignoranceis destroyed.

Just as the space enclosed in a pot or room iscalled pot-space or room-space, the Self (or Pure Consciousness)covered by Nescience is known as Jiva or individual soul.

A doubtarises here. How can ignorance cover Brahman which is pureconsciousness? Can darkness cover the sun? The answer is: Clouds whichare produced by the heat of the sun hide the sun from our view, but thefact that it is daytime is still known. Similarly ignorance hidesBrahman from us, but the power of consciousness is not hidden and it isseen in all living beings.

Chapter-9 - Definition of subtle body, etc.

Withinthe gross body there is the subtle body. Within the latter is thecausal body. Within that is the super-causal body. (In other works ofSri Sankara only one causal body is mentioned, but here two arementioned. The difference between the two is explained subsequently).The gross body (or physical body) has already been explained in chapter1. The subtle body is the aggregate of the five subtle elements, thefive vital airs, the five organs of sense and the internal organ(mind). It is what is referred to in the sruti by the statement, "Thepurusha is of the size of the thumb" (Kathopanishad).

The abovedefinition of the subtle body differs from that found in other works ofSri Sankara. In other works the subtle body is described as theaggregate of (1) the five praanas, (2) the fives subtle organs ofperception, (3) the five organs of action, (4) the mind, and (5) theintellect.

The causal body is made up of the mental impressions (vaasanaas) left by past actions.

The super-causal body is avidya, which is the cause of the manifestation of the causal body.

Thoughthere are some differences between the definitions of the subtle bodyand causal body in the present work and those found in other works, thedifferences are not very material.

The reflection of pureconsciousness in the intellect which is the essence of the subtle bodyis known as the jiva. This jiva causes the manifestation of the senseof ‘I-ness' in the physical body.

The reflection of the sun inthe ocean moves because of the movement of the waves. Similarly thereflection of pure consciousness moves in accordance with the changesin the mind. But just as the sun is not affected by the movement of itsreflection, pure consciousness is not at all affected by the movementsof its reflection in the mind.

The light of the sun, whenreflected from objects such as a bell-metal vessel, illumines the otherobjects in the same room. Similarly, the reflection of pureconsciousness in the subtle body illumines the objects outside throughthe sense-organs i.e. the senses experience objects outside because ofthe consciousness reflected in the subtle body.

****************

Panchadasi << Home >> Vedanta Paribhasha