[Advaita-l] Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 33 TO 38 of 101: Dream Analogy

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste.  

[Important note:  I am presenting the next six shlokas
below in one go, because all the six are about the dream
analogy. Since  the present discussion on the main thread
of this month is now on Chittaranjan-ji’s beautiful thesis
on the dream analogy, I think these six shlokas may also 
be relevant for the discussion. It is a providential
coincidence that the presentation of Shata-shlokI is
intersecting with the main thread of this month so nicely
at this point!]

33.
bhunjAnaH svapna-rAjyaM sa sakala-vibhavo jAgaraM prApya
bhUyaH 
rAjya-bhrashhTo’ham-itthaM na bhajati vishhamaM tan-mRshhA
manyamAnaH /
svapne kurvan-nagamyA-gamana-mukham-aghaM tena na
pratyavAyI 
tadvaj-jAgrad-dashAyAM vyavahRtim-akhilAM
svapnavad-vismarec-cet //

bhunjAnaH : Having enjoyed
svapna-rAjyaM : a dream kingdom,
sakala-vibhavaH  saH : one with all that ‘glory’,
jAgaraM prApya bhUyaH : on waking thereafter,
na bhajati vishhamaM : does not feel downcast
rAjya-brashhTaH ahaM ithaM : that ‘I have been  banished
from my kingdom’
tat mRshAA manyamAnaH : knowing that it was all unreal.
na pratyavAyI : Nor (does one become) liable to be punished
for 
agamyA-gamana-mukhaM aghaM  : evil deeds such as adultery
and the like,
svapne kurvan : committed in  a dream.
tadvat : So also  (will it be) 
akhilaM vyvahRtiM : (with) all activities
jAgrad-dashAyAM :  (committed) in the waking state
vismaret cet : if (only) they are  forgotten
svapnavad : as if (they were part ) of a dream.

Note: The meaning of ‘vismaret cet’ (‘if forgotten’) has to
be properly interpreted. I would think that it means: “if
we remember that it is also sublated at a higher state of
consciousness”.

34.
svapnA-vasthA-nubhUtaM shubham-atha vishhamaM tan-mRshhA
jAgare syAt
jAgratyAM sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM tan-mRshA
svApa-kAle /
itthaM mithyAtva-siddhA-vanisham-ubhayadhA sajjate tatra
mUDhaH
satye tad-bhAsake’smin-niha hi kuta idaM tan-na vidmo vayaM
hi //

shubhaM atha vishhamaM : The pleasure or pain
svapna-avasthA-anubhUtaM : experienced in the dream state
--
tat mRshhA syAt : that becomes unreal
jAgare : on waking.
sthUla-deha-vyavahRti-vishhayaM : The objects towards which
the activities of the physical body are directed
jAgratyAM : in the waking state --
tan-mRshhA : they (become) unreal
svApa-kAle : during sleep.
itham mithyAtva-siddhau :  Although unreality is thus
established
anishaM : with certainty
ubhayadhA : both ways
mUDhaH : the ignorant person
tatra sajjate : clings to it (the body-mind-intellect
experience)
asmin satye tad-bhAsake : although its very illuminer is
the True Self.
iha tad-idaM kutaH : How does this situation arise here?
vayaM na vidmaH : we don’t know!

Note 1.  It is interesting that the Acharya himself focuses
on our  inability to pinpoint the cause of this colossal
error of the ignorant.

Note 2. Reality is that which exists in the three stages of
Time – past, present and future.

35.
jIvantaM jAgratIha svajanam-atha mRtaM svapna-kAle
nirIkshhya
nirvedaM yAty-akasmAt-mRtam-amRtam-amuM vIkshya harshhaM
prayAti /
smRtvA’pyetasya jantor-nidhanam-asuyutiM bhAshhate tena
sAkaM 
satyevaM bhAti bhUyo’lpaka-samaya-vashAt satyatA vA
mRshAtvaM //

nirvedaM yAti akasmAt: One is filled with sudden grief
nirIkshhya : on seeing, 
svapna-kAle : during a dream, 
svajanaM mRtaM : the death of a relative
jIvantaM : who is alive 
jAgrathi iha  : in one’s  waking state, in this world.
harshhaM prayAti : So also does one feel happy
amRtaM vIkshhya : on seeing alive, (in a dream)
amuM mRtaM : one that was dead (in one’s waking state).
smRtvA api : Although remembering
nidhanaM : the death, (in the dream) 
etasya jantoH : of this person
tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with him (in the
waking state)
smRtvA api : Although remembering
nidhanaM :  the death, (in the waking state)
etasya jantoH : of the (other) person
asuyutiM tena sAkaM bhAshhate : one converses with the
‘living’  him (in the dream state).
Evam sati : this being so,
satyatA : reality
mRshhAtvaM vA : or falsity
bhAti :  depends on 
bhUyaH alpaka-samyatvAt : the longness or the shortness of
time!

Note 1. I am not very happy with the above translation of
mine. I would like to be told of a better way of
translating the verse. 

Note 2. The general purport, however,  seems to be clear.
The seeming reality of waking experiences and unreality of
dream experiences are probably distinguished only by the
difference in their duration.  From the ultimate
standpoint, both are unreal!

36. 
svApna-strI-sanga-soukhyAd-api bhrsham-asato yA ca
retash-cyutis-syAt 
sA dRshyA tadvad-etat-sphurati jagad-asat-kAraNaM
satya-kalpaM /
svapne satyaH pumAn syAd-yuvatir-iha mRshhaiv-AnayoH
samyutishca 
prAtaH shukreNa vastropahatir-iti yataH kalpanA-mUlametat
//

svApna-strI-sanga-soukhyAt : From the pleasure, in the
dream,  of having a union with a woman
bhrsham asataH api : though totally unreal
yA ca retash-cyutiH syAt : whatever  discharge results
therefrom, 
sA dRshyA : that is visible.
tadvat : In the same way
etat jagat: this universe 
sphurati satya-kalpaM : appears as real,
asat-kAraNaM : even though it has sprung from unreality
(that is, mAyA).
svapne : In the dream
pumAn satyaH syAt : the man (dreamer) may be real
yuvatiH iha mRshA eva : however, the woman (of the dream)
is certainly unreal
anayaoH samyutiH ca : as well as their union;
prAtaH : In the morning
yataH shukreNa vastropahatiH : the fact of the  soiling of
the cloth by the discharge
etat kalpanA mUlaM : is only having imagination as its
source.

Note 1. The lesson is: This universe that appears is only
having imagination (kalpanA) as its source or  root-cause.

Note 2: Another lesson is: The real may spring up from the
unreal. See Shloka #38 below.

37
pashyaty-ArAmam-asya prati-divasam-amI jantavaH svApa-kAle 
pashyaty enaM na kashcit karaNa-gaNamRte mAyayA kRIDamAnaM
/
jAgraty-artha-vrajAnAm-atha ca tanu-bhRtAM bhAsakaM cAlakaM
vA 
no jAnIte sushhuptau parama-sukham-ayaM
kashcid-Ashcaryam-etat  //

amI jantavaH : All these human beings
pashyati  : witness
asya AramaM : this sport of the Self
prati-divasam : every day 
svApa-kAle : in the dream state
na kashcit : but no one however
enaM pashyati : sees this 
mAyayA kRIDamAnaM : as flirting with mAyA
karaNa-gaNamRte : without any of the sense-organs;
no jAnIte kashcit  : nor does any one realise (it) 
bhAsakaM cAlakaM vA : as the illuminer and inspirer,
jAgrati : in the waking state,
artha-vrajAnAM : of all objects of perception
atha ca : as well as
tanubhRtAM : of all embodied beings
sushhuptau : (and) in the deep sleep state
parama-sukhaM ayam : as that which is full of supreme
bliss!
Ashcaryam-etat. : This is wonderful, indeed!

Note: The punchline here, namely, ‘Ashcaryam-etat’ reminds
us of the folloowing yaksha-prashna in the Mahabharata and
Yudhishtira’s answer to the question: 
Q: What is the most wonderful thing in this world?
A: Day after day there enter into the Temple of Death,
countless lives. Looking on this spectacle, the rest of
them, those who remain, believe themselves to be permanent,
immortal. Can anything be more wonderful than this.?
In fact, the whole shloka 37 is a deeper presentation,
befitting the fundamental advaitic base in all of Acharya’s
writings,  of the same idea as contained in Yudhishtira’s
answer!

38
svapne mantro-padeshaH shravaNa-paricitaH satya eshha
prabodhe
svApnAd-eva prasAdAd-abhilashhita-phalaM satyatAM
prAtar-eti /
satya-prAptistv-asatyAd-api bhavati tathA kim-ca
tat-sva-prakAshaM 
yenedaM bhAti sarvaM caram-acaram-athoc-cAvacaM
dRshya-jAtaM //

mantro-padeshaH : The transmission of a mantra
svapne shravaNa-paricitaH : acquainted by the ears in a
dream
satyah eva : (becomes) real indeed
prabodhe : on waking.
svApnAt eva prasAdAt : As a result of benediction even in a
dream
abhilashhita-phalam : the yearned result
satyatAm eti : is attained in reality 
prAtaH : in the morning.
Satya-prAptiH tu bhavati : The real may thus spring up
asatyAt api : even from the unreal.
tathA : Further,
kim ca tat sva-prakAshaM : That self-effulgent Self
yena idaM sarvaM  : by which all this 
caraM acaraM : animate and inanimate  
bhAti : is manifest
atha uccAvacaM : also all the variety of
dRshya-jAtaM : everything in the visible universe.

Note. The punchline is: “satya-prAptistu asatyAd-api”.
Therefore although all phenomena are illusory, the
realisation of brahman is not an illusion. This is a
key-point which must be emphasized.



PraNAms to all students of Adi Shankaracharya.
profvk





=====
Prof. V. Krishnamurthy
My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/
You can  access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and Practice,  and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.
Also see my webpages on Live Happily, the Gita Way at http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/contentsbeach11.html