Ātmabodha

Knowledge about the Self

 Introduction

The Ātmabodha is a short text of about 68 stanzas that teaches how to recognize who you really are. Tradition attributes it to Śaṅkarācārya, although some scholars believe it may have been written centuries later, within the same current of Advaitavedānta.

You confuse what you are not with what you are. You identify with the body, the mind, the emotions, the memories, and the roles you play, and from there suffering is born. The text calls this confusion avidyā (ignorance) and explains that it is not a simple intellectual error, but the root of fear and of the cycle of birth and death.

To dissolve it, it proposes a path in three steps:

(1) Listening to the teaching.
(2) Reflecting on it until doubt disappears.
(3) Meditating or dwelling in that truth.

It is not about acquiring something new, but about removing the veil that hides the Ātmā, the Self, which you have always been.

The Ātmabodha insists that the Self is not the body, nor the mind, nor the states of consciousness. It is a pure Witness, without parts, without action, without birth or death. Limitations belong to the vehicles you use, not to you. And the conclusion is that the apparently separate individual (jīva) and absolute reality (Brahma) are not two different things: Rightly understood, the jīva is Brahma.

In summary, it is a compact guide to non-dual self-knowledge. Its tone is rational because it analyzes and distinguishes, and at the same time contemplative because it ends in the certainty that the Self is Consciousness, Existence, and Bliss, and that recognizing it is Liberation itself.

Now read the Ātmabodha and experience Supreme Delight, dear Śiva.

Important: Everything that is between parentheses and in italics within the translation has been added by me to complete the sense of a given phrase or sentence. In turn, everything that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes additional clarifying information also added by me.

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 Ātmabodha

तपोभिः क्षीणपापानां शान्तानां वीतरागिणाम्।
मुमुक्षूणामपेक्ष्योऽयमात्मबोधो विधीयते॥१॥
Tapobhiḥ kṣīṇapāpānāṁ śāntānāṁ vītarāgiṇām|
Mumukṣūṇāmapekṣyo'yamātmabodho vidhīyate||1||

This (ayam) desirable (apekṣyaḥ) Ātmabodha --lit. Knowledge about the Self-- (ātma-bodhaḥ) is intended (vidhīyate) for those who have eliminated (their) sins (kṣīṇa-pāpānām) by austerities (tapobhiḥ), for those who are peaceful (śāntānām), dispassionate (vītarāgiṇām) (and) desire Liberation (mumukṣūṇām)||1||

बोधोऽन्यसाधनेभ्यो हि साक्षान्मोक्षैकसाधनम्।
पाकस्य वह्निवज्ज्ञानं विना मोक्षो न सिध्यति॥२॥
Bodho'nyasādhanebhyo hi sākṣānmokṣaikasādhanam|
Pākasya vahnivajjñānaṁ vinā mokṣo na sidhyati||2||

Knowledge (bodhaḥ), in comparison with other means (anya-sādhanebhyaḥ hi), (is) the only direct means to Liberation (sākṣāt-mokṣa-eka-sādhanam). Just as fire (vahni-vat) in the case of the act of cooking (pākasya), (so too,) without (vinā) Knowledge (jñānam) Liberation (mokṣaḥ) is not attained/accomplished (na sidhyati)||2||

अविरोधितया कर्म नाविद्यां विनिवर्तयेत्।
विद्याविद्यां निहन्त्येव तेजस्तिमिरसङ्घवत्॥३॥
Avirodhitayā karma nāvidyāṁ vinivartayet|
Vidyāvidyāṁ nihantyeva tejastimirasaṅghavat||3||

Since it is not in opposition (avirodhitayā), action (karma) does not make ignorance cease (na avidyām vinivartayet). Knowledge (vidyā) destroys (nihanti eva) ignorance (avidyām) just as a mass of darkness (is destroyed) by light (tejas-timira-saṅgha-vat)||3||

परिच्छिन्न इवाज्ञानात्तन्नाशे सति केवलः।
स्वयं प्रकाशते ह्यात्मा मेघापायेंऽशुमानिव॥४॥
Paricchinna ivājñānāttannāśe sati kevalaḥ|
Svayaṁ prakāśate hyātmā meghāpāye'ṁśumāniva||4||

(The Self appears) as if it were limited and confined (paricchinnaḥ iva) because of ignorance (ajñānāt). When that --ignorance-- is destroyed (tad-nāśe sati), the solitary (kevalaḥ) Self (ātmā) reveals Himself and shines by Himself (svayam prakāśate hi) like (iva) the sun (aṁśumān) when the clouds disperse (megha-apāye)||4||

अज्ञानकलुषं जीवं ज्ञानाभ्यासाद्विनिर्मलम्।
कृत्वा ज्ञानं स्वयं नश्येज्जलं कतकरेणुवत्॥५॥
Ajñānakaluṣaṁ jīvaṁ jñānābhyāsādvinirmalam|
Kṛtvā jñānaṁ svayaṁ naśyejjalaṁ katakareṇuvat||5||

After making (kṛtvā), through the practice of Knowledge (jñāna-abhyāsāt), completely immaculate (vinirmalam) the individual soul (jīvam) that was turbid because of ignorance (ajñāna-kaluṣam), Knowledge (jñānam) Itself (svayam) disappears (naśyet) like the powder of the kataka nut (kataka-reṇu-vat) (after purifying) the water (jalam) (by precipitation)||5||

संसारः स्वप्नतुल्यो हि रागद्वेषादिसङ्कुलः।
स्वकाले सत्यवद्भाति प्रबोधे सत्यसद्भवेत्॥६॥
Saṁsāraḥ svapnatulyo hi rāgadveṣādisaṅkulaḥ|
Svakāle satyavadbhāti prabodhe satyasadbhavet||6||

Saṁsāra --lit. «transmigration», that is, the flux of the world-- (saṁsāraḥ), full of attachment, aversion, etc. (rāga-dveṣa-ādi-saṅkulaḥ), (is) undoubtedly (hi) just like a dream (svapna-tulyaḥ). While it lasts (sva-kāle), it appears (bhāti) as if it were real (satya-vat), (but) it becomes (bhavet) unreal (asat) when the awakening occurs (prabodhe sati)||6||

तावत्सत्यं जगद्भाति शुक्तिकारजतं यथा।
यावन्न ज्ञायते ब्रह्म सर्वाधिष्ठानमद्वयम्॥७॥
Tāvatsatyaṁ jagadbhāti śuktikārajataṁ yathā|
Yāvanna jñāyate brahma sarvādhiṣṭhānamadvayam||7||

As long as (yāvat) Brahma (brahma) —the non-dual basis of everything (sarva-adhiṣṭhānam advayam)— is not known (na jñāyate), so long (tāvat) the world --or «universe»-- (jagat) appears (bhāti) to be real (satyam), like (yathā) silver in the mother-of-pearl (śuktikā-rajatam)||7||

उपादानेऽखिलाधारे जगन्ति परमेश्वरे।
सर्गस्थितिलयान्यान्ति बुद्बुदानीव वारिणि॥८॥
Upādāne'khilādhāre jaganti parameśvare|
Sargasthitilayānyānti budbudānīva vāriṇi||8||

The worlds (jaganti), like (iva) bubbles (budbudāni) in the water (vāriṇi), manifest, are sustained (for a time) and dissolve (sarga-sthiti-layān yānti) in the Supreme Lord (parama-īśvare), who is the material cause (upādāne) (and) the support of everything (akhila-ādhāre)||8||

सच्चिदात्मन्यनुस्यूते नित्ये विष्णौ प्रकल्पिताः।
व्यक्तयो विविधाः सर्वा हाटके कटकादिवत्॥९॥
Saccidātmanyanusyūte nitye viṣṇau prakalpitāḥ|
Vyaktayo vividhāḥ sarvā hāṭake kaṭakādivat||9||

All (sarvāḥ) the multiple (vividhāḥ) manifestations (vyaktayaḥ) are imagined (prakalpitāḥ) in the Eternal Viṣṇu who strings (them all together like a connecting Thread, and) who is Existence and Consciousness (sat-cit-ātmani anusyūte nitye viṣṇau), just like bracelets, etc. (kaṭaka-ādi-vat) with reference to gold (hāṭake)||9||

यथाकाशो हृषीकेशो नानोपाधिगतो विभुः।
तद्भेदाद्भिन्नवद्भाति तन्नाशे केवलो भवेत्॥१०॥
Yathākāśo hṛṣīkeśo nānopādhigato vibhuḥ|
Tadbhedādbhinnavadbhāti tannāśe kevalo bhavet||10||

Exactly as (yathā) space or ether (ākāśaḥ), the All-pervading (vibhuḥ) Lord of the senses (hṛṣīka-īśaḥ) is associated with various upādhi-s --limiting adjuncts or conditionings-- (nānā-upādhi-gataḥ), (and) due to their --of such upādhi-s-- differentiation (tad-bhedāt) appears (bhāti) as if He were diverse (bhinna-vat). When that is destroyed --that is, such upādhi-s-- (tad-nāśe), (that same All-pervading Lord of the senses) becomes (bhavet) one (kevalaḥ) (again)||10||

नानोपाधिवशादेव जातिवर्णाश्रमादयः।
आत्मन्यारोपितास्तोये रसवर्णादिभेदवत्॥११॥
Nānopādhivaśādeva jātivarṇāśramādayaḥ|
Ātmanyāropitāstoye rasavarṇādibhedavat||11||

By the force of the various upādhi-s only (nānā-upādhi-vaśāt eva), castes, classes, stages of life, etc. (jāti-varṇa-āśrama-ādayaḥ) are superimposed (āropitāḥ) on the Ātmā --the Self-- (ātmani), just as the division of taste, color, etc. (rasa-varṇa-ādi-bheda-vat) (is superimposed) on the water (toye)||11||

पञ्चीकृतमहाभूतसम्भवं कर्मसञ्चितम्।
शरीरं सुखदुःखानां भोगायतनमुच्यते॥१२॥
Pañcīkṛtamahābhūtasambhavaṁ karmasañcitam|
Śarīraṁ sukhaduḥkhānāṁ bhogāyatanamucyate||12||

The gross body (śarīram) --made of the great elements that became five (pañcīkṛta-mahā-bhūta-sambhavam) (and) replete with (accumulated) karma-s (karma-sañcitam)-- is said (ucyate) to be the abode of experiences (bhoga-āyatanam) of pleasure and pain (sukha-duḥkhānām)||12||

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 Información Adicional

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

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