Morning thoughts

[Anand Hudli]

  praataH smaraami hR^idi saMsphuradaatmatattvaM
  sachchitsukhaM paramahaMsagatiM turiiyaM    |
  yatsvapnajaagarasushhuptimavaiti nityaM
  tadbrahma nishhkalamahaM na cha bhuutasaN^ghaH ||1||

  praataH - in the morning
  smaraami - I remember
  hR^idi - in the heart
  saMsphuradaatmatattvaM - the Reality Atman that is shining
  sachchitsukhaM - (which is) Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss
  paramahaMsagatiM - that which the exalted sages obtain
  turiiyaM - the fourth (state, distinct from the states of waking,
              dream and sleep),
  yat - which
  svapnajaagarasushhuptiM - the (three states of) dream, waking, and
                            sleep
  avaiti- knows
  nityaM - always
  tadbrahma - That Brahman
  nishhkalamahaM - partless entity I am
  na cha - but not
  bhuutasaN^ghaH - made up of the combination of (the five) elements
                   (ie. the body)


  In the morning, I remember the reality that is Atman which shines
  in (my) heart, which is existence, consciousness, and bliss, which
  is obtained by exalted sages, and which is distinct from the three
  states of dream, waking, and deep sleep. I am that partless Brahman which
  always knows the three states, dream, waking, and sleep. But I am not
  the body which is a combination of elements.

                        (praataHsmaraNastotra of Shankara)

 Anand