[Advaita-l] Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 7,8 of 101

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste

7.
svIkurvan vyAghra-veshhaM sva-jaThara-bhRtaye
bhIshhayan-yashca mugdhAn
matyA vyAghro’ham-ithaM sa nara-pashu-mukhAn bAdhate kim nu
satvAn /
matvA strI-veshha-dhArI stry-aham-iti kurute kim naTo
bhartur-ichhAM
tadvac-charIra AtmA pRthag-anubhavato dehato yas-sa-sAkshhI
//

yaH : A person
svIkurvan : assuming
vyAghra-veshhaM : the mask of a tiger
sva-jaThara-bhRtaye : for his own livelihood
bhIshhayan ca : and frightening
mugdhAn : the innocent ones –
sa bAdhate kim nu : does he ever injure 
nara-pashu-mukhAn satvAn : any person, beast or living
thing
vyAghro’haM ithaM matyA : by the impression “I am a tiger”
?
(Or, )
naraH : the actor
strIveshha-dhArI : donning the role of a woman --
ichhAM kurute kim :  does he pant for 
bhartuH : a husband
strI ahaM iti matvA : thinking “I am a woman”?
tadvat : So also (is)
AtmA : the Self
shArIraH : living in the body
pRthak : but being different  
dehataH :  from the body
anubhavataH : (as well as) from experience;
saH sAkshhI : he is only the witness.

Note: The lesson therefore is the same as the punchline
teaching of the Gita: “ Act, act, in the living present,
with a total detachment to everything that ‘comes and goes’
(AgamApAyI). Everything associated with this body, mind and
intellect, comes and goes!


8.
svaM bAlaM rodamAnaM cira-tara-samayaM shAntim-Anetum-agre 
drAkshhaM khArjUram-AmraM sukadalam-athavA
yojayaty-ambikA’sya /
tadvac-ceto’ti-mUDhaM bahu-janana-bhavAn
mouDhya-samskAra-yogAt 
bodho-pAyair-anekaiH avasham-upanishhad-bodhayAmAsa samyak
//

ambikA : A mother
shAntiM AnetuM : in order to pacify
svaM bAlaM : her child
rodamAnaM : who has been crying
cira-tara-samayaM : for a very long time
yojayati : offers (or) places
asya agre : before the child
drAkshhaM : grape,
khArjUraM : date,
AmraM : mango,
sukadalaM : good banana,
athavA : and the like.
tadvat : So also
Upanishhat : The Upanishad
Samyak bodhayAmAsa : has well taught (i.e., enlightened)
anekaiH bodhopAyaiH : by various teaching strategies
ati-mUDhaM cetaH : the utterly foolish mind
avashaM : which is not in control of itself
mouDhya-samskAra-yogAt : because of the acquired dilution
of faculties
bahu-janana-bhAvAt : consequent to the numerous lives (that
it has gone through).

Note: So when the scriptures show you a carrot at the end
of the stick, even if it be a heavenly carrot,  that is
only a “bodhopAya”, ‘a teaching strategy’. 

Note 2: Compare shloka XI – 3 – 44 from Shrimad Bhagavatam:

Parokshha-vAdo vedo’yaM bAlAnAm anushAsanaM /
Karma-mokshhAya karmANi vidhatte hy-agadaM yathA //

meaning, The Vedas always tell you only indirectly, they
hide their real intent. It is like getting things done by
children. The Vedas prescribe actions/rituals for you so
that in due time you may  be relieved of all actions.

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