[Advaita-l] Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 17,18 of 101

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste.

17.
shaktyA nirmokataH svAd-bahir-ahir-iva yaH pravrajan
svIya-gehAt 
chhAyAM mArga-drumotthAM pathika iva manAk samshrayet
deha-samsthAM /
kshhut-paryAptaM tarubhyaH patita-phalam-ayaM prArthayet
bhaikshhyam-annaM
svAtmA-rAmaM praveshhTuM sa khalu sukha-mayaM
pravrajet-dehato’pi //

yaH : He who
shaktyA : by strength of will,
pravrajan : leaving
svIya gehAt : from one’s home
ahiH iva : like a snake 
svAt nirmokataH bahiH : out of its slough,
manAk samshrayet : might occasionally attend to 
deha-samsthAM : the sustenance of his body
pathika iva : like a traveller 
mArga-drumotthaM chAyAM : (resorting to) the shade of a
wayside tree;
ayam :  (however) he
tarubhyaH prArthayet bhaikshhyam-annaM:  should beg of
trees (only) that much food
kshut-paryAptaM : as would be enough to appease his hunger.
saH pravrajet  : He should go forth
dehataH api : also from his body
praveshhTuM : in order to enter
svAtma-ArAmaM : the garden of his own Self
sukha-mayaM : that is full of bliss.

Note: Recall that when Lord Krishna summarises, at the end
of the 18th chapter, the whole of his teaching, his
description (in two shlokas : 52, 53)  of the behaviour of
the Seeker of the Ultimate, includes  ‘laghvAshI’ –
meaning, the one who eats less, that is, only that much to
support the life – as one of the essential qualifications.

18.
kAmo buddhA-vudeti prathamam-iha
manasy-uddishaty-artha-jAtaM 
tad-gRhNAtI-ndriy-Asyais-tad-anadhi-gamataH krodha
Avirbhavec-ca /
prAptA-varthasya samrakshhaNa-matir-udito lobha etat-trayaM
syAt
sarveshhAM pAta-hetus-tad-iha matimatA
tyAjyam-adhyAtma-yogAt //

iha : In this world
kAmaH : desire
udeti : arises 
prathamam : first
buddhau : in  the intellect;
manasi : in the mind
uddishati : it directs (the individual)
artha-jAtaM : (towards) various objects
tat gRhNAti : (mind) then grasps the objects
indriyAsyaiH: through the medium of the senses.
tad-anabhigamataH : At the non-obtaining of  that object
Avirbhavet  ca : there also springs
krodhaH : anger.
prAptau : When the aim is attained
uditaH : there arises 
lobhaH : greed (in the form of)
samrakshhaNa-matiH : eagerness for the preservation 
arthasya: of that object.
Etat trayaM :  These three 
sarveshhAM pAta-hetuH syAt: are the cause of every one’s
ruin.
matimatA : By the wise
tyAjyaM :  it is to be shunned
adhyAtma-yogAt : by constant meditation of the Self. 

Note:  One would naturally recall the famous ‘dhyyato
vishhayAn pumsaH ..’ shloka from  Gita Ch.II. But recall
also the shloka (XVI-21) ‘trividhaM narakasyedam ...’ .	

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