[Advaita-l] Shata-shlokI of Shankara - 19, 20 of 101

[V. Krishnamurthy]

19. 
dAnaM brahmArpaNaM yat-kriyata iha nRbhiH
syAt-kshhamA’krodha-samjnA 
shraddhA-stikyaM ca satyaM sad-iti param-ataH setu-samjnaM
catushhkaM /
tat-syAt-bandhAya jantor-iti catura
imAn-dAna-pUrvaish-caturbhiH
tIrtvA shreyo’mRtam-ca shrayata iha naraH svar-gatiM
jyotir-AptiM //

nRbhiH iha : By people, in this  world,
yat : whatever
kriyate : is done 
brahmArpaNaM : as an offering (dedication) to the brahman
dAnaM : is the real charity;
akrodha-samjnA  : An action  based on  absence of anger 
kshhamA : is the real patience;
AstikyaM :  Beleief in the existence of the Self 
shraddhA : is the real Faith;
sat : Absolute Reality 
satyaM : is the real Truth.
ataH paraM : And in consequence of  these (there are)
catushhkaM : four (opposites)
setu-samjnaM : in the form of barriers.
Tat syAt : That becomes
bandhAya : a bondage 
jantopH : for the being.
tIrtvA : By transcending
catura imAn : these four,
dAna-pUrvaiH caturbhiH : by means of the four, starting
with ‘dAna’ (gift),
naraH shrayate : man obtains
shreyaH : happiness,
amRtaM : immortality,
svargatiM : heavenward progress, 
jyotir-AptiM ca :   and, realisation of Light.

Note: ‘dAnaM’, ‘kshhamA’, ‘shraddhA’, ‘satyaM’ are the four
pillars on which any spiritual ascent has to be built.

20.
annaM devA-tithibhyo’rpitam-amRtam-idaM cAnyathA
mogham-annaM
yasch-AtmArthaM vidhatte tad-iha nigaditaM mRtyu-rUpaM hi
tasya /
loke’sau kevalAgho bhavati tanu-bhRtA kevalAdI ca yaH syAt 
tyaktvA prANAgni-hotraM vidhivad-anudinaM yo’shnute so’pi
martyaH //

annaM : Food
arpitaM : that is dedicated
deva-atithibhyaH : to the Lord and to the guests
amRtaM : is immortal nectar.
anyathA : Otherwise,
idaM annaM : the same food
moghaM : (is) useless (i.e., in vain).
yaH : One who 
vidhatte : prepares (food) 
AtmArthaM : for just oneself --
Tat hi : that, indeed, 
nigaditaM  : has been declared as
tasya mRtyu-rUpaM : a form of his death.
Loke : In this world
tanubhRtA : among human beings
yaH kevalAghaH syAt : the person who eats by himself
kevalAdi  bhavati : becomes wholly sinful;
yaH sah api : and, he too, who
ashnute anudinaM : eats daily,
tyaktvA : without performing 
prANAgni-hotraM :the consecration of food to Fire of Life 
(prANa)
vidhivat : according to prescriptions,
martyaH : remains mortal.

Note: “kevalAgho bhavati kevalAdI”  are exact words from
the yajur-veda; probably it occurs in the other vedas also.
It is a delight to see how the Acharya dexterously, but
effortlessly,  handles passages from their original vedic
source.

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