[Advaita-l] A sample of Advaitic concepts in the Kurmapuranam

[V Subrahmanian]

Kūrmapurāṇam

A random selection from the text of the Kūrma purāṇam: [some of the verses
might look disconnected because of the random selection.]

सर्वसङ्गान्परित्यज्य ज्ञात्वा मायामयं जगत्

अद्वैतं भावयात्मानं द्रक्ष्यसे परमेश्वरम्  ८७

Give up all attachments knowing the world to be an illusion. Know yourself
to b the Supreme Lord, Advaita.

अद्वैतमचलं ब्रह्म निष्कलं निष्प्रपञ्चकम्

स्वसंवेद्यमवेद्यं तत्परे व्योम्नि व्यवस्थितम्  २८९

Brahman is Advaitam, immutable, partless, devoid of the world. It is
self-luminous and not known as an object. It is established in the supreme
space, the cave of the heart: yo veda nihitam guhāyām parame  vyoman
(Taittiriya up.)

सूक्ष्मेण तमसा नित्यं वेष्टिता मम मायया

Brahman is enveloped by by māyā, the subtle ignorance.

नित्यः सर्वत्रगो ह्यात्मा कूटस्थो दोषवर्जितः

एकः सन्तिष्ठते शक्त्या मायया न स्वभावतः  २२

Eternal, all-pervading, is the Atman, unchanging and blemishless. One only
he is seen to be accompanied by the Power, illusorily and not naturally.

तस्मादद्वैतमेवाहुर्मुनयः परमार्थतः

भेदो व्यक्तस्वभावेन सा च मायात्मसंश्रया  २३

Therefore The Supreme Truth is called Advaitam alone absolutely by the
seers. Bheda, difference, is manifest and that māyā is dependent on the
Atman.

यथा हि धूमसंपर्कान्नाकाशो मलिनो भवेत्

अन्तःकरणजैर्भावैरात्मा तद्वन्न लिप्यते  २४

Just as by association of smoke the sky is not sullied so too by the
association with the transformations of the mind, Atma is not touched.

यथा स्वप्रभया भाति केवलः स्फटिकोपलः

उपाधिहीनो विमलस्तथैवात्मा प्रकाशते  २५

Just as the crystal (sphatika) shines by its own effulgence, so too the
Atma shines free of any upādhi-s (adjuncts), being Pure.

ज्ञानस्वरूपमेवाहुर्जगदेतद्विचक्षणाः

अर्थस्वरूपमेवान्ये पश्यन्त्यन्ये कुदृष्टयः  २६

The Wise say this world is actually Pure Consciousness alone while those
devoid of the right vision see the world as a material object.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति

तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा  ३४

 When one realizes that the state of diversity of living things is rooted
in the One, and that their manifestation is also from That, then one
becomes identified with Brahman. [BG 13.30]

यदा पश्यति चात्मानं केवलं परमार्थतः

मायामात्रं जगत्कृत्स्नं तदा भवति निर्वृतः  ३५

When one realizes oneself as the second-less absolutely, and the world as
mere appearance, then he becomes Blissful. [This is a rephrasing of the
last verse of the BG 13th ch.]

यदा जन्मजरादुःखव्याधीनामेकभेषजम्

केवलं ब्रह्मविज्ञानं जायतेऽसौ तदा शिवः  ३६

When the non-dual realization of Brahman that is the sole antidote of all
ills such as birth, old age, then one becomes verily Shiva. [prathamo daivo
bhiṣak - of the Sri Rudram]

यथा नदीनदा लोके सागरेणैकतां ययुः

तद्वदात्माक्षरेणासौ निष्कलेनैकतां व्रजेत्  ३७

Just as the rivers in the world become one with the Ocean so too the Atman
merges as one with the Imperishable Partless Brahman.

तस्माद्विज्ञानमेवास्ति न प्रपञ्चो न संस्थितिः

अज्ञानेनावृतं लोके विज्ञानं तेन मुह्यति  ३८

Therefore know that only Consciousness exists and there is no world or
individual existence. The Truth is enveloped by ignorance and hence man is
deluded.

विज्ञानं निर्मलं सूक्ष्मं निर्विकल्पं यदव्ययम्

अज्ञानमितरत्सर्वं विज्ञानमिति तन्मतम्  ३९

Consciousness is Pure, subtle, divisionless and imperishable.  Everything
else is sheer ignorance, while actually it is Consciousness alone.

एतद्वः परमं सांख्यं भाषितं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्

सर्ववेदान्तसारं हि योगस्तत्रैकचित्तता  ४०

This Supreme Sānkhya (Vedanta) Exalting Knowledge is spoken by Me. This is
the essence of all the Upanishads. One's one-pointedness is what is being
one with That.

कृत्वाथ निर्भयः शान्तस्त्यक्त्वा मायामयं जगत्

Fearless, tranquil, having given up the illusory world...


Om Tat Sat