HINDU ENCYCLOPEDIA

सनातन धर्म भूमिका

Meaning of "Vivekachudamani"

Word

Vivekachudamani

Sanskrit

विवेकचूडामणि

IAST

vivekacūḍāmaṇi

In General

A principle text for Advaita Vedantha and an inspirational argument for the need of monastic life. The 580 verse of the text is divided into five sections. The authorship is ascribed to Adi Sankara. Vivekachudamani encourages the Sadaka to develop discriminating power and focus attention on Moksha. One of the important quote from the text is:

durlabham thriameveithath devanugraha hethukam I

manushyathvam, mumukshutvam mahapurushasya samsraya : II

Manushyathvam (having the human birth), mukukshutvam (desire for spirituality) and Mahapurusha samsraya (close association with great men of wisdom) are very rare to get. In the subsequent verses Sankara feel sorry for his fellow human being and says that, it is a real tragedy that even after getting these three rare gifts, most of the men does not aspire for Moksha.

Adi Sankara express his view of Vedanta philosophy in Vivekachudamani in a condensed form in the below said statement.

Brahma satyam; jagan mithya; jivo brahmaiva naparah

Meaning: Brahman is real. The world is illusion. The jiva is none other than Brahman.

Another important quote from the text is:

arthasya nishchayo drishto vicharena hitokitthah|

na snanena, na danena pranayamashatena va||

Meaning: By reflection, reasoning and instructions of gurus, the truth is known, Not by ablutions(snana), not by making donations(dana), nor by performing hundreds of breath control exercises(Pranayama).

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Word Sanskrit IAST In General Veda Purana