Voice of Sankara
॥ साधन पञ्चकं ॥
UPADESHA-PANCHAKAM
UPADESHA-PANCHAKAM
Verse 1
वेदो नित्यमधीयतां तदुदितं कर्म स्वनुष्ठीयतां
तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये मतिस्त्यज्यताम्।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं विनिर्गम्यताम् ॥ १ ॥
तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये मतिस्त्यज्यताम्।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं विनिर्गम्यताम् ॥ १ ॥
vedo nityamadhīyatāṁ taduditaṁ karma svanuṣṭhīyatāṁ
teneśasya vidhīyatāmapacitiḥ kāmye matistyajyatām |
pāpaughaḥ paridhūyatāṁ bhavasukhe dośo’nusandhīyatāṁ
ātmecchā vyavasīyatāṁ nijagṛhāttūrṇaṁ vinirgamyatām ||1||
teneśasya vidhīyatāmapacitiḥ kāmye matistyajyatām |
pāpaughaḥ paridhūyatāṁ bhavasukhe dośo’nusandhīyatāṁ
ātmecchā vyavasīyatāṁ nijagṛhāttūrṇaṁ vinirgamyatām ||1||
Study the Veda every day; do properly the karma prescribed therein; through that (act), worship the Lord (Èùa); give up the thought of doing an act with desire (for its fruit); shake off the group of sinful deeds; consider (mentally) the defect in worldly pleasure; strive for the desire (for the knowledge) of the Átmán (Self); get out of your home without delay.
Verse 2
सङ्गः सत्सु विधीयतां भगवतो भक्तिर्दृढाऽऽधीयतां
शान्त्यादिः परिचीयतां दृढतरं कर्माशु सन्त्यज्यताम्।
सद्विद्वानुपसृप्यतां प्रतिदिनं तत्पादुका सेव्यतां
ब्रह्मैकाक्षरमर्थ्यतां श्रुतिशिरोवाक्यं समाकर्ण्यताम् ॥ २ ॥
शान्त्यादिः परिचीयतां दृढतरं कर्माशु सन्त्यज्यताम्।
सद्विद्वानुपसृप्यतां प्रतिदिनं तत्पादुका सेव्यतां
ब्रह्मैकाक्षरमर्थ्यतां श्रुतिशिरोवाक्यं समाकर्ण्यताम् ॥ २ ॥
saṅgaḥ satsu vidhīyatāṁ bhagavato bhaktirdṛḍhā”dhīyatāṁ
śāntyādiḥ paricīyatāṁ dṛḍhataraṁ karmāśu santyajyatām |
sadvidvānupasṛpyatāṁ pratidinaṁ tatpādukā sevyatāṁ
brahmaikākṣaramarthyatāṁ śrutiśirovākyaṁ samākarṇyatām ||2||
Form association with good; entertain firm devotion for the Lord; practise Ùánti (calmness of mind) and so on; give up at once the fast-binding karma (action); approach the good, wise person (for knowledge); serve (worship) his sandal (feet) every day; seek (from him knowledge of Brahman, symbolized by the single Syllable (Om); listen to the Vedánta-vakya dealing with Brahman.
śāntyādiḥ paricīyatāṁ dṛḍhataraṁ karmāśu santyajyatām |
sadvidvānupasṛpyatāṁ pratidinaṁ tatpādukā sevyatāṁ
brahmaikākṣaramarthyatāṁ śrutiśirovākyaṁ samākarṇyatām ||2||
Form association with good; entertain firm devotion for the Lord; practise Ùánti (calmness of mind) and so on; give up at once the fast-binding karma (action); approach the good, wise person (for knowledge); serve (worship) his sandal (feet) every day; seek (from him knowledge of Brahman, symbolized by the single Syllable (Om); listen to the Vedánta-vakya dealing with Brahman.
Verse 3
वाक्यार्थश्च विचार्यतां श्रुतिशिरः पक्षः समाश्रीयतां
दुस्तर्कात्सुविरम्यतां श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीयताम्।
ब्रह्मास्मीति विभाव्यतामहरहर्गर्वः परित्यज्यतां
देहेऽहंमतिरुझ्यतां बुधजनैर्वादः परित्यज्यताम् ॥ ३ ॥
दुस्तर्कात्सुविरम्यतां श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीयताम्।
ब्रह्मास्मीति विभाव्यतामहरहर्गर्वः परित्यज्यतां
देहेऽहंमतिरुझ्यतां बुधजनैर्वादः परित्यज्यताम् ॥ ३ ॥
vākyārthaśca vicāryatāṁ śrutiśiraḥ pakṣaḥ samāśrīyatāṁ
dustarkātsuviramyatāṁ śrutimatastarko’nusandhīyatām |
brahmāsmīti vibhāvyatāmaharahargarvaḥ parityajyatāṁ
dehe’haṁmatirujhyatāṁ budhajanairvādaḥ parityajyatām ||3||
Ponder over the import of scriptural texts (Vedánta-vákyas) dealing with Brahman. Accept the view (verdict) of the Vádanta-texts. Deliberately desist from vain (bad) reasoning (discussion). Bear in mind (follow) the reasoning that is in accord with the scriptures (Veda). Always revolve in the mind the thought - ``I am Brahman''. Always give up pride. Give up the notion, ``I am the body''. Avoid vain discussion with the wise.
dustarkātsuviramyatāṁ śrutimatastarko’nusandhīyatām |
brahmāsmīti vibhāvyatāmaharahargarvaḥ parityajyatāṁ
dehe’haṁmatirujhyatāṁ budhajanairvādaḥ parityajyatām ||3||
Ponder over the import of scriptural texts (Vedánta-vákyas) dealing with Brahman. Accept the view (verdict) of the Vádanta-texts. Deliberately desist from vain (bad) reasoning (discussion). Bear in mind (follow) the reasoning that is in accord with the scriptures (Veda). Always revolve in the mind the thought - ``I am Brahman''. Always give up pride. Give up the notion, ``I am the body''. Avoid vain discussion with the wise.
Verse 4
क्षुद्व्याधिश्च चिकित्स्यतां प्रतिदिनं भिक्षौषधं भुज्यतां
स्वाद्वन्नं न तु याच्यतां विधिवशात्प्राप्तेन सन्तुष्यताम्।
शीतोष्णादि विषह्यतां न तु वृथा वाक्यं समुच्चार्यतां
औदासीन्यमभीप्स्यतां जनकृपानैष्ठुर्यमुत्सृज्यताम् ॥ ४ ॥
स्वाद्वन्नं न तु याच्यतां विधिवशात्प्राप्तेन सन्तुष्यताम्।
शीतोष्णादि विषह्यतां न तु वृथा वाक्यं समुच्चार्यतां
औदासीन्यमभीप्स्यतां जनकृपानैष्ठुर्यमुत्सृज्यताम् ॥ ४ ॥
kṣudvyādhiśca cikitsyatāṁ pratidinaṁ bhikṣauṣadhaṁ bhujyatāṁ
svādvannaṁ na tu yācyatāṁ vidhivaśātprāptena santuṣyatām |
śītoṣṇādi viṣahyatāṁ na tu vṛthā vākyaṁ samuccāryatāṁ
audāsīnyamabhīpsyatāṁ janakṛpānaiṣṭhuryamutsṛjyatām ||4||
svādvannaṁ na tu yācyatāṁ vidhivaśātprāptena santuṣyatām |
śītoṣṇādi viṣahyatāṁ na tu vṛthā vākyaṁ samuccāryatāṁ
audāsīnyamabhīpsyatāṁ janakṛpānaiṣṭhuryamutsṛjyatām ||4||
Cure the disease in the form of hunger; take in the medicine in the form of bhikshá (borrowed alms); do not ask for delicious (savoury) food; be contented with what is acquired providentially (without effort); endure patiently cold and heat and other (pairs of opposites); do not utter words in vain; have desire to be neutral (without taking sides); give up the attitude of being kind to some people and cruel to others.
Verse 5
एकान्ते सुखमास्यतां परतरे चेतः समाधीयतां
पूर्णात्मा सुसमीक्ष्यतां जगदिदं तद्बाधितं दृश्यताम्।
प्राक्कर्म प्रविलाप्यतां चितिबलान्नाप्युत्तरैः श्लिष्यतां
प्रारब्धं त्विह भुज्यतामथ परब्रह्मात्मना स्थीयताम् ॥ ५ ॥
पूर्णात्मा सुसमीक्ष्यतां जगदिदं तद्बाधितं दृश्यताम्।
प्राक्कर्म प्रविलाप्यतां चितिबलान्नाप्युत्तरैः श्लिष्यतां
प्रारब्धं त्विह भुज्यतामथ परब्रह्मात्मना स्थीयताम् ॥ ५ ॥
ekānte sukhamāsyatāṁ paratare cetaḥ samādhīyatāṁ
pūrṇātmā susamīkṣyatāṁ jagadidaṁ tadvādhitaṁ dṛśyatām |
prākkarma pravilāpyatāṁ citibalānnāpyuttaraiḥ śliṣyatāṁ
prārabdhaṁ tviha bhujyatāmatha parabrahmātmanā sthīyatām ||5||
pūrṇātmā susamīkṣyatāṁ jagadidaṁ tadvādhitaṁ dṛśyatām |
prākkarma pravilāpyatāṁ citibalānnāpyuttaraiḥ śliṣyatāṁ
prārabdhaṁ tviha bhujyatāmatha parabrahmātmanā sthīyatām ||5||
Sit comfortably in a lonely (quiet) place; fix the mind on the Higher (Supreme) Self; seek the full (all-pervading) Átman within; consider this Universe as sublated by it; melt away (destroy) the effect of karma already done by dint of discriminating knowledge; get detached from future actions; go through the effect of karma which you have begun to experience here; finally remain (peacefully) in the exalted state of the Supreme Self (Para-brahman).
Verse 6
॥ इति परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यश्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यविरचित साधन पञ्चकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥