Vivekachoodamani - Main Sloka

This is the important sloka in Viveka choodamani. If not interpret properly, the whole of shastras will become useless.

"Vakvaikhari shabdajhari shastravyakhyana kaushalam ... bhuktaye na tu muktaye" is a beautiful sloka in VivekaChoodamani by Acharya. People often mistake this meaning. It is generally interpret as, the proficiency , word games (using flowery words) and knowledge in interpreting the Shastras may be useful in experiencing the things in the world but will not be useful for Moksha. This is not just interpret in this way, but, the Vidwans who interpret it this way also use this as a Pramana to ridicule the study of shastra. They also for their support, bring the Sruthi, “vak viglapanam hi tat” – it is just waste of energy.

But, then did not Acharya say this? Yes he did. But then what is your problem, why are you condemning it? To condemn it, means is a Blasphemy for me. The reason I say is it is not interpret properly, as always is done by the ignorant (of the shastra).

How should it be interpret than?

First, if the before said meaning is what Acharya means, than, the rest of the text will be redundant, like the other shastras and interpretation of Acharya. And, after this (believe it is 50 or some sloka) He writes around 400 more slokas.

Second, there are three beautiful, romantic, poetic masterly Sanskrit  words which are used in the first part of the Sloka.

Vakvaikhari – expanse of the usage of words

Shabdajhari – the nuances of the words

Shastravyakhana-Kaushalam – ability to interpret the words.

But, the really mean, from the introduction invocation sloka of Taiteriya Bhashya, “yairime gurubhi purvam padavakyapramanata” - the earlier Guru’s who through Pada, Vakya and Pramana.

Pada means Grammar, Vakya means Poorva Mimamsa and Pramana means Nyaya.

In the same way here too, Acharya uses these three words respectively.

Vakvaikhari means Pada means Grammar. Trough Grammar one understands the right meaning and usage of the words, and therefore has a very thorough grasp over the vak, speech.

Shabdajhari  means Vakya means Poorva Mimamsa. Through mimamsa one understands the way to interpret the words and staments of the Shastra using the different meters (pointers – linga) said in it.

And, Shastravyakhana-Kaushalam  means Pramana means Nyaya.  With logic one is able to prove or disprove the desired and non-desired.

By this understanding, we can synchronize the sruti statement “Anyaan vaacho vimunvhatha amrtasya esha setu: “ – give up the other useless talk, (involve only in shastra discussion), this is the means of eternality.

In essence, Acharya says, don’t waste your time and energy in only the futile pursuit of the other shastras, learn it to use it in Vedanta. Meaning, Study the Vedanta Properly.

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 5

5.

Yavad – until (man is)

Vitta – wealth

Uparjana – to earn

Saktha – able / eligible

Tavat – till then

Nija – one’s

Parivara – relations

Raktha – are attached / affectionate

Paschat – later

Jivati – when he lives

Jarjara – in old age

Deha – fragile body

Vartam – news / enquiry / well being

Kopi – no one

Na – does not

Pruchchati – ask

Gehe – in the house

Until one is healthy to earn money to take care of the family, till then all the relations will attached to him and be affectionate. But, when he becomes old and not eligible to earn money then no one in the house is interested even in asking about his welfare.

In the previous stanza, Acharya showed the futility of attachment towards one's own body by showing the fickle state of the life. Now in this stanza he goes on to prove the attachment or the love showered by others is not unconditional. The affection shown is directly proportional to the ability to earn wealth. The people around, relations, are interested only in the wealth, in the later stanza (10th) Acharya will point out to this. People are only interested in sharing the wealth, and this was what was pointed out to the great sage Valmiki by Sage Narada.

The story goes like this, Valmiki was a dacoit who robbed people travelling through the forest. Narada to guide him in the path of truth appeared before him as a simpleton. When the dacoit Valmiki arrested him and was about to rob him, Narada questions him, N : who are you doing this for?  V : for my family N : will they accept also a share of the papa (sin) from what you are doing? V : of course N : please check it up with your family, I'll wait for you till then. When Valmiki asked his parents, they said it's his duty to take care of him. When he asked his wife she also said it's his duty to take care of her. Any asked his children they too said its duty to take care of them. When he asks his friends and relatives, they too say as a leader it's his duty. Valmiki comes back dejected to Narada and explained what happened. Narada tells him the path to salvation or a release from the sins is to chant the name of Rama. So in this way, we understand the people around us are interested only in sharing the good fruits of the Karma and not otherwise. This is exactly what is pointed out to by the Acharya. And, when the ability to earn is lost, we become weak or retire; we are relinquished to the back seat. The importance automatically goes to the next in line (to the retirement), the person who earns for the family.

Bhaja Govindam - Sloka 4

4.

Nalinidala gata jalam - the droplet of water on the leaf of the Lotus

Ati taralam - is very unstable

Tadvat - in the same way

Jivitam - this life

Atisayacapalam - is very fickle

Viddhi - understand this

Vyadhi Abhimana grastam - to be in the hold of disease and ego

Lokam - whole world

Sokahatam ca - and also in the grasp of sorrow

Samastam - is everything.

The water droplet on the lotus leaf is very unstable so is the life of a being is very unstable. Know this entire world to be in the strong grasp of disease, ego and sorrow.

If one thinks that for some period of his life after enjoying the worldly things one can devote his life to the knowledge of self, then, he has to think twice. And again, just giving-up the desire for the woman’s body is in itself not all. There is something which requires our immediate attention. Because the life is so fickle, we don't know when it will come to an end. But people only associate the death with others and not as something which may happen to themselves.

As we saw in the first stanza the death is around the corner, and it can happen to anyone any time. This fickle life is equated with the state of the droplet of water which cannot hold onto a single place in the lotus leaf. As it keeps moving around from one area to the other, so too, this Jiva travels from one body to the other. And the strangest thing is everyone thinks that this life is eternal, or just that his life is eternal.

As from the direct experience itself one can understand that this life is not eternal. And not just that, there are so many other problems which one faces in the life, like disease, ego and the different types of sorrows.

These are the very reason which gave Siddhartha, Gautama the Buddha, the dispassion. And this became the basis for his teaching the four cannons of Buddhism - sarvam kshanikam kshanikam (everything is a momentous / ephemeral), sarvam dukham dukham (everything is sorrowful), sarvam svalakshanam svalakshanam (everything is in its own nature) and sarvam shunyam shunyam (everything is void). Which became the basis for the four schools of Buddhism, namely, sautrantika, vaibhashika, yogachara and madhyamika.