Satasloki
Introduction
Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada has blessed us with a large number of works.
These can be grouped under three broad categories. The first category, meant for
the intellectually most advanced, comprises his commentaries (Bhashya) on the
Upanishads, Brahmasutras and the Bhagavadgita. The second category consists of
independent works, known as Prakarana granthas, which expound the gist of the
Upanishads in simple language. These vary in length from half a verse to one
thousand verses. In the third category fall devotional hymns. There is a wrong
impression among some persons that Sri Sankara did not attach importance to
devotion to a personal God. This is belied by his own statements in his
commentaries, especially on the Gita. For example, in his commentary on the Gita,
2.39, he explains Krishna's words to Arjuna thus-"You will become free from
bondage by the attainment of knowledge through God's grace". Again, in
18.65-"Knowing for certain that liberation is the definite result of
devotion to God, one should be intent only on surrender to God".
The present work, Satasloki, is one of the Prakarana granthas, like
Atmabodha, Vivekachudamani and others. This consists of a hundred and one
verses. In the first verse the incomparable glory of the Sadguru who imparts
Self-knowledge is described. The last verse ends with a prostration to Vasudeva,
the supreme Being, who is the indweller of all bodies. While most of the verses
are based on various mantras of the Upanishads, there are some based on mantras
in the Karmakanda of the Vedas. Sri Sankara thus points out that the Karmakanda
also contains valuable teachings for the spiritual aspirant who strives for
realization of the Self. Unlike the Sankhyas who gave importance only to the
Jnanakanda and the Purva Mimamsakas who dismissed the Upanishads as mere
Arthavada or eulogy, Sankara established in his Bhashyas that both the kandas
have validity, though at different stages of the aspirant's spiritual progress.
In his Bhashya on Br. Up. 4.4.2 he says-"All the obligatory rites serve as
means to liberation through the attainment of Self-knowledge. Hence we see that
the ultimate purpose of the two parts of the Vedas, that dealing with rites and
that dealing with Self-knowledge, is the same". In many places in the Karma
kanda there are clear indications that the ultimate goal of life is
liberation(see for example verse 19 in the present work).
The verses in Satasloki bring into sharp focus the main teachings of all
the Upanishads. The particular statements in the Upanishads on which the verses
are based are pointed out in the notes under the relevant verses. For the
advanced students of Vedanta who have already studied the ten main Upanishads
this work will serve as an aid to manana or reflection. For those less advanced,
this work will be a good guide for understanding the subtleties and nuances of
Advaita Vedanta. Some of the verses contain very useful instructions on what
qualities one should cultivate in order to attain spiritual progress. Reference
may be made here to verses 4,8,9,12 and 19.
It is said that H.H. Jagadguru Chandrasekhara Bharati Swami of Sringeri
Mutt instructed His disciple, H.H. Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swami to study verse 12
of Satasloki and to practise what has been taught there. This verse explains how
a spiritual aspirant should conduct his life.
A few words about the essential features of Advaita Vedanta will not be
out of place here. T.M.P.Mahadevan says in his book 'Ramana Maharshi and His
Philosophy of Existence'-- "We believe that Advaita is not a sectarian
doctrine. It is the culmination of all doctrines, the crown of all views. Though
other views may imagine themselves to be opposed to Advaita, Advaita is opposed
to none. As Gaudapada, a pre-Sankara teacher of Advaita, says, Advaita has no
quarrel with any system of philosophy. While the pluralistic world-views may be
in conflict with one another, Advaita is not opposed to any of them. It
recognizes the measure of truth that there is in each of them; but only, that
truth is not the whole. Hostility arises out of partial vision. When the whole
truth is realized, there can be no hostility. (Mandukya Karika, III. 17 &
18; IV. 5)".
The core of Advaita is that Brahman is the only reality. 'Reality' is
defined as that which does not undergo any change at any time. By this test,
Brahman, which is absolutely changeless and eternal, is alone real. The world
keeps on changing all the time and so it cannot be considered as real. At the
same time, we cannot dismiss it as unreal, because it is actually experienced by
us. The example of a rope being mistaken for a snake in dim light is used to
explain this. The snake so seen produces the same reaction, such as fear and
trembling of the limbs, as a real snake would. It cannot therefore be said to be
totally unreal. At the same time, on examination with the help of a lamp it is
found that the snake never existed and that the rope alone was there all the
time. The snake cannot be described as both real and unreal, because these two
contradictory qualities cannot exist in the same substance. It must therefore be
said that the snake is neither real nor unreal. Such an object is described as 'mithya'.
Just as the snake appears because of ignorance of the fact that there is only a
rope, this world appears to exist because of our ignorance of Brahman. Thus the
world is also neither real nor unreal; it is also 'mithya'. Just as the snake is
superimposed on the rope, the world is superimposed on Brahman. Our ignorance of
Brahman is what is called Avidya or Ajnana or Nescience. This ignorance not only
covers Brahman, but it projects the world as a reality. The world has no reality
apart from Brahman, just as the snake has no reality apart from the rope. When
the knowledge of Brahman arises, the world is seen as a mere appearance of
Brahman. Another example may be taken to explain this. Ornaments of different
sizes and shapes are made out of one gold bar. Their appearance and the use for
which they are meant vary, but the fact that they are all really only gold, in
spite of the different appearances and uses, cannot be denied. The appearance
may change, a bangle may be converted into rings, but the gold always remains as
gold. Similarly, on the dawn of the knowledge of Brahman (which is the same as the Self), though the different forms
continue to be seen by the Jnani, he sees them all only as appearances of the
one Brahman. Thus the perception of difference and the consequences of such
perception, such as looking upon some as favourable and others as the opposite,
and the consequent efforts to retain or get what is favourable and to get rid of
or avoid what is not favourable, come to an end. This is the state of liberation
even while living, which is known as Jivanmukti.
The Jiva, or individual, is Brahman alone, but because of identification with the body, mind and senses he looks upon himself as different from Brahman and as a limited being, subject to joys and sorrows caused by external factors. This identification with the body, mind and senses is what is called bondage. In reality the Jiva is the pure Brahman and is different from the body-mind complex. When this truth is realized as an actual experience, the identification with the body-mind complex ceases. This is liberation. Thus liberation is not the attainment of a state which did not exist previously, but only the realization of what one has always been. The illusory snake never existed. What existed even when the snake was seen was only the rope. Similarly, bondage has no real existence at all. Even when we are ignorant of Brahman and think of ourselves as limited by the body, we are really none but the infinite Brahman. Liberation is thus only the removal of the wrong identification with the body, mind and senses. The attainment of the state of liberation-in-life or Jivanmukti is the goal of human life according to the Upanishads.