Manishā Panchakam

अन्नमयादन्नमयमथवा चैतन्यमेवचैतन्यात्
यतिवर दूरीकर्तुम् वांछसि किम् ब्रूहि गच्छ गच्छेति

Annamayādannamayamathavā caitanyamevacaitanyāt
Yativara dūrīkartum vāṃchasi kim brūhi gaccha gaccheti

The Chandala questions: O great among the twice-born! What is it that you want to move away by saying, ”Go, go”? Do you want the body made up of food to move away from another body made up of food? Or do you want consciousness to move away from consciousness?

किम् गंगाम्बुधि बिंबितेम्बर मणौ चंडाल वीधी पयः
पूरेवा अन्तरमस्ति कांचनघटी मृत्कुम्भयोर्वांबरे?
प्रत्यग्वस्तुनि निस्तरन्ग सहजानन्दावबोधाम्बुधौ
विप्रोयम् श्वपचोयमित्यपि महान् को यम् विभेद भ्रमः

Kim gaṃgāmbudhi biṃbitembara maṇau caṃḍāla vīdhī payaḥ
Pūrevā antaramasti kāṃcanaghaṭī mṛtkumbhayorvāṃbare?
Pratyagvastuni nistaranga sahajānandāvabodhāmbudhau
Viproyam śvapacoyamityapi mahān ko yam vibheda bhramaḥ

Is there any difference between the reflection of the sun in the waters of the Ganga and its reflection in the water in a ditch in the quarters of the outcastes? Or between the space in a gold pot and in a mud pot? What is this illusion of difference in the form, “This is a Brahmana and this is an outcaste” in the indwelling self which is the ripple-free ocean of bliss and pure consciousness?

।।श्रीः।।
।।मनीषापञ्चकम्।।
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते
या ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्ततनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी।
सैवाहं न च दृश्यवस्त्विति दृढप्रज्ञापि यस्यास्ति चे
च्चाण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम।।1।।

..Śrīḥ..
..Manīṣāpañcakam..
Jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṃvidujjṛmbhate
Yā brahmādipipīlikāntatanuṣu protā jagatsākṣiṇī.
Saivāhaṃ na ca dṛśyavastviti dṛḍhaprajñāpi yasyāsti ce
Ccāṇḍālo’stu sa tu dvijo’stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama..1..

1.Sri Shankara answers: If a person has attained the firm knowledge that he is not an object of perception, but is that pure consciousness which shines clearly in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and which, as the witness of the whole universe, dwells in all bodies from that of the Creator Brahma to that of the ant, then he is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a Brahmana. This is my conviction.

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं
सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुणया शेषं मया कल्पितम्।
इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले
चाण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम।।2।।

Brahmaivāhamidaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ cinmātravistāritaṃ
Sarvaṃ caitadavidyayā triguṇayā śeṣaṃ mayā kalpitam.
Itthaṃ yasya dṛḍhā matiḥ sukhatare nitye pare nirmale
Cāṇḍālo’stu sa tu dvijo’stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama..2..

2. “I am Brahman (pure consciousness). It is pure consciousness that appears as this universe. All this is only something conjured up by me because of avidya (nescience) which is composed of the three gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas)”. One who has attained this definite realization about Brahman which is bliss itself, eternal, supreme and pure, is my Guru, whether he is an outcaste or a Brahmana.

शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचा गुरो
र्नित्यं ब्रह्म निरन्तरं विमृशता निर्व्याजशान्तात्मना।
भूतं भाति च दुष्कृतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके
प्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुरित्येषा मनीषा मम।।3।।

Śaśvannaśvarameva viśvamakhilaṃ niścitya vācā guro
Rnityaṃ brahma nirantaraṃ vimṛśatā nirvyājaśāntātmanā.
Bhūtaṃ bhāti ca duṣkṛtaṃ pradahatā saṃvinmaye pāvake
Prārabdhāya samarpitaṃ svavapurityeṣā manīṣā mama..3..

3. Having come to the definite conclusion, under the instruction of his Guru, that the entire universe is always perishable, he who, with a calm and pure mind constantly meditates on Brahman, and who has burnt his past and future sins in the fire of knowledge, submits his present body to the operation of his prArabdha karma. This is my conviction.

या तिर्यङ्नरदेवताभिरहमित्यन्तः स्फुटा गृह्यते
यद्भासा हृदयाक्षदेहविषया भान्ति स्वतोऽचेतनाः।
तां भास्यैः पिहितार्कमण्डलनिभां स्फूर्तिं सदा भावय
न्योगी निर्वृतमानसो हि गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम।।4।।

Yā tiryaṅnaradevatābhirahamityantaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate
Yadbhāsā hṛdayākṣadehaviṣayā bhānti svato’cetanāḥ.
Tāṃ bhāsyaiḥ pihitārkamaṇḍalanibhāṃ sphūrtiṃ sadā bhāvaya
Nyogī nirvṛtamānaso hi gururityeṣā manīṣā mama..4..

4. The Self or pure consciousness is experienced clearly within by animals, men, and gods as ‘I’. It is by the reflection of this pure consciousness that the mind, senses and body, which are all insentient, appear to be sentient. External objects are perceived only because of this consciousness. This Self is, however, concealed by the very mind, senses and body which are illumined by it, just as the sun is concealed by clouds. The yogi who, with a calm mind, always meditates on this Self is my Guru. This is my conviction.

यत्सौख्याम्बुधिलेशलेशत इमे शक्रादयो निर्वृता
यच्चित्ते नितरां प्रशान्तकलने लब्ध्वा मुनिर्निर्वृतः।
यस्मिन्नित्यसुखाम्बुधौ गलितधीर्ब्रह्मैव न ब्रह्मवि
द्यः कश्चित्स सुरेन्द्रवन्दितपदो नूनं मनीषा मम।।5।।

Yatsaukhyāmbudhileśaleśata ime śakrādayo nirvṛtā
Yaccitte nitarāṃ praśāntakalane labdhvā munirnirvṛtaḥ.
Yasminnityasukhāmbudhau galitadhīrbrahmaiva na brahmavi
Dyaḥ kaścitsa surendravanditapado nūnaṃ manīṣā mama..5..

5. The Self, which is Brahman, is the eternal ocean of supreme bliss. A minute fraction of that bliss is enough to satisfy Indra and other gods. By meditating on the Self with a perfectly calm mind the sage experiences fulfillment. The person whose mind has become identified with this Self is not a mere knower of Brahman, but Brahman itself. Such a person, whoever he may be, is one whose feet are fit to be worshipped by Indra himself. This is my definite conviction.

इति श्रीमत्परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यस्य
श्रीगोविन्दभगवत्पूज्यपादशिष्यस्य
श्रीमच्छंकरभगवतः कृतौ
मनीषापञ्चकं संपूर्णम्।।

Iti śrīmatparamahaṃsaparivrājakācāryasya
Śrīgovindabhagavatpūjyapādaśiṣyasya
Śrīmacchaṃkarabhagavataḥ kṛtau
Manīṣāpañcakaṃ saṃpūrṇam..