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Slokas 50 to 60 in the Viveka Chudamani (VC) have interesting similes:
51.Sons can repay father’s debts, but they can’t release him from Karma Bandha (bondage)
52.Head load can be removed by others, but one’s hunger can’t be removed by others (eating)
53.Patient must take medicine to cure his disease, not others.
54.Beuty of the moon must be experienced personally, not from the description of others.
55.Sankara gives a very big Number- Hundred Koti Kalpas
56.Yoga and Yaga wont help to realize God/Brahman
57. Veena play can please only some people
58.Good speeches and the appreciation by listeners cannot liberate the Speaker
59.Study of sastras is not enough to see God
60.Our scriptures are so vast, and they are similar to thick forest; one can easily lose one’s way; so try to realise the Truth (by self-inquiry)
My comments
Sankara’s example of medicine show that he believes in Ayur Veda; he is from Kerala where Ayur Veda is popular until this day; he did not say pray to God instead of taking medicine. He is very practical.
Sankara’s example of Veena shows that Veena music was very popular in his days. In Tamil, only Yaaz (lyre) was known until fifth century. Valluvar never used Veena, but Yaaz (also spelt Yaal). From the devotional period, Tamils knew Veena. But in Tamil epic Silappadikaram also ,we come across Narada’s Veena.
Sankara’s comparison of our Sastras to a thick forest is very interesting. Even Bhagavad Gita has scores of different commentaries. Mahabharata has one lakh slokas; 18 Puranas have 8 lakh slokas. No one can measure the quantity of Hindu religious scriptures. Other religious books are tiny compared to Hindu scriptures. So Sankara indirectly advises us for less reading and more practice.
Sloka 58 is about the Bhagavathas, orators, good religious speakers; even they can’t see Brahman with their speeches.
Sloka 55’s number 100 Kalpa Koti is gigantic; you can’t find it even in the Book of Records. In sloka six , we saw how big Hindu numbers are. Hindus are mathematic geniuses.
The summary is one must try to realise God personally instead of the methods described above.
For original Slokas please go to wisdomlib.org
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vivekachudamani
to be continued………………….
Tags – Viveka Chudamani, Slokas 50 to 60, My research notes , part 19
Tamil and Vedas 