Muni's PlayVivekachudamani: Meditations on Tat Tvam Asi
These verses are part of the Mahāvākya Upadeśa (Instruction on the Great Sayings), where the teacher guides the student through a sequence of meditations to realize their identity with Brahman (Tat Tvam Asi).
The Nature of Brahman (Verses 225, 237–240)
Before the specific meditation instructions, these verses establish the nature of the reality to be realized.
Verse 225: Brahman as Indivisible Bliss
Sanskrit
सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म विशुद्धं परं स्वतःसिद्धम् ।
नित्यानन्दैकरसं प्रत्यगभिन्नं निरन्तरं जयति ॥ २२५ ॥
Transliteration
satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ brahma viśuddhaṃ paraṃ svataḥsiddham | nityānandaikarasaṃ pratyagabhinnaṃ nirantaraṃ jayati || 225 ||
Translation
Brahman is Existence, Knowledge, Infinity, pure, supreme, self-existent, eternal and indivisible Bliss, not different (in reality) from the individual soul, and devoid of interior or exterior. It is (ever) triumphant.
Verse 237-238: The Self-Luminous Reality
Sanskrit
अतः परं ब्रह्म सदद्वितीयं विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं निरञ्जनम् । प्राशान्तमाद्यन्तविहीनमक्रियं निरन्तरानन्दरसस्वरूपम् ॥ २३७ ॥
निरस्तमायाकृतसर्वभेदं नित्यं सुखं निष्कलमप्रमेयम् । अरूपमव्यक्तमनाख्यमव्ययं ज्योतिः स्वयं किंचिदिदं चकास्ति ॥ २३८ ॥
Transliteration
ataḥ paraṃ brahma sadadvitīyaṃ viśuddhavijñānaghanaṃ nirañjanam | prāśāntamādyantihīnamakriyaṃ nirantarānandarasasvarūpam || 237 ||
nirastamāyākṛtasarvabhedaṃ nityaṃ sukhaṃ niṣkalamaprameyam | arūpamavyaktamanākhyamavyayaṃ jyotiḥ svayaṃ kiṃcididaṃ cakāsti || 238 ||
Translation
Hence whatever is manifested, viz. this universe, is the Supreme Brahman Itself, the Real, the One without a second, pure, the Essence of Knowledge, taintless, serene, devoid of beginning and end, beyond activity, the Essence of Bliss Absolute – transcending all the diversities created by Māyā or Nescience, eternal, ever beyond the reach of pain, indivisible, immeasurable, formless, undifferentiated, nameless, immutable, self-luminous.
Verse 240: Beyond Mind and Speech
Sanskrit
अहेयमनुपादेयं मनोवाचामगोचरम् ।
अप्रमेयमनाद्यन्तं ब्रह्म पूर्णमहं महः ॥ २४० ॥
Transliteration
aheyamanupādeyaṃ manovācāmagocaram | aprameyamanādyantaṃ brahma pūrṇamahaṃ mahaḥ || 240 ||
Translation
Which can be neither thrown away nor taken up, which is beyond the reach of mind and speech, immeasurable, without beginning and end, the Whole, one’s very Self, and of surpassing glory.
The Practice of Identity (Verses 254–263)
Verse 254
Sanskrit
जातिनीतिकुलगोत्रदूरगं
नामरूपगुणदोषवर्जितम् ।
देशकालविषयातिवर्ति यद्
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २५४ ॥
Transliteration
jātinītikulagotradūragaṃ
nāmarūpaguṇadoṣavarjitam |
deśakālaviṣayātivarti yad
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 254 ||
Translation
That which is beyond caste and creed, family and lineage; devoid of name and form, merit and demerit; transcending space, time and sense-object – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 255
Sanskrit
यत्परं सकलवागगोचरं
गोचरं विमलबोधचक्षुषः ।
शुद्धचिद्घनमनादि वस्तु यद्
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २५५ ॥
Transliteration
yatparaṃ sakalavāgagocaraṃ
gocaraṃ vimalabodhacakṣuṣh |
śuddhacidghanamanādi vastu yad
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 255 ||
Translation
That Supreme Brahman which is beyond the range of all speech, but accessible to the eye of pure illumination; which is pure, the Embodiment of Knowledge, the beginningless entity – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 258
Sanskrit
जन्मवृद्धिपरिणत्यपक्षय व्याधिनाशनविहीनमव्ययम् । विश्वसृष्ट्यवविघातकारणम् ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २५८ ॥
Transliteration
janmavṛddhipariṇatyapakṣaya vyādhināśanavihīnamavyayam | viśvasṛṣṭyavavighātakāraṇam brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 258 ||
Translation
That which is free from birth, growth, development, waste, disease and death; which is indestructible; which is the cause of the projection, maintenance and dissolution of the universe – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 259
Sanskrit
अस्तभेदमनपास्तलक्षणं
निस्तरङ्गजलराशिनिश्चलम् ।
नित्यमुक्तमविभक्तमूर्ति यद्
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २५९ ॥
Transliteration
astabhedamanapāstalakṣaṇaṃ
nistaraṅgajalarāśiniścalam |
nityamuktamavibhaktamūrti yad
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 259 ||
Translation
That which is free from differentiation; whose essence is never non-existent; which is unmoved like the ocean without waves; the ever-free; of indivisible Form – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 260
Sanskrit
एकमेव सदनेककारणम्
कारणान्तरनिरास्यकारणम् ।
कार्यकरणविलक्षणं स्वयं
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २६० ॥
Transliteration
ekameva sadanekakāraṇam
kāraṇāntaranirāsyakāraṇam |
kāryakāraṇavilakṣaṇaṃ svayaṃ
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 260 ||
Translation
That which, though One only, is the cause of the many; which refutes all other causes, but is Itself without cause; distinct from Māyā and its effect, the universe; and independent – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 261
Sanskrit
निर्विकल्पकमनल्पमक्षरं
यत्क्षराक्षरविलक्षणं परम् ।
नित्यमव्ययसुखं निरञ्जनं
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २६१ ॥
Transliteration
nirvikalpakamanalpamakṣaraṃ
yatkṣarākṣaravilakṣaṇaṃ param |
nityamavyayasukhaṃ nirañjanaṃ
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 261 ||
Translation
That which is free from duality; which is infinite and indestructible; distinct from the universe and Māyā, supreme, eternal; which is undying Bliss; taintless – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 262
Sanskrit
यद्विभाति सदनेकधा भ्रमान्
नामरूपगुणविक्रियात्मना ।
हेमवत्स्वयमविक्रियं सदा
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २६२ ॥
Transliteration
yadvibhāti sadanekadhā bhramān
nāmarūpaguṇavikriyātmanā |
hemavatsvayamavikriyaṃ sadā
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 262 ||
Translation
That Reality which (though One) appears variously owing to delusion, taking on names and forms, attributes and changes, Itself always unchanged, like gold in its modifications – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Verse 263
Sanskrit
यच्चकास्त्यनपरं परात्परं
प्रत्यगेकरसमात्मलक्षणम् ।
सत्यचित्सुखमनन्तमव्ययं
ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि ॥ २६३ ॥
Transliteration
yaccakāstyanaparaṃ parātparaṃ
pratyagekarasamātmalakṣaṇam |
satyacitsukhamanantamavyayaṃ
brahma tattvamasi bhāvayātmani || 263 ||
Translation
That beyond which there is nothing; which shines even above Māyā, which again is superior to its effect, the universe; the inmost Self of all, free from differentiation; the Real Self, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute; infinite and immutable – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.
Index: Vivekachudamani