Excerpts from Dṛg-Dṛśya Vivēka

13 Jun 2021 |

Excerpts from Dṛg-Dṛśya Vivēka translation by Swami Nikhilananda.

रूपं दृश्यं लोचनं दृक् तद्दृश्यं दृक्तु मानसम् ।
दृश्या धीवृत्तयः साक्षी दृगेव न तु दृश्यते ।।१।।

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
दृश्यं perceived
दृक् perceiver
धीवृत्तयः mind’s modifications
तु but
दृश्यते perceived

The form is perceived and the eye is its perceiver. It (eye) is perceived and the mind is its perceiver. The mind with its modifications is perceived and the Witness (the Self) is verily the perceiver. But It (the Witness) is not perceived (by any other). (1)


साक्षिणः पुरतो भाति लिङ्गं देहेन संयुतम् ।
चितिच्छाया समावेशाज्जीवः स्याद्व्यावहारिकः ॥१६॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
साक्षिणः of the Witness
लिङ्गं the subtle body
देहेन with the (physical) body
संयुतम् related
भाति shines
चितिच्छायासमावेशात् on account of this being affected by the reflection of Consciousness
यावहारिकः empirical
जीवः embodied self
स्यात् becomes

The subtle body (Lingam) which exists in close proximity to the Witness(Sākshin) identifying itself with the gross body becomes the embodied empirical self, on account of its being affected by the reflection of Consciousness. (16)


अस्ति भाति प्रियं रूपं नाम चेत्यंशपञ्चकम् ।
आद्यत्रयं ब्रह्मरूपं जगद्रूपं ततो द्वयम् ॥२०॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
अस्ति exists
च इति अंशपञ्चकम् all these five aspects
आद्यत्रयं the first three
ततः the next
द्वयम् two
जगद्रूपं characteristics of the universe

Every entity has five characteristics, viz., existence, cognizability, attractiveness, form and name Of these, the first three belong to Brahman and the next two to the world. (20)


खवाय्वग्निजलोर्वीषु देवतिर्यङ्नरादिषु ।
अभिन्नाः सच्चिदानन्दाः भिद्येते रूपनामनी ॥२१॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
खवाय्वग्निजलोर्वीषु in the Ākasha (ether), air, fire, water and earth
देवतिर्यङ्नरादिषु in gods, animals and men
अभिन्नाः common features
रूपनामनी forms and names
भिद्येते differ

The attributes of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss are equally present in the Ākasha (ether), air, fire, water and earth as well as in gods, animals and men etc. Names and forms make one differ from the other. (21)


कामाद्याश्चित्तगा दृश्यास्तत्साक्षित्वेन चेतनम् ।
ध्यायेद्दृश्यानुविद्धोऽयं समाधिः सविकल्पकः ॥२४॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
चित्तगाः centred in the mind
कामाद्याः desire etc.
चेतनम् Consciousness
तत्साक्षित्वेन as their Witness
ध्यायेत् should meditate
अयं this
दृश्यानुविद्ध combined with cognizable objects
सविकल्पकः in which ideas are present

Desire etc. centred in the mind are to be treated as (cognizable) objects. Meditate on Consciousness as their Witness. This is what is called Savikalpa Samādhi associated with (cognizable) objects. (24)


अवच्छेदः कल्पितः स्यादवच्छेद्यं तु वास्तवम् ।
तस्मिन् जीवत्वमारोपाद्ब्रह्मत्वं तु स्वभावतः ॥३३॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
अवच्छेदः limitation
कल्पितः स्यात् is imaginary
अवच्छेद्यं what appears to be limited
तस्मिन् in that
आरोपात् on account of superimposition
जीवत्वं the Jivahood appears
स्वभावतः naturally
ब्रह्मत्वं of the nature of Brahman

Limitation is illusory but that which appears to be limited is real. The Jivahood (of the Self) is due to the superimposition of the illusory attributes. But really it has the nature of Brahman. (33)


जीवो धीस्थचिदाभासो भवेद्भोक्ता हि कर्मकृत् ।
भोग्यरूपमिदं सर्वं जगत् स्याद्भूतभौतिकम् ॥३६॥

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
धीस्थः located in Buddhi (mind)
चिदाभासः fallacious presentation of Consciousness
कर्मकृत् the performer of activities
हि because
भूतभौतिकम् consisting of the elements (भूतं) and their products (भौतिकम्)
भोग्यरूपं of the nature of the objects of enjoyment
इदं सर्वं all this

It is because the fallacious presentation of Consciousness located in the Buddhi performs various actions and enjoys their results, therefore it is called Jiva. And all this, consisting of the elements and their products which are of the nature of the objects of enjoyment, is called Jagat (universe). (36)


Note : English meanings from Learnsanskrit.cc

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