Vivekachudamani (Selected Verses)

जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभमतः पुंस्त्वं ततो विप्रता ततोऽप्याधिक्यमश्रमे जनयते तस्माद्विवेकः श्रुतेः । लोके विद्ययैव न केवलं श्रुतिभिरत्र ज्ञानं हि कारणं मोक्षे न हि तपोभिर्न च गुरुणा न दानैः ॥१॥

jantūnāṃ narajanma durlabhamataḥ puṃstvaṃ tato vipratā tato’pyādhikyamaśrame janayate tasmādvivekaḥ śruteḥ | loke vidyayaiva na kevalaṃ śrutibhiratra jñānaṃ hi kāraṇaṃ mokṣe na hi tapobhirna ca guruṇā na dānaiḥ ||1||

Among creatures, human birth is rare. Rarer still is manhood, and rarer than that is brahminhood. Rarer still is the inclination toward the path of dharma. But rarest of all is discrimination based on scripture. In this world, knowledge alone is the cause of liberation - not rituals, not austerities, not the guru’s grace, not charity.

बन्धः कर्तृविवेकस्य योषितः सङ्ग एव हि । पुमानेतद्विमुक्तः स्यादेतन्मुक्तस्य किं तपः ॥२॥

bandhaḥ kartṛvivekasya yoṣitaḥ saṅga eva hi | pumānetadvimuktaḥ syādanmuktasya kiṃ tapaḥ ||2||

Bondage is nothing but attachment to sense objects. Freedom is freedom from this attachment. For one who is free, what need is there for austerities?

विद्याविधूय निखिलं मलमात्मनस्तु स्वात्मानमात्मनि निरीक्ष्य विमुक्तबन्धः । स्वात्मानमात्मनि निरीक्ष्य विमुक्तबन्धः प्रत्यग्रसत्यममृतं ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥३॥

vidyāvidhūya nikhilaṃ malamātmanastu svātmānamātmani nirīkṣya vimuktabandhaḥ | svātmānamātmani nirīkṣya vimuktabandhaḥ pratyagrasatyamamṛtaṃ brahma sanātanam ||3||

Having removed all impurities through knowledge, and having seen the Self in the Self, freed from all bondage, one realizes the Self as the inner truth, the immortal, the eternal Brahman.