Brahma Jnanavali Mala

Adi Sankaracharya's
Brahma Jnanavali Mala

Translated by S. N. Sastri

[In this work attributed to Sri Sankara the characteristics of the person who has realized that he is Brahman are described. The aspirant for liberation is advised to meditate on these in order to attain to the same state.]

1. sakRt SravaNamAtreNa brahmajnAnam yato bhavet
brahmajnAnAvalImAlA sarveshAm mokshasiddhaye

The work entitled Brahma Jnanavali Mala, by hearing which just once knowledge of Brahman is attained, enables all to attain liberation.

2. asango'ham asango'ham asango'ham punah punah
saccidAnandarUpo'ham ahamevAham avyayah

Unattached am I, unattached am I, ever free from attachment of any kind; I am of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and ever unchanging.

3. nityaSuddhavimukto'ham nirAkAro'ham avyayah
bhUmAnandasvarUpo'ham ahamevAham avyayah

I am eternal, I am pure (free from the control of mAyA). I am ever liberated. I am formless, indestructible and changeless. I am of the nature of infinite bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

4. nityo'ham niravadyo'ham nirAkAro'ham acyutah
paramAnandarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am eternal, I am free from blemish, I am formless, I am indestructible and changeless. I am of the nature of supreme bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

5. SuddhacaitanyarUpo'ham AtmArAmo'ham eva ca
akhaNDAnandarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am pure consciousness, I revel in my own Self. I am of the nature of indivisible (concentrated) bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

6. pratyakcaitanyarUpo'ham Santo'ham prakRteh parah
SASvatAnandarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am the indwelling consciousness, I am calm (free from all agitation), I am beyond prakrti (mAyA), I am of the nature of eternal bliss, I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

7. tattvAtItah parAtmAham madhyAtItah parah Sivah
mAyAtItah paramjyotih ahamevAhamavyayah

I am the supreme Self, beyond all the categories (such as prakRti, mahat, ahankAra, etc.), I am the supreme auspicious One, beyond all those in the middle. I am beyond mAyA. I am the supreme light. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

8. nAnArUpavyatIto'ham cidAkAro'ham acyutah
sukharUpasvarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am beyond all the different forms. I am of the nature of pure consciousness. I am never subject to decline. I am of the nature of bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

9. mAyAtatkAryadehAdi mama nAstyeva sarvadA
svaprakASaikarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

There is neither mAyA nor its effects such as the body for me. I am of the same nature and self-luminous. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

10. guNatrayavyatIto'ham brahmAdInAm ca sAkshyaham
anantAnandarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am beyond the three gunas-sattva, rajas, and tamas. I am the witness of even Brahma and others. I am of the nature of infinite bliss. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

11. antaryAmisvarUpo'ham kUTasthah sarvago'smyaham
paramAtmasvarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am the inner controller, I am immutable, I am all-pervading. I am myself the supreme Self. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

12. nishkalo'ham nishkriyo'ham sarvAtmA Adyah sanAtanah
aparokshasvarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am devoid of parts. I am actionless. I am the self of all. I am the primordial one. I am the ancient, eternal one. I am the directly intuited self. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

13. dvandvAdisAkshirUpo'ham acalo'ham sanAtanah
sarvasAkshisvarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am the witness of all pairs of opposites. I am immovable. I am eternal. I am the witness of everything. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

14. prajnAnaghana evAham vijnAnaghana eva ca
akartAham abhoktAham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am a mass of awareness and of consciousness. I am not a doer nor an experiencer. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

15. nirAdhArasvarUpo'ham sarvAdhAroham eva ca
AptakAmasvarUpo'ham ahamevAhamavyayah

I am without any support, and I am the support of all. I have no desires to be fulfilled. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

16. tApatrayavinirmukto dehatrayavilakshaNah
avasthAtrayasAkshyasmi cAhamevAhamavyayah

I am free from the three kinds of afflictions- those in the body, those from other beings and those caused by higher powers. I am different from the gross, subtle and causal bodies. I am the witness of the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. I am the very Self, indestructible and changeless.

17. dRg dRSyau dvau padArthau stah parasparavilakshaNau
dRg brahma dRSyam mAyeti sarvavedAntaDiNDimah

There are two things which are different from each other. They are the seer and the seen. The seer is Brahman and the seen is mAyA. This is what all Vedanta proclaims.

18. aham sAkshIti yo vidyAt vivicyaivam punah punah
sa eva muktah so vidvAn iti vedAntaDiNDimah

He who realizes after repeated contemplation that he is a mere witness, he alone is liberated. He is the enlightened one. This is proclaimed by Vedanta.

19. ghaTakuDyAdikam sarvam mRttikAmAtram eva ca
tadvad brahma jagat sarvam iti vedAntaDiNDimah

The pot, wall, etc., are all nothing but clay. Likewise, the entire universe is nothing but Brahman. This is proclaimed by Vedanta.

20. brahma satyam jaganmithyA jIvo brahmaiva nAparah
anena vedyam sacchAstram iti vedAntaDiNDimah

Brahman is real, the universe is mithya (it cannot be categorized as either real or unreal). The jiva is Brahman itself and not different. This should be understood as the correct SAstra. This is proclaimed by Vedanta.

21. antarjyotirbahirjyotih pratyakjyotih parAtparah
jyotirjyotih svayamjyotih Atmajyotih Sivo'smyaham

I am the auspicious one, the inner light and the outer light, the indwelling light, higher than the highest, the light of all lights, self-luminous, the light that is the Self.