Shankara's Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (Viveka-Chudamani)

«IT is hard for any living creature to achieve birth in a human form. Strength of body and will are even harder to obtain; purity is harder still; harder even than these is the desire to live a spiritual life; and an understanding of the scriptures is hardest of all.» — Shankara enuncia la escala de dificultades con que abre el apartado *The Path*: el nacimiento humano es lo primero y lo más fácil de la serie.

«As for discrimination between the Atman and the non-Atman, direct perception of the Atman itself, continuous union with Brahman, and final liberation» — el precio que pone a los cuatro últimos términos de la escala; la línea se corta aquí porque el crudo parte *liberation-* a fin de renglón y unirlo con lo que sigue fabricaría una palabra.

«these cannot be obtained except through the merits of a hundred billion welllived incarnations.» — la continuación de esa misma frase: cien mil millones de encarnaciones bien vividas; el impreso sí trae fundido *well* y *lived* dentro de la línea.

«Only through God's grace may we obtain those three rarest advantages-human birth, the longing for liberation, and discipleship to an illumined teacher.» — las tres ventajas que declara más raras, y de qué dice que dependen: de la gracia.

«Nevertheless, there are those who somehow manage to obtain this rare human birth, together with bodily and mental strength, and an understanding of the scriptures-and yet are so deluded that they do not struggle for liberation. Such men are suicides. They clutch at the unreal and destroy themselves.» — el juicio que dicta sobre quien teniendo los medios no busca la liberación: los llama suicidas.

«For what greater fool can there be than the man who has obtained this rare human birth together with bodily and mental strength and yet fails, through delusion, to realize his own highest good?» — la misma reprobación en forma de pregunta.

«Men may recite the scriptures and sacrifice to the holy spirits, they may perform rituals and worship deities-but, until a man wakes to knowledge of his identity with the Atman, liberation can never be obtained; no, not even at the end of many hundreds of ages.» — Shankara niega eficacia liberadora a la recitación, al sacrificio, al rito y al culto mientras falte el conocimiento de la identidad con el Atman.

«The scriptures declare that immortality cannot be gained through work or progeny or riches, but by renunciation alone. Hence it is clear that work cannot bring us liberation.» — Shankara apoya en la escritura la exclusión de la obra, la descendencia y la riqueza como vías, y deja solo la renuncia.

«Therefore, let the wise man give up craving for pleasure in external things, and struggle hard for liberation. Let him seek out a noble and highsouled teacher, and become absorbed wholeheartedly in the truth which is taught him.» — la instrucción que sigue a esa exclusión: renuncia al deseo y búsqueda de maestro; el impreso funde *high* y *souled*.

«Right action helps to purify the heart, but it does not give us direct perception of the Reality. The Reality is attained through discrimination, but not in the smallest degree by ten million acts.» — el límite que pone a la acción recta: purifica el corazón y no da percepción directa.

«Correct discernment shows us the true nature of a rope, and removes the painful fear caused by our deluded belief that it is a large snake.» — el símil de la cuerda y la serpiente aparece aquí en el texto mismo de Shankara, y no solo en la introducción de los traductores.

«Certain knowledge of the Reality is gained only through meditation upon right teaching, and not by sacred ablutions, or almsgiving, or by the practice of hundreds of breathing exercises.» — la lista de prácticas a las que niega eficacia por sí solas: abluciones, limosna y ejercicios de respiración.

«Success in attaining the goal depends chiefly upon the qualifications of the seeker. Suitable time, place and other such circumstances are aids to its attainment.» — el reparto que hace entre lo que decide y lo que ayuda: las cualidades del buscador frente al tiempo y el lugar.

«Therefore, let him who would know the Atman which is the Reality practice discrimination. But first he must approach a teacher who is a perfect knower of Brahman, and whose compassion is as vast as the ocean itself.» — la condición que antepone a la práctica: acercarse antes a un maestro conocedor de Brahman.

«A MAN should be intelligent and learned, with great powers of comprehension, and able to over come doubts by the exercise of his reason. One who has these qualifications is fitted for knowledge of the Atman.» — con esto abre el apartado *The Disciple*, y pone la razón entre las condiciones; el impreso parte *over come* en dos palabras.

«He alone may be considered qualified to seek Brahman who has discrimination, whose mind is turned away from all enjoyments, who possesses tranquillity and the kindred virtues, and who feels a longing for liberation.» — el cuádruple requisito del buscador, enunciado antes de desglosarlo.

«In this connection, the sages have spoken of four qualifications for attainment. When these are present, devotion to the Reality will become complete. When they are absent, it will fail.» — Shankara acredita el esquema de las cuatro cualificaciones a los sabios y no a sí mismo.

«First is mentioned discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal. Next comes renunciation of the enjoyment of the fruits of action, here and hereafter. Then come the six treasures of virtue, beginning with tranquillity. And last, certainly, is the longing for liberation.» — la enumeración de las cuatro, en el orden en que las da.

«Brahman is real; the universe is unreal. A firm conviction that this is so is called discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal.» — la definición de la primera cualificación, que hace de la tesis del sistema una convicción y no una conclusión.

«Renunciation is the giving-up of all the pleasures of the eyes, the ears, and the other senses, the giving-up of all objects of transitory enjoyment, the giving-up of the desire for a physical body as well as for the highest kind of spirit-body of a god.» — la definición de la segunda, cuyo alcance llega hasta el deseo del cuerpo divino.

«To detach the mind from all objective things by continually seeing their imperfection, and to direct it steadfastly toward Brahman, its goal-this is called tranquillity.» — la definición del primero de los seis tesoros de la virtud.

«To detach both kinds of sense-organs-those of perception and those of action-from objective things, and to withdraw them to rest in their respective centers-this is called self-control. True mental poise, consists in not letting the mind react to external stimuli.» — la definición del autodominio, con la coma que el impreso mete entre sujeto y verbo.

«To endure all kinds of afflictions without rebellion, complaint or lament-this is called forbearance.» — la definición de la paciencia dentro de la misma serie.

«A firm conviction, based upon intellectual understanding that the teachings of the scriptures and of one's master are true-this is called by the sages the faith which leads to realization of the Reality.» — la definición de la fe, que Shankara apoya en la comprensión intelectual y acredita a los sabios.

«To concentrate the intellect repeatedly upon the pure Brahman and to keep it fixed there alwaysthis is called self-surrender. This does not mean soothing the mind, like a baby, with idle thoughts.» — la definición de la entrega, con el deslinde que le añade en la frase siguiente; el impreso funde *always* y *this*.

«Longing for liberation is the will to be free from the fetters forged by ignorance-beginning with the ego-sense and so on, down to the» — la definición de la cuarta cualificación; la frase se corta al acabar la plana 33.

«physical body itself-through the realization of one's true nature.» — el final de la definición del anhelo de liberación, que venía cortado de la plana anterior: las ataduras van del sentido del yo hasta el cuerpo físico.

«Even though this longing for liberation may be present in a slight or moderate degree, it will grow intense through the grace of the teacher, and through the practice of renunciation and of virtues such as tranquillity, etc.: And it will bear fruit.» — de qué dice que depende el crecimiento del anhelo: de la gracia del maestro y de la práctica; el impreso pone dos puntos y mayúscula a media frase.

«When renunciation and the longing for liberation are present to an intense degree within a man, then the practice of tranquillity and the other virtues will bear fruit and lead to the goal.» — el orden de precedencia que fija entre las cualificaciones.

«Where renunciation and longing for liberation are weak, tranquillity and the other virtues are a mere appearance, like the mirage in the desert.» — la contrapartida del mismo orden, con el símil del espejismo.

«Among all means of liberation, devotion is su preme. To seek earnestly to know one's real nature-this is said to be devotion.» — Shankara pone la devoción por encima de todos los medios y acto seguido la redefine como búsqueda de la propia naturaleza real; el troceo parte *su preme* en dos palabras.

«In other words, devotion can be defined as the search for the reality of one's own Atman. The seeker after the reality of the Atman, who possesses the above-mentioned qualifications, should approach an illumined teacher from whom he can learn the way to liberation from all bondage.» — la redefinición completa de la devoción y la instrucción que de ella se sigue.

«A TEACHER is one who is deeply versed in the scriptures, pure, free from lust, a perfect knower of Brahman. He is upheld continually in Brahman, calm like the flame when its fuel is consumed, an ocean of the love that knows no ulterior motive, a friend to all good people who humbly entrust themselves to him.» — con esto abre el apartado *The Teacher*: los requisitos del maestro, con el símil de la llama sin combustible.

«Let the seeker approach the master with reverent devotion. Then, when he has pleased him by his humility, love and service, let him ask whatever may be known about the Atman.» — el protocolo de acceso al maestro que el texto prescribe antes de la pregunta.

«O Master, friend of all devotees, I bow down before you. 0 boundless compassion, I have fallen into the sea of the world-save me with those steadfast eyes which shed grace, like nectar, never-ending.» — aquí el texto pasa a la voz del discípulo, en súplica directa; el troceo imprime un cero por la O vocativa la segunda vez.

«I am burning in the blaze of the world-forest, which no man can extinguish. Evil deeds out of the past drive me like huge winds, hither and thither. I am full of fear. I have taken refuge in you. Save me from death. I know no other shelter.» — la continuación de la súplica del discípulo, con el incendio del bosque del mundo y los actos pasados como vientos.

«There are pure souls who have attained peace and greatness. They bring good to mankind, like the coming of spring. They themselves have crossed the dreadful ocean of this world. Without any selfish motive, they help others to cross.» — el discípulo describe a los que ya cruzaron y de los que espera ayuda.

«It is the very nature of these great souls to work, of their own accord, to cure the troubles of others; just as the moon, of its own accord, cools the earth when it is scorched by the fierce rays of the sun.» — el símil de la luna con que explica por qué ayudan: por naturaleza y sin que se lo pidan.

«The vessel of your lips has been dipped in and filled with the sweetness of the bliss of Brahman. Pour words from it like drops of nectar upon me. They are purifying, soothing and delightful to the ear.» — la petición del discípulo al maestro, en la imagen del vaso y el néctar.

«Master, I am consumed by the scorching heat of this worldly life, as by the flames of a forestfire. Blessed are they on whom your eye rests even for a moment-it is thus that you accept them and make them your own.» — la urgencia con que el discípulo plantea su estado; el impreso funde *forest* y *fire*.

«Original Works Vedic Religion and Philosophy The Eternal Companion The Spiritual Heritage of India (with Frederick Manchester) Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta Religion in Practice Yoga and Mysticism» — el aparato editorial de la anteportada lista las obras originales de Prabhavananda; entre ellas el título que nombra la vía desde dentro, *Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta*.

«Translations Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God (with Christopher Isherwood) The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal (with Frederick Manchester) Srimad Bhagavatam: The Wisdom of God How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (with Christopher Isherwood) by Christopher Isherwood Ramakrishna and His Disciples» — la misma lista continúa con las traducciones de Prabhavananda y cierra con la obra de Isherwood; la Gita y las Upanishads figuran ahí como traducciones previas de los mismos dos nombres que firman este volumen.

«(Viveka-Chudamani) 145h 1.01. 1.&, Translated with an Introduction to Shankara's Philosophy by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood» — la portada, tal como la imprime la capa de texto: entre el título sánscrito y la línea de los traductores queda una tira de caracteres que el extractor no resolvió, *145h 1.01. 1.&,*, y que ocupa el sitio del título inglés; no se restituye.

«A Hymn I.Shankara II. Introduction to Shankara's Philosophy Philosophy of Non-Dualism, The Nature of World - Appearance Superimposition, or Maya Maya: A Statement of Fact as Well as a Principle Brahman and Iswara The Problem of Evil The Supreme Goal Methods and Means» — la tabla de contenidos declara el reparto del volumen y los apartados en que la introducción de los traductores divide la exposición.

«Atman and Non-Atman Waking, Dreaming, Dreamless Sleep Maya The Atman The Mind The Body» — la misma tabla enumera los apartados del texto de Shankara, que la edición titula en inglés y no numera por versos.

«Purification The Covering of Intellect Delusion The Covering of Bliss Atman is Brahman The Universe I am Brahman That art Thou Devotion False Identification The Ego Cravings Recollection Rejection of Appearances The Rope and the Snake Samadhi Inner and Outer Control The One Deliverance The Phantom World Union with Brahman Detachment Dispassion Illumination» — continuación de la tabla, que se corta en *Illumination* al acabar la plana 8; la lista incluye un apartado, *The Phantom World*, que el troceo no llega a imprimir como encabezado en el cuerpo.

«BEAUTIFUL and fantastic clouds of legend surround the austere, charming, boyish figure of Shankara-saint, philosopher and poet. But, historically speaking, we know very little about the circumstances of his life.» — con esto abre la semblanza de los traductores, y lo primero que hacen es acotar lo que se sabe: la leyenda rodea la figura y de las circunstancias de su vida se conoce muy poco.

«He was born in or around the year 686 A.D. of Brahmin parents, at Kaladi, a small village of Western Malabar, in southern India.» — la única fecha que la semblanza arriesga sobre el autor, dada con reserva y con el lugar y la casta de nacimiento.

«By the age of ten, he was already an academic prodigy. Not only had he read and memorized all the scriptures, but he had written commentaries on many of them, and had held discussions with famous scholars who came to him from every part of the country.» — lo que la semblanza le atribuye antes de los diez años: las escrituras leídas y memorizadas, comentarios escritos y discusiones con eruditos venidos de todo el país.

«Yet the boy was dissatisfied. At a time when most children are only beginning to study, he was already disgusted by the emptiness of bookknowledge.» — el motivo que la semblanza pone en el arranque de su vida: el hastío del conocimiento libresco; el impreso funde *book* y *knowledge* en una palabra.

«He saw that his teachers did not practice the lofty truths they preached. Indeed, the whole society in which he lived was materialistic and pleasure-seeking.» — el diagnóstico que la semblanza atribuye al muchacho sobre sus maestros y sobre su época.

«Shankara, burning with youthful zeal, resolved to make his own life an example which would lead men back to the paths of truth.» — la resolución con que la semblanza explica el giro de su vida: hacer de la propia vida un ejemplo.

«It was then he wrote the poem called Moha Mudgaram-"The Shattering of Illusion." Here is a more or less literal translation:» — la semblanza anuncia la traducción literal del poema, pero el troceo no imprime ni un verso de ella: la plana 11 acaba en los dos puntos y la 12 abre ya con el voto monástico.

«Shankara now persuaded his mother to let him take the monastic vow, promising that he would return to visit her before she died.» — la condición con que la semblanza dice que tomó el voto monástico.

«On the banks of the river Narmada, he met Gaudapada, a famous philosopher and seer, who had attained knowledge of the Reality.» — cómo presenta la semblanza al primer maestro buscado, Gaudapada, a orillas del Narmada.

«Shankara asked the old man for initiation, but Gaudapada refused. He had made a vow to remain absorbed in union with Brahman. However, he sent the boy to his foremost disciple, Govindapada. Govindapada initiated him and instructed him in meditation and the whole process of Yoga. Within a very short time, Shankara achieved complete mystical realization, and himself went out to teach.» — la cadena de iniciación que la semblanza traza: Gaudapada niega la iniciación por su voto y remite a Govindapada, de quien la recibe junto con la meditación y el yoga.

«One morning, when he was on his way to bathe in the Ganges, he met a Chandala, a member of the lowest caste, the untouchables. The man had four dogs with him, and they were blocking Shankara's path. For a moment, inborn caste-prejudice asserted itself.» — la escena del encuentro con el Chandala, que la semblanza cuenta sin ahorrarle al santo el prejuicio de casta.

«But the Chandala answered: "If there is only one God, how can there be many kinds of men?"» — la objeción que la semblanza pone en boca del Chandala, y que enuncia la no dualidad contra la casta desde fuera de la escuela.

«This incident inspired one of Shankara's finest poems, the Manisha Panchaka-It consists of five stanzas, each one ending with the refrain:» — segundo anuncio de verso que el troceo no imprime: el estribillo de las cinco estrofas del Manisha Panchaka falta tras los dos puntos.

«Shankara began his teaching among the scholars of the country, converting the teachers first, and then their pupils.» — el método de difusión que la semblanza le atribuye: primero los maestros, después los discípulos.

«Mandan Misra held that the life of the householder was far superior to that of the monk, and his opinion was respected and widely shared throughout India.» — la posición del adversario en el debate, dicha con su crédito: la vida del cabeza de familia por encima de la del monje, opinión respetada y compartida en toda la India; el troceo imprime *philospher* (sic) al presentarlo.

«He disapproved of monks-especially when they were so youthful-and asked sarcastically: "Whence comes this shaven head?" "You have eyes to see, Sir," Shankara answered saucily: "The shaven head comes up from the neck."» — el intercambio con que la semblanza abre el episodio de Mandan Misra, en tono de burla por las dos partes.

«householder, and that Misra, if he lost, should become a monk. The debate lasted for several days. Bharati, the learned wife of Misra, acted as umpire.» — las reglas del debate según la semblanza, con la mujer de Misra, Bharati, nombrada como árbitro; el tramo abre a media frase porque el chunk anterior corta ahí.

«Finally, Shankara was able to convince Misra of the superiority of the monastic life, and Misra became his disciple. It was he who later annotated Shankara's commentaries on the Brahma-Sutras.» — el desenlace que la semblanza da al debate y el papel que atribuye después a Misra: anotador de los comentarios a los Brahma-Sutras.

«Shankara's life came to an end at Kedarnath in the Himalayas. He was only thirty-two years old.» — el lugar y la edad de la muerte según la semblanza; es el otro extremo de la única datación que el volumen ofrece.

«During this brief period, he had established many monasteries, and had founded ten monastic orders. This was the first time that monasticism had ever been organized in India, and Shankara's system still exists at the present day.» — lo que la semblanza le adjudica como obra institucional: diez órdenes monásticas y la primera organización del monacato en la India, con continuidad declarada hasta el presente de los traductores.

«He was a reformer rather than an innovator. He preached no new doctrine or creed. But he gave a new impulse to the spiritual life of his time.» — cómo lo sitúan los traductores respecto de la tradición que recibe: reformador y no innovador, sin doctrina ni credo nuevos.

«Separated by intervals of a thousand years, like three tremendous mountain peaks, Buddha, Shankara and Ramakrishna dominate the range of India's religious history.» — la genealogía en que los traductores lo inscriben, con Buda por delante y Ramakrishna por detrás, a mil años de distancia cada uno.

«He not only made commentaries on the Vedanta Sutras, the principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita, but produced two major philosophical works, the Upadeshasahasri and the Vivekachudamani (the Crest-Jewel of Discrimination.) He was also the author of many poems, hymns, prayers, and minor works on Vedanta.» — el catálogo que la semblanza le atribuye, y donde adjudica a Shankara la obra que este volumen traduce.

«In these words, Shankara sums up his philosophy. What are the implications of this statement? What does he mean by "real" and by "not real"?» — con estas preguntas los traductores abren la exposición, después de citar las tres frases que dan por resumen de la filosofía.

«In making this definition, he follows the teachings of the Upanishads and of Gaudapada, his predecessor.» — de dónde dicen los traductores que Shankara toma la definición de lo real: de las Upanishads y de Gaudapada.

«No object, no kind of knowledge, can be absolutely real if its existence is only temporary. Absolute reality implies permanent existence.» — la consecuencia inmediata que sacan de esa definición: lo temporal no puede ser absolutamente real.

«If we consider our various experiences during the states of waking and dreaming, we find that dreamexperiences are contradicted by waking-experiences and vice versa-and that both kinds of experience cease in dreamless sleep.» — el argumento por los tres estados con que los traductores prueban la definición; el impreso funde *dream* y *experiences* en una palabra.

«In other words, every object of knowledge, external or internal-for a thought or idea is as much an object of knowledge as is the external world-is subject to modification and therefore, by Shankara's definition, "not real".» — la extensión que le dan al argumento: también el pensamiento y la idea son objetos de conocimiento y caen del mismo lado.

«In dreamless sleep, also, the real Self is present as a witness, while the ego-sense which we call "ourself", our individuality, has become temporarily merged in ignorance (avidya) and disappeared.» — qué queda en el sueño profundo según la exposición: el Yo real como testigo, y el sentido de ego fundido en avidya.

«Shankara should not, however, be regarded as a precursor of Berkeley: he does not say that the world is unreal simply because its existence depends upon our perception.» — el deslinde que los traductores hacen con el idealismo occidental, nombrando a Berkeley.

«The world, according to Shankara, "is and is not".» — la fórmula con que cierran la plana 15 el estatuto del mundo; la frase continúa en la plana siguiente.

«fundamental unreality can only be understood in reference to the ultimate mystical experience, the experience of an illumined soul.» — dónde ponen los traductores el punto de apoyo para entender la irrealidad del mundo: la experiencia mística última, no el razonamiento; el tramo abre a media frase, que viene de la plana anterior. El troceo imprime dos veces esta plana y el ancla va en la primera.

«When the illumined soul passes into transcendental consciousness, he realizes the Self (the Atman) as pure bliss and pure intelligence, the "One without a second". In this state of consciousness, all perception of multiplicity ceases, there is no longer any sense of "mine" and "thine", the world as we ordinarily know it has vanished.» — qué describe la exposición como estado de consciencia trascendental: el Atman como dicha e inteligencia puras, sin percepción de multiplicidad ni sentido de lo mío y lo tuyo (plana impresa dos veces en el troceo).

«Then the Self shines forth as the One, the Truth, the Brahman, the basis of this world-appearance.» — los cuatro nombres que la exposición da a lo que queda cuando el mundo se desvanece (plana impresa dos veces en el troceo).