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मनीषा पञ्चकम् Meaning — Line by Line

मनीषा पञ्चकम्

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of मनीषा पञ्चकम् with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṃvidujjṛmbhate
  2. Verse 2. brahmaivāhamidaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ cinmātravistāritaṃ
  3. Verse 3. śaśvannaśvarameva viśvamakhilaṃ niścitya vācā guroḥ
  4. Verse 4. yā tiryaṅnaradevatābhirahamityantaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate
  5. Verse 5. yatsaukhyāmbudhileśaleśata ime śakrādayo nirvṛtāḥ
Verse 1#

jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṃvidujjṛmbhate

जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते या ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्ततनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी सैवाहं दृश्यवस्त्विति दृढप्रज्ञापि यस्यास्ति चेत् चण्डालोऽस्तु तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम १॥

jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṃvidujjṛmbhate yā brahmādipipīlikāntatanuṣu protā jagatsākṣiṇī | saivāhaṃ na ca dṛśyavastviti dṛḍhaprajñāpi yasyāsti cet caṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 1||

Meaningजिसमें यह दृढ़ निश्चय है — 'जाग्रत, स्वप्न और सुषुप्ति में जो संवित् (चेतना) अधिकाधिक स्पष्ट रूप से प्रकट होती है, जो ब्रह्मा से लेकर चींटी तक समस्त शरीरों में एक साक्षी रूप से ओतप्रोत है, वही मैं हूँ, न कि कोई दृश्य वस्तु' — वह चाहे चण्डाल हो या द्विज (ब्राह्मण), वही मेरा गुरु है; यही मेरी मनीषा (दृढ़ धारणा) है।

Verse 2#

brahmaivāhamidaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ cinmātravistāritaṃ

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुणयाऽशेषं मया कल्पितम् इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले चण्डालोऽस्तु तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम २॥

brahmaivāhamidaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ cinmātravistāritaṃ sarvaṃ caitadavidyayā triguṇayā'śeṣaṃ mayā kalpitam | itthaṃ yasya dṛḍhā matiḥ sukhatare nitye pare nirmale caṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 2||

Meaningजिसकी बुद्धि उस परम सुखमय, नित्य, परम, निर्मल तत्त्व में दृढ़ है, यह मानते हुए कि 'मैं ही ब्रह्म हूँ, और यह समस्त जगत् चिन्मात्र का विस्तार है, यह सब मैंने त्रिगुणात्मक अविद्या से कल्पित किया है' — वह चाहे चण्डाल हो या द्विज, वही मेरा गुरु है; यही मेरी मनीषा है।

Verse 3#

śaśvannaśvarameva viśvamakhilaṃ niścitya vācā guroḥ

शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचा गुरोः नित्यं ब्रह्म निरन्तरं विमृशता निर्व्याजशान्तात्मना भूतं भावि दुष्कृतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके प्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ३॥

śaśvannaśvarameva viśvamakhilaṃ niścitya vācā guroḥ nityaṃ brahma nirantaraṃ vimṛśatā nirvyājaśāntātmanā | bhūtaṃ bhāvi ca duṣkṛtaṃ pradahatā saṃvinmaye pāvake prārabdhāya samarpitaṃ svavapurityeṣā manīṣā mama || 3||

Meaningजिसने गुरु के वचनों से यह निश्चय कर लिया कि समस्त विश्व सदा नश्वर है, जो निष्कपट एवं शान्त मन से निरन्तर नित्य ब्रह्म का मनन करता है, जो संवित्स्वरूप अग्नि में भूत और भावी पापों को भस्म कर देता है, और अपने शरीर को प्रारब्ध के लिए समर्पित कर चुका है — कि उसका शरीर इस प्रकार समर्पित है, यही मेरी मनीषा है।

Verse 4#

yā tiryaṅnaradevatābhirahamityantaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate

या तिर्यङ्नरदेवताभिरहमित्यन्तः स्फुटा गृह्यते यद्भासा हृदयाक्षदेहविषया भान्ति स्वतोऽचेतनाः तां भास्यैः पिहितार्कमण्डलनिभां स्फूर्तिं सदा भावयन् योगी निर्वृतमानसो हि गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ४॥

yā tiryaṅnaradevatābhirahamityantaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate yadbhāsā hṛdayākṣadehaviṣayā bhānti svato'cetanāḥ | tāṃ bhāsyaiḥ pihitārkamaṇḍalanibhāṃ sphūrtiṃ sadā bhāvayan yogī nirvṛtamānaso hi gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 4||

Meaningजो चेतना पशु, मनुष्य और देवताओं द्वारा भीतर 'मैं' रूप में स्पष्ट रूप से ग्रहण की जाती है, जिसके प्रकाश से स्वतः जड़ हृदय, इन्द्रियाँ, देह और विषय प्रकाशित प्रतीत होते हैं — मेघ से ढके सूर्यमण्डल के समान उस स्फुरण का सदा ध्यान करता हुआ, जिसका मन परम शान्ति को प्राप्त है, वह योगी ही गुरु है; यही मेरी मनीषा है।

Verse 5#

yatsaukhyāmbudhileśaleśata ime śakrādayo nirvṛtāḥ

यत्सौख्याम्बुधिलेशलेशत इमे शक्रादयो निर्वृताः यच्चित्ते नितरां प्रशान्तकलने लब्ध्वा मुनिर्निर्वृतः यस्मिन्नित्यसुखाम्बुधौ गलितधीर्ब्रह्मैव ब्रह्मविद् यः कश्चित्स सुरेन्द्रवन्दितपदो नूनं मनीषा मम ५॥

yatsaukhyāmbudhileśaleśata ime śakrādayo nirvṛtāḥ yaccitte nitarāṃ praśāntakalane labdhvā munirnirvṛtaḥ | yasminnityasukhāmbudhau galitadhīrbrahmaiva na brahmavid yaḥ kaścitsa surendravanditapado nūnaṃ manīṣā mama || 5||

Meaningजिसके आनन्द-सागर के लेश के भी लेश से इन्द्र आदि देवता तृप्त रहते हैं; जिसे अत्यन्त प्रशान्त चित्त में पाकर मुनि कृतार्थ हो जाता है; जिस नित्य आनन्द-सागर में बुद्धि गल जाने पर मनुष्य ब्रह्म ही हो जाता है, न कि केवल ब्रह्म का ज्ञाता — वह जो कोई भी हो, उसके चरण देवराज इन्द्र से वन्दित हैं; यही मेरी मनीषा है।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु
jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptiṣu
In the states of waking, dream and deep sleep
स्फुटतरा या संविद् उज्जृम्भते
sphuṭatarā yā saṃvid ujjṛmbhate
That Consciousness which shines forth ever more clearly
ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्ततनुषु
brahmādi-pipīlikānta-tanuṣu
In all bodies from Brahma down to the ant
प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी
protā jagat-sākṣiṇī
Threaded through (all) as the witness of the world
सैवाहं न च दृश्यवस्तु
saiva-ahaṃ na ca dṛśya-vastu
That alone am I, and not the perceived object
दृढप्रज्ञा अपि यस्य अस्ति चेत्
dṛḍha-prajñā api yasya asti cet
If anyone has this firm conviction (steady wisdom)
चण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु
caṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu
Be he an outcaste (Chandala) or be he a twice-born brahmin
गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम
gurur-ity-eṣā manīṣā mama
He is my Guru — this is my firm conviction (manisha)
ब्रह्मैवाहम् इदं जगच्च सकलं
brahmaiva-aham idaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ
I am verily Brahman, and this entire world too
चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं
cinmātra-vistāritaṃ
Is but an expansion of pure Consciousness
अविद्यया त्रिगुणया मया कल्पितम्
avidyayā triguṇayā mayā kalpitam
Imagined by me through three-fold ignorance (of the three gunas)
नित्ये परे निर्मले
nitye pare nirmale
In the eternal, supreme, stainless (Reality)
शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वम् अखिलं
śaśvan-naśvaram-eva viśvam akhilaṃ
The entire universe is ever perishable
निश्चित्य वाचा गुरोः
niścitya vācā guroḥ
Having ascertained through the words of the Guru
संविन्मये पावके
saṃvinmaye pāvake
In the fire that is pure Consciousness
प्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुः
prārabdhāya samarpitaṃ sva-vapuḥ
Has surrendered his body to (the working out of) prarabdha karma
अहमित्यन्तः स्फुटा गृह्यते
aham-ity-antaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate
Is clearly grasped within as 'I' (by all beings)
पिहितार्कमण्डलनिभां
pihita-arka-maṇḍala-nibhāṃ
Like the orb of the sun hidden (by clouds)
योगी निर्वृतमानसः
yogī nirvṛta-mānasaḥ
The yogi whose mind is at perfect peace / bliss
यत्सौख्याम्बुधिलेशलेशतः
yat-saukhya-ambudhi-leśa-leśataḥ
By a mere fraction of a fraction of whose ocean of bliss
शक्रादयो निर्वृताः
śakrādayo nirvṛtāḥ
Indra and the other gods are made happy
गलितधीर्ब्रह्मैव न ब्रह्मवित्
galita-dhīr-brahmaiva na brahmavit
Whose mind has dissolved (in It) has become Brahman itself, not merely a knower of Brahman
सुरेन्द्रवन्दितपदः
surendra-vandita-padaḥ
Whose feet are worshipped by the king of the gods (Indra)

Origin & History

Source: Prakarana (instructional) hymn composed by Adi Shankaracharya

Author: Adi Shankaracharya

Period: 8th century CE (circa 788-820)

According to the traditional account, Adi Shankaracharya was walking through the holy city of Kashi when a Chandala (an outcaste) carrying meat, accompanied by four dogs, crossed his path. Shankara asked him to step aside. The Chandala — understood in the tradition to be Lord Shiva himself testing him — responded with searching questions: 'Do you wish the body to move away from the body, or the Self from the Self? In the sunlight reflected in the Ganga and in a cup of wine, is the reflecting sun ever defiled?' Struck by this revelation of pure non-dual wisdom from one deemed lowest by society, Shankaracharya prostrated and composed the Manisha Panchakam, five verses declaring that anyone established in this knowledge — outcaste or brahmin alike — is truly his Guru.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the story behind the Manisha Panchakam?
While in Kashi (Varanasi), Adi Shankaracharya is said to have asked a Chandala (an outcaste, here understood as Lord Shiva in disguise) to move aside from his path. The man replied with profound questions: should the body move from the body, or the Self from the Self, since the one Consciousness is the same in all? Recognising the supreme wisdom in his words, Shankara composed these five verses declaring that whoever knows this truth is his Guru, regardless of birth.
What does 'Manisha' mean?
'Manisha' means firm conviction, considered judgement or settled wisdom. The refrain 'gurur-ity-esha manisha mama' means 'that he is my Guru — this is my firm conviction.' Since there are five verses (panchakam), the work is called Manisha Panchakam.
What is the central teaching of the Manisha Panchakam?
Its central teaching is the non-dual truth that the one witnessing Consciousness (Brahman) is the real Self in every being, from Brahma to the ant. Therefore the knower of this truth deserves reverence as a Guru whether he is an outcaste or a brahmin — Self-knowledge, not social birth, is what makes one truly great.
Who composed the Manisha Panchakam?
It was composed by Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), the great teacher of Advaita Vedanta, and is counted among his foundational prakarana (instructional) hymns alongside works like the Nirvana Shatkam and Dashashloki.

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