UPADESHA-PANCHAKAM - Voice of Sankara

UPADESHA-PANCHAKAM

॥ साधन पञ्चकं ॥

वेदो नित्यमधीयतां तदुदितं कर्म स्वनुष्ठीयतां
तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये मतिस्त्यज्यताम्‌।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं विनिर्गम्यताम्‌ ॥ १ ॥

vedo nityamadhīyatāṁ taduditaṁ karma svanuṣṭhīyatāṁ
 teneśasya vidhīyatāmapacitiḥ kāmye matistyajyatām |
pāpaughaḥ paridhūyatāṁ bhavasukhe dośo’nusandhīyatāṁ
 ātmecchā vyavasīyatāṁ nijagṛhāttūrṇaṁ vinirgamyatām ||1||

Study the Veda every day; do properly the karma prescribed therein; through that (act), worship the Lord (Èùa); give up the thought of doing an act with desire (for its fruit); shake off the group of sinful deeds; consider (mentally) the defect in worldly pleasure; strive for the desire (for the knowledge) of the Átmán (Self); get out of your home without delay. 

सङ्गः सत्सु विधीयतां भगवतो भक्तिर्दृढाऽऽधीयतां 
शान्त्यादिः परिचीयतां दृढतरं कर्माशु सन्त्यज्यताम्‌।
सद्विद्वानुपसृप्यतां प्रतिदिनं तत्पादुका सेव्यतां
ब्रह्मैकाक्षरमर्थ्यतां श्रुतिशिरोवाक्यं समाकर्ण्यताम्‌ ॥ २ ॥

saṅgaḥ satsu vidhīyatāṁ bhagavato bhaktirdṛḍhā”dhīyatāṁ
 śāntyādiḥ paricīyatāṁ dṛḍhataraṁ karmāśu santyajyatām |
sadvidvānupasṛpyatāṁ pratidinaṁ tatpādukā sevyatāṁ
 brahmaikākṣaramarthyatāṁ śrutiśirovākyaṁ samākarṇyatām ||2||

Form association with good; entertain firm devotion for the Lord; practise Ùánti (calmness of mind) and so on; give up at once the fast-binding karma (action); approach the good, wise person (for knowledge); serve (worship) his sandal (feet) every day; seek (from him knowledge of Brahman, symbolized by the single Syllable (Om); listen to the Vedánta-vakya dealing with Brahman.

वाक्यार्थश्च विचार्यतां श्रुतिशिरः पक्षः समाश्रीयतां 
दुस्तर्कात्सुविरम्यतां श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीयताम्‌।
ब्रह्मास्मीति विभाव्यतामहरहर्गर्वः परित्यज्यतां
देहेऽहंमतिरुझ्यतां बुधजनैर्वादः परित्यज्यताम्‌ ॥ ३ ॥

vākyārthaśca vicāryatāṁ śrutiśiraḥ pakṣaḥ samāśrīyatāṁ
dustarkātsuviramyatāṁ śrutimatastarko’nusandhīyatām |
brahmāsmīti vibhāvyatāmaharahargarvaḥ parityajyatāṁ
dehe’haṁmatirujhyatāṁ budhajanairvādaḥ parityajyatām ||3||

Ponder over the import of scriptural texts (Vedánta-vákyas) dealing with Brahman. Accept the view (verdict) of the Vádanta-texts. Deliberately desist from vain (bad) reasoning (discussion). Bear in mind (follow) the reasoning that is in accord with the scriptures (Veda). Always revolve in the mind the thought - ``I am Brahman''. Always give up pride. Give up the notion, ``I am the body''. Avoid vain discussion with the wise. 

क्षुद्व्याधिश्च चिकित्स्यतां प्रतिदिनं भिक्षौषधं भुज्यतां 
स्वाद्वन्नं न तु याच्यतां विधिवशात्प्राप्तेन सन्तुष्यताम्‌।
शीतोष्णादि विषह्यतां न तु वृथा वाक्यं समुच्चार्यतां
औदासीन्यमभीप्स्यतां जनकृपानैष्ठुर्यमुत्सृज्यताम्‌ ॥ ४ ॥

kṣudvyādhiśca cikitsyatāṁ pratidinaṁ bhikṣauṣadhaṁ bhujyatāṁ
svādvannaṁ na tu yācyatāṁ vidhivaśātprāptena santuṣyatām |
śītoṣṇādi viṣahyatāṁ na tu vṛthā vākyaṁ samuccāryatāṁ
audāsīnyamabhīpsyatāṁ janakṛpānaiṣṭhuryamutsṛjyatām ||4||

Cure the disease in the form of hunger; take in the medicine in the form of bhikshá (borrowed alms); do not ask for delicious (savoury) food; be contented with what is acquired providentially (without effort); endure patiently cold and heat and other (pairs of opposites); do not utter words in vain; have desire to be neutral (without taking sides); give up the attitude of being kind to some people and cruel to others.

एकान्ते सुखमास्यतां परतरे चेतः समाधीयतां 
पूर्णात्मा सुसमीक्ष्यतां जगदिदं तद्बाधितं दृश्यताम्‌।
प्राक्कर्म प्रविलाप्यतां चितिबलान्नाप्युत्तरैः श्लिष्यतां
प्रारब्धं त्विह भुज्यतामथ परब्रह्मात्मना स्थीयताम् ‌॥ ५ ॥

ekānte sukhamāsyatāṁ paratare cetaḥ samādhīyatāṁ
pūrṇātmā susamīkṣyatāṁ jagadidaṁ tadvādhitaṁ dṛśyatām |
prākkarma pravilāpyatāṁ citibalānnāpyuttaraiḥ śliṣyatāṁ
prārabdhaṁ tviha bhujyatāmatha parabrahmātmanā sthīyatām ||5||

Sit comfortably in a lonely (quiet) place; fix the mind on the Higher (Supreme) Self; seek the full (all-pervading) Átman within; consider this Universe as sublated by it; melt away (destroy) the effect of karma already done by dint of discriminating knowledge; get detached from future actions; go through the effect of karma which you have begun to experience here; finally remain (peacefully) in the exalted state of the Supreme Self (Para-brahman).

॥ इति परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यश्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यविरचित साधन पञ्चकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥