Viveka Chudamani Slokas 336-339 

Guru starts the discourse, reiterating the way for Mukti or liberation in Sloka 336.

Sloka 336

बाह्ये निरुद्दे मनसः प्रसन्नता
मनः प्रसादे परमात्म दर्शनम्।
तस्मिन् सुदृष्टे भवबंधनाशो
बहिर्निरोधः पदवी विमुक्ते॥336॥

1 बाह्ये निरुद्दे मनसः प्रसन्नता -
when external world is blocked, mind becomes peaceful;


2 मनः प्रसादे परमात्म दर्शनम् -
when mind is peaceful, one sees the Supreme Self;


When a person gets up from a sound sleep his mind is clear. Similarly when the external noises of the world are blocked, mind is at rest and at once becomes peaceful. With mind at peace, the thoughts about the nature of Self are assimilated easily. Understanding that the nature of Self is unbounded Bliss - and that any other form of self ( or all the forms of non-self), like anger ego etc are not the real representation of Self or ourselves. That understanding is - 'seeing the Supreme Self'

3 तस्मिन् सुदृष्टे - भवबंधनाशो-
When that is perfectly realized - destruction of all worldly bonds happens

With the peaceful mind acquired by blocking all external worldly issue, one sees the ultimate truth.  Realizing the ultimate truth results in realizing that all attachments to be what they truly are. They are unreal.

So blocking the external worldly noises is the first step in the path for liberation. We hear that conclusion in the last line.

4 बहिर्निरोधः पदवी विमुक्ते -
(So) blocking the external world is the way for liberation;


Sloka summary 336 :

When external world is blocked, mind becomes peaceful; When mind is peaceful one sees the Supreme Self. When that is perfectly realized - destruction of all worldly bonds happens. So blocking the external world is the way for liberation. 

The point being made is that the external noises ( good and bad) , drive you to follow them. That follow up is an endless street. If your motive is to understand Self, what it is  and what it stands for, then you have to block the outside noises. Blocking outside noises makes the mind peaceful. It is like when you get up from a sound (dreamless) sleep, you feel fresh and at rest. That is when your mind is most receptive. With mind at rest and peaceful, you are receptive to the thoughts of Self and the true form of Self. That true form of Self is a positive mass of Bliss. Then you realize that the angry, egoistic form of bashing everything in sight, is not you. That is when you should tell yourself that let me get back to my real Self.
And you may come back, by blocking the noises of the external world.

Blocking external world does not stop you from your daily duties and responsibilities. You keep doing them without your mind going astray with what your eyes see and ears hear.


Sloka 337

कः पंडितः सन् सदसद्विवेकी
श्रुति प्रमाणः परमार्थ दर्शी।
जानन्हि कुर्यात् असतोऽवलंबं
स्वपात हेतोः शिशुवन् मुमुक्षुः॥337॥

1 कः पंडितः सन् सदसद्विवेकी-
where is the man being a Pandit and able to discriminate between real and unreal;

2 श्रुति प्रमाणः परमार्थ दर्शी-
accepting the authority of Srutis, having seen the ultimate truth;

मुमुक्षुः - the Seeker;

Here the Guru is talking about a wise man who is able to (1) discriminate between real and unreal;(2) accepts that the Vedas are true (3) has seen the ultimate truth with his mind fixed on the Supreme being. Such a man as above will not fall prey to thoughts of unreal. The people who fall for unreal are people with opposite of above three characteristics.

3 जानन्हि कुर्यात् असतो अवलंबं
knowing that, will he make unreal the object of his pursuit?

Guru is asking a rhetorical question, such a one as above, knowing all that , would he make unreal an object worthy of pursuit?

Such pursuit will lead to one's downfall. Only a child may make such choices.

4 स्वपात हेतोः शिशुवन् -
like a kid, cause his own downfall ?

Following unreal, leads to one's down fall. Only a kid could make such choice.

Sloka summary 337 :

"Where is the man being a knowledgeable and able to discriminate between real and unreal; accepting the authority of Shrutis, with mind fixed on the Supreme; knowing all that, will he make unreal the object of his pursuit, like a kid, and cause his own downfall ?"

The guru is simply restating the Characteristics of a Seeker (mumukshu). Such a Seeker will not a follow unreal, which leads to his downfall.

To bring more clarity, Guru talks about glaring opposites.

Sloka 338

देहादि संसक्तिमतो न मुक्तिः
मुक्तस्य देहात् अभिमत्यभावः।
सुप्तस्य नो जागरणं न जाग्रतः
स्वप्नः तयोः भिन्न गुणाश्रयत्वात्॥338॥

1 देहादि संसक्तिमतो न मुक्तिः -
 One attached to the body etc will not attain liberation;

Attached to the body - means, one who is full of himself, and the importance of his world. He  is simply fixated on himself. For such a one the thoughts of others and their welfare are far away. Even farther away is the thought of Self, the one who is residing in his own body and witness to all that is happening. So there no thoughts of liberation from the worldly entanglements. With no thoughts of liberation, there is no liberation too. So,One attached to the body etc will not attain liberation.

Now we see the opposite.

2 मुक्तस्य देहात् अभिमत्यभावः -
One who attained liberation, has no attachment for body etc.

One who realised the Self, realizes that the attachments are not for him. He is completely detached from the worldly affairs, except as a witness.  So he has no attachment for body etc.

So the one who is liberated and the one attached to body are opposite of each other.

An example of opposites is one who is asleep and one who is awake.

3(i) सुप्तस्य नो जागरणं  -
one who is asleep, cannot be said to be awake;

3(ii) न जाग्रतः स्वप्नः -
 one who is awake, cannot be said to be asleep or dreaming;

The one who is asleep, cannot be said to be awake. So also the one who is awake cannot be said to be asleep or dreaming. Because they are different states of the body. (The three states of the body are being awake, dream, deep sleep in the classical definition of body states)

4 तयोः भिन्न गुणाश्रयत्वात् -
 the pairs are contradictory by nature;

In the colloquial way, a fool is said to awake and dreaming too (day-dreaming) if he is day-dreaming he is neither awake nor in deep sleep; and not relevant for the discussion. Excluding the fool from the discussion, being awake and being asleep are opposites.

Sloka summary 338 : 

One attached to the body etc will not attain liberation; One who attained liberation, has no attachment for body etc. One who is  asleep, cannot be said to be awake; One who is awake, cannot be said to be asleep or dreaming;  The pairs are contradictory by nature;


Sloka 339

अंतर्भहिः स्वं स्थिरजंगमेषु
ज्ञानात्मनाधारतया विलोक्य।
त्यक्ताखिलोपाधिः अखंडरूपः
पूर्णात्मना यः स्थित एव मुक्तः॥339॥

1 अंतर्भहिः   - inside and outside ;
  स्थिरजंगमेषु - in all moving and non moving objects;

2 ज्ञानात्मनाधारतया स्वं विलोक्य-
 with knowledge as the substratum, seeing Self ;

Guru is describing the one who is liberated. Liberated one sees Self in all moving and non moving objects. He sees Self(Brahman)  inside, outside and everywhere.

3 त्यक्ताखिलोपाधिः अखंडरूपः -
 negating all super impositions, being that supreme form

Guru continues the description of the liberated soul. He sees Brahman in everything, thus negating all super impositions. He sees Brahman as one (Akhanda) undifferentiated.  

4 पूर्णात्मना यः स्थित एव - remains in that supreme state;
  (स) एव मुक्तः - such a one is liberated

Guru having described the liberated one in the first three lines comes to the conclusion. One who remains in that state is the liberated one.

Sloka summary 339: 

With knowledge ( Brahman) as the substratum, seeing Self in all moving and non moving objects , inside and outside; negating all super impositions ( seeing Brahman in everything), being that supreme form and remains in that supreme state, such a one is liberated.

Point is about knowledge of being Brahman, and being Brahman. While one may know all about that state of Brahman, one is liberated only when he remains in that state of Brahman all the time. 

||om tat sat||