॥ Manisha Panchakam Malayalam Lyrics ॥
॥ മനീഷാപഞ്ചകം ॥
അന്നമയാദന്നമയമഥവാ ചൈതന്യമേവ ചൈതന്യാത് ।
യതിവര ദൂരീകര്‍തും വാഞ്ഛസി കിം ബ്രൂഹി ഗച്ഛ ഗച്ഛേതി ॥
പ്രത്യഗ്വസ്തുനി നിസ്തരങ്ഗസഹജാനന്ദാവബോധാംബുധൌ
വിപ്രോഽയം ശ്വപചോഽയമിത്യപി മഹാന്‍കോഽയം വിഭേദഭ്രമഃ ।
കിം ഗങ്ഗാംബുനി ബിംബിതേഽംബരമണൌ ചാണ്ഡാലവീഥീപയഃ
പൂരേ വാഽന്തരമസ്തി കാഞ്ചനഘടീമൃത്കുംഭയോര്‍വാഽംബരേ ॥
ജാഗ്രത്സ്വപ്നസുഷുപ്തിഷു സ്ഫുടതരാ യാ സംവിദുജ്ജൃംഭതേ
യാ ബ്രഹ്മാദിപിപീലികാന്തതനുഷു പ്രോതാ ജഗത്സാക്ഷിണീ ।
സൈവാഹം ന ച ദൃശ്യവസ്ത്വിതി ദൃഢപ്രജ്ഞാപി യസ്യാസ്തി ചേ-
ച്ചാണ്ഡാലോഽസ്തു സ തു ദ്വിജോഽസ്തു ഗുരുരിത്യേഷാ മനീഷാ മമ ॥ 1॥
ബ്രഹ്മൈവാഹമിദം ജഗച്ച സകലം ചിന്‍മാത്രവിസ്താരിതം
സര്‍വം ചൈതദവിദ്യയാ ത്രിഗുണയാഽശേഷം മയാ കല്‍പിതം ।
ഇത്ഥം യസ്യ ദൃഢാ മതിഃ സുഖതരേ നിത്യേ പരേ നിര്‍മലേ
ചാണ്ഡാലോഽസ്തു സ തു ദ്വിജോഽസ്തു ഗുരുരിത്യേഷാ മനീഷാ മമ ॥ 2॥
ശശ്വന്നശ്വരമേവ വിശ്വമഖിലം നിശ്ചിത്യ വാചാ ഗുരോ-
ര്‍നിത്യം ബ്രഹ്മ നിരന്തരം വിമൃശതാ നിര്‍വ്യാജശാന്താത്മനാ ।
ഭൂതം ഭാതി ച ദുഷ്കൃതം പ്രദഹതാ സംവിന്‍മയേ പാവകേ
പ്രാരബ്ധായ സമര്‍പിതം സ്വവപുരിത്യേഷാ മനീഷാ മമ ॥ 3॥
യാ തിര്യങ്നരദേവതാഭിരഹമിത്യന്തഃ സ്ഫുടാ ഗൃഹ്യതേ
യദ്ഭാസാ ഹൃദയാക്ഷദേഹവിഷയാ ഭാന്തി സ്വതോഽചേതനാഃ ।
താം ഭാസ്യൈഃ പിഹിതാര്‍കമണ്ഡലനിഭാം സ്ഫൂര്‍തിം സദാ ഭാവയ-
ന്യോഗീ നിര്‍വൃതമാനസോ ഹി ഗുരുരിത്യേഷാ മനീഷാ മമ ॥ 4॥
യത്സൌഖ്യാംബുധിലേശലേശത ഇമേ ശക്രാദയോ നിര്‍വൃതാ
യച്ചിത്തേ നിതരാം പ്രശാന്തകലനേ ലബ്ധ്വാ മുനിര്‍നിര്‍വൃതഃ ।
യസ്മിന്നിത്യസുഖാംബുധൌ ഗലിതധീര്‍ബ്രഹ്മൈവ ന ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്
യഃ കശ്ചിത്സ സുരേന്ദ്രവന്ദിതപദോ നൂനം മനീഷാ മമ ॥ 5॥
ദാസസ്തേഽഹം ദേഹദൃഷ്ട്യാഽസ്മി ശംഭോ
ജാതസ്തേംഽശോ ജീവദൃഷ്ട്യാ ത്രിദൃഷ്ടേ ।
സര്‍വസ്യാഽഽത്മന്നാത്മദൃഷ്ട്യാ ത്വമേവേ-
ത്യേവം മേ ധീര്‍നിശ്ചിതാ സര്‍വശാസ്ത്രൈഃ ॥
॥ ഇതി ശ്രീമച്ഛങ്കരഭഗവതഃ കൃതൌ മനീഷാപഞ്ചകം സമ്പൂര്‍ണം ॥
॥ Manisha Panchakam Meaning ॥
O great ascetic! Tell me. Do you want me to keep a distance from you, by uttering ‘go away’ ‘go away’ taking me to be an outcast? Is it addressed from one body made of food to another body made of food,
or is it consciousness from consciousness — which, O, the best among ascetics, you wish should go away, by saying “ Go away, go away”? Do tell me.॥
Answer me. While the Supreme Being is reflected in every object as the sun’s reflection could be seen in the placid waveless water bodies why this doubting confusion and differentiation i.e . whether one is a brahmin or an outcast? who is the superior one etc ?. Is there any difference in the reflection of the sun in the waters of the Ganges or in the water present in the street of an outcast?
Likewise, is there any difference when the water- containers happen to be golden vessels and earthen pots?
(Immediately Shankaracharya realises the presence of the Lord Shankara before him (who has apparently shown Himself with a view to removing the last vestige of imperfection in His devotee) and reels off the following 5 stanzas-constituting ‘Manisha Panchakam’-ending with a further stanza in the form of an epilogue).॥
If one is convinced firmly, that he is that very Soul which manifests itself in all the conditions of sleep, wakefulness and dream, in all the objects from the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant and which is also the vibrant, but invisible, witnesser of all, then as per my clear conclusion, he is the great teacher/preceptor, be he a twice-born (i.e higher castes) or an outcast. ॥ 1 ॥
I am quite convinced that he is the great Master, be he a Brahmin or an outcaste, who, dwelling on the pure and infinite Brahman thinks of himself as that very Brahman, of whose manifestation the whole Universe is, though apparently the Universe is assumed to consist of different things, due to ignorance and the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas and Tamas).॥ 2 ॥
I am fully convinced by the Preceptor’s words that the entire Universe is a transitory illusion and that the human body is given to constantly meditate on the infinite and supreme Being with a serene and unquestioning mind and thus to burn in that sacred Fire the sins with which the human is born. ॥ 3 ॥
In my considered opinion that Yogi is great who has clearly grasped within himself the truth and quality of the Supreme Being through which all our activities are performed and whose effulgence is hidden by ignorance [of an ordinary person] even as the sun’s halo is covered/hidden by the clouds. ॥ 4 ॥
I am convinced that whoever has his mind dwelling upon the Great Being who is being worshipped by Indra and other gods and is thus completely at peace with himself has not only understood Brahman but he is himself that great Brahman!॥ 5 ॥
Oh Lord ! In the form of body, I am your servant. In the form of life, O three-eyed one, I am part of yourself. In the form of soul, you are within me and in every other soul.I have arrived at this conclusion through my intellect and on the authority of the various scriptures.॥
Thus ends the ‘manIShApa~nchakam’ composed by the Adi Shankaracharya.
The Harijan asked:
ANnmyadNnmymtvacEtNymev cEtNyaT
(Maneesha Panchakam . Brihatstotram)
Which should get away from which, whereto and how? What is your intention? Is it that one frame made of bone and flesh and itself a product of food, should get away from another frame of same composition and same origin? Or, that the soul (atma) resident in a frame should not come near another soul (atma) similarly resident in another frame? Oh! The best among Brahmins, please answer me, what is that which should get away?.
pratyagvastuni
(Maneesha Panchakam . Brihatstotram)
The sun.s light falls both on the waters of the Ganges as well as of those of drains. The sun.s image gets reflected from both these surfaces. Is there any difference between the two images? Similarly, is there any difference in the images of the sun reflected in the water contained in a vessel whether the
latter is made of gold or of mud?
There is a permanent reality (paramatma) in our bodies. Paramatma, which is all perfect has the innate attributes of both bliss and knowledge. There are no differences in it. It is omniscient like the ocean. Even this comparison is not fully correct. In the ocean there are many waves. But in the paramatma there are no waves. The physical ocean has atmosphere standing upon it. This causes the waves in the ocean. But paramatma exists everywhere. There is no place without it. In view of its omnipresence, there are no waves in it. It is both unexcellable bliss and limitless knowledge. In the paramatma which is of such nature, how can there be differences?.
The question being in the nature of highest knowledge, evoked reply in the same vein. Adi Sankara said, .If you are such a knower of Brahmam (supreme reality), then you are indeed my Guru (revered teacher).. Adi Sankara.s reply is in five slokas known as ManeeshA Panchakam. Maneesha means firm conviction and Panchakam means five-fold. Adi Sankara sets out these as his firm convictions.
Adi Sankara replied:
jAgratsvapna
(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 1)
If this type of firm self-knowledge is found in anyone. the knowledge that from the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant, in all animate and inanimate things there is the supreme Brahman that is .I.; that the things which knowledge perceives as .I. are not .I.; then whether he be a Harijan or a Brahmin, that one alone is my Guru. This is my deep conviction and faith. How are we to look at all living things in the world as identical with ourselves? This self-knowledge is indeed hard to attain. There are three states of experience: waking (jagrat), dream (swapna) and deep sleep (sushipti). Although the states differ and the mental attitudes during these states differ, the person who experiences there is one and the same. Similarly, we should be firmly convinced that one and the same .I. prevails in various things and in various places in the three states of experience. Although we perform or experience in different states acts and mental attitudes distinct from one another and although these acts and attitudes seem to be the work of distinct bodies and minds, we know that it is one and the same person that performs these acts or experiences these attitudes. Likewise, the acts and mental attitudes, seemingly of other persons, are in reality our own. Bodies alone are separate but the inner self (the .I.) is the same. We should thus look at the entire world in this unitary view and not be misled by apparent
differences.
We see an article. The act of seeing has both an object (the particular article seen) as well as the subject (one who does the act of seeing). These two states (object and subject) are separate and distinct from one another. The body is seen. so it is the object. Atma (soul) sees. so it is the subject. This analogy can be extended to other acts such as perception or consciousness. The body is perceived. so it is the object. Atma (soul) does the act of perceiving. so it is the subject. Thus the body and the soul are separate from one another. He who considers the soul as that which is seen (that is, confuses the object for the subject) can only be termed as an aggyani (ignorant of reality/truth).
yatsaukhya
(Maneesha Panchakam . verse 5)
– Chant Stotra in Other Languages –
Manisha Panchakam in Sanskrit – English – Bengali – Gujarati – – Kannada – Malayalam – Odia – Telugu – Tamil