Bhagavad Gita on Moksha, Maya, Truth
Adi Shankaracharya was one of the most prominent teachers of the Vedanta philosophy. One of his major contributions to Vedanta was his extensive commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. The core principles of purity, detachment and renunciation were explained in the previous article. The next three principles from the Bhagavad Gita – Moksha, Maya and Truth, as explained by Adi Shankaracharya, are summarized below.
What is true Moksha?
The paths which lead to anitya or impermanent results cannot lead one to the state of moksha. One needs to assimilate the knowledge that man and the supreme brahman are one and the same, before one can move towards moksha. The complete understanding of this truthful knowledge is indeed the state of moksha.
मोक्ष का मार्ग
जिन साधनों का फल अनित्य है, वे मोक्ष के कारण हो ही नहीं सकते। मोक्ष का स्वरूप है जीवात्मा अौर परमात्मा की अभिन्नता का ज्ञान। दोनों एक स्वरूप हैं, इसी ज्ञान का नाम मोक्ष है।
What is Maya?
The apparent (false) distinction between man and brahman is because of nature. The removal of this falsehood is only possible by the dawn of knowledge or gyana. Those who believe otherwise remain trapped in the realm of maya or ignorance. And that maya is the cause of a lot of confusion and misery. It is neither the truth – nor is it the untruth – but it is the abode for dvaita or the philosophy which separates man and brahman.
माया का मार्ग
जीवात्मा परमात्मा में जो भेद मालूम होता है, वह प्रकृति के कारण से है। इस भ्रान्तिकी निवृत्ति ज्ञानद्वारा होती है। द्वैत जो भासता है उसका कारण माया है। और वह माया अनिर्वचनीया है। न तो वह सत् है और न असत् है और दोनोंहीके धर्म उसमें भासते हैं।
What is Truth?
That is why it has been deemed as unattainable. The truth is that maya is also deception. Since untruth cannot be created from truth and truth and untruth can never meet – this means that untruth has no inherent strength. Hence the world is indeed imaginary and dream-like in nature.
सत्य का मार्ग
इसीलिये उसको अनिर्वचनीया विशेषण दिया गया है। वास्तवमें माया भी मिथ्या है। क्योंकि सत् से असत् की उत्पत्ति सम्भव नहीं और सत्–असत् का मेल भी सम्भव नहीं और असत् में कोई शक्ति ही नहीं। अतैव् जगत् केवल भ्रान्तिमात्र है और स्वप्नवत् है।
This article summarized three core principles – Moksha, Maya and Truth from the Bhagavad Gita according to Adi Shankaracharya. In the next article, we will present the final two core principles. Namaste.
Original Hindi/Sanskrit Source: Bhagavad Gita with commentary by Shankaracharya (in Hindi), Gita Press. Translated to English by the editors of eaglespace.com. Corrections? Please leave us a comment. Thank you.