The आत्मषटकम् Atmashatakam, also known as the निर्वाणषटकम् Nirvaanashatakam was composed by Adi Shankaracharya.
These are ideal songs for an enlightened soul. Ultimate realization comes from knowing one’s soul. Here we recognize that there is no reality other than the true self.
The ultimate “I” is addressed in these shlokas, creating a distinction between the elements which we usually feel are the self versus the Ultimate Self. Everything comes from and merges into Brahman; therefore, everything is Brahman.
मनोबुद्धयहंकार चित्तानि नाहं न च श्रोत्रजिव्हे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥
Mano-buddhi-ahamkara chittaani naaham,
na cha shrotra-jihve, na cha ghraaṇa-netre.
Na cha vyoma bhumih na tejo na vaayuh,
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I1 am not intellect, ego, mind or the contents of the mind, I have no ears or hearing force; no tongue or taste; no nostril or smell; no eyes or sight2; I am not of the space, earth, light or wind; I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self; I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
मन mind मनो – with mind बुद्धि intellect अहङ्कार ego चित्त the matter that the mind is made up of न no, not अहम् I am च and श्रोत्र ears जिव्हे tongue घ्राण nose/smell नेत्रे eyes/eyesight व्योम sky or space भूमि earth तेजो light, energy, fire वायु air चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पंचवायुः न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायु चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्॥
Na cha praaṇa-saṅgyo na vai paṅcha-vayuh,
na vaa sapta-dhaatur na vaa paṇcha-koshah.
Na vaak-paaṇi-paadam na chopastha-paayoo
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I am neither the praana/vital air, nor the five forces3 of praana, and I am neither the seven-fold4 materials that help in bodily development and maintenance of the body nor am the five elements of personality5. I have no organs of action6, be it speech, movement, walking or gesturing. I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self; I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
न no, not च and प्राण vital breath संज्ञो conscious of न not वै or पंचवायुः the five forms of air वा of सप्तधातुः the seven dhatus पञ्चकोशः five koshas (sheaths) वाक् speech पणि hands पाद feet चोपति (चुप्) move पायु organs of elimination चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्॥
Na me dveṣha-raagau na me lobha-mohau,
mado naiva me naiva maatsarya-bhaavah.
Na dharmo na chaartho na kaamo na mokshah,
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I have no likes or dislikes. I have no greed or delusion. I have no pride or arrogance. I am neither jealous of anyone nor do I compete with anyone7. I even do not even need the pillars of life8. I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self, I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
न no, not मे me द्वेष hatred राग passion, anger, affliction न मे am not लोभ greed मोह infatuation, delusion मदो passion नैव मे indeed not नैव indeed not मात्सर्य jealousy भावः feeling न धर्मो not righteous principles न च अर्थ and not the four pillars of life (अर्थ is essence, purpose, material prosperity) न कामो not love and desire न मोक्षः not liberation चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं न मन्त्रो न तीर्थो न वेदा न यज्ञ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्॥
Na puṇyam na paapam na saukhyam na duhkham
na mantro na teertho na vedaa na yagya,
Aham bhojanam naiva bhogyam na bhoktaa
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I am neither sinful nor sinless9. I have neither pleasure nor pain, joy nor sorrow. I need not know any Mantra, nor do I need to make any pilgrimages. I need not know any scripture nor do I gain anything through rituals. I am not the experience (subject) not the experienced (object) and not the experiencer (doer), I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self, I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
न पुण्यं not virtue, merits न पापं not sin न सौख्यं not worldly joy, happiness न दुःखं not unhappiness, sorrow न मन्त्रो not mantras न तीर्थो not places of pilgrimage न वेदा not Veda न यज्ञ not Yagya अहं I, me भोजनं enjoyment or experience नैव indeed not भोज्यं object to be experienced or enjoyed न भोक्ता not the one enjoying or experiencing चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरूर्नैव शिष्यः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्॥
Na me mrityu-shankaa na me jaati-bhedah
pitaa naiva me naiva maataa na janma,
Na bandhur-na mitram gurur-naiva shiṣhyah
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I do not experience death, or fear, I have no distinction of caste or class, I have neither father nor mother – I was never born!10. I have neither relatives nor friends11; I have neither any teacher (guru) nor any student, I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self, I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
न मे I am not मृत्यु dear शंका fear of न मे जाति I am not class, caste, form of life भेद distinction पिता father नैव indeed not मे नैव I am not माता mother न जन्मः one taking birth न not बन्धु brother, sibling मित्रं friend गुरू teacher शिष्यः student, disciple चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो विभुत्वाच सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्।
न चासङ्गतम् नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्॥
Aham nirvikalpo niraakaara roopo
vibhut-vyaacha sarvatra sarvendriyaaṇaam
Na cha-saṅgatam naiva muktir-na meyah
chidaananda-roopah shivoham shivoham.
I am free of thought. I am changeless, formless, enveloping all. Untouched by senses, I am all-pervading and all-existent12. Unfathomable, I am even beyond freedom. I am pure consciousness, Bliss, the Self, I am Auspiciousness, auspiciousness alone!
अहं I am निर्विकल्पो free from change and without alternative निराकार formless रूप with form विभुत्व omnipotent, omnipresent, almighty, everywhere च and सर्वत्र everywhere सर्वे all इन्द्रिय power (and power of senses) न not च and असङ्गत disunited, apart नैव indeed not मुक्ति freedom/liberation न not मेयः measurable with, bound to चित् consciousness आनन्द bliss रूप nature, form शिव Shiva, God-consciousness अहम् I am
- The ultimate “I” is addressed in these shlokas, creating a distinction between the elements we usually feel is the self versus the Ultimate Self. Everything comes from and merges into Brahman; therefore, everything is Brahman.
- The 5 senses are from the perspective of 10 Indriyas (senses), 5 active expressions called कर्मिन्द्रिय (karmendriya) (sense of action) which are also called the 5 exit doors which includes वाक् तत्त्व vaaktattva – the philosophy and science of speech, पानितत्त्व paani-tattva – grasping, gesturing, moving and manipulation of (hands), पादतत्त्व paadatattva – walking, standing (feet), पायुतत्त्व paayutattva – eliminating/excretion (anus), उपस्थतत्त्व upasthatattva – procreation (genitals). Then the 5 cognitive senses, ज्ञानेन्द्रिय Jyanendriya, called entrance doors (entrance to consciousness) – that is the 5 cognitive senses, आँख or नेत्र eye – which allows sight or चक्षु relating to अग्नि agni, नाक – nose allows smelling, जीव tongue – tasting, त्वचा fingers – touching and कान ears hearing.
- The five types of Praana: प्राण Praan, अपान Apaan, व्यान Vyaan, उदान Udaan and समान Samaan. प्राण वायु Praana-vaayu operates from the heart chakra, upward flowing energy that revitalizes the life forces. Apana Vaayu operates from the base of the torso (last chakra), downward flowing energy that has to do with eliminating and throwing off what is no longer needed. Samana Vaayu operates in the navel chakra, dealing with digestion and allowing for mental discrimination between useful and non-useful thoughts. Udaana-Vaayu operates from the throat chakra and drives exhalation, eliminating the unnecessary and working in conjunction with Praana-vaayu. Vyaana-Vaayu operates throughout the body, coordinating energy and flow of and through various systems and processes. The Praana force drives the ten indriyas (कर्मिन्द्रिय karmendriya and ज्ञानिन्द्रिय gyaandriya)
- The 7 materials in bodily development and maintenance (called 7 dhaatus) are रस धातु rasa dhaatu (Fluids, plasma, the flow of nourishment between cells), रक्त धातु rakta dhaatu (blood cells), मांस धातु maasa dhaatu (Muscular tissue and flesh), मेद धातु meda dhaatu (other tissues, adipose tissues, fatty tissue), अस्थि धातु Asthi Dhaatu (bones and cartilage that provide support), मज्जा धातु Majjaa Dhaatu (Bone marrow that supports Asthi Dhaatu) and शुक्र धातु Shukra Dhaatu (Generative tissues, also reproductive tissues including semen)
- The five elements of personality, known as the 5-fold state are anatomical, physiological, mental, intellectual, and bliss. These are referred to as the 5 elements for body (food, air, mind, knowledge or wisdom and pleasure). However, in Yoga, there are 5 koshas – which are the sheaths or layers of consciousness surrounding us are: अन्नमय कोश Annamaya kosha (physical sheath), प्राणमय कोश Pranamaya kosha (energy sheath), मनोमय कोश manamaya kosha (mental sheath), विज्ञानमय कोश vigyanamaya kosha (wisdom sheath), आनन्दमय कोश anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath) and आत्मन कोश atman kosha (self, ‘I” or soul)
- The 5 organs of action: mouth, hands, feet, reproduction, excretion
- This identifies 6 types of likes/dislikes with others: द्वेष dvesha feeling of hatred, राग raaga – feeling of friendship, लोभ lobha greed, मोह moha worldly attachment, मद mada arrogance, मात्सर्य maatsarya jealousy
- The 4 scriptural pillars of life (purpose of physical living) are usually referred to as the 4 पुरुषार्थ purusharthas of life: धर्म Dharma – Righteous Laws (principles) of Life, अर्थ Artha – wealth, काम Kaama – desires, मोक्ष Moksha – emancipation.
- The worldly कर्म karmas and their fruits: पुण्य Punya virtuous actions and पाप paapa sinful actions; सुख sukha pleasure and happiness and दुःख dukha sorrow/pain. AND the righteous कर्म karmas and their fruits. वेद Veda (scripture) and मन्त्र Mantra (divine words); तीर्थ teertha (pilgrimage (also water) and यज्ञ yagya ritual and sacrifice
- Life and its association with self is now being detached जन्म Janma – birth; मृत्यु mrityu – death, जाति भेद jaati bhedah – classification in life and caste (varna), शंखा shamkaa – doubts and suspicion.
- The main types of developmental relationships are said to be between Father & Mother, Parents and Children, Siblings, Friends and teacher & student
- Only after the detachment from everything, every relation, every craving that we then realize the potent of liberation. Moksh and liberation. Freedom from everything brings godlike quality and merging with God. To attain the qualities of nirvikalpa (One without class, differences), being independent of any classification; niraakaar – formless. roopa – nature, vibhuh – all existent, sarvendriya – in all senses; etc