Manisha Panchakam

Manisha Panchakam (मनीषा पञ्चकम्) (manīṣā pañcakam) is a stotra containing five verses (slokas)^[1] attributed by the Advaita tradition to Adi Shankara,^[2] the Hindu philosopher. It is said that in these five verses Shankara brings out the essence of Advaita Vedanta.

The word Manisha means firm conviction, and Panchak means five. So the name of the stotra can be translated as "Five verses of firm conviction". According to tradition, Adi Shankara wrote the Manisha Panchakam at Varanasi (Kashi/Benaras), the ancient sacred city of India, and the home to the famous Kashi Visvanatha temple.

According to the story, Adi Shankaracharya, was on his way to the temple after finishing his bath in Ganga, when he came across a chandala(caṇḍāla)(an outcaste) and his four dogs. He asked the chandala to move away from him, as was the custom in those days, to which the chandala questioned him in two Sanskrit verses -

अन्नमायादन्नमयमथवा चैतन्यमेव चैतन्यात्
यतिवर दूरीकर्तुं वाञ्छसि किं ब्रूहि गच्छगच्छेति

The Chandala questions: O great among the twice-born! What is it that you want to move away by saying, ”Go, go”? Do you want the body made up of food to move away from another body made up of food? Or do you want consciousness to move away from consciousness?

Shankara replied to the questions in five verses and touched the feet of Chandala, as a way to show respect towards him.

First Verse -

जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते
या ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्ततनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी
सैवाहं न च दृश्यवस्त्विति दृढप्रज्ञापि यस्यास्ति
च्चण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम॥ १ ॥

Sri Shankara answers: If a person has attained the firm knowledge that he is not an object of perception, but is that pure consciousness which shines clearly in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and which, as the witness of the whole universe, dwells in all bodies from that of the Creator Brahma to that of the ant, then he is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a Brahmana. This is my conviction.

Upon hearing this profound response, the Chandala once again posed a question to Shankaracharya.

किं गङ्गाम्बुधिबिम्बितेम्बरमणौ चण्डालवीधीपयः
पूरेवान्तरमस्ति काञ्चनघटी मृत्कुम्भयोर्वाम्बरे?
प्रत्यग्वस्तुनि निस्तरङ्गसहजानन्दावबोधाम्बुधौ
विप्रोयं श्वपचोयमित्यपि महान् को यं विभेद भ्रमः

Is there any difference between the reflection of the sun in the waters of the Ganga and its reflection in the water in a ditch in the quarters of the outcastes? Or between the space in a gold pot and in a mud pot? What is this illusion of difference in the form, “This is a Brahmana and this is an outcaste” in the indwelling self which is the ripple-free ocean of bliss and pure consciousness?

Hearing this, Shankaracharya graciously responded with four more shlokas.

Second Verse -

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं
सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुणयाऽशेषं मया कल्पितम् ।
इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिस्सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले
चण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ २ ॥

I am Brahman (pure consciousness). It is pure consciousness that appears as this universe. All this is only something conjured up by me because of avidya (nescience) which is composed of the three gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas)”. One who has attained this definite realization about Brahman which is bliss itself, eternal, supreme and pure, is my Guru, whether he is an outcaste or a Brahmana.

Third Verse -

शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचा गुरो-
र्नित्यं ब्रह्म निरन्तरं विमृशता निर्व्याजशान्तात्मना
भूतं भावि च दुष्कृतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके
प्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ ३ ॥

Having come to the definite conclusion, under the instruction of his Guru, that the entire universe is always perishable, he who, with a calm and pure mind constantly meditates on Brahman, and who has burnt his past and future sins in the fire of knowledge, submits his present body to the operation of his prarabdha karma. This is my conviction.

Fourth Verse -

या तिर्यङ्नरदेवताभिरहमित्यन्तः स्फुटा गृह्यते
यद्भासा हृदयाक्षदेहविषया भान्ति स्वतोऽचेतनाः
तां भास्यैः पिहितार्कमण्डलनिभां स्फूर्तिं सदा भावय-
न्योगी निर्वृतमानसो हि गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ ४ ॥

The Self or pure consciousness is experienced clearly within by animals, men, and gods as ‘I’. It is by the reflection of this pure consciousness that the mind, senses and body, which are all insentient, appear to be sentient. External objects are perceived only because of this consciousness. This Self is, however, concealed by the very mind, senses and body which are illumined by it, just as the sun is concealed by clouds. The yogi who, with a calm mind, always meditates on this Self is my Guru. This is my conviction.

Fifth Verse -

यत्सौख्याम्बुधिलेशलेशत इमे शक्रादयो निर्वृता
यच्चित्ते नितरां प्रशान्तकलने लब्ध्वा मुनिर्निर्वृतः।
यस्मिन्नित्यसुखाम्बुधौ गलितधीर्ब्रह्मैव न ब्रह्मवि -
द्यः कश्चित्स सुरेन्द्रवन्दितपदो नूनं मनीषा मम॥ ५ ॥

The Self, which is Brahman, is the eternal ocean of supreme bliss. A minute fraction of that bliss is enough to satisfy Indra and other gods. By meditating on the Self with a perfectly calm mind the sage experiences fulfillment. The person whose mind has become identified with this Self is not a mere knower of Brahman, but Brahman itself. Such a person, whoever he may be, is one whose feet are fit to be worshipped by Indra himself. This is my definite conviction.

The word manisha appears in the last line in all the five Verses. Manisha Panchakam conveys the message that the Paramatman (consciousness) is same within all beings regardless bodily distinctions of caste. Once a person has attained Self-knowledge, considerations such as his caste are totally irrelevant.

• —Sanskrit text with English translation
• Links to the works of Shankaracharya