Adi Shankara's Hastamalaka Stotra

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Introduction by Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi

 

When Shankara, the Guru of the world, was travelling in the western parts of

India and overcoming in debate the expounders of the various schools of

thought, he once came to a village known as Srivali. When a brahmin

inhabitant of the village named Prabhakara heard about his arrival he went

to him with his thirteen year old son. He prostrated before Sankara and made

his son also prostrate. He then explained that the boy had been dumb from

his childhood, that he had no likes and dislikes, nor a sense of honour and

dishonour, and that he was completely inactive. The Guru then raised the boy

up and asked him as follows in a cheerful tone:

 

Text

 

1. `Who are you? Whose child are you? Whither are you bound? What is your

name? Whence have you come? Oh Child! I should like to hear your reply to

these questions.' Thus spoke Sri Shankaracharya to the boy, and Hastamalaka

replied as follows.

 

2. I am neither man, God, yaksha, brahmin, kshatriya,vaisya, sudra,

brahmachari, householder, forest-dweller, nor sannyasi; but I am pure

awareness alone.

 

3. Just as the sun causes all worldly movements, so do I -- the

ever-present, conscious Self -- cause the mind to be active and the senses

to function. Again, just as the ether is all-pervading, yet devoid of any

specific qualities, so am I free from all qualities.

 

4. I am the conscious Self, ever-present and associated with everything in

the same manner as heat is always associated with fire. I am that eternal,

undifferentiated, unshaken Consciousness, on account of which the insentient

mind and senses function, each in its own manner.

 

5. I am that conscious Self of whom the ego is not independent as the image

in a mirror is not independent of the object reflected.

 

 

6. I am the unqualified, conscious Self, existing even after the extinction

of buddhi, just as the object remains ever the same even after the removal

of the reflecting mirror.

 

7. I am eternal Consciousness, dissociated from the mind and senses. I am

the mind of the mind, the eye of the eye, ear of the ear and so on. I am not

cognizable by the mind and senses.

 

8. I am the eternal, single, conscious Self, reflected in various

intellects, just as the sun is reflected on the surface of various sheets of

water.

 

9. I am the single, conscious Self, illumining all intellects, just as the

sun simultaneously illumines all eyes so that they perceive objects.

 

10. Only those eyes that are helped by the sun are capable of seeing

objects, not others. The source from which the sun derives its power is

myself.

 

11. Just as the reflection of the sun on agitated waters seems to break up,

but remains perfect on a calm surface, so also am I, the conscious Self,

unrecognizable in agitated intellects though I clearly shine in those which

are calm.

 

12. Just as a fool thinks that the sun is entirely lost when it is hidden by

dense clouds, so do people think that the ever-free Self is bound.

 

13. Just as the ether is all-pervading and unaffected by contact, so also

does the ever-conscious Self pervade everything without being affected in

anyway. I am that Self.

 

14. Just as a transparent crystal takes on the lines of its background, but

is in no way changed thereby, and just as the unchanging moon on being

reflected on undulating surfaces appears agitated, so is it with you, the

all-pervading God.

 

15. As this stotra reveals the Self as clearly as the amalaka fruit placed

on the palm of the hand (hasta), it received the name Hastamalaka Strotra.

Moreover, the boy, eminent in jnana, came to be praised by all people of

this world as Hastamalaka.

 

The father of the boy was speechless with wonder at those words. But the

Acharya said to him: `He has become your son because of his incomplete

austerities. This is your good fortune. He will not be of any use to you in

this world. Let him stay with me.' He bade him go back and, taking the boy

with him, proceeded on his way. The disciples then asked him: `How did this

boy attain the state of Brahman without hearing, etc.?' The Guru replied:

`His mother left her two year old child in the care of a great and highly

accomplished yogi who was practising austerities on the bank of the Yamuna

while she went to bathe in the river with some women. The child toddled

towards the water and was drowned. Out of his compassion for the

disconsolate mother the sadhu forsook his body and entered that of the

child. That is why this boy has attained this high state.'

 

Sources:

1) COLLECTED WORKS OF SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI BOOK

2)

http://ramana-collected-works.blogspot.com/2007/06/hastamalaka-stotra.html

 

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