Translation and significance of sanskrit shloka---Shloka-Ardhena Pravakshyämi Yad-uktam Granthakotibhih

Question

What is the translation of the following Sanskrit Shloka ?

Shloka- Ardhena Pravakshyämi Yad-uktam Granthakotibhih |

Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithyä Jivo Brahmaiva Näparah ||

What is the significance of the above shloka?

Answer 1

The shloka under reference is translated as under.

Shloka

Shloka-ärdhena Pravakshyämi Yad-uktam Granthakotibhih |

Brahma Satyam Jagan-Mithyä Jivo Brahmaiva Näparah ||

Translation

In half of a shloka I state what has been stated by millions of texts; that is- Brahman alone is real and this Jagat is Mithyä, and the Jiva is non-different from Brahman.’

The above mentioned shloka is generally used in reference to Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s work Vivekachudamani(The Crest-Jewel of Wisdom, also,The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination).And it highlights the fact that, the central tenet of this work,is summed up in half of a shloka, as :–

Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithyä Jivo Brahmaiva Näparah ||

Brahman is real, the universe is mithya (it cannot be categorized as either real or unreal). The jiva is Brahman itself and not different..’

The above mentioned “half-shloka” has been composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya himself, in another work namely, Brahmajnanavali Mala { ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला}, {but the composer of the previous half shloka,i.e. slok- ärdhena pravakshyämi yad-uktam granthakotibhih- is not known}.

Sloka 20 of Brahmajnanavali Mala { ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला}

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।

अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः ॥ २०॥

Brahma Satyam JaganmithyA JIvo Brahmaiva Naparah

Anena Vedyam SacchAstram Iti VedAntaDiNDimah

Translation

Brahman is real, the universe is mithya (it cannot be categorized as either real or unreal). The jiva is Brahman itself and not different. This should be understood as the correct SAstra. This is proclaimed by Vedanta.

Sri Adi Shankaracharya sums up the entire message of the Vedanta in three crisp aphorism like sentences. They are :- (a) Brahma Satyam, (b) Jagat Mithya, and (c) Jivo Brahmaiva naparah.Details can be accessed here.

The above shloka, composed by Shri Adi Shankaracharya is in line with shloka given in Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Sloka 24{when understood as per the Advaita school of thought},placed as under.

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |

ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना || 24||

Brahmārpaṇaṁ Brahma Havir Brahmāgnau Brahmaṇā Hutam

Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyaṁ Brahma-karma-samādhinā

For those who are completely absorbed in God-consciousness, the oblation is Brahman, the ladle with which it is offered is Brahman, the act of offering is Brahman, and the sacrificial fire is also Brahman. Such persons, who view everything as God, easily attain him.

Reference-Vivekachudamani and Brahmajnanavali Mala.