Lord Shiva

manīṣā pañcakam

(Manisha Panchakam in English (IAST))

Adi Shankara

Manisha Panchakam is a profound set of five verses composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Legend holds that while in Kashi, Shankara encountered Lord Shiva disguised as an outcaste. When asked to move aside, Shankara realized the divine presence and delivered these verses to illustrate the oneness of the Self. The work emphasizes that the true nature of all beings is the non-dual Brahman, transcending social distinctions of caste or creed. Chanting or contemplating these verses helps dissolve ego-based perceptions, fostering a state of spiritual equanimity, profound wisdom, and the realization of universal consciousness.

satyācāryasya gamane kadācinmukti dāyakam |
kāśīkśetraṃ prati saha gauryā mārge tu śṅkaram || (anuṣṭup)
antyaveṣadharaṃ dṛṣṭvā gaccha gaccheti cābravīt |
śaṅkaraḥso'pi cāṇḍalastaṃ punaḥ prāha śṅkaram || (anuṣṭup)
annamayādannamayamathavā caitanyameva caitanyāt |
yativara dūrīkartuṃ vāñchasi kiṃ brūhi gaccha gaccheti || (āryā vṛtta)
pratyagvastuni nistaraṅgasahajānandāvabodhāmbudhau
vipro'yaṃ śvapaco'yamityapi mahānko'yaṃ vibhedabhramaḥ |
kiṃ gaṅgāmbuni bimbite'mbaramaṇau cāṇḍālavīthīpayaḥ
pūre vā'ntaramasti kāñcanaghaṭīmṛtkumbhayorvā'mbare || (śārdūla vikrīḍita)
jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṃvidujjṛmbhate
yā brahmādipipīlikāntatanuṣu protā jagatsākṣiṇī |
saivāhaṃ na ca dṛśyavastviti dṛḍhaprajñāpi yasyāsti ce-
ccāṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 1||
brahmaivāhamidaṃ jagacca sakalaṃ cinmātravistāritaṃ
sarvaṃ caitadavidyayā triguṇayā'śeṣaṃ mayā kalpitam |
itthaṃ yasya dṛḍhā matiḥ sukhatare nitye pare nirmale
cāṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 2||
śaśvannaśvarameva viśvamakhilaṃ niścitya vācā guro-
rnityaṃ brahma nirantaraṃ vimṛśatā nirvyājaśāntātmanā |
bhūtaṃ bhāvi ca duṣkṛtaṃ pradahatā saṃvinmaye pāvake
prārabdhāya samarpitaṃ svavapurityeṣā manīṣā mama || 3||
yā tiryaṅnaradevatābhirahamityantaḥ sphuṭā gṛhyate
yadbhāsā hṛdayākṣadehaviṣayā bhānti svato'cetanāḥ |
tāṃ bhāsyaiḥ pihitārkamaṇḍalanibhāṃ sphūrtiṃ sadā bhāvaya-
nyogī nirvṛtamānaso hi gururityeṣā manīṣā mama || 4||
yatsaukhyāmbudhileśaleśata ime śakrādayo nirvṛtā
yaccitte nitarāṃ praśāntakalane labdhvā munirnirvṛtaḥ |
yasminnityasukhāmbudhau galitadhīrbrahmaiva na brahmavid
yaḥ kaścitsa surendravanditapado nūnaṃ manīṣā mama || 5||
dāsaste'haṃ dehadṛṣṭyā'smi śambho
jātasteṃ'śo jīvadṛṣṭyā tridṛṣṭe |
sarvasyā''tmannātmadṛṣṭyā tvameve-
tyevaṃ me dhīrniścitā sarvaśāstraiḥ ||
|| iti śrīmacchaṅkarabhagavataḥ kṛtau manīṣāpañcakaṃ sampūrṇam ||

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