तथा चात्मवित्संसारं तीर्त्वा ब्रह्मानन्दमिहैव प्राप्नोति |
तरति शोकमात्मवित् इति श्रुतेः |
तनुं त्यजतु वा काश्यां श्वपचस्य गृहेऽथ वा |
ज्ञानसंप्राप्तिसमये मुक्ताऽसौ विगताशयः | इति स्मृतेश्च |
इति तत्त्वबोधप्रकरणं समाप्तम् |
Tathaachaatmavitsamsaaram teetrvaa brahmaanandamihaiva praapnoti
Tarati shokamaatmavit iti shrutahe
Tanum tyajatu vaakaashyaam svapachasya gruhEtha vaa
Gnyaanasampraaptisamaye muktAasau vigataashyah
Iti smruteshch
Iti tattvabodha prakaraNam samaaptam
Thus the knower of the Self, having crossed samsara, attains Supreme bliss here itself. The shruti affirms- the knower of the Self goes beyond all sorrow. Let the wise man cast off his body in Kashi or in the house of a dog eater (it is immaterial because) at the time of gaining knowledge itself he is liberated, being free from all the results of all his actions. So assert the Smritis too.
Thus ends the prakarana called Tattva Bodhah.
Samsarati iti samsara. That which is forever changing is samsara. The entire realm of time, space and objects is samsara. Limitations cause sorrow. The gnyani goes beyond the limitations of time, space and objects and therefore attains the infinite which is supreme bliss. Usually the knower of an object does not become the object, the knower of the truth becomes the truth himself. (brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati). In reality there is no becoming. He only comes to realize that even when he did not know it, he was always of the nature of supreme bliss only that he was ignorant of that fact. The knower of the Self crosses over the ocean of grief. The only way to get over sorrow, grief and agitation is to attain Self -knowledge.
We all pray to God for a good death. Some wish to die in sleep, some while still having a healthy body, and still others with the name of the Lord on the lips. Some people believe that if they die during a particular month at a particular time they will be liberated. A pious person wishes to die in kashi and hence attain moksha. As far as a wise man is concerned, he is already liberated at the time of death. He is a jivanmukta (liberated while living). Therefore it is immaterial under what circumstances, or conditions of the body, the time or place where he leaves the mortal body.
Bhagavan Adi Shankara has written a wide range of literature which appeal to people of various ages, education and levels of evolution. In Tattva Bodhah he starts with the qualification of the student, continues with the discussion of the jiva (individual), jagat (world) and Ishvara (the creator) and establishes their essential identity. He concludes with the discussion of the realized soul. The entire subject matter of Vedanta is covered in this simple text. Even though it is a prakarana grantha meant for beginners, if a sincere seeker reflects and meditates on its words he would get established in his own Self. It also helps in the study of other vedantic texts. May all be benefitted from it.
HARI OM – HARI OM – HARI OM – HARI OM