Panchadasi – Chapter 2 Class Notes – Volume 5

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Introduction

Verses 103-109 conclude Chapter 2 (Panchamahābhūta-Viveka, “Discrimination of the Five Great Elements”). After analysing the elements, name/form, power (māyā), and the state of the wise in verses 1-102, this section brings together the implications: the assured liberation, the irreversibility of true knowledge, the role of right understanding at the “last moment,” and the final benediction of discrimination. It emphasises that once discrimination (viveka) and knowledge (jñāna) has arisen, the seeker is firmly established, and the various theories of duality cannot bind him. Click Here To Access more other text.

Benefits

Studying these final verses offers:

Assurance of liberation: seeing that when true knowledge dawns, rebirth ends.
Clarity about the “last moment” (antakāla) and how it applies to the seeker.
Confidence that correct knowledge once firmly established is not overturned by other philosophies or by death.
Motivation for deep assimilation: it emphasises that the work is done when knowledge is real, not just conceptual.
A concluding integration: linking the abstract analysis of the elements with the lived result of abiding in the Self. Click view PDF.

All Verses 103–109 (Translation + Commentary)

Verse 103

Translation: “Established in this state, one is never deluded; even at the last moment, such a person attains Brahman-liberation.”
Meaning: Steadfast knowledge of the Self ensures freedom even at death.
Explanation: True realization once gained is irreversible; liberation is certain.

Verse 104

Translation: “Whether one realizes non-duality now or at life’s end, if the intellect no longer sees multiplicity, that is the true ‘end of time.’”
Meaning: Liberation depends on discrimination, not on when realization occurs.
Explanation: The “final moment” is symbolic—the instant ignorance ends is liberation. Click view PDF.

Verse 105

Translation: “If, at the departure of the life-force, one’s mind is free from doubt, there is no more rebirth.”
Meaning: Clear, doubt-free knowledge at death guarantees mokṣa.
Explanation: Liberation is ensured when ignorance and confusion are absent.

Verse 106

Translation: “Whether sick, unconscious, or inactive—if Self-knowledge was firm before, no delusion arises as prāṇa departs.”
Meaning: Physical condition doesn’t matter; prior realization protects.
Explanation: Once knowledge is established, even death cannot shake it. Click view PDF.

Verse 107

Translation: “As worldly knowledge is not lost in sleep, so Self-knowledge once firm is not destroyed by unconsciousness.”
Meaning: Knowledge remains through sleep, coma, or death.
Explanation: Realization is deeper than mental activity—it abides in awareness itself.

Verse 108

Translation: “Knowledge gained from Vedānta-śruti and reflection is firm; no higher proof exists to negate it.”
Meaning: Vedānta is the highest authority for Self-knowledge.
Explanation: Once true discrimination is grounded in scripture and reason, it’s unshakable. Click view PDF.

Verse 109

Translation: “When Vedānta-wisdom is perfected, duality no longer binds; even at death the wise attain final release.”
Meaning: Realization ends bondage forever.
Explanation: Concluding verse—non-duality, once seen, brings peace and freedom.

Why Study

To cement assurance: Many seekers worry about timing, conditions, death—these verses remove such doubts.
To resolve practical concerns: “What if I realize late? What happens at death?” The text gives clear answers.
To underscore the method’s sufficiency: Emphasises that śravaṇa-manana-nididhyāsana truly leads to irreversible transformation.
To strengthen conviction: Knowing that true knowledge once established cannot be undone helps perseverance.
To close the chapter’s enquiry: This section ties up the anatomical/elemental analysis with final soteriology—how one lives and is freed. Click view PDF.

How to Study

Śravaṇa (Reading): Read Verses 103-109 in Sanskrit plus translation and commentary. Focus on key terms: antakāla (last moment), pramāṇa, brānti (delusion), apunarbhava (no rebirth).
Manana (Reflection): For each verse, ask:
1. Am I clear that realization can occur now, or at last moment, or both?
2. What is my current state of fixation on duality (doer/enjoyer, body/mind)?
3. Have I firmly planted knowledge via śravaṇa and manana so it cannot be undone?
  Use your notes/journal to capture responses. Click view PDF.
Nididhyāsana (Meditative Assimilation): Sit for 10-20 minutes with the focus: “I am that ever-free Self; discrimination is firm; death cannot bind me.” When fears about death, illness, change arise, observe them as passing objects and return.

Repetition Schedule:
1. First reading: Once thoroughly.
2. Second: After ~1 week—reflect on personal implications.
3. Third: After ~1 month—internalise the assurance and finality of knowledge.
4. Review: Weekly for 3–6 months; then quarterly. Click view PDF.
Group/Teacher Engagement: Discuss topics like: “Does realization necessarily precede death?” “How do we root knowledge so strong it cannot be undone?”
Daily Application: Whenever you think of impermanence, death, or fear of non-realization, recall verses 104-107. Use them as reminders that liberation is already accessible and irreversible. Click view PDF.

Conclusion

Verses 103-109 serve as the climax and consolidation of Chapter 2 of the Pañcadaśī. They assure the seeker that the work of discrimination and knowledge leads irrevocably to freedom; duality cannot bind the one who is established in Vedānta. The “last moment” becomes either the moment of insight or the moment of death, yet for the one established in knowledge the difference dissolves. The text ends this segment with confidence, clarity, and benediction: know the Self, abide as the Self—then all fear, all bondage, all turnover vanishes. In effect: the investigation of the elements, name and form, power, becomes the living state of liberation.