Shloka
प्रबोधे स्वप्नवत्सर्वं सहमूलं विनश्यति ।अनाद्यपीदं नो नित्यं प्रागभाव इव स्फुटम् ॥ २०१ ॥
prabodhe svapnavatsarvaṃ sahamūlaṃ vinaśyati ;anādyapīdaṃ no nityaṃ prāgabhāva iva sphuṭam . 201 .
Anvaya
- अनादित्वम्anāditvam
- The state of being beginningless
- इष्यतेiṣyate
- is (tentatively) accepted
- तथाtathā
- in the same way
- अविद्यायाः कार्यस्य अपिavidyāyāḥ kāryasya api
- even for the effect (intellect sheath) of ignorance
- उत्पन्नायां तु विद्यायाम्utpannāyāṃ tu vidyāyām
- however, when the realisation arises
- आविद्यकम्āvidyakam
- the effect (product) of ignorance
- अनादि अपिanādi api
- even though beginning less
- प्रबोधे स्वप्नवत्prabodhe svapnavat
- like a dream (vanishes) in the waking state
- सर्वंsarvaṃ
- the whole thing
- सह–मूलंsaha–mūlaṃ
- along with its cause (avidyā)
- विनश्यतिvinaśyati
- disappears
- इदंidaṃ
- this (intellect sheath)
- न नित्यंna nityaṃ
- is not real
- प्राग्–अभावः इवprāg–abhāvaḥ iva
- like the prior non–existence
- स्फुटम्sphuṭam
- it is clear
- अनादेः अपिanādeḥ api
- Even for the beginningless
- विध्वंसःvidhvaṃsaḥ
- disappearance (end)
- प्राग्–अभावस्यprāg–abhāvasya
- the prior non–existence
- वीक्षितःvīkṣitaḥ
- is seen
Translation
Just as beginninglessness is accepted for ignorance, it is also accepted for its effect (the intellect sheath). However, when realisation arises, this effect of ignorance, though beginningless, vanishes like the entire dream vanishes along with its cause after waking up. This (intellect sheath), though accepted as beginningless, is not real, just as the prior non–existence is not real. End is seen even for the prior non–existence which is beginningless.
Annotation
Ignorance is beginningless and on the same logic its product, the intellect sheath, is tentatively accepted as beginningless in order to explain creation etc. When the right knowledge of the substratum (Brahman) arises, ignorance and its effects disappear. Something which is beginningless can also have an end just as prior non–existence. Sri Shankara makes use of the argument of the logicians here. A pot is said to have prior non–existence till it comes into existence. This prior non–existence disappears as soon as the pot appears. It is similar in the present context also. The intellect sheath, though having prior non–existence, has an end (Jagadguru).