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Ever Happy with Supreme Bliss

क्वचिन्मूढो विद्वान् क्वचिदपि महाराजविभवः
क्वचिद्भ्रान्तः सौम्यः क्वचिदजगराचारकलितः ।
क्वचित्पात्रीभूतः क्वचिदवमतः क्वाप्यविदित:-
चरत्येवं प्राज्ञः सततपरमानन्दसुखितः ॥
– विवेकचूडामणिः ५४२

kvacin-mūḍho vidvān kvacid-api mahārāja-vibhava:
kvacid-bhrānta: saumya: kvacid-ajagarācāra-kalita: |
kvacit-pātrī-bhūta: kvacid-avamata: kvāpy-avidita:-
caraty-ēvaṃ prājña: satata-paramānanda-sukhita: ||
– Vivekacūḍāmaṇi: 542

Translation

Sometimes like a fool, sometimes a learned, sometimes with regal magnificence and splendour, sometimes like a mad person, sometimes wearing a pleasant and benign expression; sometimes behaving like a motionless python, sometimes honoured, sometimes condemned and ridiculed, sometimes unknown to anybody – thus lives the man of realization, ever happy with Supreme Bliss.

Points for Introspection

The difference between a man of Self-realization and an ordinary man is that a Self-realized man enjoys Supreme Bliss unbrokenly. In whichever circumstance he is in, whether favourable or unfavourable, he remains unaffected. He is never affected by any situation in life or by any behaviour from others. He is neither elated nor tormented. Consequently, his mind is always in pure delight.

Every human being wishes to be happy always. But, he is incessantly swayed by the pairs of opposites in life. He is either too elated attaining whatever he likes, or too tormented facing what he dislikes. When happy, he praises the situation of life or people with whom he interacts. When unhappy, he blames everything around him. As a result, most of the time he remains dissatisfied. Thus, the joy that man experiences from the world is only intermittent and full of fear and anxiety of losing it.

This shloka describes a man of Self-realization and how he wanders around in the world ever full of joy. He behaves sometimes like a stark fool even though he is intelligent enough. He is not disturbed even if he is ridiculed or criticized because of his seeming foolishness. On the contrary, at times, it is well understood from his behaviour that he is a great scholar possessing deep knowledge. Sometimes he moves about with regal splendour and elegance, may be carrying with him and using costly items which have been offered to him by others. Again at another time he behaves as if he is completely confused and has no clarity of mind. Sometimes, he has a beautiful serene look on his face. At times he behaves like a python not moving from the place where he is, abandoning even the effort to look out for food. He eats only when by chance eatables are brought and offered to him.

Sometimes some people understand his greatness and honour him. He too allows himself to be the receptacle of their honour. At other times, people do not understand his loftiness and consequently insult or dishonour him. Without being affected, he allows himself to be insulted also. He moves about at times incognito, with nobody knowing about his dimension and worth, accepting happily whatever chance brings to him – favour or disfavour.

Above is the way of life of a Self-realized person. At various times, his way of life produces various impressions about him in people’s mind. They judge him either rightly or wrongly according to their own understanding and perceptions. Consequently their behaviour towards him also becomes fair or unfair.

However, the man of Self-realization is indifferent to what others think about him or how they behave towards him. He never puts up an image of himself, but in all situations his behaviour is natural and spontaneous. He is always seated in his inmost Self, which is taintless and changeless. As a result, he is ever delighted. His joy does not depend on external factors like favour, disfavour, honour, dishonour, etc. His joy lies solely in his abidance in the Soul within.

When we chant this śloka and introspect, we understand why ordinary people are not contended, while a Self-realized person is ever so. Ordinarily, people are desirous of putting up an image of themselves in front of others around. Man is always worried whether others will consider him to be non-intelligent, unrefined, deluded, not having much knowledge, etc. He expects recognition, honour, consideration, good behaviour and appreciation from others. These expectations and desires do not allow him to remain contented. Whatever intermittent happiness he enjoys is mixed with great anxiety and fear of losing his image or not fulfilling his expectations. His behaviour is not natural as he becomes constricted and conditioned by his desires.

A Self-knower is not conditioned. Because he does not have any expectations from any quarter, and is indifferent to what others think about his image, he moves about ever filled with Supreme Bliss. The contentment or delight become stable only when it is derived from our inmost Soul.

The qualities and characteristics of a Knower constitute the pursuit for a spiritual seeker. A spiritual seeker should have an intense yearning to attain the qualities of a Knower. When this shloka is chanted again and again, one gets identified with the qualities and can mentally induce the placid state of the mind of a Knower.

Word Meaning

क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; मूढः (mūḍha:) = fool; विद्वान् (vidvān) = learned person; क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; अपि (api) = also ; महाराजविभवः (mahārāja-vibhava:) = having regal magnificence and splendour; क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; भ्रान्तः (bhrānta:) = mad; सौम्यः (saumya:) = pleasant, gentle; क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; अजगराचारकलितः (ajagarācārakalita:) = motionless like a python; क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; पात्रीभूतः (pātrībhūta:) = becoming a worthy recipient; क्वचित् (kvacit) = sometimes; अवमतः (avamata:) = condemned, ridiculed; क्व अपि (kva api) = sometimes ; अविदितः (avidita:) = unknown to anybody; चरति (carati) = moves about, wanders; एवं (ēvaṃ) = thus, in this way; प्राज्ञः (prājña:) = Self-realized person, a Knower; सततपरमानन्दसुखितः (satata-paramānanda-sukhita:) = ever enjoying the Supreme bliss.

अन्वयः

सततपरमानन्दसुखितः प्राज्ञः क्वचित् मूढः, (क्वचित् अपि) विद्वान्, (क्वचित् अपि) महाराजविभवः, क्वचित् भ्रान्तः, (क्वचित्) सौम्यः, क्वचित् अजगराचारकलितः, क्वचित् पात्रीभूतः, क्वचित् अवमतः, क्व अपि अविदितः एवं चरति ।

satata-paramānanda-sukhita: prājña: kvacit mūḍha:, (kvacit api) vidvān, kvacit api mahārāja-vibhava:, kvacit bhrānta:, (kvacit) saumya:, kvacit ajagarācārakalita:, kvacit pātrī-bhūta:, kvacit avamata:, kva api avidita: ēvaṃ carati.