Shiva Sutras Commentary by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Includes full text in Sanskrit & English Translation)

This has some of the deepest knowledge I’ve come across. See there’s normal knowledge we’ll all discuss openly, then theres deeper knowledge which sometimes contradicts normal knowledge and you can only discuss with people with open minds or your closest peeps right. This is even deeper which contradicts itself and in a way you can even put it in words the way Ravi Shankar has.

See what Ravi does is he’ll ready one sutra and not only translate it but break down each word and why it was used, the meaning behind it and then tie it all together and blow your mind. Its funny coz every time he reads one sutra he’s like this is the best/beautiful sutra. Like he already knows them all but still enjoys it. I don’t even know which sutra to share with you but hopefully the contents help explain some.

Just when I was thinking all this is very contradicting, he brings it up saying that the normal knowledge is given for you to pass certain hurdles or reach one point. Once you reach that point you need some other knowledge and it may contradict. He even mentions how Krishna in the Gita does that to Arjun all the time… do one thing then the opposite. I love his examples/stories about all these things too. Definitely have to read this one again and again.

Contents
– The Contemplative Mind is the Happiest Mind
– The Energy Centres
– Bubbles in the Water
– Honouring the Desire
– Rest Deep Inside You
– Master is the Solution
– From Darkness to Light
– Release from Lust
– Life is a Play
– Complete in Bliss
– Body is the Temple
– Charcoal Covered by Ashes
– Shivarpanam (Offerings to Shiva)
– Glossary

Original pdf with full explanation here – The Shiva Sutra of Vasugupta

1 śambhavopaya – The way of Shiva
1.1 caitanyam atma || Consciousness is Self.
1.2 jnanam bandhah || Knowledge is bondage.
1.3 yonivargah kalaśarıram || The multitude of similar origins is the body of parts of the whole.
1.4 jnanadhisthanam matrka || The basis of knowledge is an alphabet.
1.5 udyamo bhairavah. || Zeal is Bhairava.
1.6 śakticakrasamdhane viśvasamharah || In union of multitude of powers is destruction of the universe.
1.7 jagratsvapnasusuptabhede turyabhogasambhavah || In the distinction of deep sleep, dreaming and waking is the source of fullness of the Fourth
1.8 jnanam jagrat || Knowledge is waking.
1.9 svapno vikalpah || Dreaming – imagination.
1.10 aviveko maya sausuptam || Non-distinction is deep sleep, which is May.
1.11 tritayabhokta vıreśah. || The Eater of the triad is Shiva. or: The enjoyer of the triad is Shiva.
1.12 vismayo yogabhumikah || The stages of yoga are a wonder.
1.13 iccha śaktir uma kumari || Desire, power is Uma, the Virgin.
1.14 drśyam śarıram || Any visible object is a body.
1.15 hrdaye cittasanghattad drśyasvapadarśanam || From the union of the mind in the heart is the appearance of dreams of any visible object.
1.16 śuddhatattvasamdhanad vapaśuśaktih || Or from the union with the Pure Principle without the power of animals.
1.17 vitarka atmajnanam || Reflection is knowledge of the self.
1.18 lokanandah samadhisukham || Pure happiness of the world is joy of contemplation.
1.19 śaktisamdhane śarırotpattih. || In the union of power is the origin of bodies.
1.20 bhutasamdhanabhutaprthaktvaviśvasanghattah || Union of elements, separateness of elements, and all-pervading union.
1.21 śuddhavidyodayac cakreśatvasiddhih || Fulfilment of being the lord of the world is from rising of pure knowledge.
1.22 mahahradanusamdhananan mantravıryanubhavah || From investigation of the great deep water is the experience of the energy of mantras.

2 śaktopaya – The way of the competent one
2.1 cittam mantrah || Mind is a mantra.
2.2 prayatnah sadhakah || Persevering effort is fulfilling.
2.3 vidyaśarırasatta mantrarahasyam || The being of the body of knowledge is the secret of a mantra.
2.4 garbhe cittavikaso ’viśistavidyasvapnah || Development of the mind in the womb is a dream of indistinct knowledge.
2.5 vidyasamutthane svabhavike khecarı śivavastha || Flying the state of Shiva is in the rising of knowledge arising from one’s own nature.
2.6 gurur upayah || The guru is the means.
2.7 matrkacakrasambodhah || Perfect knowledge of the multitude of letters.
2.8 śarıram havih || The body is an oblation.
2.9 jnanam annam || Knowledge is food.
2.10 vidyasamhare tadutthasvapnadarśanam || In the destruction of knowledge is the appearance of dreaming of a coming forth of That.

#ads

3 anavopaya – The fine way
3.1 atma cittam || The self is mind.
3.2 jnanam bandhah || Knowledge is bondage.
3.3 kaladınam tattvanam aviveko maya || Of the beginnings of any single part of the whole is non-distinction of realities, which is Maya.
3.4 śarıre samharah kalanam || The destroyer of parts is in a body.
3.5 nadısamharabhutajayabhutakaivalyabhutaprthaktvani || The accumulation of channels, victory over the elements, detachment of the elements, and separateness of the elements.
3.6 mohavaranat siddhih || Fulfilment is from an act of concealing the delusion of mind.
3.7 mohajayad anantabhogat sahajavidyajayah || Through the conquest of the delusion of mind, through infinite enjoyment is the conquest of natural knowledge.
3.8 jagrad dvitıyakarah. || Waking is the doer of forming the second part of anything.
3.9 nartaka atma || The dancer is Self.
3.10 rango ’ntaratma || The stage is the inner self.
3.11 preks.akanındriyani || The spectators are the organs of sense.
3.12 dhıvaśat sattvasiddhih || By means of wisdom is fulfilment of true essence.
3.13 siddhah svatantrabhavah || One who has attained the highest truth is a free being.
3.14 yatha tatra tathanyatra || As there so elsewhere.
3.15 bıjavadhanam || Attention of origin.
3.16 asanasthah sukham hrade nimajjati || Practising asana he easily immerses in deep water.
3.17 svamatranirmanam apadayati || One causes the creation of one’s own measure.
3.18 vidyavinaśe janmavinaśah || Not in the destruction of knowledge is the destruction of birth.
3.19 kavargadis umaheśvaryadyah paśumatarah || The Energy of Shiva et caetera in the beginnings of the class of gutteral letters are the mothers of animals.
3.20 trisucaturtham tailavad asecyam || The Fourth should be poured like oil in the Three.
3.21 magnah svacittena praviśet || One should enter with one’s own mind immerged.
3.22 pranasamacare samadarśanam || Within the practice of prana is a looking on all with indifferent eyes.
3.23 madhye ’varaprasavah. || Inferior generation in the space between.
3.24 matrasvapratyayasamdhane nastasya punar utthanam || In the act of uniting one’s own conception of measures is the act of rising again of the lost.
3.25 śivatulyo jayate || He becomes like Shiva.
3.26 śar¯ıravr. ttir vratam || Maintenance of the body is a holy practice.
3.27 katha japah || Conversation is mantra recitation.
3.28 danam atmajnanam || The act of giving is self-knowledge.
3.29 yo ’vipastho jnahetuś ca || He who is engaged in guarding sheep and the cause of knowing.
3.30 svaśaktipracayo viśvam || The multitude of his own power is all-pervading.
3.31 sthitilayau || Maintenance of life and dissolution.
3.32 tatpravrttav apy anirasah samvettrbhavat || Also without exclusion, this world and acting are both from the character of one who has consciousness.
3.33 sukhasukhayor bahir mananam || Pleasure and pain is outwards thinking.
3.34 tadvimuktas tu kevalı || But freed from this world is one devoted to the doctrine of the absolute unity of spirit.
3.35 mohapratisamhatas tu karmatma || But one whose character is action is towards forming one mass of delusion.
3.36 bhedatiraskare sargantarakarm || In the disappearance of the act of distinction is the state of action of another creation of the world.
3.37 karanaśaktih svato’nubhavat || The power of producing is from one’s own experience.
3.38 tripadadyanuprananam || Beginnings of the three parts is after the act of animating.
3.39 cittasthitivac charırakaranabahyesu || In the outer of the organs of sense of the body is like being in a state of mind.
3.40 abhilapad bahirgatih samvahyasya || From expression is the extroversion of the “to be carried.”
3.41 tadarudhapramites tatksayaj jıvasamksayah || From the destruction of this world, of the manifestation brought to this world, is the complete destruction of life.
3.42 bhutakancukı tada vimukto bhuyah patisamah parah || The snake of the world, which has recently casts its skin, is then again like the supreme Lord.
3.43 naisargikah pranasambandhah || The connection with the breath of life is inherent.
3.44 nasikantarmadhyasamyamat kim atra savyapasavyasausumnesu || From the control of the senses of the internal middle of the nose, what is in this respect in the susumna channels on the left and right?
3.45 bhuyah syat pratimılanam || Again one should be towards closing the eyes.