PRASNOTTARA RATNA MALIKA OF ADI SANKARACHARYA

[soundararajan50]

Prashnottararatnamaalika is a short work consisting of 67 slokas in simple Sanskirt verse. This was composed by Adi Sankara, except the first and the last slokas which were introduced by his disciples or devotees. This work, in the form of questions and answers, provides concise, pithy definitions of those eternal values which form the foundations of sanatana dharma and which transcend all limitations of time and space. Because of the simplicity of language, it is easy to commit the entire work to memory. It can provide us sage advice when we find ourselves at the crossroads in our life unsure of the path we should take. The work is especially useful to children for inculcating in them the basics of good conduct and to develop in them the capacity to discriminate the good from the bad. Given below is the text of the work in Devanagari and Roman scripts with an English rendering of the meaning.

कः खलु नालंक्रियते दृष्टादृष्टार्थसाधनपटीयान् ।
अमुया कण्ठस्थितया प्रश्नोत्तररत्नमालिकया ॥
1. kah khalu naalamkriyate drishtaadrishtaarthasaadhanapateeyaan
Amuya kanthasthitayaa prashnottararatnamaalikaya

Who will not be adorned by wearing around his neck (committing to memory) this prasnottararatnamaalika which is capable of giving all that is desirable in this world and the next?

भगवन् किमुपादेयं? गुवचनं हेयमपिचकिम्? अकार्यं।
कॊ गुरुरधिगततत्त्वः शिष्यहितायोद्यतस्सततम् ॥
2. Bhagavan kimupaadeyam? guruvachanam heyamapicha kim? akaaryam
Ko gururadhigata tathwah? shishyahitaayodyatah satatam

Q: What is to be accepted without reservation?
A: The words of the guru.

Q: What is to be given up?
A: Action which is against dharma

Q: Who is guru?
A: One who has realized the Truth and has the good of the disciple always in his heart.

३. त्वरितं किं कर्तव्यं विदुषां? संसारसंततिच्छेदः।
किं मॊक्षतरॊर्बीजं? सम्यग्ज्ञानं क्रियासिद्धम् ॥
3. Twaritam kim kartavyam vidushaam? samsaara santatichchhedah
Kim mokshatarorbeejam? samyagjnaanam kriyaasiddham

Q: What is to be done by wise men with the utmost urgency?
A: Breaking the cycle of births and deaths

Q: Which is the seed of moksha tree (liberation)?
A: True knowledge which is put to actual practice

४.कः पथ्यतरो? धर्मः कश्शुचिरिह? यस्य मानसं शुद्धं ।
कः पण्डितो? विवेकी किं विषं? अवधीरणा गुरुषु॥
4. Kah pathyataro? dharmah, kah shuchiriha? Yasya maanasam shuddham
Kah pandito? Vivekee kim visham? avadheeranaa gurushu

Q: Which is the greatest good?
A: Dharma

Q: Who is clean in this world?
A: He who is pure in mind.

Q: Who is wise?
A: He who has discimination, who can discriminate good from bad, dharma from adharma, eternal from the ephemeral etc.

Q: What is poison?
A: Disregarding the words of one’s guru and elders

Cont'd in part 2