Viveka Sloka 25 Tel Eng

సహనం సర్వదుఃఖానామప్రతీకారపూర్వకమ్ ।
చింతావిలాపరహితం సా తితిక్షా నిగద్యతే ॥ 25॥

అప్రతీకార పూర్వకం = ప్రతిక్రియ యేమియు చేయకుండగను, చిన్తా విలాపరహితం – చింతగాని విలపించుటగాని లేకుండగను, సర్వ దుఃఖానాం – సమస్త దుఃఖముల (యొక్క) ను, సహనం - సహించుట, సా - ఆ, తితిక్షా - తితిక్ష యని, నిగద్యతే - చెప్పబడుచున్నది.

ఉన్నిబట్టలు, వింజామరలు మొదలగు వాటితో శైత్యము, ఉష్ణము మొదలగు దుఃఖములకు ప్రతిక్రియచేసికొనుట లోక ప్రసిద్ధము.

అట్టి సామగ్రి లేనిచో - "అయ్యో ! దీనులమగు మన మిపు డేమి చేయవలెను" అను చింతయు, ఏడ్పును గూడ ప్రసిద్ధములే.

అప్రతీ కారపూర్వకమ్ ఇత్యాదికముచే ప్రతీకారాది చింతాదికమున్నచో అది బ్రహ్మవిచారసాధనమగు తితిక్ష కాజాలదని చెప్పుచున్నాడు.

'దుఃఖానామ్' అను దానికి దుఃఖహేతువులగు శీతోష్ణాదులు అని యర్థము. చిన్తావిలాపాది సహితమగు మనస్సునకు ఆత్మవిచార మనునది చాల దూరము కదా- అని భావము.

sahanaṃ sarvaduḥkhānāmapratīkārapūrvakam ।
chintāvilāparahitaṃ sā titikṣā nigadyatē ॥ 25॥

When we are subjected to a bone-chilling cold, we wrap ourselves with warm clothing, start the heater, etc. A sadhaka is one who endures such an extreme even when external aids are unavailable. This is called titeeksha. One can say the sadhaka regulates his body functions with his mind in a laser-like focus on the brahman. Also, by titeeksha, Sankara means that a sadhaka should give up all thoughts of taking revenge and such negative emotions.

It is well known that Sri Maha Vishnu is hard to please. So to attain his abode, vaikuntha, one has to endure extreme tests of faith. Why should we aspire for vaikuntha? What is it that we find earth lacking? Or for that matter what does heaven lack? In Gita Lord Krishna promises that attaining vaikuntha is the end of a soul's journey. There is no other place the soul needs to go or transmigrate.

As for the deficiencies of earth, we find that some humans are demoniac by exhibiting lust, greed, and anger. Lord Krishna in Gita (Chapter 16) delineates the divine and demoniac traits. The demoniacs are easy to take offence and seek revenge for petty little transgressions. They pay no attention when the earth is being destroyed by their activities. They kill life in the name of abortions and animals for pleasure. They stock-pile weapons in anticipation or prosecution of wars that may end life on earth. They perpetuate negative discrimination, inequality and persecution.

As for heaven, one is promised wine, women, song, dance and all round happiness there. And it is a respite before transmigration. A sadhaka is not interested in any of these. He would rather suffer in a demoniac society with titeeksha because his ultimate goal is liberation.

It is believed that liberation is of five types: (1) salokya: living in the same realm as the Lord (2) samipya: living close to the Lord (3) sarupya: assuming a divine form similar to the Lord (4) sarshti: achieving divine powers and opulences similar to the Lord (5) sayujya: complete merger with the Lord. What is it that merges? The atma is a form of energy that regulates the material body and acts as a witness to the body's activities. However, it needs an upadhi to experience prakriti. It is believed that after the physical body falls, a sookshma sareera (astral body) is donned by the atma along with manas, budhi and chitta of the jeeva. It is this sookshma sareera that attains one of the aforementioned states of liberation. Dualism doesn't accept sayujya and maintains that atma has a separate identity even after liberation. When a new kalpa starts and a new creation takes place, it manifests materially as a jeeva.