Hymn- Pratah Smarana Stotram of Adi Shankara (M. Venkataraman)

Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

Pratah Smarana Stotram

This stotram is a Morning Prayer composed by Sri Adi Shankara on the Supreme Spirit. It consists of only three verses in which the mind, speech and body of the individual are sought to be dedicated to the Almighty. In these verses Adi Shankara sets forth the quintessence of Advaita-Vedanta.

As we all know, the dawn is the most important time in everyday life. The first thoughts, words and actions of the day greatly influence the life of every individual. If we think of the divine in early morning, it will profoundly influence spiritual illumination.

Brahman is the Ultimate Reality. It is existence-consciousness-bliss (Satchitananda). It is the Self shining brilliantly in the heart. It is Turiya that which is the reality of the three states of experience namely the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and is beyond them. Shankara states that at dawn he remembers that he is not a cluster of elements but is this Reality.

Brahman eludes categorization. It is not within the limits of ideas and words. Hence Brahman is indicated in the negative way, as `not this’, `not this’. So, in the next verse Shankara states that at dawn, he sings the praise of that Brahman which is unattainable by mind and speech, but by the grace of which all words shine. Whom the scriptures declare through the words 'not this’, 'not this’ and is stated to be unborn and unchanging.

The elements that constitute the world are but illusory appearances on the basic Reality. Just as a person in the dark mistakes a rope as a serpent or a garland, this world is but an illusion. As the sun of wisdom rises, these illusions disappear and the goal of life is reached. In the last verse he says that at dawn he bows to this Supreme Brahman which is called the Highest Self which is beyond darkness.

The phalasruti states that he who reads these three verses at the time of dawn achieves the supreme spiritual goals.

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