मनो बुद्धि अहंकार ...

It is an ecstatic treat to listen to Pt. Jasraj render the निर्वाण षटकम्, written by Adi Shankaracharya. I had occasion to attend The Music that Swami Vivekananda Loved today, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, where Pt. Jasraj introduced this song as one that Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to sing, and the one that Swami Vivekananda liked.

The crescendo to which he will take you in his presentation will leave you breathless, and you will melt in the emotion. And, Pt. Jasraj's skill in mixing the lyrics with the notes of the raag seems very unique. And, how the accompanying vocalists complement the Pandit!

This particular composition by Shankaracharya is quite popular and various presentations of lyrics, in Sanskrit, exist on the web, including one by an IIT computer science professor.

The link to the video provided below, however, is not for one that the Pandit rendered today, but for another one he rendered elsewhere, and is quite representative of what he presented today.

At about 6:40 in the 3rd part (of the YouTube playlist), Pt. Jasraj narrates an incident when he was once contacted by HMV, the record company, to honor him:

HMV: “We would like to present you with a gold record. From whom would you like to have it presented?”
Pt. Jasraj: “Where is it being presented?”
HMV: “We would like to present it to you in Madras”.
Pt. Jasraj: “OK, then, I’d like to receive it from Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi.”
When HMV contacted M S Subbulakshmi, she agreed, but with one condition: “If Jasraj will sing मनो बुद्धि अहंकार at the presentation ceremony, I’ll gladly present the gold record.”

And, then Pt. Jasraj goes on to mention proudly to the audience that “ ... the recording present in front of you today is that of my singing in M. S. Subbulakshmi’s presence.”

You will find two different versions on the web for the first half of the last line:

1. न चासङगत नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः
2. सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्तिर्न बन्धः

I have used the second one because that is what Pt. Jasraj sings.

मनोबुद्ध्यहंकार चित्तानी नाहं न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ १ ॥

न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पंचवायुः न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः ।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायुः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ २ ॥

न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ मदों नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ ३ ॥

न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं न मंत्रो न तीर्थो न वेदा न यज्ञः ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ ४ ॥

न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः पिता नैव मे नैव माता च जन्मः ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुनैव शिष्यः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ ५ ॥

अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो विभुत्वाच सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्तिर्न बन्धः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥ ६ ॥