August 29, 2010: Verse 3 (The Bare Minimum)

दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतद्देवानुग्रहहेतुकम् ।

मनुष्यत्वं मुमुक्षुत्वं महापुरुषसंश्रयः ॥ ३ ॥

मनुष्यत्वम् मुमुक्षुत्वम् महा-पुरुष-संश्रयः (इति) एतत् त्रयम् दुर्लभम् देव-अनुग्रह-हेतुकम् एव ।

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After describing the ideal situation for an individual to be mukta, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya gives three criteria that can be sufficient for pursuing vedānta study, and which are themselves durlabha - difficult to attain:

1. मनुष्यत्व : Being human accomplishes two things that make a mokṣa-puruṣārtha possible. First, humans have completely uninhibited self-awareness that allows to recognize their limitations and deliberately try and improve themselves. Second, they have the intellectual capacity to do viveka about their lives and pursuits.
2. मुमुक्षुत्व : If a person uses this manuṣyatva properly, they can arrive at the conclusion that the problem of their dissatisfaction has to be solved fundamentally; it cannot be solved by changing one's external circumstances. The desire to improve oneself changes to mumukṣā - the desire to be free from this dissatisfaction - and finally becomes jijñāsā - the desire to know one's true nature.
3. महा-पुरुष-संश्रयः : While mumukṣutva can be developed by one's self, the final solution of mokṣa needs to be taught. In fact, mumukṣutva that is not properly guided can lead to frustration and cynicism instead of mukti. Therefore the saṃśraya or refuge and guidance of a mahā-puruṣa is needed to turn mumukṣutva into a life of proper sādhana. Muṇḍakopaniṣad defines this mahā-puruṣa as a śrotriya - one who has studied in the sampradāya - and a brahma-niṣṭha - one who has committed his life to brahma-vidyā.

How are these three criteria attained? In the last verse, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya said 'śata-janma-koṭi-kṛta-puṇya', which could give the impression that an individual alone creates his circumstances. Here, he says 'deva-anugraha-hetuka', which emphasizes that even the order of karma operates because of bhagavān. It is important to recognize this because, as we will see later, part of the understanding of vedānta involves seeing the individual's existence as pervaded by bhagavān.