Adhi Shankara's Sadhana Panchakam/Upadesa Panchakam

Sadhana Panchakam
Also known as
Upadesa Panchakam
(Pentet about religious practice)
By
Adhi Shankara Bhagwat Pada
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

Vedo nithya madheeyatham, thadhuditham karma swanushtiyatham,
Thenesaya vidheeyatham apachithi kamye mathisthyajyatham,
Papougha paridhooyatham bhava sukhe doshonusandheeyatham,
Athmecha vyavaseeyatham nijagruhathoornam vinirgamyatham. 1

Let us read Vedas daily,
Let us do rituals based on them,
Let the Gods be worshipped based on them,
Let us do work without attachment,
Let us drive away the crowd of sins,
Let us find the mistakes that we do in our life,
Let us cultivate knowledge of the soul,
Let us go away from our homes.(towards salvation)

Sanga sathsu vidheeyatham, bhagawatho bhakthir druda a dheeyatham,
Santhyabhi paricheeyatham, drudatharam karmasu santhyajyatham,
Sadvidhwaupasarpyatham prathi dhinam thath padukha sevyatham,
Brahmaikaksharamarthyatham sruthi siro vakhyam samakarnyatham. 2

Let us seek the company of good people,
Let us build up stable sense of devotion to God,
Let us know about states of mind like peace,
Let us forsake hard to do karmas,
Let us go near a wise teacher and give ourselves up,
Let us daily worship his slippers,
Let us meditate on the one lettered Brahmam,
Let us hear the sentences from Vedas.

Vakhyarthascha vicharyatham, sruthi sira paksha samasreeyatham,
Dustharkkal suviramyatham, sruthi matha stharko anusandheeyatham,
Brahmaivasmi vibhavyatham ahara harghava parithyajyatham,
Deheham athirujjadyatham budha janair vadha parithyajyatham. 3

Let us try to understand great sentences,
Let us try to understand the import of Vedas,
Let us not involve in to bad arguments,
Let us try to listen to the arguments of Vedas,
Let us try to think “I am Brahmam”,
Let us daily forsake being proud,
Let us forsake the belief that “I am the body”,
Let us not do arguments with learned people.

Kshuvyadhischa chikithsyatham prathidhinam bhikshoushadham bhujyatham,
Swadhannam na thu yachyatham , vdhi vassal prapthena sandhushyatham
Seethoshnadhi vishahyatham nathu vrudhaa vakhyam samucharyatham,
Oudaseenya mabheepsytam jana krupa naishturyath srujyatham. 4

Let us treat the sickness of hunger,
Let us daily eat the medicine of food got as Bhiksha,
Let us not start pining for tasty food,
Let us become happy with what fate gives us,
Let us learn to tolerate heat and cold climate,
Let us not talk unnecessary words,
Let us start liking tolerance,
Let us leave out not being merciful.

Ekanthe sukhamaasyatham, parathare chetha samadheeyatham,
Poornathma susameekshyatham, jagadhidham thadbhadhidham drusyatham,
Prak karma pravilopyatham, cithi balanna apyutharai slishyatham,
Prabhadhandhwiha bhujyadham adha para brabrahmathmana stheeyatham. 5

Let us sit in a place of solitude,
Let us fix our mind in the ultimate truth of the soul,
Let us try to see the ultimate truth of the soul,
Let us try to see the world fully filled with that truth,
Let us destroy the effects of all karma done earlier,
Let us not get tied up with new Karmas,
Let us leave at this point all that is fated,
Let us all stay with the ultimate truth.

Ya sloka panchakamidham padathe manushya,
Sanchithyanudhinam sthirathamupethya,
Thasyasu samsruthi dhavanala theevra ghora,
Thapa prasanthi muyathi chithi prasadhal. 6

He who reads these pentet of verses daily,
Daily earns and saves stability in life,
He does not get affected by the intense,
Heat of the sorrow of life,
Because this thapas makes him wise.