paricCheda 1- mangalAcharaNam

srI gurubhyo namah

The text of the advaita siddhi is divided into four paricChedas or sections. Each section consists of multiple chapters.

Here we commence the first paricCheda, which starts with four invocatory verses, the first of which is presented below.

मायाकल्पितमातृतामुखमृशाद्वैतप्रपञ्चाश्रय: सत्यज्ञानसुखात्मक:श्रुतिशिखोत्थाखण्डधीगोचर: |  

मिथ्याबन्धविधूननेन परमानन्दैकतानात्मकं मोक्षं प्राप्त इव स्वयं विजयते विष्णुर्विकल्पोज्झित: ||

Every work in shAstra starts with a benedictory verse, a mangalAcharaNam - as a mark of auspiciousness. In this mangalAcharaNam, the siddhikAra says:      

विष्णु: मोक्षं प्राप्त इव स्वयं विजयते viShNu appears as if he has attained moksha. This appears bizarre at first instance. How can viShNu, the ever liberated ISvara, appear "as if" he has attained moksha, liberation? Who is this viShNu referred to here?      
By the word viShNu, the siddhikAra is referring here to the jIva.
That which is all-pervading, vyApakam, is viShNu. A question may arise - Isn't the jIva located in a particular body, and if so how can he be the all-pervading viShNu?
By using the term viShNu to refer to the jIva, the siddhikAra at the very outset itself gets straight to the ultimate import of advaita vedAnta  - that the all pervading consciousness is the only object that is present. The terms Ishvara, or God, and jIva, or the individual soul, are merely two terms to describe the one all pervading consciousness - the underlying object is the one consciousness.
Thus the meaning of विष्णु: मोक्षं प्राप्त इव स्वयं विजयते is - the one all pervading consciousness appears as though to have attained liberation. Why "as though"?
Because that is his very nature. However, this fact is obscured due to ignorance. When that ignorance is destroyed, he attains liberation, as it were. In reality, he is ever free.

What kind of a jIva is he? मायाकल्पित (प्र)मातृतामुख he who has the differences of pramAtrita / pramAna / prameya (knower / knowledge / known) attributed in him due to mAya
मृशाद्वैत  प्रपञ्चाश्रयः he who is the locus of the false dvaita prapancha, the false duality that is the world
सत्यज्ञानसुखात्मक: however whose actual true nature is of existence, consciousness, bliss
श्रुतिशिखोत्थाखण्डधीगोचर: who is attained by a mind endowed with the akhaNda dhi, the impartite knowledge of the self generated from shruti shikhA, the upaniShad mahAvAkyas - upaniShad sentences that talk of the oneness of the jIva and Ishvara. The exact definition of akhaNDArtham will be dealt in the second paricCheda, but for the moment, we can understand this as a thought, jnAna, about the Atma, wherein no relations or samsargas are present.
मिथ्याबन्धविधूननेन by the complete wiping off of false bondage
विकल्पोज्झित: cast-off the divisions of false duality
परमानन्दैकतानात्मकं मोक्षं and attained moksha, which is of the nature of a continuous flow of  (ekatAna) parama Ananda, supreme bliss
प्राप्त इव - the jIva is as though endowed with such a moksha. The jIva who has moksha as his nature, forgets it, and recollects it - so he attains moksha as it were.
In summary, the all-pervading one in whom are falsely superimposed the triad of the knower, knowing and the known,  who is the locus of the false duality called the world, whose true nature is of existence, consciousness and bliss, which knowledge is attained by a mind endowed with the impartite knowledge of the self generated from the upaniShadic sentences that speak of the identity of the jIva and the ISvara - such a one, by the complete wiping of false notions of bondage, casts away the notions of duality, and appears as though he has attained liberation, of the nature of a never-ending flow of supreme bliss, when such a liberation happens to be his very nature.

 

The second benedictory verse:

श्रीरामविश्वेश्वरमाधवानामैक्येन साक्षात्कृतमाधवानाम् ।

स्पर्शेन निर्धूततमोरजोभ्यः पादोत्थितेभ्योऽस्तु नमो रजोभ्यः ॥

श्रीरामविश्वेश्वरमाधवानाम् (I pay obeisance to my) paramaguru srirAma , (my guru) vishveshvara (who gave me  sanyAsa dIksha), and mAdhava (who taught me advaita)
ऐक्येन साक्षात्कृतमाधवानाम् who by virtue of realising the oneness of jIva and brahma, became sAkshAt mahAviShNu himself
नमो अस्तु I worship
पादोत्थितेभ्यः the dust which arose from their feet
स्पर्शेन निर्धूततमोरजोभ्यः by whose contact my ajnAna is  removed
I pay obeisance to my teachers - srIrAma, vishveshvara and mAdhava, who by virtue of realising the oneness of the individual self with the all encompassing self, became the Lord mahAviShNu himself.  I worship the dust rising from their feet, which in itself has the capacity to remove my ignorance.

 

The third benedictory verse:

बहुभिर्विहिता बुधैः परार्थे विजयन्तेऽमितविस्तृता निबन्धाः।

मम तु श्रम एव नूनमात्मभिरतां भावयितुं भविष्यतीह॥

बहुभिर्विहिता बुधैः a lot of wise ones
अमितविस्तृता निबन्धाः विजयन्ते have written a lot of books
परार्थे for the sake of others
मम तु श्रम एव नूनम् but I have written this book for myself
आत्मभरितां भावयितुं भविष्यतीह to consolidate the works of others into one place

There are several wise ones that have written extensively for the sake of others. However, I have written this work for myself, consolidating the works of others in one place.

The fourth benedictory verse:
श्रद्धाघनेन मुनिना मधुसूदनेन संगृह्य शास्त्र निचयं रचितातियत्नात् ।

बोधाय वादिविजयाय च सत्वरणामद्वैतसिद्धिरियमस्तु मुदे बुधानाम् ॥
संगृह्य शास्त्र निचयं रचितातियत्नात् this is a collection of various shAstra's views created with great effort
श्रद्धाघनेन मुनिना मधुसूदनेन and with great faith by Madhusudana
बोधाय for the purpose of teaching वादिविजयाय and correcting the views of others
सत्वरणामद्वैतसिद्धिरियमस्तु मुदे बुधानाम्  this advaita siddhi has been created to give joy to the wise

This is a collection of the views of several shAstras, one gathered with great effort and faith by the sanyAsi madhusUdana. This advaita siddhi has been created for the wise ones' enjoyment, to teach others, and win over critical opponents.  

With this, we have completed the four mangalAcharaNams or benedictory verses with which the siddhikAra commences his magnum opus, advaita siddhi. 

harih om
(Originally posted on 25th August, 2017).