Vivekachudamani of Sri Sankaracharya (text with English translation)

I. I bow to Govinda, whose nature is Bliss Supreme, who is the Sadguru, who can be known only from the import of all Vedanta, and who is beyond the reach of speech and mind.

2. Foff all bemgs a huma?!!i birth is di& cult to obtain, more so is- a ma^ie body,, rarer thai5 that is Brahmmhood, rarer still is the attaGhment! to tfee path of ¥edic religion; higher than thiis is eruditioft in the Scriptures; discrimination between the Self and not- Self, Realisation, and co-ntia’oing in a state o£ identity with Brahm^n — these come next ini order. ( This kind of ) Mukts m not to be attained except throisgh the weU-earnecS merits of a hundred crore of births,

3. There are three things whkh are ra? e in deed and are d»e to the grace of God — namely a human birth the longjng for Liberation and the protecting care of a perfected sage,

4. The man who having by some mear obtained a human birth, with a male body and mastery of the Vcdas to boot, is foolish enough not to exert for self-liberation, verily commits suicide, for he kills himself by clinging to things unreal.