Everything reveals Brahman alone

सम्पूर्णं जगदेव नन्दनवनं सर्वेऽपि कल्पद्रुमाः
गाङ्गं वारि समस्तवारि निवहाः पुण्याः समस्ताः क्रियाः ।
वाचः प्राकृतसंस्कृताः श्रुतिशिरो वाराणसी मेदिनी
सर्वावस्थितिरस्य वस्तुविषया दृष्टे परब्रह्मणि ।।
– धन्याष्टकम्

sampūrṇaṁ jagadeva nandanavanaṁ sarve’pi kalpadrumāḥ
gāṅgaṁ vāri samastavāri nivahāḥ puṇyāḥ samastāḥ kriyāḥ |
vācaḥ prākṛtasaṁskṛtāḥ śrutiśiro vārāṇasī medinī
sarvāvasthitirasya vastuviṣayā dṛṣṭe parabrahmaṇi ||
– Dhanyāṣṭakam

Translation:

To the one who has realized Brahman in all aspects, the whole world becomes the heavenly garden; all the objects the kalpavṛkṣās (the wishyielding trees); every water-flow the holy Ganges; all his actions, virtue and auspiciousness; the elevated as well as the foolish talks (words) the Vedāntavākyās; the entire earth, Vārānasī. Every thought or awareness of his reveals to Him only Brahman.

Points for Introspection:

In the world we perceive objects as each different from the other. We like certain things and dislike some others. Because of this differentiation alone we suffer misery, lack of peace and contentment.

This shloka describes that beautiful state when one has merged into the universal Self, the Brahman, the only one Existence; when wherever we turn to, each object is perceived as an expression of the same source, the Brahman. There is no duality then, no division or differentiation. Everything is full of bliss because that is the nature of the supreme Self, the Brahman. In each and everything one sees divinity and auspiciousness. Nothing seems bad or repulsive.

When the realization of Brahman is had, then the world which seemed to be good at one time and bad at another, becomes verily the heavenly garden with joy filled everywhere. All the trees become the wish-fulfilling trees of the heaven. Every water-flow looks like the pure and holy river Ganga, even the thought of which generates holiness in oneself.

All work that we do – some we like, some we dislike, some are significant and others insignificant – create only one impression in the mind – ‘that all work is noble, virtuous and divine arising from the same source the Oneness’. All talk that we engage in, whether refined or foolish seem verily the scriptural messages.

Normally, in the earth one does not find holiness in all places but considers only certain places as holy and auspicious. While visiting these specific places alone divinity and sublimity is experienced. For one who has experienced the Brahman, all places on the earth seem holy like the holy land Vaaraanasi. No necessity arises then to go to places which are considered holy otherwise.

In short, for a person who is one with Brahman, whatever state he is in – in all his thoughts, words, actions – it reveals to him only Brahman, and Brahman alone.

Chanting this shloka again and again contemplating on the meaning and focusing on the highly elevated joyful state that it describes, one can verily be immersed in the ocean of Supreme Bliss.

Word Meaning:

सम्पूर्णम् (sampūrṇaṁ) = whole, complete, full; जगत् (jagat) = world; एव (eva) = indeed, truly; नन्दनवनम् (nandanavanaṁ) = divine grove, heavenly garden; सर्वे (sarve) = all; अपि (api) = also; कल्पद्रुमाः (kalpadrumāḥ) = wish yielding trees; गाङ्गम् (gāṅgaṁ) = of or relating to the Ganges; वारि (vāri) = water; समस्तवारि (samastavāri) = all waters; निवहाः (nivahāḥ) = multitudes, collection; पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) = pure, holy, sacred; समस्ताः (samastāḥ) = all, whole, united; क्रियाः (kriyāḥ) = actions; वाचः (vācaḥ) = speech; प्राकृतसंस्कृताः (prākṛtasaṁskṛtāḥ) = unrefined and refined; श्रुतिशिरः (śrutiśiraḥ) = leading text in the Vedas; वाराणसी (vārāṇasī) = Varanasi; मेदिनी (medinī) = earth; सर्व (sarva) = everywhere; अवस्थितिः (āvasthitiḥ) = residence; अस्य (asya)= his; वस्तुविषया (vastuviṣayā) = sense objects; दृष्टे (dṛṣṭe) = of thoughts; परब्रह्मणि (parabrahmaṇi) = in the Supreme Reality;

अन्वयः

परब्रह्मणि दृष्टे (सति) सम्पूर्णं जगत् नन्दनवनं एव; सर्वे अपि कल्पद्रुमाः; समस्तवारि निवहाः गाङ्गं वारि; समस्ताः क्रियाः पुण्याः; प्राकृतसंस्कृताः वाचः श्रुतिशिरः; मेदिनी वाराणसी; अस्य सर्वावस्थितिः वस्तुविषया (भवति) ।

parabrahmaṇi dṛṣṭe (sati) sampūrṇaṁ jagat nandanavanam eva; sarve api kalpadrumāḥ; samastavāri nivahāḥ gāṅgaṁ vāri; samastāḥ kriyāḥ puṇyāḥ; prākṛtasaṁskṛtāḥ vācaḥ śrutiśiraḥ; medinī vārāṇasī; asya sarvāvasthitiḥ vastuviṣayā(bhavati).