SADHANA PANCHAKAM OF SHANKARACHARYA

The Path to Perfection is said to be sharp as edge of a razor, 
hard to cross and difficult to tread, vedantha says that on 
that Path there are obstacles. In that process, therefore, one 
has to climb step by step and stage by stage to reach the 
final abiding place. Making our vision broader and  
understanding deeper, the divine powers presiding over the 
sensory organs assuming the role of luminous gods with 
illumined wisdom and energetic powers guiding and inspiring 
the seekers on that Path to Perfection.
           
              The journey becomes difficult especially when one 
observes that the primordial world as nothing but the projection 
of an unending stream of thoughts of what one experiences 
through sensory influences.Even at the end of one's sadhana 
if one becomes  enlightened, the experiencer finds it 
impossible  to express completely, wholly and on entirety the 
experience in human speech, constrained as it is by the words 
which are required to give expression to the  experience.

               Sadhana Panchakam  is testimony and testament of 
SRI SHANKARA BHGAVATHPADA -- AVATHAR OF GOD, 
 who is himself Path to Perfection and enlightenment.He has 
specified 41 steps in five slokas The one who undertakes 
sadhana has to be sincere and confident of his resolve and 
determined in his purpose to reach final goal on the spiritual 
Path to Perfection.

SLOKA--1

वेदो नित्यमधीयतां तदुदितं कर्म स्वनुष्ठीयतां
  तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये मतिस्त्यज्यताम्‌।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
  आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं विनिर्गम्यताम्‌॥१॥

vedo nitya­mad­hīy­atāṁ tadu­ditaṁ karma svanuṣṭhīyatāṁ
 teneśasya vid­hīy­atāma­pac­itiḥ kāmye matistya­jy­atām |
pāpaughaḥ parid­hūy­atāṁ bhava­sukhe dośo’nusandhīyatāṁ
 ātmec­chā vyavasīy­atāṁ nijagṛhāttūrṇaṁ vinirgamy­atām ||1||

Veda should always be assiduously reflected.

Actions in furtherance of that Wisdom should be pursued.

By those actions, (That Prime Existence) should be propitiated.

Desires should be disengaged from Mind.

The stream of de-merits should be cleansed.

Imperfection in temporal pleasures should be identified.

Desire for one’s Self should be properly organized.

One should return again to one’s own true abiding place.

SLOKA--2 

सङ्गः सत्सु विधीयतां भगवतो भक्तिर्दृढाऽऽधीयतां
  शान्त्यादिः परिचीयतां दृढतरं कर्माशु सन्त्यज्यताम्‌।
सद्विद्वानुपसृप्यतां प्रतिदिनं तत्पादुका सेव्यतां
  ब्रह्मैकाक्षरमर्थ्यतां श्रुतिशिरोवाक्यं समाकर्ण्यताम्‌॥२॥

saṅgaḥ satsu vid­hīy­atāṁ bha­ga­vato bhaktirdṛḍhā”dhīyatāṁ
 śāntyādiḥ par­icīy­atāṁ dṛḍhataraṁ kar­māśu santya­jy­atām |
sadvidvānupasṛpyatāṁ pra­tid­inaṁ tat­pā­dukā sevy­atāṁ
 brahmaikākṣaramarthyatāṁ śrutiśirovākyaṁ samākarṇyatām ||2||

Companionship with the noble ones should be cultivated. 

Communion with the Resplendent Lord should be firmly 

established. 

One should discriminate with equanimous Mind. 

With determination one should renounce actions 

(born of desire). 

One should associate with noble men of Wisdom. 

One should devotedly serve That One every day. 

The one immutable Brahman should be the sole 

enterprise. 

One should be receptive to the Supreme scriptural 

statements with equanimity. 

SLOKA--3

वाक्यार्थश्च विचार्यतां श्रुतिशिरः पक्षः समाश्रीयतां
  दुस्तर्कात्सुविरम्यतां श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीयताम्‌।
ब्रह्मास्मीति विभाव्यतामहरहर्गर्वः परित्यज्यतां
  देहेऽहंमतिरुझ्यतां बुधजनैर्वादः परित्यज्यताम्‌॥३॥

vākyārthaśca vicāry­atāṁ śrutiśiraḥ pakṣaḥ samāśrīy­atāṁ
  dus­tarkāt­su­vi­ramy­atāṁ śrutimatastarko’nusandhīyatām |
brah­mās­mīti vib­hāvy­atāma­hara­har­garvaḥ par­itya­jy­atāṁ
  dehe’haṁmatirujhyatāṁ bud­ha­janairvādaḥ par­itya­jy­atām ||3||

Meaning of the Supreme Statement should be reflected 

upon. 

One should take shelter under scriptural statements. 

One should remain aloof from perverse arguments. 

One should be receptive to scriptures, clarifications and 

debates.  

'I am Brahman’  – thus one thought should be fully 

experienced. 

One should give up constant and continuous ego-sense. 

One should discard the idea that ‘I am the body’. 

Contentious arguments with men of Wisdom should be 

avoided. 

SLOKA--4

क्षुद्व्याधिश्च चिकित्स्यतां प्रतिदिनं भिक्षौषधं भुज्यतां
  स्वाद्वन्नं न तु याच्यतां विधिवशात्प्राप्तेन सन्तुष्यताम्‌।
शीतोष्णादि विषह्यतां न तु वृथा वाक्यं समुच्चार्यतां
  औदासीन्यमभीप्स्यतां जनकृपानैष्ठुर्यमुत्सृज्यताम्‌॥४॥

kṣudvyādhiśca cik­it­sy­atāṁ pra­tid­inaṁ bhikṣauṣadhaṁ bhu­jy­atāṁ
  svād­vannaṁ na tu yācy­atāṁ vid­hivaśāt­prāptena santuṣyatām |
śītoṣṇādi viṣahyatāṁ na tu vṛthā vākyaṁ samuc­cāry­atāṁ
  audāsīnyam­ab­hīp­sy­atāṁ janakṛpānaiṣṭhuryamutsṛjyatām ||4||

Thirst, disease and the rest should be attended. 

One should partake whatever one gets each day as 
food as if it is medicine. 

Delicious food should not be sought for. 

One should be satisfied with whatever is ordained. 

One should endure the duality of heat and the cold. 

One should not engage in unproductive discussion. 

Impassioned dis-interest towards samsara should be 

cultivated. 

Unnecessary sympathy of people should be avoided. 

SLOKA--5

एकान्ते सुखमास्यतां परतरे चेतः समाधीयतां
  पूर्णात्मा सुसमीक्ष्यतां जगदिदं तद्बाधितं दृश्यताम्‌।
प्राक्कर्म प्रविलाप्यतां चितिबलान्नाप्युत्तरैः श्लिष्यतां
  प्रारब्धं त्विह भुज्यतामथ परब्रह्मात्मना स्थीयताम्‌॥५॥

ekānte sukhamāsy­atāṁ paratare cetaḥ samād­hīy­atāṁ
  pūrṇātmā susamīkṣyatāṁ jaga­didaṁ tad­vād­hitaṁ dṛśyatām |
prākkarma prav­ilāpy­atāṁ citibalān­nāpyut­taraiḥ śliṣyatāṁ
  prārab­dhaṁ tviha bhu­jy­atā­matha parabrah­māt­manā sthīy­atām ||5||

One should cherish satisfaction in solitude. 

One should seek fulfillment in transcendental state of 

Mind. 

One should perceive the entirety of the subtle Self. 

This world is to be perceived as His reflection. 

Consolidated effect of the earlier Actions should be 

terminated. 

With intelligent resolve, one should free oneself from the 

effect of subsequent actions. 

The consequence of earlier actions should be 

terminated conclusively. 

In this manner one should establish one’s self in Supreme 

Brahman. 

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