srimahabharat - (Book 14) Aswamedha Parva - chapters 16 to 30)

The Sacred  Scripture of

 great Epic Sree Mahabharatam:

The Mahabharata

                                      Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
                                                        translated by
                                  Sreemaan Brahmasri  Kisari Mohan Ganguli

 Aswamedha Parva

Book 14  

Book 14
Chapter 16

 

 1 [j]
      sabhāyāṃ vasatos tasyāṃ nihatyārīn mahātmanoḥ
      keśavārjunayoḥ kā nu kathā samabhavad dvija
  2 [v]
      kṛṣṇena sahitaḥ pārthaḥ svarājyaṃ prāpya kevalam
      tasyāṃ sabhāyāṃ ramyāyāṃ vijahāra mudā yutaḥ
  3 tataḥ kaṃ cit sabhoddeśaṃ svargoddeśa samaṃ nṛpa
      yadṛcchayā tau muditau jagmatuḥ svajanāvṛtau
  4 tataḥ pratītaḥ kṛṣṇena sahitaḥ pāṇḍavo 'rjunaḥ
      nirīkṣya tāṃ sabhāṃ ramyām idaṃ vacanam abravīt
  5 viditaṃ te mahābāho saṃgrāme samupasthite
      māhātmyaṃ devakī mātas tac ca te rūpam aiśvaram
  6 yat tu tad bhavatā proktaṃ tadā keśava sauhṛdāt
      tat sarvaṃ puruṣavyāghra naṣṭaṃ me naṣṭacetasaḥ
  7 mama kautūhalaṃ tv asti teṣv artheṣu punaḥ prabho
      bhavāṃś ca dvārakāṃ gantā nacirād iva mādhava
  8 evam uktas tataḥ kṛṣṇaḥ phalgunaṃ pratyabhāṣata
      pariṣvajya mahātejā vacanaṃ vadatāṃ varaḥ
  9 śrāvitas tvaṃ mayā guhyaṃ jñāpitaś ca sanātanam
      dharmaṃ svarūpiṇaṃ pārtha sarvalokāṃś ca śāśvatān
  10 abuddhvā yan na gṛhṇīthās tan me sumahad apriyam
     nūnam aśraddadhāno 'si durmedhāś cāsi pāṇḍava
 11 sa hi dharmaḥ suparyāpto brahmaṇaḥ padavedane
     na śakyaṃ tan mayā bhūyas tathā vaktum aśeṣataḥ
 12 paraṃ hi brahma kathitaṃ yogayuktena tan mayā
     itihāsaṃ tu vakṣyāmi tasminn arthe purātanam
 13 yathā tāṃ buddhim āsthāya gatim agryāṃ gamiṣyasi
     śṛṇu dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha gadataḥ sarvam eva me
 14 āgacchad brāhmaṇaḥ kaś cit svargalokād ariṃdama
     brahmalokāc ca durdharṣaḥ so 'smābhiḥ pūjito 'bhavat
 15 asmābhiḥ paripṛṣṭaś ca yad āha bharatarṣabha
     divyena vidhinā pārtha tac chṛṇuṣvāvicārayan
 16 [br]
     mokṣadharmaṃ samāśritya kṛṣṇa yan mānupṛcchasi
     bhūtānām anukampārthaṃ yan mohac chedanaṃ prabho
 17 tat te 'haṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi yathāvan madhusūdana
     śṛṇuṣvāvahito bhūtvā gadato mama mādhava
 18 kaś cid vipras tapo yuktaḥ kāśyapo dharmavittamaḥ
     āsasāda dvijaṃ kaṃ cid dharmāṇām āgatāgamam
 19 gatāgate subahuśo jñānavijñānapāragam
     lokatattvārtha kuśalaṃ jñātāraṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ
 20 jātī maraṇatattvajñaṃ kovidaṃ puṇyapāpayoḥ
     draṣṭāram uccanīcānāṃ karmabhir dehināṃ gatim
 21 carantaṃ muktavat siddhaṃ praśāntaṃ saṃyatendriyam
     dīpyamānaṃ śriyā brāhmyā kramamāṇaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ
 22 antardhānagatijñaṃ ca śrutvā tattvena kāśyapaḥ
     tathaivāntarhitaiḥ siddhair yāntaṃ cakradharaiḥ saha
 23 saṃbhāṣamāṇam ekānte samāsīnaṃ ca taiḥ saha
     yadṛcchayā ca gacchantam asaktaṃ pavanaṃ yathā
 24 taṃ samāsādya medhāvī sa tadā dvijasattamaḥ
     caraṇau dharmakāmo vai tapasvī susamāhitaḥ
     pratipede yathānyāyaṃ bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ
 25 vismitaś cādbhutaṃ dṛṣṭvā kāśyapas taṃ dvijottamam
     paricāreṇa mahatā guruṃ vaidyam atoṣayat
 26 prītātmā copapannaś ca śrutacāritya saṃyutaḥ
     bhāvena toṣayac cainaṃ guruvṛttyā paraṃtapaḥ
 27 tasmai tuṣṭaḥ sa śiṣyāya prasanno 'thābravīd guruḥ
     siddhiṃ parām abhiprekṣya śṛṇu tan me janārdana
 28 vividhaiḥ karmabhis tāta puṇyayogaiś ca kevalaiḥ
     gacchantīha gatiṃ martyā devaloke 'pi ca sthitim
 29 na kva cit sukham atyantaṃ na kva cic chāśvatī sthitiḥ
     sthānāc ca mahato bhraṃśo duḥkhalabdhāt punaḥ punaḥ
 30 aśubhā gatayaḥ prāptāḥ kaṣṭā me pāpasevanāt
     kāmamanyuparītena tṛṣṇayā mohitena ca
 31 punaḥ punaś ca maraṇaṃ janma caiva punaḥ punaḥ
     āhārā vividhā bhuktāḥ pītā nānāvidhāḥ stanāḥ
 32 mātaro vividhā dṛṣṭāḥ pitaraś ca pṛthagvidhāḥ
     sukhāni ca vicitrāṇi duḥkhāni ca mayānagha
 33 priyair vivāso bahuśaḥ saṃvāsaś cāpriyaiḥ saha
     dhananāśaś ca saṃprāpto labdhvā duḥkhena tad dhanam
 34 avamānāḥ sukaṣṭāś ca parataḥ svajanāt tathā
     śārīrā mānasāś cāpi vedanā bhṛśadāruṇāḥ
 35 prāptā vimānanāś cogrā vadhabandhāś ca dāruṇāḥ
     patanaṃ niraye caiva yātanāś ca yamakṣaye
 36 jarā rogāś ca satataṃ vāsanāni ca bhūriśaḥ
     loke 'sminn anubhūtāni dvaṃdvajāni bhṛśaṃ mayā
 37 tataḥ kadā cin nirvedān nikārān nikṛtena ca
     lokatantraṃ parityaktaṃ duḥkhārtena bhṛśaṃ mayā
     tataḥ siddhir iyaṃ prāptā prasādād ātmano mayā
 38 nāhaṃ punar ihāgantā lokān ālokayāmy aham
     ā siddher ā prajā sargād ātmano me gatiḥ śubhā
 39 upalabdhā dvijaśreṣṭha tatheyaṃ siddhir uttamā
     itaḥ paraṃ gamiṣyāmi tataḥ parataraṃ punaḥ
     brahmaṇaḥ padam avyagraṃ mā te 'bhūd atra saṃśayaḥ
 40 nāhaṃ punar ihāgantā martyaloke paraṃtapa
     prīto 'smi te mahāprājña brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te
 41 yadīpsur upapannas tvaṃ tasya kālo 'yam āgataḥ
     abhijāne ca tad ahaṃ yadarthaṃ mā tvam āgataḥ
     acirāt tu gamiṣyāmi yenāhaṃ tvām acūcudam
 42 bhṛśaṃ prīto 'smi bhavataś cāritreṇa vicakṣaṇa
     paripṛccha yāvad bhavate bhāṣeyaṃ yat tavepsitam
 43 bahu manye ca te buddhiṃ bhṛśaṃ saṃpūjayāmi ca
     yenāhaṃ bhavatā buddho medhāvī hy asi kāśyapa

 

SECTION XVI

(Anugita Parva)

"Janamejaya said, "When the high-souled Kesava and Arjuna after slaying their enemies repaired to the assembly rooms, what conversation, O regenerate one, took place between them?'
Vaisampayana said, "The son of Pritha (Arjuna), having recovered his own kingdom, joyously spent his time, without doing anything else, in the company of Krishna, his heart filled with delight, in that palace of celestial beauty. One day, those two listlessly proceeded to a particular part of the palace that looked, O king, like a veritable portion of Heaven. Themselves filled with delight, they were then surrounded by their relatives and attendents. Pandu's son, Arjuna, filled with joy in the company of Krishna, surveyed that delightful mansion, and then addressed his companion, saying, 'O--mighty-armed one, thy greatness became known to me upon the approach of the battle. O son of Devaki, thy form also, as the Lord of the universe, then became known to me! What thy holy self said unto me at that time, O Kesava, through affection, has all been forgotten by me, O chief of men, in consequence of the fickleness of my mind. Repeatedly, however, have I been curious on the subject of those truths. Thou again, O Madhava, wilt repair to Dwaraka soon.'
Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by him, Krishna of mighty
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energy, that foremost of speakers, embraced Phalguna and replied unto him as follows.
'Vasudeva said, 'I made thee listen to truths that are regarded as mysteries. I imparted to thee truths that are eternal. Verily, I discoursed to thee on Religion in its true form and on all the eternal regions. It is exceedingly disagreeable to me to learn that thou didst not, from folly, receive what I imparted. The recollection of all that I told thee on that occasion will not come to me now. Without doubt, O son of Pandu, thou art destitute of faith and thy understanding is not good. It is impossible for me, O Dhananjaya, to repeat, in detail, all that I said on that occasion. That religion (about which I discoursed to thee then) is more than sufficient for understanding Brahma. I cannot discourse on it again in detail. I discoursed to thee on Supreme Brahma, having concentrated myself in Yoga. I shalt now, however, recite to thee an old history upon the same topic. O foremost of all persons, observant of duty, listen to everything I now say, so that, with an understanding adapted to my teaching, thou mayst succeed in attaining to the highest end. O chastiser of foes, on one occasion, a Brahmana came to us from the regions of Heaven. Of irresistible energy, he came from the regions of the Grandsire. He was duly reverenced by us. Listen. O son of Pritha, without yielding to scruples of any kind, to what he, O chief of Bharata's race, said, in answer to our enquiries, agreeably to heavenly forms.'
The Brahmana said, That which thou askest me, O Krishna, connected with the religion of Moksha (Emancipation), led by thy compassion for all creatures (and not for thy own good),--that, indeed, which destroys all delusion, O thou that art possessed of supreme puissance 1 I shall now tell thee duly, O slayer of Madhu. Do thou listen with concentrated attention as I discourse to thee, O Madhava. A Brahmana of the name of Kasyapa, possessed of penances and the foremost of all persons conversant with duties, came to a certain other Brahmana who had become conversant with all the mysteries of religion. 2 Indeed, the latter had mastered all the knowledge which the scriptures teach respecting the departure and reappearance of beings and possessed that direct knowledge of all things which Yoga gives. He was well skilled in the truths of all topics relating to the world. He had mastered the truth about pleasure and pain. He knew the truth about birth and death, and understood the distinctions between merit and demerit. He was a beholder of the ends attained to by embodied creatures high and low in consequence of their acts. He lived like one emancipated from the world. Crowned with ascetic success and possessed of perfect tranquillity of soul, he had all his senses under complete control. He seemed to blaze with the resplendence of Brahma and was capable of going everywhere at will. He knew the science of disappearing at will from before the eyes of all. He used to rove in the company of invisible Siddhas and celestial musicians. He used to sit and converse with them on some
p. 25
spot retired from the bustle of humanity. He was as unattached to all things as the wind. Kasyapa having heard of him truly, desired to see him. Possessed of intelligence, that foremost of all Brahmanas, approached the sage. Himself possessed of penances, Kasyapa, moved by the desire of acquiring merit, fell, with a rapt heart, at the feet of the sage when he had seen all those wonderful attributes. Filled with wonder at the sight of those extraordinary accomplishments, Kasyapa began to wait upon that foremost of all Brahmanas, with the dutiful reverence of a disciple waiting upon his preceptor and succeeded in propitiating him. By his devotion, O scorcher of foes, rendering to hint the obedience due from a disciple to a preceptor, Kasyapa gratified that Brahmana who possessed all these accomplishments and was endued, besides, with scriptural learning and excellent conduct. Gratified with Kasyapa, that Brahmana one day addressed him cheerfully and spoke as follows, with an eye to the highest success. Listen to those words, O Janarddana, as I repeat them.
"--'The ascetic crowned with success said,'--By diverse acts, O son, as also by the aid of merit, mortal creatures attain to diverse ends here and residence in Heaven. Nowhere is the highest happiness; nowhere can residence be eternal. There are repeated falls from the highest regions acquired with such sorrow. In consequence of my indulgence in sin, I had to attain to diverse miserable and inauspicious ends, filled as I was with lust and wrath, and deluded by cupidity. I have repeatedly undergone death and rebirth. I have eaten diverse kinds of food, I have sucked at diverse breasts. I have seen diverse kinds of mothers, and diverse fathers dissimilar to one another. Diverse kinds of happiness have been mine and diverse kinds of misery, O sinless one. On diverse occasions have I been separated from what was agreeable and united with what was disagreeable. Having earned wealth with great toil I have had to put up with its loss. Insults and excessive misery I have received from king and relatives. Mental and physical pain, of great severity, have been mine. Humiliations I have undergone, and death and immurement under circumstances of great severity. Falls into Hell have been mine, and great tortures in the domains of Yama. Decrepitude and diseases have repeatedly assailed me, and calamities, as frequent, in copious measure. In this world I have repeatedly undergone all those afflictions that flow from a perception of all pairs of opposites. After all this, one day, overwhelmed with sorrow, blank despair came upon me. I took refuge in the Formless. Afflicted as I was with great distress, I gave up the world with all its joys and sorrows. 1 Understanding then this path, I exercised myself in it in this world. Afterwards, through tranquillity of soul, I attained to this success that thou seest. I shall not have to come to this world again (after my departure hence). Verily, till I attain to absorption into eternal Brahman, till, in fact, the final dissolution of the universe, I shall look on those happy ends that will be mine, and on those beings that
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constitute this universe. 1 Having acquired this excellent success, I shall, after departing from this world, proceed, to what is above it (i.e., Satyaloka) and thence to what is higher (i.e., absorption into Brahman). Verily, I shall attain to the condition, which is unmanifest aspect of Brahman. Let no doubt be thine as regards this. O scorcher of foes, I shall not return to this world of mortal creatures. O thou of great wisdom, I have become gratified with thee. Tell me what I shall do for thee. The time has come for the accomplishment of that purpose for which thou hast come hither. Verily, I know that object for which thou hast sought me. I shall soon depart from this world. Hence it is that I have given thee this hint. O thou of great wisdom and experience, I have been highly gratified with thee for thy behaviour. Do thou question me. I shall discourse on what is beneficial to thee, agreeably to thy desire. I think thy intelligence is great. Indeed, I applaud it much, for it was with the aid of that intelligence that thou wert able to recognise me. Surely, O Kasyapa, thou art possessed of great intelligence.'

 

Book 14
Chapter 17

 

 

 

 1 [vā]
      tatas tasyopasaṃgṛhya pādau praśnān sudurvacān
      papraccha tāṃś ca sarvān sa prāha dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ
  2 [kāṣyapa]
      kathaṃ śarīraṃ cyavate kathaṃ caivopapadyate
      kathaṃ kaṣṭāc ca saṃsārāt saṃsaran parimucyate
  3 ātmānaṃ vā kathaṃ yuktvā tac charīraṃ vimuñcati
      śarīrataś ca nirmuktaḥ katham anyat prapadyate
  4 kathaṃ śubhāśubhe cāyaṃ karmaṇī svakṛte naraḥ
      upabhuṅkte kva vā karma videhasyopatiṣṭhati
  5 [br]
      evaṃ saṃcoditaḥ siddhaḥ praśnāṃs tān pratyabhāṣata
      ānupūrvyeṇa vārṣṇeya yathā tan me vacaḥ śṛṇu
  6 [siddha]
      āyuḥ kīrtikarāṇīha yāni karmāṇi sevate
      śarīragrahaṇe 'nyasmiṃs teṣu kṣīṇeṣu sarvaśaḥ
  7 āyuḥ kṣayaparītātmā viparītāni sevate
      buddhir vyāvartate cāsya vināśe pratyupasthite
  8 sattvaṃ balaṃ ca kālaṃ cāpy aviditvātmanas tathā
      ativelam upāśnāti tair viruddhāny anātmavān
  9 yadāyam atikaṣṭāni sarvāṇy upaniṣevate
      atyartham api vā bhuṅkte na vā bhuṅkte kadā cana
  10 duṣṭānnaṃ viṣamānnaṃ ca so 'nyonyena virodhi ca
     guru vāpi samaṃ bhuṅkte nātijīrṇe 'pi vā punaḥ
 11 vyāyāmam atimātraṃ vā vyavāyaṃ copasevate
     satataṃ karma lobhād vā prāptaṃ vegavidhāraṇam
 12 rasātiyuktam annaṃ vā divā svapnaṃ niṣevate
     apakvānāgate kāle svayaṃ doṣān prakopayan
 13 svadoṣakopanād rogaṃ labhate maraṇāntikam
     atha codbandhanādīni parītāni vyavasyati
 14 tasya taiḥ kāraṇair jantoḥ śarīrāc cyavate yathā
     jīvitaṃ procyamānaṃ tad yathāvad upadhāraya
 15 ūṣmā prakupitaḥ kāye tīvravāyusamīritaḥ
     śarīram anuparyeti sarvān prāṇān ruṇaddhi vai
 16 atyarthaṃ balavān ūṣmā śarīre parikopitaḥ
     bhinatti jīva sthānāni tāni marmāṇi viddhi ca
 17 tataḥ sa vedanaḥ sadyo jīvaḥ pracyavate kṣaran
     śarīraṃ tyajate jantuś chidyamāneṣu marmasu
     vedanābhiḥ parītātmā tad viddhi dvijasattama
 18 jātīmaraṇasaṃvignāḥ satataṃ sarvajantavaḥ
     dṛśyante saṃtyajantaś ca śarīrāṇi dvijarṣabha
 19 garbhasaṃkramaṇe cāpi marmaṇām atisarpaṇe
     tādṛśīm eva labhate vedanāṃ mānavaḥ punaḥ
 20 bhinnasaṃdhir atha kledam adbhiḥ sa labhate naraḥ
     yathā pañcasu bhūteṣu saṃśritatvaṃ nigacchati
     śaityāt prakupitaḥ kāye tīvravāyusamīritaḥ
 21 yaḥ sa pañcasu bhūteṣu prāṇāpāne vyavasthitaḥ
     sa gacchaty ūrdhvago vāyuḥ kṛcchrān muktvā śarīriṇam
 22 śarīraṃ ca jahāty eva nirucchvāsaś ca dṛśyate
     nirūṣmā sa nirucchvāso niḥśrīko gatacetanaḥ
 23 brahmaṇā saṃparityakto mṛta ity ucyate naraḥ
     srotobhir yair vijānāti indriyārthāñ śarīrabhṛt
     tair eva na vijānāti prāṇam āhārasaṃbhavam
 24 tatraiva kurute kāye yaḥ sa jīvaḥ sanātanaḥ
     teṣāṃ yad yad bhaved yuktaṃ saṃnipāte kva cit kva cit
     tat tan marma vijānīhi śāstradṛṣṭaṃ hi tat tathā
 25 teṣu marmasu bhinneṣu tataḥ sa samudīrayan
     āviśya hṛdayaṃ jantoḥ sattvaṃ cāśu ruṇaddhi vai
     tataḥ sa cetano jantur nābhijānāti kiṃ cana
 26 tamasā saṃvṛtajñānaḥ saṃvṛteṣv atha marmasu
     sa jīvo niradhiṣṭhānaś cāvyate mātariśvanā
 27 tataḥ sa taṃ mahocchvāsaṃ bhṛśam ucchvasya dāruṇam
     niṣkrāman kampayaty āśu tac charīram acetanam
 28 sa jīvaḥ pracyutaḥ kāyāt karmabhiḥ svaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ
     aṅkitaḥ svaiḥ śubhaiḥ puṇyaiḥ pāpair vāpy upapadyate
 29 brāhmaṇā jñānasaṃpannā yathāvac chruta niścayāḥ
     itaraṃ kṛtapuṇyaṃ vā taṃ vijānanti lakṣaṇaiḥ
 30 yathāndha kāre khadyotaṃ līyamānaṃ tatas tataḥ
     cakṣuṣmantaḥ prapaśyanti tathā taṃ jñānacakṣuṣaḥ
 31 paśyanty evaṃvidhāḥ siddhā jīvaṃ divyena cakṣuṣā
     cyavantaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yoniṃ cānupraveśitam
 32 tasya sthānāni dṛṣṭāni trividhānīha śāstrataḥ
     karmabhūmir iyaṃ bhūmir yatra tiṣṭhanti jantavaḥ
 33 tataḥ śubhāśubhaṃ kṛtvā labhante sarvadehinaḥ
     ihaivoccāvacān bhogān prāpnuvanti svakarmabhiḥ
 34 ihaivāśubha karmā tu karmabhir nirayaṃ gataḥ
     avāksa niraye pāpo mānavaḥ pacyate bhṛśam
     tasmāt sudurlabho mokṣa ātmā rakṣyo bhṛśaṃ tataḥ
 35 ūrdhvaṃ tu jantavo gatvā yeṣu sthāneṣv avasthitāḥ
     kīrtyamānāni tānīha tattvataḥ saṃnibodha me
     tac chrutvā naiṣṭhikīṃ buddhiṃ budhyethāḥ karma niścayāt
 36 tārā rūpāṇi sarvāṇi yac caitac candramaṇḍalam
     yac ca vibhrājate loke svabhāsā sūryamaṇḍalam
     sthānāny etāni jānīhi narāṇāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām
 37 karma kṣayāc ca te sarve cyavante vai punaḥ punaḥ
     tatrāpi ca viśeṣo 'sti divi nīcoccamadhyamaḥ
 38 na tatrāpy asti saṃtoṣo dṛṣṭvā dīptatarāṃ śriyam
     ity etā gatayaḥ sarvāḥ pṛthaktve samudīritāḥ
 39 upapattiṃ tu garbhasya vakṣyāmy aham ataḥ param
     yathāvat tāṃ nigadataḥ śṛṇuṣvāvahito dvija

SECTION XVII

"Vasudeva said, touching the feet of that sage, the Brahmana asked him some questions that were exceedingly difficult to answer. That foremost of all righteous persons then discoursed on those duties that were referred to.
'Kasyapa said, 'How does the body dissolve away, and how is another acquired? How does one become emancipated after passing through a repeated round of painful rebirths? Enjoying Prakriti for sometime, how does Jiva cast off the particular body (which Prakriti gives)? How does Jiva, freed from the body, attain to what is different from it (viz., Brahman)? How does a human being enjoy (and endure the fruits of) the good and bad acts done by him? Where do the acts exist of one that is devoid of body? 2
'The Brahmana said,--Thus urged by Kasyapa, the emancipated sage answered those questions one after another. Do thou listen to me, O scion of the Vrishi race, as I recite to thee the answers he made.'
'--The Emancipated sage said, 'Upon the exhaustion of those acts capable
p. 27
of prolonging life and bringing on fame which are done in a particular body that Jiva assumes, the embodied Jiva, with the span of his life shortened, begins to do acts hostile to life and health. On the approach of destruction, his understanding turns away from the proper course. The man of uncleansed soul, after even a correct apprehension of his constitution and strength and of the season of both his own life and of the year, begins to eat at irregular intervals and to eat such food as is hostile to him. 1 At such a time he indulges in practices that are exceedingly harmful. He sometimes eats excessively and sometimes abstains altogether from food. He eats bad food or bad meat or takes bad drinks, or food that has been made up of ingredients incompatible with one another. He eats food that is heavy in excess of the measure that is beneficial, or before the food previously taken has been digested. He indulges in physical exercise and sexual pleasure in excess of the due measure, or through avidity for work, suppresses the urgings of his corporeal organism even when they become pronounced. Or, he takes food that is very juicy, or indulges in sleep during daytime. Food that is not properly digested, of itself excites the faults, when the time comes. 2 From such excitement of the faults in his body, he gets disease ending in death itself. Sometimes the person engages in perverse or unnatural acts like hanging (for bringing about his death). Through these causes the living body of the creature dissolves away. Understand correctly the manner as I declare it to thee. 3 Urged on by the Wind which becomes violent, the heat in the body, becoming excited and reaching every part of the body one after another, restrains all the (movements of the) vital breaths. Know truly that excited all over the body, the heat becomes very strong, and pierces every vital part where life may be said to reside. In consequence of this, Jiva, feeling great pain, quickly takes leave of its mortal casement. Know, O foremost of regenerate persons, that when the vital parts of the physical organism become thus afflicted, Jiva slips away from the body, overwhelmed with great pain. All living creatures are repeatedly afflicted with birth and death. It is seen, O chief of Brahmanas, that the pain which is felt by a person when casting off his bodies is like what is felt by him when first entering the womb or when issuing out of it. His joints become almost dislocated and he derives much distress from the waters (of the womb). 4 Urged on by (another) violent
p. 28
wind, the wind that is in the body becomes excited through cold, and dissolves away the union of matter (called the body) into its respective elements numbering five. 1 That wind which resides in the vital breaths called Prana and Apana occurring within this compound of the five primal elements, rushes upwards, from a situation of distress, leaving the embodied creature. It is even thus that the wind leaves the body. Then is seen breathlessness. The man then becomes destitute of heat, of breath, of beauty, and of consciousness. Deserted by Brahman (for Jiva is Brahman), the person is said to be dead. By those ducts through which he perceives all sensuous objects, the bearer of the body no longer perceives them. It is the eternal Jiva who creates in the body in those very duets the life-breaths that are generated by food. The elements gathered together become in certain parts firmly united. Know that those parts are called the vitals of the body. It is said so in the Sastras. When those vital parts are pierced, Jiva, rising up, enters the heart of the living creature and restrains the principle of animation without any delay. The creature then, though still endued with the principle of consciousness, fails to know anything. The vital parts being all overwhelmed, the knowledge of the living creature becomes overwhelmed by darkness. Jiva then, who has been deprived of everything upon which to stay, is then agitated by the wind. He then, deeply breathing a long and painful breath, goes out quickly, causing the inanimate body to tremble. Dissociated from the body, Jiva, however, is surrounded by his acts. He becomes equipped on every side with all his auspicious acts of merit and with all his sins. Brahmanas endued with knowledge and equipped with the certain conclusions of the scriptures, know him, from indications, as to whether he is possessed of merit or with its reverse. Even as men possessed of eyes behold the fire-fly appearing and disappearing amid darkness, men possessed of the eye of knowledge and crowned with success of penances, behold, with spiritual vision, Jiva as he leaves the body, as he is reborn, and as he enters the womb. It is seen that Jiva has three regions assigned to him eternally. This world where creatures dwell is called the field of action. Accomplishing acts good or bad, all embodied creatures attain to the fruits thereof. In consequence of their own acts, creatures acquire even here superior or inferior enjoyments. Doers of evil deeds here, in consequence of those acts of theirs, attain to Hell. This condition of sinking with head downwards, in which creatures are cooked, is one of great misery. It is such that a rescue therefrom is exceedingly difficult. Indeed; one should strive hard for saving oneself from this misery. Those regions where creatures dwell when they ascend from this world I shall now declare truly. Do thou listen to me with attention. By listening to what I say, thou shalt attain to firmness of understanding and a clear apprehension of (good and bad) acts. Know that even those are the regions of all creatures of righteous deeds, viz., the
p. 29
stellar worlds that shine in the firmament, the lunar disc, and the solar disc as well that shines in the universe in its own light. Upon the exhaustion, again, of their merits, they fall away from those regions repeatedly. There, in Heaven itself, is distinction of inferior, superior, and middling felicity. There, in Heaven itself, is discontent at sight of prosperity more blazing than one's own. Even these are the goals which I have mentioned in detail. I shall, after this, discourse to you on the attainment by Jiva of the condition of residence in the womb. Do thou hear me, with concentrated attention, O regenerate one, as I speak to thee!'

---

Footnotes

26:2 The commentator explains that altogether seven questions are asked. The first is about the dissolution of the body. The second relates to the manner of re-acquiring a body. The third has reference to the manner in which rebirth may be avoided. The fourth relates to the causes that operate for giving a body to Jiva. By Prakriti is meant Nature or that Nescience which is the cause of body. The fifth relates to the Anyat or Param, viz., how final Emancipation or absorption into Brahman takes place. The sixth pertains to the manner in which the fruits of acts are enjoyed or endured. The seventh enquires after the way in which acts attach to Jiva even when devoid of a body.
27:1 Kala here means both the season of the year and the age of the person. Food that is beneficial in summer is not so in winter, or that which is beneficial in youth is otherwise at old age. All the texts that I have seen have viditwa and not aviditiwa which Telang takes in his version for the Sacred Books of the East. Kala is always interpreted by the commentators of Charaka as referring to either period of life or period of the year. This, as well as the following verses, relates to the laws of health as expounded by Charaka.
27:2 The faults are three, viz., Wind, Bile, and Phlegm. When existing in a state of harmony, they produce health. When one is excited or two, or all, indisposition sets in. They are called dosha or faults, because of their liability to be excited and product, disease. Telang, not suspecting that the whole passage is a reproduction of a passage in the ancient work edited by Charaka, misunderstands some expressions and wrongly renders doshan into 'disorders.'
27:3 Jivitam in the second line seems to be an objective of sariram in the first.
27:4 Garbha-sankramane is explained by Nilakantha as 'entering the foetus in the womb after casting off the body appertaining to the other world. I think Telang is not correct in p. 28 his version of 19 and 20. Atisarpana can never imply 'exhaustion'; hence, karmanam can never be the reading he adopts. Besides tadrisam seems to settle the question. The tortures felt at death are similar to those at birth.
28:1 Sambutatwam is sanhatatwam. Niyachachati is nasyyati Vayu is understood in the second line, or that in the first line of the next verse may be taken as the nom. of niyachachati.

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 18

 

 

 

 1 [br]
      śubhānām aśubhānāṃ ca neha nāśo 'sti karmaṇām
      prāpya prāpya tu pacyante kṣetraṃ kṣetraṃ tathā tathā
  2 yathā prasūyamānas tu phalī dadyāt phalaṃ bahu
      tathā syād vipulaṃ puṇyaṃ śuddhena manasā kṛtam
  3 pāpaṃ cāpi tathaiva syāt pāpena manasā kṛtam
      purodhāya mano hīha karmaṇy ātmā pravartate
  4 yathā katma samādiṣṭaṃ kāmamanyusamāvṛtaḥ
      naro garbhaṃ praviśati tac cāpi śṛṇu cottaram
  5 śukraṃ śoṇitasaṃsṛṣṭaṃ striyā garbhāśayaṃ gatam
      kṣetraṃ karmajam āpnoti śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham
  6 saukṣmyād avyaktabhāvāc ca na sa kva cana sajjate
      saṃprāpya brahmaṇaḥ kāyaṃ tasmāt tad brahma śāśvatam
      tad bījaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ tena jīvanti jantavaḥ
  7 sa jīvaḥ sarvagātrāṇi garbhasyāviśya bhāgaśaḥ
      dadhāti cetasā sadyaḥ prāṇasthāneṣv avasthitaḥ
      tataḥ spandayate 'ṅgāni sa garbhaś cetanānvitaḥ
  8 yathā hi lohaniṣyando niṣikto bimbavigraham
      upaiti tadvaj jānīhi garbhe jīva praveśanam
  9 lohapiṇḍaṃ yathā vahniḥ praviśaty abhitāpayan
      tathā tvam api jānīhi garbhe jīvopapādanam
  10 yathā ca dīpaḥ śaraṇaṃ dīpyamānaḥ prakāśayet
     evam eva śarīrāṇi prakāśayati cetanā
 11 yad yac ca kurute karma śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham
     pūrvadehakṛtaṃ sarvam avaśyam upabhujyate
 12 tatas tat kṣīyate caiva punaś cānyat pracīyate
     yāvat tan mokṣayogasthaṃ dharmaṃ naivāvabudhyate
 13 tatra dharmaṃ pravakṣyāmi sukhī bhavati yena vai
     āvartamāno jātīṣu tathānyonyāsu sattama
 14 dānaṃ vrataṃ brahmacaryaṃ yathoktavratadhāraṇam
     damaḥ praśāntatā caiva bhūtānāṃ cānukampanam
 15 saṃyamaś cānṛśaṃsyaṃ ca parasvādāna varjanam
     vyalīkānām akaraṇaṃ bhūtānāṃ yatra sā bhuvi
 16 mātāpitroś ca śuśrūṣā devatātithipūjanam
     guru pūjā ghṛṇā śaucaṃ nityam indriyasaṃyamaḥ
 17 pravartanaṃ śubhānāṃ ca tat satāṃ vṛttam ucyate
     tato dharmaḥ prabhavati yaḥ prajāḥ pāti śāśvatīḥ
 18 evaṃ satsu sadā paśyet tatra hy eṣā dhruvā sthitiḥ
     ācāro dharmam ācaṣṭe yasmin santo vyavasthitāḥ
 19 teṣu tad dharmanikṣiptaṃ yaḥ sa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
     yas taṃ samabhipadyeta na sa durgatim āpnuyāt
 20 ato niyamyate lokaḥ pramuhya dharmavartmasu
     yas tu yogī ca muktaś ca sa etebhyo viśiṣyate
 21 vartamānasya dharmeṇa puruṣasya yathātathā
     saṃsāratāraṇaṃ hy asya kālena mahatā bhavet
 22 evaṃ pūrvakṛtaṃ karma sarvo jantur niṣevate
     sarvaṃ tat kāraṇaṃ yena nikṛto 'yam ihāgataḥ
 23 śarīragrahaṇaṃ cāsya kena pūrvaṃ prakalpitam
     ity evaṃ saṃśayo loke tac ca vakṣyāmy ataḥ param
 24 śarīram ātmanaḥ kṛtvā sarvabhūtapitāmahaḥ
     trailokyam asṛjad brahmā kṛtsnaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam
 25 tataḥ pradhānam asṛjac cetanā sā śarīriṇām
     yayā sarvam idaṃ vyāptaṃ yāṃ loke paramāṃ viduḥ
 26 iha tat kṣaram ity uktaṃ paraṃ tv amṛtam akṣaram
     trayāṇāṃ mithunaṃ sarvam ekaikasya pṛthak pṛthak
 27 asṛjat sarvabhūtāni pūrvasṛṣṭaḥ prajāpatiḥ
     sthāvarāṇi ca bhūtāni ity eṣā paurvikī śrutiḥ
 28 tasya kālaparīmāṇam akarot sa pitāmahaḥ
     bhūteṣu parivṛttiṃ ca punar āvṛttim eva ca
 29 yathātra kaś cin medhāvī dṛṣṭātmā pūrvajanmani
     yat pravakṣyāmi tat sarvaṃ yathāvad upapadyate
 30 sukhaduḥkhe sadā samyag anitye yaḥ prapaśyati
     kāyaṃ cāmedhya saṃghātaṃ vināśaṃ karma saṃhitam
 31 yac ca kiṃ cit sukhaṃ tac ca sarvaṃ duḥkham iti smaran
     saṃsārasāgaraṃ ghoraṃ tariṣyati sudustaram
 32 jātī maraṇarogaiś ca samāviṣṭaḥ pradhānavit
     cetanāvatsu caitanyaṃ samaṃ bhūteṣu paśyati
 33 nirvidyate tataḥ kṛtsnaṃ mārgamāṇaḥ paraṃ padam
     tasyopadeśaṃ vakṣyāmi yāthātathyena sattama
 34 śāśvatasyāvyayasyātha padasya jñānam uttamam
     procyamānaṃ mayā vipra nibodhedam aśeṣataḥ

SECTION XVIII

"--The Brahmana said, 'The acts, good and bad, that a Jiva does are not subject to destruction. Upon attainment of body after body, those acts produce fruits corresponding with them. 1 As a fruit-bearing tree, when the season comes of productivity, yields a large quantity of fruit, similarly merit, achieved with a pure heart, yields a large crop (of felicity). After the same fashion, sin, done with a sinful heart, produces a large crop of misery. The Soul (or Jiva), placing the mind ahead, addresses himself to action. Hear then how Jiva, equipt with all his acts and overwhelmed with lust and wrath, enters the womb. The vital seed, mixed with blood, enters the womb of females and becomes the field (of Jiva), good or bad, born of (his) acts. In consequence of his subtlety and the condition of being unmanifest, Jiva does not become attached to anything even after attaining to a body. Therefore, he is called Eternal Brahman. 2 That (viz., Jiva or Brahman) is the seed of all creatures. It is in consequence of Him that living creatures live. That Jiva, entering all the limbs of the foetus part by part, accepting the attribute of mind, and residing within all the regions that belong to Prana, supports (life). In consequence of this, the foetus becoming endued with mind begins to move its limbs. 3 As liquified iron, poured (into a mould), takes the form of the mould, know that the entrance of Jiva into the foetus is even such. As fire, entering a mass of iron, heats it greatly, do thou know that the manifestation of Jiva in the foetus is such. As a lamp, burning in a room, discovers (all things within it), after the
p. 30
same manner mind discovers the different limbs of the body. 1 Whatever acts, good or bad, Jiva does in a former body, have certainly to be enjoyed or endured by him. By such enjoyment and endurance former acts are exhausted, and other acts, again, accumulate, till Jiva succeed in acquiring a knowledge of the duties included in that contemplation which leads to Emancipation. Regarding this, I shall tell thee those acts by which Jiva, O best of men, while coursing through a repeated round of re-births, becomes happy, Gifts, observances of austerity, Brahmacharyya, bearing Brahman according to the ordinances laid down, self-restraint, tranquillity, compassion for all creatures, restraint of passions, abstentions from cruelty as also from appropriating what belongs to others, refraining from doing even mentally all acts that are false and injurious to living creatures on the Earth, reverently serving mother and father, honouring deities and guests, worship of preceptors, pity, purity, constant restraint of all organs, and causing of all good acts, are said to constitute the conduct of the good. From observance of such conduct, arises Righteousness which protects all creatures eternally. Such conduct one would always behold among persons that are good. Verily, such conduct resides there eternally. That course of practices to which persons of tranquil souls adhere indicates Righteousness. Among them is thrown that course of practices which constitutes eternal Righteousness. He who would betake himself to that Righteousness would never have to attain to a miserable end. It is by the conduct of the good that the world is restrained in the paths of Righteousness when it falls away. He that is a Yogin is Emancipated, and is, therefore, distinguished above these (viz., the good). 2 Deliverance from the world takes place, after a long time, of one who acts righteously and well on every occasion as he should. A living creature thus always meets with the acts done by him in a former life. All these acts constitute the cause in consequence of which he comes into this world in a state different from his true form. 3 There is a doubt in the world as regards the question. By what was the acceptance (by Jiva) of a body first determined. The Grandsire of all the worlds, viz., Brahma having first formed a body of his own, then created the three worlds, in their entirety, of mobile and immobile creatures. Having first himself assumed a body, he then created Pradhana. That Pradhana is the material cause of all embodied creatures, by whom is all this covered and whom all came to know as the highest. This that is seen is said to be destructible; while the other is immortal and indestructible. This that (is seen) is said to be Kshara (the destructible); that, however, which is Para (the other) is the Immortal, (as also) Akshara (the Indestructible). Of each Purusha taken distributively, the whole is duality among these three. 4 Seen first (to appear in an embodied form)
p. 31
[paragraph continues] Prajapati (then) created all the primal elements and all immobile creatures. Even this is the ancient audition. Of that (acceptance of body), the Grandsire ordained a limit in respect of time, and migrations among diverse creatures and return or rebirth. All that I say is proper and correct, like to what a person who is endued with intelligence and who has seen his soul, would say on this topic of previous births. 1 That person who looks upon pleasure and pain as inconstant, which, indeed, is the correct view, who regards the body as an unholy conglomeration, and destruction as ordained in action, and who remembers that what little of pleasure there is, is really all pain, will succeed in crossing this terrible ocean of worldly migration that is so difficult to cross. Though assailed by decrepitude and death and disease, he that understands Pradhana beholds with all equal eye that Consciousness which dwells in all beings endued with consciousness. Seeking the supreme seat, he then becomes utterly indifferent to all (other) things. O best of men, I shall now impart instruction to thee, agreeably to truth, concerning this. Do thou, O learned Brahmana, understand in completeness that which constitutes the excellent knowledge, as I declare it, of that indestructible seat.--'"

---

Footnotes

29:1 Pachante is phalam prayachhanti.
29:2 Nilakantha explains this verse in a different way. According to him it means,--'in consequence of his subtlety and imperceptibility, Jiva does not become attached to anything. For this reason, one possessed of a knowledge of Brahman, having become cognisant of Brahman and attained the great object of his desire, succeeds in becoming so (i.e., dissociated from all things). This interpretation seems to be a little far-fetched.
29:3 Chetasa indicates upadhibhutena, for previously, Jiva was without upadhi. Pranasthaneshu implies Indriyagolokeshu or those vital parts which constitute the seats of the senses. Chetana does not, I think, mean 'consciousness.' It implies mind.
30:1 Causes them to grow. I do not follow Nilakantha here.
30:2 Nilakantha points out that one of the cha's indicates the reason or cause. Hence, the use of 'therefore' in the text.
30:3 Vikrita does not necessarily mean degraded. It implies 'changed or altered.' Jiva, who is pure and immaculate, takes birth in this world, failing away from his true status of Brahman owing to his acts. Acts, again, are eternal, no beginning being conceivable.
30:4 Parantwa-maritam-aksharam indicates two things, viz., Amritam and Aksharam. The p. 31 first line speaks of Kshara, or the material case, or body; then of that which is para or other. This other is of two kinds, viz., Amritam or suddha-chaitanyam, implying Brahman in its condition of purity; and Aksharamt or Jiva as existing in the material case. In the second line, trayanam refers to Kshara, Amrita, and Akshara. Mithunam is duality, referring to that which is composed of Kshara and Akshara. What is stated in this verse is that every Purusha is a duality, made up of Kshara and Akshara. Telang gives a different version of the verse. He ignores the word trayanam totally, and takes Mithunam as implying a couple (male and female). All the texts I have seen contain trayanam.
31:1 Atra purvajamnani (vishaye) yatha kaschit Medhavi etc., (vadet). seems to be the correct order of the words. Telang translates the first line differently.

 Book 14
Chapter 19

 

 

 

 1 [br]
      yaḥ syād ekāyane līnas tūṣṇīṃ kiṃ cid acintayan
      pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ parityajya sa nirārambhako bhavet
  2 sarvamitraḥ sarvasahaḥ samarakto jitendriyaḥ
      vyapetabhayamanyuś ca kāmahā mucyate naraḥ
  3 ātmavat sarvabhūteṣu yaś caren niyataḥ śuciḥ
      amānī nirabhīmānaḥ sarvato mukta eva saḥ
  4 jīvitaṃ maraṇaṃ cobhe sukhaduḥkhe tathaiva ca
      lābhālābhe priya dveṣye yaḥ samaḥ sa ca mucyate
  5 na kasya cit spṛhayate nāvajānāti kiṃ cana
      nirdvaṃdvo vītarāgātmā sarvato mukta eva saḥ
  6 anamitro 'tha nirbandhur anapatyaś ca yaḥ kva cit
      tyaktadharmārthakāmaś ca nirākāṅkṣī sa mucyate
  7 naiva dharmī na cādharmī pūrvopacitahā ca yaḥ
      dhātukṣayapraśāntātmā nirdvaṃdvaḥ sa vimucyate
  8 akarmā cāvikāṅkṣaś ca paśyañ jagad aśāśvatam
      asvastham avaśaṃ nityaṃ janma saṃsāramohitam
  9 vairāgya buddhiḥ satataṃ tāpadoṣavyapekṣakaḥ
      ātmabandhavinirmokṣaṃ sa karoty acirād iva
  10 agandha rasam asparśam aśabdam aparigraham
     arūpam anabhijñeyaṃ dṛṣṭvātmānaṃ vimucyate
 11 pañca bhūtaguṇair hīnam amūrti madalepakam
     aguṇaṃ guṇabhoktāraṃ yaḥ paśyati sa mucyate
 12 vihāya sarvasaṃkalpān buddhyā śārīra mānasān
     śanair nirvāṇam āpnoti nirindhana ivānalaḥ
 13 vimuktaḥ sarvasaṃskārais tato brahma sanātanam
     param āpnoti saṃśāntam acalaṃ divyam akṣaram
 14 ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi yogaśāstram anuttamam
     yaj jñātvā siddham ātmānaṃ loke paśyanti yoginaḥ
 15 tasyopadeśaṃ paśyāmi yathāvat tan nibodha me
     yair dvāraiś cārayan nityaṃ paśyaty ātmānam ātmani
 16 indriyāṇi tu saṃhṛtya mana ātmani dhārayet
     tīvraṃ taptvā tapaḥ pūrvaṃ tato yoktum upakramet
 17 tapasvī tyaktasaṃkalpo dambhāhaṃkāravarjitaḥ
     manīṣī manasā vipraḥ paśyaty ātmānam ātmani
 18 sa cec chaknoty ayaṃ sādhur yoktum ātmānam ātmani
     tata ekāntaśīlaḥ sa paśyaty ātmānam ātmani
 19 saṃyataḥ satataṃ yukta ātmavān vijitendriyaḥ
     tathāyam ātmanātmānaṃ sādhu yuktaḥ prapaśyati
 20 yathā hi puruṣaḥ svapne dṛṣṭvā paśyaty asāv iti
     tathārūpam ivātmānaṃ sādhu yuktaḥ prapaśyati
 21 iṣīkāṃ vā yathā muñjāt kaś cin nirhṛtya darśayet
     yogī niṣkṛṣṭam ātmānaṃ yathā saṃpaśyate tanau
 22 muñjaṃ śarīraṃ tasyāhur iṣīkām ātmani śritām
     etan nidarśanaṃ proktaṃ yogavidbhir anuttamam
 23 yadā hi yuktam ātmānaṃ samyak paśyati dehabhṛt
     tadāsya neśate kaś cit trailokyasyāpi yaḥ prabhuḥ
 24 anyonyāś caiva tanavo yatheṣṭaṃ pratipadyate
     vinivṛtya jarāmṛtyū na hṛṣyati na śocati
 25 devānām api devatvaṃ yuktaḥ kārayate vaśī
     brahma cāvyayam āpnoti hitvā deham aśāśvatam
 26 vinaśyatṣv api lokeṣu na bhayaṃ tasya jāyate
     kliśyamāneṣu bhūteṣu na sa kliśyati kena cit
 27 duḥkhaśokamayair ghoraiḥ saṅgasneha samudbhavaiḥ
     na vicālyeta yuktātmā nispṛhaḥ śāntamānasaḥ
 28 nainaṃ śastrāṇi vidhyante na mṛtyuś cāsya vidyate
     nātaḥ sukhataraṃ kiṃ cil loke kva cana vidyate
 29 samyag yuktvā yadātmānam ātmay eva prapaśyati
     tadaiva na spṛhayate sākṣād api śatakratoḥ
 30 nirvedas tu na gantavyo yuñjānena kathaṃ cana
     yogam ekāntaśīlas tu yathā yuñjīta tac chṛṇu
 31 dṛṣṭapūrvā diśaṃ cintya yasmin saṃnivaset pure
     purasyābhyantare tasya manaś cāyaṃ na bāhyataḥ
 32 purasyābhyantare tiṣṭhan yasminn āvasathe vaset
     tasminn āvasathe dhāryaṃ sa bāhyābhyantaraṃ manaḥ
 33 pracintyāvasathaṃ kṛtsnaṃ yasmin kāye 'vatiṣṭhate
     tasmin kāye manaś cāryaṃ na kathaṃ cana bāhyataḥ
 34 saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ nirghoṣe nirjane vane
     kāyam abhyantaraṃ kṛtsnam ekāgraḥ paricintayet
 35 dantāṃs tālu ca jihvāṃ ca galaṃ grīvāṃ tathaiva ca
     hṛdayaṃ cintayec cāpi tathā hṛdayabandhanam
 36 ity uktaḥ sa mayā śiṣyo medhāvī madhusūdana
     papraccha punar evemaṃ mokṣadharmaṃ sudurvacam
 37 bhuktaṃ bhuktaṃ katham idam annaṃ koṣṭhe vipacyate
     kathaṃ rasatvaṃ vrajati śoṇitaṃ jāyate katham
     tathā māṃsaṃ ca medaś ca snāyv asthīni ca poṣati
 38 katham etāni sarvāṇi śarīrāṇi śarīriṇām
     vardhante vardhamānasya vardhate ca kathaṃ balam
     nirojasāṃ niṣkramaṇaṃ malānāṃ ca pṛthak pṛthak
 39 kuto vāyaṃ praśvasiti ucchvasity api vā punaḥ
     kaṃ ca deśam adhiṣṭhāya tiṣṭhaty ātmāyam ātmani
 40 jīvaḥ kāyaṃ vahati cec ceṣṭayānaḥ kalevaram
     kiṃ varṇaṃ kīdṛśaṃ caiva niveśayati vai manaḥ
     yāthātathyena bhagavan vaktum arhasi me 'nagha
 41 iti saṃparipṛṣṭo 'haṃ tena vipreṇa mādhava
     pratyabruvaṃ mahābāho yathā śrutam ariṃdama
 42 yathā svakoṣṭhe prakṣipya koṣṭhaṃ bhāṇḍa manā bhavet
     tathā svakāye prakṣipya mano dvārair aniścalaiḥ
     ātmānaṃ tatra mārgeta pramādaṃ parivarjayet
 43 evaṃ satatam udyuktaḥ prītātmā nacirād iva
     āsādayati tad brahma yad dṛṣṭvā syāt pradhānavit
 44 na tv asau cakṣuṣā grāhyo na ca sarvair apīndriyaiḥ
     manasaiva pradīpena mahān ātmani dṛśyate
 45 sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ taṃ sarvato 'kṣiśiromukham
     jīvo niṣkrāntam ātmānaṃ śarīrāt saṃprapaśyati
 46 sa tad utsṛjya dehaṃ svaṃ dhārayan brahma kevalam
     ātmānam ālokayati manasā prahasann iva
 47 idaṃ sarvarahasyaṃ te mayoktaṃ dvijasattama
     āpṛcche sādhayiṣyāmi gaccha śiṣyayathāsukham
 48 ity uktaḥ sa tadā kṛṣṇa mayā śiṣyo mahātapāḥ
     agacchata yathākāmaṃ brāhmaṇaś chinnasaṃśayaḥ
 49 [vā]
     ity uktvā sa tadā vākyaṃ māṃ pārtha dvijapuṃgavaḥ
     mokṣadharmāśritaḥ samyak tatraivāntaradhīyata
 50 kac cid etat tvayā pārtha śrutam ekāgracetasā
     tadāpi hi rathasthas tvaṃ śrutavān etad eva hi
 51 naitat pārtha suvijñeyaṃ vyāmiśreṇeti me matiḥ
     nareṇākṛta saṃjñena vidagdhenākṛtātmanā
 52 surahasyam idaṃ proktaṃ devānāṃ bharatarṣabha
     kac cin nedaṃ śrutaṃ pārtha martyenānyena kena cit
 53 na hy etac chrotum arho 'nyo manuṣyas tvām ṛte 'nagha
     naitad adya suvijñeyaṃ vyāmiśreṇāntar ātmanā
 54 kriyāvadbhir hi kaunteya devalokaḥ samāvṛtaḥ
     na caitad iṣṭaṃ devānāṃ martyai rūpanivartanam
 55 parā hi sā gatiḥ pārtha yat tad brahma sanātanam
     yatrāmṛtatvaṃ prāpnoti tyaktvā duḥkhaṃ sadā sukhī
 56 evaṃ hi dharmam āsthāya yo 'pi syuḥ pāpayonayaḥ
     striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṃ gatim
 57 kiṃ punar brāhmaṇāḥ pārtha kṣatriyā vā bahuśrutāḥ
     svadharmaratayo nityaṃ brahmalokaparāyaṇāḥ
 58 hetumac caitad uddiṣṭam upāyāś cāsya sādhane
     siddheḥ phalaṃ ca mokṣaś ca duḥkhasya ca vinirṇayaḥ
     ataḥ paraṃ sukhaṃ tv anyat kiṃ nu syād bharatarṣabha
 59 śrutavāñ śraddadhānaś ca parākrāntaś ca pāṇḍava
     yaḥ parityajate martyo lokatantram asāravat
     etair upāyaiḥ sa kṣipraṃ parāṃ gatim avāpnuyāt
 60 etāvad eva vaktavyaṃ nāto bhūyo 'sti kiṃ cana
     ṣaṇ māsān nityayuktasya yogaḥ pārtha pravartate

SECTION XIX

"--The Brahmana said, 'He who becomes absorbed in the one receptacle (of all things), freeing himself from even the thought of his own identity with all things,--indeed, ceasing to think of even his own existence,--gradually casting off one after another, will succeed in crossing his bonds. 2 That man who is the friend of all, who endures all, who is attached to tranquillity, who has conquered all his senses, who is divested of fear and wrath, and who is of restrained soul. succeeds in emancipating himself. He who behaves towards all creatures as towards himself, who is restrained, pure, free from vanity and divested of egoism is regarded as emancipated from everything. He also is
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emancipated who looks with an equal eye upon life and death, pleasure and pain, gain and loss, agreeable and disagreeable. He is in every way emancipated who does not covet what belongs to others, who never disregards any body, who transcends all pairs of opposites, and whose soul is free from attachment. He is emancipated who has no enemy, no kinsman, and no child, who has cast off religion, wealth, and pleasure, and who is freed from desire or cupidity. He becomes emancipated who acquires neither merit nor demerit, who casts off the merits and demerits accumulated in previous births, who wastes the elements of his body for attaining to a tranquillised soul, and who transcends all pairs of opposites. He who abstains from all acts, who is free from desire or cupidity, who looks upon the universe as unenduring or as like an Aswattha tree, ever endued with birth, death and decrepitude, whose understanding is fixed on renunciation, and whose eyes are always directed towards his own faults, soon succeeds in emancipating himself from the bonds that bind him. 1 He that sees his soul void of smell, of taste and touch, of sound, of belongings, of vision, and unknowable, becomes emancipated. 2 He who sees his soul devoid of the attributes of the five elements to be without form and cause, to be really destitute of attributes though enjoying them, becomes emancipated. 3 Abandoning, with the aid of the understanding, all purposes relating to body and mind, one gradually attains to cessation of separate existence, like a fire unfed with fuel. 4 One who is freed from all impressions, who transcends all pairs of opposites, who is destitute of all belongings, and who uses all his senses under the guidance of penances, becomes emancipated. 5 Having become freed from all impressions, one then attains to Brahma which is Eternal and supreme, and tranquil, and stable, and enduring, and indestructible. After this I shall declare the science of Yoga to which there is nothing superior, and how Yogins, by concentration, behold the perfect soul. 6 I shall declare the instructions regarding it duly. Do thou learn from me those doors by which directing the soul within the body one beholds that which is without beginning and end. 7 Withdrawing the senses from their objects, one should fix the mind upon the soul; having previously undergone the severest austerities, one should practise that concentration of mind which leads to
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[paragraph continues] Emancipation. 1 Observant of penances and always practising concentration of mind, the learned Brahmana, endued with intelligence, should observe the precepts of the science of Yoga, beholding the soul in the body. If the good man succeeds in concentrating the mind on the soul, he then, habituated to exclusive meditation, beholds the Supreme soul in his own soul. Self-restrained, and always concentrated, and with all his senses completely conquered, the man of cleansed soul, in consequence of such complete concentration of mind, succeeds in beholding the soul by the soul. As a person beholding some unseen individual in a dream recognises him, saying,--This is he,--when he sees him after waking, after the same manner the good man having seen the Supreme Soul in the deep contemplation of Samadhi recognises it upon waking from Samadhi. 2 As one beholds the fibrous pith after extracting it from a blade of the Saccharum Munja, even so the Yogin beholds the soul, extracting it from the body. The body has been called the Saccharum Munja, and the fibrous pith is said to stand for the soul. This is the excellent illustration propounded by persons conversant with Yoga. When the bearer of a body adequately beholds the soul in Yoga, he then has no one that is master over him, for he then becomes the lord of the three worlds. 3 He succeeds in assuming diverse bodies according as he wishes. Turning away decrepitude and death, he neither grieves nor exults. The self-restrained man, concentrated in Yoga, can create (for himself) the godship of the very gods. Casting off his transient body he attains to immutable Brahma. 4 No fear springs up in him at even the sight of all creatures falling victims to destruction (before his eyes). When all creatures are afflicted,--he can never be afflicted by any one. Devoid of desire and possessed of a tranquil mind, the person in Yoga is never shaken by pain and sorrow and fear, the terrible effects that flow from attachment and affection. Weapons never pierce him; death does not exist for him. Nowhere in the world can be seen any one that is happier than he. Having adequately concentrated his soul, he lives steadily on himself. Turning off decrepitude and pain and pleasure, he sleeps in comfort. Casting off this human body he attains to (other) forms according to his pleasure. While one is enjoying the sovereignty that Yoga bestows, one should never fall away from devotion to Yoga. 5 When one, after adequate devotion to Yoga, beholds the Soul in
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oneself, one then ceases to have any regard for even him of a hundred sacrifices (Indra). 1 Hear now how one, habituating oneself to exclusive meditation, succeeds in attaining to Yoga. Thinking of that point of the compass which has the Sun behind it, the mind should be fixed, not outside, but in the interior of that mansion in which one may happen to live. Residing within that mansion, the mind should then, with all its outward and inward (operations), behold in that particular room in which one may stay. At that time when, having deeply meditated, one beholds the All (viz., Brahman, the Soul of the universe), there is then nothing external to Brahman where the mind may dwell. Restraining all the senses in a forest that is free from noise and that is uninhabited, with mind fixed thereon, one should meditate on the All (or universal Brahman) both outside and inside one's body. One should meditate on the teeth, the palate, the tongue, the throat, the neck likewise; one should also meditate on the heart and the ligatures of the heart! 2
"The Brahmana continued, 'Thus addressed by me, that intelligent disciple, O slayer of Madhu, once more asked me about this religion of Emancipation that is so difficult to explain. How does this food that is eaten from time to time become digested in the stomach? How does it become transformed into juice? How, again, into blood? How does it nourish the flesh, the marrow, the sinews, the bones? How do all these limbs of embodied creatures grow? How does the strength grow of the growing man? How occurs the escape of all such elements as are not nutritive, and of all impurities separately? How does this one inhale and again, exhale? Staying upon what particular part does the Soul dwell in the body? How does Jiva, exerting himself, bear the body? Of what colour and of what kind is the body in which he dwells again (leaving a particular body)? O holy one, it behoveth thee to tell me all this accurately, O sinless one,--even thus was I interrogated by that learned Brahmana, O Madhava. I replied unto him, O thou of mighty arms, after the manner I myself had heard, O chastiser of all foes. As one placing some
p. 35
precious object in one's store-room should keep one's mind on it, so, placing the mind within one's own body, one should then, restraining all the senses, seek after the Soul, avoiding all heedlessness. One would, becoming always assiduous in this way and gratified with one's own self, within a very short time attain to that Brahma by beholding which one would become conversant with Pradhana. 1 He is not capable of being seized by the eye; nor even by all the senses. 2 It is only with the lamp of the mind that great Soul can be seen. He has hands and feet on all sides; he has ears on all sides; he dwells, pervading all things in the world. 3 Jiva beholds the Soul as extracted from the body (like the stalk from a blade of Saccharum Munja, when knowledge comes). Then casting off Brahma as invested with form, by holding the mind in the body, he beholds Brahma as freed from all attributes. 4 He sees the Soul with his mind, smiling as it were at the time. Depending upon that Brahma, he then attains to Emancipation in me. 5 O foremost of regenerate ones, all this mystery has now been declared by me. I ask thy permission, for I shall leave this spot. Do thou (also) go withersoever thou pleasest. Thus addressed by me, O Krishna, on that occasion, that disciple of mine, endued with austere penances, that Brahmana of rigid vows, went away according to his pleasure.
"Vasudeva continued, 'That best of Brahmanas, O son of Pritha, having said these words unto me, on that occasion, properly relating to the religion of Emancipation, disappeared then and there. Has this discourse been heard by thee, O son of Pritha, with mind directed solely towards it? Even this was what thou didst hear on that occasion while thou wert on thy car. It is my opinion, O son of Pritha, that this is difficult of being comprehended by one whose understanding is confused, or who has acquired no wisdom by study, or who eats food incompatible with his body, or whose Soul is not purified. 6 O chief of Bharata's race, this is a great mystery among the deities that has been declared (to thee). At no time or place, O son of Pritha, has this been heard by man in this world. O sinless one, no other man than thyself is deserving of hearing it. It is not, at this time, capable of being easily understood by one whose inner soul is confused. The world of the deities is filled, O son of Kunti, with those who follow the religion of actions. The cessation of the mortal
p. 36
form (by practising the religion of inaction) is not agreeable to the deities. 1 That goal, O son of Pritha, is the highest which is constituted by eternal Brahman where one, casting off the body, attains to immortality and becomes always happy. By adhering to this religion, even they who axe of sinful birth, such as women and Vaisyas and Sudras, attain to the highest goal. What need be said then, O son of Pritha, of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas possessed of great learning, always devoted to the duties of their own orders and who are intent on (the acquisition of) the region of Brahma? This has been laid down with the reasons (on which it rests); and also the means for its acquisition; and its complete attainment and fruit, viz., Emancipation and the ascertainment of the truth regarding pain. O chief of Bharata's race, there is nothing else that is fraught with happiness greater than this. That mortal, O son of Pandu, who, endued with intelligence, and faith, and prowess, renounces as unsubstantial what is regarded as substantial by the world, succeeds within a short time in obtaining the Supreme by these means. This is all that is to be said,--there is nothing else that is higher than this. Yoga takes place in his case, O son of Pritha, who devotes himself to its constant practice for a period of six months.'"

---

Footnotes

31:2 Ekayana is the one receptacle of all things, viz., Brahman. Tushni implies ahamevedam sarvamasmityabhimanamapyakurvan i.e., 'without even retaining the consciousness of his own identity with everything.' Kinchikachintayan--i.e., not even thinking that he is existing. Purvam purvam parityajya implies the gradual merging of the grosser in the subtler. i.e., the successive stages of Yoga before absorption into Brahman. I follow Nilakantha.
32:1 The first half of the second line of 8 is read differently in the Bengal texts. Aswasthamavasam mudham implies 'without ease or happiness, endued with slavery and ignorance.'
32:2 The Soul being destitute of these becomes Chinmatra, i.e., a pure Chit without the attributes superinduced upon it by Ne-science or ignorance.
32:3 Formlessness implies subtlety. 'Without cause' implies increate or as identical with eternal Brahman. Dissociation from attributes while enjoying them implies an emancipate condition.
32:4 Nirvana, according to orthodox commentators, implies the annihilation or cessation of separate or individual existence by absorption into universal and eternal Brahman.
32:5 The impressions caused by objects outside self are destroyed by those belonging to contemplation. The latter, again, should be destroyed before absorption into Brahman can occur.
32:6 Siddham is explained as 'destitute of the errors due to Ne-science.'
32:7 Attnanam is Chittam; atmani is dehe; charayan is antarmukham kritwa; nityam is adyantasunyam. So Nilakantha.
33:1 'Fixing the mind upon the soul' is that concentration which leads to Emancipation. This becomes possible in consequence of severe austerities undergone previously.
33:2 I expand the verse a little to make it intelligible. The sense is this: having seen the supreme Soul in Samadhi, upon awaking from it, he recognises it in the universe, i.e., regards the universe to be nothing else than the Supreme Soul.
33:3 This may also mean 'he has none superior to him; not even he that is the Lord of the universe.'
33:4 The first line seems to be doubtful. The sense, as I understand it, is,--such a person becomes the god of the very gods. The causal verb karayate may be taken as equivalent to karoti.
33:5 I follow Nilakantha in rendering the second line. The sense is clear, viz., that one should not fall away from the practice of Yoga, tempted by the puissance that Yoga brings. Telang renders the line 'one practising concentration should never become despondent.' I think, Nilakantha is right.
34:1 Nilakantha notes that this indicates that only that Yogin who has not advanced much may be tempted by the desire of enjoyment. He, however, who has adequately devoted himself to Yoga feels no regard for Indra himself but can turn him away like Diogenes dismissing Alexander the Great.
34:2 I have endeavoured to render verses 33 to 37 as literally as possible, under the guide of Nilakantha, omitting his inferences. The passage relates to the mysteries of Yoga. In the second line of 33, drishtapurvam disam, which has been rendered 'that point of the compass which has the Sun behind it,' means the instructions laid down in the Vedanta as based upon Srutis. Drishtam implies 'Sruti', for it is as authoritative as anything seen. 'Pura' implies a city, a citadel, or a mansion. Here it refers to the body. The avasatha within the pura refers to the chakra or nervous centres beginning with what is called the muladhara. At the time when Brahman is realised, the whole universe appears as Brahman and so nothing exists, besides Brahman, upon which the mind can then dwell. Telang, I think, is not correct in rendering manaschasya ... vahyatah as 'his mind should not any way wander outside'. The correct version would 'the mind is then nowhere,' implying that at that time the mind has nothing else to dwell upon. Kayamabhyantaram is kayamabhi and antaram, i.e., both within and without the body. The several parts of the body named, beginning with teeth, etc, refer to eating and other operations, all of which influence the mind and dispose it for purity and otherwise.
35:1 i.e., that from which the entire universe has been created.
35:2 Probably, 'by any of the senses'. The plural form occurs in the original.
35:3 This answers the questions respecting the form of the Soul, says Nilakantha.
35:4 I render this verse, following Nilakantha's gloss. The second line of 50, according to that commentator, refers to the ascension of the Yogin from Brahma vested with attributes to Brahma divested of all attributes. The tam does not refer to body, as Telang takes it, but to Brahma as endued with hands and feet on all sides, etc. Deheswam dharayan means 'restraining the mind within the body'. Kevalam Brahma is Brahma without attributes.
35:5 The speaker here is the regenerate visitor of Krishna. The latter is repeating the words of that visitor. In this verse, Krishna, forgetting that he is merely reciting the words of another, refers to himself as the Supreme Brahman in whom one must merge for attaining to Emancipation.
35:6 The second line of 56 is read variously.
36:1 Heaven is the reward of those who follow the religion of Pravritti or acts, such as sacrifices, religious observances, etc. The followers, however, of the religion of Nivritti or inaction, i.e., they who betake themselves to the path of knowledge, become emancipated. The deities derive their sustenance from the former and become even jealous of the latter, for the emancipate state is higher than that of the deities themselves.

 

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 20

 

 

 

1 [vā]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      dampatyoḥ pārtha saṃvādam abhayaṃ nāma nāmataḥ
  2 brāhmaṇī brāhmaṇaṃ kaṃ cij jñānavijñānapāragam
      dṛṣṭvā vivikta āsīnaṃ bhāryā bhartāram abravīt
  3 kaṃ nu lokaṃ gamiṣyāmi tvām ahaṃ patim āśritā
      nyastakarmāṇam āsīnaṃ kīnāśam avicakṣaṇam
  4 bhāryāḥ patikṛtāṁl lokān āpnuvantīti naḥ śrutam
      tvām ahaṃ patim āsādya kāṃ gamiṣyāmi vai gatim
  5 evam uktaḥ sa śāntātmā tām uvāca hasann iva
      subhage nābhyasūyāmi vākyasyāsya tavānaghe
  6 grāhyaṃ dṛśyaṃ ca śrāvyaṃ ca yad idaṃ karma vidyate
      etad eva vyavasyanti karma karmeti karmiṇaḥ
  7 moham eva niyacchanti karmaṇā jñānavarjitāḥ
      naiṣkarmyaṃ na ca loke 'smin maurtam ity upalabhyate
  8 karmaṇā manasā vācā śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham
      janmādi mūrti bhedānāṃ karma bhūteṣu vartate
  9 rakṣobhir vadhyamāneṣu dṛśyadravyeṣu karmasu
      ātmastham ātmanā tena dṛṣṭam āyatanaṃ mayā
  10 yatra tad brahma nirdvaṃdvaṃ yatra somaḥ sahāgninā
     vyavāyaṃ kurute nityaṃ dhīro bhūtāni dhārayan
 11 yatra brahmādayo yuktās tad akṣaram upāsate
     vidvāṃsaḥ suvratā yatra śāntātmāno jitendriyāḥ
 12 ghrāṇena na tad āghreyaṃ na tad ādyam ca jihvayā
     sparśena ca na tat spṛśyaṃ manasā tv eva gamyate
 13 cakṣuṣā na viṣahyaṃ ca yat kiṃ cic chravaṇāt param
     agandham arasa sparśam arūpāśabdam avyayam
 14 yataḥ pravartate tantraṃ yatra ca pratitiṣṭhati
     prāṇo 'pānaḥ samānaś ca vyānaś codāna eva ca
 15 tata eva pravartante tam eva praviśanti ca
     samānavyānayor madhye prāṇāpānau viceratuḥ
 16 tasmin supte pralīyete samāno vyāna eva ca
     apāna prāṇayor madhye udāno vyāpya tiṣṭhati
     tasmāc chayānaṃ puruṣaṃ prāṇāpānau na muñcataḥ
 17 prāṇān āyamyate yena tad udānaṃ pracakṣate
     tasmāt tapo vyavasyanti tad bhavaṃ brahmavādinaḥ
 18 teṣām anyonyabhakṣāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ deva cāriṇām
     agnir vaiśvānaro madhye saptadhā vihito 'ntarā
 19 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca tvak ca śrotraṃ ca pañcamam
     mano buddhiś ca saptaitā jihvā vaiśvānarārciṣaḥ
 20 ghreyaṃ peyaṃ ca dṛśyaṃ ca spṛśyaṃ śravyaṃ tathaiva ca
     mantavyam atha boddhavyaṃ tāḥ sapta samidho mama
 21 ghrātā bhakṣayitā draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā ca pañcamaḥ
     mantā boddhā ca saptaite bhavanti paramartvijaḥ
 22 ghreye peye ca deśye ca spṛśye śravye tathaiva ca
     havīṃṣy agniṣu hotāraḥ saptadhā sapta saptasu
     samyak prakṣipya vidvāṃso janayanti svayoniṣu
 23 pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo jyotiś ca pañcamam
     mano buddhiś ca saptaita yonir ity eva śabditāḥ
 24 havir bhūtā guṇāḥ sarve praviśanty agnijaṃ mukham
     antar vāsam uṣitvā ca jāyante svāsu yoniṣu
     tatraiva ca nirudhyante pralaye bhūtabhāvane
 25 tataḥ saṃjāyate gandhas tataḥ saṃjāyate rasaḥ
     tataḥ saṃjāyate rūpaṃ tataḥ sparśo 'bhijāyate
 26 tataḥ saṃjāyate śabdaḥ saṃśayas tatra jāyate
     tataḥ saṃjāyate niṣṭhā janmaitat saptadhā viduḥ
 27 anenaiva prakāreṇa pragṛhītaṃ purātanaiḥ
     pūrṇāhutibhir āpūrṇās te 'bhipūryanti tejasā

 

SECTION XX

"Vasudeva said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient narrative, O son of Pritha, of the discourse that took place between a married couple. A certain Brahmana's spouse, beholding the Brahmana, her husband who was a complete master of every kind of knowledge and wisdom, seated in seclusion, said unto him,--Into what region shall I go, depending on thee as my husband,--thee that art seated, having cast off all (religious) acts, that art harsh in thy conduct towards me, and that art so undiscerning? 2 It has been heard by us that a wife attains to those regions which are acquired by her husband. What, indeed, is the goal that I shall attain, having obtained thee for my husband?--Thus questioned, that Brahmana of tranquil soul then said unto her, smilingly,--O blessed dame, I am not offended with these words of thine, O sinless one. Whatever acts exist that are adopted with the aid of others, that are seen (in consequence of their grossness), and that are true, are done as acts by men
p. 37
devoted to acts. 1 Those persons that are destitute of knowledge, only store delusion by acts. Freedom from acts, again, is incapable of being attained in this world for even a moment. From birth to the attainment of a different form, action good or bad, and accomplished by acts, mind, or speech, exists in all beings. Those paths (of action) which are characterised by visible objects (such as Soma-juice and ghee for libations) being destroyed by Rakshasas, turning away from them I have perceived the seat (of the soul) that is in the body, without the aid of the soul. 2 There dwells Brahma transcending all pairs of opposites; there Soma with Agni: and there the urger of the understanding (viz., Vayu) always moves, upholding all creatures. 3 It is for that seat that the Grandsire Brahman and others, concentrated in Yoga, worship the Indestructible. It is for that seat that men of learning and excellent vows, of tranquil souls, and of senses completely vanquished, strive. 4 That is not capable of being smelt by the sense of smell; nor tasted by the tongue; or touched by the organs of touch. It is by the mind that that is attained. It is incapable of being conquered by the eye. It transcends the sense of hearing. It is destitute of scent, taste, touch, and form as attributes. It is that from which proceeds the well-ordained universe, and it is that upon which it rests. The life-breaths called Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana and Udana flow from it, and it is that into which they again enter. The breaths Prana and Apana move between Samana and Vyana. When the soul sleeps, both Samana and Vyana are absorbed. 5 Between Apana and Prana, Udana dwells, pervading all. Hence, Prana and Apana do not desert a sleeping person. In consequence of its controlling all the life-winds, the controlling breath is called Udana. Hence, utterers of Brahman undergo penances which have myself for their goal. 6 In the midst of all those life-breaths that swallow up one another and move within the body, blazes forth the fire called Vaiswanara made up of seven flames. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear which numbers the fifth, the mind, and the understanding,--these are the seven tongues of that Vaiswanara's flame. That which is smelt, that which is seen, that which is drunk, that which is touched, as also that which is heard, that
p. 38
which is thought of, and that which is understood,--these are the seven sorts of fuel for me. That which smells, that which eats, that which sees, that which touches, that which hears numbering the fifth; that which thinks, and that which understands,--these are the seven great officiating priests. Behold, O blessed one, learned sacrificers duly casting seven libations in seven ways in the seven fires, viz., that which is smelt, that which is drunk, that which is seen, that which is touched, as also that which is heard, that which is thought of, and that which is understood, create them in their own wombs. 1 Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, and Light numbering as the fifth, Mind, and Understanding--these seven are called wombs (of all things). All the attributes which constitute the sacrificial offerings, enter into the attribute that is born of the fire, and having dwelt within that dwelling became reborn in their respective wombs. Thither also, viz., in that which generates all beings, they remain absorbed during the period for which dissolution lasts. From that is produced smell, from that is produced taste, from that is produced colour, and from that is produced touch; from that is produced sound; from that arises doubt; and from that is produced resolution. This is what is known as the sevenfold creation. It is in this very way that all this was comprehended by the ancients. By the three full and final libations, the full become full with light.'"

---

Footnotes

36:2 Avichakshanam is undiscerning, in the sense of the husband's not knowing that the interrogatrix as wife, has no other refuge than her lord with all his defects.
37:1 I follow Nilakantha. Telang adopts the views or Arjuna Misra and renders the first line as 'whatever acts are seized (by the touch, or seen, or heard, etc.') Grahyam, according to Nilakantha, implies those acts, like Diksha, etc, which are adopted with the aid of others.
37:2 This seat, says Nilakantha, is called Avimukta and lies between the eyebrows and the nose.
37:3 Nilakantha interprets this mystically. By Soma he understands the artery or duct called Ida, and by Agni the duct called Pingala. Dhira is Buddipreraka; vyavayam is sancharam. Dhirobhutani dharayan nityam vyavayam kurute is the order of the words. The sense is this: in this spot is seated Brahman; there Ida and Pingala meet; and there also is Vayu which urges the understanding and upholds all living creatures.
37:4 Yatra is not to be taken as a locative here. It is equivalent to yatah or for which.
37:5 Tasmin is taken, by Nilakantha as Apana sahite Prane.
37:6 Utkarshena anayati, hence Udana, says Nilakantha. The sense of the whole passage seems to be this. Worldly life is regulated by the life-breaths. These are attached to the Soul and lead to its individual manifestations. Udana controls all the breaths. Udana is controlled by penance. It is penance then that destroys the round of rebirths and leads to absorption into Brahman.

 

Book 14
Chapter 21

 

 

 

 1 [br]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      nibodha daśa hotṝṇāṃ vidhānam iha yādṛśam
  2 sarvam evātra vijñeyaṃ cittaṃ jñānam avekṣate
      retaḥ śarīrabhṛt kāye vijñātā tu śarīrabhṛt
  3 śarīrabhṛd gārhapatyas tasmād anyaḥ praṇīyate
      tataś cāhavanīyas tu tasmin saṃkṣipyate haviḥ
  4 tato vācaspatir jajñe samānaḥ paryavekṣate
      rūpaṃ bhavati vai vyaktaṃ tad anudravate manaḥ
  5 [brāhmaṇī]
      kasmād vāg abhavat pūrvaṃ kasmāt paścān mano 'bhavat
      manasā cintitaṃ vākyaṃ yadā samabhipadyate
  6 kena vijñānayogena matiś cittaṃ samāsthitā
      samunnītā nādhyagacchat ko vaināṃ pratiṣedhati
  7 [br]
      tām apānaḥ patir bhūtvā tasmāt preṣyaty apānatām
      tāṃ matiṃ manasaḥ prāhur manas tasmād avekṣate
  8 praśnaṃ tu vān manasor māṃ yasmāt tvam anupṛcchasi
      tasmāt te vartayiṣyāmi tayor eva samāhvayam
  9 ubhe vān manasī gatvā bhūtātmānam apṛcchatām
      āvayoḥ śreṣṭham ācakṣva chindhi nau saṃśayaṃ vibho
  10 mana ity eva bhagavāṃs tadā prāha sarasvatīm
     ahaṃ vai kāmadhuk tubhyam iti taṃ prāha vāg atha
 11 sthāvaraṃ jaṅgamaṃ caiva viddhy ubhe manasī mama
     sthāvaraṃ matsakāśe vai jaṅgamaṃ viṣaye tava
 12 yas tu te viṣayaṃ gacchen mantro varṇaḥ svaro 'pi vā
     tan mano jaṅgamaṃ nāma tasmād asi garīyasī
 13 yasmād asi ca mā vocaḥ svayam abhyetya śobhane
     tasmād ucchvāsam āsādya na vakṣyasi sarasvati
 14 prāṇāpānāntare devī vāg vai nityaṃ sma tiṣṭhati
     preryamāṇā mahābhāge vinā prāṇam apānatī
     prajāpatim upādhāvat prasīda bhagavann iti
 15 tataḥ prāṇaḥ prādurabhūd vācam āpyāyayan punaḥ
     tamād ucchvāsam āsādya na vāg vadati karhi cit
 16 ghoṣiṇī jātanirghoṣā nityam eva pravartate
     tayor api ca ghoṣiṇyor nirghoṣaiva garīyasī
 17 gaur iva prasravaty eṣā rasam uttamaśālinī
     satataṃ syandate hy eṣā śāśvataṃ brahmavādinī
 18 divyādivya prabhāvena bhāratī gauḥ śucismite
     etayor antaraṃ paśya sūkṣmayoḥ syandamānayoḥ
 19 anutpanneṣu vākyeṣu codyamānā sisṛkṣayā
     kiṃ nu pūrvaṃ tato devī vyājahāra sarasvatī
 20 prāṇena yā saṃbhavate śarīre; prāṇād apānampratipadyate ca
     udāna bhūtā ca visṛjya dehaṃ; vyānena sarvaṃ divam āvṛṇoti
 21 tataḥ samāne pratitiṣṭhatīha; ity eva pūrvaṃ prajajalpa cāpi
     tasmān manaḥ sthāvaratvād viśiṣṭaṃ; tathā devī jaṅgamatvād viśiṣṭā

 

SECTION XXI

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the following ancient story. Do thou understand, of what kind the institution is of the ten Hotris (sacrificing priests). The ear, the skin, the two eyes, the tongue, the nose, the two feet, the two hands, the genital organ, the lower duct, and speech,--these, O beautiful one, are the ten sacrificing priests. Sound and touch, colour and taste, scent, speech, action, motion, and the discharge of vital seed, of urine and of excreta, are the ten libations. The points of the compass, Quarters, Wind, Sun, Moon, Earth, Fire, Vishnu, Indra, Prajapati, and Mitra,--these, O beautiful one, are the ten (sacrificial) fires. The ten organs (of knowledge and action) are the sacrificing priests. The libations, O beautiful one, are ten. The objects of the senses are the fuel that are cast into these ten fires, 2 as also the mind, which is the ladle, and the wealth (viz., the good and bad acts of the
p. 39
sacrificer). What remains is the pure, highest knowledge. We have heard that all this universe was well differentiated (from Knowledge). All objects of knowledge are Mind. Knowledge only perceives (i.e., discovers the Mind without being attached to it). The knower (or Jiva), encased in subtle form, lives within the gross body that is produced by the vital seed. The bearer of the body is the Garhapatya fire. From that is produced another. Mind is the Ahavaniya fire. Into it is poured the oblation. From that was produced the Veda (or Word); (then was born Mind); Mind (desirous of creation) sets itself on the Veda (or the Word). Their arises form (or colour) undistinguished by particular colours. It runs towards the Mind.'" 1
"The Brahmana's wife said, 'Why did Word first arise and why did Mind arise afterwards, seeing that Word starts into existence after having been thought upon by Mind? Upon that authority can it be said that Mati (Prana) takes refuge in Mind. Why, again, in dreamless slumber, though separated from Mind, does not Prana apprehend (all objects)? What is that which restrains it then?'" 2
"The Brahmana said, 'The Apana breath, becoming the lord (i.e., bringing the Prana under its control), in consequence of such lordship over it, makes it identical with itself. That restrained motion of the Prana breath (which for the time becomes identical with that of the Apana) has been said to be the motion of the mind. Hence the mind is dependent upon Prana, not Prana upon the mind. Therefore, in dreamless slumber, upon the disappearance of mind, Prana does not disappear. But since thou askest me a question about word and mind, I shall, therefore, relate to thee a discourse between them. Both Word and Mind, repairing to the Soul of matter, 3 asked him,--Do thou say who amongst us is superior. Do thou, O puissant one, dispel our doubt.--On that occasion, the holy one made this answer.--The mind undoubtedly (is superior). Unto him Word said,--'I yield to thee the fruition of all thy desires!' 4
"The Brahmana said, 'Know that I have two minds, immovable and movable.
p. 40
[paragraph continues] That which is immovable is, verily, with me; the movable is in your dominion. 1 That mind is verily called movable which, in the form of Mantra, letter, or voice, is referable to your dominion. Hence, thou art superior (to the other mind which concerns itself with only the external world). But since, coming of thy own accord, O beautiful one, thou enterest into the engagement (about the fruition of all wishes), therefore, filling myself with breath, I utter thee. 2 The goddess Word used always to dwell between Prana and Apana. But, O blessed one, sinking into Apana, though urged upwards, in consequence of becoming dissociated from Prana, she ran to Prajapati and said,--Be gratified with me, O holy one.--The Prana appeared, once more fostering Word. Hence, Word, encountering deep exhalation, never utters anything. Word always flows as endued with utterance or unendued with it. 3 Amongst those two, Word without utterance is superior to Word with utterance. Like a cow endued with excellent milk, she (Word without utterance) yields diverse kinds of meaning. This one always yields the Eternal (viz., Emancipation), speaking of Brahman. O thou of beautiful smiles, Word is a cow, in consequence of her puissance which is both divine and not divine. Behold the distinction of these two subtle forms of Word that flow.'" 4
"The Brahmana's wife said, 'What did the goddess of Word then say, in days of old, when, though impelled by the Wish to speak, Speech could not come out?'"
"The Brahmana said, 'The Word that is generated in the body by Prana, then attains to Apana from Prana. Then transformed into Udana and issuing out of the body, envelops all the quarters, with Vyana. After that, she dwells in Samana. Even in this way did Word formerly speak. Hence Mind, in consequence of being immovable, is distinguished, and the goddess Word, in consequence of being movable, is also distinguished."'

---

Footnotes

38:1 The meaning seems to be this: they who renounce sensuous objects can create them when they like. One casting off smell that has earth for its object can create earth when he likes.
38:2 What is stated in this passage is, shortly, this: the ear, etc, are the Hotris or sacrificing priests who are to pour libations on the sacrificial fire. The perceptions and functions of those organs constitute the Havi or libations that are to be poured. The points, wind, etc, are the Agni or sacred fires on which they are to be poured. These statements are recapitulated in verse 5. The objects of the senses, of the same as those in verse 3, are the fuel, previously described as Havi or libations, which are to be burnt off by being cast into the fires.
39:1 The Hridaya or heart is the Garhapatya fire. From it is produced another fire, the Ahavaniya, viz., the mind. 'The heart was pierced. From the heart arose mind, for the mind arose Chandramas,' is the declaration of the Sruti cited by Nilakantha. The Ahavaniya fire or mind is the mouth. Asyam ahavaniya is the Sruti. Annamayam hi Somya manas, apomayah pranah, tejomayi vak is the Sruti that bears upon this. Food or fire, poured into the mouth develops into speech or word. Vachaspati implies the Veda or word. First arises the word, the mind sets itself upon it, desirous of creation. This corresponds with the Mosaic Genesis.--'God said; let there be light, and there was light.' The word was first.
39:2 The last question seems to be this: in dreamless slumber, the mind disappears totally. If it is the mind upon which Prana rests, why does not Prana also disappear? It is seen to separate itself from mind, for it continues to exist while mind does not exist. If so, i.e., if existing, as it must be admitted to do, why does it not apprehend objects? What is it that restrains its powers of apprehension?
39:3 Bhutatmanam is ordinary Prajapati. Nilakantha takes it to mean here individual Jiva or self.
39:4 It is, through words that desirable fruits, visible and invisible, are acquired. Of course, word means both ordinary speech and Vedic Mantras.
40:1 The speaker is the Brahmana, which Nilakantha explains to mean 'the Brahmana named Manas or Mind'. Instead of such a learned interpretation, we may take it as implying that the Brahmana is repeating the answer which Bhutatman, i.e., Prajapati or Jiva, made to Word. The Brahmana is the real speaker. He recites the words of Jiva. Immovable, according to Nilakantha, means 'that which is seizable by the external senses'; and 'movable', that which is beyond the ken of the senses, such as heaven, etc. The external world being only a manifestation of the mind, it is spoken of here as identical with it. So, the ideas in the mind which are not due to the senses, are only the mind. This is the movable mind. That mind depends on word or the scriptures.
40:2 Telang gives a different version of this verse. I offer a verbal tendering, without attempting to explain it.
40:3 i.e., as noisy or noiseless.
40:4 I have given as close a verbal rendering of the passage as possible. The sense, however, is not very intelligible to me. The gloss of Nilakantha is as unintelligible as the text. Telang also has given a verbal rendering which differs from the above slightly. His foot-notes do not, I think, bring out the meaning at all. As regards the two vernacular versions, both are useless.

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 22

 

 

 

 

1 [br]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      subhage sapta hotṝṇāṃ vidhānam iha yādṛśam
  2 ghrāṇaṃ cakṣuś ca jihvā ca tvak śrotraṃ caiva pañcamam
      mano buddhiś ca saptaite hotāraḥ pṛthag āśritāḥ
  3 sūkṣme 'vakāśe santas te na paśyantītaretaram
      etān vai sapta hotṝṃs tvaṃ svabhāvād viddhi śobhane
  4 [brāhmaṇī]
      sūkṣme 'vakāśe santas te kathaṃ nānyonya darśinaḥ
      kathaṃ svabhāvā bhagavann etad ācakṣva me vibho
  5 [br]
      guṇājñānam avijñānaṃ guṇi jñānam abhijñatā
      parasparaguṇān ete na vijānanti karhi cit
  6 jihvā cakṣus tathā śrotraṃ tvanmano buddhir eva ca
      na gandhān adhigacchanti ghrāṇas tān adhigacchati
  7 ghrāṇaṃ cakṣus tathā śrotraṃ tvanmano buddhir eva ca
      na rasān adhigacchanti jihvā tān adighacchati
  8 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā tathā śrotraṃ tvanmano buddhir eva ca
      na rūpāṇy adhigacchanti cakṣus tāny adhigacchati
  9 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca śrotraṃ buddhir manas tathā
      na sparśān adhigacchanti tvak ca tān adhigacchati
  10 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca tvanmano buddhir eva ca
     na śabdān adhigacchanti śrotraṃ tān adhigacchati
 11 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca tvak śrotraṃ buddhir eva ca
     saṃśayān nādhigacchanti manas tān adhigacchati
 12 ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca tvak śrotraṃ mana eva ca
     na niṣṭhām adhigacchanti buddhis tām adhigacchati
 13 atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
     indriyāṇāṃ ca saṃvādaṃ manasaś caiva bhāmini
 14 [manas]
     na ghrāti mām ṛte ghrāṇaṃ rasaṃ jihvā na budhyate
     rūpaṃ cakṣur na gṛhṇāti tvak sparśaṃ nāvabudhyate
 15 na śrotraṃ budhyate śabdaṃ mayā hīnaṃ kathaṃ cana
     pravaraṃ sarvabhūtānām aham asmi sanātanam
 16 agārāṇīva śūnyāni śāntārciṣa ivāgnayaḥ
     indriyāṇi na bhāsante mayā hīnāni nityaśaḥ
 17 kāṣṭhānīvārdra śuṣkāṇi yatamānair apīndriyaiḥ
     guṇārthān nādhigacchanti mām ṛte sarvajantavaḥ
 18 [indriyāṇi]
     evam etad bhavet satyaṃ yathaitan manyate bhavān
     ṛte 'smān asmadarthāṃs tu bhogān bhuṅkte bhavān yadi
 19 yady asmāsu pralīneṣu tarpaṇaṃ prāṇadhāraṇam
     bhogān bhuṅkte rasān bhuṅkte yathaitan manyate tathā
 20 atha vāsmāsu līneṣu tiṣṭhatsu viṣayeṣu ca
     yadi saṃkalpamātreṇa bhuṅkte bhogān yathārthavat
 21 atha cen manyase siddhim asmadartheṣu nityadā
     ghrāṇena rūpam ādatsva rasam ādatsva cakṣuṣā
 22 śrotreṇa gandham ādatsva niṣṭhām ādatsva jihvayā
     tvacā ca śabdam ādatsva buddhyā sparśam athāpi ca
 23 balavanto hy aniyamā niyamā durbalīyasām
     bhogān apūrvān ādatsva nocchiṣṭaṃ bhoktum arhasi
 24 yathā hi śiṣyaḥ śāstāraṃ śrutyartham abhidhāvati
     tataḥ śrutam upādāya śrutārtham upatiṣṭhati
 25 viṣayān evam asmābhir darśitān abhimanyase
     anāgatān atītāṃś ca svapne jāgaraṇe tathā
 26 vaimanasyaṃ gatānāṃ ca jantūnām alpacetasām
     asmadarthe kṛte kārye dṛśyate prāṇadhāraṇam
 27 bahūn api hi saṃkalpān matvā svapnān upāsya ca
     bubhukṣayā pīḍyamāno viṣayān eva dhāvasi
 28 agāram advāram iva praviśya; saṃkalpabhogo viṣayān avindan
     prāṇakṣaye śāntim upaiti nityaṃ; dāru kṣaye 'gnir jvalito yathaiva
 29 kāmaṃ tu naḥ sveṣu guṇeṣu saṃgaḥ; kāmaca nānyonya guṇopalabdhiḥ
     asmān ṛte nāsti tavopalabdhis; tvām apy ṛte 'smān na bhajeta harṣaḥ

 

SECTION XXII

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story, O blessed one, of what the institution is of the seven sacrificing priests. The nose, the eye, the tongue, the skin, and the ear numbering the fifth, the mind, and the understanding,--these are the seven sacrificing priests standing distinctly from one another. Dwelling in subtle space, they do not perceive one another. Do thou, O beautiful one, know these sacrificing priests that are seven by their nature.'"
"The Brahmana's wife said, 'How is it that dwelling in subtle space, these do not perceive one another? What are their (respective) natures, O holy one? Do thou tell me this, O lord.'"
"The Brahmana said, 'Not knowing the qualities (of any object) is ignorance (of that object); while knowledge of the qualities is (called) knowledge (of the object which possesses those qualities). These seven never succeed in apprehending or knowing the qualities of one another. The tongue, the eye, the ear too, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, do not succeed in apprehending smells. It is the nose alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear also, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending colours. It is the eye alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye too, the ear, the understanding, and the mind, never succeed in apprehending sensations of touch It is the skin alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending sounds. It is the ear alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and the understanding never succeed in apprehending doubt. It is the mind that apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and the mind, never succeed in apprehending determination (certainty in respect of knowledge). It is the understanding alone that apprehends it. In this connection, is cited, O beautiful lady, this ancient narrative of a discourse between the senses and the mind.'
"The mind said, 'The nose does not smell without me. (Without me) the tongue does not apprehend taste. The eye does not seize colour, the skin does not feel touch, the ear does not apprehend sound, when deprived of me. I am the eternal and foremost one among all the elements. It always happens that destitute of myself, the senses never shine, like habitations empty of inmates or fires whose flames have been quenched. Without me, all creatures fail to apprehend qualities and objects, with even the senses exerting themselves, even as fuel that is wet and dry (failing to ignite a fire).'
"Hearing these words, the Senses said, 'Even this would be true as thou thinkest in this matter, if, indeed, thou couldst enjoy pleasures without either ourselves or our objects. 1 What thou thinkest, would be true, if, when we are
p. 42
extinct, there be gratification and support of life, and a continuation of thy enjoyments, or, if, when we are absorbed and objects are existing, thou canst have thy enjoyments by thy desire alone, as truly as thou hast them with our aid. If, again, thou deemest thy power over our objects to be always complete, do thou then seize colour by the nose, and taste by the eye. Do thou also take smell by the ear, and sensations of touch by the tongue. Do thou also take sounds by the skin, and likewise touch by the understanding. They that are powerful do not own the dominion of any rules. Rules exist for those only that are weak. Do thou seize enjoyments unenjoyed before; it behoves thee not to enjoy what has been tasted before (by others). As a disciple repairs to a preceptor for the sake of (acquiring) the Srutis, and then, having acquired the Srutis, dwells on their import (by obeying their injunctions), even so dost thou regard as thine those objects which are shown by us, past or future, in sleep or in wakefulness. Of creatures, again, that are of little intelligence, when their mind becomes distracted and cheerless, life is seen to be upheld upon our objects discharging their functions. 1 It is seen also that a creature, after having formed even innumerable purposes and indulged in dreams, when afflicted by the desire to enjoy, runs to objects of sense at once. 2 One entering upon enjoyments depending on mental purposes alone and unconnected with actual objects of sense, always meets with death upon the exhaustion of the life-breaths, like an enkindled fire upon the exhaustion of fuel. True it is that we have connections with our respective attributes; true it is, we have no knowledge of one another's attributes. But without us thou canst have no perception. Without us no happiness can come to thee.'"

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 23

 

 

1 [br]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      subhage pañca hotṝṇāṃ vidhānam iha yādṛśam
  2 prāṇāpānāv udānaś ca samāno vyāna eva ca
      pañca hotṝn athaitān vai paraṃ bhāvaṃ vidur budhāḥ
  3 [brāhmaṇī]
      svabhāvāt sapta hotāra iti te pūrvikā matiḥ
      yathā vai pañca hotāraḥ paro bhāvas tathocyatām
  4 [br]
      prāṇena saṃbhṛto vāyur apāno jāyate tataḥ
      apāne saṃbhṛto vāyus tato vyānaḥ pravartate
  5 vyānena saṃbhṛto vāyus tadodānaḥ pravartate
      udāne saṃbhṛto vāyuḥ samānaḥ saṃpravartate
  6 te 'pṛcchanta purā gatvā pūrvajātaṃ prajāpatim
      yo no jyeṣṭhas tam ācakṣva sa naḥ śreṣṭho bhaviṣyati
  7 [brahmā]
      yasmin pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
      yasmin pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; sa vai śreṣṭho gacchata yatra kāmaḥ
  8 [prāṇa]
      mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
      mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; śreṣṭho hy ahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam
  9 [brāhmaṇa]
      prāṇaḥ pralīyata tataḥ punaś ca pracacāra ha
      samānaś cāpy udānaś ca vaco 'brūtāṃ tataḥ śubhe
  10 na tvaṃ sarvam idaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhasīha yathā vayam
     na tvaṃ śreṣṭho 'si naḥ prāṇa apāno hi vaśe tava
     pracacāra punaḥ prāṇas tam apāno 'bhyabhāṣata
 11 mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
     mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; śreṣṭho hy ahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam
 12 vyānaś ca tam udānaś ca bhāṣamāṇam athocatuḥ
     apāna na tvaṃ śreṣṭho 'si prāṇo hi vaśagas tava
 13 apānaḥ pracacārātha vyānas taṃ punar abravīt
     śreṣṭho 'ham asmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā
 14 mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
     mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; śreṣṭho hy ahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam
 15 prālīyata tato vyānaḥ punaś ca pracacāra ha
     prāṇāpānāv udānaś ca samānaś ca tam abruvan
     na tvaṃ śreṣṭho 'si no vyāna samāno hi vaśe tava
 16 pracacāra punar vyānaḥ samānaḥ punar abravīt
     śreṣṭho 'ham asmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā
 17 mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
     mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; śreṣṭho hy ahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam
 18 tataḥ samānaḥ prālilye punaś ca pracacāra ha
     prāṇāpānāv udānaś ca vyānaś caiva tam abruvan
     samānana tvaṃ śreṣṭho 'si vyāna eva vaśe tava
 19 samānaḥ pracacārātha udānas tam uvāca ha
     śreṣṭho 'ham asmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā
 20 mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti; sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre
     mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti; śreṣṭho hy ahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam
 21 tataḥ prālīyatodānaḥ punaś ca pracacāra ha
     prāṇāpānau samānaś ca vyānaś caiva tam abruvan
     udāna na tvaṃ śreṣṭho 'si vyāna eva vaśe tava
 22 tatas tān abravīd brahmā samavetān prajāpatiḥ
     sarve śreṣṭhā na vā śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonya dharmiṇaḥ
     sarve svaviṣaye śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonya rakṣiṇaḥ
 23 ekaḥ sthiraś cāsthiraś ca viśeṣāt pañca vāyavaḥ
     eka eva mamaivātmā bahudhāpy upacīyate
 24 parasparasya suhṛdo bhāvayantaḥ parasparam
     svasti vrajata bhadraṃ vo dhārayadhvaṃ parasparam

 

SECTION XXIII

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection, O blessed lady, is cited the ancient story of what kind the institution is of the five sacrificing priests. The learned know this to be a great principle that Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana and Vyana are the five sacrificing priests.'"
"The Brahmana's wife said, 'That naturally there are seven sacrificing priests is what was my former conviction. Let the great principle be declared to 'me as to how, verily, the number is five of the sacrificing priests.'"
'The Brahmana said, 'The wind nursed by Prana afterwards takes birth in Apana. The wind nursed in Apana then becomes developed into Vyana. Nursed by Vyana, the wind is then developed into Udana. Nursed in Udana, the wind is then generated as Samana. Those good beings in days of yore asked the first-born Grandsire, saying--Do thou say who amongst us is the
p. 43
foremost. He (whom thou wilt indicate) will be our chief.'
"Brahmana said, 'He upon whose extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in the bodies of living creatures, he upon whose moving they move, is verily the foremost (among you). Do ye go where ye like.'
"Prana said, 'Upon my extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. Upon my moving they once more move. I am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!'
"The Brahmana continued, 'Prana then became extinct and once more moved about. Then Samana and Udana also, O blessed one, said these words--Thou dost not dwell here, pervading all this, as we do. Thou art not the foremost amongst us, O Prana. (Only) Apana is under thy dominion. Prana then moved about, and unto him Apana spoke.'
"Apana said, 'When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they again move about. I am, therefore, the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!'
"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto Apana who said so, both Vyana and Udana said--O Apana, thou art not the foremost. (Only) Prana is under thy dominion. Then Apana began to move about. Vyana once more addressed him saying, I am the foremost of all (the life-winds). Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they once more move about. I am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!'
"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Vyana went into extinction and once more began to move about. At this, Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana addressed him, saying, 'Thou art not the foremost among us, O Vyana! (Only) Samana is under thy dominion--Vyana then began to move about and Samana said unto him,--I am the foremost of you all. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I begin to move about, they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction! Then Samana began to move about. Unto him Udana said, I am the foremost of all the life-winds. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!--Then Udana, after having gone into extinction, began once more to move about, Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said, unto him, O Udana, thou art not the foremost one among us, only Vyana is under thy dominion.'
"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto them assembled together, the Lord of creatures, Brahma, said, 'No one of you is superior to others. Ye are all endued with particular attributes. All are foremost in their own spheres, and all possess special attributes. Thus said unto them, that were assembled together, the Lord of all creatures. There is one that is unmoving, and one that is moving. In consequence of special attributes, there are five life-winds. My own self is one. That one accumulates into many forms. Becoming friendly
p. 44
unto one another, and gratifying one another, depart in peace. Blessings to ye, do ye uphold one another!'"

 

Book 14
Chapter 24

 

 

 

 1 [brāhmaṇa]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      nāradasya ca saṃvādam ṛṣer devamatasya ca
  2 [devamata]
      jantoḥ saṃjāyamānasya kiṃ nu pūrvaṃ pravartate
      prāṇo 'pānaḥ samāno vā vyāno vodāna eva ca
  3 [nārada]
      yenāyaṃ sṛjyate jantus tato 'nyaḥ pūrvam eti tam
      prāṇadvaṃdvaṃ ca vijñeyaṃ tiryagaṃ cordhvagaṃ ca yat
  4 [d]
      kenāyaṃ sṛjyate jantuḥ kaś cānyaḥ pūrvam eti tam
      prāṇadvaṃdvaṃ ca me brūhi tiryag ūrdhvaṃ ca niścayāt
  5 [n]
      saṃkalpāj jāyate harṣaḥ śabdād api ca jāyate
      rasāt saṃjāyate cāpi rūpād api ca jāyate
  6 sparśāt saṃjāyate cāpi gandhād api ca jāyate
      etad rūpam udānasya harṣo mithuna saṃbhavaḥ
  7 kāmāt saṃjāyate śukraṃ kāmāt saṃjāyate rasaḥ
      samānavyāna janite sāmānye śukraśoṇite
  8 śukrāc choṇita saṃsṛṣṭāt pūrvaṃ prāṇaḥ pravartate
      prāṇena vikṛte śukre tato 'pānaḥ pravartate
  9 prāṇāpānāv idaṃ dvaṃdvam avākcordhvaṃ ca gacchataḥ
      vyānaḥ samānaś caivobhau tiryag dvaṃdvatvam ucyate
  10 agnir vai devatāḥ sarvā iti vedasya śāsanam
     saṃjāyate brāhmaṇeṣu jñānaṃ buddhisamanvitam
 11 tasya dhūmas tamo rūpaṃ rajo bhasma suretasaḥ
     sattvaṃ saṃjāyate tasya yatra prakṣipyate haviḥ
 12 āghārau samāno vyānaś ceti yajñavido viduḥ
     prāṇāpānāv ājyabhāgau tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 13 nirdvaṃdvam iti yat tv etat tan me nigadataḥ śṛṇu
 14 ahorātram idaṃ dvaṃdvaṃ tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 15 ubhe caivāyane dvaṃdvaṃ tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 16 ubhe satyānṛte dvaṃdvaṃ tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 17 ubhe śubhāśubhe dvaṃdvaṃ tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 18 sac cāsac caiva tad dvaṃdvaṃ tayor madhye hutāśanaḥ
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
 19 prathamaṃ samāno vyāno vyasyate karma tena tat
     tṛtīyaṃ tu samānena punar eva vyavasyate
 20 śānty arthaṃ vāmadevaṃ ca śāntir brahma sanātanam
     etad rūpam udānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

 

SECTION XXIV

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story of the discourse between Narada and the Rishi Devamata.'
"Devamata said, 'What verily, comes first into existence, of a creature that takes birth? Is it Prana, or Apana, or Samana, or Vyana, or Udana?'
"Narada said, 'By whatever the creature is created, that first comes unto him which is other (or separate from him). The life winds are to be known as existing in pairs, viz., those that move transversely, upwards, and downwards.'
"Devamata said, 'By whom (among the life-winds) is a creature produced? Who (amongst) them comes first? Do thou tell me what the pairs are of the life-winds, that move transversely, upwards, and downwards.'
"Narada said, 'From Sankalpa (wish) arises Pleasure. It also arises from sound. It arises also from taste; it arises too from colour. From the semen, united with blood, first flows Prana. Upon the semen being modified by Prana, flows Apana. Pleasure arises from the semen as well. It arises from taste also. This is the form (effect) of Udana. Pleasure is produced from union. Semen is generated by desire. From desire is produced the menstrual flow. In the union of semen and blood, generated by Samana and Vyana, the pair that consists of Prana and Apana, enters, moving transversely and upwards, Vyana and Samana both form a pair that moves transversely. Agni (fire) is all the deities. Even this is the teaching of the Veda. The knowledge of Agni arises in a Brahmana with intelligence. The smoke of that fire is of the form of (the attribute called) Darkness. The attribute that is known by the name of Passion is in its ashes. The quality of goodness arises from that portion of the fire into which the oblation is poured. 1 They that are conversant with sacrifices know that Samana and Vyana are from the attribute of Goodness. Prana and Apana are portions of the oblation (of clarified butter). Between them is the Fire. That is the excellent form (or seat) of Udana, as the Brahmanas know. Listen as I say which is distinct from the pairs. Day and Night constitute a pair. Between them is the Fire. That is the excellent seat of Udana as the Brahmanas know. The existent and the non-existent form a pair. Between them is the Fire. That is the excellent seat of Udana as the Brahmanas know.
p. 45
[paragraph continues] First is Samana; then Vyana. The latter's function is managed through it (viz., Samana). Then, secondly, Samana once more comes into operation. Only Vyana exists for tranquillity. Tranquillity is eternal Brahman. This is the excellent seat of Udana as the Brahmanas know.'" 1

 

Book 14
Chapter 25

 

 

 

1 [brāhmaṇa]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      cāturhotra vidhānasya vidhānam iha yādṛśam
  2 tasya sarvasya vidhivad vidhānam upadekṣyate
      śṛṇu me gadato bhadre rahasyam idam uttamam
  3 karaṇaṃ karma kartā ca mokṣa ity eva bhāmini
      catvāra ete hotāro yair idaṃ jagad āvṛtam
  4 hotṝṇāṃ sādhanaṃ caiva śṛṇu sarvam aśeṣataḥ
      ghrāṇaṃ jihvā ca cakṣuś ca tvak ca śrotraṃ ca pañcamam
      mano buddhiś ca saptaite vijñeyā guṇahetavaḥ
  5 gandho rasaś ca rūpaṃ ca śabdaḥ sparśaś ca pañcamaḥ
      mantavyam atha boddhavyaṃ saptaite karmahetavaḥ
  6 ghrātā bhakṣayitā draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā ca pañcamaḥ
      mantā boddhā ca saptaite vijñeyāḥ kartṛhetavaḥ
  7 svaguṇaṃ bhakṣayanty ete guṇavantaḥ śubhāśubham
      ahaṃ ca nirguṇo 'treti saptaite mokṣahetavaḥ
  8 viduṣāṃ budhyamānānāṃ svaṃ svasthānaṃ yathāvidhi
      guṇās te devatā bhūtāḥ satataṃ bhuñjate haviḥ
  9 adan hy avidvān annāni mamatvenopapadyate
      ātmārthaṃ pācayan nityaṃ mamatvenopahanyate
  10 abhakṣya bhakṣaṇaṃ caiva madya pānaṃ ca hanti tam
     sa cānnaṃ hanti tac cānnaṃ sa hatvā hanyate budhaḥ
 11 attā hy annam idaṃ vidvān punar janayatīśvaraḥ
     sa cānnāj jāyate tasmin sūkṣmo nāma vyatikramaḥ
 12 manasā gamyate yac ca yac ca vācā nirudhyate
     śrotreṇa śrūyate yac ca cakṣuṣā yac ca dṛśyate
 13 sparśena spṛśyate yac ca ghrāṇena ghrāyate ca yat
     manaḥṣaṣṭhāni saṃyamya havīṃṣy etāni sarvaśaḥ
 14 guṇavat pāvako mahyaṃ dīpyate havyavāhanaḥ
     yogayajñaḥ pravṛtto me jñānabrahma manodbhavaḥ
     prāṇastotro 'pāna śastraḥ sarvatyāgasu dakṣiṇaḥ
 15 karmānumantā brahmā me kartādhvaryuḥ kṛtastutiḥ
     kṛtapraśāstā tac chāstram apavargo 'sya dakṣiṇā
 16 ṛcaś cāpy atra śaṃsanti nārāyaṇa vido janāḥ
     nārāyaṇāya devāya yad abadhnan paśūn purā
 17 tatra sāmāni gāyanti tāni cāhur nidarśanam
     devaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ bhīru sarvātmānaṃ nibodha me

SECTION XXV

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is recited the ancient story of what the institution is of the Chaturhotra (sacrifice). The ordinances are now being duly declared of that in its entirety. Listen to me, O amiable lady, as I declare this wonderful mystery. The agent, the instrument, the action and Emancipation,--these, O beautiful lady, are the four sacrificing priests by whom the universe is enveloped. Hear in its entirety the assignment of causes (relating to this topic). The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear numbering the fifth, the mind, and the understanding,--these seven should be understood as being caused by (the knowledge of) qualities. Smell, taste, colour, sound, touch, numbering the fifth, the objects of the mind, and the objects of the understanding, these seven are caused by action. He who smells, he who eats, he who sees, he who speaks, he who hears, numbering the fifth, he who thinks, and he who understands--these seven should be known as caused by the agent. Possessed of qualities, these enjoy their own qualities, agreeable or disagreeable. 2 As regards the Soul, that is destitute of qualities. These seven are the causes of Emancipation. With them that are learned and possessed of sufficient understanding, the qualities, which are in the position of deities, eat the oblations, each in its proper place, and agreeably to what has been ordained. The person who is destitute of learning, eating diverse kind of food, becomes seized with the sense of mineness. 3 Digesting food for himself, he becomes ruined through the sense of mineness. The eating of food that should not be eaten, and the drinking of wine, ruin him. He destroys the food (he takes), and having destroyed that food, he becomes destroyed himself. The man of learning, however, being possessed of puissance, destroys his food for reproducing it. The minutest transgression does not arise in him from the
p. 46
food he takes. Whatever is thought of by the mind, whatever is uttered by speech, whatever is heard by the ear, whatever is seen by the eye, whatever is touched by the (sense of) touch, whatever is smelt by the nose, constitute oblations of clarified butter which should all, after restraining the senses with the mind numbering the sixth, be poured into that fire of high merits which burns within the body, viz., the Soul. 1 The sacrifice constituted by Yoga is going on as regards myself. The spring whence that sacrifice proceeds is that which yields the fire of knowledge. The upward life-wind Prana is the Stotra of that sacrifice. The downward life-wind Apana is its Sastra. The renunciation of everything is the excellent Dakshina of that sacrifice. Consciousness, Mind, and Understanding--these becoming Brahma, are its Hotri, Adhwaryyu, and Udgatri. The Prasastri, his Sastra, is truth. 2 Cessation of separate existence (or Emancipation) is the Dakshina. In this connection, people conversant with Narayana recite some Richs. Unto the divine Narayana were animals offered in days of yore. 3 Then are sung some Samanas. On that topic occurs an authority. O timid one, know that the divine Narayana is the soul of all.'"

---

Footnotes

45:1 I give a close rendering of these verses, without endeavouring to bring out the sense as explained by the commentators. The printed texts are not correct. The text adopted by Nilakantha differs from that of Arjuna Misra. The very order of the verses is not uniform in all the texts.
45:2 'These' refers to action, agent and instrument. The qualities of which they are possessed are goodness, passion, and darkness.
45:3 What is stated in these two verses is this: it is the Senses that enjoy; and not the Soul. This is well known to those that are learned. On the other hand, those that are not learned, regard this or that to be theirs, when in reality they are different from them. They are their selves, and not their senses, although they take themselves for the latter, ignorantly identifying themselves with things which they are not.
46:1 What is stated here is this: Restraining the senses and the mind, the objects of those senses and the mind should be poured as libations on the sacred fire of the Soul that is within the body.
46:2 i.e., truth is the Sastra of the Prasastri.
46:3 Narayana is taken by Nilakantha to stand here for either the Veda or the Soul. The animals offered up to Narayana in days of old were the senses offered up as sacrifices.

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 26

 

 

1 [br]
      ekaḥ śāstā na dvitīyo 'sti śāstā; yathā niyukto 'smi tathā carāmi
      hṛdy eṣa tiṣṭhan puruṣaḥ śāsti śāstā; tenaiva yuktaḥ pravaṇād ivodakam
  2 eko gurur nāsti tato dvitīyo; yo hṛcchayas tam aham anubravīmi
      tenānuśiṣṭā guruṇā sadaiva; parābhūtā dānavāḥ sarva eva
  3 eko bandhur nāsti tato dvitīyo; yo hṛcchayas tam aham anubravīmi
      tenānuśiṣṭā bāndhavā bandhumantaḥ; saptarṣayaḥ sapta divi prabhānti
  4 ekaḥ śrotā nāsti tato dvitīyo; yo hṛcchayas tam aham anubravīmi
      tasmin gurau guru vāsaṃ niruṣya; śakro gataḥ sarvalokāmaratvam
  5 eko dveṣṭā nāsti tato dvitīyo; yo hṛcchayas tam aham anubravīmi
      tenānuśiṣṭā guruṇā sadaiva; lokadviṣṭāḥ pannagāḥ sarva eva
  6 atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      prajāpatau pannagānāṃ devarṣīṇāṃ ca saṃvidam
  7 devarṣayaś ca nāgāś ca asurāś ca prajāpatim
      paryapṛcchann upāsīnāḥ śreyo naḥ procyatām iti
  8 teṣāṃ provāca bhagavāñ śreyaḥ samanupṛcchatām
      om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma te śrutvā prādravan diśaḥ
  9 teṣāṃ prādravamāṇānām upadeśārtham ātmanaḥ
      sarpāṇāṃ daśane bhāvaḥ pravṛttaḥ pūrvam eva tu
  10 asurāṇāṃ pravṛttas tu dambhabhāvaḥ svabhāvajaḥ
     dānaṃ devā vyavasitā damam eva maharṣayaḥ
 11 ekaṃ śāstāram āsādya śabdenaikena saṃskṛtāḥ
     nānā vyavasitāḥ sarve sarpadevarṣidānavāḥ
 12 śṛṇoty ayaṃ procyamānaṃ gṛhṇāti ca yathātatham
     pṛcchatas tāvato bhūyo gurur anyo 'numanyate
 13 tasya cānumate karma tataḥ paścāt pravartate
     gurur boddhā ca śatruś ca dveṣṭā ca hṛdi saṃśritaḥ
 14 pāpena vicaraṁl loke pāpacārī bhavaty ayam
     śubhena vicaraṁl loke śubhacārī bhavaty uta
 15 kāmacārī tu kāmena ya indriyasukhe rataḥ
     vratavārī sadaivaiṣa ya indriyajaye rataḥ
 16 apetavratakarmā tu kevalaṃ brahmaṇi śritaḥ
     brahmabhūtaś caraṁl loke brahma cārī bhavaty ayam
 17 brahmaiva samidhas tasya brahmāgnir brahma saṃstaraḥ
     āpo brahma gurur brahma sa brahmaṇi samāhitaḥ
 18 etad etādṛśaṃ sūkṣmaṃ brahmacaryaṃ vidur budhāḥ
     viditvā cānvapadyanta kṣetrajñenānudarśinaḥ

SECTION XXVI

"The Brahmana said, 'There is one Ruler. There is no second beside him. He that is Ruler resides in the heart. I shall speak now of him. Impelled by Him, I move as directed, like water along an inclined plane. There is one Preceptor. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart, and of him I shall now speak. Be instructed by that preceptor; they who are always endued with feelings of animosity are like snakes. There is one kinsman. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart of him I shall now speak. Instructed by him, kinsmen become possessed of kinsmen, and the seven Rishis, O son of Pritha, shine in the firmament. There is one dispeller. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart. Of him I shall now speak. Having lived with that instructor under the proper mode of living, Sakra attained to the sovereignty of all the worlds. 4 There is one enemy. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart. Of him I shall now speak. Instructed by that preceptor all snakes in the world are always endued
p. 47
with feelings of animosity. In this connection is cited the ancient story of the instruction of the snakes, the deities, and the Rishis by the Lord of all creatures. The deities and the Rishis, the snakes, and the Asuras, seated around the Lord of all creatures, asked him, saying,--Let that which is highly beneficial for us be declared. Unto them that enquired about what is highly beneficial, the holy one uttered only the word Om, which is Brahman in one syllable. Hearing this, they ran away in various directions. Amongst them that thus ran in all directions from desire of self-instruction, the disposition first arose in snakes of biting. Of the Asuras, the disposition, born of their nature for ostentations, pride arose. The deities betook themselves to gifts, and the great Rishis to self-restraint. Having repaired to one teacher, and having been instructed (refined) by one word, the snakes, the deities, the Rishis, and the Danavas, all betook themselves to diverse different dispositions. It is that one who hears himself when speaking, and apprehends it duly. Once, again, is that heard from him when he speaks. There is no second preceptor. 1 It is in obedience to his counsels that action afterwards flows. The instructor, the apprehender, the hearer, and the enemy, are pleased within the heart. By acting sinfully in the world it is he that becomes a person of sinful deeds. By acting auspiciously in the world, it is he who becomes a person of auspicious deeds. It is he who becomes a person of unrestrained conduct by becoming addicted to the pleasures of sense, impelled by desire. It is he who becomes a Brahmacharin by always devoting himself to the subjugation of his senses. It is he, again, that casts off vows and actions and takes refuge on Brahman alone. By moving in the world, identifying himself the while with Brahman, he becomes a Brahmacharin. Brahman. is his fuel; Brahman is his fire; Brahman is his origin; Brahman is his water; Brahman is his preceptor: he is rapt in Brahman. Brahmacharyya is even so subtle, as understood by the wise. Having understood it, they betook themselves to it, instructed by the Kshetrajna!'" 2

 

 

Book 14
Chapter 27

 

 

 

1 [br]
      saṃkalpadaṃśa maśakaṃ śokaharṣahimātapam
      mohāndha kāratimiraṃ lobhavyāla sarīsṛpam
  2 viṣayaikātyayādhvānaṃ kāmakrodhavirodhakam
      tad atītya mahādurgaṃ praviṣṭo 'smi mahad vanam
  3 [brāhmaṇī]
      kva tad vanaṃ mahāprājña ke vṛkṣāḥ saritaś ca kāḥ
      girayaḥ parvatāś caiva kiyaty adhvani tad vanam
  4 na tad asti pṛthagbhāve kiṃ cid anyat tataḥ samam
      na tad asty apṛthag bhāve kiṃ cid dūrataraṃ tataḥ
  5 tasmād dhrasvataraṃ nāsti na tato 'sti bṛhattaram
      nāsti tasmād duḥkhataraṃ nāsty anyat tat samaṃ sukham
  6 na tat praviśya śocanti na prahṛṣyanti ca dvijāḥ
      na ca bibhyati keṣāṃ cit tebhyo bibhyati ke ca na
  7 tasmin vane sapta mahādrumāś ca; phalāni saptātithayaś ca sapta
      saptāśramāḥ sapta samādhayaś ca; dīkṣāś ca saptaitad araṇyarūpam
  8 pañca varṇāni divyāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca
      sṛjantaḥ pādapās tatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tad vanam
  9 suvarṇāni dvivarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca
      sṛjantaḥ pādapās tatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tad vanam
  10 caturvarṇāṇi divyāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca
     sṛjantaḥ pādapās tatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tad vanam
 11 śaṃkarāṇitri varṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca
     sṛjantaḥ pādapās tatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tad vanam
 12 surabhīṇy ekavarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalānica
     sṛjantaḥ pādapās tatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tad vanam
 13 bahūny avyaktavarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalānica
     visṛjantau mahāvṛkṣau tad vanaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhataḥ
 14 eko hy agniḥ sumanā brāhmaṇo 'tra; pañcendriyāṇi samidhaś cātra santi
     tebhyo mokṣāḥ sapta bhavanti dīkṣā; guṇāḥ phalāny atithayaḥ phalāśāḥ
 15 ātithyaṃ pratigṛhṇanti tatra saptamaharṣayaḥ
     arciteṣu pralīneṣu teṣv anyad rocate vanam
 16 pratijñā vṛkṣam aphalaṃ śāntic chāyā samanvitam
     jñānāśrayaṃ tṛptitoyam antaḥ kṣetrajñabhāskaram
 17 yo 'dhigacchanti tat santas teṣāṃ nāsti bhayaṃ punaḥ
     ūrdhvaṃ cāvāk ca tiryak ca tasya nānto 'dhigamyate
 18 sapta striyas tatra vasanti sadyo; avāṅmukhā bhānumatyo janitryaḥ
     ūrdhvaṃ rasānāṃ dadate prajābhyaḥ; sarvān yathā sarvam anityatāṃ ca
 19 tatraiva pratitiṣṭhanti punas tatrodayanti ca
     sapta saptarṣayaḥ siddhā vasiṣṭhapramukhāḥ saha
 20 yaśo varco bhagaś caiva vijayaḥ siddhitejasī
     evam evānuvartante sapta jyotīṃṣi bhāskaram
 21 girayaḥ parvatāś caiva santi tatra samāsataḥ
     nadyaś ca sarito vārivahantyo brahma saṃbhavam
 22 nadīnāṃ saṃgamas tatra vaitānaḥ samupahvare
     svātma tṛptā yato yānti sākṣād dāntāḥ pitāmaham
 23 kṛśāśāḥ suvratāśāś ca tapasā dagdhakilbiṣāḥ
     ātmany ātmānam āveśya brahmāṇaṃ samupāsate
 24 ṛcam apy atra śaṃsanti vidyāraṇyavido janāḥ
     tad araṇyam abhipretya yathā dhīram ajāyata
 25 etad etādṛśaṃ divyam araṇyaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
     viditvā cānvatiṣṭhanta kṣetrajñenānudarśitam

 

 

SECTION XXVII

"The Brahmana said, 'Having crossed that impassable fastness (the world) which has purposes for its gadflies and mosquitoes, grief and joy for its cold and heat, heedlessness for its blinding darkness, cupidity and diseases for its reptiles, wealth for its one danger on the road, and lust and wrath its robbers, I have entered the extensive forest of (Brahman)'.
"The wife of the Brahmana said, 'Where is that foremost, O thou of great
p. 48
wisdom? What are its trees? What its rivers? What its mountains and hills? How far is that forest?'
"The Brahmana said, 'There exists nothing that is separate from it. There is nothing more delightful than it. There is nothing that is unseparated from it. There is nothing more afflicting than it. There is nothing smaller than that. There is nothing vaster than that. There is nothing minuter than that. There is no happiness that can resemble it. Regenerate persons, entering into it, at once transcend both joy and sorrow. They (then) never stand in fear of any creature, nor does any creature stand in fear of them. In that forest are seven large trees, seven fruits, and seven guests. There are seven hermitages, seven (forms of) Yoga concentration, and seven (forms) of initiation. Even this a description of that forest. 1 The trees which stand filling that forest, produce excellent flowers and fruits of five colours. The trees which stand there filling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are of excellent colours and that are, besides, of two kinds. The trees which stand there filling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are endued with fragrance and that are, besides, of two colours. The trees which stand there filling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are possessed of fragrance and that are, besides, of one colour. The two trees which stand filling that forest, produce many flowers and fruits that are of unmanifest colours. There is one fire here, possessed of a good mind. That is connected with Brahmana. The five senses are the fuel here. The seven forms of Emancipation flowing from them are the seven forms of Initiation. The qualities are the fruits, and the guests eat those fruits. There, in diverse places, the great Rishis accept hospitality. When they, having been worshipped, become annihilated, then another forest shines forth. In that forest, Intelligence is the tree; Emancipation is the fruit; Tranquillity is the shade of which it is possessed. It has knowledge for its resting house, contentment for its water, and the Kshetrajna for its sun. Its end cannot be ascertained upwards, downwards, or horizontally. Seven females always dwell there, with faces downwards, possessed of effulgence, and endued with the cause of generations. They take up all the different tastes from all creatures, even as inconstancy sucks up truth. In that itself dwell, and from that emerge, the seven Rishis who are crowned with ascetic success, with those seven having Vasishtha for their foremost. Glory, effulgence, greatness, enlightenment, victory, perfection, and energy, these seven always follow this same like rays following the sun. Hills and mountains also exist there, collected together; and rivers and streams bearing waters in their course, waters that are born of Brahma. And there happens a confluence also of streams in the secluded spot for sacrifice. Thence those that are contented with their own souls proceed to the Grandsire. Those whose wishes have been reduced, whose wishes have
p. 49
been directed to excellent vows, and whose sins have been burnt off by penances, merging themselves in their souls, succeed in attaining to Brahman. Tranquillity is praised by those who are conversant with the forest of knowledge. Keeping that forest in view, they take birth so as not to lose courage. Even such is that sacred forest that is understood by Brahmanas, and understanding it, they live (in accordance with the ordinance), directed by the Kshetrajna.'"

 

Book 14
Chapter 28

 

 

1 [br]
      gandhān na jighrāmi rasān na vedmi; rūpaṃ na paśyāmi na ca spṛśāmi
      na cāpi śabdān vividhāñ śṛṇomi; na cāpi saṃkalpam upaimi kiṃ cit
  2 arthān iṣṭān kāmayate svabhāvaḥ; sarvān dveṣyān pradviṣate svabhāvaḥ
      kāmadveṣāv udbhavataḥ svabhāvāt; prāṇāpānau jantu dehān niveśya
  3 tebhyaś cānyāṃs teṣv anityāṃś ca bhāvān; bhūtātmānaṃ lakṣayeyaṃ śarīre
      tasmiṃs tiṣṭhan nāsmi śakyaḥ kathaṃ cit; kāmakrodhābhyāṃ jarayā mṛtyunā ca
  4 akāmayānasya ca sarvakāmān; avidviṣāṇasya ca sarvadoṣān
      na me svabhāveṣu bhavanti lepās; toyasya bindor iva puṣkareṣu
  5 nityasya caitasya bhavanti nityā; nirīkṣamāṇasya bahūn svabhāvān
      na sajjate karmasu bhogajālaṃ; divīva sūryasya mayūkhajālam
  6 atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      adhvaryu yati saṃvādaṃ taṃ nibodha yaśasvini
  7 prokṣyamāṇaṃ paśuṃ dṛṣṭvā yajñakarmaṇy athābravīt
      yatir adhvaryum āsīno hiṃseyam iti kutsayan
  8 tam adhvaryuḥ pratyuvāca nāyaṃ chāgo vinaśyati
      śreyasā yokṣyate jantur yadi śrutir iyaṃ tathā
  9 yo hy asya pārthivo bhāgaḥ pṛthivīṃ sa gamiṣyati
      yad asya vārijaṃ kiṃ cid apas tat pratipadyate
  10 sūryaṃ cakṣur diśaḥ śrotre prāṇo 'sya divam eva ca
     āgame vartamānasya na me doṣo 'sti kaś cana
 11 [yati]
     prāṇair viyoge chāgasya yadi śreyaḥ prapaśyasi
     chāgārthe vartate yajño bhavataḥ kiṃ prayojanam
 12 anu tvā manyatāṃ mātā pitā bhrātā sakhāpi ca
     mantrayasvainam unnīya paravantaṃ viśeṣataḥ
 13 ya evam anumanyeraṃs tān bhavān praṣṭum arhati
     teṣām anumataṃ śrutvā śakyā kartuṃ vicāraṇā
 14 prāṇā apy asya chāgasya prāpitās te svayoniṣu
     śarīraṃ kevalaṃ śiṣṭaṃ niśceṣṭam iti me matiḥ
 15 indhanasya tu tulyena śarīreṇa vicetasā
     hiṃsā nirveṣṭu kāmānām indhanaṃ paśusaṃjñitam
 16 ahiṃsā sarvadharmāṇām iti vṛddhānuśāsanam
     yad ahiṃsraṃ bhavet karma tat kāryam iti vidmahe
 17 ahiṃseti pratijñeyaṃ yadi vakṣyāmy ataḥ param
     śakyaṃ bahuvidhaṃ vaktuṃ bhavataḥ kāryadūṣaṇam
 18 ahiṃsā sarvabhūtānāṃ nityam asmāsu rocate
     pratyakṣataḥ sādhayāmo na parokṣam upāsmahe
 19 [a]
     bhūmer gandhaguṇān bhuṅkṣva pibasy āpomayān rasān
     jyotiṣāṃ paśyase rūpaṃ spṛśasy anilajān guṇān
 20 śṛṇoṣy ākāśajaṃ śabdaṃ manasā manyase matim
     sarvāṇy etāni bhūtāni prāṇā iti ca manyase
 21 prāṇādāne ca nityo 'si hiṃsāyāṃ vartate bhavān
     nāsti ceṣṭā vinā hiṃsāṃ kiṃ vā tvaṃ manyase dvija
 22 [y]
     akṣaraṃ ca kṣaraṃ caiva dvaidhī bhāvo 'yam ātmanaḥ
     akṣaraṃ tatra sadbhāvaḥ svabhāvaḥ kṣara ucyate
 23 prāṇo jihvā manaḥ sattvaṃ svabhāvo rajasā saha
     bhāvair etair vimuktasya nirdvaṃdvasya nirāśiṣaḥ
 24 samasya sarvabhūteṣu nirmamasya jitātmanaḥ
     samantāt parimuktasya na bhayaṃ vidyate kva cit
 25 [a]
     sadbhir eveha saṃvāsaḥ kāryo matimatāṃ vara
     bhavato hi mataṃ śrutvā pratibhāti matir mama
 26 bhagavan bhagavad buddhyā pratibuddho bravīmy aham
     mataṃ mantuṃ kratuṃ kartuṃ nāparādho 'sti me dvija
 27 [br]
     upapattyā yatis tūṣṇīṃ vartamānas tataḥ param
     adhvaryur api nirmohaḥ pracacāra mahāmakhe
 28 evam etādṛśaṃ mokṣaṃ susūkṣmaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ
     viditvā cānutiṣṭhanti kṣetrajñenānudarśinā

SECTION XXVIII

"The Brahmana said, 'I do not smell scents. I do not perceive tastes. I do not see colours. I do not touch. I do not likewise hear the diverse sounds (that arise). Nor do I entertain purposes of any kind. It is Nature that desires such objects as are liked; it is Nature that hates such objects as are disliked. Desire and aversion spring from Nature, after the manner of the upward and the downward life-winds when souls have entered animate bodies. Separated from them are others; in them are eternal dispositions; (these as also) the soul of all creatures, Yogins would behold in the body. Dwelling in that, I am never attached to anything through desire and wrath, and decrepitude and death. Not having any desire for any object of desire, and not having any aversion for any evil, there is no taint on my natures, as there is no taint of a drop of water on (the leaves of) the lotus. Of this constant (principle) which looks upon diverse natures, they are inconstant possessions. 1 Though actions are performed, yet the assemblage of enjoyments does not attach itself to them, even as the assemblage of rays of the sun does not attach to the sky. In this connection is recited an ancient story of a discourse between an Adhwaryu and a Yati. Do thou hear it, O glorious lady. Beholding an animal sprinkled with water at a sacrificial ceremony, a Yati said unto the Adhwaryu seated there these words in censure,--This is destruction of life! unto him the Adhwaryu said in reply,--This goat will not be destroyed. The animal (sacrificed) meets with great good, if the Vedic declaration on this subject be true. That part of this animal which is of earth will go to earth. That part of this one which is born of water, will enter into water. His eye will enter the sun; his ear will enter the different points of the horizon; his life-winds will enter the sky. I who adhere to the scriptures incur no fault (by assisting at the killing of this animal).'
"The Yati said, 'If thou beholdest such good to the goat in this dissociation with (his) life-winds, then this sacrifice is for the goat. What need hast thou for it? Let the brother, father, mother, and friend (of this goat) give thee their approval in this. Taking him (to them) do thou consult them. This goat is especially dependent. It behoveth thee to see them who can give their consent in this. After hearing their consent; the matter will become fit for consideration. The life-winds of this goat have been made to return to
p. 50
their respective sources. Only the inanimate body remains behind. This is what I think. Of those who wish to enjoy felicity by means of the inanimate body (of an animal) which is comparable with fuel, the fuel (of sacrifice) is after all the animal himself. Abstention from cruelty is the foremost of all deities. Even this is the teaching of the elders. We know this is the proposition, viz.,--No slaughter (of living creatures).--If I say anything further, (it will then appear that) diverse kinds of faulty actions are capable of being done by thee. Always abstaining from cruelty to all creatures is what meets with our approbation. We establish this from what is directly perceptible. We do not rely on what is beyond direct perception.'
"The Adhwaryu said, 'Thou enjoyest the properties of smell which belong to the earth. Thou drinkest the tastes which appertain to water. Thou seest colours which belong to lighted bodies. Thou touchest the properties which, have their origin in wind. Thou hearest the sounds which have their origin in space (or ether). Thou thinkest thoughts with the mind. All these entities, thou art of opinion, have life. Thou dost not then abstain from taking life. Really, thou art engaged in slaughter. There can be no movement without slaughter. Or, what dost thou think, O regenerate one.'
"The Yati said, 'The Indestructible and the Destructible constitute the double manifestation of the soul. Of these the Indestructible is existed. The Destructible is said to be exceedingly non-existent. 1 The life-wind, the tongue, the mind, the quality of goodness, along with the quality of passion, are all existent. The Atman is above these forms and hence is without duality and hope. As regards one that is freed from these existent objects, that transcends all pairs of opposites, that does not cherish any expectation, that is alike to all creatures, that is liberated from the idea of meum, that has subjugated his self, and that is released from all his surroundings,--for him no fear exists from any source!' 2
"The Adhwaryu said, 'O foremost of intelligent men, one should reside with those that are good. Hearing thy opinion my understanding shines with light. O illustrious one, I come to thee, believing thee to be a god; and I say I have no fault, O regenerate one, by performing these rites with the aid of Mantras!' 3
"The Brahmana continued, 'With this conclusion, the Yati remained silent after this. The Adhwaryu also proceeded with the great sacrifice, freed from delusion. The Brahmanas understand Emancipation, which is
p. 51
exceedingly subtle, to be of this kind and having understood it, they live accordingly directed by the Kshetrajna, that beholder of all topics.'"

---

Footnotes

49:1 The correct reading is bhavantyanityah and vahuswabhavan.
50:1 Swabhava is explained by Nilakantha as sutaram abhava.
50:2 The sense seems to be this; the life-winds indicate the operations of the several organs of action: the tongue, which stands here for all the organs of perception, of the sensual perceptions; the mind, of all the internal operations; the quality of goodness, of all pleasure; and the quality of passion, of all kinds of pain. These, therefore include the whole external and the internal worlds. He that is free from these, transcends sin, for sin is destroyed by freedom from these, knowledge being the means of attaining to that freedom.
50:3 'I have no fault etc.'--The sense seems to be that by doing these rites with the aid of Mantras I have done that which has been approved from ages past by those who have always been regarded wise. My eyes, however, have now been opened by thee. I should not be held responsible for what I did while I was ignorant.

Book 14
Chapter 29

1 [br]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      kārtavīryasya saṃvādaṃ samudrasya ca bhāmini
  2 kārtavīryārjuno nāma rājā bāhusahasravān
      yena sāgaraparyantā dhanuṣā nirjitā mahī
  3 sa kadā cit samudrānte vicaran baladarpitaḥ
      avākirac charaśataiḥ samudram iti naḥ śrutam
  4 taṃ samudro namaskṛtya kṛtāñjalir uvāca ha
      mā muñca vīra nārācān brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te
  5 madāśrayāṇi bhūtāni tvad visṛṣṭair maheṣubhiḥ
      vadhyante rājaśārdūla tebhyo dehy abhayaṃ vibho
  6 [a]
      matsamo yadi saṃgrāme śarāsanadharaḥ kva cit
      vidyate taṃ mamācakṣva yaḥ samāsīta māṃ mṛdhe
  7 [s]
      maharṣir jamadagnis te yadi rājan pariśrutaḥ
      tasya putras tavātithyaṃ yathāvat kartum arhati
  8 tataḥ sa rājā prayayau krodhena mahatā vṛtaḥ
      sa tam āśramam āgamya ramam evānvapadyata
  9 sa rāma pratikūlāni cakāra saha bandhubhiḥ
      āyāsaṃ janayām āsa rāmasya ca mahātmanaḥ
  10 tatas tejaḥ prajajvāla rājasyāmita tejasaḥ
     pradahad ripusainyāni tadā kamalalocane
 11 tataḥ paraśum ādāya sa taṃ bāhusahasriṇam
     ciccheda sahasā rāmo bāhuśākham iva drumam
 12 taṃ hataṃ patitaṃ dṛṣṭvā sametāḥ sarvabāndhavāḥ
     asīn ādāya śaktīś ca bhārgavaṃ paryavārayan
 13 rāmo 'pi dhanur ādāya ratham āruhya sa tvaraḥ
     visṛjañ śaravarṣāṇi vyadhamat pārthivaṃ balam
 14 tatas tu kṣatriyāḥ ke cij jamadagniṃ nihatya ca
     viviśur giridurgāṇi mṛgāḥ siṃhārditā iva
 15 teṣāṃ svavihitaṃ karma tadbhayān nānutiṣṭhatām
     prajā vṛṣalatāṃ prāptā brāhmaṇānām adarśanāt
 16 ta ete dramiḍāḥ kāśāḥ puṇḍrāś ca śabaraiḥ saha
     vṛṣalatvaṃ parigatā vyutthānāt kṣatradharmataḥ
 17 tatas tu hatavīrāsu kṣatriyāsu punaḥ punaḥ
     dvijair utpāditaṃ kṣatraṃ jāmadagnyo nyakṛntata
 18 eva viṃśatimedhānte rāmaṃ vāg aśarīriṇī
     divyā provāca madhurā sarvalokapariśrutā
 19 rāma rāma nivartasva kaṃ guṇaṃ tāta paśyasi
     kṣatrabandhūn imān prāṇair viprayojya punaḥ punaḥ
 20 tathaiva taṃ mahātmānam ṛcīkapramukhās tadā
     pitāmahā mahābhāga nivartasvety athābruvan
 21 pitur vadham amṛṣyaṃs tu rāmaḥ provāca tān ṛṣīn
     nārhantīha bhavanto māṃ nivārayitum ity uta
 22 [pitarah]
     nārhase kṣatrabandhūṃs tvaṃ nihantuṃ jayatāṃ vara
     na hi yuktaṃ tvayā hantuṃ brāhmaṇena satā nṛpān

SECTION XXIX

"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story, O lady, of the discourse between Karttaviryya and the Ocean. There was a king of the name of Karttaviryya-Arjuna who was endued with a thousand arms. He conquered, with his bow, the Earth, extending to the shores of the ocean. It has been heard by us that, once on a time, as he was walking on the shores of the sea, proud of his might, he showered hundreds of shafts on that vast receptacle of waters. The Ocean, bowing down unto him, said, with joined hands,--Do not, O hero, shoot thy shafts (at me)! Say, what shall I do to thee. With these mighty arrows shot by thee, those creatures which have taken shelter in me are being killed, O tiger among kings. Do thou, O lord, grant them security.'
"Arjuna said, 'If any wielder of the bow exists that is equal to me in battle, and that would stand against me in the field, do thou name him to me!'
"The Ocean said, If thou hast heard, O king, of the great Rishi Jamadagni, his son is competent to duly receive thee as a guest.--Then that king proceeded, filled with great wrath. Arrived at that retreat, he found Rama himself. With his kinsmen he began to do many acts that were hostile to Rama, and caused much trouble to that high-souled hero. Then the energy, which was immeasurable of Rama blazed forth, burning the troops of the foe, O lotus-eyed one. Taking up his battle-axe, Rama suddenly put forth his power, and hacked that thousand-armed hero, like a tree of many branches. Beholding him slain and prostrated on the earth, all his kinsmen, uniting together, and taking up their darts, rushed at Rama, who was then seated, from all sides. Rama also, taking up his bow and quickly ascending on his car, shot showers of arrows and chastised the army of the king. Then, some of the Kshatriyas, afflicted with the terror of Jamadagni's son, entered mountain-fastnesses, like deer afflicted by the lion. Of them that were unable, through fear of Rama, to discharge the duties ordained for their order, the progeny became Vrishalas owing to their inability to find Brahmanas. 1 In this way Dravidas and Abhiras and Pundras, together with the Savaras, became Vrishalas through those men who had Kshatriya duties assigned to them (in consequence of their birth), falling away (from those duties). Then the Kshatriyas that were begotten by
p. 52
the Brahmanas upon Kshatriya women that had lost their heroic children, were repeatedly destroyed by Jamadagni's son. The slaughter proceeded one and twenty times. At its conclusion a bodiless voice, sweet and proceeding from heaven, and which was heard by all people, spoke to Rama, 'O Rama, O Rama, desist! What met it dost thou see, O son, in thus destroying repeatedly these inferior Kshatriyas?' 1 In this way, O blessed dame, his grandsires, headed by Richika, addressed that high-souled one, saying. 'Do thou desist.' Rama, however, unable to forgive the slaughter of his sire, replied unto those Rishis saying, 'It behoves you not to forbid me.' The Pitris then said, 'O foremost of all victorious men, it behoves thee not to slay these inferior Kshatriyas. It is not proper that thyself, being a Brahmana, should slay these kings.'"

Book 14
Chapter 30

1 [pitarah]
      atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam
      śrutvā ca tat tathā kāryaṃ bhavatā dvijasattama
  2 alarko nāma rājarṣir abhavat sumahātapāḥ
      dharmajñaḥ satyasaṃdhaś ca mahātmā sumahāvrataḥ
  3 sa sāgarāntāṃ dhanuṣā vinirjitya mahīm imām
      kṛtvā suduṣkaraṃ karma manaḥ sūkṣme samādadhe
  4 sthitasya vṛkṣamūle 'tha tasya cintā babhūva ha
      utsṛjya sumahad rājyaṃ sūkṣmaṃ prati mahāmate
  5 [a]
      manaso me balaṃ jātaṃ mano jitvā dhruvo jayaḥ
      anyatra bāṇān asyāmi śatrubhiḥ parivāritaḥ
  6 yad idaṃ cāpalān mūrteḥ sarvam etac cikīrṣati
      manaḥ prati sutīkṣṇāgrān ahaṃ mokṣyāmi sāyakān
  7 [manas]
      neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
      tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
  8 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyasi
      tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
  9 [a]
      āghrāya subahūn gandhāṃs tān eva pratigṛdhyati
      tasmād ghrāṇaṃ prati śarān pratimokṣyāmy ahaṃ śitān
  10 [ghrāṇa]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
 11 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyasi
     tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
 12 [a]
     iyaṃ svādūn rasān bhuktvā tān eva pratigṛdhyati
     tasmāj jihvāṃ prati śarān pratimokṣyāmy ahaṃ śitān
 13 [j]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
 14 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyasi
     tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
 15 [a]
     sṛṣṭvā tvag vividhān sparśāṃs tān eva pratigṛdhyati
     tasmāt tvacaṃ pāṭayiṣye vividhaiḥ kaṅkapatrabhiḥ
 16 [tvac]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
 17 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyasi
     tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
 18 [a]
     śrutvā vai vividhāñ śabdāṃs tān eva pratigṛdhyati
     tasmāc chrotraṃ prati śarān pratimokṣyāmy ahaṃ śitān
 19 [ṣrotra]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti tato hāsyasi jīvitam
 20 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyasi
     tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
 21 [a]
     dṛṣṭvā vai vividhān bhāvāṃs tān eva pratigṛdhyati
     tasmāc cakṣuḥ prati śarān pratimokṣyāmy ahaṃ śitān
 22 [c]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti māmālarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
 23 anyān bāṇān samīkṣasva yais tvaṃ māṃ sūdayiṣyati
     tac chrutvā sa vicintyātha tato vacanam abravīt
 24 [a]
     iyaṃ niṣṭhā bahuvidhā prajñayā tv adhyavasyati
     tasmād buddhiṃ prati śarān pratimokṣyāmy ahaṃ śitān
 25 [caksus]
     neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃ cana
     tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi
 26 [pitarah]
     tato 'larkas tapo ghoram āsthāyātha suduṣkaram
     nādhyagacchat paraṃ śaktyā bāṇam eteṣu saptasu
     susamāhita cittās tu tato 'cintayata prabhuḥ
 27 sa vicintya ciraṃ kālam alarko dvijasattama
     nādhyagacchat paraṃ śreyo yogān matimatāṃ varaḥ
 28 sa ekāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā niścalo yogam āsthitaḥ
     indriyāṇi jaghānāśu bāṇenaikena vīryavān
 29 yogenātmānam āviśya saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ yayau
     vismitaś cāpi rājarṣir imāṃ gāthāṃ jagāda ha
     aho kaṣṭaṃ yad asmābhiḥ pūrvaṃ rājyam anuṣṭhitam
     iti paścān mayā jñātaṃ yogān nāsti paraṃ sukham
 30 iti tvam api jānīhi rāma mā kṣatriyāñ jahi
     tapo ghoram upātiṣṭha tataḥ śreyo 'bhipatsyase
 31 [br]
     ity uktaḥ sa tapo ghoraṃ jāmadagnyaḥ pitāmahaiḥ
     āsthitaḥ sumahābhāgo yayau siddhiṃ ca durgamām

SECTION XXX

"The Pitris said, 'In this connection is cited this old history. Having heard it, thou shouldst act according to it, O foremost of all regenerate persons. There was a royal sage of the name Alarka endued with the austerest of penances. He was conversant with all duties, truthful in speech, of high soul, and exceedingly firm in his vows. Having, with his bow, conquered the whole Earth extending to the seas, and thereby achieved an exceedingly difficult feat, he set his mind on that which is subtle. While sitting at the root of a tree, his thoughts, O thou of great intelligence, abandoning all those great feats, turned towards that which is subtle.'
"Alarka said, 'My mind has become strong. Having conquered the mind, one's conquest becomes permanent. Though surrounded by foes, I shall (henceforth) shoot my arrows at other objects. Since in consequence of its unsteadiness, it sets all mortals to accomplish acts, I shall shoot very sharp-pointed shafts at the mind.'
"The mind said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will never pierce me through. They will pierce only thy own vital parts, Thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look out for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
"Alarka said, 'Smelling very many perfumes, the nose hankers after them only. Hence I shall shoot whetted arrows at the nose.'
"The nose said, 'These arrows will never cross through me, O Alarka. They will pierce only thy own vital parts, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.'
Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
p. 53
"Alarka said, This one (viz., the tongue), enjoying savoury tastes, hankers after them only. Hence I shall shoot whetted shafts at the tongue.'
"The tongue said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will not cross through me. They will only pierce thy own vital parts and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
"Alarka said, 'The skin, touching diverse objects of touch, hankers after them only. Hence, I shall tear off the skin with diverse arrows equipt with the feathers of the Kanka.'
"The skin said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting on them, he said as follows.
"Alarka said, 'Hearing diverse sounds, (the ear) hankers after them only. Hence, I shall shoot whetted shafts at the ear.'
"The ear said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
"Alarka said, 'Seeing many colours, the eye hankers after them only. Hence, I shall destroy the eye with sharp-pointed arrows.'
"The eye said. 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me at all. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me!' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.
"Alarka said, 'This (viz., the understanding) forms many determinations with the aid of ratiocination. Hence, I shall shoot whetted arrows at the understanding.'
"The understanding said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me at all. They will pierce thy vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy me!'
"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Alarka, employing himself, even there, on penances difficult to perform and exceedingly austere, failed to obtain, by the high power (of his penances) arrows for casting at these seven. Endued with puissance, he then, with mind well concentrated, began to reflect. Then O best of regenerate ones, Alarka, that foremost of intelligent men, having reflected for a long time, failed to obtain anything better than Yoga. Setting his mind on one object, he remained perfectly still, engaged in Yoga. 1 Endued with energy, he quickly slew all the senses with one arrow, having entered by Yoga into his
p. 54
soul and thereby attained to the highest success. Filled with wonder, that royal sage then sang this verse: Alas, it is a pity that we should have accomplished all acts that are external! Alas, that we should have, endued with the thirst for enjoyment, courted (the pleasures of) sovereignty before now! I have learnt this afterwards. There is no happiness that is higher than Yoga.--Do thou know this, O Rama. Cease to slay the Kshatriyas. Do thou practise the austerest of penances. Thou wilt then attain to what is good.--Thus addressed by his grandsires, Jamadagni's son practised the austerest penances, and having practised them, that highly blessed one attained to that success which is difficult to reach.'"

(My hukble salutations to the lotus feet of Sreeman Brhamasri K M Ganguli ji for the collection)