111. Chapter 111

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अस्य चित्तमहाव्याधेश्चिकित्साया महौषधम् । स्वायत्तं श्रृणु वक्ष्यामि साधु सुस्वादु निश्चितम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | asya cittamahāvyādheścikitsāyā mahauṣadham | svāyattaṃ śrṛṇu vakṣyāmi sādhu susvādu niścitam || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—Now attend to the best remedy, that I will tell you to heal the disease of the heart; which is within one's own power and harmless, and a sweet potion to taste.

स्वेनैव पौरुषेणाशु स्वसंवेदनरूपिणा । यत्नेन चित्तवेतालस्त्यक्त्वेष्टं वस्तु जीयते ॥ २ ॥

svenaiva pauruṣeṇāśu svasaṃvedanarūpiṇā | yatnena cittavetālastyaktveṣṭaṃ vastu jīyate || 2 ||

It is by the exertion of your own consciousness by yourself, and by diligent relinquishment of the best objects of your desire, that you can bring back your refractory mind under your subjection.

त्यजन्नभिमतं वस्तु यस्तिष्ठति निरामयः । जितमेव मनस्तेन कुदन्त इव दन्तिना ॥ ३ ॥

tyajannabhimataṃ vastu yastiṣṭhati nirāmayaḥ | jitameva manastena kudanta iva dantinā || 3 ||

He who remains at rest by giving up the objects of his desire, is verily the conqueror of his mind; which is reduced under his subjection as an elephant wanting its tusks.

स्वसंवेदनयत्नेन पाल्यते चित्तबालकः । अवस्तुतो वस्तुनि च योज्यते बोध्यतेऽपि च ॥ ४ ॥

svasaṃvedanayatnena pālyate cittabālakaḥ | avastuto vastuni ca yojyate bodhyate'pi ca || 4 ||

The mind is to be carefully treated as a patient by the prescriptions of reason, and by discriminating the truth from untruth, as we do good diet from what is injurious.

शास्रसत्सङ्गधीरेण चिन्तातप्तमतापिना । छिन्धि त्वमायसेनायो मनसैव मनो मुने ॥ ५ ॥

śāsrasatsaṅgadhīreṇa cintātaptamatāpinā | chindhi tvamāyasenāyo manasaiva mano mune || 5 ||

Mould your heated imagination by cool reasoning, by precepts of the Sastras, and by association with the dispassionate, as they do the heated iron by a cold hammer.

अयत्नेन यथा बाल इतश्चेतश्च योज्यते । भावैस्तथैव चेतोन्तः किमिवात्रास्ति दुष्करम् ॥ ६ ॥

ayatnena yathā bāla itaścetaśca yojyate | bhāvaistathaiva cetontaḥ kimivātrāsti duṣkaram || 6 ||

As a boy has no pain to turn himself this way and that in his play;so it is not difficult to turn the mind, from one thing to another at pleasure.

सत्कर्मणि समाक्रान्तमुदर्कोदयदायिनि । स्वपौरुषेणैव मनश्चेतनेन नियोजयेत् ॥ ७ ॥

satkarmaṇi samākrāntamudarkodayadāyini | svapauruṣeṇaiva manaścetanena niyojayet || 7 ||

Employ your mind to the acts of goodness by the light of your understanding; as you join your soul to the meditation of God by light of your spirit.

स्वायत्तमेकान्तहितं स्वेप्सितत्यागवेदनम् । यस्य दुष्करतां यातं धिक्तं पुरुषकीटकम् ॥ ८ ॥

svāyattamekāntahitaṃ svepsitatyāgavedanam | yasya duṣkaratāṃ yātaṃ dhiktaṃ puruṣakīṭakam || 8 ||

The renunciation of a highly desirable object, is in the power of one, who resigns himself to the divine will; it is a shame therefore to that worm of human being, who finds this precept difficult for his practice.

अरम्यं रम्यरूपेण भावयित्वा स्वसंविदा । मल्लेनेव शिशुश्चित्तमयत्नेनैव जीयते ॥ ९ ॥

aramyaṃ ramyarūpeṇa bhāvayitvā svasaṃvidā | malleneva śiśuścittamayatnenaiva jīyate || 9 ||

He who can take the unpleasant for the pleasurable in his understanding; may with ease subdue his mind, as a giant overcomes a boy by his might.

पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन चित्तमाश्वेव जीयते । अचित्तेनाप्रयत्नेन पदं ब्रह्मणि दीयते ॥ १० ॥

pauruṣeṇa prayatnena cittamāśveva jīyate | acittenāprayatnena padaṃ brahmaṇi dīyate || 10 ||

It is possible to govern the mind like a horse, by one's attention and exertion; and the mind being brought to its quietness, it is easy to enter into divine knowledge.

स्वायत्तं च सुसाध्यं च स्वचित्ताक्रान्तिमात्रकम् । शक्नुवन्ति न ये कर्तुं धिक्तान्पुरुषजम्बुकान् ॥ ११ ॥

svāyattaṃ ca susādhyaṃ ca svacittākrāntimātrakam | śaknuvanti na ye kartuṃ dhiktānpuruṣajambukān || 11 ||

Shame to that jackass (lit.: jackalish man), who has not the power to subdue his restless mind, which is entirely under his own subjection, and which he can easily govern.

स्वपौरुषैकसाध्येन स्वेप्सितत्यागरूपिणा । मनःप्रशममात्रेण विना नास्ति शुभा गतिः ॥ १२ ॥

svapauruṣaikasādhyena svepsitatyāgarūpiṇā | manaḥpraśamamātreṇa vinā nāsti śubhā gatiḥ || 12 ||

No one can reach the best course of his life, without the tranquillity of his mind; which is to be acquired by means of his own exertion, in getting rid of the fond objects of his desire.

मनोमारणमात्रेण साध्येन स्वात्मसंविदा । निःसपत्नमनाद्यन्तमनिङ्गनमिहोच्यताम् ॥ १३ ॥

manomāraṇamātreṇa sādhyena svātmasaṃvidā | niḥsapatnamanādyantamaniṅganamihocyatām || 13 ||

It is by means of destroying the appetites of the mind, by means of reason and knowledge of truth; that one can have his absolute dominion over it, without any change or rival in it. (The rival powers in the kingdom of the mind.

ईप्सितावेदनाख्यात्तु मनःप्रशमनादृते । गुरूपदेशशास्त्रार्थमन्त्राद्या युक्तयस्तृणम् ॥ १४ ॥

īpsitāvedanākhyāttu manaḥpraśamanādṛte | gurūpadeśaśāstrārthamantrādyā yuktayastṛṇam || 14 ||

The precepts of a preceptor, the instructions of the sastras, the efficacy of mantras, and the force of arguments, are all as trifles as straws, without that calmness of the mind, which can be gained by renunciation of our desires and by the knowledge of truth.

सर्वं सर्वगतं शान्तं ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा । असंकल्पनशस्त्रेण च्छिन्नं चित्तं गतं यदा ॥ १५ ॥

sarvaṃ sarvagataṃ śāntaṃ brahma saṃpadyate tadā | asaṃkalpanaśastreṇa cchinnaṃ cittaṃ gataṃ yadā || 15 ||

The One All and all-pervading quiescent Brahma can be known then only, when the desires of the mind are all cut off by the weapon of indifference to all worldly things.

स्वसंवेदनसाध्येऽस्मिन्संकल्पानर्थशासने । शान्तायामत्र वपुषि पुंसः कैव कदर्थना ॥ १६ ॥

svasaṃvedanasādhye'sminsaṃkalpānarthaśāsane | śāntāyāmatra vapuṣi puṃsaḥ kaiva kadarthanā || 16 ||

All bodily pains of men are quite at an end, no sooner the mind is at rest, after the removal of mental anxieties by means of true knowledge.

नूनं दैवमनादृत्य मूढसंकल्पकल्पितम् । पुरुषार्थेन संवित्त्या नय चित्तमचित्तताम् ॥ १७ ॥

nūnaṃ daivamanādṛtya mūḍhasaṃkalpakalpitam | puruṣārthena saṃvittyā naya cittamacittatām || 17 ||

Many persons turn their minds to unmindfulness, by too much trust in their exertions and imaginary expectations; and disregarding the power of destiny, which overrules all human efforts.

तां महापदवीमेकां कामप्यधिगतं चिरम् । चित्तं चिद्भक्षितं कृत्वा चित्तादपि परो भव ॥ १८ ॥

tāṃ mahāpadavīmekāṃ kāmapyadhigataṃ ciram | cittaṃ cidbhakṣitaṃ kṛtvā cittādapi paro bhava || 18 ||

The mind being long practised in its highest duty, of the cultivation of divine knowledge, becomes extinct in the intellect, and is elevated to its higher state of intellectual form.

भव भावनया युक्तो युक्तः परमया धिया । धारयात्मानमव्यग्रो ग्रस्तचित्तं ततः परम् ॥ १९ ॥

bhava bhāvanayā yukto yuktaḥ paramayā dhiyā | dhārayātmānamavyagro grastacittaṃ tataḥ param || 19 ||

Join yourself to your intellectual or abstract thoughts at first, and then to your spiritual speculations. Being then master of your mind, contemplate on the nature of the Supreme soul.

परं पौरुषमाश्रित्य नीत्वा चित्तमचित्तताम् । तां महापदवीमेहि यत्र नाशो न विद्यते ॥ २० ॥

paraṃ pauruṣamāśritya nītvā cittamacittatām | tāṃ mahāpadavīmehi yatra nāśo na vidyate || 20 ||

Thus relying on your own exertion, and converting the sensible mind to its state of stoic insensibility, you can attain to that highest state of fixedness, which knows no decay nor destruction.

संवेदनविपर्यासरूपिणी धीरिवाचला । जेतुमाशु मनो राम पौरुषेणैव शक्यते ॥ २१ ॥

saṃvedanaviparyāsarūpiṇī dhīrivācalā | jetumāśu mano rāma pauruṣeṇaiva śakyate || 21 ||

It is by your exertion and fixed attention, O Rama! that you can correct the errors of your mind; as one gets over his wrong apprehension of taking one thing for another.

अनुद्वेगः श्रियो मूलमनुद्वेगात्प्रवर्तते । जन्तोर्मनोजयो येन त्रिलोकीविजयस्तृणम् ॥ २२ ॥

anudvegaḥ śriyo mūlamanudvegātpravartate | jantormanojayo yena trilokīvijayastṛṇam || 22 ||

Calmness of mind, produces the want of anxiety; and the man that has been able to subdue his mind, cares a fig for his subjection of the world under him.

न शस्त्रदलनोत्पातपाता यस्यां मनागपि । स्वभावमात्रव्यावृत्तौ तस्यां कैव कदर्थना ॥ २३ ॥

na śastradalanotpātapātā yasyāṃ manāgapi | svabhāvamātravyāvṛttau tasyāṃ kaiva kadarthanā || 23 ||

Worldly possessions are attended with strife and warfare, and the enjoyments of heaven also, have their rise and fall; but in the improvement of one's own mind and nature, there is no contention with anybody, nor any obstruction of any kind.

अपि स्ववेदनाक्रान्तौ न शक्ता ये नराधमाः । कथं व्यवहरिष्यन्ति व्यवहारदशासु ते ॥ २४ ॥

api svavedanākrāntau na śaktā ye narādhamāḥ | kathaṃ vyavahariṣyanti vyavahāradaśāsu te || 24 ||

It is hard for them to manage their affairs well, who cannot manage to keep their minds under proper control.

पुमान्मृतोऽस्मि जातोऽस्मि जीवामीति कुदृष्टयः । चेतसो वृत्तयो भान्ति चपलस्यासदुत्थिताः ॥ २५ ॥

pumānmṛto'smi jāto'smi jīvāmīti kudṛṣṭayaḥ | cetaso vṛttayo bhānti capalasyāsadutthitāḥ || 25 ||

The thought of one's being dead, and being born again as a man, continually employ the minds of the ignorant with the idea of their egoism.

न कश्चनेह म्रियते जायते न च कश्चन । स्वयं वेत्ति मृतं स्वस्य लोकमन्यं स्वकं मनः ॥ २६ ॥

na kaścaneha mriyate jāyate na ca kaścana | svayaṃ vetti mṛtaṃ svasya lokamanyaṃ svakaṃ manaḥ || 26 ||

So no body is born here nor dies at any time; it is the mind that conceives its birth and death and migration in other bodies and worlds.

इतो याति परं लोकं स्फुरत्यन्यतया मनः । तत्तस्यैत्येतदामोक्षमतो मृतिभयं कुतः ॥ २७ ॥

ito yāti paraṃ lokaṃ sphuratyanyatayā manaḥ | tattasyaityetadāmokṣamato mṛtibhayaṃ kutaḥ || 27 ||

It goes hence to another world, and there appears in another form (of the body and mind); or it is relieved from the encumbrance of flesh, which is called its liberation. Where then is this death and why fear to die.

इहलोकेन विचरत्विहलोके परत्र च । चित्तमामोक्षमास्तेऽस्य रूपमन्यन्न विद्यते ॥ २८ ॥

ihalokena vicaratvihaloke paratra ca | cittamāmokṣamāste'sya rūpamanyanna vidyate || 28 ||

Whether the mind roves here; or goes to another world with its earthly thoughts, it continues in the same state as before unless it is changed to another form (of purity), by its attainment of liberation.

मृते भ्रातरि भृत्यादौ क्लेश आक्रियतेऽनृतः । तत्स्वचित्तं स्वचैतन्यव्यावृत्तात्मेति मे मतिः ॥ २९ ॥

mṛte bhrātari bhṛtyādau kleśa ākriyate'nṛtaḥ | tatsvacittaṃ svacaitanyavyāvṛttātmeti me matiḥ || 29 ||

It is in vain that we are overwhelmed in sorrow, upon the demise of our brethren and dependants; since we know it is the nature of the mind, to be thus deluded from its state of pure intelligence to that of error.

सति पथ्ये तते शुभ्रे चित्तोपशमनादृते । तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्ताच्च भूयोभूयो विचारितम् ॥ ३० ॥

sati pathye tate śubhre cittopaśamanādṛte | tiryagūrdhvamadhastācca bhūyobhūyo vicāritam || 30 ||

It has been repeatedly mentioned both before and afterwards, and in many other places (of this work); that there is no other means of obtaining the pure diet of true knowledge, without subduing the mind,

यावन्नास्ति किलोपायश्चित्तोपशमनादृते । ऋते तथ्ये तते शुभ्रे बोधे हृद्युदिते सति ॥ ३१ ॥

yāvannāsti kilopāyaścittopaśamanādṛte | ṛte tathye tate śubhre bodhe hṛdyudite sati || 31 ||

I repeat the same lesson, that there is no other way, save by the government of the unruly mind, to come to the light of the truly real, clear and catholic knowledge of the Supreme.

मनोविलयमात्रेण विश्रान्तिरुपजायते । व्यायते हृदयाकाशे चिति चिच्चक्रधारया ॥ ३२ ॥

manovilayamātreṇa viśrāntirupajāyate | vyāyate hṛdayākāśe citi ciccakradhārayā || 32 ||

The mind being destroyed (i. e. all its function, being suspended); the soul attains its tranquillity, and the light of the intellect shines forth in the cavity of the heart.

मनो मारय निःशङ्कं त्वां प्रबध्नन्ति नाधयः । यदि रम्यमरम्यत्वे त्वया संविदितं विदा ॥ ३३ ॥

mano māraya niḥśaṅkaṃ tvāṃ prabadhnanti nādhayaḥ | yadi ramyamaramyatve tvayā saṃviditaṃ vidā || 33 ||

Hold fast the discus of reason, and cut off the bias of your mind;be sure that no disease will have the power to molest you, if you can have the good sense to despise the objects of pleasure, which are attended by pain.

छिन्नान्येव तदाङ्गानि चित्तस्येति मतिर्मम । अयं सोऽहमिदं तन्म एतावन्मात्रकं मनः ॥ ३४ ॥

chinnānyeva tadāṅgāni cittasyeti matirmama | ayaṃ so'hamidaṃ tanma etāvanmātrakaṃ manaḥ || 34 ||

By lopping the members of the mind, you cut it off altogether; and these being egoism and selfishness which compose the essence of the mind. Shun your sense that 'it is I' and 'these are mine.'

तदभावनमात्रेण दात्रेणेव विलूयते । छिन्नाभ्रमण्डलं व्योम्नि यथा शरदि धूयते ॥ ३५ ॥

tadabhāvanamātreṇa dātreṇeva vilūyate | chinnābhramaṇḍalaṃ vyomni yathā śaradi dhūyate || 35 ||

Want of these feelings, casts down the mind like a tree felled by the axe; and disperses it like a scattered cloud from the autumnal sky.

वातेनाकल्पनेनैवं तथा तद्धूयते मनः । भवन्ति यत्र शस्त्राग्निपवनास्तत्र भीर्भवेत् ॥ ३६ ॥

vātenākalpanenaivaṃ tathā taddhūyate manaḥ | bhavanti yatra śastrāgnipavanāstatra bhīrbhavet || 36 ||

It is dangerous to wage a war, against winds and weapons, and fire and water, in order to obtain the objects of worldly desire; but there is no danger whatever in destroying the growing soft and tender desires of the mind.

स्वायते मृदुनि स्वच्छे किमसंकल्पने भयम् । इदं श्रेय इद नेति सिद्धमाबालमक्षतम् ॥ ३७ ॥

svāyate mṛduni svacche kimasaṃkalpane bhayam | idaṃ śreya ida neti siddhamābālamakṣatam || 37 ||

What is good, and what is not so, is well known for certain even to boys (i. e. the immutability of good and evil is plain to common and simple understandings); therefore employ your mind to what is good, as they train up children in the paths of goodness.

बालं पुत्रमिवोदारे मनः श्रेयसि योजयेत् । अक्षयं चानवं चेतःसिंहं संसृतिबृंहणम् । घ्नन्ति ये ते जयन्तीह निर्वाणपददायिनः ॥ ३८ ॥

bālaṃ putramivodāre manaḥ śreyasi yojayet | akṣayaṃ cānavaṃ cetaḥsiṃhaṃ saṃsṛtibṛṃhaṇam | ghnanti ye te jayantīha nirvāṇapadadāyinaḥ || 38 ||

Our minds are as inveterate and indomitable, as ferocious lions of the forest; and they are true victors, who have conquered these, and are thereby entitled to salvation.

भीमाः संभ्रमदायिन्यः संकल्पकदनादिमाः । विपदः संप्रसूयन्ते मृगतृष्णा मराविव ॥ ३९ ॥

bhīmāḥ saṃbhramadāyinyaḥ saṃkalpakadanādimāḥ | vipadaḥ saṃprasūyante mṛgatṛṣṇā marāviva || 39 ||

Our desires are as fierce lions, with their insatiable thirst after lucre: and they are as delusive as the mirage of the desert, by leading us to dangers.

कल्पान्तपवना वान्तु यान्तु चैकत्वमर्णवाः । तपन्तु द्वादशादित्या नास्ति निर्मनसः क्षतिः ॥ ४० ॥

kalpāntapavanā vāntu yāntu caikatvamarṇavāḥ | tapantu dvādaśādityā nāsti nirmanasaḥ kṣatiḥ || 40 ||

The man that is devoid of desires, cares for nothing, whether the winds may howl with the fury of storms;or the seas break their bounds, or the twelve suns (of the Zodiac) rise at once to burn the universe.

मनोबीजात्समुद्यन्ति सुखदुःखे शुभाशुभे । संसारखण्डका एते लोकसप्तकपल्लवाः ॥ ४१ ॥

manobījātsamudyanti sukhaduḥkhe śubhāśubhe | saṃsārakhaṇḍakā ete lokasaptakapallavāḥ || 41 ||

The mind is the root, that grows the plants of our good and evil and all our weal and woe. The mind is the tree of the world, and all peoples are as its branches and leaves.

असंकल्पनमात्रैकसाध्ये सकलसिद्धिदे । असंकल्पनसाम्राज्ये तिष्ठावष्टब्धतत्पदः ॥ ४२ ॥

asaṃkalpanamātraikasādhye sakalasiddhide | asaṃkalpanasāmrājye tiṣṭhāvaṣṭabdhatatpadaḥ || 42 ||

One prospers every where, who has freed his mind from its desires;and he that lives in the dominion of indifference, rests in his heavenly felicity.

प्रयच्छत्युत्तमानन्दं क्षीयमाणं मनः क्रमात् । काष्ठक्षीणाङ्गकाङ्गारो यथाङ्गारक्षयार्थिनः ॥ ४३ ॥

prayacchatyuttamānandaṃ kṣīyamāṇaṃ manaḥ kramāt | kāṣṭhakṣīṇāṅgakāṅgāro yathāṅgārakṣayārthinaḥ || 43 ||

The more we curb the desires of our minds, the greater we feel our inward happiness; as the fire being extinguished, we find ourselves cooled from its heat.

अपि ब्रह्मकुटीलक्षं मनसश्चेत्समीहितम् । तदणोरन्तरे व्यक्तं विभक्तं परिदृश्यते ॥ ४४ ॥

api brahmakuṭīlakṣaṃ manasaścetsamīhitam | tadaṇorantare vyaktaṃ vibhaktaṃ paridṛśyate || 44 ||

Should the mind long for millions of worldly mansions in its highest ambition; it is sure to have them spread out to view within the minute particle of its own essence.

संकल्पमात्रविभवेन कृतात्यनर्थं संकल्पमात्रविभवेन सुसाधितार्थम् । संतोषमात्रविभवेन मनो विजित्य नित्योदितेन जयमेहि निरीप्सितेन ॥ ४५ ॥

saṃkalpamātravibhavena kṛtātyanarthaṃ saṃkalpamātravibhavena susādhitārtham | saṃtoṣamātravibhavena mano vijitya nityoditena jayamehi nirīpsitena || 45 ||

Opulence in expectancy, is full of anxiety to the mind, and the expected wealth when gained is no less troublesome to it; but the treasure of contentment is fraught with lasting peace of mind, therefore be victorious over your greedy mind by abandonment of all your desires.

परमपावनया विमनस्तया समतया मतयात्मविदामपि । शमितया मितयान्तरहंतया यदवशिष्टमजं पदमस्तु तत् ॥ ४६ ॥

paramapāvanayā vimanastayā samatayā matayātmavidāmapi | śamitayā mitayāntarahaṃtayā yadavaśiṣṭamajaṃ padamastu tat || 46 ||

With the highly holy virtue of your unmindfulness, and with the even-mindedness of those that have known the Divine spirit; as also with the subdued, moderated and defeated yearnings of your heart, make the state of the increate One as your own.