3. Chapter 3

श्रीराम उवाच । एवमेव मनः शुद्धं पृथ्व्यादिरहितं त्वया । मनो ब्रह्मेति कथितं सत्यं पृथ्व्यादिवर्जितम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | evameva manaḥ śuddhaṃ pṛthvyādirahitaṃ tvayā | mano brahmeti kathitaṃ satyaṃ pṛthvyādivarjitam || 1 ||

Rama said:—It is even so as you have said, that the mind is a pure essence, and has no connection with the earth and other material substances; and that it is verily Brahma itself.

तदत्र प्राक्तनी ब्रह्मन्स्मृतिः कस्मान्न कारणम् । यथा मम तवान्यस्य भूतानां चेति मे वद ॥ २ ॥

tadatra prāktanī brahmansmṛtiḥ kasmānna kāraṇam | yathā mama tavānyasya bhūtānāṃ ceti me vada || 2 ||

Now tell me, O Brahman! Why the remembrance of his former states (in the past and previous Kalpas), is not (to be reckoned as) the cause of his birth, as it is in the case of mine and yours and of all other beings.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । पूर्वदेहोऽस्ति यस्याद्य पूर्वकर्मसमन्वितः । तस्य स्मृतिः संभवति कारणं संसृतिस्थितेः ॥ ३ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | pūrvadeho'sti yasyādya pūrvakarmasamanvitaḥ | tasya smṛtiḥ saṃbhavati kāraṇaṃ saṃsṛtisthiteḥ || 3 ||

Vasishtha replied:—Whoever had a former body, accompanied with the acts of his prior existence, retains of course its reminiscence, which is the cause of his being.

ब्रह्मणः प्राक्तनं कर्म यदा किंचिन्न विद्यते । प्राक्तनी संस्मृतिस्तस्य तदोदेति कुतः कथम् ॥ ४ ॥

brahmaṇaḥ prāktanaṃ karma yadā kiṃcinna vidyate | prāktanī saṃsmṛtistasya tadodeti kutaḥ katham || 4 ||

But when Brahma is known to have no prior acts, how is it possible for him to have his reminiscence of any thing?

तस्मादकारण भाति वा स्वचित्तैककारणम् । स्वकारणादनन्यात्मा स्वयंभूः स्वयमात्मवान् ॥ ५ ॥

tasmādakāraṇa bhāti vā svacittaikakāraṇam | svakāraṇādananyātmā svayaṃbhūḥ svayamātmavān || 5 ||

Therefore he exists without any other cause except the causation of his own mind. It is by his own causality that the Divine spirit is self-born, and is himself his own spirit.

आतिवाहिक एवासौ देहोऽस्त्यस्य स्वयंभुवः । न त्वाधिभौतिको राम देहोऽजस्योपपद्यते ॥ ६ ॥

ātivāhika evāsau deho'styasya svayaṃbhuvaḥ | na tvādhibhautiko rāma deho'jasyopapadyate || 6 ||

He is everlasting, and his body is born of itself from the self-existent Brahma. This unborn or self-born Brahma has no material body whatever, except his subtile ativahika or linga deha.

श्रीराम उवाच । आतिवाहिक एकोऽस्ति देहोऽन्यस्त्वाधिभौतिकः । सर्वासां भूतजातीनां ब्रह्मणोऽस्त्येक एव किम् ॥ ७ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | ātivāhika eko'sti deho'nyastvādhibhautikaḥ | sarvāsāṃ bhūtajātīnāṃ brahmaṇo'styeka eva kim || 7 ||

Rama said:—The everlasting body is one thing (called the Sukshma sarira or subtile or immaterial body), and the mortal body is another (called the sthuladeha or the gross and material frame). Now tell me sir, whether all created beings have a subtile body also as that of Brahma?

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । सर्वेषामेव देहौ द्वौ भूतानां कारणात्मनाम् । अजस्य कारणाभावादेक एवातिवाहिकः ॥ ८ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | sarveṣāmeva dehau dvau bhūtānāṃ kāraṇātmanām | ajasya kāraṇābhāvādeka evātivāhikaḥ || 8 ||

Vasishtha replied:—All created beings that are produced of a cause, have two bodies (the sukshma and the sthula or the subtile and the gross). But the unborn being which is without a cause, has one body only.

सर्वासां भूतजातीनामेकोऽजः कारणं परम् । अजस्य कारणं नास्ति तेनासावेकदेहवान् ॥ ९ ॥

sarvāsāṃ bhūtajātīnāmeko'jaḥ kāraṇaṃ param | ajasya kāraṇaṃ nāsti tenāsāvekadehavān || 9 ||

The increate Brahma is the cause of all created beings, but the uncreated spirit having no cause for itself, has one body for it.

नास्त्येव भौतिको देहः प्रथमस्य प्रजापतेः । आकाशात्मा च भात्येष आतिवाहिकदेहवान् ॥ १० ॥

nāstyeva bhautiko dehaḥ prathamasya prajāpateḥ | ākāśātmā ca bhātyeṣa ātivāhikadehavān || 10 ||

The prime lord of creatures has no material body; but manifests himself in the vacuous form of his spiritual body.

चित्तमात्रशरीरोऽसौ न पृथ्व्यादिक्रमात्मकः । आद्यः प्रजापतिर्व्योमवपुः प्रतनुते प्रजाः ॥ ३३ ॥

cittamātraśarīro'sau na pṛthvyādikramātmakaḥ | ādyaḥ prajāpatirvyomavapuḥ pratanute prajāḥ || 33 ||

Man (manu) who derives his name from his mind (mana) is a form of the volitive soul called Verinchi (Lat. vir—inchoare the inchoative spirit of Brahma); and has for his dominion the mental or intellectual world mano-rajyam (Lat. mentis regio vel regnum) where all things are situated in the form of realities.

ताश्च चिद्व्योमरूपिण्यो विनान्यैः कारणान्तरैः । यद्यतस्तत्तदेवति सर्वैरेवानुभूयते ॥ १२ ॥

tāśca cidvyomarūpiṇyo vinānyaiḥ kāraṇāntaraiḥ | yadyatastattadevati sarvairevānubhūyate || 12 ||

All these are but forms of the images or ideas in his vacuous mind, and having no other patterns or originals in their nature. And that every thing is of the same nature with its cause, is a truth well known to all.

निर्वाणमात्रं पुरुषः परो बोधः स एव च । चित्तमात्रं तदेवास्ते नायाति वसुधादिताम् ॥ १३ ॥

nirvāṇamātraṃ puruṣaḥ paro bodhaḥ sa eva ca | cittamātraṃ tadevāste nāyāti vasudhāditām || 13 ||

He is an inexistent being and of the manner of perfect intelligence. He is purely of the form of the mind, and has an intellectual and no material entity.

सर्वेषां भूतजातानां संसारव्यवहारिणाम् । प्रथमोऽसौ प्रतिस्पन्दश्चित्तदेहः स्वतोदयः ॥ १४ ॥

sarveṣāṃ bhūtajātānāṃ saṃsāravyavahāriṇām | prathamo'sau pratispandaścittadehaḥ svatodayaḥ || 14 ||

He is prime (cause) of all material productions in the physical world, and is born of himself with his prime mobile force in the form of the mind.

अस्मात्पूर्वात्प्रतिस्पन्दादनन्यैतत्स्वरूपिणी । इयं प्रविसृता सृष्टिः स्पन्दसृष्टिरिवानिलात् ॥ १५ ॥

asmātpūrvātpratispandādananyaitatsvarūpiṇī | iyaṃ pravisṛtā sṛṣṭiḥ spandasṛṣṭirivānilāt || 15 ||

It was by the first impulse given by the prime moving power, that this expanse of creation came to be spread in the same ratio, as the currents of air and water (or the velocity of winds and tides), are in proportion to the impetus given to them.

प्रतिभानाकृतेरस्मात्प्रतिभामात्ररूपधृक् । विभात्येवमयं सर्गः सत्यानुभववान्स्थितः ॥ १६ ॥

pratibhānākṛterasmātpratibhāmātrarūpadhṛk | vibhātyevamayaṃ sargaḥ satyānubhavavānsthitaḥ || 16 ||

This creation shining so bright to our sight, has caught its light from the luminous mind of the formless Brahma, and appears as real to our conceptions.

दृष्टान्तोऽत्र भवत्स्वप्नपुरस्त्रीसुरतं यथा । असदप्यर्थसंपत्त्या सत्यानुभवभासुरम् ॥ १७ ॥

dṛṣṭānto'tra bhavatsvapnapurastrīsurataṃ yathā | asadapyarthasaṃpattyā satyānubhavabhāsuram || 17 ||

Our vision in a dream is the best illustration of this (unreality of worldly things): as that of the enjoyment of connubial bliss in dreaming. It is then that an unreal object of desire, presents itself as an actual gain to our fond and false imagination.

अपृथ्व्यादिमयो भाति व्योमाकृतिरदेहकः । सदेह इव भूतेशः स्वात्मभूः पुरुषाकृतिः ॥ १८ ॥

apṛthvyādimayo bhāti vyomākṛtiradehakaḥ | sadeha iva bhūteśaḥ svātmabhūḥ puruṣākṛtiḥ || 18 ||

The vacuous, immaterial and formless spirit, is now represented as the self-born and corporeal lord of creatures in the form of the first male.

संवित्सकल्परूपत्वान्नोदेति समुदेति च । स्वायत्तत्वात्स्वभावस्य नोदेति न च शाम्यति ॥ १९ ॥

saṃvitsakalparūpatvānnodeti samudeti ca | svāyattatvātsvabhāvasya nodeti na ca śāmyati || 19 ||

He remains undiscerned in his state of pure intelligence; but becomes manifest to all by the evolution of his volition. He is indiscernible in his absolute state (of inaction); but becomes conspicuous to us in the display of his nature.

ब्रह्मा संकल्पपुरुषः पृथ्व्यादिरहिताकृतिः । केवलं चित्तमात्रात्मा कारणं त्रिजगत्स्थितेः ॥ २० ॥

brahmā saṃkalpapuruṣaḥ pṛthvyādirahitākṛtiḥ | kevalaṃ cittamātrātmā kāraṇaṃ trijagatsthiteḥ || 20 ||

Brahma is the divine power of volition (or the will of God). He is personified as the first male agent of creation, but devoid of a corporeal body. He is only of the spiritual form of the mind, and the sole cause of the existence of the triple world.

संकल्प एष कचति यथा नाम स्वयंभुवः । व्योमात्मैष तथा भाति भवत्संकल्पशैलवत् ॥ २१ ॥

saṃkalpa eṣa kacati yathā nāma svayaṃbhuvaḥ | vyomātmaiṣa tathā bhāti bhavatsaṃkalpaśailavat || 21 ||

It is his volition that makes the self-born (Brahma) to exert his energies, as human desires impel all mankind to action: and the vacuous mind manifests itself as a mountain of desires.

आतिवाहिकमेवान्तर्विस्मृत्या दृढरूपया । आधिभौतिकबोधेन मुधा भाति पिशाचवत् ॥ २२ ॥

ātivāhikamevāntarvismṛtyā dṛḍharūpayā | ādhibhautikabodhena mudhā bhāti piśācavat || 22 ||

It then forgets its everlasting and incorporeal nature, and assumes to itself the solid material body, and shows itself in the shape of a delusive apparition.

इदं प्रथमतोद्योगसंप्रबुद्धं महाचितेः । नोदेति शुद्धसंवित्त्वादातिवाहिकविस्मृतिः ॥ २३ ॥

idaṃ prathamatodyogasaṃprabuddhaṃ mahāciteḥ | nodeti śuddhasaṃvittvādātivāhikavismṛtiḥ || 23 ||

But Brahma, who is of an unsullied understanding, is not involved in oblivion of himself, by the transformation of his unknowable nature to the known state of volition.

आधिभौतिकजातेन नास्योदेति पिशाचिका । असत्या मृगतृष्णेव मिथ्या जाड्यभ्रमप्रदा ॥ २४ ॥

ādhibhautikajātena nāsyodeti piśācikā | asatyā mṛgatṛṣṇeva mithyā jāḍyabhramapradā || 24 ||

Being unborn of material substance, he sees no apparition like others, who are exposed by their ignorance to the misleading errors of falsehood, appearing in the shape of a mirage before them.

मनोमात्रं यदा ब्रह्मा न पृथ्व्यादिमयात्मकः । मनोमात्रमतो विश्वं यद्यज्जातं तदेव हि ॥ २५ ॥

manomātraṃ yadā brahmā na pṛthvyādimayātmakaḥ | manomātramato viśvaṃ yadyajjātaṃ tadeva hi || 25 ||

As Brahma is merely of the form of the mind, and not composed of any material substance, so the world being the product of the eternal mind, is of the same nature with its original archetype.

अजस्य सहकारीणि कारणानि न सन्ति यत् । तज्जस्यापि न सन्त्येव तानि तस्मात्तु कानिचित् ॥ २६ ॥

ajasya sahakārīṇi kāraṇāni na santi yat | tajjasyāpi na santyeva tāni tasmāttu kānicit || 26 ||

Again as the uncreated Brahma is without any accompanying causality with himself, so his creation has no other cause beside himself.

कारणात्कार्यवैचित्र्यं तेन नात्रास्ति किंचन । यादृशं कारणं शुद्धं कार्य तादृगिति स्थितम् ॥ २७ ॥

kāraṇātkāryavaicitryaṃ tena nātrāsti kiṃcana | yādṛśaṃ kāraṇaṃ śuddhaṃ kārya tādṛgiti sthitam || 27 ||

Hence there is no difference in the product from its producer;because it is certain, that the work must be as perfect as its author.

कार्यकारणता ह्यत्र न किंचिदुपपद्यते । यादृगेव परं ब्रह्म तादृगेव जगत्त्रयम् ॥ २८ ॥

kāryakāraṇatā hyatra na kiṃcidupapadyate | yādṛgeva paraṃ brahma tādṛgeva jagattrayam || 28 ||

But there is nothing as a cause and effect to be found in this creation, because the three worlds are but the prototypes of the archetype of the divine mind.

मनस्तामिव यातेन ब्रह्मणा तन्यते जगत् । अनन्यादात्मनः शुद्धाद्द्रवत्वमिव वारिणः ॥ २९ ॥

manastāmiva yātena brahmaṇā tanyate jagat | ananyādātmanaḥ śuddhāddravatvamiva vāriṇaḥ || 29 ||

The world is stretched out in the model of the Divine mind, and not formed by any other holy spirit. It is as immanent in the mind of God, as fluidity is inherent in water.

मनसा तन्यते सर्वमसदेवेदमाततम् । यथा संकल्पनगरं यथा गन्धर्वपत्तनम् ॥ ३० ॥

manasā tanyate sarvamasadevedamātatam | yathā saṃkalpanagaraṃ yathā gandharvapattanam || 30 ||

It is the mind which spreads out this extended unreality of the world like castles in the air, and builds Utopian cities.

आधिभौतिकता नास्ति रज्ज्वामिव भुजङ्गता । ब्रह्मादयः प्रबुद्धास्तु कथं तिष्ठन्ति तत्र ते ॥ ३१ ॥

ādhibhautikatā nāsti rajjvāmiva bhujaṅgatā | brahmādayaḥ prabuddhāstu kathaṃ tiṣṭhanti tatra te || 31 ||

There is no such thing as materiality, which is as false a conception as that of a snake in a rope. Hence it is no way possible for Brahma and other beings to exist as individual bodies.

आतिवाहिक एवास्ति न प्रबुद्धमतेः किल । आधिभौतिकदेहस्य वाचो वात्र कुतः कथम् ॥ ३२ ॥

ātivāhika evāsti na prabuddhamateḥ kila | ādhibhautikadehasya vāco vātra kutaḥ katham || 32 ||

Even spiritual bodies are inexistent to enlightened understandings. As for the material body, it has no room in existence.

मनोनाम्नो मनुष्यस्य विरिञ्च्याकारधारिणः । मनोराज्यं जगदिति सत्यरूपमिव स्थितम् ॥ ३३ ॥

manonāmno manuṣyasya viriñcyākāradhāriṇaḥ | manorājyaṃ jagaditi satyarūpamiva sthitam || 33 ||

Man (manu) who derives his name from his mind (mana) is a form of the volitive soul called Verinchi (Lat. vir—inchoare the inchoative spirit of Brahma); and has for his dominion the mental or intellectual world mano-rajyam (Lat. mentis regio vel regnum) where all things are situated in the form of realities.

मन एव विरिञ्चित्वं तद्धि संकल्पनात्मकम् । स्ववपुः स्फारतां नीत्वा मनसेदं वितन्यते ॥ ३४ ॥

mana eva viriñcitvaṃ taddhi saṃkalpanātmakam | svavapuḥ sphāratāṃ nītvā manasedaṃ vitanyate || 34 ||

The mind is the creative Brahma called Verinchitvas (Lat. Virinchoativus), by the exercise of its inherent sankalpa or the volition of incipience or creation—sisriksha;and displays itself in the form of the visible universe by development of its own essence.

विरिञ्चो मनसो रूपं विरिञ्चस्य मनो वपुः । पृथ्व्यादि विद्यते नात्र तेन पृथ्व्यादि कल्पितम् ॥ ३५ ॥

viriñco manaso rūpaṃ viriñcasya mano vapuḥ | pṛthvyādi vidyate nātra tena pṛthvyādi kalpitam || 35 ||

This Virinchi or the creative power is of the form of the mind manas, as the mind itself is of the form of Virinchi also. It has no connection with any material substance, which is a mere creation of the imagination.

पद्माक्षे पद्मिनीवान्तर्मनो दृद्यस्ति दृश्यता । मनोदृश्यदृशौ भिन्ने न कदाचन केनचित् ॥ ३६ ॥

padmākṣe padminīvāntarmano dṛdyasti dṛśyatā | manodṛśyadṛśau bhinne na kadācana kenacit || 36 ||

All visible things are contained in the bosom of the mind, as the lotus-bud and blossom reside in the seed of the lotus. Hence there is no difference between the mental and visible appearances of things, nor has any one ever doubted of it any where.

यथा चात्र तव स्वप्नः संकल्पश्चित्तराज्यधीः । स्वानुभूत्यैव दृष्टान्तस्तस्माद्धृद्यस्ति दृश्यभूः ॥ ३७ ॥

yathā cātra tava svapnaḥ saṃkalpaścittarājyadhīḥ | svānubhūtyaiva dṛṣṭāntastasmāddhṛdyasti dṛśyabhūḥ || 37 ||

Whatever things you see in a dream, whatever desires you have at heart and all the ideals of your fancy, together with your ideas, notions and impressions of the visibles, know your mind to be the receptacle of them all.

तस्माच्चित्तविकल्पस्थपिशाचो बालकं यथा । विनिहन्त्येवमेषान्तर्द्रष्टारं दृश्यरूपिका ॥ ३८ ॥

tasmāccittavikalpasthapiśāco bālakaṃ yathā | vinihantyevameṣāntardraṣṭāraṃ dṛśyarūpikā || 38 ||

But the visible objects relating to the option of the mind (i. e. which are desirable, to every one), are as baneful to their beholder, as an apparition is to a child.

यथाङ्कुरोऽन्तर्बीजस्य संस्थितो देशकालतः । करोति भासुरं देहं तनोत्येवं हि दृश्यधीः ॥ ३९ ॥

yathāṅkuro'ntarbījasya saṃsthito deśakālataḥ | karoti bhāsuraṃ dehaṃ tanotyevaṃ hi dṛśyadhīḥ || 39 ||

The ideal of the phenomenal drisyadhi, developes itself as the germ contained in the seed and becomes in its proper time and place a large tree.

सच्चेन्न शाम्यति कदाचन दृश्यदुःखं दृश्ये त्वशाम्यति न बोद्धरि केवलत्वम् । दृश्ये त्वसंभवति बोद्धरि बोद्धृभावः शाम्येत्स्थितोऽपि हि तदस्य विमोक्षमाहुः ॥ ४० ॥

saccenna śāmyati kadācana dṛśyaduḥkhaṃ dṛśye tvaśāmyati na boddhari kevalatvam | dṛśye tvasaṃbhavati boddhari boddhṛbhāvaḥ śāmyetsthito'pi hi tadasya vimokṣamāhuḥ || 40 ||

If there is no rest with what is real, there can be no peace with the phenomenals which are full of troubles, and give no solace to the mind. It is impossible that the feeling of the perception of visibles will be ever lost to their perceiver (observer), though its subsidence only is said to constitute liberation.