64. Chapter 64

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । योऽयं सर्वगतो देवः परमात्मा महेश्वरः । स्वच्छः स्वानुभवानन्दस्वरूपोऽन्तादिवर्जितः ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | yo'yaṃ sarvagato devaḥ paramātmā maheśvaraḥ | svacchaḥ svānubhavānandasvarūpo'ntādivarjitaḥ || 1 ||

Vasishtha resumed:—The supreme Deity is the all-pervading spirit and the great God and Lord of all. He is without beginning and end, and is self-same with the infinite bliss of his translucent self-cogitation.

एतस्मात्परमानन्दाच्छुद्धचिन्मात्ररूपिणः । जीवः संजायते पूर्वं स चित्तं चित्ततो जगत् ॥ २ ॥

etasmātparamānandācchuddhacinmātrarūpiṇaḥ | jīvaḥ saṃjāyate pūrvaṃ sa cittaṃ cittato jagat || 2 ||

It is this supreme felicity and purely intellectual substance, whence the living soul and mind have their rise, prior to their production of the Universe.

श्रीराम उवाच । स्वानुभूतिप्रमाणेऽस्मिन्ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्मबृंहिते । कथं सत्तामवाप्नोति जीवको द्वैतवर्जिते ॥ ३ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | svānubhūtipramāṇe'sminbrahmaṇi brahmabṛṃhite | kathaṃ sattāmavāpnoti jīvako dvaitavarjite || 3 ||

Rama asked said:—How could the self-cogitation of Brahma, as the infinite spirit and one without a second, conceive in it a finite living soul other than itself, and which was not in Being.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । असदाभासमच्छात्म ब्रह्मास्तीह प्रबृंहितम् । बृहच्चिद्भैरववपुरानन्दाभिधमव्ययम् ॥ ४ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | asadābhāsamacchātma brahmāstīha prabṛṃhitam | bṛhaccidbhairavavapurānandābhidhamavyayam || 4 ||

Vasishtha replied:—The immense and transparent Spirit of Brahma, remained in a state of asat—non-existence, a state of ineffable bliss as seen by the adept Yogi; but of formidable vastness as conceived by the uninitiated novice.

तस्य यत्सममापूर्णं शुद्धं सत्वमचिह्नितम् । तद्विदामप्यनिर्देश्यं तच्छान्तं परमं पदम् ॥ ५ ॥

tasya yatsamamāpūrṇaṃ śuddhaṃ satvamacihnitam | tadvidāmapyanirdeśyaṃ tacchāntaṃ paramaṃ padam || 5 ||

This state of supreme bliss, which is ever tranquil, and full with the pure essence of God, is altogether undefinable, and incomprehensible, even by the most proficient in divine knowledge.

तस्यैवोद्यदिवाशान्ति यत्सत्त्वं संविदात्मकम् । स्वभावात्स्पन्दनं तत्तु जीवशब्देन कथ्यते ॥ ६ ॥

tasyaivodyadivāśānti yatsattvaṃ saṃvidātmakam | svabhāvātspandanaṃ tattu jīvaśabdena kathyate || 6 ||

Thence sprang a power (an hypostasis) like the germ of a seed, and possessed of consciousness and energy, that is called the living and conscious soul, and which must last until its final liberation.

तत्रेमाः परमादर्शे चिद्व्योम्न्यनुभवात्मिकाः । असंख्याः प्रतिबिम्बन्ति जगज्जालपरम्पराः ॥ ७ ॥

tatremāḥ paramādarśe cidvyomnyanubhavātmikāḥ | asaṃkhyāḥ pratibimbanti jagajjālaparamparāḥ || 7 ||

The clear mirror of the mind of this being, reflected in its vast vacuous sphere, the images of innumerable worlds set above one another, like statues engraved upon it.

ब्रह्मणः स्फुरणं किंचिद्यदवाताम्बुधेरिव । दीपस्येवाप्यवातस्य तं जीवं विद्धि राघव ॥ ८ ॥

brahmaṇaḥ sphuraṇaṃ kiṃcidyadavātāmbudheriva | dīpasyevāpyavātasya taṃ jīvaṃ viddhi rāghava || 8 ||

Know Rama! the living soul to be an inflation of Divine Spirit, like the swelling of the sea and the burning of a candle, when its flame is unshaken by the wind.

शान्तत्वापगमेऽच्छस्य मनाक्संवेदनात्मकम् । स्वाभाविकं यत्स्फुरणं चिद्व्योम्नः सोऽङ्ग जीवकः ॥ ९ ॥

śāntatvāpagame'cchasya manāksaṃvedanātmakam | svābhāvikaṃ yatsphuraṇaṃ cidvyomnaḥ so'ṅga jīvakaḥ || 9 ||

The living soul is possessed of a finite cognoscence as distinguished from the clear and calm consciousness of the Divine Spirit. Its vitality is a flash of the vacuous intellect of Brahma and appertaining to the nature of the living God. Divina particula aurae. The Lord says: 'Aham asmi—I am that I am'; but the living soul knows itself to be 'Soham asmi'—I am He or of Him.

यथा वातस्य चलनं कृशानोरुष्णता यथा । शीतता वा तुषारस्य तथा जीवत्वमात्मनः ॥ १० ॥

yathā vātasya calanaṃ kṛśānoruṣṇatā yathā | śītatā vā tuṣārasya tathā jīvatvamātmanaḥ || 10 ||

Vitality is the essential property of the soul, resembling the inseparable properties of motion in the wind, warmth in the fire and coldness in the ice.

चिद्रूपस्यात्मतत्त्वस्य स्वाभाववशतः स्वयम् । मनाक्संवेदनमिव यत्तज्जीव इति स्मृतम् ॥ ११ ॥

cidrūpasyātmatattvasya svābhāvavaśataḥ svayam | manāksaṃvedanamiva yattajjīva iti smṛtam || 11 ||

Our ignorance of the nature of the Divine Intellect and Spirit, throws us to the knowledge of ourselves by our self-consciousness, and this it is, which is called the living soul.

तदेव घनसंवित्त्या यात्यहंतामनुक्रमात् । वह्न्यणुः स्वेन्धनाधिक्यात्स्वां प्रकाशकतामिव ॥ १२ ॥

tadeva ghanasaṃvittyā yātyahaṃtāmanukramāt | vahnyaṇuḥ svendhanādhikyātsvāṃ prakāśakatāmiva || 12 ||

It is by means of this positive consciousness, that we know our egoism or self-existence; it strikes us more glaringly than a spark of fire, and enlightens us to the knowledge of ourselves more than any other light.

यथा स्वतारकामार्गे व्योम्नः स्फुरति नीलिमा । शून्यस्याप्यस्य जीवस्य तथाहंभावभावना ॥ १३ ॥

yathā svatārakāmārge vyomnaḥ sphurati nīlimā | śūnyasyāpyasya jīvasya tathāhaṃbhāvabhāvanā || 13 ||

As in looking up to heaven, its blue vault is presented to the sight, beyond which our eyes have not the power to pierce; so in our inquiry into the nature of soul, we see no more than the consciousness of ourselves, and nothing besides.

जीवोऽहंकृतिमादत्ते संकल्पकलयेद्धया । स्वयैतया घनतया नीलिमानमिवाम्बरम् ॥ १४ ॥

jīvo'haṃkṛtimādatte saṃkalpakalayeddhayā | svayaitayā ghanatayā nīlimānamivāmbaram || 14 ||

Our knowledge of the soul presents to us in the form of Ego known by its thoughts, like the vacuous sky appearing as a blue sphere by cause of the clouds.

अहंभावो हि दिक्कालव्यवच्छेदी कृताकृतिः । स्वयं संकल्पवशतो वातस्पन्द इव स्फुरन् ॥ १५ ॥

ahaṃbhāvo hi dikkālavyavacchedī kṛtākṛtiḥ | svayaṃ saṃkalpavaśato vātaspanda iva sphuran || 15 ||

Egoism differentiates the soul from our ideas of space and time, and stirs within it like the breath of winds, by reason of its subjectivity of thoughts.

संकल्पोन्मुखता यातस्त्वहंकाराभिधः स्थितः । चित्तं जीवो मनो माया प्रकृतिश्चेति नामभिः ॥ १६ ॥

saṃkalponmukhatā yātastvahaṃkārābhidhaḥ sthitaḥ | cittaṃ jīvo mano māyā prakṛtiśceti nāmabhiḥ || 16 ||

That which is the subject of thoughts, is known as the Ego, and is various by styled as the intellect, the soul, the mind, the maya or delusion and Prakriti or nature.

तत्संकल्पात्मकं चेतो भूततन्मात्रकल्पनम् । कुर्वंस्ततो व्रजत्येव संकल्पाद्याति पञ्चताम् ॥ १७ ॥

tatsaṃkalpātmakaṃ ceto bhūtatanmātrakalpanam | kurvaṃstato vrajatyeva saṃkalpādyāti pañcatām || 17 ||

The mind (chetas) which is the subject of thoughts, contemplates on the nature of elementary matter, and thus becomes of itself the quintessence of the five elements.

तन्मात्रपञ्चकाकारं चित्तं तेजःकणो भवेत् । अजातजगति व्योम्नि तारका पेलवा यथा ॥ १८ ॥

tanmātrapañcakākāraṃ cittaṃ tejaḥkaṇo bhavet | ajātajagati vyomni tārakā pelavā yathā || 18 ||

The quintessential mind next becomes as a spark of fire (of itself), and remains as a dim star—a nebula, in the midst of the vacuity of the yet unborn universe.

तेजःकणत्वमादत्ते चित्तं तन्मात्रकल्पनात् । शनैः स्वस्मात्परिस्पन्दाद्बीजमङ्कुरतामिव ॥ १९ ॥

tejaḥkaṇatvamādatte cittaṃ tanmātrakalpanāt | śanaiḥ svasmātparispandādbījamaṅkuratāmiva || 19 ||

The mind takes the form of a spark of fire by thinking on its essence, which gradually developes itself like the germ of a seed, in the form of the mundane egg by its internal force.

असौ तेजःकणोऽण्डाख्यः कल्पनात्कश्चिदण्डताम् । प्रयात्यन्तःस्फुरद्ब्रह्मा जलमापिण्डतामिव ॥ २० ॥

asau tejaḥkaṇo'ṇḍākhyaḥ kalpanātkaścidaṇḍatām | prayātyantaḥsphuradbrahmā jalamāpiṇḍatāmiva || 20 ||

The same fiery spark figuratively called the Brahmanda or mundane egg, became as a snowball amidst the water, and conceived the great Brahma within its hollow womb.

कश्चिद्द्रागिति देहादिकलनाद्याति देहताम् । भ्रान्तित्वं तदतद्रूपं गन्धर्वैश्च वसत्पुरम् ॥ २१ ॥

kaściddrāgiti dehādikalanādyāti dehatām | bhrāntitvaṃ tadatadrūpaṃ gandharvaiśca vasatpuram || 21 ||

Then as sensuous spirits assume some bodily forms at pleasure, although they dissolve as a magic city in empty air; so this Brahma appeared in an embodied form to view.

कश्चित्स्थावरतामेति कश्चिज्जंगमतामपि । कश्चिद्याति खचार्यादिरूपं संकल्पतः स्वतः ॥ २२ ॥

kaścitsthāvaratāmeti kaścijjaṃgamatāmapi | kaścidyāti khacāryādirūpaṃ saṃkalpataḥ svataḥ || 22 ||

Some of them appear in the form of immovable, and others in those of moving beings; while others assume the shapes of aerials, as they are fond of choosing for themselves.

सर्गादावादिजो देहो जीवः संकल्पसंभवः । क्रमेण पदमासाद्य वैरिञ्चं कुरुते जगत् ॥ २३ ॥

sargādāvādijo deho jīvaḥ saṃkalpasaṃbhavaḥ | krameṇa padamāsādya vairiñcaṃ kurute jagat || 23 ||

Thus the first born living being had a form, for himself as he liked in the beginning of creation, and afterwards created the world in his form of Brahma or Virinchi.

आत्मभूकलनात्मासौ यत्संकल्पयति क्षणात् । तत्स्वभाववशादेव जातमेव प्रपश्यति ॥ २४ ॥

ātmabhūkalanātmāsau yatsaṃkalpayati kṣaṇāt | tatsvabhāvavaśādeva jātameva prapaśyati || 24 ||

Whatever the self-born and self-willed soul, wishes to produce, the same appears immediately to view as produced of its own accord.

चित्स्वभावात्समायातं ब्रह्मत्वं सर्वकारणम् । संसृतौ कारणं पश्चात्कर्म निर्माय संस्थितम् ॥ २५ ॥

citsvabhāvātsamāyātaṃ brahmatvaṃ sarvakāraṇam | saṃsṛtau kāraṇaṃ paścātkarma nirmāya saṃsthitam || 25 ||

Brahma, originating in the Divine Intellect, was by his nature the primary cause of all, without any cause of his own; though he appointed the acts of men; to be the cause of their transition from one state to another, in the course of the world.

चित्तं स्वभावात्स्फुरति चित्तः फेन इवाम्भसः । कर्मभिर्बध्यते पश्चाड्डिण्डीरमिव रज्जुभिः ॥ २६ ॥

cittaṃ svabhāvātsphurati cittaḥ phena ivāmbhasaḥ | karmabhirbadhyate paścāḍḍiṇḍīramiva rajjubhiḥ || 26 ||

The thoughts naturally rise in the mind, like the foaming water, to subside in itself; but the acts done thereby, bind us, as the passing froth and flying birds are caught by ropes and snares.

संकल्पः कलनाबीजं तदात्मैव हि जीवकः । कर्म पश्चात्तनोत्युच्चैरुत्थायाकर्मतः क्रमात् ॥ २७ ॥

saṃkalpaḥ kalanābījaṃ tadātmaiva hi jīvakaḥ | karma paścāttanotyuccairutthāyākarmataḥ kramāt || 27 ||

Thoughts are the seeds of action, and action is the soul of life. Past acts are productive of future consequence, but inaction is attended with no result.

क्रोडीकृताङ्कुरं पूर्वं जीवो धत्ते स्वजीवितम् । पश्चान्नानात्वमायाति पत्राङ्कुरफलक्रमैः ॥ २८ ॥

kroḍīkṛtāṅkuraṃ pūrvaṃ jīvo dhatte svajīvitam | paścānnānātvamāyāti patrāṅkuraphalakramaiḥ || 28 ||

The living soul bears its vitality as the seed bears the germ in its bosom; and this sprouts forth in future acts, in the manner of the various forms of leaves, fruits and flowers of trees.

अन्ये स्व एव ये जीवा एवमेवाकृतिं गताः । पूर्वोत्पन्ने जगति ते यान्ति भूताश्रयां स्थितिम् ॥ २९ ॥

anye sva eva ye jīvā evamevākṛtiṃ gatāḥ | pūrvotpanne jagati te yānti bhūtāśrayāṃ sthitim || 29 ||

All other living souls that appeared in the various forms of their bodies, had such forms given to them by Brahma, according to their acts and desires in premundane creations in former Kalpas.

स्वकर्मभिस्ततो जन्ममृतिकारणतां गतैः । प्रयान्त्यूर्ध्वमधस्ताद्वा कर्म चित्स्पन्द उच्यते ॥ ३० ॥

svakarmabhistato janmamṛtikāraṇatāṃ gataiḥ | prayāntyūrdhvamadhastādvā karma citspanda ucyate || 30 ||

So the personal acts of people are the causes of their repeated births and deaths in this or other worlds; and they ascend higher or sink lower by virtue of their good or bad deeds, which proceed from their hearts and the nature of their souls.

चित्स्पन्दन भवति कर्म तदेव दैवं चित्तं तदेव भवतीह शुभाशुभादि । तस्माज्जगन्ति भुवनानि भवन्ति पूर्वं भूत्वा निजाङ्गकुसुमानि तरोरिवाद्यात् ॥ ३१ ॥

citspandana bhavati karma tadeva daivaṃ cittaṃ tadeva bhavatīha śubhāśubhādi | tasmājjaganti bhuvanāni bhavanti pūrvaṃ bhūtvā nijāṅgakusumāni tarorivādyāt || 31 ||

Our actions are the efforts of our minds, and shape our good or bad destinies according to the merit or demerit of the acts. The fates and chances of all in the existing world, are the fruits and flowers of their past acts, and even of those done in prior Kalpas; and this is called their destiny.