88. Chapter 88

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच । ब्रह्माणो ब्राह्मणा भानुरित्युक्त्वा ब्रह्मणो मम । ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठ तूष्णीमेव बभूव सः ॥ १ ॥

śrībrahmovāca | brahmāṇo brāhmaṇā bhānurityuktvā brahmaṇo mama | brahmanbrahmavidāṃ śreṣṭha tūṣṇīmeva babhūva saḥ || 1 ||

Brahma said:—O Brahman! that art the best of Brahmists (Brahmos), the God Sol having thus spoken of the ten Brahmanas to Brahma (me), held his silence.

तत उक्तं मया तस्य चिरं संचिन्त्य चेतसा । भानो भानो वदाशु त्वं किमन्यत्संसृजाम्यहम् ॥ २ ॥

tata uktaṃ mayā tasya ciraṃ saṃcintya cetasā | bhāno bhāno vadāśu tvaṃ kimanyatsaṃsṛjāmyaham || 2 ||

I then thought upon this for sometime in my mind, and said afterwards, O Sol, Sol! do thou tell me at present what I am next to create. (Brahma's asking the sun about what he was next to create, bears allusion to his works of creation during the six days of genesis, which was directed by the course of the sun—his morning and evening),

एतानि दश विद्यन्ते किल यत्र जगन्ति वै । तत्रान्यो मम सर्गेण कोऽर्थः कथय भास्कर ॥ ३ ॥

etāni daśa vidyante kila yatra jaganti vai | tatrānyo mama sargeṇa ko'rthaḥ kathaya bhāskara || 3 ||

Tell me thou sun, what need is there of my making any more worlds, after these ten orbs have come into existence.

इत्युक्तोऽथ मया भानुः संचिन्त्य सुचिरं धिया । इदमत्र वचो युक्तमुवाच स महामुने ॥ ४ ॥

ityukto'tha mayā bhānuḥ saṃcintya suciraṃ dhiyā | idamatra vaco yuktamuvāca sa mahāmune || 4 ||

Now O great sage! the sun having long considered in his mind about what I wanted him to tell, replied to me in the following manner in appropriate words.

भानुरुवाच । निरीहस्य निरिच्छस्य कोऽर्थः सर्गेण ते प्रभो । विनोदमात्रमेवेदं सृष्टिस्तव जगत्पते ॥ ५ ॥

bhānuruvāca | nirīhasya niricchasya ko'rthaḥ sargeṇa te prabho | vinodamātramevedaṃ sṛṣṭistava jagatpate || 5 ||

The sun said:—What need hast thou of the act of creating, my lord! that art devoid of effort or desire? This work of creation is only for thy pleasure.

निष्कामादेव भवतः सर्गः संपद्यते प्रभो । अर्कादिव जलादित्यप्रतिबिम्बमिवाधियः ॥ ६ ॥

niṣkāmādeva bhavataḥ sargaḥ saṃpadyate prabho | arkādiva jalādityapratibimbamivādhiyaḥ || 6 ||

Thou lord that art free from desires, givest rise to worlds, as the sunbeams raise the waters, and the sunshine is accompanied by the shadow.

शरीरसंनिवेशस्य त्यागे रागे च ते यदा । निष्कामो भगवन्भावो नाभिवाञ्छति नोज्झति ॥ ७ ॥

śarīrasaṃniveśasya tyāge rāge ca te yadā | niṣkāmo bhagavanbhāvo nābhivāñchati nojjhati || 7 ||

Thou that art indifferent to the fostering or forsaking of thy body (i. e. either to live or die), needst have nothing to desire nor renounce for thy pleasure or pain.

सृजसीदं तथा देव विनोदायैव भूतप । पुनः संहृत्य संहृत्य दिनं दिनपतिर्यथा ॥ ८ ॥

sṛjasīdaṃ tathā deva vinodāyaiva bhūtapa | punaḥ saṃhṛtya saṃhṛtya dinaṃ dinapatiryathā || 8 ||

Thou, O Lord of creatures! dost create all these for the sake of thy pleasure only, and so dost thou retract them all in thyself, as the sun gives and withdraws his light by turns.

तव नित्यमसंसक्तं विनोदायैव केवलम् । इदं कर्तव्यमेवेति जगन्न तूद्यमेच्छया ॥ ९ ॥

tava nityamasaṃsaktaṃ vinodāyaiva kevalam | idaṃ kartavyameveti jaganna tūdyamecchayā || 9 ||

Thou that art unattached to the world, makest thy creation out of the work of love to thee, and not of any effort or endeavour on thy part.

सृष्टिं चेन्न करोषि त्वं महेश परमात्मनः । नित्यकर्मपरित्यागात्किमपूर्वमवाप्स्यसि ॥ १० ॥

sṛṣṭiṃ cenna karoṣi tvaṃ maheśa paramātmanaḥ | nityakarmaparityāgātkimapūrvamavāpsyasi || 10 ||

If thou desist from stretching the creation out of the Supreme Spirit, what good canst thou derive from thy inactivity?

यथाप्राप्तं हि कर्तव्यमसक्तेन सदा सता । मुकुरेणाकलङ्केन प्रतिबिम्बक्रिया यथा ॥ ११ ॥

yathāprāptaṃ hi kartavyamasaktena sadā satā | mukureṇākalaṅkena pratibimbakriyā yathā || 11 ||

Do thy duty as it may present itself to thee, rather than remain inactive with doing nothing. The dull person who like the dirty mirror, does not reflect the image, comes to no use at all.

यथैव कर्मकरणे कामना नास्ति धीमताम् । तथैव कर्मत्यागे कामना नास्ति धीमताम् ॥ १२ ॥

yathaiva karmakaraṇe kāmanā nāsti dhīmatām | tathaiva karmatyāge kāmanā nāsti dhīmatām || 12 ||

As the wise have no desire of doing anything which is beyond their reach, so they never like to leave out anything which is useful, and presents itself before them.

अतः सुषुप्तोपमया धिया निष्कामया तया । सुषुप्तबुद्धसमया कुरु कार्यं यथागतम् ॥ १३ ॥

ataḥ suṣuptopamayā dhiyā niṣkāmayā tayā | suṣuptabuddhasamayā kuru kāryaṃ yathāgatam || 13 ||

Therefore do thy work as it comes to thee, with a cheerful heart, and calmness of mind; with a tranquil soul, as if it were in thy sleep, and devoid of desires which thou canst never reap.

सर्गैरथेन्दुपुत्राणां तोषमेषि जगत्प्रभो । तदेते तोषयिष्यन्ति तं त्वां सर्गात्सुरेश्वर ॥ १४ ॥

sargairathenduputrāṇāṃ toṣameṣi jagatprabho | tadete toṣayiṣyanti taṃ tvāṃ sargātsureśvara || 14 ||

As thou dost derive pleasure, O Lord of worlds! in forming the orbs of the sons of Indu, so the lord of gods will give thee thy reward for thy works of creation.

चित्तनेत्रैर्भवानेतान्सर्गानन्यस्य नो दृशा । अवश्यं चक्षुषा सर्गं सृष्टमित्येव वेत्ति कः ॥ १५ ॥

cittanetrairbhavānetānsargānanyasya no dṛśā | avaśyaṃ cakṣuṣā sargaṃ sṛṣṭamityeva vetti kaḥ || 15 ||

The manner in which, O lord, thou seest the worlds with the eyes of thy mind, nobody can see them so conspicuously with their external organs of vision; for who can say by seeing them with his eyes, whether thy are created or increate.

येनैव मनसा सर्गो निर्मितः परमेश्वर । स एव मांसनेत्रेण तं पश्यति हि नेतरः ॥ १६ ॥

yenaiva manasā sargo nirmitaḥ parameśvara | sa eva māṃsanetreṇa taṃ paśyati hi netaraḥ || 16 ||

He who has created these worlds from his mind, it is he alone that can behold me face to face, and no other person with his open eyes.

न चैतान्दश संसारान्दश नीरजसंभवान् । कश्चिन्नाशयितुं शक्तश्चित्तदार्ढ्याच्चिरस्थितान् ॥ १७ ॥

na caitāndaśa saṃsārāndaśa nīrajasaṃbhavān | kaścinnāśayituṃ śaktaścittadārḍhyāccirasthitān || 17 ||

The ten worlds are not the work of so many Brahmas as it appeared to thee before; and no body has the power to destroy them, when they are seated so firmly in the mind. (It may be easy to destroy all visible objects, but not to efface the impressions of the mind.

कर्मेन्द्रियैर्यत्क्रियते तद्रोद्धुं किल युज्यते । न मनोनिश्चयकृतं कश्चिद्रोधयितुं क्षमः ॥ १८ ॥

karmendriyairyatkriyate tadroddhuṃ kila yujyate | na manoniścayakṛtaṃ kaścidrodhayituṃ kṣamaḥ || 18 ||

It is easy to destroy what is made by the hand, and to shut out the sensible objects from our perception; but who can annul or disregard what is ascertained by the mind.

यो बद्धपदतां यातो जन्तोर्मनसि निश्चयः । स तेनैव विना ब्रह्मन्नान्येन विनिवार्यते ॥ १९ ॥

yo baddhapadatāṃ yāto jantormanasi niścayaḥ | sa tenaiva vinā brahmannānyena vinivāryate || 19 ||

Whatever belief is deep-rooted in the minds of living beings, it is impossible to remove it by any body, except by its owner.

बहुकालं यदभ्यस्तं मनसा दृढनिश्चयम् । शापेनापि न तस्यास्ति क्षयो नष्टेऽपि देहके ॥ २० ॥

bahukālaṃ yadabhyastaṃ manasā dṛḍhaniścayam | śāpenāpi na tasyāsti kṣayo naṣṭe'pi dehake || 20 ||

Whatever is habituated to confirmed belief in the mind, no curse can remove it from the mind, though it can kill the body.

यद्बद्धपीठमभितो मनसि प्ररूढं तद्रूपमेव पुरुषो भवतीह नान्यत् । तद्बोधनादितरमत्र किलाभ्युपायं शैलौघसेकमिव निष्फलमेव मन्ये ॥ २१ ॥

yadbaddhapīṭhamabhito manasi prarūḍhaṃ tadrūpameva puruṣo bhavatīha nānyat | tadbodhanāditaramatra kilābhyupāyaṃ śailaughasekamiva niṣphalameva manye || 21 ||

The principle that is deeply rooted in the mind, the same forms the man according to its stamp; it is impossible to make him otherwise by any means, as it is no way possible to fructify a rock by watering at its root like a tree.