95. Chapter 95

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अभिन्नौ कर्मकर्तारौ सममेव परात्पदात् । स्वयं प्रकटतां यातौ पुष्पामोदौ तरोरिव ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | abhinnau karmakartārau samameva parātpadāt | svayaṃ prakaṭatāṃ yātau puṣpāmodau taroriva || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—There is no difference of acts, from the agent, as they have sprung together from the same source of their creator: they are the simultaneous growth of nature like flowers and their odour.

सर्वसंकल्पनामुक्ते जीवा ब्रह्मणि निर्मले । स्फुरन्ति वितते व्योम्नि नीलिमेवाज्ञचक्षुषः ॥ २ ॥

sarvasaṃkalpanāmukte jīvā brahmaṇi nirmale | sphuranti vitate vyomni nīlimevājñacakṣuṣaḥ || 2 ||

When human souls are freed from their desires, they are united with the supreme soul of Brahma, as the blueness of the sky which appears distinct to the eyes of the ignorant, is found to be joined with the clear firmament.

अप्रबुद्धजनाचारो यत्र राघव दृश्यते । तत्र ब्रह्मण उत्पन्ना जीवा इत्युक्तयः स्थिताः ॥ ३ ॥

aprabuddhajanācāro yatra rāghava dṛśyate | tatra brahmaṇa utpannā jīvā ityuktayaḥ sthitāḥ || 3 ||

Know, O Rama! that it is for the understanding of the ignorant, that the living souls are said to have sprung from Brahma: when they are in reality but shadows of the same.

संप्रबुद्धजनाचारे वक्तुमेतन्न शोभनम् । यद्ब्रह्मण इदं जातं न जातं चेति राघव ॥ ४ ॥

saṃprabuddhajanācāre vaktumetanna śobhanam | yadbrahmaṇa idaṃ jātaṃ na jātaṃ ceti rāghava || 4 ||

Wherefore it is not right on the part of the enlightened to say that such and such things are produced from Brahma, when there is nothing that exists apart or separate from him.

काचिद्वा कलना यावन्न नीता राघव प्रथाम् । उपदेश्योपदेशश्रीस्तावल्लोके न शोभते ॥ ५ ॥

kācidvā kalanā yāvanna nītā rāghava prathām | upadeśyopadeśaśrīstāvalloke na śobhate || 5 ||

It is a mere fiction of speech to speak of the world as creation or production, because it is difficult to explain the subject and object of the lecture, without the use of such fictitious language.

अतो भेददृशा दीनामङ्गीकृत्योपदिश्यते । ब्रह्मेदमेते जीवा वै वेति वाचामयं क्रमः ॥ ६ ॥

ato bhedadṛśā dīnāmaṅgīkṛtyopadiśyate | brahmedamete jīvā vai veti vācāmayaṃ kramaḥ || 6 ||

Hence the language of dualists and pluralists is adopted in monotheistic doctrines, as the expressions, this one is Brahma, or divine soul, and these others are the living souls, as they are in use in the popular language.

इति दृष्टो निरासङ्गाद्ब्रह्मणो जायते जगत् । तज्जं तदेव तद्धेतुगतं दुरवबोधतः ॥ ७ ॥

iti dṛṣṭo nirāsaṅgādbrahmaṇo jāyate jagat | tajjaṃ tadeva taddhetugataṃ duravabodhataḥ || 7 ||

It has been seen (explained), that the concrete world has sprung from the discrete Brahma; because the production of something is the same with its material cause, though it seems different from it to common understandings.

मेरुमन्दरसंकाशा बहवो जीवराशयः । उत्पत्योत्पत्य संलीनास्तस्मिन्नेव परे पदे ॥ ८ ॥

merumandarasaṃkāśā bahavo jīvarāśayaḥ | utpatyotpatya saṃlīnāstasminneva pare pade || 8 ||

Multitudes of living beings rising like the rocks of Meru and Mandara mountains, are joined with the main range from which they jut out.

अथानन्ताः स्फुरन्त्येते जायमानाः सहस्रशः । नानाककुब्निकुञ्जेषु पादपेष्विव पल्लवाः ॥ ९ ॥

athānantāḥ sphurantyete jāyamānāḥ sahasraśaḥ | nānākakubnikuñjeṣu pādapeṣviva pallavāḥ || 9 ||

Thousands and thousands of living beings, are incessantly produced from their common source, like the innumerable sprigs of forest trees, filling the woodland sky with their variegated foliage.

जीवौघाश्चोद्भविष्यन्ति मधाविव नवाङ्कुराः । तत्रैव लयमेष्यन्ति ग्रीष्मे मधुरसा इव ॥ १० ॥

jīvaughāścodbhaviṣyanti madhāviva navāṅkurāḥ | tatraiva layameṣyanti grīṣme madhurasā iva || 10 ||

An infinity of living beings will continue to spring from the same, like blades of grass sprouting from the earth below; and they will likewise be reduced to the same, like the season plants of spring, dying away in the hot weather of Summer.

तिष्ठन्त्यजस्रं कालेषु त एवान्ये च भूरिशः । जायन्ते च प्रलीयन्ते परस्मिञ्जीवराशयः ॥ ११ ॥

tiṣṭhantyajasraṃ kāleṣu ta evānye ca bhūriśaḥ | jāyante ca pralīyante parasmiñjīvarāśayaḥ || 11 ||

There is no counting of the living creatures that exist at any time, and what numbers of them, are being born and dying away at any moment:

पुष्पामोदाविवाभिन्नौ पुमान्कर्म च राघव । परमेशात्समायाते तत्रैव विशतः शनैः ॥ १२ ॥

puṣpāmodāvivābhinnau pumānkarma ca rāghava | parameśātsamāyāte tatraiva viśataḥ śanaiḥ || 12 ||

Men with their duties proceed from the same divine source, like flowers growing with their fragrance from the same stem; and all these subside in the same receptacle whence they had their rise.

दृष्टमेते जगत्यस्मिन्दैत्योरगनरामराः । उद्भवन्त्यभवा भावैः प्रस्फुरन्ति पुनः पुनः ॥ १३ ॥

dṛṣṭamete jagatyasmindaityoraganarāmarāḥ | udbhavantyabhavā bhāvaiḥ prasphuranti punaḥ punaḥ || 13 ||

We see the different tribes of demons and brutes, and of men and gods in this world, coming into existence from non-existence, and this is repeated without end.

हेतुर्विहरणे तेषामात्मविस्मरणादृते । न कश्चिल्लक्ष्यते साधो जन्मान्तरफलप्रदः ॥ १४ ॥

heturviharaṇe teṣāmātmavismaraṇādṛte | na kaścillakṣyate sādho janmāntaraphalapradaḥ || 14 ||

We see no other cause of their continuous revolution in this manner, except the forgetfulness of their reminiscence, which makes them oblivious of their original state, and conform with every mode of their metempsychosis into new forms.

श्रीराम उवाच । अविसंवादिनार्थे यद्यत्प्रामाणिकदृष्टिभिः । वीतरागैर्विनिर्णीतं तच्छास्त्रमिति कथ्यते ॥ ३५ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | avisaṃvādinārthe yadyatprāmāṇikadṛṣṭibhiḥ | vītarāgairvinirṇītaṃ tacchāstramiti kathyate || 35 ||

As the ink ceases to be ink, without its inky blackness, so the mind ceases to exist, without the action of its mental operations.

महासत्त्वगुणोपेता ये धीराः समदृष्टयः । अनिर्देश्यकलोपेताः साधवस्त उदाहृताः ॥ १६ ॥

mahāsattvaguṇopetā ye dhīrāḥ samadṛṣṭayaḥ | anirdeśyakalopetāḥ sādhavasta udāhṛtāḥ || 16 ||

And I reckon those men as holy and perfect, who are possest of the virtues of the great, and have magnanimity and equanimity of their souls, and have received the light of the unknowable Brahma in them.

द्वयं हि दृष्टिर्बालानां सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् । साधुवृत्तं तथा शास्त्रं सर्वदैवानुवर्तते ॥ १७ ॥

dvayaṃ hi dṛṣṭirbālānāṃ siddhaye sarvakarmaṇām | sādhuvṛttaṃ tathā śāstraṃ sarvadaivānuvartate || 17 ||

I reckon two things as the two eyes of the ignorant, for their discernment of the path of salvation. The one is their good conduct, and the other their knowledge of the Sastras, which follows the former.

साधुसंव्यवहारार्थं शास्त्रं यो नानुवर्तते । बहिःकुर्वन्ति तं सर्वे स च दुःखे निमज्जति ॥ १८ ॥

sādhusaṃvyavahārārthaṃ śāstraṃ yo nānuvartate | bahiḥkurvanti taṃ sarve sa ca duḥkhe nimajjati || 18 ||

Because one who is righteous in his conduct only, without joining his righteousness with his knowledge also, is never taken into account;and is slighted by all to be plunged into insignificance and misery.

इह लोके च वेदे च श्रुतिरित्थं सदा प्रभो । यथा कर्म च कर्ता च पर्यायेणेह संगतौ ॥ १९ ॥

iha loke ca vede ca śrutiritthaṃ sadā prabho | yathā karma ca kartā ca paryāyeṇeha saṃgatau || 19 ||

Again Sir;—it is the joint assent of men and the Veda, that acts and their actors come one after the other; and not as you said of their rising simultaneously from their divine origin.

कर्मणा क्रियते कर्ता कर्त्रा कर्म प्रणीयते । बीजाङ्कुरादिवन्न्यायो लोकवेदोक्त एव सः ॥ २० ॥

karmaṇā kriyate kartā kartrā karma praṇīyate | bījāṅkurādivannyāyo lokavedokta eva saḥ || 20 ||

It is the act which makes the actor, and the actor who does the work. Thus they follow one another on the analogy of the seed and the tree which produce one another. This mutuality of both is seen in the practice of men and ordinances of the Veda.

कर्मणो जायते जन्तुर्बीजादिव नवाङ्कुरः । जन्तोः प्रजायते कर्म पुनर्बीजमिवाङ्कुरात् ॥ २१ ॥

karmaṇo jāyate janturbījādiva navāṅkuraḥ | jantoḥ prajāyate karma punarbījamivāṅkurāt || 21 ||

Acts are the causes of animal births, as the seed gives birth to the sprouts of plants; and again works proceed from living beings as the sprouts produce the seeds.

यया वासनया जन्तुर्नीयते भवपञ्जरे । तद्वासनानुरूपेण फलं समनुभूयते ॥ २२ ॥

yayā vāsanayā janturnīyate bhavapañjare | tadvāsanānurūpeṇa phalaṃ samanubhūyate || 22 ||

The desire that prompts a person to his particular pursuit in his prison house of this world, the same yields him the like fruits and no other.

एवं स्थिते कथं नाम जन्मबीजेन कर्मणा । विनोत्पत्तिस्त्वया प्रोक्ता भूतानां ब्रह्मणः पदात् ॥ २३ ॥

evaṃ sthite kathaṃ nāma janmabījena karmaṇā | vinotpattistvayā proktā bhūtānāṃ brahmaṇaḥ padāt || 23 ||

Such being the case, how was it sir, that you said of the production of animals from the seed of Brahma, without the causality of their prior acts, which you say to be simultaneous with the birth of animal beings.

पक्षेणानेन भगवन्भवता जन्मकर्मणोः । तिरस्कृता जगज्जाता साऽविनाभावितैतयोः ॥ २४ ॥

pakṣeṇānena bhagavanbhavatā janmakarmaṇoḥ | tiraskṛtā jagajjātā sā'vinābhāvitaitayoḥ || 24 ||

On one hand you have set at naught the law of antecedence and sequence of birth and action to one another, by your position of their simultaneity.

ब्रह्मण्यकारणे ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मादिषु फलेषु च । कर्मणां फलमस्तीति द्वयं लोके प्रमार्जितम् ॥ २५ ॥

brahmaṇyakāraṇe brahmanbrahmādiṣu phaleṣu ca | karmaṇāṃ phalamastīti dvayaṃ loke pramārjitam || 25 ||

And again to say, that Brahma is not the origin of actions, and that Brahma and other living beings are subjected to their several actions, are self contradictory propositions and opposed to common sense. (For the acts do not originate from Brahma, they cannot be binding on others; and if the actions do not proceed from that source, whence do they come to take place). This question upsets the doctrine of Free Will.

संजाते संकरे लोके कर्मस्वफलदायिषु । मात्स्यन्याये विलसति नाश एवावशिष्यते ॥ २६ ॥

saṃjāte saṃkare loke karmasvaphaladāyiṣu | mātsyanyāye vilasati nāśa evāvaśiṣyate || 26 ||

And also to say that living beings are born together with their actions (by predestination), and are bound to them to no purpose, would be to apply to them the analogy of fishes which are caught by the baits they cannot devour, but cause their death.

किं तत्कृतं भवत्येव भगवन्ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः । एनं मे संशयं स्फारं छिन्धि वेद्यविदांवर ॥ २७ ॥

kiṃ tatkṛtaṃ bhavatyeva bhagavanbrūhi tattvataḥ | enaṃ me saṃśayaṃ sphāraṃ chindhi vedyavidāṃvara || 27 ||

Therefore please to tell me sir, about the nature of acts, for you are best acquainted with the secrets of things, and can well remove my doubts on the subject.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । साधु राघव पृष्टोऽस्मि त्वया प्रश्नमिमं शुभम् । शृणु वक्ष्यामि ते येन भृशं ज्ञानोदयो भवेत् ॥ २८ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | sādhu rāghava pṛṣṭo'smi tvayā praśnamimaṃ śubham | śṛṇu vakṣyāmi te yena bhṛśaṃ jñānodayo bhavet || 28 ||

Vasishtha replied:—You have well asked, my good Rama! about this intricate subject, which I will now explain to you in a manner that will enlighten your understanding.

मानसोऽयं समुन्मेषः कलाकलनरूपतः । एतत्तत्कर्मणां बीजं फलमस्यैव विद्यते ॥ २९ ॥

mānaso'yaṃ samunmeṣaḥ kalākalanarūpataḥ | etattatkarmaṇāṃ bījaṃ phalamasyaiva vidyate || 29 ||

It is the activity of the mind which forms its thoughts and intentions, which are the roots or seed of actions; and it is its passivity, which is the recipient of their results. (So says the.

यदैव हि मनस्तत्त्वमुत्थितं ब्रह्मणः पदात् । तदैव कर्म जन्तूनां जीवो देहतया स्थितः ॥ ३० ॥

yadaiva hi manastattvamutthitaṃ brahmaṇaḥ padāt | tadaiva karma jantūnāṃ jīvo dehatayā sthitaḥ || 30 ||

Therefore no sooner did the principle of the mind spring from the essence of Brahma, than it was accompanied by its thoughts and actions in the bodies, which the living beings assumed, according to their prior deserts and in-born desires.

कुसुमाशययोर्भेदो न यथा भिन्नयोरिह । तथैव कर्ममनसोर्भेदो नास्त्यविभिन्नयोः ॥ ३१ ॥

kusumāśayayorbhedo na yathā bhinnayoriha | tathaiva karmamanasorbhedo nāstyavibhinnayoḥ || 31 ||

As there is no difference between the self-same flower and its fragrance; in the same manner there is no distinction of the mind, from its actions which are one and the same thing.

क्रियास्पन्दो जगत्यस्मिन्कर्मेति कथितो बुधैः । पूर्वं तस्य मनो देहं कर्मातश्चित्तमेव हि ॥ ३२ ॥

kriyāspando jagatyasminkarmeti kathito budhaiḥ | pūrvaṃ tasya mano dehaṃ karmātaścittameva hi || 32 ||

It is the exertion of bodily activity, which we call an action here; but it is well known to the wise to be preceded by a mental action, which is called its thought in the mind.

न स शैलो न तद्व्योम न सोऽब्धिश्च न विष्टपम् । अस्ति यत्र फलं नास्ति कृतानामात्मकर्मणाम् ॥ ३३ ॥

na sa śailo na tadvyoma na so'bdhiśca na viṣṭapam | asti yatra phalaṃ nāsti kṛtānāmātmakarmaṇām || 33 ||

It is possible to deny the existence of material objects, of the air and water, the hill and others; but it is impossible to deny the operations of our mental faculties, of which we have subjective evidence in ourselves.

ऐहिकं प्राक्तनं वापि कर्म यद्रचितं स्फुरत् । पौरुषोऽसौ परो यत्नो न कदाचन निष्फलः ॥ ३४ ॥

aihikaṃ prāktanaṃ vāpi karma yadracitaṃ sphurat | pauruṣo'sau paro yatno na kadācana niṣphalaḥ || 34 ||

No deliberate action of the present or past life goes for nothing;all human actions and efforts are attended with their just results, to which they are properly directed.

कृष्णतासंक्षये यद्वत्क्षीयते कज्जलं स्वयम् । स्पन्दात्मकर्मविगमे तद्वत्प्रक्षीयते मनः ॥ ३५ ॥

kṛṣṇatāsaṃkṣaye yadvatkṣīyate kajjalaṃ svayam | spandātmakarmavigame tadvatprakṣīyate manaḥ || 35 ||

As the ink ceases to be ink, without its inky blackness, so the mind ceases to exist, without the action of its mental operations.

कर्मनाशे मनोनाशो मनोनाशो ह्यकर्मता । मुक्तस्यैव भवत्येव नामुक्तस्य कदाचन ॥ ३६ ॥

karmanāśe manonāśo manonāśo hyakarmatā | muktasyaiva bhavatyeva nāmuktasya kadācana || 36 ||

Cessation of mental operation, is attended with desinence of thought, and quiescence of the mind, is accompanied with discontinuance of actions. The liberated are free from both of these; but the unemancipate from neither.

वह्न्यौष्णयोरिव सदा श्लिष्टयोश्चित्तकर्मणोः । द्वयोरेकतराभावे द्वयमेव विलीयते ॥ ३७ ॥

vahnyauṣṇayoriva sadā śliṣṭayościttakarmaṇoḥ | dvayorekatarābhāve dvayameva vilīyate || 37 ||

The mind is ever united with its activity as the fire with its heat, and the want of either of these, is attended to worldlings with the extinction of both.

चित्तं सदा स्पन्दविलासमेत्य स्पन्दैकरूपं ननु कर्मविद्धि । कर्माथ चित्तं किल धर्मकर्मपदं गते राम परस्परेण ॥ ३८ ॥

cittaṃ sadā spandavilāsametya spandaikarūpaṃ nanu karmaviddhi | karmātha cittaṃ kila dharmakarmapadaṃ gate rāma paraspareṇa || 38 ||

The mind being ever restless in itself, becomes identified with the actions proceeding from its activity. The actions also whether good or bad, become identified with the mind, which feels their just rewards and punishments. Hence you see Rama! The inseparable connection of the mind and acts, in reciprocating their actions and reactions upon each other.