36. Chapter 36

श्रीराम उवाच । यथेदृशं स्थितं विश्वं विश्वातीते चिदात्मनि । तन्मे कथय हे ब्रह्मन् पुनर्बोधविवृद्धये ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | yathedṛśaṃ sthitaṃ viśvaṃ viśvātīte cidātmani | tanme kathaya he brahman punarbodhavivṛddhaye || 1 ||

Rama said:—Tell me O Brahman! how the mundane system subsists in the extra mundane immaterial soul, for the sake of my advancement in knowledge.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । यथोर्मयोऽनभिव्यक्ता भाविनः पयसि स्थिताः । न स्थिताश्चात्मनोऽन्यत्वाच्चित्तत्वे सृष्टयस्तथा ॥ २ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | yathormayo'nabhivyaktā bhāvinaḥ payasi sthitāḥ | na sthitāścātmano'nyatvāccittatve sṛṣṭayastathā || 2 ||

Vasishtha replied:—The worlds having no separate existence (before or after their formation) except in the Supreme mind, they are all situated in the Divine Intellect, like the unheaving and unseen would-be waves of the sea.

यथा सर्वगतः सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशो नोपलक्ष्यते । तथा निरंशश्चिद्भावः सर्वगोऽपि न लक्ष्यते ॥ ३ ॥

yathā sarvagataḥ saukṣmyādākāśo nopalakṣyate | tathā niraṃśaścidbhāvaḥ sarvago'pi na lakṣyate || 3 ||

As the all-pervading sky is not to be seen owing to its extreme tenuity; so the undivided nature of the all-pervasive intellect, is not to be perceived on account of its rarity.

सुस्थितेवास्थितेवान्तः प्रतिभास्ति मणौ यथा । न सत्यभूता नासत्या तथेयं सृष्टिरात्मनि ॥ ४ ॥

susthitevāsthitevāntaḥ pratibhāsti maṇau yathā | na satyabhūtā nāsatyā tatheyaṃ sṛṣṭirātmani || 4 ||

As the gem has its brilliancy in it, whether it is moved or unmoved by any body, so the unreal world has its potential existence in the Divine Spirit, both in its states of action and inactivity.

स्वाधारैरम्बुदैः स्वस्थैर्न स्पृष्टं गगनं यथा । चित्स्थैः सर्गैश्चिदाधारैर्न स्पृष्टा चित्परा तथा ॥ ५ ॥

svādhārairambudaiḥ svasthairna spṛṣṭaṃ gaganaṃ yathā | citsthaiḥ sargaiścidādhārairna spṛṣṭā citparā tathā || 5 ||

As the clouds abiding in the sky, do not touch the sky or have a tangible feeling of its vacuity; so the worlds subsisting in the receptacle of the Intellectual soul, have no contact with the extraneous (para) intellect, which is unconnected with its contents.

जलधिष्ठिततत्तेजो यथाङ्ग प्रतिबिम्बति । तथा पुर्यष्टकेष्वेव चिद्धि देहेषु लक्ष्यते ॥ ६ ॥

jaladhiṣṭhitatattejo yathāṅga pratibimbati | tathā puryaṣṭakeṣveva ciddhi deheṣu lakṣyate || 6 ||

As the light residing in the waters of the sea or a pot of water, is not connected either with the water or pot, nor is it felt by us but by its reflection; so the intangible soul abides unconnected in its receptacle of the body, and reflects itself to our knowledge only.

सर्वसंकल्परहिता सर्वसंज्ञाविवर्जिता । सैषा चिदविनाशात्मा तच्चेत्यादिकृताभिधा ॥ ७ ॥

sarvasaṃkalparahitā sarvasaṃjñāvivarjitā | saiṣā cidavināśātmā taccetyādikṛtābhidhā || 7 ||

The intellect is devoid of every desire and designation; it is the indestructible soul, and is named by our intelligence of it as (Chetya) intelligible; or from some one of our intelligible ideas as the living soul &c.

आकाशशतभागाच्छा ज्ञेषु निष्कलरूपिणी । सकलाकलसंसारस्वरूपैकात्म्यदर्शिनी ॥ ८ ॥

ākāśaśatabhāgācchā jñeṣu niṣkalarūpiṇī | sakalākalasaṃsārasvarūpaikātmyadarśinī || 8 ||

It is clearer than the translucent air, and finer than it by a hundred times; it is known as an undivided whole by the learned; who view it as identic with the whole undivided world, which it comprehends within itself.

तरङ्गादिमयी स्फारा नानाता सलिलार्णवे । तस्मान्न व्यतिरेकेण यथा भावविकारिणी ॥ ९ ॥

taraṅgādimayī sphārā nānātā salilārṇave | tasmānna vyatirekeṇa yathā bhāvavikāriṇī || 9 ||

As the sea water shows itself in various forms in all its waves, so the intellect does not differ from it, in showing us its various representations of its own motion.

त्वत्तामत्तामयी स्फारा नानातेयं चिदर्णवे । चिन्मात्रव्यतिरेकेण तथा नैव प्रकाशते ॥ १० ॥

tvattāmattāmayī sphārā nānāteyaṃ cidarṇave | cinmātravyatirekeṇa tathā naiva prakāśate || 10 ||

The diversities of our subjective and objective knowledge of myself and thyself and these (ego, tu &c.), are like the varieties of waves and billows in the ocean of the intellect, these are but erroneous notions, since they are representations of the same element, and the very same intellect.

चिच्चिनोति चितं चेत्यं तेनेदं स्थितमात्मनि । अज्ञेऽज्ञे त्वन्यदायातमन्यदस्तीति कल्पना ॥ ११ ॥

ciccinoti citaṃ cetyaṃ tenedaṃ sthitamātmani | ajñe'jñe tvanyadāyātamanyadastīti kalpanā || 11 ||

The various states of the intellect (Chit), intellection (Chinta), intelligence (Chittam) and intelligibles (Chetyas), all appertain to the main principle of the soul. They are differently conceived by the learned and ignorant, but the difference is a mere conceit.

अज्ञेष्वसत्स्वभावोग्रसंसारगणगर्भिणी । ज्ञेषु प्रकाशरूपैव सकलैकात्मिका सती ॥ १२ ॥

ajñeṣvasatsvabhāvograsaṃsāragaṇagarbhiṇī | jñeṣu prakāśarūpaiva sakalaikātmikā satī || 12 ||

The intellect presents its two different aspects to the wise and unwise people; to the ignorant, it shows its unreal nature in the realistic conception of the world, while to the learned it exhibits its luminous form in the identity of all things.

अनुभूतिवशान्नित्यमर्कादीनां प्रकाशिनी । स्वादिनी सर्वभूतानां भाविनी भवभोगिनाम् ॥ १३ ॥

anubhūtivaśānnityamarkādīnāṃ prakāśinī | svādinī sarvabhūtānāṃ bhāvinī bhavabhoginām || 13 ||

The intellect enlightens the luminous bodies of the sun and stars, by its internal (intellectual) light; it gives a relish to things by its internal taste; and it gives birth to all beings from its inborn ideas of them.

नास्तमेति न चोदेति नोत्तिष्ठति न तिष्ठति । न चायाति न वा याति न चेह नच नेह चित् ॥ १४ ॥

nāstameti na codeti nottiṣṭhati na tiṣṭhati | na cāyāti na vā yāti na ceha naca neha cit || 14 ||

It neither rises nor sets, nor gets up nor sits; it neither proceeds nor recedes to or fro, it is not here nor is it no where.

सैषा चिदमलाकारा स्वयमात्मनि संस्थिता । राघवेत्थं प्रपञ्चेन जगन्नाम्ना विजृम्भते ॥ १५ ॥

saiṣā cidamalākārā svayamātmani saṃsthitā | rāghavetthaṃ prapañcena jagannāmnā vijṛmbhate || 15 ||

The pure and transpicuous intellect which is situated in the soul, displays in itself the phantasmagoria which is called the world.

तेजःपुञ्जैर्यथा तेजः पयःपूरैर्यथा पयः । परिस्फुरति संस्पन्दैस्तथा चित्सर्गविभ्रमैः ॥ १६ ॥

tejaḥpuñjairyathā tejaḥ payaḥpūrairyathā payaḥ | parisphurati saṃspandaistathā citsargavibhramaiḥ || 16 ||

As a heap of fire emits its flame, and a luminous body blazes with its rays; and as the sea swells in surges and breaks in with its arms, so the intellect bursts out in its creations.

तत्स्वभावेन चिन्नाम्ना सर्वगेनोदितात्मना । प्रकाशेनाप्रकाशेन निरंशेनांशधारिणा ॥ १७ ॥

tatsvabhāvena cinnāmnā sarvagenoditātmanā | prakāśenāprakāśena niraṃśenāṃśadhāriṇā || 17 ||

Thus the intellect which is self-manifest and omnipresent of its own nature, developes and envelopes the world by its own manifestation and occultation, and by its acts of integration and segregation (sanhara and nirhara); or the acts of accretion and secretion.

स्वयं स्वकलनाभोगादनन्तं पदमुज्झता । अहमस्मीति भावेन गच्छता ज्ञपदं शनैः ॥ १८ ॥

svayaṃ svakalanābhogādanantaṃ padamujjhatā | ahamasmīti bhāvena gacchatā jñapadaṃ śanaiḥ || 18 ||

It is led by its own error and of its own accord, to forget and forsake its state of infinitude;and then by assuming its individual personality of egoism (that I am), it is converted to an ignoramus.

नानातायां प्ररूढायामस्यां संसृतिपूर्वकम् । भावाभावग्रहोत्सर्गपदे स्थितिमुपागते ॥ १९ ॥

nānātāyāṃ prarūḍhāyāmasyāṃ saṃsṛtipūrvakam | bhāvābhāvagrahotsargapade sthitimupāgate || 19 ||

It falls from its knowledge of generals to that of particulars, by its act of specialization; and comes to the discrimination of the positive, and negative, and of inclusion and exclusion.

पुर्यष्टकस्पन्दशतैःकरोति न करोति च । उत्सेधमेति भूकोशकोटरस्थोऽङ्कुरोत्करः ॥ २० ॥

puryaṣṭakaspandaśataiḥkaroti na karoti ca | utsedhameti bhūkośakoṭarastho'ṅkurotkaraḥ || 20 ||

It strives and struggles within the confines of the sensuous body (owing to its degradation from spirituality); and it multiplies in these bodies like the weeds sprouting out of the bosom of the earth.

व्योम सौषिर्यमादत्ते सर्वमूर्त्यविरोधि यत् । स्पन्दैकधर्मवान्वातो रसरूपतया जलम् ॥ २१ ॥

vyoma sauṣiryamādatte sarvamūrtyavirodhi yat | spandaikadharmavānvāto rasarūpatayā jalam || 21 ||

It is the intellect that stretches the spacious vacuum, to make room for the subsistence and growth of every thing; and makes the all and ever moving air and the liquid water, for the vitality and nourishment of all.

दृढोर्वी प्रकटं तेजः स्थितिमन्ति जगन्ति च । प्रतिबन्धाभ्यनुज्ञासु कालः कलनया स्थितः ॥ २२ ॥

dṛḍhorvī prakaṭaṃ tejaḥ sthitimanti jaganti ca | pratibandhābhyanujñāsu kālaḥ kalanayā sthitaḥ || 22 ||

It makes the firm earth (terra firma) and the lightsome fire and the fixed worlds all around; and employs time by its injunctions and prohibitions.

पुष्पेषु गन्धतां याति शनैः संचितकेसरम् । मृत्कोटररसोल्लासः स्थाणुतामेति भूतले ॥ २३ ॥

puṣpeṣu gandhatāṃ yāti śanaiḥ saṃcitakesaram | mṛtkoṭararasollāsaḥ sthāṇutāmeti bhūtale || 23 ||

It gives fragrance to flowers, and grows by degrees their filaments and pistils; and it makes the moisture of the porous ground, to grow vegetables on earth.

मूलस्थाः फलमायान्ति पेलवा रसलेशकाः । संनिवेशं व्रजन्त्येता रेखाः पल्लवपालिषु ॥ २४ ॥

mūlasthāḥ phalamāyānti pelavā rasaleśakāḥ | saṃniveśaṃ vrajantyetā rekhāḥ pallavapāliṣu || 24 ||

The rooted trees fructify with fruits, by their juicy saps from beneath; and they produce their fruitage, and display their foliage with lineaments in them, as their veins and arteries.

नवतामनुगृह्नाति शक्रबाणासनेन च । यो यो भवत्यविरतं संस्थानेन वनेन च ॥ २५ ॥

navatāmanugṛhnāti śakrabāṇāsanena ca | yo yo bhavatyavirataṃ saṃsthānena vanena ca || 25 ||

It renovates the forest with its gifts of various hues, and dyes them with the variety of colours in the rainbow of Indra.

वसन्तमुपतिष्ठन्ति पुष्पपल्लवराशयः । निदाघविधिमायान्ति दैवदाहविभूतयः ॥ २६ ॥

vasantamupatiṣṭhanti puṣpapallavarāśayaḥ | nidāghavidhimāyānti daivadāhavibhūtayaḥ || 26 ||

It bids the folia, fruits and flowers to wait on the flowery season of spring;and then brings their fruitage to perfection, under the heat of the summer sun.

प्रावृट्समयमीहन्ते नीला जलदराशयः । शरदं चानुधावन्ति समग्राः फलराशयः ॥ २७ ॥

prāvṛṭsamayamīhante nīlā jaladarāśayaḥ | śaradaṃ cānudhāvanti samagrāḥ phalarāśayaḥ || 27 ||

It makes the dark blue clouds of heaven, to wait on the approach of the rainy weather; and causes the harvest of fields, to follow in the train of autumn.

हेमन्ते हिमहासिन्यो भवन्ति ककुभो दश । नयन्त्युपलतामम्बु शिशिरे शीतलानिलाः ॥ २८ ॥

hemante himahāsinyo bhavanti kakubho daśa | nayantyupalatāmambu śiśire śītalānilāḥ || 28 ||

The cold season is decorated with its smiling frost, in its faces of the ten sides of the sky; and the dewy weather is made to waft its icicles of dew drops, on the pinions of the chilling winds of winter.

न जहाति स्वमर्यादां कालो युगमयीमिमाम् । तरङ्गिणीतरङ्गौघलीलया यान्ति सृष्टयः ॥ २९ ॥

na jahāti svamaryādāṃ kālo yugamayīmimām | taraṅgiṇītaraṅgaughalīlayā yānti sṛṣṭayaḥ || 29 ||

It makes the ever moving time, to revolve in its rotation of years and cycles and Yuga—ages; and causes the tide of creation to roll on in its waves of worlds, on its bosom of the ocean of eternity.

नियतिः स्थितिमायाति स्थैर्यचातुर्यकारिणी । तिष्ठत्याप्रलयं धीरा धराधरणधर्मिणी ॥ ३० ॥

niyatiḥ sthitimāyāti sthairyacāturyakāriṇī | tiṣṭhatyāpralayaṃ dhīrā dharādharaṇadharmiṇī || 30 ||

Its decrees remain fixed with a wonderful stability, and the earth (terra or dhara), continues firm (dhira or sthira), with its quality of containing all things.

चतुर्दशविधानीह भूतानि भुवनान्तरे । नानाचारविहाराणि नानाविरचनानि च ॥ ३१ ॥

caturdaśavidhānīha bhūtāni bhuvanāntare | nānācāravihārāṇi nānāviracanāni ca || 31 ||

It made the universe teem with fourteen kinds of beings in its as many worlds of the chaturdasa-bhuvanas; and these are as different in their modes of life as in their forms and figures.

पुनःपुनर्विलीयन्ते जायन्ते च पुनःपुनः । धारापरम्परा याति विना वारीव बुद्बुदाः ॥ ३२ ॥

punaḥpunarvilīyante jāyante ca punaḥpunaḥ | dhārāparamparā yāti vinā vārīva budbudāḥ || 32 ||

These are repeatedly produced from and reduced to nothing, and move in their wonted courses for ever, as bubbles in the waterless ocean of eternity.

आयाति याति परितिष्ठति लीलयाऽतिस्वार्थानुपार्जयति धावति जन्मनाशैः । उन्मत्तवद्विहितभावनमाहितेहा मुग्धा कृतान्तविवशा जनता वराकी ॥ ३३ ॥

āyāti yāti paritiṣṭhati līlayā'tisvārthānupārjayati dhāvati janmanāśaiḥ | unmattavadvihitabhāvanamāhitehā mugdhā kṛtāntavivaśā janatā varākī || 33 ||

Here the miserable multitudes, moving mad in vain struggles after their desired objects, and in their imbecility under the subjection of disease and death. They are incessantly coming to life and going away in their exits, remaining in their living states and acquiring their ends, and for ever running to and fro, in their repeated births and deaths in this world.