20. Chapter 20

पुण्य उवाच । कः पिता किं च वा मित्रं का माता के च बान्धवाः । स्वबुद्ध्यैवावधूयन्ते वात्यया जनपांसवः ॥ १ ॥

puṇya uvāca | kaḥ pitā kiṃ ca vā mitraṃ kā mātā ke ca bāndhavāḥ | svabuddhyaivāvadhūyante vātyayā janapāṃsavaḥ || 1 ||

Punya said:—Who is our father and who our mother, and who are our friends and relatives, except our notion of them as such; and these again are as the dust raised by the gusts of our airy fancy?

बन्धुमित्रसुतस्नेहद्वेषमोहदशामयः । स्वसंज्ञामात्रकेणैव प्रपञ्चोऽयं वितन्यते ॥ २ ॥

bandhumitrasutasnehadveṣamohadaśāmayaḥ | svasaṃjñāmātrakeṇaiva prapañco'yaṃ vitanyate || 2 ||

The conceptions of friends and foes, of our sons and relations are the products of our affection and hatred to them; and these being the effects of our ignorance, are soon made to disappear into airy nothing, upon enlightenment of the understanding.

बन्धुत्वे भावितो बन्धुः परत्वे भावितः परः । विषामृतदशेवेह स्थितिर्भावनिबन्धनी ॥ ३ ॥

bandhutve bhāvito bandhuḥ paratve bhāvitaḥ paraḥ | viṣāmṛtadaśeveha sthitirbhāvanibandhanī || 3 ||

The thought of one as a friend, makes him a friend, and thinking one as an enemy makes him an enemy; the knowledge of a thing as honey and of another as poison, is owing to our opinion of it.

एकत्वे विद्यमानस्य सर्वगस्य किलात्मनः । अयं बन्धुः परश्चायमित्यसौ कलना कुतः ॥ ४ ॥

ekatve vidyamānasya sarvagasya kilātmanaḥ | ayaṃ bandhuḥ paraścāyamityasau kalanā kutaḥ || 4 ||

There being but one universal soul equally pervading the whole, there can be no reason of the conception of one as a friend and of another as an enemy.

रक्तमांसास्थिसंघाताद्देहादेवास्थिपञ्जरात् । कोऽहं स्यामिति चित्तेन स्वयं पुत्र विचारय ॥ ५ ॥

raktamāṃsāsthisaṃghātāddehādevāsthipañjarāt | ko'haṃ syāmiti cittena svayaṃ putra vicāraya || 5 ||

Think my boy in thy mind what thou art, and what is that thing which makes thy identity, when thy body is but a composition of bones, ribs, flesh and blood, and not thyself.

दृष्ट्या तु पारमार्थिक्या न कश्चित्त्वं न वास्म्यहम् । मिथ्याज्ञानमिदं पुण्यः पावनश्चेति वल्गति ॥ ६ ॥

dṛṣṭyā tu pāramārthikyā na kaścittvaṃ na vāsmyaham | mithyājñānamidaṃ puṇyaḥ pāvanaśceti valgati || 6 ||

Being viewed in its true light, there is nothing as myself or thyself; it is a fallacy of our understanding, that makes me think myself as Punya and thee as Pavana.

कस्ते पिता कश्च सुहृत्का माता कश्च वा परः । खस्यानन्तविलासस्य किमस्वं किं स्वमुच्यताम् ॥ ७ ॥

kaste pitā kaśca suhṛtkā mātā kaśca vā paraḥ | khasyānantavilāsasya kimasvaṃ kiṃ svamucyatām || 7 ||

Who is thy father and who thy son, who thy mother and who thy friend? One Supreme-self pervades all infinity, whom callest thou the self, and whom the not self.

असि चेत्त्वं तदन्येषु यातेषु बहुजन्मसु । ये बन्धवो ये विभवाः किं तानपि न शोचसि ॥ ८ ॥

asi cettvaṃ tadanyeṣu yāteṣu bahujanmasu | ye bandhavo ye vibhavāḥ kiṃ tānapi na śocasi || 8 ||

If thou art a spiritual substance (linga sarira), and hast undergone many births, then thou hadst many friends and properties in thy past lives, why dost thou not think of them also?

बभूवुस्ते सुपुष्पासु स्थलीषु मृगयोनिषु । बहवो बन्धवो मार्गास्तान्कथं नानुशोचसि ॥ ९ ॥

babhūvuste supuṣpāsu sthalīṣu mṛgayoniṣu | bahavo bandhavo mārgāstānkathaṃ nānuśocasi || 9 ||

Thou hadst many friends in the flowery plains, where thou hadst thy pasture in thy former form of a stag; why thinkest thou not of those deer, who were once thy dear companions?

बभूवुस्ते सपद्मासु तटीष्वम्भोजिनीषु ते । हंसस्य बन्धवो हंसास्तान्कथं नानुशोचसि ॥ १० ॥

babhūvuste sapadmāsu taṭīṣvambhojinīṣu te | haṃsasya bandhavo haṃsāstānkathaṃ nānuśocasi || 10 ||

Why dost thou not lament for thy lost companions of swans, in the pleasant pool of lotuses, where thou didst dive and swim about in the form of a gander?

बभूवुस्तेऽलमन्यत्र चित्रासु वनराजिषु । बहवो बन्धवो वृक्षास्तान्कथं नानुशोचसि ॥ ११ ॥

babhūvuste'lamanyatra citrāsu vanarājiṣu | bahavo bandhavo vṛkṣāstānkathaṃ nānuśocasi || 11 ||

Why not lament for thy fellow arbours in the woodlands, where thou once stoodest as a stately tree among them?

बभूवुस्ते महोग्रेषु शिखरेषु महीभृताम् । बहवो बान्धवाः सिंहास्तान्कथं नानुशोचसि ॥ १२ ॥

babhūvuste mahogreṣu śikhareṣu mahībhṛtām | bahavo bāndhavāḥ siṃhāstānkathaṃ nānuśocasi || 12 ||

Thou hadst thy comrades of lions on the rugged crags of mountains, why dost thou not lament for them also?

बभूवुस्ते स्रवन्तीषु सरःस्वम्भोजिनीषु च । बहवो बन्धवो मत्स्यास्तान्कथं नानुशोचसि ॥ १३ ॥

babhūvuste sravantīṣu saraḥsvambhojinīṣu ca | bahavo bandhavo matsyāstānkathaṃ nānuśocasi || 13 ||

Thou hadst many of thy mates among the fishes, in the limpid lakes decked with lotuses; why not lament for thy separation from them?

बभूविथ दशार्णेषु कपिलो वनवानरः । राजपुत्रस्तुषारेषु पुण्ड्रेषु वनवायसः ॥ १४ ॥

babhūvitha daśārṇeṣu kapilo vanavānaraḥ | rājaputrastuṣāreṣu puṇḍreṣu vanavāyasaḥ || 14 ||

Thou hadst been in the country of Dasarna (confluence of the ten rivers), as a monkey in the grey and green woods: a prince hadst thou been in land of frost; and a raven in the woods of Pundra.

हैहयेषु च मातङ्गस्त्रिगर्तेषु च गर्दभः । शाल्वेषु सरमापुत्रः पतत्री सरलद्रुमे ॥ १५ ॥

haihayeṣu ca mātaṅgastrigarteṣu ca gardabhaḥ | śālveṣu saramāputraḥ patatrī saraladrume || 15 ||

Thou hadst been an elephant in the land of Haihayas, and an ass in that of Trigarta; thou hadst become a dog in the country of Salya, and a bird in the wood of sarala or sal trees.

विन्ध्याद्रौ पिप्पलो भूत्वा घुणो भूत्वा महावटे । मन्दरे कुक्कुटो भूत्वा विप्रो जातोऽसि कन्दरे ॥ १६ ॥

vindhyādrau pippalo bhūtvā ghuṇo bhūtvā mahāvaṭe | mandare kukkuṭo bhūtvā vipro jāto'si kandare || 16 ||

Thou hadst been a pipal tree on the Vindhyan mountains, and a wood insect in a large oak (bata) tree; thou hadst been a cock on the Mandara mountain, and then born as a Brahman in one of its caverns.

कोसलेषु द्विजो भूत्वा भूत्वा वङ्गेषु तित्तिरिः । अश्वो भूत्वा तुषारेषु जातस्त्वं ब्रह्मणोऽध्वरे ॥ १७ ॥

kosaleṣu dvijo bhūtvā bhūtvā vaṅgeṣu tittiriḥ | aśvo bhūtvā tuṣāreṣu jātastvaṃ brahmaṇo'dhvare || 17 ||

Thou wast a Brahman in Kosala, and a partridge in Bengal; a horse hadst thou been in the snowy land, and a beast in the sacred ground of Brahma at Pushkara.

यः कीटस्तालकन्दान्तर्मशको य उदुम्बरे । यः प्राग्बको विन्ध्यवने स त्वं पुत्र ममानुजः ॥ १८ ॥

yaḥ kīṭastālakandāntarmaśako ya udumbare | yaḥ prāgbako vindhyavane sa tvaṃ putra mamānujaḥ || 18 ||

Thou hadst been an insect in the trunk of a palm tree, a gnat in a big tree, and a crane in the woods of Vindhya, that art now my younger brother.

हिमवत्कन्दरे भूर्जतनुत्वग्ग्रन्थिकोटरे । पिपीलिको यः षण्मासान्सोऽयं त्वमनुजो मम ॥ १९ ॥

himavatkandare bhūrjatanutvaggranthikoṭare | pipīliko yaḥ ṣaṇmāsānso'yaṃ tvamanujo mama || 19 ||

Thou hadst been an ant for six months, and lain within the thin bark of a bhugpetera tree in a glen of the Himalayan hills, that art now born as my younger brother.

स्थितः सीमान्तकुग्रामगोमये यश्च वृश्चिकः । सार्धसंवत्सरं साधो सोऽयं त्वमनुजो मम ॥ २० ॥

sthitaḥ sīmāntakugrāmagomaye yaśca vṛścikaḥ | sārdhasaṃvatsaraṃ sādho so'yaṃ tvamanujo mama || 20 ||

Thou hadst been a millepede in a dunghill at a distant village;where thou didst dwell for a year and half, that art now become my younger brother.

पुलिन्दीस्तनपीठेषु निलीनं येन कानने । षट्पदेनेव पद्मेषु सोऽयं त्वमनुजो मम ॥ २१ ॥

pulindīstanapīṭheṣu nilīnaṃ yena kānane | ṣaṭpadeneva padmeṣu so'yaṃ tvamanujo mama || 21 ||

Thou wast once the youngling of a Pulinda (a hill tribe woman), and didst dwell on her dugs like the honey-sucking bee on the pericarp of a lotus. The same art thou now my younger brother.

एतास्वन्यासु बह्वीषु जनयोनिषु पुत्रक । जातोऽसि जम्बूद्वीपेऽस्मिन्पुरा शतसहस्रशः ॥ २२ ॥

etāsvanyāsu bahvīṣu janayoniṣu putraka | jāto'si jambūdvīpe'sminpurā śatasahasraśaḥ || 22 ||

In this manner my boy, wast thou born in many other shapes, and hadst to wander all about the Jambudvipa, for myriads of years: And now art thou my younger brother.

इत्थं तवात्मनश्चैव प्राक्तनं वासनाक्रमम् । पश्यामि सूक्ष्मया बुद्ध्या सम्यग्दर्शनशुद्धया ॥ २३ ॥

itthaṃ tavātmanaścaiva prāktanaṃ vāsanākramam | paśyāmi sūkṣmayā buddhyā samyagdarśanaśuddhayā || 23 ||

Thus I see the post-states of thy existence, caused by the antecedent desires of thy soul; I see all this by my nice discernment, and my clear and all-viewing sight.

ममापि बह्व्यो बहुधा योनयो मोहमन्थराः । समतीताः स्मराम्यद्य ता ज्ञानोदितया दृशा ॥ २४ ॥

mamāpi bahvyo bahudhā yonayo mohamantharāḥ | samatītāḥ smarāmyadya tā jñānoditayā dṛśā || 24 ||

I also remember the several births that I had to undergo in my state of (spiritual) ignorance, and then as I see clearly before my enlightened sight.

त्रिगर्तेषु शुको भूत्वा भेको भूत्वा सरित्तटे । वनेषु लावको भूत्वा जातोऽहमिह कानने ॥ २५ ॥

trigarteṣu śuko bhūtvā bheko bhūtvā sarittaṭe | vaneṣu lāvako bhūtvā jāto'hamiha kānane || 25 ||

I also was a parrot in the land of Trigarta, and a frog at the beach of a river; I became a small bird in a forest, and was then born in these woods.

भुक्त्वा पुलिन्दतां विन्ध्ये कृत्वा वङ्गेषु वृक्षताम् । उष्ट्रत्वमपि विन्ध्याद्रौ जातोऽहमिह कानने ॥ २६ ॥

bhuktvā pulindatāṃ vindhye kṛtvā vaṅgeṣu vṛkṣatām | uṣṭratvamapi vindhyādrau jāto'hamiha kānane || 26 ||

Having been a Pulinda huntsman in Vindhya, and then as a tree in Bengal, and afterwards a camel in the Vindhya range, I am at last born in this forest.

यश्चातको हिमगिरौ यो राजा पौण्ड्रमण्डले । व्याघ्रो यः सह्यकुञ्जेषु स एवाहं तवाग्रजः ॥ २७ ॥

yaścātako himagirau yo rājā pauṇḍramaṇḍale | vyāghro yaḥ sahyakuñjeṣu sa evāhaṃ tavāgrajaḥ || 27 ||

I who had been a chataka bird in the Himalayas, and a prince in the Paundra province; and then as a mighty tiger in the forests of the sahya hill, am now become your elder brother.

यो गृध्रो दशवर्षाणि यो ग्राहो मासपञ्चकम् । यः समानां शतं सिंहः स एवेह तवाग्रजः ॥ २८ ॥

yo gṛdhro daśavarṣāṇi yo grāho māsapañcakam | yaḥ samānāṃ śataṃ siṃhaḥ sa eveha tavāgrajaḥ || 28 ||

He that had been a vulture for ten years, and a shark for five months and a lion for a full century; is now thy elder brother in this place.

आन्ध्रग्रामचकोरेण तुषारनृपराजिना । श्रीशैलाचार्यपुत्रेण दम्भवत्कथ्यते मया ॥ २९ ॥

āndhragrāmacakoreṇa tuṣāranṛparājinā | śrīśailācāryaputreṇa dambhavatkathyate mayā || 29 ||

I was a chakora wood in the village of Andhara, and a ruler in the snowy regions; and then as the proud son of a priest named Sailacharya in a hilly tract.

सर्वे विविधसंसारा विविधाचारचेष्टिताः । विलासा जन्मनो भ्रान्तेः स्मर्यन्ते प्राक्तना मया ॥ ३० ॥

sarve vividhasaṃsārā vividhācāraceṣṭitāḥ | vilāsā janmano bhrānteḥ smaryante prāktanā mayā || 30 ||

I remember the various customs and pursuits of different peoples on earth, that I had to observe and follow in my repeated transmigrations among them.

एवं स्थिते जगज्जाता बान्धवाः शतशो गताः । पितरो मातरश्चैव भ्रातरः सुहृदस्तथा ॥ ३१ ॥

evaṃ sthite jagajjātā bāndhavāḥ śataśo gatāḥ | pitaro mātaraścaiva bhrātaraḥ suhṛdastathā || 31 ||

In these several migrations, I had many fathers and mothers, and many more of my brothers and sisters, as also friends and relatives to hundreds and thousands.

कांस्तान्समनुशोचावो न शोचावश्च कानपि । बन्धूनिहातिशोचाव ईदृश्येव जगद्गतिः ॥ ३२ ॥

kāṃstānsamanuśocāvo na śocāvaśca kānapi | bandhūnihātiśocāva īdṛśyeva jagadgatiḥ || 32 ||

For whom shall I lament and whom forget among this number; shall I wail for them only that I lose in this life? But these also are to be buried in oblivion like the rest, and such is the course of the world.

अनन्ताः पितरो यान्ति यान्त्यनन्ताश्च मातरः । इह संसारिणां पुंसां वनपादपपर्णवत् ॥ ३३ ॥

anantāḥ pitaro yānti yāntyanantāśca mātaraḥ | iha saṃsāriṇāṃ puṃsāṃ vanapādapaparṇavat || 33 ||

Numberless fathers have gone by, and unnumbered mothers also have passed and died away; so innumerable generations of men have perished and disappeared, like the falling off of withered leaves.

किं प्रमाणमतः पुत्र दुःखस्यात्र सुखस्य च । तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य तिष्ठावः स्वच्छतां गतौ ॥ ३४ ॥

kiṃ pramāṇamataḥ putra duḥkhasyātra sukhasya ca | tasmātsarvaṃ parityajya tiṣṭhāvaḥ svacchatāṃ gatau || 34 ||

There are no bounds, my boy, of our pleasures and pains in this sublunary world; lay them all aside, and let us remain unmindful of all existence (whether past, present or future)!

प्रपञ्चभावनां त्यक्त्वा मनस्यहमिति स्थिताम् । तां गतिं गच्छ भद्रं ते यां यान्ति गतिकोविदाः ॥ ३५ ॥

prapañcabhāvanāṃ tyaktvā manasyahamiti sthitām | tāṃ gatiṃ gaccha bhadraṃ te yāṃ yānti gatikovidāḥ || 35 ||

Forsake thy thoughts of false appearances, and relinquish thy firm conviction of thy own egoism, and look to that ultimate course which has led the learned to their final beatitude.

इहाजवं जवीभावं पतनोत्पतनात्मकम् । न च शोचन्ति सुधियश्चिरं वल्गन्ति केवलम् ॥ ३६ ॥

ihājavaṃ javībhāvaṃ patanotpatanātmakam | na ca śocanti sudhiyaściraṃ valganti kevalam || 36 ||

What is this commotion of the people for, but a struggling for rising or falling (to heaven or hell); strive therefore for neither, but live regardless of both like an indifferent philosopher.

भावाभावविनिर्मुक्तं जरामरणवर्जितम् । संस्मरात्मानमव्यग्रो मा विमूढमना भव ॥ ३७ ॥

bhāvābhāvavinirmuktaṃ jarāmaraṇavarjitam | saṃsmarātmānamavyagro mā vimūḍhamanā bhava || 37 ||

Live free from thy cares of existence and inexistence, and then thou shalt be freed from thy fears of decay and death. Remember unruffled thy self alone, and be not moved by any from thy self possession by the accidents to life like the ignorant.

न ते दुःखं न ते जन्म न ते माता न ते पिता । आत्मैवासि न सद्बुद्धे त्वमन्यः कश्चिदेव हि ॥ ३८ ॥

na te duḥkhaṃ na te janma na te mātā na te pitā | ātmaivāsi na sadbuddhe tvamanyaḥ kaścideva hi || 38 ||

Know thou hast no birth nor death, nor weal or woe of any kind, nor a father or mother, nor friend nor foe anywhere. Thou art only thy pure spirit, and nothing of an unspiritual nature.

अस्यां संसारयात्रायां नानाभिनयदायिनः । अज्ञा एव नराः साधुरसभावसमन्विताः ॥ ३९ ॥

asyāṃ saṃsārayātrāyāṃ nānābhinayadāyinaḥ | ajñā eva narāḥ sādhurasabhāvasamanvitāḥ || 39 ||

The world is a stage presenting many acts and scenes; and they only play their parts well, who are excited neither by its passions nor its feelings.

मध्यस्थदृष्टयः स्वस्था यथाप्राप्तार्थदर्शिनः । तज्ज्ञास्तु प्रेक्षका एव साक्षिधर्मे व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ४० ॥

madhyasthadṛṣṭayaḥ svasthā yathāprāptārthadarśinaḥ | tajjñāstu prekṣakā eva sākṣidharme vyavasthitāḥ || 40 ||

Those that are indifferent in their views, have their quietude amidst all the occurrences of life; and those that have known the True One, remain only to witness the course of nature.

कर्तारोऽपि न कर्तारो यथा दीपा निशागमे । आलोककर्मणामेवं तज्ज्ञा लोकस्थिताविह ॥ ४१ ॥

kartāro'pi na kartāro yathā dīpā niśāgame | ālokakarmaṇāmevaṃ tajjñā lokasthitāviha || 41 ||

The knowers of God do their acts, without thinking themselves their actors; just as the lamps of night witness the objects around, without their consciousness of the same.

प्रतिबिम्बे न दृश्यन्ते स्वात्मबिम्बगतैरपि । यथा दर्पणरत्नाद्यास्तथा कार्ये महाधियः ॥ ४२ ॥

pratibimbe na dṛśyante svātmabimbagatairapi | yathā darpaṇaratnādyāstathā kārye mahādhiyaḥ || 42 ||

The wise witness the objects as they are reflected in the mirror of their minds, just as the looking glass and gems receive the images of things.

सर्वैषणामयकलङ्कविवर्जितेन स्वस्थात्मभावकलितेन हृदब्जमध्ये । पुत्रात्मनात्मनि महामुनिनामुनैव संत्यज्य संभ्रममलं परितोषमेहि ॥ ४३ ॥

sarvaiṣaṇāmayakalaṅkavivarjitena svasthātmabhāvakalitena hṛdabjamadhye | putrātmanātmani mahāmunināmunaiva saṃtyajya saṃbhramamalaṃ paritoṣamehi || 43 ||

Now my boy, rub out all thy wishes and the vestiges of thy remembrance from thy mind, and view the image of the serene spirit of God in thy inmost soul. Learn to live like the great sages with the sight of thy spiritual light, and by effacing all false impressions from thy mind.