25. Chapter 25

बलिरुवाच । एतन्मे कथितं पूर्वं पित्रा चारुविचारिणा । इदानीं संस्मृतं दिष्ट्या संप्रबोधमहं गतः ॥ १ ॥

baliruvāca | etanme kathitaṃ pūrvaṃ pitrā cāruvicāriṇā | idānīṃ saṃsmṛtaṃ diṣṭyā saṃprabodhamahaṃ gataḥ || 1 ||

Bali said:—In this manner did my sapient father advise me before on this subject, which I fortunately remember at the present moment for the enlightenment of my understanding.

अद्येयं मम संजाता भोगान्प्रत्यरतिः स्फुटम् । दिष्ट्या शमसुखं स्वच्छं विशाम्यमृतशीतलम् ॥ २ ॥

adyeyaṃ mama saṃjātā bhogānpratyaratiḥ sphuṭam | diṣṭyā śamasukhaṃ svacchaṃ viśāmyamṛtaśītalam || 2 ||

It is now that I feel my aversion to the enjoyments of life, and come to perceive by my good luck the bliss of tranquillity, to liken the clear and cooling ambrosial drink of heavenly bliss.

पुनरापूरयन्नाशां पुनरप्याहरन्धनम् । पुनरावर्जयन्कातां खिन्नोऽस्मि विभवस्थितौ ॥ ३ ॥

punarāpūrayannāśāṃ punarapyāharandhanam | punarāvarjayankātāṃ khinno'smi vibhavasthitau || 3 ||

I am tired of all my possessions, and am weary of my continued accumulation of wealth, for the satisfaction of my endless desires. The live-long care of the family also has grown tiresome to me.

अहो नु खलु रम्येयं शमभूः शीतलान्तरा । सर्वा एव शमं यान्ति सुखदुःखदृशः शमे ॥ ४ ॥

aho nu khalu ramyeyaṃ śamabhūḥ śītalāntarā | sarvā eva śamaṃ yānti sukhaduḥkhadṛśaḥ śame || 4 ||

But how charming is this peace and tranquillity of my soul, which is quite even and all cool within itself. Here are all our pleasures and pains brought to meet upon the same level of equality and indifference.

शाम्यामि परिनिर्वामि सुखमासे शमे स्थितः । अयमन्तः प्रहृष्यामि चन्द्रबिम्ब इवार्पितः ॥ ५ ॥

śāmyāmi parinirvāmi sukhamāse śame sthitaḥ | ayamantaḥ prahṛṣyāmi candrabimba ivārpitaḥ || 5 ||

I am quite unconcerned with any thing and am highly delighted with my indifference to all things; I am gladdened within myself as by the beams of the full moon, and feel the orb of the full moon rising within myself.

उत्ताण्डवन्मनोरंहःप्रोषितोरुशरीरकम् । अनारतपरिक्षोभं हा दुःखं विभवार्जनम् ॥ ६ ॥

uttāṇḍavanmanoraṃhaḥproṣitoruśarīrakam | anārataparikṣobhaṃ hā duḥkhaṃ vibhavārjanam || 6 ||

O! the trouble of acquiring riches, which is attended by the loud bustle of the world and agitation in the mind, and the heart burn and fatigue of the body; and is accompanied with incessant anxiety and affliction of the heart.

अङ्गमङ्गेन संपीड्य मांसं मांसेन च स्त्रियः । पुराहमभवं प्रीतो यत्तन्मोहविजृम्भितम् ॥ ७ ॥

aṅgamaṅgena saṃpīḍya māṃsaṃ māṃsena ca striyaḥ | purāhamabhavaṃ prīto yattanmohavijṛmbhitam || 7 ||

The limbs and flesh of the body, are smashed by labour; and all bodily exercises that pleased me once, now appear to be the long and lost labours of my former ignorance.

दृष्टान्तदृष्टयो दृष्टा भुक्तं भोक्तव्यमक्षतम् । आक्रान्तमखिलं भूतं जातं किमिव शोभनम् ॥ ८ ॥

dṛṣṭāntadṛṣṭayo dṛṣṭā bhuktaṃ bhoktavyamakṣatam | ākrāntamakhilaṃ bhūtaṃ jātaṃ kimiva śobhanam || 8 ||

I have seen the sights of whatever was worth seeing, and enjoyed the enjoyments which knew no bounds; I have overcome all beings; but what is the good (that I have derived from all this)?

पुनस्तान्येव तान्येव तत्रेहान्यत्र वापि च । इतश्चेतश्च वस्तूनि नापूर्वं नाम किंचन ॥ ९ ॥

punastānyeva tānyeva tatrehānyatra vāpi ca | itaścetaśca vastūni nāpūrvaṃ nāma kiṃcana || 9 ||

There is only a reiteration of the very same things, that I had there, here and elsewhere; and I found nowhere now any thing new, that I had not seen or known before.

सर्वमेव परित्यज्य परिहृत्य धिया स्वयम् । स्वस्थ एवावतिष्ठेऽहं पूर्णात्पूर्ण इवात्मनि ॥ १० ॥

sarvameva parityajya parihṛtya dhiyā svayam | svastha evāvatiṣṭhe'haṃ pūrṇātpūrṇa ivātmani || 10 ||

I am now sitting here in full possession of myself, by resigning every thing and its thought from my mind; and thereby I find that nothing whatever nor even its thought forms any component part of myself.

पाताले भूतले स्वर्गे स्त्रियो रत्नोपलादयः । सारं तदपि तुच्छेन कालेनाशु निगीर्यते ॥ ११ ॥

pātāle bhūtale svarge striyo ratnopalādayaḥ | sāraṃ tadapi tucchena kālenāśu nigīryate || 11 ||

The best things in the heaven above, earth and in this infernal region, are reckoned to be their damsels, gems and jewels; but all these are destroyed and wasted sooner or later by the cruel hand of time.

एतावन्तमहं कालं भृशं बालोऽभवं पुरा । यः कुर्वन्द्वेषममरैस्तुच्छया जगदिच्छया ॥ १२ ॥

etāvantamahaṃ kālaṃ bhṛśaṃ bālo'bhavaṃ purā | yaḥ kurvandveṣamamaraistucchayā jagadicchayā || 12 ||

I have acted foolishly all this time, by waging a continuous struggle with the gods, for the sake of the trifle of worldly possessions.

मनोनिर्माणमात्रेण जगन्नाम्ना महाधिना । त्यक्तेनानेनकोऽर्थः स्यात्को नु रागोमहात्मनः ॥ १३ ॥

manonirmāṇamātreṇa jagannāmnā mahādhinā | tyaktenānenako'rthaḥ syātko nu rāgomahātmanaḥ || 13 ||

What is this phantom of the world, but a creation of the brain; what then is the harm of forsaking it forever in which great souls take no delight whatever?

कष्टं चिरतरं कालमनर्थोऽर्थधिया मया । अज्ञानमदमत्तेन कालेन स्वेन सेवितः ॥ १४ ॥

kaṣṭaṃ cirataraṃ kālamanartho'rthadhiyā mayā | ajñānamadamattena kālena svena sevitaḥ || 14 ||

Alas! that I have spent such a large portion of my life time, in pursuing after trifles in the ignorant giddiness of my mind.

तरत्तरलतृष्णेन किमिवास्मिञ्जगत्त्रयम् । मया न कृतमज्ञेन पश्चात्तापाभिवृद्धये ॥ १५ ॥

tarattaralatṛṣṇena kimivāsmiñjagattrayam | mayā na kṛtamajñena paścāttāpābhivṛddhaye || 15 ||

My fickle and fluctuating desires, have led me to do many acts of foolishness, in this world of odds and trifles, which now fill me with remorse and regret.

एतया तदलं मेऽस्तु तुच्छया पूर्वचिन्तया । पौरुषं याति साफल्यं वर्तमानचिकित्सया ॥ १६ ॥

etayā tadalaṃ me'stu tucchayā pūrvacintayā | pauruṣaṃ yāti sāphalyaṃ vartamānacikitsayā || 16 ||

But it is in vain to be overwhelmed with the sad thoughts of the past, while I should use my manly exertions to improve the present.

अद्यापरिमिताकारकारणैकतयात्मनि । सर्वतः सुखमभ्येति रसायनमिवार्णवे ॥ १७ ॥

adyāparimitākārakāraṇaikatayātmani | sarvataḥ sukhamabhyeti rasāyanamivārṇave || 17 ||

It is by reflecting on the eternal cause of the endless infinity of souls in the soul, that one can attain his perfect felicity; as the gods got the ambrosia from the Milky ocean.

कोऽयं तावदहं किं स्यादात्मेत्यात्मावलोकनम् । पृच्छाम्यौशनसं नाथं नूनमज्ञानशान्तये ॥ १८ ॥

ko'yaṃ tāvadahaṃ kiṃ syādātmetyātmāvalokanam | pṛcchāmyauśanasaṃ nāthaṃ nūnamajñānaśāntaye || 18 ||

I most consult my preceptor Sukra, concerning the Ego and the soul and spiritual vision, of the soul of souls in order to expel my ignorance in these matters.

संचिन्तयामि परमेश्वरमाशु शुक्रमुद्यत्प्रसादमथ तेन गिरोपदिष्टे । तिष्ठाम्यनन्तविभवे स्वयमात्मनात्मन्यक्षीणमर्थमुपदेशगिरः फलन्ति ॥ १९ ॥

saṃcintayāmi parameśvaramāśu śukramudyatprasādamatha tena giropadiṣṭe | tiṣṭhāmyanantavibhave svayamātmanātmanyakṣīṇamarthamupadeśagiraḥ phalanti || 19 ||

I must refer these questions to the most venerable Sukra, who is always complacent to his favorites; and then it is possible that by his advice I shall be settled in the highest perfection of seeing the supreme spirit, in my spirit, because the words of the wise, are ever fraught with full meaning and are fruitful of the desired object.