26. Chapter 26

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । इति संचिन्त्य बलवान्बलिरामीलितेक्षणः । दध्यौ कमलपत्राक्षं शुक्रमाकाशमन्दिरम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | iti saṃcintya balavānbalirāmīlitekṣaṇaḥ | dadhyau kamalapatrākṣaṃ śukramākāśamandiram || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—So saying the mighty Bali closed his eyes, and thought upon the lotus-eyed Sukra, abiding in his heavenly abode.

सर्वस्थं चिन्तयानं तु नित्यध्यानोऽथ भार्गवः । चेतःस्थं ज्ञातवान् शिष्यं बलिं गुर्वर्थिनं पुरे ॥ २ ॥

sarvasthaṃ cintayānaṃ tu nityadhyāno'tha bhārgavaḥ | cetaḥsthaṃ jñātavān śiṣyaṃ baliṃ gurvarthinaṃ pure || 2 ||

Sukra, who sat intently meditating on the all-pervading spirit of God, came to know in his mind, that he was remembered by his disciple Bali in his city.

अथ सर्वगतानन्तचिदात्मा भार्गवः प्रभुः । आनिनाय स देहं स्वं रत्नवातायनं बलेः ॥ ३ ॥

atha sarvagatānantacidātmā bhārgavaḥ prabhuḥ | ānināya sa dehaṃ svaṃ ratnavātāyanaṃ baleḥ || 3 ||

Then Sukra the son of Bhrigu, whose soul was united with the all-pervading infinite and omniscient spirit, descended with his heavenly body at the gemming window of Bali.

गुरुदेहप्रभाजालपरिमृष्टतनुर्बलिः । बुबुधे प्रातरर्कांशुसंबोधितमिवाम्बुजम् ॥ ४ ॥

gurudehaprabhājālaparimṛṣṭatanurbaliḥ | bubudhe prātararkāṃśusaṃbodhitamivāmbujam || 4 ||

Bali knew the body of his guide by its lustre, as the lotus flower perceives the rising sun by his dawning beams.

तत्र रत्नार्घ्यदानेन मन्दारकुसुमोत्करैः । पादाभिवन्दनैरेनं पूजयामास भार्गवम् ॥ ५ ॥

tatra ratnārghyadānena mandārakusumotkaraiḥ | pādābhivandanairenaṃ pūjayāmāsa bhārgavam || 5 ||

He then honoured his guru or guide, by adoring his feet on a seat decked with gems, and with offering of mandara flowers upon him.

रत्नार्घ्यपरिपूर्णाङ्गं कृतमन्दारशेखरम् । महार्हासनविश्रान्तमथोवाच गुरुं बलिः ॥ ६ ॥

ratnārghyaparipūrṇāṅgaṃ kṛtamandāraśekharam | mahārhāsanaviśrāntamathovāca guruṃ baliḥ || 6 ||

As Sukra took his rest on the gemming seat from the labour of his journey, he was strewn over with offerings of gems on his body, and heaps of mandara flowers upon his head; after which Bali addressed him thus:—

बलिरुवाच । भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादोत्था प्रतिभेयं पुरस्तव । नियोजयति मां वक्तुं कार्यं कर्तुमिवार्कभाः ॥ ७ ॥

baliruvāca | bhagavaṃstvatprasādotthā pratibheyaṃ purastava | niyojayati māṃ vaktuṃ kāryaṃ kartumivārkabhāḥ || 7 ||

Venerable sir, this illustrious presence of thy grace before me, emboldens me to address to thee, as the morning sun-beams send all mankind to their daily work.

भोगान्प्रति विरक्तोऽस्मि महासंमोहदायिनः । तत्तत्त्वं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि महासंमोहहारि यत् ॥ ८ ॥

bhogānprati virakto'smi mahāsaṃmohadāyinaḥ | tattattvaṃ jñātumicchāmi mahāsaṃmohahāri yat || 8 ||

I have come to feel an aversion, Sir, to all kinds of worldly enjoyments, which are productive of the delusion of our souls; and want to know the truth relating to it, in order to dispel my ignorance of myself.

कियन्मात्रमिदं भोगजालं किमयमेव वा । कोऽहं कस्त्वं किमेते वा लोका इति वदाशु मे ॥ ९ ॥

kiyanmātramidaṃ bhogajālaṃ kimayameva vā | ko'haṃ kastvaṃ kimete vā lokā iti vadāśu me || 9 ||

Tell me, sir, in short, what are these enjoyments good for, and how far they extend; and what am I, thou or these people in reality.

शुक्र उवाच । बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन खं गन्तुं यत्नवानहम् । सर्वदानवराजेन्द्र सारं संक्षेपतः शृणु ॥ १० ॥

śukra uvāca | bahunātra kimuktena khaṃ gantuṃ yatnavānaham | sarvadānavarājendra sāraṃ saṃkṣepataḥ śṛṇu || 10 ||

Sukra answered said:—I can not tell you in length about it, as I have soon to repair to my place in the sky. Hear me O monarch of demons tell this much briefly to you at present.

चिदिहास्ति हि चिन्मात्रमिदं चिन्मयमेव च । चित्त्वं चिदहमेते च लोकाश्चिदिति संग्रहः ॥ ११ ॥

cidihāsti hi cinmātramidaṃ cinmayameva ca | cittvaṃ cidahamete ca lokāściditi saṃgrahaḥ || 11 ||

There is verily but the intellect in reality, and all this existence beside is verily the intellect and full of intellect: The mind is the intellect, and I, thou and these people are collectively the very intellect.

भव्योऽसि चेत्तदेतस्मात्सर्वमाप्नोषि निश्चयात् । नो चेत्तद्वह्वपि प्रोक्तं त्वयि भस्मनि हूयते ॥ १२ ॥

bhavyo'si cettadetasmātsarvamāpnoṣi niścayāt | no cettadvahvapi proktaṃ tvayi bhasmani hūyate || 12 ||

If you are wise, know you derive every thing from this Chit—the universal Intellect; or else all gifts of fortune are as useless to you as the offering of butter on ashes.

चिच्चेत्यकलनाबन्धस्तन्मुक्तिर्मुक्तिरुच्यते । चिदचेत्याखिलात्मेति सर्वसिद्धान्तसंग्रहः ॥ १३ ॥

ciccetyakalanābandhastanmuktirmuktirucyate | cidacetyākhilātmeti sarvasiddhāntasaṃgrahaḥ || 13 ||

Taking the intellect as something thinkable or object of thought, is the snare of the mind; but the belief of its freeness or incomprehensibility, is what confers liberation to the soul. The incomprehensible intellect is verily the universal soul, which is the sum of all doctrines.

एनं निश्चयमादाय विलोकयसि हेलया । स्वयमेवात्मनात्मानमनन्तं पदमाप्स्यसि ॥ १४ ॥

enaṃ niścayamādāya vilokayasi helayā | svayamevātmanātmānamanantaṃ padamāpsyasi || 14 ||

Knowing this for certain, look on everything as such; and behold the spirit in thy spirit, in order to arrive to the state of the Infinite spirit.

खं व्रजाम्यहमत्रैव मुनयः सप्त संगताः । केनापि सुरकार्येण वस्तव्यं तत्र वै मया ॥ १५ ॥

khaṃ vrajāmyahamatraiva munayaḥ sapta saṃgatāḥ | kenāpi surakāryeṇa vastavyaṃ tatra vai mayā || 15 ||

I have instantly to repair to the sky, where the seven munis are assembled (the seven planets or the seven stars of the Pleiades—saptarshi?), where I have to continue in the performance of my divine service.

राजन्यावदयं देहस्तावन्मुक्तधियामपि । यथाप्राप्तक्रियात्यागो रोचते न स्वभावतः ॥ १६ ॥

rājanyāvadayaṃ dehastāvanmuktadhiyāmapi | yathāprāptakriyātyāgo rocate na svabhāvataḥ || 16 ||

I tell you, O king! that you must not of yourself get rid of your duties, as long as you are in this body of yours, even though your mind may be freed from everything.

इति कथितवताथ भार्गवेण स्फुटजलराशिपथा महाजवेन । प्लुतमलिशबले नभोन्तराले तरलतरङ्गवदाकुले ग्रहौघैः ॥ १७ ॥

iti kathitavatātha bhārgaveṇa sphuṭajalarāśipathā mahājavena | plutamaliśabale nabhontarāle taralataraṅgavadākule grahaughaiḥ || 17 ||

So saying, Sukra flew as a bee besmeared with the farinaceous gold-dust of the lotus, to the aureate vault of heaven; and passed through the watery path of the waving clouds, to where the revolving planets were ready to receive him.