13. Chapter 13

श्रीराम उवाच । सम्यग्ज्ञानविलासेन वासनाविलयोदये । जीवन्मुक्तपदे ब्रह्मन्नूनं विश्रान्तवानहम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | samyagjñānavilāsena vāsanāvilayodaye | jīvanmuktapade brahmannūnaṃ viśrāntavānaham || 1 ||

Rama said:—I am verily becalmed and set at ease, O Brahman! by relinquishing all my desires, from my full knowledge of their impropriety; and by my being staid in the state of the liberated, even in this my present life.

प्राणस्पन्दनिरोधेन वासनाविलयोदये । जीवन्मुक्तपदे ब्रह्मन्वद विश्रम्यते कथम् ॥ २ ॥

prāṇaspandanirodhena vāsanāvilayodaye | jīvanmuktapade brahmanvada viśramyate katham || 2 ||

But tell me, sir, how a man can have his liberation, by restraining his respirations for a time; and how the restraint of one's breathings, can put a restriction to his desires, which reside and rise from the mind; while it belongs to the body and comes in and out of the heart and lungs.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । संसारोत्तरणे युक्तिर्योगशब्देन कथ्यते । तां विद्धि द्विप्रकारां त्वं चित्तोपशमधर्मिणीम् ॥ ३ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | saṃsārottaraṇe yuktiryogaśabdena kathyate | tāṃ viddhi dviprakārāṃ tvaṃ cittopaśamadharmiṇīm || 3 ||

Vasishtha said:—The means of fording over the ocean of this earth is known, O Rama! by the word Yoga or union, which is composed of the quality of pacifying the mind in either of the two ways or processes.

आत्मज्ञानं प्रकारोऽस्या एकः प्रकटितो भुवि । द्वितीयः प्राणसंरोधः श्रृणु योऽयं मयोच्यते ॥ ४ ॥

ātmajñānaṃ prakāro'syā ekaḥ prakaṭito bhuvi | dvitīyaḥ prāṇasaṃrodhaḥ śrṛṇu yo'yaṃ mayocyate || 4 ||

The one is the acquisition of religious instruction, leading to the knowledge of the soul and of the Supreme soul, and the other is the restraining of respiration, which you will learn from the lecture that I am about to deliver.

श्रीराम उवाच । सुलभत्वाददुःखत्वात्कतरः शोभनोऽनयोः । येनावगतमात्रेण भूयः क्षोभो न बाधते ॥ ५ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | sulabhatvādaduḥkhatvātkataraḥ śobhano'nayoḥ | yenāvagatamātreṇa bhūyaḥ kṣobho na bādhate || 5 ||

Here rama interrupted and said:—Tell me, sir, which of the two is more delectable, owing to its facility and unpainfulness; and the knowledge or practice whereof, releases us from all fear and trouble whatsoever.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । प्रकारौ द्वावपि प्रोक्तौ योगशब्देन यद्यपि । तथापि रूढिमायातः प्राणयुक्तावसौ भृशम् ॥ ६ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | prakārau dvāvapi proktau yogaśabdena yadyapi | tathāpi rūḍhimāyātaḥ prāṇayuktāvasau bhṛśam || 6 ||

Vasishtha replied:—Rama! although I have mentioned here of two kinds of Yoga, yet the common acceptation of the term, restricts it to the restriction of breathing.

एको योगस्तथा ज्ञानं संसारोत्तरणक्रमे । समावुपायो द्वावेव प्रोक्तावेकफलप्रदौ ॥ ७ ॥

eko yogastathā jñānaṃ saṃsārottaraṇakrame | samāvupāyo dvāveva proktāvekaphalapradau || 7 ||

The true Yoga is the concentration of the mind in God, which is the only means of our salvation in this world; and this is achieved in either way of the regulation of breathing, or perfection in learning, both of which tend to the one and same effect, of fixing the attention in divine meditation.

असाध्यः कस्यचिद्योगः कस्यचिज्ज्ञाननिश्चयः । मम त्वभिमतः साधो सुसाध्यो ज्ञाननिश्चयः ॥ ८ ॥

asādhyaḥ kasyacidyogaḥ kasyacijjñānaniścayaḥ | mama tvabhimataḥ sādho susādhyo jñānaniścayaḥ || 8 ||

The practical yoga by the regulation of respiration, appears as too arduous a task to some persons, while proficiency in knowledge seems to be too difficult of attainment to others. But to my understanding the ascertainment of truth by theoretical knowledge seems to be far better than practice.

अज्ञानं पुनरज्ञातं स्वप्नेष्वपि न तद्भवेत् । ज्ञानं सर्वास्ववस्थासु नित्यमेव प्रवर्तते ॥ ९ ॥

ajñānaṃ punarajñātaṃ svapneṣvapi na tadbhavet | jñānaṃ sarvāsvavasthāsu nityameva pravartate || 9 ||

Ignorance is ever ignorant of truth, which does not lend its light to us in either our walking or sleeping states. So the ignorant practiser is always in ignorance both when he is in his meditative trance [Sanskrit: yogavidya] or otherwise; but knowledge is always knowing, both when the knower is awake or asleep.

धारणासनदेशादिसाध्यत्वेन सुसाध्यताम् । नायाति योगो ह्यथवा विकल्पो नैव शोभनः ॥ १० ॥

dhāraṇāsanadeśādisādhyatvena susādhyatām | nāyāti yogo hyathavā vikalpo naiva śobhanaḥ || 10 ||

The practical yoga which stands in need of fixed attention, painful postures, and proper times and places, is impossible to be practiced, owing to the difficulty of getting all these advantages at all times.

द्वावेव किल शास्त्रोक्तौ ज्ञानयोगौ रघूद्वह । तत्रोक्तं भवते ज्ञानमन्तस्थं ज्ञेयनिर्मलम् ॥ ११ ॥

dvāveva kila śāstroktau jñānayogau raghūdvaha | tatroktaṃ bhavate jñānamantasthaṃ jñeyanirmalam || 11 ||

I have thus described to you, O Rama! both the two kinds of yoga propounded in the sastras, and the superiority of the pure knowledge, which fills the intellect with its unfading light.

प्राणापानतया रूढो दृढदेहगुहाशयः । अनन्तसिद्धिदः साधो योगोऽयं बुद्धिदः श्रृणु ॥ १२ ॥

prāṇāpānatayā rūḍho dṛḍhadehaguhāśayaḥ | anantasiddhidaḥ sādho yogo'yaṃ buddhidaḥ śrṛṇu || 12 ||

The regulation of the breathings, the firmness of the body and dwelling in sequestered cells, are all I ween as pregnant of consummation—siddhi; but say, which of these is capable of giving knowledge [Sanskrit: vritti] to the understanding, which is the greatest perfection in human nature.

मुखानिलस्फुरणनिरोधसंभवस्थितिं गतो नृपसुत चेतसाऽक्षये । समाहितस्थितिरिह योगयुक्तितः परे पदे प्रगलितगीर्निवत्स्यसि ॥ १३ ॥

mukhānilasphuraṇanirodhasaṃbhavasthitiṃ gato nṛpasuta cetasā'kṣaye | samāhitasthitiriha yogayuktitaḥ pare pade pragalitagīrnivatsyasi || 13 ||

Now Rama! if you think it possible for you, to sit quiet with utter suppression of your breaths and thoughts; then can you attempt to sit in your sedate posture of meditation without uttering a single word.