17. Chapter 17

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अनहंवेदनादेवं शुभाशुभफलप्रदा । संसारफलिनी नूनमिच्छान्तरुपशाम्यति ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | anahaṃvedanādevaṃ śubhāśubhaphalapradā | saṃsāraphalinī nūnamicchāntarupaśāmyati || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—It is by means of the knowledge of one's want of egoism, that the arbour of his desire, which is productive of the fruit of worldliness, and which is fraught with the taste of all kinds of sweet and bitterness; may be checked in its growth.

अनहंवेदनाभ्यासात्समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः । भूत्वा शान्तभवापीडो न नरः परिताम्यति ॥ २ ॥

anahaṃvedanābhyāsātsamaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ | bhūtvā śāntabhavāpīḍo na naraḥ paritāmyati || 2 ||

It is by one's habit of thinking his unegoism, that he comes to view both gold and stone, as well as all sorts of rubbish in the same light; and by being calm and quiet at all events, has never any cause of sorrow at any thing whatsoever.

अहंतापुटकोड्डीनपरबोधबलेरितः । अहमित्यर्थपाषाणो न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति ॥ ३ ॥

ahaṃtāpuṭakoḍḍīnaparabodhabaleritaḥ | ahamityarthapāṣāṇo na jāne kvāśu gacchati || 3 ||

When the cannon-ball of egoism, is let to fly out from the gun of the mind by force of divine knowledge; we are at a loss to know, where the stone of egoism takes its flight.

अहंतापुटकोड्डीनो ब्रह्मवीरबलेरितः । अहमित्यर्थपाषाणो न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति ॥ ४ ॥

ahaṃtāpuṭakoḍḍīno brahmavīrabaleritaḥ | ahamityarthapāṣāṇo na jāne kvāśu gacchati || 4 ||

The stone of egoism being flung from the balustrade of the body, by the gigantic force of spiritual knowledge; we know not where this ponderous egoism is driven and lost.

अहंतापुटकोड्डीनो ब्रह्मवीरबलेरितः । शरीरयन्त्रपाषाणो न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति ॥ ५ ॥

ahaṃtāpuṭakoḍḍīno brahmavīrabaleritaḥ | śarīrayantrapāṣāṇo na jāne kvāśu gacchati || 5 ||

After the stone of egoism is flung away, by the great force of the knowledge of Brahma only; we cannot say where this engine of the body (with its boast of egoism in it), is lost forever.

अहमर्थहिमं त्वन्तरनहंता चिदर्चिषा । उड्डीयेव विलीनं सन्न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति ॥ ६ ॥

ahamarthahimaṃ tvantaranahaṃtā cidarciṣā | uḍḍīyeva vilīnaṃ sanna jāne kvāśu gacchati || 6 ||

The meaning of ego is frost in the heart of man, and melts away under the sunshine of unegoism; it then flies off in vapour, and then disappears into nothing we know not where.

अहंरसो विलीनोन्तरनहंताचिदर्चिषा । शरीरपर्णादुद्वर्णान्न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति ॥ ७ ॥

ahaṃraso vilīnontaranahaṃtācidarciṣā | śarīraparṇādudvarṇānna jāne kvāśu gacchati || 7 ||

The ego is the juice of the inner part of the body, and the unego is the solar heat without; the former is sucked up by the latter, and forsakes the dried body like a withered leaf, and then flies off where we know not.

शरीरपर्णान्निष्पीतस्त्वहंभावरसासवः । अनहंतार्कमार्गेण परतामधिगच्छति ॥ ८ ॥

śarīraparṇānniṣpītastvahaṃbhāvarasāsavaḥ | anahaṃtārkamārgeṇa paratāmadhigacchati || 8 ||

The moisture of egoism, being sucked up from the leafy body of the living, flies by the process of its suction by the solar heat, to the unknown region of endless vacuum.

शयने कर्दमे शैले गृहे व्योम्नि स्थले जले । स्थूला सूक्ष्मा निराकारा रूपान्तरगतापि च ॥ ९ ॥

śayane kardame śaile gṛhe vyomni sthale jale | sthūlā sūkṣmā nirākārā rūpāntaragatāpi ca || 9 ||

Whether a man sleeps in his bed or sits on the ground, whether he remains at home or roves on rocks, whether he wanders over the land or water, wherever he sits or sleeps or is awake or not:—

यत्र तत्र स्थिता सुप्ता प्रबुद्धा भस्मतां गता । धृता नीता निमग्ना च दूरस्था निकटा सती ॥ १० ॥

yatra tatra sthitā suptā prabuddhā bhasmatāṃ gatā | dhṛtā nītā nimagnā ca dūrasthā nikaṭā satī || 10 ||

This formless egoism abides in it, either as gross matter or the subtile spirit, or in some state or other; which though it is afar from it, seems to be united with it.

शरीरवटधानान्तःस्थिताहंत्वनवांकुरा । शास्त्राजालं तनोत्याशु संसाराख्यमिदं क्षणात् ॥ ११ ॥

śarīravaṭadhānāntaḥsthitāhaṃtvanavāṃkurā | śāstrājālaṃ tanotyāśu saṃsārākhyamidaṃ kṣaṇāt || 11 ||

Egoism is seated as the minute seed, in the heart of the fig tree of the body; where it sprouts forth and stretches its branches, composing the different parts of the world.

अहंत्ववटधानान्तःस्थितदेहबृहद्द्रुमः । संसारशाखानिवहं यत्र तत्र तनोत्यलम् ॥ १२ ॥

ahaṃtvavaṭadhānāntaḥsthitadehabṛhaddrumaḥ | saṃsāraśākhānivahaṃ yatra tatra tanotyalam || 12 ||

Again the big tree of the body, is contained within the minute seed of egoism; which bursts out in the branches forming the several parts of the universe.

शाखाशतेद्धदलपुष्पफलद्रुमोऽस्ति बीजोदरे ननु दृशा परिदृश्यतेऽसौ । देहोऽस्त्यहंत्वकणिकान्तरशेषदृश्यसंवित्परीत इति बुद्धिदृशैव दृष्टम् ॥ १३ ॥

śākhāśateddhadalapuṣpaphaladrumo'sti bījodare nanu dṛśā paridṛśyate'sau | deho'styahaṃtvakaṇikāntaraśeṣadṛśyasaṃvitparīta iti buddhidṛśaiva dṛṣṭam || 13 ||

As the small seed is seen by every one, to contain within it a large tree, which develops itself into a hundred branches, bearing all their leaves, flowers and abundance of fruits; so doth the big body reside with the atomic seed of egoism, with all its endless parts of corporeal organs and mental faculties, which are discernible to the sight of the intelligent.

देहादहंत्वमनवाप्तवतो विचारैश्चिद्व्योममात्रवपुषो वपुषोऽथ वोच्चैः । नाहंत्वबीजजठरादसतोऽभ्युदेति संसारवृक्ष इह बोधमहाग्निदग्धात् ॥ १४ ॥

dehādahaṃtvamanavāptavato vicāraiścidvyomamātravapuṣo vapuṣo'tha voccaiḥ | nāhaṃtvabījajaṭharādasato'bhyudeti saṃsāravṛkṣa iha bodhamahāgnidagdhāt || 14 ||

Egoism is not to be had in the body by reasoning, which points out the mind of everybody, to seek it in the sphere of the vacuous Intellect; the seed of egoism does not spring from the bosom of unreality, and the blunder of the reality of the world, is destroyed by the fire proceeding from the spirituality of the wise.