26. Chapter 26

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । संसारमार्गगहने पतितस्यापतन्ति हि । वृत्तवृत्तान्तलक्षाणि कीटा इव घनागमे ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | saṃsāramārgagahane patitasyāpatanti hi | vṛttavṛttāntalakṣāṇi kīṭā iva ghanāgame || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—Thus the living soul, being let fall in the mazy path of his world, is encompassed by calamities and accidents as countless as the animalcules, which are generated in the rainy season.

सर्व एव त्विमे भावाः परस्परमसङ्गिनः । अटव्यामुपलानीव भावनैतेषु शृङ्खला ॥ २ ॥

sarva eva tvime bhāvāḥ parasparamasaṅginaḥ | aṭavyāmupalānīva bhāvanaiteṣu śṛṅkhalā || 2 ||

All these accidents though unconnected with one another, follow yet so fast and closely upon each other, as the detached stone lying scattered and close together in the rocky desert, and linked in a lengthening chain of thought in the mind of man.

चित्तमान्ध्याय वृत्तान्तद्रुमैर्गहनवत्स्थितम् । रसरञ्जनया लोके वसन्त इव काननम् ॥ ३ ॥

cittamāndhyāya vṛttāntadrumairgahanavatsthitam | rasarañjanayā loke vasanta iva kānanam || 3 ||

The mind blinded of its reason, becomes a wilderness overgrown with the arbour of its calamities, and yet appearing to be smiling as a vernal grove before men, by its feigned merriment and good humour.

अहो बत विचित्राणि वासनावशतोऽवशैः । भूतकैरनुभूयन्ते सुखदुःखानि जन्मसु ॥ ४ ॥

aho bata vicitrāṇi vāsanāvaśato'vaśaiḥ | bhūtakairanubhūyante sukhaduḥkhāni janmasu || 4 ||

O how pitiable are all those beings! Who being bound to their subjection to hope, are subjected to divers states of pain and pleasure, in their repeated births in various forms on earth.

अहो बतातिविषमा वासना यद्वशाज्जनैः । अविद्यमानैरेवायं भ्रमोऽन्तरनुभूयते ॥ ५ ॥

aho batātiviṣamā vāsanā yadvaśājjanaiḥ | avidyamānairevāyaṃ bhramo'ntaranubhūyate || 5 ||

Alas for those strange and abnormal desires, which subject the minds of men, to the triple error of taking the non-existent to be actually present before them. (The triple error.

आह्लादिनो मृतवतः शुद्धस्यालोककारिणः । शीतलस्याखिलार्थेषु ज्ञस्येन्दोश्च किमन्तरम् ॥ ६ ॥

āhlādino mṛtavataḥ śuddhasyālokakāriṇaḥ | śītalasyākhilārtheṣu jñasyendośca kimantaram || 6 ||

Those who have known the truth, are delighted in themselves, they are immortal in their mortal life, and are diffusers of pure light all about them. What then is the difference between the sapient sage who is coldhearted in all respects, and the cooling moon.

पूर्वापरमनालोच्य यत्किंचिदभिवाञ्छतः । निर्मर्यादस्य मूढस्य बालस्य च किमन्तरम् ॥ ७ ॥

pūrvāparamanālocya yatkiṃcidabhivāñchataḥ | nirmaryādasya mūḍhasya bālasya ca kimantaram || 7 ||

And what is the difference between a whimsical boy and a covetous fool, who covets anything whatever at hand without any consideration of the past and future.

लब्धमाप्राणपर्यन्तंभमनुज्झतोः । आमिषं को वि वद माकरमूढयोः ॥ ८ ॥

labdhamāprāṇaparyantaṃbhamanujjhatoḥ | āmiṣaṃ ko vi vada mākaramūḍhayoḥ || 8 ||

What is the difference between the greedy fool and voracious fish or whale, that devours the alluring bait of pleasure or pain; and will not give up the line until they are sure to give up their lives for the same.

सर्व एव त्विमे भावा देहदारधनादयः । क्षिप्रमाशुष्कसिकताशरावविशरारवः ॥ ९ ॥

sarva eva tvime bhāvā dehadāradhanādayaḥ | kṣipramāśuṣkasikatāśarāvaviśarāravaḥ || 9 ||

All our earthly possessions whether of our bodies or lives, our wives, friends and properties, are as frail as a brittle plate made of sand, which no sooner it is dried and tried than it spurts and breaks to pieces.

आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तमपि योनिशतेषु ते । आकल्पं भ्रमतश्चित्तशान्तिर्नास्ति शमादृते ॥ १० ॥

ābrahmastambaparyantamapi yoniśateṣu te | ākalpaṃ bhramataścittaśāntirnāsti śamādṛte || 10 ||

O my soul! Thou mayst forever wander, in hundred of bodies of various forms in repeated births; and pass from the heaven of Brahma to the empyrean of Brahma; yet thou canst never have thy tranquillity, unless thou attainest the even insouciance of thy mind.

पर्यालोचनमात्रेण बन्धगन्धो न बाधते । गच्छतो मार्गवैषम्यमिवालोकनकारिणः ॥ ११ ॥

paryālocanamātreṇa bandhagandho na bādhate | gacchato mārgavaiṣamyamivālokanakāriṇaḥ || 11 ||

The ties and bondage of the world, are dispersed by mature introspection into the nature of things; as the uneven ruggedness of the road, does not retard the course of the wayfarer walking with his open eyes.

तव नावहितं चित्तं कामः कवलयिष्यति । सावधानस्य बुद्धस्य पिशाचः किं करिष्यति ॥ १२ ॥

tava nāvahitaṃ cittaṃ kāmaḥ kavalayiṣyati | sāvadhānasya buddhasya piśācaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati || 12 ||

The negligent soul becomes a prey to concupiscence and unruly passions, as the heedless passenger is caught in the clutches of demons;but the well-guarded spirit is free from their fright.

यथेक्षणप्रसरणं रूपालोकनमात्रकम् । संवित्प्रसृतिमात्रात्म तथा साहंजगत्स्थितम् ॥ १३ ॥

yathekṣaṇaprasaraṇaṃ rūpālokanamātrakam | saṃvitprasṛtimātrātma tathā sāhaṃjagatsthitam || 13 ||

As the opening of the eyes, presents the visibles to sight; so doth the waking consciousness introduce the ego and phenomenal world into the mind.

यथाक्षिसंवृतिः सर्वरूपालोकशमोऽरिहन् । संवित्संवरणं नाम सर्वदृश्यशमस्तथा ॥ १४ ॥

yathākṣisaṃvṛtiḥ sarvarūpālokaśamo'rihan | saṃvitsaṃvaraṇaṃ nāma sarvadṛśyaśamastathā || 14 ||

And as the shutting of the eyelids, shuts out the view of the visible objects from sight; so, O destroyer of enemies, the closing of consciousness, puts out the appearance of all sights and thoughts from your eyes and mind.

असदेव जगत्साहं शुद्धा संवित्तनोति खे । ईषत्प्रसरणेनाशु स्पन्दनं पवनो यथा ॥ १५ ॥

asadeva jagatsāhaṃ śuddhā saṃvittanoti khe | īṣatprasaraṇenāśu spandanaṃ pavano yathā || 15 ||

The sense of the existence of the external world, together with that of one's ego or self-existence, is all unreal and inane, it is consciousness alone that shows everything in itself and by the fluctuation of its erroneous; as the motion of winds displays the variegated clouds in the empty air.

सदिवासत्यमेवेदमकुर्वत्यन्यमेधते । मृदा हेम्नेव कुम्भत्वमपृथग्लभ्यमात्मगम् ॥ १६ ॥

sadivāsatyamevedamakurvatyanyamedhate | mṛdā hemneva kumbhatvamapṛthaglabhyamātmagam || 16 ||

It is the divine consciousness only, which exhibits the unreal phenomenals as real in itself, without creating anything apart or separate from its own essence; in the same manner as earth or any metal produces a pot or a jar out of itself, and which is no wise distinct or separate from its substance.

शून्यमात्रं यथा व्योम स्पन्दमात्रं यथानिलः । जलमात्रं यथोर्म्यादि संविन्मात्रं तथा जगत् ॥ १७ ॥

śūnyamātraṃ yathā vyoma spandamātraṃ yathānilaḥ | jalamātraṃ yathormyādi saṃvinmātraṃ tathā jagat || 17 ||

As the sky is only a vacuity, and the wind is a mere fluctuation of air; and as the waves are composed of nothing but water; so the world is no other than a phenomenon of consciousness:

अव्यवच्छिन्ननिर्भागसंविन्मात्रं जगत्त्रयम् । विद्धि शान्तं तथा व्योम यथा वारिणि पर्वतम् ॥ १८ ॥

avyavacchinnanirbhāgasaṃvinmātraṃ jagattrayam | viddhi śāntaṃ tathā vyoma yathā vāriṇi parvatam || 18 ||

The world subsists undivided in the bas-relief of consciousness, and without a separate existence of its own apart or disjoined in any part, from its substance or substratum of the conscious soul, which is as calm and clear as the empty air, and the world resembles the shadow of a mountain in the bosom of water, or a surge or wave rising on the surface of the sea.

निर्वाणस्योपशान्तस्य ज्ञस्य सोदेति शीतता । अन्तर्यत्रेन्दवोऽप्येते दीप्तज्वलनबिन्दवः ॥ १९ ॥

nirvāṇasyopaśāntasya jñasya sodeti śītatā | antaryatrendavo'pyete dīptajvalanabindavaḥ || 19 ||

There rises a calm coolness in the souls of wise and inexcitable sages, when the shining worlds appear as the cooling moon beams falling on the internal mirror of their minds.

किं केन कथमेकान्तशान्ताततशिवात्मनि । निरालोकोऽपरालोकः शून्ये जगति जन्यते ॥ २० ॥

kiṃ kena kathamekāntaśāntātataśivātmani | nirāloko'parālokaḥ śūnye jagati janyate || 20 ||

How is it and by what means and in what manner, is this invisible supreme light, produced in the calm and quiet and all pervading auspicious soul, amidst the empty expanse of the universe.

या सत्ता ब्रह्मशब्दाख्या रूपं सर्वस्य तन्निजम् । न यत्र काचिद्वाधास्ति सर्वं तन्मयमव्ययम् ॥ २१ ॥

yā sattā brahmaśabdākhyā rūpaṃ sarvasya tannijam | na yatra kācidvādhāsti sarvaṃ tanmayamavyayam || 21 ||

That essence which is expressed by the term Brahma, forms the essential nature and form of everything besides; and the same is permeated throughout all nature, except where it is obstructed by some preventive cause or other,—badha.

यदिदं तु पदार्थत्वं यत्र बाधानुभूयते । यद्यच्च बाधनं प्रेक्ष्य तन्न विद्मः खपुष्पवत् ॥ २२ ॥

yadidaṃ tu padārthatvaṃ yatra bādhānubhūyate | yadyacca bādhanaṃ prekṣya tanna vidmaḥ khapuṣpavat || 22 ||

Anything which presents a hindrance to this, and whatever is preventive of the pervasion of divine essence, is a nullity in nature like a sky flower—akasa pushpa, which is nothing at all in nubibus.

ज्ञ एवापगतस्वान्तं शान्तमास्व महाश्मवत् । असौ न मननं मानमनन्तमजमव्ययम् ॥ २३ ॥

jña evāpagatasvāntaṃ śāntamāsva mahāśmavat | asau na mananaṃ mānamanantamajamavyayam || 23 ||

The wise man sits quietly like a stone, without the action of even his inner and mental faculties; because the lord is without the reflection or sensation of anything, and without birth or decay at any time.

आकाशकल्पे स्वे भावे तिष्ठतोऽङ्गानिवेदनम् । भवत्यभ्यासदार्ढ्येन विना स्वप्नविकारवत् ॥ २४ ॥

ākāśakalpe sve bhāve tiṣṭhato'ṅgānivedanam | bhavatyabhyāsadārḍhyena vinā svapnavikāravat || 24 ||

He who remains insensible and unconscious of every thing, like the empty state of the open sky; arrives by his constant practice to his state of sound sleep or hypnotism without the disturbance of dreams.

निरुपादानसंभारमभित्तावेव चेतति । ब्राह्मं कर्तृ जगच्चित्रं न कश्चिद्वा न किंचन ॥ २५ ॥

nirupādānasaṃbhāramabhittāveva cetati | brāhmaṃ kartṛ jagaccitraṃ na kaścidvā na kiṃcana || 25 ||

But how is it to be known that the world is the mere thought or will of the Divine mind? Whereto it is said: It is the creative power of Brahma (called Brahma or Hiranyagarbha—the demiurgus), thought of forming the wondrous world in his mind (as it were he pictured it in himself), without the aid of any tool or instrument or means or ground for its construction; hence (it is plain), the world is merely ideal and nothing real, nor is there any cause or creator of it whatsoever.

तनोति यत्तदास्मैव तस्य तत्र तथा स्थितम् । दृश्याभावादसद्दृश्यं तेन कः क्व करोति किम् ॥ २६ ॥

tanoti yattadāsmaiva tasya tatra tathā sthitam | dṛśyābhāvādasaddṛśyaṃ tena kaḥ kva karoti kim || 26 ||

As the lord stretches out the world in his thought, he or it instantly becomes the same; and as the lord is without any visible form, so this seeming world has no visible nor material form whatever; nor is there any framer of what is simply ideal.

अहं सुखीति सुखिता अहं दुःखीति दुःखिता । सर्व एव स्वरूपस्था व्योमात्मानोऽपि पार्थिवाः ॥ २७ ॥

ahaṃ sukhīti sukhitā ahaṃ duḥkhīti duḥkhitā | sarva eva svarūpasthā vyomātmāno'pi pārthivāḥ || 27 ||

So all men are happy or unhappy, as they think themselves to be one or the other in their minds; they all abide in the same universal soul, which is common to all; and yet believe themselves every one of his own kind in his mind.

सर्वेषामेव भावानां चिदाकाशात्मनामपि । मिथ्यैव स्वप्नशैलानामिव पार्थिवता स्थिता ॥ २८ ॥

sarveṣāmeva bhāvānāṃ cidākāśātmanāmapi | mithyaiva svapnaśailānāmiva pārthivatā sthitā || 28 ||

Therefore it is as vain to view anything, or any intellectual being, in the light of an earthly substance, as it is false to take the visionary hills of one's dream, in the light of their being real rocks situated on earth.

अहंत्वोल्लेखतः सत्ता भ्रमभावविकारिणी । तदभावात्स्वभावैकनिष्ठता शमशालिनी ॥ २९ ॥

ahaṃtvollekhataḥ sattā bhramabhāvavikāriṇī | tadabhāvātsvabhāvaikaniṣṭhatā śamaśālinī || 29 ||

By assigning egoism to one's self, he becomes subject to error and change; but the want of egoism, places the soul to its invariable identity and tranquillity.

हेम्नः कटकशब्दार्थो व्यतिरिक्तो यथास्ति ते । व्यतिरिक्ता तथा सत्या नाहंतास्ति शमात्मनः ॥ ३० ॥

hemnaḥ kaṭakaśabdārtho vyatirikto yathāsti te | vyatiriktā tathā satyā nāhaṃtāsti śamātmanaḥ || 30 ||

As the meaning of the word bracelet, is nothing different from the gold (of which it is made);so the sense of thy false egoism, is no other than that of the tranquil soul.

निर्वाणो निर्मना मौनी कर्ताऽकर्ता च शीतलः । ज्ञ एव शान्त एवास्ते शून्य एवाभिपूरितः ॥ ३१ ॥

nirvāṇo nirmanā maunī kartā'kartā ca śītalaḥ | jña eva śānta evāste śūnya evābhipūritaḥ || 31 ||

The anaesthetic sage, that is cold-blooded and sober minded as a silent muni, is no voluntary actor of any act, although he may be physically employed in his active duties; and the quiet saint carries with him an empty and careless mind, although it may be full of learning and wisdom.

निर्वासनास्पन्दपरो यन्त्रपुत्रकगात्रवत् । स यथास्थितमेवास्ते ज्ञः संव्यवहरन्नपि ॥ ३२ ॥

nirvāsanāspandaparo yantraputrakagātravat | sa yathāsthitamevāste jñaḥ saṃvyavaharannapi || 32 ||

The wise man manages himself as a mechanical figure or puppet, never moving of its own motion but moving as it is moved, and having no impulse of his desire within him, he sits as quiet as a doll without its mobility.

यथा मञ्चकसंस्थस्य स्पन्दन्ते नैव वा शिशोः । अङ्गानि स्वानुसंधानं विनैवंविदितात्मनः ॥ ३३ ॥

yathā mañcakasaṃsthasya spandante naiva vā śiśoḥ | aṅgāni svānusaṃdhānaṃ vinaivaṃviditātmanaḥ || 33 ||

The wise man that knows the soul, is as quiet as a babe sleeping in a swinging cradle, and which is moved without moving itself; or he moves the members of his body like a baby, without having any cause for his doing so.

निःसंबोधैकबोधस्य निराशेहैषणाशिषः । शान्तानन्तात्मरूपत्वादनुसंधानता कुतः ॥ ३४ ॥

niḥsaṃbodhaikabodhasya nirāśehaiṣaṇāśiṣaḥ | śāntānantātmarūpatvādanusaṃdhānatā kutaḥ || 34 ||

The soul that is intent on the thought of the one (Supreme) only, and is as calm and quiet as the infinite spirit of God; becomes unconscious of itself and all other things, together with all its objects of desire, and expectations of its good and bliss.

अद्रष्टुरपदृश्यस्यादृग्रूपस्यापरूपिणः । कुतः किलानुसंधानमनपेक्षस्य पश्यतः ॥ ३५ ॥

adraṣṭurapadṛśyasyādṛgrūpasyāparūpiṇaḥ | kutaḥ kilānusaṃdhānamanapekṣasya paśyataḥ || 35 ||

He that is not the viewer himself, nor has the view before him, and is exempt from the triple condition (triputi bhaba) of the subjective, objective and action; can have no object in his view; which is concentrated in the vision of the invisible one.

अपेक्षैव घनो बन्ध उपेक्षैव विमुक्तता । सर्वशब्दान्विता तस्यां विश्रान्तेन किमीक्ष्यते ॥ ३६ ॥

apekṣaiva ghano bandha upekṣaiva vimuktatā | sarvaśabdānvitā tasyāṃ viśrāntena kimīkṣyate || 36 ||

Our view or regard of the world, is our strict bondage, and disregard of it, is our perfect freedom; he who rests therefore in his disregard of (or indifference to) whatever is expressed by words, has nothing to look after or desire.

पार्थिवत्वे शरीरेऽस्मिन्स्वस्वप्नाङ्ग इवासति । भ्रममात्रात्मनि कुतः क्व कस्य किमपेक्षणम् ॥ ३७ ॥

pārthivatve śarīre'sminsvasvapnāṅga ivāsati | bhramamātrātmani kutaḥ kva kasya kimapekṣaṇam || 37 ||

Say, what is it that is ever worth our looking after, or worthy of our regard; when these material bodies of ours, are as evanescent as our dreams, and our self-existence is a mere delusion.

उपशान्तसमस्तेहं विगताखिलकौतुकम् । निरस्तवेदनं ज्ञेन विदा केवलमास्यते ॥ ३८ ॥

upaśāntasamastehaṃ vigatākhilakautukam | nirastavedanaṃ jñena vidā kevalamāsyate || 38 ||

Therefore the wise man rests only in his knowledge of the true one, by subjection of all his efforts and desires, and quelling all his curiosity; and being devoid of all knowledge, save that of the knowable one.

मङ्किनेति श्रुतवता ततो मोहो महानपि । अशेषेण परित्यक्तस्तत्रैव त्वगिवाहिना ॥ ३९ ॥

maṅkineti śrutavatā tato moho mahānapi | aśeṣeṇa parityaktastatraiva tvagivāhinā || 39 ||

Hearing all this, Manki was released from his great error; as a Snake gets loose from its slough by which it has been fast bound.

प्रवाहापतितं कार्यं कुर्वतापास्तवासनम् । तेन वर्षशतस्यान्ते स्थितमद्रौ समाधिना ॥ ४० ॥

pravāhāpatitaṃ kāryaṃ kurvatāpāstavāsanam | tena varṣaśatasyānte sthitamadrau samādhinā || 40 ||

He retired from there to a mountain, on which he remained in his deep meditation for a century of years; and discharged the duties that occurred to him of their own accord, without his retaining any desire of any.

तत्राद्ययावत्पाषाणसमधर्मा स तिष्ठति । संशान्तकरणो योगी बोध्यमानः प्रबुध्यते ॥ ४१ ॥

tatrādyayāvatpāṣāṇasamadharmā sa tiṣṭhati | saṃśāntakaraṇo yogī bodhyamānaḥ prabudhyate || 41 ||

He resides there still, unmoved and insensible as a stone, quite callous in all his senses and feelings, and wakeful with his internal sensibility by the light of his yoga contemplation.

एतेन राघव विवेकपदेन शान्तिमासादयोदयवता मनसा विहर्तुम् । मा दीनतां व्रजतु रागमयी मतिस्ते क्षीणा क्षणादसलिलेव शरद्धनाली ॥ ४२ ॥

etena rāghava vivekapadena śāntimāsādayodayavatā manasā vihartum | mā dīnatāṃ vrajatu rāgamayī matiste kṣīṇā kṣaṇādasalileva śaraddhanālī || 42 ||

Now Rama, enjoy your peace of mind, by relying in your habit of reasoning and discrimination; do not deprave your understanding, under the fits of your passion;nor let your mind turn to its levity like a fleeting cloud, in the unrainy season of autumn.