30. Chapter 30

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अहंतैव पराऽविद्या निर्वाणपदरोधिनी । तयैवान्विष्यते मूढैस्तदित्युन्मत्तचेष्टितम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | ahaṃtaiva parā'vidyā nirvāṇapadarodhinī | tayaivānviṣyate mūḍhaistadityunmattaceṣṭitam || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—Egoism is the greatest ignorance, and an insuperable barrier in the way of our ultimate extinction; and yet are foolish people seen to pursue fondly after their final felicity [with] their egoistic efforts, which is no better than the attempt of madman.

अहंतैवालमज्ञानादज्ञत्वस्य निदर्शनम् । न हि तज्ज्ञस्य शान्तस्य ममाहमिति विद्यते ॥ २ ॥

ahaṃtaivālamajñānādajñatvasya nidarśanam | na hi tajjñasya śāntasya mamāhamiti vidyate || 2 ||

Egoism is the sure indicator of the ignorance of unwise people, and no cool-headed and knowing man is ever known in his egoship or the persuasion of his self-agency.

अहंतामलमुत्सृज्य निर्वाणः खमिवामलः । सदेहमपदेहं वा ज्ञस्तिष्ठति गतज्वरः ॥ ३ ॥

ahaṃtāmalamutsṛjya nirvāṇaḥ khamivāmalaḥ | sadehamapadehaṃ vā jñastiṣṭhati gatajvaraḥ || 3 ||

The wise and knowing man, whether he is embodied or liberated state, renounces the dross of his egotism, and relies in the utter extinction or nullity of himself, which is as pure and clear as the empty vacuity of heaven, and free from trouble and anxiety.

न तथा शरदाकाशं न तथा स्तिमितोऽर्णवः । पूर्णेन्दुमध्यं न तथा यथा ज्ञः परिराजते ॥ ४ ॥

na tathā śaradākāśaṃ na tathā stimito'rṇavaḥ | pūrṇendumadhyaṃ na tathā yathā jñaḥ parirājate || 4 ||

The autumnal sky is serene and clear, and so are the waters of the calm and unperturbed sea; the disk of the full moon is fair and bright, but none of these is so cool and calm and full of light, as the face of the wise and knowing sage,

चित्रसंगरयुद्धस्य सैन्यस्याक्षुब्धता यथा । तथैव समता ज्ञस्य व्यवहारवतोपि च ॥ ५ ॥

citrasaṃgarayuddhasya sainyasyākṣubdhatā yathā | tathaiva samatā jñasya vyavahāravatopi ca || 5 ||

The features of the sage and wise, are ever as sedate and steady, even in the midst of business and trifles;as the figures of warriors in battle array in a painting, even when engaged in the bustle of warfare and fury of fight.

निर्वाणैकतया ज्ञस्य वासनैव न वासना । लेखादामोपमा त्वब्धेरूर्म्यादि न जलेतरत् ॥ ६ ॥

nirvāṇaikatayā jñasya vāsanaiva na vāsanā | lekhādāmopamā tvabdherūrmyādi na jaletarat || 6 ||

All worldly thoughts and desires are nothing to the anaesthetic spirit of the self-extinct sage (in his nirvana); they are as imperceptible as the slender lines in a painting, and as lean as the rippling curls on the surface of the sea, which are not distinct and disjoined from its waters.

तरत्तरङ्गो जलधिर्जलमेव यथाखिलम् । दृश्योच्छूनमपि ब्रह्म तथा ब्रह्मैव नेतरत् ॥ ७ ॥

tarattaraṅgo jaladhirjalameva yathākhilam | dṛśyocchūnamapi brahma tathā brahmaiva netarat || 7 ||

As the rolling waves of the sea, are no other than its heaving water, so the visible phenomena in the world, are no other than the spirit of Brahma disporting in itself.

अन्तरस्तंगतोऽक्षुब्धो बहिरस्तंगतः शमी । विद्यते चोदितो यस्य स मुक्त इति कथ्यते ॥ ८ ॥

antarastaṃgato'kṣubdho bahirastaṃgataḥ śamī | vidyate codito yasya sa mukta iti kathyate || 8 ||

Hence the soul that is undisturbed by the wave like perturbations, and is calm and quiet both in the inside and outside of it as the still ocean, and which is raised above temporal matters in its holy devotion, is said to be freed from all worldliness.

अहंत्वसर्गरूपेण संवित्संविन्मये परे । स्फुरत्यम्भोम्भसीवातो नानातेयं किमात्मिका ॥ ९ ॥

ahaṃtvasargarūpeṇa saṃvitsaṃvinmaye pare | sphuratyambhombhasīvāto nānāteyaṃ kimātmikā || 9 ||

The ego rises of itself as an uncreated thing, and in the form of consciousness in the all comprehensive intellect of God, just as the waves rise and fall in the waters of the deep, and have no difference in their nature.

धूमस्य स्फुरतो व्योम्नि यथा गजरथादयः । व्यूहा धूमान्न ते भिन्नास्तथा सर्गाः परे पदे ॥ १० ॥

dhūmasya sphurato vyomni yathā gajarathādayaḥ | vyūhā dhūmānna te bhinnāstathā sargāḥ pare pade || 10 ||

As the rising smoke exhibits in the sky, the various forms of forts, warcars and elephants; and as none of them, is any other than the self-same smoke; so are all these phenomena and notions, noway different from the nature of their Divine origin.

संविद्भ्रान्तिविचारेण भ्रान्त्यलाभविलासिनः । विजयध्वं विषादं माऽऽगता ज्ञास्तज्ज्ञता हि वः ॥ ११ ॥

saṃvidbhrāntivicāreṇa bhrāntyalābhavilāsinaḥ | vijayadhvaṃ viṣādaṃ mā''gatā jñāstajjñatā hi vaḥ || 11 ||

By considering the fallacy of your consciousness (of the ego), you will, O ye my royal hearers, get rid of your error; and then you will exult in your knowledge of truth, and be victorious (over yourself). Do not despair, for ye are wise enough to know the truth.

अङ्कुरोऽनुभवत्यन्तर्वृक्षपत्रफलं यथा । तथा जगदहंत्वे ज्ञः स्वात्मा स्वात्मखमप्यलम् ॥ १२ ॥

aṅkuro'nubhavatyantarvṛkṣapatraphalaṃ yathā | tathā jagadahaṃtve jñaḥ svātmā svātmakhamapyalam || 12 ||

As the growing sprout conceives in it, the would be tree with all its future flowers and fruits; so the ignorant man conceives in his vacant mind, the false ideas of himself—his soul, his ego and of everything else according to its fancy.

रूपालोकमनःसत्ता ज्वालार्चिष्विव दण्डता । सत्योपि च न सन्त्येता भ्रान्तेश्चित्ताबला इव ॥ १३ ॥

rūpālokamanaḥsattā jvālārciṣviva daṇḍatā | satyopi ca na santyetā bhrānteścittābalā iva || 13 ||

The conceptions of the mind are as false as the sight of things, such as the sight of a rod in a rising flame (and that of a circle in the twirling of a lighted torch). And though the presiding soul is always true, yet these thoughts of the mind are as untrue as its fancy of fairies in the orb of the moon.

यथा सुखं यथारम्भं यथा नाशं यथोदयम् । यथा देशं यथा कालमजराः शान्तमास्यताम् ॥ १४ ॥

yathā sukhaṃ yathārambhaṃ yathā nāśaṃ yathodayam | yathā deśaṃ yathā kālamajarāḥ śāntamāsyatām || 14 ||

Now my royal hearers, do you continue to enjoy your peace, by considering at your pleasure, about the rise, end and continuance of the world; and remain [free] from disease in all places and times.

इष्टानिष्टोपलम्भेषु शान्तो व्यवहरन्नपि । शववन्नान्यतामन्तर्निर्वाणोऽनुभवत्यलम् ॥ १५ ॥

iṣṭāniṣṭopalambheṣu śānto vyavaharannapi | śavavannānyatāmantarnirvāṇo'nubhavatyalam || 15 ||

Conduct yourselves with calmness, in whatever turns to be favourable or unfavourable to you; for unless you deport yourselves as dead bodies, you cannot perceive the felicity of your final extinction—nirvana or hebetude.

अमनोवासनाहंता धत्ते यच्च जगच्चिरम् । जीवतोऽजीवतश्चैव चिज्जीवः स परं पदम् ॥ १६ ॥

amanovāsanāhaṃtā dhatte yacca jagacciram | jīvato'jīvataścaiva cijjīvaḥ sa paraṃ padam || 16 ||

He who lives long in this world, by giving up his egoism and egoistic desires from his mind; and renounces the animality of his life to live and lead an intellectual life, attains verily the state of Supreme felicity.

सत्तैव जडवाहेन दुःखभाराय केवलम् । नृणां पाशावबद्धानां पोतकानामिवार्णवे ॥ १७ ॥

sattaiva jaḍavāhena duḥkhabhārāya kevalam | nṛṇāṃ pāśāvabaddhānāṃ potakānāmivārṇave || 17 ||

Living the animal life (for the gratification of carnal appetites), leads only to the bearing of woes and misery; and men thus bound by the chain of their animal desires, are as big boats, burdened with loads of their ballast and cargo.

मोक्षसत्ता श्रयति तं नाज्ञानानुभवादिव । मृतेन यत्किल प्राप्यं जीवन्प्राप्नोति तत्कथम् ॥ १८ ॥

mokṣasattā śrayati taṃ nājñānānubhavādiva | mṛtena yatkila prāpyaṃ jīvanprāpnoti tatkatham || 18 ||

They are never blest with liberation, who are strangers to reasoning and addicted to the gross thoughts of ignorance; for how is it possible to obtain in this life, what is attainable only by the deceased in the next world.

यद्यत्संकल्पयते तत्तत्संकल्पादेव नाशभाक् । न संभवति यत्रैतत्तत्सत्यं पदमक्षयम् ॥ १९ ॥

yadyatsaṃkalpayate tattatsaṃkalpādeva nāśabhāk | na saṃbhavati yatraitattatsatyaṃ padamakṣayam || 19 ||

Whatever a man fancies in this life, and desires to have in the next (as his hopes of heavenly rewards); he dies with the same and finds them in his future life; but where there is no such fancy, desire or hope, that is truly the state of everlasting bliss.

नान्यो न चाहमस्मीति भावनान्निर्भयो भव । सत्यं युक्तं भवत्येतद्विषमप्यमृतं यथा ॥ २० ॥

nānyo na cāhamasmīti bhāvanānnirbhayo bhava | satyaṃ yuktaṃ bhavatyetadviṣamapyamṛtaṃ yathā || 20 ||

Therefore be fearless with the thought of there being no such thing, as yourself or any one else (that you may believe as a real entity); by knowing this truth, you will find this poisonous world, turn to a paradise to you.

जडं देहादि चित्तान्तं विचार्य सकलं वपुः । लभ्यते नाहमस्मीति तस्मान्नास्मीति सत्यता ॥ २१ ॥

jaḍaṃ dehādi cittāntaṃ vicārya sakalaṃ vapuḥ | labhyate nāhamasmīti tasmānnāsmīti satyatā || 21 ||

Examine your whole material body, as composed of your outer frame and the inner mind; and say in what part you find your egoism to be situated; if no where, then own the truth of your having no ego any where.

शान्ताशेषविशेषाणामहंतान्ताविचारणात् । केवलं मुक्ततोदेति न तु किंचिद्विनश्यति ॥ २२ ॥

śāntāśeṣaviśeṣāṇāmahaṃtāntāvicāraṇāt | kevalaṃ muktatodeti na tu kiṃcidvinaśyati || 22 ||

Seeing all and every part of it up to the seat of your egoism, and finding it to be seated no where; you see only an open space (which [is] identic with the soul), and whereof no part is ever lost or destroyed.

भोगत्यागविचारात्मपौरुषान्नान्यदत्र हि । उपयुज्यत इत्यज्ञाः स्वात्मैवाशु प्रणम्यताम् ॥ २३ ॥

bhogatyāgavicārātmapauruṣānnānyadatra hi | upayujyata ityajñāḥ svātmaivāśu praṇamyatām || 23 ||

In this (attainment of liberation) you are required to do no more, than to exert your manliness in relinquishing your enjoyments, cultivating your reasoning powers, and governing yourself by subduing the members of your body and mind. Therefore, ye ignorant men, that are desirous of your liberation, delay no longer to practice the government of yourselves.

निर्वासनं मननमेवमुदाहरन्ति मोक्षं विना भवति तन्न च जातु बोधात् । सन्नो जगद्भ्रम इतीह परः प्रबोधो न प्रत्ययोऽत्र यदतः सुचिराय बन्धः ॥ २४ ॥

nirvāsanaṃ mananamevamudāharanti mokṣaṃ vinā bhavati tanna ca jātu bodhāt | sanno jagadbhrama itīha paraḥ prabodho na pratyayo'tra yadataḥ sucirāya bandhaḥ || 24 ||

The learned explain liberation to consist in the meditation of God, without any desire of the heart or duplicity in the mind; and this they say is not possible to do, without the assistance of spiritual knowledge. But the world being full of error, it is requisite to derive this knowledge from spiritual works moksha sastras, or else it is very likely to be entrapped in the very many snares, which are for ever set all about this earth.

जगदहमसदित्युपेत्य सम्यग्जनधनदारशरीरनिर्व्यपेक्षः । भवति हि स च चेतनस्वरूपः परिमितखं खलु नान्यथास्ति मुक्तिः ॥ २५ ॥

jagadahamasadityupetya samyagjanadhanadāraśarīranirvyapekṣaḥ | bhavati hi sa ca cetanasvarūpaḥ parimitakhaṃ khalu nānyathāsti muktiḥ || 25 ||

Knowing full well the unreality of the world, and the uncertainty of one's self and body, and of his friends, family and wealth and possessions; whoso is distrustful of them and identifies himself with his intelligence and pure vacuity, verily finds his liberation in this, and in no other state whatsoever.