31. Chapter 31

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । सर्वात्मनि चिदाभासे तदेवाश्वनुभूयते । संवेद्यते यदेवान्तरसत्यं वस्त्ववस्तु वा ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | sarvātmani cidābhāse tadevāśvanubhūyate | saṃvedyate yadevāntarasatyaṃ vastvavastu vā || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—He who has devoted his whole soul to the contemplation of the Intellect, and feels the same stirring within himself, and knows in his mind the vanity and unreality of all worldly things.

तदेवाभ्यासतः पूर्वं बाह्यार्थानुभवात्मना । स्फुरतीव बहिष्ट्वेन स्वस्वप्नोऽत्र निदर्शनम् ॥ २ ॥

tadevābhyāsataḥ pūrvaṃ bāhyārthānubhavātmanā | sphuratīva bahiṣṭvena svasvapno'tra nidarśanam || 2 ||

By habituating himself to this sort of meditation, and seeing the outward objects in his perceptive soul, he views the external world, as an appearance presenting before him in his dream.

चिद्रूपं सर्वमेतच्च चिदच्छा गगनादपि । चिच्चिनोति चिदेवातो नैतत्किंचन कुत्रचित् ॥ ३ ॥

cidrūpaṃ sarvametacca cidacchā gaganādapi | ciccinoti cidevāto naitatkiṃcana kutracit || 3 ||

All this is verily the form of the Intellect, represented in a different garb. The intellect is rarer than the pure air, but collects and condenses itself as the solid world, and recognizes itself as such; wherefore the world is no other than the consolidated intellect, and there is nothing beside this anywhere.

न नाशो नास्ति नानर्थो न जन्ममरणे न खम् । न शून्यता न नानास्ति सर्वं ब्रह्मैव नैव च ॥ ४ ॥

na nāśo nāsti nānartho na janmamaraṇe na kham | na śūnyatā na nānāsti sarvaṃ brahmaiva naiva ca || 4 ||

It has no dissolution or decay, nor it has its birth or death; it is neither vacuity nor solidity, it is neither extension nor tenuity, but it is all and the Supreme one and nothing in particular.

नाशे जगदहंत्वादेर्न किंचिदपि नश्यति । असतः किल नाशोऽपि स्वप्नादेः किं नु नश्यति ॥ ५ ॥

nāśe jagadahaṃtvāderna kiṃcidapi naśyati | asataḥ kila nāśo'pi svapnādeḥ kiṃ nu naśyati || 5 ||

Nothing is lost by the loss of egoism, and of this world also; the loss of an unreality is no loss at all, as the loss of anything in our dream, is attended with loss of nothing.

मिथ्यावभासे संकल्पनगरे कैव नष्टता । तथा जगदहंत्वादौ नाशो नासति विद्यते ॥ ६ ॥

mithyāvabhāse saṃkalpanagare kaiva naṣṭatā | tathā jagadahaṃtvādau nāśo nāsati vidyate || 6 ||

Nothing is lost at the loss of an imaginary city, which is altogether a falsity; so nothing is destroyed by the destruction of our egoism and this unreal world.

कुतो जगदुपालम्भ इति चेत्तदवस्तुनि । न निर्णयः संभवति खपुष्पाणां किमुच्यते ॥ ७ ॥

kuto jagadupālambha iti cettadavastuni | na nirṇayaḥ saṃbhavati khapuṣpāṇāṃ kimucyate || 7 ||

Whence is our perception of the world, but from a nullity; and if it is granted as such, then there is nothing that can be predicated of it, any more than that of a flower growing in the air.

निर्णय एष एवात्र यदशेषमभावयन् । यथास्थितं यदाचारं पाषाण इव तिष्ठसि ॥ ८ ॥

nirṇaya eṣa evātra yadaśeṣamabhāvayan | yathāsthitaṃ yadācāraṃ pāṣāṇa iva tiṣṭhasi || 8 ||

The conclusion arrived at last after mature thought in respect to this is, that you must remain as you are and as firm as a rock in the state in which you are placed, and in the conduct appertaining to your own station in life.

जगत्संकल्पमात्रात्म तत्र तेऽर्थयुतं क्षणात् । शाम्यत्यशेषेणेत्येव निर्णयः सर्गविभ्रमे ॥ ९ ॥

jagatsaṃkalpamātrātma tatra te'rthayutaṃ kṣaṇāt | śāmyatyaśeṣeṇetyeva nirṇayaḥ sargavibhrame || 9 ||

The world is the creation of thy fancy as thou wishest it to be, and there are the peculiar duties attached to thy station in all thy wanderings through life; but all these cease at once at the moment (of your divine meditation), and this is the conclusion arrived at.

सर्गेऽनर्गल एवायं ब्रह्मात्मकतयाक्षयः । अन्यथा तु न सर्गोऽयमस्ति नास्ति च सन्ति वा ॥ १० ॥

sarge'nargala evāyaṃ brahmātmakatayākṣayaḥ | anyathā tu na sargo'yamasti nāsti ca santi vā || 10 ||

All this is inevitable and unavoidable in life, and is avoided only by divine meditation; in which case the whole creation vanishes into nothing, and there is no more any trace of it left behind.

येषां च विद्यते सर्गः स्वप्नपुंसामिवासताम् । स सर्गः पुरुषास्ते च मृगतृष्णाम्बुवीचिवत् ॥ ११ ॥

yeṣāṃ ca vidyate sargaḥ svapnapuṃsāmivāsatām | sa sargaḥ puruṣāste ca mṛgatṛṣṇāmbuvīcivat || 11 ||

The unholy souls that view the creation, appearing before them like the dreams of sleeping men; are called sleeping souls, which behold the world rising before them, like the waving waters in a mirage.

असतामेव सद्भावमिव येषामुपेयुषाम् । न वयं निर्णयं विद्मो वन्ध्यापुत्रगिरामिव ॥ १२ ॥

asatāmeva sadbhāvamiva yeṣāmupeyuṣām | na vayaṃ nirṇayaṃ vidmo vandhyāputragirāmiva || 12 ||

Those who consider the unreality (of the world) as a reality, we know not what to speak of them, than with regard to the offspring of barren women.

परिपूर्णार्णवप्रख्या काप्यपूर्वैव पूर्णता । तज्ज्ञानां द्रष्टृदृश्यांशदृष्टौ न हि पतन्ति ते ॥ १३ ॥

paripūrṇārṇavaprakhyā kāpyapūrvaiva pūrṇatā | tajjñānāṃ draṣṭṛdṛśyāṃśadṛṣṭau na hi patanti te || 13 ||

The souls of those that have known the true God, are as full as the ocean with heavenly delight; because they do not look upon the visible objects, nor do the visible ever fall under sight or notice.

अचला इव निर्वाता दीपा इव समत्विषः । साचारा वा निराचारास्तिष्ठन्ति स्वस्थमेव ते ॥ १४ ॥

acalā iva nirvātā dīpā iva samatviṣaḥ | sācārā vā nirācārāstiṣṭhanti svasthameva te || 14 ||

They remain as calm as the still air, and as sedate as the unshaking flame of a lamp;and they continue to be quite at ease both [as] they are employed or unemployed in action.

आपूर्णैकार्णवप्रख्या काप्यन्तः पूर्णतोदिता । अन्तःशीतलता ज्ञप्तिर्ज्ञस्यापूर्वैव लक्ष्यते ॥ १५ ॥

āpūrṇaikārṇavaprakhyā kāpyantaḥ pūrṇatoditā | antaḥśītalatā jñaptirjñasyāpūrvaiva lakṣyate || 15 ||

As a minute atom makes a mountain, so the atomic heart becomes full when it is employed in business; and yet the cold-heartedness of the wise seer, continues the same as ever before.

वासनैवेह पुरुषः प्रेक्षिता सा न विद्यते । तां च न प्रेक्षते कश्चित्ततः संसार आगतः ॥ १६ ॥

vāsanaiveha puruṣaḥ prekṣitā sā na vidyate | tāṃ ca na prekṣate kaścittataḥ saṃsāra āgataḥ || 16 ||

The wish makes the man, though it is not seen by anyone; it is the cause of the world (worldly affairs), though it is not perceived by any body.

अनालोकनसिद्धं यत्तदालोकान्न विद्यते । कृष्णाद्यनुपलम्भोऽत्र दृष्टान्तः स्पष्टचेष्टितः ॥ १७ ॥

anālokanasiddhaṃ yattadālokānna vidyate | kṛṣṇādyanupalambho'tra dṛṣṭāntaḥ spaṣṭaceṣṭitaḥ || 17 ||

What is done by oversight or in ignorance, is undone or foiled by sight or knowledge of it; as for instance the thefts and other wicked acts, which are carried on in the darkness, disappear from sight before the blaze of daylight.

भूतानि देहमांसादि तच्चासद्विभ्रमो जडः । बुद्ध्यहंकारचेतांसि तन्मयान्येव नेतरत् ॥ १८ ॥

bhūtāni dehamāṃsādi taccāsadvibhramo jaḍaḥ | buddhyahaṃkāracetāṃsi tanmayānyeva netarat || 18 ||

All beings composed of the fleshy body and the five elemental substances, are altogether unreal as the gross productions of error only; and so are the understanding, mind, egoism and other mental faculties, of the same nature and not otherwise.

भूतादिमयतां त्यक्त्वा बुद्ध्यहंकारचेतसाम् । अत्यन्तं स्थितिरभ्येति यदि तन्मुक्ततोदिता ॥ १९ ॥

bhūtādimayatāṃ tyaktvā buddhyahaṃkāracetasām | atyantaṃ sthitirabhyeti yadi tanmuktatoditā || 19 ||

Leaving aside both the elemental and mental parts and properties of your body, you attain to the purely intellectual state of your soul, which is called to be your liberation.

चिच्छ्लिष्टा चेत्यनिष्ठत्वात्तादृश्येवात्र कास्तिता । तस्मात्केव कुतः कुत्र वासना किंस्वरूपिणी ॥ २० ॥

cicchliṣṭā cetyaniṣṭhatvāttādṛśyevātra kāstitā | tasmātkeva kutaḥ kutra vāsanā kiṃsvarūpiṇī || 20 ||

Attachment to the intellect and adherence to the intellectual thoughts, being once secured there will be end to the view of visibles, and there will be no more any appearance of fancy in the mind, nor any desire or craving rising in the heart.

यस्य चैष भ्रमः सोऽसन्प्रेक्षयासन्न लक्ष्यते । मृगतृष्णाम्बुवत्तेन संसारः कस्य कः कुतः ॥ २१ ॥

yasya caiṣa bhramaḥ so'sanprekṣayāsanna lakṣyate | mṛgatṛṣṇāmbuvattena saṃsāraḥ kasya kaḥ kutaḥ || 21 ||

But who has fallen into the error of taking the visibles for true, his sight of the unreal prevents his coming to the view of the true reality; and he finds at the end, that the visible world is but a mirage, and is never faithful to any body at any place.

तदेवं तर्हि तस्य स्यादिति चित्तोदयो हि यः । पुनः स एव संसारविभ्रमः संप्रवर्तते ॥ २२ ॥

tadevaṃ tarhi tasya syāditi cittodayo hi yaḥ | punaḥ sa eva saṃsāravibhramaḥ saṃpravartate || 22 ||

So he finds the falsity of the world, whose soul has risen to its enlightenment within himself; but who ever happens to have the remembrance of the world in him, he comes to fall to the error of its reality again.

तस्मात्सर्वमनाश्रित्य व्योमवत्समुपास्यताम् । अपुनःस्मरणं श्रेय इह विस्मरणं परम् ॥ २३ ॥

tasmātsarvamanāśritya vyomavatsamupāsyatām | apunaḥsmaraṇaṃ śreya iha vismaraṇaṃ param || 23 ||

Therefore avoid your reliance in all worldly objects, and rely only on one who is simply as mere vacuum; and mind that is good [for] you not to remember the world any more, and that your forgetfulness of it altogether is best for you.

नेह द्रष्टा न भोक्तास्ति नाऽस्तिता न च नास्तिता । यथास्थितमिदं शान्तमेकं स्पन्दि सदाब्धिवत् ॥ २४ ॥

neha draṣṭā na bhoktāsti nā'stitā na ca nāstitā | yathāsthitamidaṃ śāntamekaṃ spandi sadābdhivat || 24 ||

In your forgetfulness of the world you will find nothing to be seen or enjoyed in it, and nothing of its entity or nullity whatsoever; it is as well as it is all quiet and still as the calm and unruffled ocean for ever.

सर्वं दृश्यं जगद्ब्रह्म सदित्यवगते स्फुटम् । जलशोषादिवोदेति बिम्बबिम्बिक्षये शिवम् ॥ २५ ॥

sarvaṃ dṛśyaṃ jagadbrahma sadityavagate sphuṭam | jalaśoṣādivodeti bimbabimbikṣaye śivam || 25 ||

The whole visible world is Brahma himself, and as such, the ocean of it is to be understood as a positive reality; it is a bubble in His eternity, which is all quiet and calm after immersion of bubbles and waves.

शान्तताव्यवहारो वा रागद्वेषविवर्जितः । विश्रान्तस्य परे तत्त्वे दृश्यते समदर्शिनः ॥ २६ ॥

śāntatāvyavahāro vā rāgadveṣavivarjitaḥ | viśrāntasya pare tattve dṛśyate samadarśinaḥ || 26 ||

Meek and tolerant men, are seen to be sedate and dispassionate in their worldly transaction; and to be resigned to the Supreme spirit in their souls.

अथवा शान्ततैवास्य निर्वाणस्यावशिष्यते । निर्वासनः किल मुनिः कथं व्यवहरत्वसौ ॥ २७ ॥

athavā śāntataivāsya nirvāṇasyāvaśiṣyate | nirvāsanaḥ kila muniḥ kathaṃ vyavaharatvasau || 27 ||

Or the saint whose soul is extinct in his god, has only his meekness remaining in him; and being devoid of all desire, he is unfit for all worldly concerns.

यावत्त्वस्य न निर्वाणं परिपोषमुपागतम् । तावद्व्यवहरत्यस्तरागद्वेषभयोदयः ॥ २८ ॥

yāvattvasya na nirvāṇaṃ paripoṣamupāgatam | tāvadvyavaharatyastarāgadveṣabhayodayaḥ || 28 ||

As long as one is not perfect in the extinction of his soul in the deity, he may be employed in the practice of his secular duties, by being devoid of passions, animosity and fear of any one.

वीतरागभयक्रोधो निर्वाणः शान्तमानसः । शिलेवाप्यशिलीभूतो मुनिस्तिष्ठति नित्यशः ॥ २९ ॥

vītarāgabhayakrodho nirvāṇaḥ śāntamānasaḥ | śilevāpyaśilībhūto munistiṣṭhati nityaśaḥ || 29 ||

The saint being freed from his passions and feelings of anger and fear and other affections, and getting the tranquillity of nirvana extinction in his mind, becomes as frigid as snow and remains as a block of stone forever.

कोशेऽस्ति पद्मबीजस्य यथा सर्वाब्जिनी तथा । अनन्या स्वप्नविभ्रान्तिरात्मन्यस्ति न बाह्यता ॥ ३० ॥

kośe'sti padmabījasya yathā sarvābjinī tathā | ananyā svapnavibhrāntirātmanyasti na bāhyatā || 30 ||

As the pericarp contains the seed of the future flower in it, so the saint has all his thoughts and desires quite concealed in his inmost soul, and never gives any vent to them on the outside.

बाह्यताभावनाद्बाह्यमात्मैवात्मत्वभावनात् । भवतीदं परे तत्त्वे भावनं तत्तदेव हि ॥ ३१ ॥

bāhyatābhāvanādbāhyamātmaivātmatvabhāvanāt | bhavatīdaṃ pare tattve bhāvanaṃ tattadeva hi || 31 ||

The mind wanders on the outside by thinking about the outer world, and so is it confined within itself by its meditation on the inner soul; such is the contemplation of the Supreme being, either as he is thought of or seen in spirit in the inner soul, or viewed himself to be displayed in his works of creation in the outer world.

यान्तः स्वप्नादिविभ्रान्तिः सैवेयं बाह्यतोदिता । मनागप्यन्यता नात्र द्विभाण्डपयसोरिव ॥ ३२ ॥

yāntaḥ svapnādivibhrāntiḥ saiveyaṃ bāhyatoditā | manāgapyanyatā nātra dvibhāṇḍapayasoriva || 32 ||

The outer world is no other than an external representation of the delusive dream, which is in the inside of ourselves; there is not the slightest difference between them, as there is none in the same milk, contained in two different pots only.

स्थैर्यास्थैर्ये तथैवात्र भ्रान्तिमात्रमये तते । आधाराधेयते ते द्वे यथा जलतरङ्गते ॥ ३३ ॥

sthairyāsthairye tathaivātra bhrāntimātramaye tate | ādhārādheyate te dve yathā jalataraṅgate || 33 ||

The motion or inertness and the fickleness or steadiness of the one or other of them, are no more than the effects of our lengthened delusion; and the state of one being the container of the other, makes no difference in them, as there is none between the containing ocean and the waves it contains.

स्वप्नादावात्मनोऽन्यत्वज्ञानादन्यत्ववेदनम् । अनन्यतावबोधे तु तदनन्यन्न चोदयि ॥ ३४ ॥

svapnādāvātmano'nyatvajñānādanyatvavedanam | ananyatāvabodhe tu tadananyanna codayi || 34 ||

The dreams that we see in sleep, are no other than operations of the mind, though they are supposed in our ignorance to be quite apart from ourselves.

कलनारहितं शान्तं यद्रूपं परमात्मनः । भवत्यसौ तत्तद्भावादतद्भावान्न तद्भवेत् ॥ ३५ ॥

kalanārahitaṃ śāntaṃ yadrūpaṃ paramātmanaḥ | bhavatyasau tattadbhāvādatadbhāvānna tadbhavet || 35 ||

He that remains in the manner of the Supreme soul, quite calm and tranquil and free from all fancy and desires, becomes (extinct in) the very soul, by thinking himself as such; but he never becomes so unless he thinks himself to be as so;

स्वप्नादिज्ञानसंशान्तौ यद्रूपं शुद्धमैश्वरम् । न तदस्ति न तन्नास्ति न वाग्गोचरमेव तत् ॥ ३६ ॥

svapnādijñānasaṃśāntau yadrūpaṃ śuddhamaiśvaram | na tadasti na tannāsti na vāggocarameva tat || 36 ||

The divine state is that of the perfect stillness of the soul (as in sound sleep), when there is not even a dream stirring in the mind; but what that state is or is not, is incomprehensible in the mind, and inexpressible in words.

आत्यन्तिकभ्रान्तिलये युक्त एवावगच्छति । स्वरूपं नोपदेशस्य विषयो विदुषो हि तत् ॥ ३७ ॥

ātyantikabhrāntilaye yukta evāvagacchati | svarūpaṃ nopadeśasya viṣayo viduṣo hi tat || 37 ||

Yet is this state made intelligible to us by instructions of our preceptors, and by means of the entire removal of our error as well as by our intense meditation of it; else there is no body to tell us what it really is.

शान्तं निरस्तभयमानविषादलोभमोहात्मदेहमननेन्द्रियचित्तजाड्यम् । त्यक्त्वाहमक्षयमपास्तसमस्तभेदं निर्वाणमेकमजमासितुमेव युक्तम् ॥ ३८ ॥

śāntaṃ nirastabhayamānaviṣādalobhamohātmadehamananendriyacittajāḍyam | tyaktvāhamakṣayamapāstasamastabhedaṃ nirvāṇamekamajamāsitumeva yuktam || 38 ||

It is therefore proper for you to remain entirely extinct in the external one and tranquil as the Divine spirit by giving up all your fear and pride, your griefs and sorrows, and your covetousness and all errors besides. You must forsake with these the dullness of your heart and mind, as also of your body and all its members, together with the sense of your egoism and the distinctions of things from the one perfect unity.