33. Chapter 33

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । स्वपौरुषेण स्वधिया सत्संगमविकासया । यदि ना नीयते ज्ञत्वं तदुपायोऽस्ति नेतरः ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | svapauruṣeṇa svadhiyā satsaṃgamavikāsayā | yadi nā nīyate jñatvaṃ tadupāyo'sti netaraḥ || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—Rama, if a man will not gain his wisdom by his own exertion, by his own reasoning and by the development of his understanding in the company of good men, then there is no other way to it.

स्वं कल्पितं कल्पितं च प्रतिकल्पनया स्वया । तदेवान्यत्वमादत्ते विषत्वममृतं यथा ॥ २ ॥

svaṃ kalpitaṃ kalpitaṃ ca pratikalpanayā svayā | tadevānyatvamādatte viṣatvamamṛtaṃ yathā || 2 ||

If one will try to remove his mis-apprehensions and the false creations of his imagination, by the prescribed remedies of the sastras, he will succeed to change and rectify them himself, as they remove or remedy one poison by means of a counter poison.

कल्पना चाकल्पनान्ता मुक्तता यदकल्पनम् । एतच्च भोगसंत्यागपूर्वं सिध्यति नान्यथा ॥ ३ ॥

kalpanā cākalpanāntā muktatā yadakalpanam | etacca bhogasaṃtyāgapūrvaṃ sidhyati nānyathā || 3 ||

All fancies and desires are checked by unfancying them, and this unfancifulness or undesirousness is the cause of liberation, by relinquishment [of] worldly enjoyment, which is the first step to it.

वचसा मनसा चान्तः शब्दार्थावविभावयन् । य आस्ते वर्धते तस्य कल्पनोपशमः शनैः ॥ ४ ॥

vacasā manasā cāntaḥ śabdārthāvavibhāvayan | ya āste vardhate tasya kalpanopaśamaḥ śanaiḥ || 4 ||

First consider well the meanings of words, both in your mind and utterance of them; and all the habitual and growing misconceptions will slowly cease and subside of themselves.

वर्जयित्वाहमित्येव नाविद्यास्तीतरात्मिका । शान्ते त्वभावनादस्मिन्नान्यो मोक्षोऽस्ति कश्चन ॥ ५ ॥

varjayitvāhamityeva nāvidyāstītarātmikā | śānte tvabhāvanādasminnānyo mokṣo'sti kaścana || 5 ||

There is no greater error or ignorance in one's self, except the sense of his egoism; and this error having subsided by one's disregard of its accepted sense, it is not far from him to arrive at his liberation.

अहंभावमथादेहं किंचिच्छ्रयसि नश्यसि । जगदादिरुचिस्तस्मिंस्त्यक्ते शाम्यसि सिध्यसि ॥ ६ ॥

ahaṃbhāvamathādehaṃ kiṃcicchrayasi naśyasi | jagadādirucistasmiṃstyakte śāmyasi sidhyasi || 6 ||

If you have the least reliance in your body and egoism, you surely lose the infinite joy of your unbounded soul; but by forsaking the feeling of your egoism or personality, you are freed from the bondage of your fondness for anything of this world, and become perfected in divine knowledge and blissfulness.

अचेतनादिदं सर्वं सदेवासदिव स्थितम् । शान्तं यस्योपलस्येव नमस्तस्मै महात्मने ॥ ७ ॥

acetanādidaṃ sarvaṃ sadevāsadiva sthitam | śāntaṃ yasyopalasyeva namastasmai mahātmane || 7 ||

It is from want of understanding, that all these unrealities appear as real to the ignorant; but we venerate and bow down to the sage, who remains unmoved as a stone at all this.

अचेतनादिदं सर्वमुपलस्येव शाम्यति । शून्याख्यातः परालीनचित्तस्य चित्त्वभावनात् ॥ ८ ॥

acetanādidaṃ sarvamupalasyeva śāmyati | śūnyākhyātaḥ parālīnacittasya cittvabhāvanāt || 8 ||

Who from want of his sense of external objects, remains as cold as a stone, and being reclined in the Supreme spirit by the meditation of the Divine Mind in his own mind; sees but an empty void both within and all around himself.

इदमस्त्वथवा मास्तु चेतितं दुःखवृद्धये । अचेतितं सुखायान्तरचेतनमचेतनात् ॥ ९ ॥

idamastvathavā māstu cetitaṃ duḥkhavṛddhaye | acetitaṃ sukhāyāntaracetanamacetanāt || 9 ||

Whether there be or not be all these visibles, they tend alike to our misery; it is our thoughtlessness of them alone that conduces to our happiness, wherefore it is better to remain insensible of them, by shutting our senses against them.

द्वौ व्याधी देहिनो घोरावयं लोकस्तथा परः । याभ्यां घोराणि दुःखानि भुङ्क्ते सर्वैर्हि पीडितः ॥ १० ॥

dvau vyādhī dehino ghorāvayaṃ lokastathā paraḥ | yābhyāṃ ghorāṇi duḥkhāni bhuṅkte sarvairhi pīḍitaḥ || 10 ||

There are two very serious diseases waiting on mankind, in their cares for this as well as those of the next world; and both of these are attended with intolerable pains to the patients of both their temporal as well as spiritual maladies.

इहलोके यतन्ते ज्ञा व्याधौ भोगैर्दुरौषधैः । आजीवितं यथाशक्ति चिकित्सा नापरामये ॥ ११ ॥

ihaloke yatante jñā vyādhau bhogairdurauṣadhaiḥ | ājīvitaṃ yathāśakti cikitsā nāparāmaye || 11 ||

In this world the intelligent are seen to try all their best medicines in vain, to remove their inveterate diseases of hunger and thirst, by means of their remedies of food and drink, during the whole period of their lives; but there is no remedy whatever for to heal their spiritual maladies of sin and vileness, and avert their inevitable fate of death and rebirths in endless succession.

परलोकमहाव्याधौ प्रयतन्ते चिकित्सनम् । शमसत्सङ्गबोधाख्यैरमृतैः पुरुषोत्तमाः ॥ १२ ॥

paralokamahāvyādhau prayatante cikitsanam | śamasatsaṅgabodhākhyairamṛtaiḥ puruṣottamāḥ || 12 ||

The best sort of men are trying to heal their spiritual maladies, and avert their future fate, by means of the ambrosial medicines of dispassionateness, keeping good company and improvement of their understanding.

परलोकचिकित्सायां सावधाना भवन्ति ये । मोक्षमार्गमहेच्छायां शमशक्त्या जयन्ति ते ॥ १३ ॥

paralokacikitsāyāṃ sāvadhānā bhavanti ye | mokṣamārgamahecchāyāṃ śamaśaktyā jayanti te || 13 ||

Those who are careful to cure their spiritual complaint, become successful to get their riddance, by means of their desire of getting better, and by virtue of the best medicine of abstinence and refraining from evil.

इहैव नरकव्याधेश्चिकित्सां न करोति यः । गत्वा निरौषधं स्थानं सरुजः किं करिष्यति ॥ १४ ॥

ihaiva narakavyādheścikitsāṃ na karoti yaḥ | gatvā nirauṣadhaṃ sthānaṃ sarujaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati || 14 ||

Whoever does not heal even now his deadly disease of sin, which is his leader to hellfire on future; let him say what remedy is left for him to try, after he has gone to the next world, where there is no balsam to heal the sickly soul.

इहलोकचिकित्साभिर्जीवितं यातु मा क्षयम् । आत्मज्ञानौषधैरज्ञाः परलोकश्चिकित्स्यताम् ॥ १५ ॥

ihalokacikitsābhirjīvitaṃ yātu mā kṣayam | ātmajñānauṣadhairajñāḥ paralokaścikitsyatām || 15 ||

Try all earthly medicines to preserve your life, from being wasted away by earthly diseases;and keep your souls entire for the next world, by the healing balm of spiritual knowledge in this life.

आयुर्वायुचलत्पत्रलवाम्बुकणभङ्गुरम् । परलोकमहाव्याधिर्यत्नेनाशु चिकित्स्यताम् ॥ १६ ॥

āyurvāyucalatpatralavāmbukaṇabhaṅguram | paralokamahāvyādhiryatnenāśu cikitsyatām || 16 ||

This life is but a breath, likens a tremulous dew drop, hanging at the end of a shaking leaf, and ready to fall down; but your future life is long, and enduring under all its variations, therefore heal it for the everlasting futurity.

परलोकमहाव्याधौ यत्नेनाशु चिकित्सिते । इहलोकमयो व्याधिः स्वयमाशूपशाम्यति ॥ १७ ॥

paralokamahāvyādhau yatnenāśu cikitsite | ihalokamayo vyādhiḥ svayamāśūpaśāmyati || 17 ||

By carefully attending to the treatment of spiritual diseases at present, you will not only be hale and holy in your soul in the next world, but evade all the diseases of this life, which will fly off afar from you.

संविन्मात्रं विदुर्जन्तुं तस्य प्रसरणं जगत् । परमाणूदरेऽप्यस्ति तच्छैलशतविस्तरम् ॥ १८ ॥

saṃvinmātraṃ vidurjantuṃ tasya prasaraṇaṃ jagat | paramāṇūdare'pyasti tacchailaśatavistaram || 18 ||

Know thy conscious soul as an animalcule, which evolves itself into the form of this vast world; just as an atom contains a huge mountain in it, which evolves from its bosom in time.

यत्संविदः प्रसरणं रूपालोकमनांसि तत् । व्योमन्येवानुभूयन्ते नातः सत्यो जगद्भ्रमः ॥ १९ ॥

yatsaṃvidaḥ prasaraṇaṃ rūpālokamanāṃsi tat | vyomanyevānubhūyante nātaḥ satyo jagadbhramaḥ || 19 ||

As the evolution of your consciousness, presents to your view the forms that you have in your mind (i.e. ideals); so doth the phenomenon of the world appear in the womb of vacuum, and is no more real than a false phantasy.

प्रलयेष्वपि दृष्टेषु जगद्दृश्याख्यविभ्रमः । न नश्यति न जायेत भ्रान्तिमात्रैकरूपिणः ॥ २० ॥

pralayeṣvapi dṛṣṭeṣu jagaddṛśyākhyavibhramaḥ | na naśyati na jāyeta bhrāntimātraikarūpiṇaḥ || 20 ||

Notwithstanding the repeated deluge and destruction of the visible earth, there is no change nor end of the false phantom of our mind, where its figure is neither destroyed nor resuscitated, owing to its being a phantasy only and no reality whatever.

भोगपङ्कार्णवे मग्न आत्मा नोत्तार्यते यदि । स्वपौरुषचमत्कृत्या तदुपायोऽस्ति नेतरः ॥ २१ ॥

bhogapaṅkārṇave magna ātmā nottāryate yadi | svapauruṣacamatkṛtyā tadupāyo'sti netaraḥ || 21 ||

Should you like to lift up your soul, from the muddy pit of earthly pleasures and desires, wherein it drowned forever; you must put forth your manly virtues, as the only means to this end, and without which there is no other.

अजितात्मा जनो मूढो रूढो भोगैककर्दमे । आपदां पात्रतामेति पयसामिव सागरः ॥ २२ ॥

ajitātmā jano mūḍho rūḍho bhogaikakardame | āpadāṃ pātratāmeti payasāmiva sāgaraḥ || 22 ||

The man of ungoverned mind and soul, is a dull-headed fool, and fallen in the miry pit of carnal desires; he becomes the receptacle of all kinds of danger and difficulty, as the bed of the sea is the reservoir of all the waters falling to it.

जीवितस्य यथा बाल्यं दृष्टं प्राथमकल्पिकम् । निर्वाणस्य तथा भोगसंत्यागो रागशान्तिदः ॥ २३ ॥

jīvitasya yathā bālyaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ prāthamakalpikam | nirvāṇasya tathā bhogasaṃtyāgo rāgaśāntidaḥ || 23 ||

As boyhood is the first stage of the life of a man, and introduces the other ages for perfection of human nature; so the first step to one's self-extinction, is the renunciation of his carnal enjoyments, conducing to the subjection of passions.

तज्ज्ञस्य जीवितनदी सकल्लोलाप्यसंभ्रमा । समं वहति सौम्यैव चित्रसंस्थेव नीरसा ॥ २४ ॥

tajjñasya jīvitanadī sakallolāpyasaṃbhramā | samaṃ vahati saumyaiva citrasaṃstheva nīrasā || 24 ||

The stream of the life of a wise man, is ever flowing onward with the undulations of events, without over[flowing] its banks or breaking its bounds; and resembles a river drawn in a picture, which is flowing without the current of its waters.

अज्ञजीवितनद्यास्तु रसनात्यन्तभीषणाः । आवर्ता वृत्तिविक्षोभकल्लोलाः सहवाहिनः ॥ २५ ॥

ajñajīvitanadyāstu rasanātyantabhīṣaṇāḥ | āvartā vṛttivikṣobhakallolāḥ sahavāhinaḥ || 25 ||

The course of the lives of ignorant people, runs with tremendous noise, like the precipitate current of rivers; it rolls onward with dangerous whirlpools, and flows on with its rising and setting billows.

सर्गवर्गाः प्रवल्गन्ति संवित्प्रसरलेशकाः । द्विचन्द्रबालवेतालमृगाम्बुस्वप्नमोहवत् ॥ २६ ॥

sargavargāḥ pravalganti saṃvitprasaraleśakāḥ | dvicandrabālavetālamṛgāmbusvapnamohavat || 26 ||

Continuous creations and course of events, are transpiring with the succession of our thoughts; and appearing before us like the illusive train of our dreams, and the false appearance of two moons in the sky, and the delusion of mirage and apparitions rising to the sight of children.

संविद्वारितरङ्गौघा भान्ति सर्गाः सहस्रशः । विचारितास्त्वसत्यास्ते सत्यास्त्वनुभवभ्रमात् ॥ २७ ॥

saṃvidvāritaraṅgaughā bhānti sargāḥ sahasraśaḥ | vicāritāstvasatyāste satyāstvanubhavabhramāt || 27 ||

So the incessant waves raised by the undulating waters of our consciousness, appears as the endless chain of created objects, rising in reality to our view; but being taken into mature consideration, they will appear to be as false and unreal, as they seem true and real to our erroneous apprehension of them.

जगन्त्याकाशकोशेऽपि संवित्प्रसरणभ्रमात् । सन्तीवाप्यनुभूयन्ते न तु सत्यानि तानि तु ॥ २८ ॥

jagantyākāśakośe'pi saṃvitprasaraṇabhramāt | santīvāpyanubhūyante na tu satyāni tāni tu || 28 ||

It is said that [there] are worlds and the cities of Gandharvas and siddhas, contained in the concavity of the firmament, and it is supposed also that, the cavity of the sky is a reservoir of waters; but all these are but creations of the mind, and there [are] no such things in reality.

संविद्विकासपयसो बुद्बुदः सर्गविभ्रमः । अहमित्यादिसद्भावविकाराकाररूपवान् ॥ २९ ॥

saṃvidvikāsapayaso budbudaḥ sargavibhramaḥ | ahamityādisadbhāvavikārākārarūpavān || 29 ||

The worlds are as bubbles of water, in the ocean of the conscious mind; they are only the productions of the fanciful mind, and no such things, as they are thought to be; and the idea of ego, is but forms of our varying thoughts.

संविन्निर्वाणमजगत्संविदुन्मीलनं जगत् । नान्तर्न बाह्यं नासत्यं न सत्यं सर्वमेव तत् ॥ ३० ॥

saṃvinnirvāṇamajagatsaṃvidunmīlanaṃ jagat | nāntarna bāhyaṃ nāsatyaṃ na satyaṃ sarvameva tat || 30 ||

The expansion of consciousness is the course of unfolding the world, and the closing of it conceals the phenomenals from view; therefore these appearances are neither in the inside nor outside of us; and they are neither realities, nor altogether unreal also.

चिद्रूपमजमव्यक्तमेकमव्ययमीश्वरः । स्वत्वभावत्वरहितं ब्रह्म शान्तात्मखादपि ॥ ३१ ॥

cidrūpamajamavyaktamekamavyayamīśvaraḥ | svatvabhāvatvarahitaṃ brahma śāntātmakhādapi || 31 ||

There is one thing alone of the form of the intellect, which is unborn and unknown (in its true nature), and is the undecaying (i.e. everlasting) lord of all; it is devoid of substance and property, and is called Brahma or immensity, and tranquil spirit, which is as quiet and calm as the infinite void, are rarer than even the empty atmosphere.

ब्रह्मणो निःस्वभावस्य सर्गसंवेदने स्वतः । स्पन्दने पवनस्येव कारणं नोपयुज्यते ॥ ३२ ॥

brahmaṇo niḥsvabhāvasya sargasaṃvedane svataḥ | spandane pavanasyeva kāraṇaṃ nopayujyate || 32 ||

There is no cause whatever, which can be reasonably assigned to the agitation, consciousness and creations of the spirit of Brahma; which being above nature is said to have no nature at all. Its agitation is as that of the air; whose cause is beyond all conception.

स्वप्नानुभववद्भ्रान्तिर्ब्रह्माब्धौ ब्रह्मवीचयः । सर्गता वस्तुतस्त्वत्र न स्वप्नो न च सर्गता ॥ ३३ ॥

svapnānubhavavadbhrāntirbrahmābdhau brahmavīcayaḥ | sargatā vastutastvatra na svapno na ca sargatā || 33 ||

Brahma has his thoughts rising in him, as waves in the ocean of himself, and as our conscious[ness] of the dreams rising in our soul; and the nature of this creation is in reality, neither as that of his dream, or the wave produced from his essence.

एकमेव निराभासमचित्त्वमजडं समम् । न सन्नासन्न सदसदिदमव्ययमद्वयम् ॥ ३४ ॥

ekameva nirābhāsamacittvamajaḍaṃ samam | na sannāsanna sadasadidamavyayamadvayam || 34 ||

This much therefore can only be said of him that, there is only an unknowable unity, which is ever the same and never as quick as thought, nor even as dull as matter;it is not a reality or unreality, nor any thing this positive or negative.

यथास्थितस्यैव सतो यस्यासंवेदनात्मकम् । संवित्प्रशमनं जातं तमाहुर्मुनिसत्तमम् ॥ ३५ ॥

yathāsthitasyaiva sato yasyāsaṃvedanātmakam | saṃvitpraśamanaṃ jātaṃ tamāhurmunisattamam || 35 ||

The Yogi that remains in this insouciant state of Brahma, and insensible of his own consciousness (i.e. who is inexcitable both in his body and mind), such a person is said to be the best of sages and saints.

सतोऽपि मृन्मयस्येव यस्यासंवेदनात्मकम् । साहं जगद्विगलितं तमाहुर्मुनिसत्तमम् ॥ ३६ ॥

sato'pi mṛnmayasyeva yasyāsaṃvedanātmakam | sāhaṃ jagadvigalitaṃ tamāhurmunisattamam || 36 ||

Who becomes inactive and inert as a clod of earth, even while he is alive; who becomes unconscious of himself and the outer world, and thinks of nothing (except the Supreme soul); he is said as the best of sages and saints.

यथा शाम्यत्यसंकल्पात्संकल्पनगरं तथा । वेदनोत्थं जगदहं चिति शाम्यत्यवेदनात् ॥ ३७ ॥

yathā śāmyatyasaṃkalpātsaṃkalpanagaraṃ tathā | vedanotthaṃ jagadahaṃ citi śāmyatyavedanāt || 37 ||

As we lose sight of wished for objects, by ceasing to wish for them (such as the sights of fairy lands &c.); so we get rid of our knowledge of ourselves and the world, by our ceasing to think about them.

स्वभाववर्जं शब्दार्थाः सर्व एव सहेतुकाः । स्वभावस्य तु यो हेतुर्मुक्तिस्तदनुभावनम् ॥ ३८ ॥

svabhāvavarjaṃ śabdārthāḥ sarva eva sahetukāḥ | svabhāvasya tu yo heturmuktistadanubhāvanam || 38 ||

All things expressed, in words have certain causes assigned to them; but the cause of their nature remains inexplicable, (whence nature—swabhava is said to be avidya or hidden ignorance). It is the cause of this prime nature (i.e. God), whose knowledge alone conduces to our liberations.

न कस्यचित्पदार्थस्य स्वभावोऽस्तीह कश्चन । महाचिदम्बुद्रवताः सर्वा एवानुभूतयः ॥ ३९ ॥

na kasyacitpadārthasya svabhāvo'stīha kaścana | mahācidambudravatāḥ sarvā evānubhūtayaḥ || 39 ||

Nothing whatever has its particular nature of itself, unless it were implanted in it by the intelligence of God, as it were by infusion of the moisture of divine intelligence.

महाचिदनिलस्पन्दा एता एवानुभूतयः । एतास्ता ब्रह्मगगनशून्यता इति बुध्यताम् ॥ ४० ॥

mahācidanilaspandā etā evānubhūtayaḥ | etāstā brahmagaganaśūnyatā iti budhyatām || 40 ||

All our thoughts, are agitated by inspiration of the breath of the great intellect; know them therefore as proceeding from the vacuum of the entity of the supreme Brahma.

वातस्पन्दाविवाभिन्नौ ब्रह्मसर्गौ विभिन्नता । तयोस्त्वसत्या स्वभ्रान्तौ स्वप्ने स्वमरणोपमा ॥ ४१ ॥

vātaspandāvivābhinnau brahmasargau vibhinnatā | tayostvasatyā svabhrāntau svapne svamaraṇopamā || 41 ||

There is no difference whatever, in the different nature of the creator and creation; except it be as that of the air and its agitation, which are the one and same thing and of the same nature. The thought of their difference is as erroneous, as the sight of one's death in his dream.

भ्रान्तिस्तु तावत्तत्त्वार्थविचारो यावदस्फुटः । विचारे तु स्फुटे भ्रान्तिर्ब्रह्मतामेव गच्छति ॥ ४२ ॥

bhrāntistu tāvattattvārthavicāro yāvadasphuṭaḥ | vicāre tu sphuṭe bhrāntirbrahmatāmeva gacchati || 42 ||

An error continues so long, as the blunder does not become evident by the light of reasoning; when the error being cleared of its falsity, flies to and vanishes into the light and truth of Brahma.

भ्रान्तिस्त्वसत्या वस्त्वेव प्रेक्षयातो न लभ्यते । शशश्रृङ्गवदत्यच्छमतो ब्रह्मैव शिष्यते ॥ ४३ ॥

bhrāntistvasatyā vastveva prekṣayāto na labhyate | śaśaśrṛṅgavadatyacchamato brahmaiva śiṣyate || 43 ||

Error being the false representation of something, flies away before a critical insight into it; and all things being but productions of our error, like our conception of the horns of hare, they all vanish before the light of true knowledge, which leaves the entity of Brahma only at the end.

अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तमच्छं समं शिवं शाश्वतमेकमेव । सर्वां जरामोहविकारभारभ्रान्तिं विमुच्याम्बरभावमेहि ॥ ४४ ॥

anādimadhyāntamanantamacchaṃ samaṃ śivaṃ śāśvatamekameva | sarvāṃ jarāmohavikārabhārabhrāntiṃ vimucyāmbarabhāvamehi || 44 ||

Therefore give up all your errors and delusions, and thereby get rid of the burden of your diseases and decay; and meditate only on the One, that has no beginning, middle, or end, is always clear and the same, and full of bliss and felicity, and assimilate yourself to the nature of the clear firmament: