35. Chapter 35

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । देशाद्देशान्तरं दूरं प्राप्तायाः संविदः क्षणात् । यद्रूपममलं मध्ये परं तद्रूमात्मनः ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | deśāddeśāntaraṃ dūraṃ prāptāyāḥ saṃvidaḥ kṣaṇāt | yadrūpamamalaṃ madhye paraṃ tadrūmātmanaḥ || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—The state of the soul is as placid, as that of the untroubled mind in the interval of one's journey from one place to another, when it is free from the cares of both places.

गच्छन्श्रृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्हसन् । नूनं निरामयत्वाय नित्यमेतन्मयो भव ॥ २ ॥

gacchanśrṛṇvanspṛśañjighrannunmiṣannimiṣanhasan | nūnaṃ nirāmayatvāya nityametanmayo bhava || 2 ||

Be therefore quite unconcerned in your mind in all states of your life, whether when you sit or walk or hear or see anything, for the purpose of securing your unalterable composure.

तत एव निराभासात्सत्यान्निर्वासनैषणात् । यथास्थितं यथाचारमचलाऽमरशैलवत् ॥ ३ ॥

tata eva nirābhāsātsatyānnirvāsanaiṣaṇāt | yathāsthitaṃ yathācāramacalā'maraśailavat || 3 ||

Being thus devoid of your desires, and undistinguished in society, continue as steadfast as a rock, in the particular conduct of your station in life.

एतद्रूपमविद्यायाः प्रेक्षिता यन्न लभ्यते । प्रेक्षिता लभ्यते चेत्सा तद्विद्यैव पराभवत् ॥ ४ ॥

etadrūpamavidyāyāḥ prekṣitā yanna labhyate | prekṣitā labhyate cetsā tadvidyaiva parābhavat || 4 ||

Being placed in this manner beyond the reach of ignorance, one is blest with the light of knowledge in his mind.

अविद्यासंभवाच्चेत्यचित्त्वे संभवतः क्व किम् । चेत्यते कथमेवान्तः शान्तिरेव बलोदिता ॥ ५ ॥

avidyāsaṃbhavāccetyacittve saṃbhavataḥ kva kim | cetyate kathamevāntaḥ śāntireva baloditā || 5 ||

After disappearance of ignorance from the mind, there can be no trace of any thought left in it; nor can the mind think of anything, when tranquillity has got her ascendency in it.

सत्यं ब्रह्म जगच्चैकं स्थितमेकमनेकवत् । सर्वं वाऽसर्ववद्भाति शुद्धं चाशुद्धवत्ततम् ॥ ६ ॥

satyaṃ brahma jagaccaikaṃ sthitamekamanekavat | sarvaṃ vā'sarvavadbhāti śuddhaṃ cāśuddhavattatam || 6 ||

Brahma is verily one with the world, and the selfsame one appearing as many to our ignorance; which represents the plenitude of Brahma as a multitude, and his pure spirit as extended matter.

अशून्यं शून्यमिव च शून्यं वाऽशून्यवत्स्फुटम् । स्फारमस्फारमिव तदस्फारं स्फारसन्निभम् ॥ ७ ॥

aśūnyaṃ śūnyamiva ca śūnyaṃ vā'śūnyavatsphuṭam | sphāramasphāramiva tadasphāraṃ sphārasannibham || 7 ||

The plenum (of creation) appears as vacuum (of annihilation), and vacuity appearing as substantiality; brightness deemed by darkness, and what is obscure is brought to light.

अविकारं विकारीव समं शान्तमशान्तवत् । सदेवासदिवादृश्यं तदेवातदिवोदितम् ॥ ८ ॥

avikāraṃ vikārīva samaṃ śāntamaśāntavat | sadevāsadivādṛśyaṃ tadevātadivoditam || 8 ||

The unchangeable is seen as changing and the steady appearing as moving; the real appears as unreal, and the unreality as reality; so that seeming as otherwise, and so the vice versa also.

अविभागं विभागीव निर्जाड्यं जडवद्गतम् । अचेत्यं चेत्यभावीव निरंशं सांशशोभनम् ॥ ९ ॥

avibhāgaṃ vibhāgīva nirjāḍyaṃ jaḍavadgatam | acetyaṃ cetyabhāvīva niraṃśaṃ sāṃśaśobhanam || 9 ||

The indivisible appears as divided, and energy appearing as inertia;the unthinkable seems as the object of thought, and the unparted whole seeming to shine in innumerable parts.

अनहं सोऽहमिव तदनाशमिव नाशवत् । अकलङ्कं कलङ्कीव निर्वेद्यं वेद्यवाहिवत् ॥ १० ॥

anahaṃ so'hamiva tadanāśamiva nāśavat | akalaṅkaṃ kalaṅkīva nirvedyaṃ vedyavāhivat || 10 ||

The unego appears as the very ego, and the imperishable One appearing as perishable; the unstained seem as tainted, and the unknowable known as the knowable all of the known world.

आलोकि ध्वान्तघनवन्नववच्च पुरातनम् । परमाणोरपि तनु गर्भीकृतजगद्गणम् ॥ ११ ॥

āloki dhvāntaghanavannavavacca purātanam | paramāṇorapi tanu garbhīkṛtajagadgaṇam || 11 ||

The luminous One appearing as deep darkness of chaos, and the oldest in time manifested as the new born creation; and the One minuter than an atom, bearing the boundless universe in its bosom.

सर्वात्मकमपि त्यक्तदृष्टं कष्टेन भूयसा । अजालमपि जालाढ्यं चाशेषवदनेकधा ॥ १२ ॥

sarvātmakamapi tyaktadṛṣṭaṃ kaṣṭena bhūyasā | ajālamapi jālāḍhyaṃ cāśeṣavadanekadhā || 12 ||

He the soul of all, is yet unseen or dimly seen in all these his works; and though boundless and endless in Himself, he appears as bounded in the multitudinous works of his creation.

निर्मायमपि मायांशुमण्डलामलभास्करम् । ब्रह्म विद्धि विदांनाथमपामिव महोदधिम् ॥ १३ ॥

nirmāyamapi māyāṃśumaṇḍalāmalabhāskaram | brahma viddhi vidāṃnāthamapāmiva mahodadhim || 13 ||

Being beyond illusion, He binds the world in delusion; and being ineffable light, he centres his brightness in the dazzling sun. Know then, O best of inquirers, that Brahma resembles the endless expanse of the vast ocean.

जगद्रत्नमहाकोशं तुलायां तूलकाल्लघु । मायामरीचिशशिनमपि नेक्षणगोचरम् ॥ १४ ॥

jagadratnamahākośaṃ tulāyāṃ tūlakāllaghu | māyāmarīciśaśinamapi nekṣaṇagocaram || 14 ||

This immense treasure of the universe, so enormous in its bulk, appears yet as light as a feather, when put into balance with the immensity of Brahma; and the rays of his illusion, eluding the moon-beams in their transparency, are as invisible as the glare of the mirage.

अनन्तमपि निष्पारं न च क्वचिदपि स्थितम् । आकाशे वनविन्यासनगनिर्माणतत्परम् ॥ १५ ॥

anantamapi niṣpāraṃ na ca kvacidapi sthitam | ākāśe vanavinyāsanaganirmāṇatatparam || 15 ||

Brahma is boundless and unfordable (as the ocean), and is situated in no time nor place nor in the sky, where he has set the forests of the clusters of the stars, and the huge mountains of the orbs of planets.

अणीयसामणीयांसं स्थविष्ठं च स्थवीयसाम् । गरीयसां गरिष्ठं च श्रेष्ठं च श्रेयसामपि ॥ १६ ॥

aṇīyasāmaṇīyāṃsaṃ sthaviṣṭhaṃ ca sthavīyasām | garīyasāṃ gariṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ ca śreyasāmapi || 16 ||

He is minutest of the minute (by his inhering in the bodies of the smallest minutiae); and the bulkiest of the bulky. He is the greatest among the great, and the chiefest of the chief.

अकर्तृकर्मकरणमकारणमकारकम् । अन्तःशून्यतयैवैतच्चिराय परिपूरितम् ॥ १७ ॥

akartṛkarmakaraṇamakāraṇamakārakam | antaḥśūnyatayaivaitaccirāya paripūritam || 17 ||

He is neither the doer, deed nor instrument of doing anything; and neither is the cause of another, nor has he any cause for himself. (In Vedanta, all causality is denied of the all pervading Brahma). And being all empty within, Brahma is full in Himself.

जगत्समुद्गकमपि नित्यं शून्यमरण्यवत् । अनन्तशैलकठिनमप्याकाशलवान्मृदु ॥ १८ ॥

jagatsamudgakamapi nityaṃ śūnyamaraṇyavat | anantaśailakaṭhinamapyākāśalavānmṛdu || 18 ||

The world which is the great casket of its contents, is as void as a vast desert; and notwithstanding its containing the countless massy and stony mountains in it, it is as ductile as the plastic ether and as subtile as the rarefied air.

प्रत्येकं प्रत्यहं प्रायः पुराणं पेलवं नवम् । आलोकमन्धकाराभं तमस्त्वालोकमाततम् ॥ १९ ॥

pratyekaṃ pratyahaṃ prāyaḥ purāṇaṃ pelavaṃ navam | ālokamandhakārābhaṃ tamastvālokamātatam || 19 ||

All things however time worn appear anew every day; the light becomes dark by night, and darkness is changed to light again.

प्रत्यक्षमपि दुर्लक्ष्यं परोक्षमपि चाग्रगम् । चिद्रूपमेव च जडं जडमेव चिदात्मकम् ॥ २० ॥

pratyakṣamapi durlakṣyaṃ parokṣamapi cāgragam | cidrūpameva ca jaḍaṃ jaḍameva cidātmakam || 20 ||

Things present become invisible to sight, and objects at a distance present themselves to view, the intellectual changes to the material, and the material vanishes to the superphysical.

अहमेवानहंभावमनहं वाऽहमेव च । अन्यदेव तदेवाहमहमेवान्यदेव तत् ॥ २१ ॥

ahamevānahaṃbhāvamanahaṃ vā'hameva ca | anyadeva tadevāhamahamevānyadeva tat || 21 ||

The ego becomes the non-ego, and the non-ego changes to the ego;one becomes the ego of another, and that other and the ego, become as something other and different than the ego.

अस्य पूर्णार्णवस्यान्तरिमे त्रिभुवनोर्मयः । स्फुरन्त इव तिष्ठन्ति स्वभावद्रवतात्मकाः ॥ २२ ॥

asya pūrṇārṇavasyāntarime tribhuvanormayaḥ | sphuranta iva tiṣṭhanti svabhāvadravatātmakāḥ || 22 ||

The full ocean of the bosom of Brahma, gives rise to the innumerable waves of world; and these waves like worlds evolve from and dissolve into the ocean of Brahma's breast, by their liquid like and plastic nature.

बिभर्ति सर्वमङ्गस्थं तुषारमिव शुक्लताम् । भाति सर्वस्त्वनेनैव तुषारेणेव शुक्लता ॥ २३ ॥

bibharti sarvamaṅgasthaṃ tuṣāramiva śuklatām | bhāti sarvastvanenaiva tuṣāreṇeva śuklatā || 23 ||

The vacuous body of Brahma bears a snow white brightness over all its parts, whence the whole creation is full of a light as fair as snow and frost.

अदेशकालावयवोऽप्येष देवो दिवानिशम् । असज्जगत्तनोतीव यथा वारितरङ्गकम् ॥ २४ ॥

adeśakālāvayavo'pyeṣa devo divāniśam | asajjagattanotīva yathā vāritaraṅgakam || 24 ||

This God being beyond the space of all time and place, and without all forms, figures, and shapes whatever; stretches out in space and all times of day and night, the unreal figures in the world like the unstable waves of the sea.

एतस्मिन्विकसन्तीमा विपुलाकाशकानने । जगज्जरठमञ्जर्यः प्रसरत्पत्रपञ्चकाः ॥ २५ ॥

etasminvikasantīmā vipulākāśakānane | jagajjaraṭhamañjaryaḥ prasaratpatrapañcakāḥ || 25 ||

In this light there shines the bright filament of the worlds, in the ample space of the sky; appearing as so many ancient arbours standing in a long and large forest, and bearing the five elements as their pentapetalous leaves.

एष स्वप्रतिबिम्बस्य स्वयमालोकनेच्छया । अत्यन्तनिर्मलाकारः स्वयं मुकुरतां गतः ॥ २६ ॥

eṣa svapratibimbasya svayamālokanecchayā | atyantanirmalākāraḥ svayaṃ mukuratāṃ gataḥ || 26 ||

The great God has spread out this light, as a clear mirror before his sight; in order as he wished to see the shadow of his own face, represented in the pellucid twilight.

व्योमवृक्षफलस्यास्य स्वेच्छावयव उज्ज्वला । सर्गोपलम्भ उद्यच्च चमत्कुर्वन्ति संविदि ॥ २७ ॥

vyomavṛkṣaphalasyāsya svecchāvayava ujjvalā | sargopalambha udyacca camatkurvanti saṃvidi || 27 ||

The unbounded intellect of God, produced of its own free will the spacious firmament, wherein the lord planted the tree of his creation, which brought forth the luminous orbs as its fruits in different parts of it.

अन्तस्थेन बहिष्ठेन नानानानातयात्मनि । एष सोऽन्तर्बहिर्भाति भावाभावविभावया ॥ २८ ॥

antasthena bahiṣṭhena nānānānātayātmani | eṣa so'ntarbahirbhāti bhāvābhāvavibhāvayā || 28 ||

The lord created a great many varieties of things, both in the inside as well as outside of himself; which appear as internal thoughts in his intellect, and as all entities and non-entities in his outer or physical world.

एतद्रूपा पदार्थश्रीरेतस्मिन्नेतदिच्छया । चमत्करोत्येतदर्थं जिह्वेव स्वास्यकोटरे ॥ २९ ॥

etadrūpā padārthaśrīretasminnetadicchayā | camatkarotyetadarthaṃ jihveva svāsyakoṭare || 29 ||

In this manner, the divine mind exhibits the different forms of things, in itself and of its own will, as the tongue displays the varieties of speech within the cavity of the mouth.

अस्याम्भसो द्रवत्वं यत्तदिदं जगदुच्यते । संवित्स्यादूपलम्भाङ्गं भुवनावर्तवृत्तिमत् ॥ ३० ॥

asyāmbhaso dravatvaṃ yattadidaṃ jagaducyate | saṃvitsyādūpalambhāṅgaṃ bhuvanāvartavṛttimat || 30 ||

It is the flowing of the fluid of divine will, which forms the worlds; and it is the conception of pleasant sensations in the mind, that causes these torrents and whirlpools in the ocean of the world.

शाम्यत्यत्र पदार्थश्रीः सर्वासामेव भास्वति । एतस्मादेव चोदेति स्वालोक इव तेजसः ॥ ३१ ॥

śāmyatyatra padārthaśrīḥ sarvāsāmeva bhāsvati | etasmādeva codeti svāloka iva tejasaḥ || 31 ||

It is from the divine mind that all things proceed, as the light issues from fire; as it is the lulling of the creative mind to rest, that the glow of all visible objects are extinguished and put out of sight.

इदमेव जगत्सर्वं शुक्लत्वं तुहिने यथा । अत एताः प्रवर्तन्ते विद इन्दोरिवांशवः ॥ ३२ ॥

idameva jagatsarvaṃ śuklatvaṃ tuhine yathā | ata etāḥ pravartante vida indorivāṃśavaḥ || 32 ||

All the worlds appertain to the divine intellect, as the property of whiteness adheres to the substance of snow; and all things proceeded from it, as the cooling moon-beams issue out of the lunar orb.

एतस्माद्रङ्गतोऽनङ्गाज्जगच्चित्रमिदं स्थितम् । विद्ध्यभावविकारादिशान्तमेतन्मयं ततम् ॥ ३३ ॥

etasmādraṅgato'naṅgājjagaccitramidaṃ sthitam | viddhyabhāvavikārādiśāntametanmayaṃ tatam || 33 ||

It is from flush of the hue of this bodiless intellect, that the picture of the world derives its variegated colouring; and it is this intellect alone which is to be known, as an infinite extension without its privation or variation at any time.

अस्माद्वनतरोरेताः स्वरूढा गगनाङ्गणे । दृश्यशाखाः प्रवर्तन्ते जगज्जालगुलुच्छकाः ॥ ३४ ॥

asmādvanataroretāḥ svarūḍhā gaganāṅgaṇe | dṛśyaśākhāḥ pravartante jagajjālagulucchakāḥ || 34 ||

This stupendous Intellect, like the gigantic fig-tree (ficus religiosa) of the forest, stretches out its huge branches on the empty air of heaven, bearing the enormous bodies of orbs of worlds, like clusters of its fruits and flowers.

व्ययोदयवती नूनमत्र दृश्यतरङ्गिणी । नानातानन्तकुसुमा वहत्यविचलाचले ॥ ३५ ॥

vyayodayavatī nūnamatra dṛśyataraṅgiṇī | nānātānantakusumā vahatyavicalācale || 35 ||

Again this colossal intellect appears as a huge mountain, firmly fixed in the air, and letting down many a gushing and running stream, flowing with numberless flowers, falling from the mountain trees.

अस्मिन्व्योमात्मके रङ्गे भुवनाभिनयभ्रमैः । मृत्यत्यविरतारम्भं वारैर्नियतिनर्तकी ॥ ३६ ॥

asminvyomātmake raṅge bhuvanābhinayabhramaiḥ | mṛtyatyaviratārambhaṃ vārairniyatinartakī || 36 ||

In this spacious theatre of vacuum, the old actress of destiny, acts her part of the representation of worlds in their repeated rotations and succession.

जगत्कोटिमहाकल्पकल्पोन्मेषनिमेषणः । विताने नाट्यते भूयो जन्यते कालबालकः ॥ ३७ ॥

jagatkoṭimahākalpakalponmeṣanimeṣaṇaḥ | vitāne nāṭyate bhūyo janyate kālabālakaḥ || 37 ||

In this stage the player boy said:—time is also seen to play his part, of producing and destroying by turns an infinity of worlds, in the continued course of Kalpa and Mahakalpa ages, and in the rotation of the parts of time.

उद्यत्स्वपि जगत्स्वेष शान्तमेवावतिष्ठते । अनिच्छ एव मुकुरः प्रतिबिम्बशतेष्विव ॥ ३८ ॥

udyatsvapi jagatsveṣa śāntamevāvatiṣṭhate | aniccha eva mukuraḥ pratibimbaśateṣviva || 38 ||

This playful time remains firm in his post, notwithstanding the repeated entrances and exits of worlds in the theatre of the universe; just as a fixed mirror ever remains the same, though shadows and appearance in it, are continually shifting and gliding through it.

भूतानां वर्तमानानां सर्गाणां संभविष्यताम् । एषोऽकारणकं बीजं सर्गाणामिव कारणम् ॥ ३९ ॥

bhūtānāṃ vartamānānāṃ sargāṇāṃ saṃbhaviṣyatām | eṣo'kāraṇakaṃ bījaṃ sargāṇāmiva kāraṇam || 39 ||

The Lord God is the causal seed of the worlds, whether existing at present or to come into existence in future; just in the same manner as the five elemental principles are causes of the present creation.

अस्योन्मेषो जगल्लक्ष्मीर्निमेषः प्रलयागमः । अनुन्मेषनिमेषोऽसावात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते ॥ ४० ॥

asyonmeṣo jagallakṣmīrnimeṣaḥ pralayāgamaḥ | anunmeṣanimeṣo'sāvātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate || 40 ||

The twinklings of his eye cause the appearance and disappearance of the world, with all its beauty and brightness; but the Supreme soul having no outward eye or its twinkling, is confined in his spirit only.

उद्यन्त्यमूनि सुबहूनि महामहान्ति सर्गागमप्रलयजन्मदशा जगन्ति । सर्वाणि तान्ययमपारस्वरूप एव प्रस्पन्दनानि मरुदेव यथास्व शान्तम् ॥ ४१ ॥

udyantyamūni subahūni mahāmahānti sargāgamapralayajanmadaśā jaganti | sarvāṇi tānyayamapārasvarūpa eva praspandanāni marudeva yathāsva śāntam || 41 ||

The very many great, and very great creations and dissolutions of worlds, and the incessant births and deaths of livings, which are continually going on in the course of the nature; are all the various forms of the One unvaried spirit, whose breath, like the inflation of air, produces and reduces all from and into itself. Know this and be quiet and still.