36. Chapter 36

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । चमत्कुर्वन्त्यथानर्था आवर्ता इव वारिणि । एकस्वभावाः सकला यथा वारितरङ्गकाः ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | camatkurvantyathānarthā āvartā iva vāriṇi | ekasvabhāvāḥ sakalā yathā vāritaraṅgakāḥ || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—The false varieties of the world take us by surprise, as the eddies attract to them the passing vessels;but they are all found to be of the same nature, as the various waves of the sea.

सर्वस्यैवास्य विश्वस्य निर्ज्ञेयज्ञेयरूपिणी । परमाकाशतारूपं परोपशमसंश्रया ॥ २ ॥

sarvasyaivāsya viśvasya nirjñeyajñeyarūpiṇī | paramākāśatārūpaṃ paropaśamasaṃśrayā || 2 ||

The nature of the whole world, is as unknowably known to us; as that of the universal vacuum which rests in God alone, is imperceptibly perceptible to our eyes.

बालचिन्ता पुरोव्योम्नि न किंचिदपि मे यथा । तथेदं तत्त्वतो विश्वं सत्यं तु शिशुचेतसि ॥ ३ ॥

bālacintā purovyomni na kiṃcidapi me yathā | tathedaṃ tattvato viśvaṃ satyaṃ tu śiśucetasi || 3 ||

As I find nothing in the fancied cities of boys in the air, (which they think to abound with ghosts etc.); so doth this really ideal world, appear to be in real existence to boys alone.

अरूपालोकमननं शिलापुत्रकसैन्यवत् । रूपालोकमनस्कारा भान्ति केवात्र विश्वता ॥ ४ ॥

arūpālokamananaṃ śilāputrakasainyavat | rūpālokamanaskārā bhānti kevātra viśvatā || 4 ||

The sight and thought of visible appearances, are as the visions and remembrances of objects in dream; and so is this world but an appearance to the sight, and a phantom and phantasy in the mind.

रूपालोकमनस्कारा सारश्चिन्मात्रतां विना । न लभ्यतेऽसावपरं व्योमेवात्र क्व विश्वता ॥ ५ ॥

rūpālokamanaskārā sāraścinmātratāṃ vinā | na labhyate'sāvaparaṃ vyomevātra kva viśvatā || 5 ||

The phenomenal and the fancy, have no pith nor place except in the intellect; beside which there is nothing to be had save an unbounded vacuity only. Where then is the substantiality of the world?

विदो वित्त्वं जगद्भ्रान्तिरवित्त्वं तु न विभ्रमः । वित्त्वावित्त्वे त्वदायत्ते चित्ताचित्ते यथा तव ॥ ६ ॥

vido vittvaṃ jagadbhrāntiravittvaṃ tu na vibhramaḥ | vittvāvittve tvadāyatte cittācitte yathā tava || 6 ||

The error of the world consists in the knower's knowledge of it, and it is the ignorance (of the existence) of the world, that is free from this error; and the knowing or ignoring of it is dependant to thee, as the thinking or unthinking of a thing, is entirely in thy power.

परमाकाशरूपत्वाच्चिद्व्योम्नो वितताकृतेः । न स्वभावविपर्यासः कश्चित्संभवति क्वचित् ॥ ७ ॥

paramākāśarūpatvāccidvyomno vitatākṛteḥ | na svabhāvaviparyāsaḥ kaścitsaṃbhavati kvacit || 7 ||

The vacuous intellect being of the form of the transcendent sky, is of the state of an extended space, to which it is impossible to impute any particular nature or quality whatsoever.

तन्मयस्यास्य विश्वस्य न स्वभावविकारिता । विद्यते प्रेक्ष्यमाणापि किमु सास्य भविष्यति ॥ ८ ॥

tanmayasyāsya viśvasya na svabhāvavikāritā | vidyate prekṣyamāṇāpi kimu sāsya bhaviṣyati || 8 ||

The world also being of the form of the intellect (i.e. a formal representation of it); has no particular character or variable property assignable to it. It is seen to be existent, but having no particular feature of its own, it is not subject to any variation in its nature.

सर्वं चिद्व्योम चैवेदं न सत्त्वमहमित्यपि । विकाराद्यस्ति न ज्ञप्तावज्ञप्तिं न लभेत्क्वचित् ॥ ९ ॥

sarvaṃ cidvyoma caivedaṃ na sattvamahamityapi | vikārādyasti na jñaptāvajñaptiṃ na labhetkvacit || 9 ||

All this being a representation of the vacuous intellect, has no substantiality whatever in it; it is the substance and not the knowledge of a thing, that is subject to any change in its form, because knowledge appertains to the intellect, which is always unchangeable.

सर्वं शान्तं शिवं शुद्धं त्वमहंतादिविभ्रमम् । न किंचिदपि पश्यामि व्योमजं काननं यथा ॥ १० ॥

sarvaṃ śāntaṃ śivaṃ śuddhaṃ tvamahaṃtādivibhramam | na kiṃcidapi paśyāmi vyomajaṃ kānanaṃ yathā || 10 ||

I see all quiet and calm, and the pure spirit of God; I am without the error of ego, tu &c., and see nothing about me, in the same manner as we can never see a forest growing in the air.

संविदाकाशशून्यत्वं यत्तद्विद्धि वचो मम । इदं त्वत्संविदाकाशे स्वयमात्मनि तिष्ठति ॥ ११ ॥

saṃvidākāśaśūnyatvaṃ yattadviddhi vaco mama | idaṃ tvatsaṃvidākāśe svayamātmani tiṣṭhati || 11 ||

Know this my voice to be the empty air as my conscious thought, and know also these words of mine to proceed from my empty consciousness, which resides in the empty spirit likewise.

पदमाहुः परं सद्यदनिच्छोदयमासितम् । पाषाणपुरुषस्येव चित्रस्थस्येव चासनम् ॥ १२ ॥

padamāhuḥ paraṃ sadyadanicchodayamāsitam | pāṣāṇapuruṣasyeva citrasthasyeva cāsanam || 12 ||

That which they designate the transcendent essence, is the eternal and involuntary state of rest of the Divine soul, and not what it assumes to itself of its own volition (as that of the creative energy of Brahma—the Demiurge). That state resembles that of a slab of stone, with the figures naturally marked upon, or as the pictures drawn in a plate or chart.

स विश्रान्तमना मौनी यस्य प्रकृतकर्मसु । स्पन्दो दारुनरस्येव विगतेच्छमनाकुलम् ॥ १३ ॥

sa viśrāntamanā maunī yasya prakṛtakarmasu | spando dārunarasyeva vigatecchamanākulam || 13 ||

The silent man (muni or mouni) whose mind is calm and quiet in the management of his ordinary business, remains unmoved as a wooden statue, and without the disturbance of any desire or anxiety.

अन्तःशून्यं बहिःशून्यं विरसं गतवासनम् । जगद्वेणोरिव ज्ञस्य जीवतो भाति जीवनम् ॥ १४ ॥

antaḥśūnyaṃ bahiḥśūnyaṃ virasaṃ gatavāsanam | jagadveṇoriva jñasya jīvato bhāti jīvanam || 14 ||

The living wise and listless man sees all along his lifetime, the world resembling a hollow reed, all empty within and without it, and having no pith or juice in the inside of it.

यस्य न स्वदते दृश्यमदृश्यं स्वदते हृदि । सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं शान्तः स वितीर्णो भवार्णवात् ॥ १५ ॥

yasya na svadate dṛśyamadṛśyaṃ svadate hṛdi | sabāhyābhyantaraṃ śāntaḥ sa vitīrṇo bhavārṇavāt || 15 ||

He who is not delighted with the outer world, reaps the pleasure of his inner meditations;but he who is indifferent to both in his mind, is said to have gone over the ocean of the world.

उच्यन्तां शब्दजालानि वंशवद्गतवासनम् । रसेनानङ्गलग्नेन प्रकृतानन्यचोदनैः ॥ १६ ॥

ucyantāṃ śabdajālāni vaṃśavadgatavāsanam | rasenānaṅgalagnena prakṛtānanyacodanaiḥ || 16 ||

Give out the words from your lungs, like a sounding reed from its hollow pipe; and clear your mind from its thoughts, by keeping your body intact from busy affairs, and employing no other member of it after them.

स्पृश्यन्तां स्पर्शनीयानि यथाप्राप्तान्यवासनम् । कूटागारवदक्षुब्धमनिच्छममनोदयम् ॥ १७ ॥

spṛśyantāṃ sparśanīyāni yathāprāptānyavāsanam | kūṭāgāravadakṣubdhamanicchamamanodayam || 17 ||

Touch the tangibles as they come to thee without thy desiring them;and remain in thy solitary cell without thy wishing for or minding about them, or grieving at their want.

स्वाद्यन्तां रसजालानि विगतेच्छाभयैषणम् । अपरागाभिलषणं यथाप्राप्तानि दर्विवत् ॥ १८ ॥

svādyantāṃ rasajālāni vigatecchābhayaiṣaṇam | aparāgābhilaṣaṇaṃ yathāprāptāni darvivat || 18 ||

You may relish the various flavours, which are offered to you; and take them to your mouth in the manner of a spoon without wishing for or taking a delight in their sweet taste.

दृश्यन्तां रूपजालानि पुनः प्राप्तान्यवासनम् । अरसं निर्मनोमानमगर्वं चित्रनेत्रवत् ॥ १९ ॥

dṛśyantāṃ rūpajālāni punaḥ prāptānyavāsanam | arasaṃ nirmanomānamagarvaṃ citranetravat || 19 ||

You may see all sights, that appear before you; without your desiring for or delighting in them.

जिघ्र्यन्तां गन्धपुष्पाणि विगतेच्छमवासनम् । स्पन्दबन्धोपलग्नानि त्यागाय वनवातवत् ॥ २० ॥

jighryantāṃ gandhapuṣpāṇi vigatecchamavāsanam | spandabandhopalagnāni tyāgāya vanavātavat || 20 ||

You can smell the sweet perfumes and flowers, that fall in your way without your seeking them, take the scents only to breathe them out, as the odoriferous winds scatter the flowers all around.

इति चेद्विरसत्वेन बोधयित्वा चिकित्सिताः । न भोगरोगास्तद्वच्च शान्त्यै नास्ति कथैव च ॥ २१ ॥

iti cedvirasatvena bodhayitvā cikitsitāḥ | na bhogarogāstadvacca śāntyai nāsti kathaiva ca || 21 ||

In this manner if you go on to enjoy the objects of sense with utter indifference to them, and neither longing after or indulging yourself in any; you shall in that case have nothing to disturb your peace and content at any time.

यः स्वादयन्भोगविषं रतिमेति दिने दिने । सोऽग्नौ स्वमूर्ति ज्वलिते कक्षमक्षयमुज्झति ॥ २२ ॥

yaḥ svādayanbhogaviṣaṃ ratimeti dine dine | so'gnau svamūrti jvalite kakṣamakṣayamujjhati || 22 ||

But whoso finds a zest for the poisonous pleasures of life, increasing in himself day by day; casts his body and mind to be consumed in their burning flame, and loses his endless felicity.

निरिच्छत्वं समाधानमाहुरागमभूषणाः । यथा शाम्येन्मनोऽनिच्छं नोपदेशशतैस्तथा ॥ २३ ॥

niricchatvaṃ samādhānamāhurāgamabhūṣaṇāḥ | yathā śāmyenmano'nicchaṃ nopadeśaśataistathā || 23 ||

Want of desire in the heart, is said to constitute the obtuse insensibility of the soul, called samadhana by dispassionate sages; and there is no other better lesson to secure the peace of mind, than the precept of contentment.

इच्छोदयो यथा दुःखमिच्छाशान्तिर्यथा सुखम् । तथा न नरके नापि ब्रह्मलोकेऽनुभूयते ॥ २४ ॥

icchodayo yathā duḥkhamicchāśāntiryathā sukham | tathā na narake nāpi brahmaloke'nubhūyate || 24 ||

The increasing desire is as painful, as one's habitation in hell fire; while the subsidence of desires in the mind, is as delightsome as his residence in heaven.

इच्छामात्रं विदुश्चित्तं तच्छान्तिर्मोक्ष उच्यते । एतावन्त्येव शास्त्राणि तपांसि नियमा यमाः ॥ २५ ॥

icchāmātraṃ viduścittaṃ tacchāntirmokṣa ucyate | etāvantyeva śāstrāṇi tapāṃsi niyamā yamāḥ || 25 ||

It is desire alone, which constitutes the feelings of the heart and mind; and it is this, which actuates mankind to the practice of their austerities and penances, according to the sastras.

यावती यावती जन्तोरिच्छोदेति यथा यथा । तावती तावती दुःखबीजमुष्टिः प्ररोहति ॥ २६ ॥

yāvatī yāvatī jantoricchodeti yathā yathā | tāvatī tāvatī duḥkhabījamuṣṭiḥ prarohati || 26 ||

Whenever a man allows his desire, to rise in any manner in his heart; even then he scatters a handful of the seeds of affliction, to sprout forth in the fair ground of his mind.

यथा यथेच्छा तनुतां याति जन्तोर्विवेकतः । तथा तथोपशाम्यन्ति दुःखचिन्ताविषूचिकाः ॥ २७ ॥

yathā yathecchā tanutāṃ yāti jantorvivekataḥ | tathā tathopaśāmyanti duḥkhacintāviṣūcikāḥ || 27 ||

As much as the craving of one is lessened by the dictates of this reason, so much do the pain of his avaricious thoughts cease to molest them.

यथा यथेच्छा घनतां याति लोकस्य रागतः । तथा तथा विवर्धन्ते दुःखचिन्ताविषोर्मयः ॥ २८ ॥

yathā yathecchā ghanatāṃ yāti lokasya rāgataḥ | tathā tathā vivardhante duḥkhacintāviṣormayaḥ || 28 ||

The more doth a man cherish his fond desire in his mind, the more does it boil and rage and wave in his breast.

इच्छा चिकित्स्यते व्याधिर्न स्वयत्नौषधेन चेत् । तदत्र बलवन्मन्ये विद्यते नौषधान्तरम् ॥ २९ ॥

icchā cikitsyate vyādhirna svayatnauṣadhena cet | tadatra balavanmanye vidyate nauṣadhāntaram || 29 ||

If you do not heal the malady of your desire, by the medicine of your own efforts; then I think you will never find a more powerful balsam to remedy this your inveterate disease.

इच्छोपशमनं कर्तुं यदि कृत्स्नं न शक्यते । स्वल्पमप्यनुगन्तव्यं मार्गस्थो नावसीदति ॥ ३० ॥

icchopaśamanaṃ kartuṃ yadi kṛtsnaṃ na śakyate | svalpamapyanugantavyaṃ mārgastho nāvasīdati || 30 ||

Should you be unable to put a check to your desire altogether, you must still try to do it by degrees, as a passenger never fails to get his goal even by slow paces in time.

यस्त्विच्छातानवे यत्नं न करोति नराधमः । सोऽन्धकूपे स्वमात्मानं दिनानुदिनमुज्झति ॥ ३१ ॥

yastvicchātānave yatnaṃ na karoti narādhamaḥ | so'ndhakūpe svamātmānaṃ dinānudinamujjhati || 31 ||

He who does not try to diminish his desires day by day, is reckoned as the meanest of men, and is destined to dive in misery every day.

दुःखप्रसवशालिन्या बीजमिच्छैव संसृतेः । सम्यग्ज्ञानाग्निदग्धा सा न भूयः परिरोहति ॥ ३२ ॥

duḥkhaprasavaśālinyā bījamicchaiva saṃsṛteḥ | samyagjñānāgnidagdhā sā na bhūyaḥ parirohati || 32 ||

Our cupidity is the causal seed of the crop of our misery in this world; and this seed being fried in the fire of our best reason, will no more vegetate in the ground of our breast.

इच्छामात्रं हि संसारो निर्वाणं तदवेदनम् । इच्छानुत्पादने यत्नः क्रियतां किं वृथाभ्रमैः ॥ ३३ ॥

icchāmātraṃ hi saṃsāro nirvāṇaṃ tadavedanam | icchānutpādane yatnaḥ kriyatāṃ kiṃ vṛthābhramaiḥ || 33 ||

The world is the field of our desires and the baneful sources of misery only, it is the extinction of them which is called nirvana; therefore never be tempted by the delusion of desire for your utter destruction.

शास्त्रोपदेशगुरवः प्रेक्ष्यन्ते किमनर्थकम् । किमिच्छाननुसंधानसमाधिर्नाधिगम्यते ॥ ३४ ॥

śāstropadeśaguravaḥ prekṣyante kimanarthakam | kimicchānanusaṃdhānasamādhirnādhigamyate || 34 ||

Of what avail are the dictates of the sastras, and the precepts of our preceptors; if we fail to understand that, our samadhi or final rest consists in the extinction of our temporary desires.

यस्येच्छाननुसंधानमात्रे दुःसाध्यता मतेः । गुरूपदेशशास्त्रादि तस्य नूनं निरर्थकम् ॥ ३५ ॥

yasyecchānanusaṃdhānamātre duḥsādhyatā mateḥ | gurūpadeśaśāstrādi tasya nūnaṃ nirarthakam || 35 ||

He who finds the difficulty of checking his desires in his mind, it is hopeless for him to derive any good from the instructions of his preceptors, or the teachings of the sastras whatever.

इच्छाविषविकारिण्यामन्त एव नृणामलम् । दुःखप्रसरकारिण्या हरिण्या जन्म जङ्गले ॥ ३६ ॥

icchāviṣavikāriṇyāmanta eva nṛṇāmalam | duḥkhaprasarakāriṇyā hariṇyā janma jaṅgale || 36 ||

It is the poison of avarice which proves the bane of human life, as the native forests of stags prove destructive to them, by being infested by huntsmen.

न बालीक्रियते त्वीषदात्मज्ञानाय चेदसौ । इच्छोपशान्तिः क्रियतां तयालं तदवाप्यते ॥ ३७ ॥

na bālīkriyate tvīṣadātmajñānāya cedasau | icchopaśāntiḥ kriyatāṃ tayālaṃ tadavāpyate || 37 ||

If one would not deal frivolously, with the acquisition of his self-knowledge (spirituality); he may but learn to extenuate his cravings, and he will thereby be led insensibly, to the acquirement of his spiritual knowledge.

निरिच्छतैव निर्वाणं सेच्छतैव हि बन्धनम् । यथाशक्ति जयेदिच्छां किमेतावति दुष्करम् ॥ ३८ ॥

niricchataiva nirvāṇaṃ secchataiva hi bandhanam | yathāśakti jayedicchāṃ kimetāvati duṣkaram || 38 ||

Extinction of wish is the extirpation of anguish, and this is the sense of the nirvana bliss; therefore try to curtail your desires, and thereby to cut off your bondage, which will not be difficult for you to do, if you will but try to do so.

जरामरणजन्मादि करञ्जखदिरावलेः । बीजमिच्छा सदैवान्तर्दह्यतां शमवह्निना ॥ ३९ ॥

jarāmaraṇajanmādi karañjakhadirāvaleḥ | bījamicchā sadaivāntardahyatāṃ śamavahninā || 39 ||

The evils of death and decrepitude, and the weeds of continued woes, are the produce of secret seed of desire, which [is] to be burnt betimes by the fires of equanimity and insouciance.

यतो यतो निरिच्छत्वं मुक्ततैव ततस्ततः । यावद्गति यथाप्राणं हन्यादिच्छां समुत्थिताम् ॥ ४० ॥

yato yato niricchatvaṃ muktataiva tatastataḥ | yāvadgati yathāprāṇaṃ hanyādicchāṃ samutthitām || 40 ||

Wherever there is inappetency, the liberation from bondage is found to be even there also; therefore suppress always your rising desires, as you repress your fleeting breath.

यतो यतश्च सेच्छत्वं बन्धपाशास्ततस्ततः । पुण्यपापमया दुःखराशयो विततार्तयः ॥ ४१ ॥

yato yataśca secchatvaṃ bandhapāśāstatastataḥ | puṇyapāpamayā duḥkharāśayo vitatārtayaḥ || 41 ||

Wherever there is appetence, even there is our bondage in this world; and all our acts of merit or demerit and all our distresses and diseases, are the invariable companions of our worldly wishes.

इच्छानिरासरहिते गते साधोः क्षणेऽपि च । दस्युभिर्मुषितस्येव युक्तमाक्रन्दितुं चिरम् ॥ ४२ ॥

icchānirāsarahite gate sādhoḥ kṣaṇe'pi ca | dasyubhirmuṣitasyeva yuktamākrandituṃ ciram || 42 ||

The dominant desire being deprived of its province, and the indifferent saint being freed from its bondage; it is made to weep and wail, as when a man is robbed by a robber.

यथा यथास्य पुंसोऽन्तरिच्छा समुपशाम्यति । तथा तथास्य कल्याणं मोक्षाय परिवर्धते ॥ ४३ ॥

yathā yathāsya puṃso'ntaricchā samupaśāmyati | tathā tathāsya kalyāṇaṃ mokṣāya parivardhate || 43 ||

As much as a man's desire is decreased in his breast, so much so does his prosperity increase, leading him onward towards his liberation.

आत्मनो निर्विवेकस्य यदिच्छापरिपूरणम् । संसारविषवृक्षस्य तदेव परिषेचनम् ॥ ४४ ॥

ātmano nirvivekasya yadicchāparipūraṇam | saṃsāraviṣavṛkṣasya tadeva pariṣecanam || 44 ||

A foolish man that is ignorant of himself (i.e. of his soul and spirit), and fosters his fond desire for anything; is as if he were watering at the root of the poisonous arbour of this world, only to bring his death by its baneful fruits.

हृद्वृक्षजाः स्वसुखदुःखकुबीजकोशौ वैरादिवाश्रयकृतादशुभाच्छुभाच्च । आसाद्य दुष्कृतकृशानुशिखाः शितान्ता इच्छाश्छमच्छमिति पुंस्पशुमादहन्ति ॥ ४५ ॥

hṛdvṛkṣajāḥ svasukhaduḥkhakubījakośau vairādivāśrayakṛtādaśubhācchubhācca | āsādya duṣkṛtakṛśānuśikhāḥ śitāntā icchāśchamacchamiti puṃspaśumādahanti || 45 ||

There is the tree of desire growing in the human heart and yielding the two seeds (fruits) of happiness and misery (i.e. of good and evil); but the latter being fanned by the breeze of sin, bursts out in a flame which burns down the other, and together with it its possessor also.