The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 12.199: ekonadviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

12.199.1

manuruvāca |
yadā te pañcabhiḥ pañca vimuktā manasā saha |
atha taddrakṣyase brahma maṇau sūtramivārpitam || 1 ||

"Manu said, 'When the fivefold attributes are united with the five senses and the mind, then is Brahma seen by the individual like a thread passing through a gem. As a thread, again, may lie within gold or pearl or a coral or any object made of earth, even so one's soul, in consequence of one's own acts, may live within a cow, a horse, a man, an elephant, or any other animal, or within a worm or an insect. The good deeds an individual performs in a particular body produce rewards that the individual enjoys in that particular body. A soil, apparently drenched with one particular kind of liquid, supplies to each different kind of herb or plant that grows on it the sort of juice it requires for itself. After the same manner, the Understanding, whose course is witnessed by the soul, is obliged to follow the path marked out by the acts of previous lives. From knowledge springs desire. From desire springs resolution. From resolution flows action. From action proceed fruits (i.e., consequences, good and bad). Fruits, therefore, are dependent on actions as their cause. Actions have the understanding for their cause. The understanding has knowledge for its cause; and knowledge has the Soul for its cause. That excellent result which is achieved in consequence of the destruction of knowledge, of fruits, of the understanding, and of acts, is called Knowledge of Brahma. Great and high is that self-existent Essence, which yogins behold.

12.199.2

tadeva ca yathā sūtraṃ suvarṇe vartate punaḥ |
muktāsvatha pravāleṣu mṛnmaye rājate tathā || 2 ||

12.199.3

tadvadgoṣu manuṣyeṣu tadvaddhastimṛgādiṣu |
tadvatkīṭapataṃgeṣu prasaktātmā svakarmabhiḥ || 3 ||

12.199.4

yena yena śarīreṇa yadyatkarma karotyayam |
tena tena śarīreṇa tattatphalamupāśnute || 4 ||

12.199.5

yathā hyekarasā bhūmiroṣadhyātmānusāriṇī |
tathā karmānugā buddhirantarātmānudarśinī || 5 ||

12.199.6

jñānapūrvodbhavā lipsā lipsāpūrvābhisaṃdhitā |
abhisaṃdhipūrvakaṃ karma karmamūlaṃ tataḥ phalam || 6 ||

12.199.7

phalaṃ karmātmakaṃ vidyātkarma jñeyātmakaṃ tathā |
jñeyaṃ jñānātmakaṃ vidyājjñānaṃ sadasadātmakam || 7 ||

12.199.8

jñānānāṃ ca phalānāṃ ca jñeyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ tathā |
kṣayānte tatphalaṃ divyaṃ jñānaṃ jñeyapratiṣṭhitam || 8 ||

12.199.9

mahaddhi paramaṃ bhūtaṃ yuktāḥ paśyanti yoginaḥ |
abudhāstaṃ na paśyanti hyātmasthā guṇabuddhayaḥ || 9 ||

They that are devoid of wisdom, and whose understandings are devoted to worldly possessions never behold that which exists in the Soul itself. Water is superior to the Earth in extension; Light is superior to Water; Wind is superior to Light; Space is superior to Wind; Mind is superior to Space; Understanding is superior to Mind; Time is superior to Understanding. The divine Vishnu, whose is this universe, is superior to Time. That god is without beginning, middle, and end. In consequence of his being without beginning, middle, and end, he is Unchangeable. He transcends all sorrow, for sorrow has limits. That Vishnu hath been called the Supreme Brahma. He is the refuge or object of what is called the Highest. Knowing Him, they that are wise, freed from everything that owns the power of Time, attain to what is called Emancipation. All these (that we perceive) are displayed in attributes. That which is called Brahma, being without attributes, is superior to these. Abstention from acts is the highest religion. That religion is sure to lead to deathlessness (Emancipation). The Richs, the Yajuses, and the Samans, have for their refuge the body. They flow from the end of the tongue. They cannot be acquired without effort and are subject to destruction. Brahma, however, cannot be acquired in this way, for (without depending upon the body) it depends upon that (i.e., the knower or Soul) which has the body for its refuge.

12.199.10

pṛthivīrūpato rūpamapāmiha mahattaram |
adbhyo mahattaraṃ tejastejasaḥ pavano mahān || 10 ||

12.199.11

pavanācca mahadvyoma tasmātparataraṃ manaḥ |
manaso mahatī buddhirbuddheḥ kālo mahānsmṛtaḥ || 11 ||

12.199.12

kālātsa bhagavānviṣṇuryasya sarvamidaṃ jagat |
nādirna madhyaṃ naivāntastasya devasya vidyate || 12 ||

12.199.13

anāditvādamadhyatvādanantatvācca so'vyayaḥ |
atyeti sarvaduḥkhāni duḥkhaṃ hyantavaducyate || 13 ||

12.199.14

tadbrahma paramaṃ proktaṃ taddhāma paramaṃ smṛtam |
tadgatvā kālaviṣayādvimuktā mokṣamāśritāḥ || 14 ||

12.199.15

guṇaistvetaiḥ prakāśante nirguṇatvāttataḥ param |
nivṛttilakṣaṇo dharmastathānantyāya kalpate || 15 ||

12.199.16

ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni śarīrāṇi vyapāśritāḥ |
jihvāgreṣu pravartante yatnasādhyā vināśinaḥ || 16 ||

12.199.17

na caivamiṣyate brahma śarīrāśrayasaṃbhavam |
na yatnasādhyaṃ tadbrahma nādimadhyaṃ na cāntavat || 17 ||

Without beginning, middle, or end, Brahma cannot be acquired by exertion (like to what is necessary for the acquirement of the Vedas). The Richs, the Samans, the Yajuses have each a beginning. Those that have a beginning have also an end. But Brahma is said to be without beginning. And because Brahma hath neither beginning nor end, it is said to be infinite and unchangeable. In consequence of unchangeableness, Brahma transcends all sorrow as also all pairs of opposites. Through unfavourable destiny, through inability to find out the proper means, and through the impediments offered by acts, mortals succeed not in beholding the path by which Brahma may be reached. In consequence of attachment to worldly possessions, of a vision of the joys of the highest heaven, and of coveting something other than Brahma, men do not attain to the Supreme. Others beholding worldly objects covet their possession. Desirous of such objects, they have no longing for Brahma in consequence of its transcending all attributes. How shall he that is attached to attributes which are inferior, arrive at a knowledge of him that is possessed of attributes that are superior? It is by inference that one can arrive at a knowledge of Him that transcends all this in attributes and form. By subtile intelligence alone can we know Him. We cannot describe Him in words. The mind is seizable by the mind, the eye by eye. By knowledge the understanding can be purified of its dross.

12.199.18

ṛcāmādistathā sāmnāṃ yajuṣāmādirucyate |
antaścādimatāṃ dṛṣṭo na cādirbrahmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || 18 ||

12.199.19

anāditvādanantatvāttadanantamathāvyayam |
avyayatvācca nirdvaṃdvaṃ dvaṃdvābhāvāttataḥ param || 19 ||

12.199.20

adṛṣṭato'nupāyāccāpyabhisaṃdheśca karmaṇaḥ |
na tena martyāḥ paśyanti yena gacchanti tatparam || 20 ||

12.199.21

viṣayeṣu ca saṃsargācchāśvatasya ca darśanāt |
manasā cānyadākāṅkṣanparaṃ na pratipadyate || 21 ||

12.199.22

guṇānyadiha paśyanti tadicchantyapare janāḥ |
paraṃ naivābhikāṅkṣanti nirguṇatvādguṇārthinaḥ || 22 ||

12.199.23

guṇairyastvavarairyuktaḥ kathaṃ vidyādguṇānimān |
anumānāddhi gantavyaṃ guṇairavayavaiḥ saha || 23 ||

12.199.24

sūkṣmeṇa manasā vidmo vācā vaktuṃ na śaknumaḥ |
mano hi manasā grāhyaṃ darśanena ca darśanam || 24 ||

12.199.25

jñānena nirmalīkṛtya buddhiṃ buddhyā tathā manaḥ |
manasā cendriyagrāmamanantaṃ pratipadyate || 25 ||

The understanding may be employed for purifying the mind. By the mind should the senses be controlled. Achieving all this, one may attain to the Unchangeable. One who has, by contemplation, become freed from attachments, and who has been enriched by the possession of a discerning mind, succeeds in attaining to Brahma which is without desire and above all attributes. As the wind keeps away from the fire that is embedded within a piece of wood, even so persons that are agitated (by desire for worldly possessions) keep away from that which is Supreme. Upon the destruction of all earthly objects, the mind always attains to That which is higher than the Understanding; while upon their separation the mind always acquires that which is below the Understanding. That person, who, in conformity with the method already described, becomes engaged in destroying earthly objects, attains to absorption into the body of Brahma. Though the Soul is unmanifest; yet when clothed with qualities, its acts become unmanifest. When dissolution (of the body) comes, it once more becomes manifest. The Soul is really inactive. It exists, united with the senses that are productive of either happiness or sorrow. United with all the senses and endued with body, it takes refuge in the five primal elements. Through want of power, however, it fails to act when deprived of force by the Supreme and Unchangeable. No man sees the end of the earth but knows this, viz., that the earth's end Will surely come.

12.199.26

buddhiprahīṇo manasāsamṛddhastathā nirāśīrguṇatāmupaiti |
paraṃ tyajantīha vilobhyamānā hutāśanaṃ vāyurivendhanastham || 26 ||

12.199.27

guṇādāne viprayoge ca teṣāṃ manaḥ sadā buddhiparāvarābhyām |
anenaiva vidhinā saṃpravṛtto guṇādāne brahmaśarīrameti || 27 ||

12.199.28

avyaktātmā puruṣo'vyaktakarmā so'vyaktatvaṃ gacchati hyantakāle |
tairevāyaṃ cendriyairvardhamānairglāyadbhirvā vartate karmarūpaḥ || 28 ||

12.199.29

sarvairayaṃ cendriyaiḥ saṃprayukto dehaḥ prāptaḥ pañcabhūtāśrayaḥ syāt |
nāsāmarthyādgacchati karmaṇeha hīnastena parameṇāvyayena || 29 ||

12.199.30

pṛthvyā naraḥ paśyati nāntamasyā hyantaścāsyā bhavitā ceti viddhi |
paraṃ nayantīha vilobhyamānaṃ yathā plavaṃ vāyurivārṇavastham || 30 ||

Man, agitated here (by attachments), is surely led to his last refuge like the wind leading a vessel tossed on the sea to a safe harbour at last. The Sun, spreading his rays, becomes the possessor of an attribute, (viz., the lighter of the world): withdrawing his rays (at the hour of setting), he once more becomes an object divested of attributes. After the same manner, a person, abandoning all distinctions (attachments), and betaking himself to penances, at last enters the indestructible Brahma which is divested of all attributes. By discerning Him who is without birth, who is the highest refuge of all righteous persons, who is self-born, from whom everything springs and unto whom all things return, who is unchangeable, who is without beginning, middle, and end, and who is certainty's self and supreme, a person attains to immortality (Emancipation).'"

12.199.31

divākaro guṇamupalabhya nirguṇo yathā bhavedvyapagataraśmimaṇḍalaḥ |
tathā hyasau muniriha nirviśeṣavānsa nirguṇaṃ praviśati brahma cāvyayam || 31 ||

12.199.32

anāgatiṃ sukṛtimatāṃ parāṃ gatiṃ svayaṃbhuvaṃ prabhavanidhānamavyayam |
sanātanaṃ yadamṛtamavyayaṃ padaṃ vicārya taṃ śamamamṛtatvamaśnute || 32 ||