6. Mahabharata - Bhishma Parva (महाभारत - भीष्मपर्वम्)
06.030
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
kiṁ tadbrahma kimadhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣottama। adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktamadhidaivaṁ kimucyate ॥6-30-1॥
O Supreme Person, what is Brahman, what is spirituality, and what is action? What is described as pertaining to the elements, and what is referred to as pertaining to the gods?
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko'tra dehe'smin madhusūdana। prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo'si niyatātmabhiḥ ॥6-30-2॥
O Madhusudana, how can the self-controlled know you as the lord of sacrifices in this body, and how at the time of death?
śrībhagavānuvāca॥
The Lord spoke:
akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo'dhyātmamucyate। bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasañjñitaḥ ॥6-30-3॥
The supreme Brahman is imperishable, and its inherent nature is referred to as spiritual essence. The process that leads to the creation of material existence is known as action.
adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam। adhiyajño'ham evātra dehe dehabhṛtāṁ vara ॥6-30-4॥
The perishable nature is related to the physical realm, and the person is associated with the divine realm. I am indeed the one related to the sacrifice here in the body, O best among the embodied beings.
antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram। yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ ॥6-30-5॥
At the time of death, whoever remembers me and leaves the body, he attains my nature; there is no doubt about this.
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaranbhāvaṁ tyajatyante kalevaram। taṁ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ ॥6-30-6॥
O son of Kunti, whatever state of being one remembers when leaving the body at the end of life, that state he will attain, being always absorbed in such thoughts.
tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca। mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ ॥6-30-7॥
Therefore, always remember me and engage in the battle. With your mind and intellect dedicated to me, you will undoubtedly come to me.
abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā। paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ॥6-30-8॥
O son of Pritha, by practicing yoga with a focused mind and contemplating the supreme divine person, one attains that state.
kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāra; maṇoraṇīyāṃsamanusmaredyaḥ। sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpa; mādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt ॥6-30-9॥
One should meditate upon the ancient seer, the ruler, who is subtler than the mind, the supporter of all, of inconceivable form, sun-colored, and beyond darkness.
prayāṇakāle manasācalena; bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva। bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak; sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam ॥6-30-10॥
At the time of death, one who departs with a steady mind, full of devotion, and empowered by yoga, focusing the life force between the eyebrows, reaches the supreme divine Personality.
yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti; viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ। yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti; tatte padaṃ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye ॥6-30-11॥
I shall briefly explain to you that state, which is spoken of by the knowers of the Vedas, entered by the passionless ascetics, and for which they practice celibacy.
sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca। mūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām ॥6-30-12॥
By controlling all the senses, focusing the mind in the heart, and placing the life force at the top of the head, one remains steadfast in the practice of yoga.
omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran। yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ॥6-30-13॥
He who departs from the body, uttering the sacred syllable 'Om' and remembering me, reaches the highest state.
ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ। tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ ॥6-30-14॥
O son of Pritha, I am easily attainable by that constantly engaged yogi who always remembers me with an undistracted mind.
māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam। nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ ॥6-30-15॥
Great souls, having reached me, do not undergo rebirth, which is the abode of sorrow and is impermanent; they have attained the highest perfection.
ā brahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino'rjuna। māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate ॥6-30-16॥
O Arjuna, all worlds, including the world of Brahma, are subject to return. However, upon reaching Me, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth.
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyadbrahmaṇo viduḥ। rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te'horātravido janāḥ ॥6-30-17॥
The people who understand the concept of day and night know that a day of Brahma lasts for a thousand ages, and similarly, the night ends in a thousand ages.
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame। rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasañjñake ॥6-30-18॥
All beings emerge from the unmanifest at the dawn of the day and dissolve back into it at nightfall, in that which is called the unmanifest.
bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate। rātryāgame'vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame ॥6-30-19॥
The multitude of beings repeatedly comes into existence and is dissolved helplessly with the arrival of night, O son of Pritha, and manifests again with the arrival of day.
parastasmāttu bhāvo'nyo'vyakto'vyaktātsanātanaḥ। yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati ॥6-30-20॥
Beyond the manifest and the unmanifest, there exists another eternal reality that remains unaffected even when all beings cease to exist.
avyakto'kṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim। yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ॥6-30-21॥
The unmanifest and imperishable is said to be the supreme goal. Upon reaching it, one does not return; that is my supreme abode.
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā। yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ॥6-30-22॥
The Supreme Person, O son of Pṛthā, can be attained only by exclusive devotion. All beings reside in Him, and by Him, all this is pervaded.
yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ। prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ॥6-30-23॥
O best of the Bharatas, I will tell you about the time when yogis, having departed, go to either non-return or return.
agnirjyotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam। tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ॥6-30-24॥
The people who know Brahman, when they depart during the bright day, the light, the fire, the six months of the northern course, they go to Brahman.
dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam। tatra cāndramaśaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate ॥6-30-25॥
The yogi who passes away during the smoke, night, and dark six months of the southern course, reaches the lunar light and returns.
śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate। ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ ॥6-30-26॥
In the eternal opinion of the world, there are two paths: the path of light and the path of darkness. By one path, one reaches a state of no return, while by the other, one returns again.
naite sṛtī pārtha jānan-yogī muhyati kaścana। tasmāt-sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna ॥6-30-27॥
O son of Pritha, knowing these paths, a yogi is never deluded. Therefore, always be engaged in yoga, Arjuna.
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva; dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam। atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā; yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam ॥6-30-28॥
The yogi, having understood the promised meritorious fruits of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and charities, surpasses all these and attains the supreme, primeval abode.

...

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय। ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥ - बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद् 1.3.28
"Ōm! Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. Let there be peace, peace, and peace. Ōm!" - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28

Copyright © 2023, Incredible Wisdom.
All rights reserved.