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भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
न प्रणाशोऽस्ति जीवानां दत्तस्य च कृतस्य च। याति देहान्तरं प्राणी शरीरं तु विशीर्यते ॥१२-१८०-१॥
There is no destruction for living beings, nor for what is given or done. The living being moves to another body, but the body itself perishes.
न शरीराश्रितो जीवस्तस्मिन्नष्टे प्रणश्यति। यथा समित्सु दग्धासु न प्रणश्यति पावकः ॥१२-१८०-२॥
The soul is not dependent on the body; when the body is destroyed, the soul does not perish, just as fire is not destroyed when the sticks are burnt.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
अग्नेर्यथा तथा तस्य यदि नाशो न विद्यते। इन्धनस्योपयोगान्ते स चाग्निर्नोपलभ्यते ॥१२-१८०-३॥
Just as fire is not destroyed, but at the end of the fuel's use, that fire is not found, so too is it with this.
नश्यतीत्येव जानामि शान्तमग्निमनिन्धनम्। गतिर्यस्य प्रमाणं वा संस्थानं वा न दृश्यते ॥१२-१८०-४॥
I know for certain that a fire without fuel is extinguished; its movement, measure, or form is not seen.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
समिधामुपयोगान्ते सन्नेवाग्निर्न दृश्यते। आकाशानुगतत्वाद्धि दुर्ग्रहः स निराश्रयः ॥१२-१८०-५॥
When the fuel-sticks are consumed, the fire, though present, is not seen. Indeed, because it follows the nature of space, it is difficult to grasp and without support.
तथा शरीरसन्त्यागे जीवो ह्याकाशवत्स्थितः। न गृह्यते सुसूक्ष्मत्वाद्यथा ज्योतिर्न संशयः ॥१२-१८०-६॥
Similarly, when the body is abandoned, the soul remains like space; it cannot be grasped because of its extreme subtlety, just as light cannot be grasped—there is no doubt about this.
प्राणान्धारयते ह्यग्निः स जीव उपधार्यताम्। वायुसन्धारणो ह्यग्निर्नश्यत्युच्छ्वासनिग्रहात् ॥१२-१८०-७॥
Fire indeed supports the life-breaths; he should be understood as the living being. Fire, which is sustained by air, perishes when exhalation is restrained.
तस्मिन्नष्टे शरीराग्नौ शरीरं तदचेतनम्। पतितं याति भूमित्वमयनं तस्य हि क्षितिः ॥१२-१८०-८॥
When the bodily fire is extinguished, the unconscious body falls and returns to the earth, for the earth is truly its final resting place.
जङ्गमानां हि सर्वेषां स्थावराणां तथैव च। आकाशं पवनोऽभ्येति ज्योतिस्तमनुगच्छति ॥ तत्र त्रयाणामेकत्वं द्वयं भूमौ प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥१२-१८०-९॥
Indeed, among all moving and immovable beings, the wind approaches the ether, and light follows it. There, among the three, there is oneness; the other two are established on the earth.
यत्र खं तत्र पवनस्तत्राग्निर्यत्र मारुतः। अमूर्तयस्ते विज्ञेया आपो मूर्तास्तथा क्षितिः ॥१२-१८०-१०॥
Where there is space, there is wind; where there is wind, there is fire. Those are to be understood as formless; waters are with form, as is earth.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
यद्यग्निमारुतौ भूमिः खमापश्च शरीरिषु। जीवः किंलक्षणस्तत्रेत्येतदाचक्ष्व मेऽनघ ॥१२-१८०-११॥
If fire, wind, earth, space, and water are present in bodies, what is the characteristic of the living being there? Please tell me this, O sinless one.
पञ्चात्मके पञ्चरतौ पञ्चविज्ञानसंयुते। शरीरे प्राणिनां जीवं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि यादृशम् ॥१२-१८०-१२॥
I wish to know what kind of living being (jīva) exists in the body, which is composed of five selves, endowed with five jewels, and five kinds of knowledge.
मांसशोणितसङ्घाते मेदःस्नाय्वस्थिसञ्चये। भिद्यमाने शरीरे तु जीवो नैवोपलभ्यते ॥१२-१८०-१३॥
When the body, composed of flesh, blood, fat, sinews, and bones, is broken apart, the living being is not found therein.
यद्यजीवं शरीरं तु पञ्चभूतसमन्वितम्। शारीरे मानसे दुःखे कस्तां वेदयते रुजम् ॥१२-१८०-१४॥
If the body is lifeless and composed only of the five elements, then who experiences pain in bodily or mental suffering?
शृणोति कथितं जीवः कर्णाभ्यां न शृणोति तत्। महर्षे मनसि व्यग्रे तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः ॥१२-१८०-१५॥
A person may hear what is spoken with his ears, but if his mind is distracted, O great sage, he does not truly hear it; thus, such a person is rendered useless.
सर्वं पश्यति यद्दृश्यं मनोयुक्तेन चक्षुषा। मनसि व्याकुले तद्धि पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति ॥१२-१८०-१६॥
He perceives everything that is visible with eyes joined to the mind; but when the mind is disturbed, even though he looks, he does not truly see.
न पश्यति न च ब्रूते न शृणोति न जिघ्रति। न च स्पर्शरसौ वेत्ति निद्रावशगतः पुनः ॥१२-१८०-१७॥
Again, overpowered by sleep, he neither sees, nor speaks, nor hears, nor smells, nor knows touch and taste.
हृष्यति क्रुध्यति च कः शोचत्युद्विजते च कः। इच्छति ध्यायति द्वेष्टि वाचमीरयते च कः ॥१२-१८०-१८॥
Who is it that rejoices, becomes angry, grieves, is agitated, desires, meditates, hates, and utters speech?
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
न पञ्चसाधारणमत्र किं चि; च्छरीरमेको वहतेऽन्तरात्मा। स वेत्ति गन्धांश्च रसाञ्श्रुतिं च; स्पर्शं च रूपं च गुणाश्च येऽन्ये ॥१२-१८०-१९॥
There is nothing here that is common to all five senses; the inner self alone bears the body. He perceives scents, tastes, sounds, touch, forms, and other qualities.
पञ्चात्मके पञ्चगुणप्रदर्शी; स सर्वगात्रानुगतोऽन्तरात्मा। स वेत्ति दुःखानि सुखानि चात्र; तद्विप्रयोगात्तु न वेत्ति देहः ॥१२-१८०-२०॥
The inner self, which pervades all parts of the body and reveals the five qualities in the being of five selves, is the one who experiences pleasure and pain here; when separated from it, the body itself does not experience them.
यदा न रूपं न स्पर्शो नोष्मभावश्च पावके। तदा शान्ते शरीराग्नौ देहं त्यक्त्वा स नश्यति ॥१२-१८०-२१॥
When there is neither form, nor touch, nor heat in the fire, then, in the tranquil fire of the body, having abandoned the body, he perishes.
अम्मयं सर्वमेवेदमापो मूर्तिः शरीरिणाम्। तत्रात्मा मानसो ब्रह्मा सर्वभूतेषु लोककृत् ॥१२-१८०-२२॥
All this nourishment is truly water, which is the form of all embodied beings. There, the self, the mind-born Brahmā, is present as the creator of the worlds in all beings.
आत्मानं तं विजानीहि सर्वलोकहितात्मकम्। तस्मिन्यः संश्रितो देहे ह्यब्बिन्दुरिव पुष्करे ॥१२-१८०-२३॥
Recognize that self, whose essence is the welfare of all beings. He who dwells in the body is like a drop of water in a lotus.
क्षेत्रज्ञं तं विजानीहि नित्यं लोकहितात्मकम्। तमो रजश्च सत्त्वं च विद्धि जीवगुणानिमान् ॥१२-१८०-२४॥
Know that the knower of the field is eternal and is of the nature of the welfare of the world. Understand that darkness, passion, and goodness are the qualities inherent in living beings.
सचेतनं जीवगुणं वदन्ति; स चेष्टते चेष्टयते च सर्वम्। ततः परं क्षेत्रविदं वदन्ति; प्रावर्तयद्यो भुवनानि सप्त ॥१२-१८०-२५॥
They say that the quality of the living being is consciousness; he acts and causes everything to act. Beyond that, they say, is the knower of the field, who set the seven worlds in motion.
न जीवनाशोऽस्ति हि देहभेदे; मिथ्यैतदाहुर्मृत इत्यबुद्धाः। जीवस्तु देहान्तरितः प्रयाति; दशार्धतैवास्य शरीरभेदः ॥१२-१८०-२६॥
There is truly no destruction of life at the separation of the body; the unwise falsely say 'dead'. The soul, however, departs having entered another body; the separation from the body is just like a tenth part for him.
एवं सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढश्चरति संवृतः। दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥१२-१८०-२७॥
Thus, in all beings, it moves hidden and enveloped. But it is seen only by those who possess the highest and most subtle intellect, by the seers of truth.
तं पूर्वापररात्रेषु युञ्जानः सततं बुधः। लघ्वाहारो विशुद्धात्मा पश्यत्यात्मानमात्मनि ॥१२-१८०-२८॥
The wise one, who always meditates in the early and late parts of the night, who eats lightly and has a pure mind, sees the self within the self.
चित्तस्य हि प्रसादेन हित्वा कर्म शुभाशुभम्। प्रसन्नात्मात्मनि स्थित्वा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥१२-१८०-२९॥
When the mind is clear, abandoning both good and bad actions, and with a serene self established in the Self, one attains imperishable happiness.
मानसोऽग्निः शरीरेषु जीव इत्यभिधीयते। सृष्टिः प्रजापतेरेषा भूताध्यात्मविनिश्चये ॥१२-१८०-३०॥
The fire of the mind present in bodies is known as the living being. This is the creation of Prajāpati, determined in the context of beings and the self.
