12.194
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
किं फलं ज्ञानयोगस्य वेदानां नियमस्य च। भूतात्मा वा कथं ज्ञेयस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१२-१९४-१॥
O grandsire, tell me: What is the fruit of knowledge-yoga, of the Vedas, and of discipline? Or, how is the self of beings to be known? Please explain that to me.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। मनोः प्रजापतेर्वादं महर्षेश्च बृहस्पतेः ॥१२-१९४-२॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: the discussion between Manu, the progenitor, and the great sage Bṛhaspati.
प्रजापतिं श्रेष्ठतमं पृथिव्यां; देवर्षिसङ्घप्रवरो महर्षिः। बृहस्पतिः प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं; पप्रच्छ शिष्योऽथ गुरुं प्रणम्य ॥१२-१९४-३॥
Bṛhaspati, the foremost among the divine sages on earth, asked this ancient question to Prajāpati after the disciple bowed to the teacher.
यत्कारणं मन्त्रविधिः प्रवृत्तो; ज्ञाने फलं यत्प्रवदन्ति विप्राः। यन्मन्त्रशब्दैरकृतप्रकाशं; तदुच्यतां मे भगवन्यथावत् ॥१२-१९४-४॥
O revered one, please tell me as it is: what is that cause from which the ritual of mantra has arisen, what is the fruit in knowledge that the sages declare, and what is that which is not made manifest by the words of mantras.
यदर्थशास्त्रागममन्त्रविद्भि; र्यज्ञैरनेकैर्वरगोप्रदानैः। फलं महद्भिर्यदुपास्यते च; तत्किं कथं वा भविता क्व वा तत् ॥१२-१९४-५॥
What is that fruit, which is worshipped by those learned in the treatises on wealth, scriptures, and mantras, by many sacrifices, and by the giving of excellent cows through great acts? What is it, how will it be, or where will it be?
मही महीजाः पवनोऽन्तरिक्षं; जलौकसश्चैव जलं दिवं च। दिवौकसश्चैव यतः प्रसूता; स्तदुच्यतां मे भगवन्पुराणम् ॥१२-१९४-६॥
O venerable one, please tell me that ancient lore from which the earth, those born of the earth, wind, atmosphere, those dwelling in water, water, sky, and those dwelling in the sky have originated.
ज्ञानं यतः प्रार्थयते नरो वै; ततस्तदर्था भवति प्रवृत्तिः। न चाप्यहं वेद परं पुराणं; मिथ्याप्रवृत्तिं च कथं नु कुर्याम् ॥१२-१९४-७॥
A man indeed acts for the sake of that which he desires knowledge of; thus, activity arises for that purpose. I do not know the supreme ancient (truth); so how indeed should I engage in false activity?
ऋक्सामसङ्घांश्च यजूंषि चाहं; छन्दांसि नक्षत्रगतिं निरुक्तम्। अधीत्य च व्याकरणं सकल्पं; शिक्षां च भूतप्रकृतिं न वेद्मि ॥१२-१९४-८॥
Though I have studied the collections of Ṛg and Sāma Vedas, Yajur Veda texts, meters, the movement of constellations, etymology, grammar, Kalpa (rituals), phonetics, and the nature of beings, I do not truly know (the essence).
स मे भवाञ्शंसतु सर्वमेत; ज्ज्ञाने फलं कर्मणि वा यदस्ति। यथा च देहाच्च्यवते शरीरी; पुनः शरीरं च यथाभ्युपैति ॥१२-१९४-९॥
Please tell me all this: whatever fruit exists in knowledge or in action. Just as the embodied soul departs from the body, so too does it again approach a body.
मनुरुवाच॥
Manu said.
यद्यत्प्रियं यस्य सुखं तदाहु; स्तदेव दुःखं प्रवदन्त्यनिष्टम्। इष्टं च मे स्यादितरच्च न स्या; देतत्कृते कर्मविधिः प्रवृत्तः ॥ इष्टं त्वनिष्टं च न मां भजेते; त्येतत्कृते ज्ञानविधिः प्रवृत्तः ॥१२-१९४-१०॥
Whatever is dear to a person is called pleasure; that very thing is also declared to be pain and undesirable. What is desired may be mine and the other not mine; thus, the prescription of action arises. But when desired and undesired things do not affect me, the prescription of knowledge arises.
कामात्मकाश्छन्दसि कर्मयोगा; एभिर्विमुक्तः परमश्नुवीत। नानाविधे कर्मपथे सुखार्थी; नरः प्रवृत्तो न परं प्रयाति ॥ परं हि तत्कर्मपथादपेतं; निराशिषं ब्रह्मपरं ह्यवश्यम् ॥१२-१९४-११॥
Those who are driven by desire and engage in ritual actions prescribed in the Veda—by these means, one who is liberated may attain the highest. But a man who seeks pleasure and is engaged in the various paths of action does not reach the supreme. Indeed, that which is beyond the path of action, free from desire for reward and devoted to Brahman, is certainly the highest.
प्रजाः सृष्टा मनसा कर्मणा च; द्वावप्येतौ सत्पथौ लोकजुष्टौ। दृष्ट्वा कर्म शाश्वतं चान्तवच्च; मनस्त्यागः कारणं नान्यदस्ति ॥१२-१९४-१२॥
Beings are created by mind and by action; both are considered righteous and accepted by people. Observing that action is both eternal and perishable, it is the renunciation of the mind that is the true cause; there is no other.
स्वेनात्मना चक्षुरिव प्रणेता; निशात्यये तमसा संवृतात्मा। ज्ञानं तु विज्ञानगुणेन युक्तं; कर्माशुभं पश्यति वर्जनीयम् ॥१२-१९४-१३॥
Just as the eye, by its own nature, becomes a guide when the darkness of night ends and the self is no longer covered, so too knowledge, when endowed with discernment, perceives unwholesome actions as those to be avoided.
सर्पान्कुशाग्राणि तथोदपानं; ज्ञात्वा मनुष्याः परिवर्जयन्ति। अज्ञानतस्तत्र पतन्ति मूढा; ज्ञाने फलं पश्य यथा विशिष्टम् ॥१२-१९४-१४॥
Just as people avoid snakes, the tips of hooks, and wells when they know the danger, so too do fools fall there out of ignorance; see how distinct is the fruit of knowledge. "12-194-14"
कृत्स्नस्तु मन्त्रो विधिवत्प्रयुक्तो; यज्ञा यथोक्तास्त्वथ दक्षिणाश्च। अन्नप्रदानं मनसः समाधिः; पञ्चात्मकं कर्मफलं वदन्ति ॥१२-१९४-१५॥
They say that the fruit of action is fivefold: the entire mantra properly applied, sacrifices as prescribed, gifts, offering of food, and concentration of the mind.
गुणात्मकं कर्म वदन्ति वेदा; स्तस्मान्मन्त्रा मन्त्रमूलं हि कर्म। विधिर्विधेयं मनसोपपत्तिः; फलस्य भोक्ता तु यथा शरीरी ॥१२-१९४-१६॥
The Vedas declare that action is characterized by guṇas; therefore, mantras—action is indeed based on mantra. The injunction is what is to be performed, which arises from the mind; but the enjoyer of the result is, just like the embodied one, the soul.
शब्दाश्च रूपाणि रसाश्च पुण्याः; स्पर्शाश्च गन्धाश्च शुभास्तथैव। नरो नसंस्थानगतः प्रभुः स्या; देतत्फलं सिध्यति कर्मलोके ॥१२-१९४-१७॥
Sounds, forms, tastes, touches, and scents that are auspicious and meritorious—these are attained in the world of action; but a man who has not reached the proper state cannot become master of them. This is the fruit that is accomplished in the world of action.
यद्यच्छरीरेण करोति कर्म; शरीरयुक्तः समुपाश्नुते तत्। शरीरमेवायतनं सुखस्य; दुःखस्य चाप्यायतनं शरीरम् ॥१२-१९४-१८॥
Whatever actions are performed by the body, one experiences their results through the body. The body is truly the seat of both happiness and sorrow.
वाचा तु यत्कर्म करोति किं चि; द्वाचैव सर्वं समुपाश्नुते तत्। मनस्तु यत्कर्म करोति किं चि; न्मनःस्थ एवायमुपाश्नुते तत् ॥१२-१९४-१९॥
Whatever action is performed by speech, all of that is attained by the mouth. But whatever action is performed by the mind, this remains only in the mind and attains that.
यथागुणं कर्मगणं फलार्थी; करोत्ययं कर्मफले निविष्टः। तथा तथायं गुणसम्प्रयुक्तः; शुभाशुभं कर्मफलं भुनक्ति ॥१२-१९४-२०॥
Just as a person, according to his qualities, performs groups of actions desiring their results and is absorbed in the fruits of those actions, so too, being impelled by qualities, he experiences the good and bad results of his actions.
मत्स्यो यथा स्रोत इवाभिपाती; तथा कृतं पूर्वमुपैति कर्म। शुभे त्वसौ तुष्यति दुष्कृते तु; न तुष्यते वै परमः शरीरी ॥१२-१९४-२१॥
Just as a fish rushes towards the current, so previous actions inevitably reach their doer. The supreme embodied soul is pleased with good deeds, but is not pleased with evil deeds.
यतो जगत्सर्वमिदं प्रसूतं; ज्ञात्वात्मवन्तो व्यतियान्ति यत्तत्। यन्मन्त्रशब्दैरकृतप्रकाशं; तदुच्यमानं शृणु मे परं यत् ॥१२-१९४-२२॥
Hear from me about that supreme principle from which all this universe is born; knowing which, the self-possessed pass beyond. That which is not revealed by mantra words, that which is being spoken, listen to that.
रसैर्वियुक्तं विविधैश्च गन्धै; रशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपवच्च। अग्राह्यमव्यक्तमवर्णमेकं; पञ्चप्रकारं ससृजे प्रजानाम् ॥१२-१९४-२३॥
He created for beings that which is devoid of tastes and various smells, soundless, untouchable, formless, ungraspable, unmanifest, colorless, one, and of five kinds.
न स्त्री पुमान्वापि नपुंसकं च; न सन्न चासत्सदसच्च तन्न। पश्यन्ति यद्ब्रह्मविदो मनुष्या; स्तदक्षरं न क्षरतीति विद्धि ॥१२-१९४-२४॥
It is neither woman, man, nor neuter; neither existent nor non-existent nor both. That which is seen by the knowers of Brahman among men—know that as the imperishable, for it does not decay.
