12.194
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kiṁ phalaṁ jñānayogasya vedānāṁ niyamasya ca। bhūtātmā vā kathaṁ jñeyastanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-194-1॥
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.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। manoḥ prajāpater vādaṃ maharṣeś ca bṛhaspateḥ ॥12-194-2॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: the discussion between Manu, the progenitor, and the great sage Bṛhaspati.
prajāpatiṃ śreṣṭhatamaṃ pṛthivyāṃ; devarṣi-saṅgha-pravaro maharṣiḥ। bṛhaspatiḥ praśnam imaṃ purāṇam; papraccha śiṣyo'tha guruṃ praṇamya ॥12-194-3॥
Bṛhaspati, the foremost among the divine sages on earth, asked this ancient question to Prajāpati after the disciple bowed to the teacher.
yatkāraṇaṃ mantravidhiḥ pravṛtto; jñāne phalaṃ yatpravadanti viprāḥ। yanmantraśabdairakṛtaprakāśaṃ; taducyatāṃ me bhagavanyathāvat ॥12-194-4॥
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.
yad-arthaśāstrāgama-mantra-vidbhiḥ yajñair-anekair-varagopradānaiḥ phalaṃ mahadbhir-yad-upāsyate ca tat-kiṃ kathaṃ vā bhavitā kva vā tat ॥12-194-5॥
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?
mahī mahījāḥ pavano'ntarikṣaṃ; jalaukaśaścaiva jalaṃ divaṃ ca. divaukaśaścaiva yataḥ prasūtā; staducyatāṃ me bhagavanpurāṇam ॥12-194-6॥
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.
jñānaṃ yataḥ prārthayate naro vai; tatastadarthā bhavati pravṛttiḥ। na cāpyahaṃ veda paraṃ purāṇaṃ; mithyāpravṛttiṃ ca kathaṃ nu kuryām ॥12-194-7॥
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?
ṛksāmasaṅghāṁś ca yajūṁṣi cāhaṁ; chandāṁsi nakṣatragatiṁ niruktam। adhītya ca vyākaraṇaṁ sakalpaṁ; śikṣāṁ ca bhūtaprakṛtiṁ na vedmi ॥12-194-8॥
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).
sa me bhavāñśaṃsatu sarvameta; jñāne phalaṃ karmaṇi vā yadasti। yathā ca dehāccyavate śarīrī; punaḥ śarīraṃ ca yathābhyupaiti ॥12-194-9॥
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.
manuruvāca॥
Manu said.
yadyatpriyaṃ yasya sukhaṃ tadāhu; stadeva duḥkhaṃ pravadantyaniṣṭam। iṣṭaṃ ca me syāditaracca na syā; detatkṛte karmavidhiḥ pravṛttaḥ ॥ iṣṭaṃ tvan iṣṭaṃ ca na māṃ bhajete; tyetatkṛte jñānavidhiḥ pravṛttaḥ ॥12-194-10॥
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.
kāmātmakāś chandasi karmayogā; ebhir vimuktaḥ paramaśnuvīta. nānāvidhe karmapathe sukhārthī; naraḥ pravṛtto na paraṃ prayāti ॥ paraṃ hi tat karmapathād apetaṃ; nirāśiṣaṃ brahmaparaṃ hy avaśyam ॥12-194-11॥
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.
prajāḥ sṛṣṭā manasā karmaṇā ca; dvāvapyetau satpathau lokajuṣṭau. dṛṣṭvā karma śāśvataṃ cāntavacca; manastyāgaḥ kāraṇaṃ nānyadasti ॥12-194-12॥
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.
svenātmanā cakṣuriva praṇetā; niśātyaye tamasā saṃvṛtātmā. jñānaṃ tu vijñānaguṇena yuktaṃ; karmāśubhaṃ paśyati varjanīyam ॥12-194-13॥
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.
sarpāṅkuśāgrāṇi tathodapānaṃ; jñātvā manuṣyāḥ parivarjayanti। ajñānatastatra patanti mūḍhā; jñāne phalaṃ paśya yathā viśiṣṭam ॥12-194-14॥
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"
kṛtsnastu mantro vidhivatprayukto; yajñā yathoktāstvatha dakṣiṇāśca। annapradānaṃ manasaḥ samādhiḥ; pañcātmakaṃ karmaphalaṃ vadanti॥12-194-15॥
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.
guṇātmakaṃ karma vadanti vedāḥ; tasmānmantrā mantramūlaṃ hi karma. vidhirvidheyaṃ manasopapattiḥ; phalasya bhoktā tu yathā śarīrī ॥12-194-16॥
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.
śabdāś ca rūpāṇi rasāś ca puṇyāḥ; sparśāś ca gandhāś ca śubhās tathaiva। naro na-saṃsthāna-gataḥ prabhuḥ syāt; etat-phalaṃ sidhyati karma-loke ॥12-194-17॥
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.
yadyaccharīreṇa karoti karma; śarīrayuktaḥ samupāśnute tat। śarīramevāyatanaṃ sukhasya; duḥkhasya cāpyāyatanaṃ śarīram ॥12-194-18॥
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.
vācā tu yat karma karoti kiṃ ci; dvācaiva sarvaṃ samupāśnute tat. manas tu yat karma karoti kiṃ ci; nmanastha evāyamupāśnute tat ॥12-194-19॥
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.
yathāguṇaṃ karmagaṇaṃ phalārthī; karotyayaṃ karmaphale niviṣṭaḥ। tathā tathāyaṃ guṇasamprayuktaḥ; śubhāśubhaṃ karmaphalaṃ bhunakti ॥12-194-20॥
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.
matsyo yathā srota ivābhipātī; tathā kṛtaṃ pūrvamupaiti karma. śubhe tvasau tuṣyati duṣkṛte tu; na tuṣyate vai paramaḥ śarīrī ॥12-194-21॥
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.
yato jagatsarvamidaṃ prasūtaṃ; jñātvātmavanto vyatiyānti yattat. yanmantraśabdairakṛtaprakāśaṃ; taducyamānaṃ śṛṇu me paraṃ yat ॥12-194-22॥
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.
rasair-viyuktaṃ vividhaiś-ca gandhaiḥ; raśabdam-asparśam-arūpavac ca. agrāhyam-avyaktam-avarṇam-ekaṃ; pañca-prakāraṃ sasṛje prajānām ॥12-194-23॥
He created for beings that which is devoid of tastes and various smells, soundless, untouchable, formless, ungraspable, unmanifest, colorless, one, and of five kinds.
na strī pumānvāpi napuṁsakaṁ ca; na sann caāsatsadasacca tan na. paśyanti yad brahmavido manuṣyāḥ; tat akṣaraṁ na kṣarati iti viddhi ॥12-194-24॥
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.
