12.195
manuruvāca॥
Manu said.
akṣarātkhaṃ tato vāyurvāyorjyotistato jalam। jalātprasūtā jagatī jagatyāṃ jāyate jagat ॥12-195-1॥
From the imperishable arises space, then air; from air comes light, then water. From water, earth is produced, and in the earth, the world comes into being.
ime śarīrair jalam eva gatvā; jalāc ca tejaḥ pavano'ntarikṣam| khād vai nivartanti na bhāvin as te; ye bhāvin as te param āpnuvanti ॥12-195-2॥
These (beings), having reached water through their bodies, from water (become) fire, then air, then ether. From ether, indeed, they return; those not destined do not. Those who are destined attain the supreme.
noṣṇaṃ na śītaṃ mṛdu nāpi tīkṣṇaṃ; nāmlaṃ kaṣāyaṃ madhuraṃ na tiktam। na śabdavannāpi ca gandhavatta; nna rūpavattatparamasvabhāvam ॥12-195-3॥
It is neither hot nor cold, neither soft nor sharp; neither sour, astringent, sweet, nor bitter. It does not possess sound, nor smell, nor form; that is its supreme nature.
sparśaṃ tanur veda rasaṃ tu jihvā; ghrāṇaṃ ca gandhāñ śravaṇe ca śabdān| rūpāṇi cakṣur na ca tat paraṃ ya; d gṛhṇanty anadhyātmavido manuṣyāḥ ॥12-195-4॥
The body perceives touch, the tongue taste, the nose smells, the ears sounds, and the eyes forms; but those men who are ignorant of the Self do not grasp that Supreme Reality.
nivartayitvā rasanaṃ rasebhyo; ghrāṇaṃ ca gandhācchravaṇe ca śabdāt| sparśāttanuṃ rūpaguṇāttu cakṣu; stataḥ paraṃ paśyati svaṃ svabhāvam ॥12-195-5॥
Having withdrawn the tongue from tastes, the nose from smells, the ears from sounds, the body from touch, and the eye from the quality of form, then one perceives one's own true nature beyond.
yato gṛhītvā hi karoti yacca; yasmiṁśca tāmārabhate pravṛttim। yasmiṁśca yadyena ca yaśca kartā; tatkāraṇaṁ taṁ samupāyamāhuḥ ॥12-195-6॥
That from which one acts and what one does; that in which one undertakes activity. That in which, what, by which, and who is the doer; that is called the cause, that is said to be the means.
yaccābhibhūḥ sādhakaṃ vyāpakaṃ ca; yanmantravat śaṃsyate caiva loke। yaḥ sarvahetuḥ paramārthakārī; tat kāraṇaṃ kāryam ato yad anyat ॥12-195-7॥
That which overcomes, accomplishes, and pervades; which is praised in the world like a mantra. He who is the cause of all and acts for the highest purpose—whatever else exists, that is the cause and the effect.
yathā ca kaścit sukṛtair manuṣyaḥ; śubhāśubhaṃ prāpnute 'thāvirodhāt। evaṃ śarīreṣu śubhāśubheṣu; svakarmajair jñānam idaṃ nibaddham ॥12-195-8॥
Just as a person, through good deeds, attains good and bad results due to the absence of opposition, so too, in various bodies, both good and bad, this knowledge is bound by one's own actions.
yathā pradīpaḥ purataḥ pradīptaḥ; prakāśam anyasya karoti dīpyan। tatheha pañcendriyadīpavṛkṣā; jñānapradīptāḥ paravanta eva ॥12-195-9॥
Just as a lamp, when lit in front, shines and gives light to another, so here, those who are illuminated by the lamp of knowledge among the five-sense trees truly benefit others.
yathā hi rājño bahavo hyamātyāḥ; pṛthak-pramānaṃ pravadanti yuktāḥ. tadvac charīreṣu bhavanti pañca; jñānaikadeśaḥ paramaḥ sa tebhyaḥ ॥12-195-10॥
Just as many ministers of a king, each wise, express their own opinions separately, so too in the body there are five (senses); but knowledge is the supreme among them all.
yathārciṣo'gneḥ pavanasya vegā; marīcayo'rkasya nadīṣu cāpaḥ। gacchanti cāyānti ca tanyamānā; stadvaccharīrāṇi śarīriṇāṃ tu ॥12-195-11॥
Just as flames of fire, gusts of wind, rays of the sun, and waters in rivers go and return, being stretched out, so too do the bodies of embodied beings.
yathā ca kaścit paraśuṃ gṛhītvā; dhūmaṃ na paśyed jvalanaṃ ca kāṣṭhe. tadvac charīro darapāṇipādaṃ; chittvā na paśyanti tato yad anyat ॥12-195-12॥
Just as a person, taking an axe, does not see smoke or fire in wood, so too, after cutting off the body, abdomen, hands, and feet, they do not perceive that which is other (the true self) thereafter.
tānyeva kāṣṭhāni yathā vimathya; dhūmaṃ ca paśyed jvalanaṃ ca yogāt। tadvat subuddhiḥ samam indriyatvā; dbudhaḥ paraṃ paśyati svaṃ svabhāvam ॥12-195-13॥
Just as, by churning those very sticks, one sees smoke and fire arise from their union, so too, a person of good intellect, having controlled the senses equally, perceives his own true nature, the supreme, as the wise one.
yathātmano'ṅgaṃ patitaṃ pṛthivyāṃ; svapnāntare paśyati cātmano'nyat| śrotrādiyuktaḥ sumanāḥ subuddhi; rliṅgāttathā gacchati liṅgamanyat ॥12-195-14॥
Just as one sees a fallen limb of oneself on the earth in a dream, so too, endowed with senses, good mind, and intellect, the subtle self moves from one subtle body to another.
utpattivṛddhikṣayasaṃnipātaiḥ na yujyate'sau paramaḥ śarīrī। anena liṅgena tu liṅgam anyaṃ gacchati adṛṣṭaḥ pratisandhiyogāt ॥12-195-15॥
The supreme soul is not bound by creation, growth, decay, or conjunctions. However, through this subtle body, the unseen soul moves to another subtle body at the time of rebirth due to the connection formed.
na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam ātmano; na cāpi saṃsparśam upaiti kiñcit. na cāpi taiḥ sādhayate'tha kāryam; te taṃ na paśyanti sa paśyate tān ॥12-195-16॥
He does not perceive the form of the self with his eyes, nor does he come into contact with anything. Nor does he perform any action with them; they do not see him, but he sees them.
yathā pradīpe jvalato'nalasya; santāpajaṃ rūpamupaiti kiñcit. na cāntaraṃ rūpaguṇaṃ bibharti; tathaiva taddṛśyate rūpamasya ॥12-195-17॥
Just as the burning fire in a lamp acquires a certain form due to heat, but does not possess an inherent quality of form within; in the same way, that form of this is perceived.
yathā manuṣyaḥ parimucya kāya; madṛśyam anyad viśate śarīram। visṛjya bhūteṣu mahatsu dehaṃ; tadāśrayaṃ caiva bibharti rūpam ॥12-195-18॥
Just as a man, after leaving his body, enters another visible form, so too, after abandoning the great body among beings, he assumes another form that is its support.
khaṃ vāyum agniṃ salilaṃ tathorvīṃ; samantato'bhyāviśate śarīrī. nānāśrayāḥ karmasu vartamānāḥ; śrotrādayaḥ pañca guṇāñśrayante ॥12-195-19॥
The embodied soul pervades space, air, fire, water, and earth in all directions. The five senses, each with their own qualities and functions, exist in their respective organs such as the ear, and operate through various actions.
śrotraṃ khato ghrāṇamatho pṛthivyā; stejomayaṃ rūpamatho vipākaḥ। jalāśrayaḥ sveda ukto rasaśca; vāyvātmakaḥ sparśakṛto guṇaśca ॥12-195-20॥
The ear is associated with space; the nose with earth; form is composed of fire, and digestion as well; sweat is said to reside in water, as is taste; the quality of touch is produced by air.
mahatsu bhūteṣu vasanti pañca; pañcendriyārthāś ca tathendriyeṣu. sarvāṇi caitāni manonugāni; buddhiṃ mano'nveti manaḥ svabhāvam ॥12-195-21॥
Five (subtle elements) dwell in the great elements; the five objects of sense reside in the senses likewise. All these follow the mind; the mind follows the intellect; the mind is by nature connected to the intellect.
śubhāśubhaṃ karma kṛtaṃ yadasya; tadeva pratyādadate svadehe. mano'nu vartanti parāvarāṇi; jalaukasaḥ srota ivānukūlam ॥12-195-22॥
Whatever auspicious or inauspicious actions a person performs, he receives the results of those very actions in his own body. The mind follows both the higher and the lower, just as aquatic creatures follow the current when it is favorable.
calaṃ yathā dṛṣṭipathaṃ paraiti; sūkṣmaṃ mahadrūpam ivābhipāti. svarūpam ālocayate ca rūpaṃ; paraṃ tathā buddhipathaṃ paraiti ॥12-195-23॥
Just as the moving (mind) goes beyond the field of vision, the subtle rushes towards the great form. One contemplates both one's own form and the form; likewise, the supreme transcends the path of intellect.
