12.196
मनुरुवाच॥
Manu said.
यदिन्द्रियैस्तूपकृतान्पुरस्ता; त्प्राप्तान्गुणान्संस्मरते चिराय। तेष्विन्द्रियेषूपहतेषु पश्चा; त्स बुद्धिरूपः परमः स्वभावः ॥१२-१९६-१॥
That which, through the senses, was formerly experienced and whose qualities were attained, is remembered for a long time; when those senses are impaired later, that supreme nature, which is of the form of intellect, remains.
यथेन्द्रियार्थान्युगपत्समस्ता; न्नावेक्षते कृत्स्नमतुल्यकालम्। यथाबलं सञ्चरते स विद्वां; स्तस्मात्स एकः परमः शरीरी ॥१२-१९६-२॥
Just as a person cannot perceive all sense objects at once, and just as one moves according to one's strength, so too, the wise person alone is the supreme embodied being.
रजस्तमः सत्त्वमथो तृतीयं; गच्छत्यसौ ज्ञानगुणान्विरूपान्। तथेन्द्रियाण्याविशते शरीरी; हुताशनं वायुरिवेन्धनस्थम् ॥१२-१९६-३॥
The soul, moving among passion, darkness, and goodness, then the third, goes to the various qualities of knowledge. In the same way, the embodied soul enters the senses, just as wind enters fire placed in fuel.
न चक्षुषा पश्यति रूपमात्मनो; न पश्यति स्पर्शमिन्द्रियेन्द्रियम्। न श्रोत्रलिङ्गं श्रवणे निदर्शनं; तथागतं पश्यति तद्विनश्यति ॥१२-१९६-४॥
One does not perceive the form of the self with the eye, nor does one perceive touch through the senses. The mark of the ear is not an example in hearing; the Tathāgata is seen, but that perishes.
श्रोत्रादीनि न पश्यन्ति स्वं स्वमात्मानमात्मना। सर्वज्ञः सर्वदर्शी च क्षेत्रज्ञस्तानि पश्यति ॥१२-१९६-५॥
The senses such as the ear cannot perceive their own self by themselves. But the all-knower, the all-seer, the knower of the field, perceives them all.
यथा हिमवतः पार्श्वं पृष्ठं चन्द्रमसो यथा। न दृष्टपूर्वं मनुजैर्न च तन्नास्ति तावता ॥१२-१९६-६॥
Just as the sides and back of the Himalaya or the moon are never seen by men, so too, that does not exist to that extent.
तद्वद्भूतेषु भूतात्मा सूक्ष्मो ज्ञानात्मवानसौ। अदृष्टपूर्वश्चक्षुर्भ्यां न चासौ नास्ति तावता ॥१२-१९६-७॥
Similarly, in beings, the self of beings is subtle, possessed of the knowledge-self; he is not seen before by the two eyes, nor is he absent by that (means).
पश्यन्नपि यथा लक्ष्म जगत्सोमे न विन्दति। एवमस्ति न वेत्येतन्न च तन्न परायणम् ॥१२-१९६-८॥
Just as, even when seeing, one does not find the mark of the world in the moon, so too, whether this exists or not, neither is the ultimate goal.
रूपवन्तमरूपत्वादुदयास्तमये बुधाः। धिया समनुपश्यन्ति तद्गताः सवितुर्गतिम् ॥१२-१९६-९॥
The wise, absorbed in that, perceive with their intellect the movement of Savitṛ (the Sun) — how it possesses form from formlessness in its rising and setting.
तथा बुद्धिप्रदीपेन दूरस्थं सुविपश्चितः। प्रत्यासन्नं निनीषन्ति ज्ञेयं ज्ञानाभिसंहितम् ॥१२-१९६-१०॥
Thus, the truly wise, by the lamp of intellect, seek to bring near what is distant—the knowable, endowed with knowledge.
न हि खल्वनुपायेन कश्चिदर्थोऽभिसिध्यति। सूत्रजालैर्यथा मत्स्यान्बध्नन्ति जलजीविनः ॥१२-१९६-११॥
Indeed, nothing is accomplished without proper means, just as aquatic beings catch fish with nets of string.
मृगैर्मृगाणां ग्रहणं पक्षिणां पक्षिभिर्यथा। गजानां च गजैरेवं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानेन गृह्यते ॥१२-१९६-१२॥
Just as animals are caught by animals, birds by birds, and elephants by elephants, in the same way, knowledge is attained only through knowledge.
अहिरेव ह्यहेः पादान्पश्यतीति निदर्शनम्। तद्वन्मूर्तिषु मूर्तिष्ठं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानेन पश्यति ॥१२-१९६-१३॥
Just as a serpent perceives only the feet of another serpent—this is the example. Similarly, that which is to be known and abides in forms is seen through knowledge in those forms.
नोत्सहन्ते यथा वेत्तुमिन्द्रियैरिन्द्रियाण्यपि। तथैवेह परा बुद्धिः परं बुद्ध्या न पश्यति ॥१२-१९६-१४॥
Just as the senses are not able to know even the senses themselves, so here, the higher intellect does not perceive the supreme by means of intellect.
यथा चन्द्रो ह्यमावास्यामलिङ्गत्वान्न दृश्यते। न च नाशोऽस्य भवति तथा विद्धि शरीरिणम् ॥१२-१९६-१५॥
Just as the moon is not seen on the new moon night due to the absence of its visible form, yet it is not destroyed, so too, know the embodied soul to be the same.
क्षीणकोशो ह्यमावास्यां चन्द्रमा न प्रकाशते। तद्वन्मूर्तिवियुक्तः सञ्शरीरी नोपलभ्यते ॥१२-१९६-१६॥
Just as the moon does not shine on the new moon day when its sheath is diminished, in the same way, one who is embodied but deprived of form is not perceived.
यथा कोशान्तरं प्राप्य चन्द्रमा भ्राजते पुनः। तद्वल्लिङ्गान्तरं प्राप्य शरीरी भ्राजते पुनः ॥१२-१९६-१७॥
Just as the moon, upon entering another sheath, shines again, so too does the embodied soul, upon entering another subtle body, shine again.
जन्मवृद्धिक्षयश्चास्य प्रत्यक्षेणोपलभ्यते। सा तु चन्द्रमसो व्यक्तिर्न तु तस्य शरीरिणः ॥१२-१९६-१८॥
The birth, growth, and decline of this are directly observed; but that is only the manifestation of the moon, not of its actual substance (body).
उत्पत्तिवृद्धिव्ययतो यथा स इति गृह्यते। चन्द्र एव त्वमावास्यां तथा भवति मूर्तिमान् ॥१२-१९६-१९॥
Just as a being is regarded through origin, growth, and decline, so too, O Moon, you become embodied in this way at the time of the new moon.
नाभिसर्पद्विमुञ्चद्वा शशिनं दृश्यते तमः। विसृजंश्चोपसर्पंश्च तद्वत्पश्य शरीरिणम् ॥१२-१९६-२०॥
Just as darkness is not seen either approaching or leaving the moon, so too, consider the embodied being in the same way—coming and going are only apparent.
यथा चन्द्रार्कसंयुक्तं तमस्तदुपलभ्यते। तद्वच्छरीरसंयुक्तः शरीरीत्युपलभ्यते ॥१२-१९६-२१॥
Just as darkness is perceived when joined with the moon and sun, so too, the embodied soul is perceived as joined with the body.
यथा चन्द्रार्कनिर्मुक्तः स राहुर्नोपलभ्यते। तद्वच्छरीरनिर्मुक्तः शरीरी नोपलभ्यते ॥१२-१९६-२२॥
Just as Rahu, when freed from the moon and sun, cannot be perceived, so too, when the soul is freed from the body, it cannot be perceived.
यथा चन्द्रो ह्यमावास्यां नक्षत्रैर्युज्यते गतः। तद्वच्छरीरनिर्मुक्तः फलैर्युज्यति कर्मणः ॥१२-१९६-२३॥
Just as the moon, after departing on the new moon night, is united with the stars, so too, one who has left the body is united with the results of his actions.
