12.196
manuruvāca॥
Manu said.
yad-indriyaiḥ tu upakṛtān purastāt prāptān guṇān saṁsmarate cirāya। teṣu indriyeṣu upahateṣu paścāt sa buddhi-rūpaḥ paramaḥ svabhāvaḥ ॥12-196-1॥
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.
yathendriyārthānyugapatsamastā; nnāvekṣate kṛtsnamatulyakālam। yathābalaṃ sañcarate sa vidvāṃ; stasmātsa ekaḥ paramaḥ śarīrī ॥12-196-2॥
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.
rajastamaḥ sattvamatho tṛtīyaṃ; gacchatyasau jñānaguṇānvirūpān। tathendriyāṇyāviśate śarīrī; hutāśanaṃ vāyurivendhanastham ॥12-196-3॥
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.
na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam-ātmano; na paśyati sparśam-indriya-indriyam। na śrotra-liṅgaṃ śravaṇe nidarśanam; tathāgatam paśyati tad vinaśyati ॥12-196-4॥
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.
śrotrādīni na paśyanti svaṃ svamātmānam ātmanā। sarvajñaḥ sarvadarśī ca kṣetrajñas tāni paśyati ॥12-196-5॥
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.
yathā himavataḥ pārśvaṃ pṛṣṭhaṃ candramaso yathā। na dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ manujairna ca tannāsti tāvatā ॥12-196-6॥
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.
tadvadbhūteṣu bhūtātmā sūkṣmo jñānātmavānasau। adṛṣṭapūrvaścakṣurbhyāṁ na cāsau nāsti tāvatā ॥12-196-7॥
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).
paśyann api yathā lakṣma jagat some na vindati। evam asti na vet yetan na ca tan na parāyaṇam ॥12-196-8॥
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.
rūpavantam arūpatvād udayāstamaye budhāḥ। dhiyā samanupaśyanti tadgatāḥ savitur gatim ॥12-196-9॥
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.
tathā buddhipradīpena dūrasthaṃ suvipaścitaḥ। pratyāsannaṃ ninīṣanti jñeyaṃ jñānābhisaṃhitam ॥12-196-10॥
Thus, the truly wise, by the lamp of intellect, seek to bring near what is distant—the knowable, endowed with knowledge.
na hi khalvanupāyena kaścidartho'bhisidhyati। sūtrajālairyathā matsyānbadhnanti jalajīvinaḥ ॥12-196-11॥
Indeed, nothing is accomplished without proper means, just as aquatic beings catch fish with nets of string.
mṛgair mṛgāṇāṃ grahaṇaṃ pakṣiṇāṃ pakṣibhir yathā। gajānāṃ ca gajair evaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānena gṛhyate ॥12-196-12॥
Just as animals are caught by animals, birds by birds, and elephants by elephants, in the same way, knowledge is attained only through knowledge.
ahireva hy aheḥ pādān paśyatīti nidarśanam। tadvan mūrtiṣu mūrtiṣṭhaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānena paśyati ॥12-196-13॥
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.
notsahante yathā vettum indriyaiḥ indriyāṇi api। tathaiva iha parā buddhiḥ paraṃ buddhyā na paśyati ॥12-196-14॥
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.
yathā candro hy amāvāsyām aliṅgatvān na dṛśyate। na ca nāśo'sya bhavati tathā viddhi śarīriṇam ॥12-196-15॥
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.
kṣīṇakośo hy amāvāsyāṃ candramā na prakāśate। tadvan mūrtiviyuktaḥ sañśarīrī nopalabhyate ॥12-196-16॥
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.
yathā kośāntaraṃ prāpya candramā bhrājate punaḥ। tadvalliṅgāntaraṃ prāpya śarīrī bhrājate punaḥ ॥12-196-17॥
Just as the moon, upon entering another sheath, shines again, so too does the embodied soul, upon entering another subtle body, shine again.
janmavṛddhikṣayaścāsya pratyakṣeṇopalabhyate। sā tu candramaso vyaktirna tu tasya śarīriṇaḥ ॥12-196-18॥
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).
utpattivṛddhivyayato yathā sa iti gṛhyate। candra eva tvamāvāsyāṃ tathā bhavati mūrtimān ॥12-196-19॥
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.
nābhisarpadvimuñcadvā śaśinaṃ dṛśyate tamaḥ। visṛjaṃścopasarpaṃśca tadvatpaśya śarīriṇam ॥12-196-20॥
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.
yathā candrārkasaṃyuktaṃ tamastadupalabhyate। tadvaccharīrasaṃyuktaḥ śarīrītyupalabhyate ॥12-196-21॥
Just as darkness is perceived when joined with the moon and sun, so too, the embodied soul is perceived as joined with the body.
yathā candrārkanirmuktaḥ sa rāhurno'palabhyate। tadvaccharīranirmuktaḥ śarīrī no'palabhyate ॥12-196-22॥
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.
yathā candro hy amāvāsyāṃ nakṣatrair yujyate gataḥ। tadvac charīranirmuktaḥ phalair yujyati karmaṇaḥ ॥12-196-23॥
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.
