12.205
गुरुरुवाच॥
The teacher said.
प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो यथायमुपपद्यते। तेषां विज्ञाननिष्ठानामन्यत्तत्त्वं न रोचते ॥१२-२०५-१॥
The characteristic of dharma is activity, as this is accepted. Those who are established in knowledge are not pleased by any other principle.
दुर्लभा वेदविद्वांसो वेदोक्तेषु व्यवस्थिताः। प्रयोजनमतस्त्वत्र मार्गमिच्छन्ति संस्तुतम् ॥१२-२०५-२॥
True knowers of the Veda, firmly established in the teachings of the Veda, are rare. Therefore, here, people seek the praised path for their purpose.
सद्भिराचरितत्वात्तु वृत्तमेतदगर्हितम्। इयं सा बुद्धिरन्येयं यया याति परां गतिम् ॥१२-२०५-३॥
But this conduct, being practiced by the virtuous, is blameless. This is the intellect—other than this—by which one attains the highest state.
शरीरवानुपादत्ते मोहात्सर्वपरिग्रहान्। कामक्रोधादिभिर्भावैर्युक्तो राजसतामसैः ॥१२-२०५-४॥
One who has a body, due to delusion, acquires all sorts of possessions; being influenced by states like desire, anger, and others, he is associated with qualities of passion and darkness.
नाशुद्धमाचरेत्तस्मादभीप्सन्देहयापनम्। कर्मणो विवरं कुर्वन्न लोकानाप्नुयाच्छुभान् ॥१२-२०५-५॥
Therefore, one should not perform impure acts even for the sake of maintaining the body; by creating a gap in (righteous) action, one may attain auspicious worlds.
लोहयुक्तं यथा हेम विपक्वं न विराजते। तथापक्वकषायाख्यं विज्ञानं न प्रकाशते ॥१२-२०५-६॥
Just as gold mixed with iron and unrefined does not shine, so too knowledge tainted by unpurified passions does not become radiant.
यश्चाधर्मं चरेन्मोहात्कामलोभावनु प्लवन्। धर्म्यं पन्थानमाक्रम्य सानुबन्धो विनश्यति ॥१२-२०५-७॥
Whoever, out of delusion, acts unrighteously, following desire and greed, and transgresses the righteous path, perishes along with his associates.
शन्दादीन्विषयांस्तस्मादसंरागादनुप्लवेत्। क्रोधहर्षौ विषादश्च जायन्ते हि परस्परम् ॥१२-२०५-८॥
Therefore, one should remain unattached to sense-objects such as sound. For anger, joy, and sorrow indeed arise in relation to each other.
पञ्चभूतात्मके देहे सत्त्वराजसतामसे। कमभिष्टुवते चायं कं वा क्रोशति किं वदेत् ॥१२-२०५-९॥
In this body made of the five elements and governed by sattva, rajas, and tamas, whom does this person praise, to whom does he cry out, and what could he possibly say?
स्पर्शरूपरसाद्येषु सङ्गं गच्छन्ति बालिशाः। नावगच्छन्त्यविज्ञानादात्मजं पार्थिवं गुणम् ॥१२-२०५-१०॥
The ignorant become attached to sense objects like touch, form, and taste; but, due to ignorance, they do not understand that these qualities are produced from the self and are of the earth.
मृन्मयं शरणं यद्वन्मृदैव परिलिप्यते। पार्थिवोऽयं तथा देहो मृद्विकारैर्विलिप्यते ॥१२-२०५-११॥
Just as a clay shelter is covered with clay, so too this earthly body is covered by the transformations of clay.
मधु तैलं पयः सर्पिर्मांसानि लवणं गुडः। धान्यानि फलमूलानि मृद्विकाराः सहाम्भसा ॥१२-२०५-१२॥
Honey, oil, milk, ghee, meats, salt, jaggery, grains, fruits and roots, and soft foods with water.
यद्वत्कान्तारमातिष्ठन्नौत्सुक्यं समनुव्रजेत्। श्रमादाहारमादद्यादस्वाद्वपि हि यापनम् ॥१२-२०५-१३॥
Just as one living in a forest should not be anxious, and should take food even without relish, simply for the sake of sustaining oneself.
तद्वत्संसारकान्तारमातिष्ठञ्श्रमतत्परः। यात्रार्थमद्यादाहारं व्याधितो भेषजं यथा ॥१२-२०५-१४॥
Just as a diseased person takes medicine for recovery, so too, standing in the wilderness of saṃsāra and intent on effort, one should partake of food only for the purpose of the journey.
सत्यशौचार्जवत्यागैर्यशसा विक्रमेण च। क्षान्त्या धृत्या च बुद्ध्या च मनसा तपसैव च ॥१२-२०५-१५॥
One attains greatness through truth, purity, straightforwardness, renunciation, fame, valor, forbearance, steadfastness, intelligence, control of mind, and indeed, through austerity.
भावान्सर्वान्यथावृत्तान्संवसेत यथाक्रमम्। शान्तिमिच्छन्नदीनात्मा संयच्छेदिन्द्रियाणि च ॥१२-२०५-१६॥
He should live with all beings according to their conduct and proper order. Wishing for peace, with an undepressed spirit, he should also restrain his senses.
सत्त्वेन रजसा चैव तमसा चैव मोहिताः। चक्रवत्परिवर्तन्ते ह्यज्ञानाज्जन्तवो भृशम् ॥१२-२०५-१७॥
Beings, deluded by sattva, rajas, and tamas, revolve like a wheel, greatly due to ignorance.
तस्मात्सम्यक्परीक्षेत दोषानज्ञानसम्भवान्। अज्ञानप्रभवं नित्यमहङ्कारं परित्यजेत् ॥१२-२०५-१८॥
Therefore, one should carefully examine faults that arise from ignorance, and always abandon the ego that is born from ignorance.
महाभूतानीन्द्रियाणि गुणाः सत्त्वं रजस्तमः। त्रैलोक्यं सेश्वरं सर्वमहङ्कारे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥१२-२०५-१९॥
The great elements, senses, qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), and the three worlds with their Lord—all are established in ego.
यथेह नियतं कालो दर्शयत्यार्तवान्गुणान्। तद्वद्भूतेष्वहङ्कारं विद्याद्भूतप्रवर्तकम् ॥१२-२०५-२०॥
Just as fixed time here reveals the qualities of the seasons, so too, in living beings, one should understand ego as the driving force behind their actions.
संमोहकं तमो विद्यात्कृष्णमज्ञानसम्भवम्। प्रीतिदुःखनिबद्धांश्च समस्तांस्त्रीनथो गुणान् ॥ सत्त्वस्य रजसश्चैव तमसश्च निबोध तान् ॥१२-२०५-२१॥
Know that darkness is deluding, black, born of ignorance, and bound with both pleasure and pain; now, understand all these three qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas.
प्रमोहो हर्षजः प्रीतिरसंदेहो धृतिः स्मृतिः। एतान्सत्त्वगुणान्विद्यादिमान्राजसतामसान् ॥१२-२०५-२२॥
Delusion arising from joy, affection, absence of doubt, steadfastness, and memory—these are to be known as qualities of sattva, and also as of rajas and tamas.
कामक्रोधौ प्रमादश्च लोभमोहौ भयं क्लमः। विषादशोकावरतिर्मानदर्पावनार्यता ॥१२-२०५-२३॥
Desire, anger, negligence, greed, delusion, fear, fatigue, despondency, sorrow, lack of restraint, pride, arrogance, and unworthiness.
दोषाणामेवमादीनां परीक्ष्य गुरुलाघवम्। विमृशेदात्मसंस्थानामेकैकमनुसन्ततम् ॥१२-२०५-२४॥
After carefully assessing the gravity and subtlety of such faults and others, one should continuously reflect on each of one's own dispositions.
शिष्य उवाच॥
The disciple said.
के दोषा मनसा त्यक्ताः के बुद्ध्या शिथिलीकृताः। के पुनः पुनरायान्ति के मोहादफला इव ॥१२-२०५-२५॥
Which faults are abandoned by the mind, which are loosened by the intellect, which return again and again, and which, due to delusion, are like fruitless efforts?
केषां बलाबलं बुद्ध्या हेतुभिर्विमृशेद्बुधः। एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व यथा विद्यामहं प्रभो ॥१२-२०५-२६॥
O master, please tell me completely about the strengths and weaknesses of each, as the wise should consider them by intellect and reasons, so that I may know.
गुरुरुवाच॥
The teacher said.
दोषैर्मूलादवच्छिन्नैर्विशुद्धात्मा विमुच्यते। विनाशयति सम्भूतमयस्मयमयो यथा ॥ तथाकृतात्मा सहजैर्दोषैर्नश्यति राजसैः ॥१२-२०५-२७॥
When faults are severed from their root, the pure self is liberated. Just as something made of iron and pride destroys what arises, so too, one who has controlled himself is destroyed by inherent passionate faults.
राजसं तामसं चैव शुद्धात्माकर्मसम्भवम्। तत्सर्वं देहिनां बीजं सर्वमात्मवतः समम् ॥१२-२०५-२८॥
The origins of rajas, tamas, and even pure actions arise from the self; all these are the seeds for embodied beings, and for the self-realized, all are equal.
तस्मादात्मवता वर्ज्यं रजश्च तम एव च। रजस्तमोभ्यां निर्मुक्तं सत्त्वं निर्मलतामियात् ॥१२-२०५-२९॥
Therefore, one who is self-controlled should avoid both passion and darkness; when goodness is free from passion and darkness, it attains purity.
अथ वा मन्त्रवद्ब्रूयुर्मांसादानां यजुष्कृतम्। हेतुः स एवानादाने शुद्धधर्मानुपालने ॥१२-२०५-३०॥
Alternatively, they should recite as with a mantra that the taking of meat is done with a Vedic formula. The reason for abstaining is precisely in the observance of pure dharma.
रजसा धर्मयुक्तानि कार्याण्यपि समाप्नुयात्। अर्थयुक्तानि चात्यर्थं कामान्सर्वांश्च सेवते ॥१२-२०५-३१॥
One driven by passion may accomplish even righteous deeds, and also those connected with wealth, but he excessively pursues all desires.
तमसा लोभयुक्तानि क्रोधजानि च सेवते। हिंसाविहाराभिरतस्तन्द्रीनिद्रासमन्वितः ॥१२-२०५-३२॥
One who is influenced by darkness engages in actions driven by greed and anger, delights in violence, and is characterized by sloth and sleep.
सत्त्वस्थः सात्त्विकान्भावाञ्शुद्धान्पश्यति संश्रितः। स देही विमलः श्रीमाञ्शुद्धो विद्यासमन्वितः ॥१२-२०५-३३॥
One who is established in sattva, perceives pure sattvic states, and has taken refuge in purity—such an embodied being is spotless, prosperous, pure, and endowed with knowledge.
