12.205
gururuvāca॥
The teacher said.
pravṛttilakṣaṇo dharmo yathāyamupapadyate। teṣāṃ vijñānaniṣṭhānām anyattattvaṃ na rocate ॥12-205-1॥
The characteristic of dharma is activity, as this is accepted. Those who are established in knowledge are not pleased by any other principle.
durlabhā vedavidvāṃso vedokteṣu vyavasthitāḥ। prayojanamatastvatra mārgamicchanti saṃstutam ॥12-205-2॥
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.
sadbhir ācaritatvāt tu vṛttam etad agarhitam। iyaṃ sā buddhir anyeyam yayā yāti parāṃ gatim ॥12-205-3॥
But this conduct, being practiced by the virtuous, is blameless. This is the intellect—other than this—by which one attains the highest state.
śarīravānupādatte mohātsarvapari-grahān। kāma-krodhādibhirbhāvairyukto rājasatāmasaiḥ ॥12-205-4॥
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.
nāśuddham ācaret tasmād abhipsan dehayāpanam। karmaṇo vivaraṃ kurvan lokān āpnuyāc chubhān ॥12-205-5॥
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.
lohayuktaṃ yathā hema vipakvaṃ na virājate। tathāpakvakaṣāyākhyaṃ vijñānaṃ na prakāśate ॥12-205-6॥
Just as gold mixed with iron and unrefined does not shine, so too knowledge tainted by unpurified passions does not become radiant.
yaś cādharmam caren mohāt kāmalobhān anuplavan | dharmyaṃ panthānam ākrāmya sānubandho vinaśyati ॥12-205-7॥
Whoever, out of delusion, acts unrighteously, following desire and greed, and transgresses the righteous path, perishes along with his associates.
śandādīnviṣayāṃstasmādasaṃrāgādanuplavet। krodhaharṣau viṣādaśca jāyante hi parasparam ॥12-205-8॥
Therefore, one should remain unattached to sense-objects such as sound. For anger, joy, and sorrow indeed arise in relation to each other.
pañcabhūtātmake dehe sattvarājasatāmase। kam abhiṣṭuvate ca ayaṃ kaṃ vā krośati kiṃ vadet ॥12-205-9॥
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?
sparśa-rūpa-rasādyeṣu saṅgaṃ gacchanti bāliśāḥ। nāvagacchanty-avidyānād-ātmajaṃ pārthivaṃ guṇam ॥12-205-10॥
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.
mṛnmayaṃ śaraṇaṃ yadvān mṛdaiva parilipyate। pārthivo'yaṃ tathā deho mṛdvikārair vilipyate ॥12-205-11॥
Just as a clay shelter is covered with clay, so too this earthly body is covered by the transformations of clay.
madhu tailaṃ payaḥ sarpir māṃsāni lavaṇaṃ guḍaḥ। dhānyāni phalamūlāni mṛdvikārāḥ sahāmbhasā ॥12-205-12॥
Honey, oil, milk, ghee, meats, salt, jaggery, grains, fruits and roots, and soft foods with water.
yadvat kāntāram ātiṣṭhan na utsukyam samanuvrajet | śramāt āhāram ādadyāt asvād api hi yāpanam || 12-205-13 ||
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.
tadvat saṃsāra-kāntāram ātiṣṭhan śrama-tatparaḥ। yātrārtham adyād āhāraṃ vyādhitaḥ bheṣajam yathā॥12-205-14॥
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.
satyaśaucārjavatyāgairyaśasā vikrameṇa ca। kṣāntyā dhṛtyā ca buddhyā ca manasā tapasaiva ca ॥12-205-15॥
One attains greatness through truth, purity, straightforwardness, renunciation, fame, valor, forbearance, steadfastness, intelligence, control of mind, and indeed, through austerity.
bhāvān sarvān yathā-vṛttān saṃvaseta yathā-kramam। śāntim icchan adīna-ātmā saṃyacchet indriyāṇi ca ॥12-205-16॥
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.
sattvena rajasā caiva tamasā caiva mohitāḥ। cakravatparivartante hyajñānājjantavo bhṛśam ॥12-205-17॥
Beings, deluded by sattva, rajas, and tamas, revolve like a wheel, greatly due to ignorance.
tasmātsamyakparīkṣeta doṣānajñānasambhavān। ajñānaprabhavaṃ nityamahaṅkāraṃ parityajet ॥12-205-18॥
Therefore, one should carefully examine faults that arise from ignorance, and always abandon the ego that is born from ignorance.
mahābhūtānīndriyāṇi guṇāḥ sattvaṃ rajastamaḥ। trailokyaṃ seśvaraṃ sarvamahaṅkāre pratiṣṭhitam ॥12-205-19॥
The great elements, senses, qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), and the three worlds with their Lord—all are established in ego.
yatheha niyataṃ kālo darśayatyārtavānguṇān। tadvadbhūteṣvahaṅkāraṃ vidyādbhūtapravartakam ॥12-205-20॥
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.
saṁmohakaṁ tamo vidyāt kṛṣṇam ajñāna-sambhavam। prīti-duḥkha-nibaddhāṁś ca samastāṁs trīn atho guṇān॥ sattvasya rajasas caiva tamasas ca nibodha tān॥12-205-21॥
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.
pramoho harṣajaḥ prītirasaṃdeho dhṛtiḥ smṛtiḥ। etānsattvaguṇānvidyādimānrājasatāmasān ॥12-205-22॥
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.
kāmakrodhau pramādaś ca lobhamohau bhayaṃ klamaḥ। viṣādaśokāvaratir mānadarpāvanāryatā ॥12-205-23॥
Desire, anger, negligence, greed, delusion, fear, fatigue, despondency, sorrow, lack of restraint, pride, arrogance, and unworthiness.
doṣāṇāmevamādīnāṃ parīkṣya gurulāghavam। vimṛśedātmasaṃsthānāmekāikamanusantatam ॥12-205-24॥
After carefully assessing the gravity and subtlety of such faults and others, one should continuously reflect on each of one's own dispositions.
śiṣya uvāca॥
The disciple said.
ke doṣā manasā tyaktāḥ ke buddhyā śithilīkṛtāḥ। ke punaḥ punar āyānti ke mohād aphalā iva॥12-205-25॥
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?
keṣāṃ balābalaṃ buddhyā hetubhirvimṛśedbudhaḥ। etatsarvaṃ samācakṣva yathā vidyāmahaṃ prabho ॥12-205-26॥
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.
gururuvāca॥
The teacher said.
doṣair mūlād avacchinnair viśuddhātmā vimucyate। vināśayati sambhūtam ayasmayamayo yathā॥ tathākṛtātmā sahajair doṣair naśyati rājasaiḥ॥12-205-27॥
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.
rājasaṃ tāmasaṃ caiva śuddhātmākarma-sambhavam। tat sarvaṃ dehināṃ bījaṃ sarvam ātmavataḥ samam ॥12-205-28॥
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.
tasmād ātmavatā varjyaṃ rajaś ca tama eva ca। rajastamobhyāṃ nirmuktaṃ sattvaṃ nirmalatām iyāt ॥12-205-29॥
Therefore, one who is self-controlled should avoid both passion and darkness; when goodness is free from passion and darkness, it attains purity.
atha vā mantravadbrūyurmāṃsādānāṃ yajuṣkṛtam। hetuḥ sa evānādāne śuddhadharmānupālane ॥12-205-30॥
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.
rajasā dharmayuktāni kāryāṇyapi samāpnuyāt। arthayuktāni cātyarthaṃ kāmānsarvāṃśca sevate ॥12-205-31॥
One driven by passion may accomplish even righteous deeds, and also those connected with wealth, but he excessively pursues all desires.
tamasā lobhayuktāni krodhajāni ca sevate। hiṁsā-vihāra-ābhirataḥ tandrī-nidrā-samanvitaḥ ॥12-205-32॥
One who is influenced by darkness engages in actions driven by greed and anger, delights in violence, and is characterized by sloth and sleep.
sattvasthaḥ sāttvikānbhāvāñśuddhānpashyati saṃśritaḥ। sa dehī vimalaḥ śrīmāñśuddho vidyāsamanvitaḥ ॥12-205-33॥
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.
