12.210
gururuvāca॥
The teacher said.
na sa veda paraṃ dharmaṃ yo na veda catuṣṭayam। vyaktāvyakte ca yat tattvaṃ samprāptaṃ paramarṣiṇā ॥12-210-1॥
He who does not know the fourfold Vedas and the principle realized by the supreme sage in both the manifest and unmanifest does not know the supreme dharma.
vyaktaṃ mṛtyumukhaṃ vidyādavyaktamamṛtaṃ padam। pravṛttilakṣaṇaṃ dharmam ṛṣir nārāyaṇo'bravīt ॥12-210-2॥
The manifest is to be understood as the gateway to death, and the unmanifest as the immortal state. The sage Nārāyaṇa declared that dharma is marked by activity.
atraivāvasthitaṃ sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram। nivṛttilakṣaṇaṃ dharmamavyaktaṃ brahma śāśvatam ॥12-210-3॥
All the three worlds, with all moving and unmoving beings, are established right here; here too is the dharma characterized by cessation, the unmanifest, the eternal Brahman.
pravṛttilakṣaṇaṃ dharmaṃ prajāpatiḥ atha ābravīt। pravṛttiḥ punarāvṛttiḥ nivṛttiḥ paramā gatiḥ ॥12-210-4॥
Prajapati then declared: 'The characteristic of dharma is activity. Activity, repetition, cessation, and the supreme state are its aspects.'
tāṃ gatiṃ paramāmeti nivṛttiparamo muniḥ। jñānatattvaparo nityaṃ śubhāśubhanidarśakaḥ ॥12-210-5॥
The sage whose highest aim is withdrawal, who is always devoted to the essence of knowledge, and who reveals the distinction between auspicious and inauspicious, attains that supreme state.
tadevametau vijñeyāvavyaktapuruṣāvubhau। avyaktapuruṣābhyāṃ tu yatsyādanyanmahattaram ॥12-210-6॥
Thus, these two—the unmanifest and the person—are to be understood; but that which is other and greater than the unmanifest and the person should be known.
taṃ viśeṣam avekṣeta viśeṣeṇa vicakṣaṇaḥ। anādyantāv ubhāv etāva liṅgau cāpy ubhāv api ॥12-210-7॥
The wise person should observe that distinction with discernment; both these marks are without beginning and end, and indeed, both are so.
ubhau nityau sūkṣmatarau mahadbhyaś ca mahattarau। sāmānyam etad ubhayoḥ evaṃ hi anyad viśeṣaṇam ॥12-210-8॥
Both are eternal, subtler and greater than the great; this is their commonality, while the other is their distinction.
prakṛtyā sargadharmiṇyā tathā trividhāsattvayā। viparītamato vidyātkṣetrajñasya ca lakṣaṇam ॥12-210-9॥
By nature, endowed with the property of creation and the threefold essence, one should know the opposite as the characteristic of the knower of the field.
prakṛteś ca vikārāṇāṃ draṣṭāram aguṇānvitam। agrāhyau puruṣāv etāvaliṅgatvād asaṃhitau ॥12-210-10॥
The seer, who is not endowed with guṇas, of prakṛti and its modifications, is not graspable; these two puruṣas, due to the absence of distinguishing marks, are not united.
saṃyogalakṣaṇotpattiḥ karmaja gṛhyate yayā। karaṇaiḥ karmanirvṛttaiḥ kartā yadyadviceṣṭate ॥ kīrtyate śabdasañjñābhiḥ ko'ham eṣo'pyasāviti ॥12-210-11॥
That which is characterized by the arising from union and is born of action is grasped; by means of instruments and accomplished actions, whatever the agent does is so performed. This is referred to by verbal designations such as: 'Who am I? Who is this? Who is that?'
uṣṇīṣavān yathā vastraiḥ tribhir bhavati saṃvṛtaḥ। saṃvṛto'yaṃ tathā dehī sattva-rājasatāmasaiḥ ॥12-210-12॥
Just as a person with a turban is covered by three garments, so too is the embodied soul covered by the qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas.
tasmāc catuṣṭayaṃ vedyam etair hetubhir ācitam। yathā saṃjño hy ayaṃ samyag antakāle na muhyati॥12-210-13॥
Therefore, the fourfold knowledge should be acquired by these causes; so that this person, being conscious, does not become deluded at the time of death.
śriyaṃ divyām abhiprepsur brahma vāṅmanasā śuciḥ। śārīrair niyamair ugraiś caren niṣkalmaṣaṃ tapaḥ ॥12-210-14॥
One who desires divine prosperity, being pure in speech and mind, should practice sinless austerity through severe bodily restraints.
trailokyaṃ tapasā vyāptam antarbhūtena bhāsvatā। sūryaś ca candramāś caiva bhāsatas tapasā divi ॥12-210-15॥
The three worlds are pervaded by ascetic power, and it is through inner brilliance that the Sun and the Moon shine in the heavens.
pratāpastapaso jñānaṃ loke saṃśabditaṃ tapaḥ। rajastamoghnaṃ yatkarma tapasastatsvalakṣaṇam ॥12-210-16॥
The knowledge that is the splendor of austerity is called austerity in the world; the action that destroys passion and darkness is the true mark of austerity.
brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca śārīraṃ tapa ucyate। vāṅmanoniyamaḥ sāṃyaṃ mānasaṃ tapa ucyate ॥12-210-17॥
Celibacy, non-violence, and bodily discipline are called physical austerity. Control of speech and mind, and equanimity are called mental austerity.
vidhijñebhyo dvijātibhyo grāhyam annaṃ viśiṣyate। āhāraniyamenāsya pāpmā naśyati rājasaḥ ॥12-210-18॥
Food should be accepted especially from those who know the rules and from the twice-born; by regulating food, the sin of a passionate person is destroyed.
vaimanasyaṃ ca viṣaye yānty asya karaṇāni ca। tasmāt tan-mātram ādadyād yāvad atra prayojanam ॥12-210-19॥
One should take only as much as is needed for the purpose here, for enmity and the instruments that go with it pertain to the matter; therefore, only that much should be taken.
antakāle vayotkarṣāc chanaiḥ kuryād anāturaḥ। evaṃ yuktena manasā jñānaṃ tad upapadyate ॥12-210-20॥
At the end of life, due to old age, one who is not afflicted should act gradually in this way; with a concentrated mind, that knowledge arises.
rajasā cāpyayaṃ dehī dehavāñśabdavaccaret। kāryairavyāhatamatirvairāgyātprakṛtau sthitaḥ ॥ ā dehādapramādācca dehāntādvipramucyate ॥12-210-21॥
The embodied soul, influenced by rajas, should act like sound, moving through the world, maintaining an undisturbed mind, acting with dispassion, and remaining established in its own nature. Through vigilance until the end of the body, one is completely liberated.
hetuyuktaḥ sadotsargo bhūtānāṃ pralayastathā। parapratyayasarge tu niyataṃ nātivartate ॥12-210-22॥
The process of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of beings is always governed by cause; but in the creation that depends on another's influence, this order is never violated.
bhāvāntaprabhavaprajñā āsate ye viparyayam। dhṛtyā dehāndhārayanto buddhisaṅkṣiptamānasāḥ ॥ sthānebhyo dhvaṃsamānāś ca sūkṣmatvāt tānupāsate ॥12-210-23॥
Those whose wisdom is at the end and origin of existence, who remain in error; by firmness supporting their bodies, with minds contracted by intellect; as they are destroyed from their places, due to their subtlety, they approach them.
yathāgamaṃ ca tatsarvaṃ buddhyā tannaiva budhyate। dehāntaṃ kaścid anvāste bhāvitātmā nirāśrayaḥ ॥ yukto dhāraṇayā kaścit sattāṃ kecid upāsate ॥12-210-24॥
According to tradition, all this is not truly understood by intellect alone. Until the end of the body, a realized soul remains independent. Some, engaged in concentration, worship existence itself.
abhyasyanti paraṃ devaṃ vidyutsaṃśabditākṣaram। antakāle hyupāsannāstapasā dagdhakilbiṣāḥ ॥12-210-25॥
Those who, at the end of their lives, having approached the supreme divine being whose imperishable form is resounded like lightning, and whose sins have been burnt away by austerity, repeatedly practice (meditation on Him).
sarva ete mahātmāno gacchanti paramāṃ gatim। sūkṣmaṃ viśeṣaṇaṃ teṣāmavekṣecchāstracakṣuṣā ॥12-210-26॥
All these great souls attain the highest state. Their subtle distinctions should be discerned through the eye of scripture.
dehaṃ tu paramaṃ vidyād vimuktam aparigraham। antarikṣād anyataraṃ dhāraṇāsakta-mānasam ॥12-210-27॥
But one should recognize the body as the supreme, liberated and free from possessions; with a mind absorbed in concentration, distinct from the intermediate space.
martyalokād vimucyante vidyāsaṃyuktamānasāḥ। brahmabhūtā virajasas tato yānti parāṃ gatim ॥12-210-28॥
Those whose minds are endowed with knowledge are released from the world of mortals; having become Brahman and free from passion, they then attain the supreme state.
kaṣāyavarjitaṃ jñānaṃ yeṣām utpadyate'calam। te yānti paramāṃl lokān viśudhyanto yathābalam ॥12-210-29॥
Those in whom unshakable knowledge free from passions arises, having become purified according to their capacity, they attain the highest worlds.
bhagavantam ajaṃ divyaṃ viṣṇum avyaktasañjñitam। bhāvena yānti śuddhā ye jñānatṛptā nirāśiṣaḥ ॥12-210-30॥
Those pure souls, content with knowledge and free from desires, approach with devotion the divine, unborn Viṣṇu, known as the unmanifest.
jñātvātmasthaṃ hariṃ caiva nivartante na te'vyayāḥ। prāpya tatparamaṃ sthānaṃ modante'kṣaramavyayam ॥12-210-31॥
Having realized Hari who abides in the self, those imperishable ones do not return. Attaining that supreme abode, they rejoice in the imperishable and unchanging.
etāvad etad vijñānam etad asti ca nāsti ca। tṛṣṇābaddhaṃ jagat sarvaṃ cakravat parivartate ॥12-210-32॥
This is the extent of knowledge: it both exists and does not exist; the entire world, bound by craving, turns like a wheel.
bisatanturyathaivāyamantaḥsthaḥ sarvato bise। tṛṣṇātanturanādyantastathā dehagataḥ sadā ॥12-210-33॥
Just as the thread inside a lotus runs throughout the stalk, so too the endless thread of craving always pervades the body.
sūcyā sūtraṃ yathā vastre saṃsārayati vāyakaḥ। tadvatsaṃsārasūtraṃ hi tṛṣṇāsūcyā nibadhyate ॥12-210-34॥
Just as a weaver threads a needle through cloth, so too is the thread of worldly existence bound by the needle of desire.
vikāraṃ prakṛtiṃ caiva puruṣaṃ ca sanātanam। yo yathāvad vijānāti sa vitṛṣṇo vimucyate ॥12-210-35॥
Whoever truly understands modification, primordial nature, and the eternal spirit, becomes free from desire and is liberated.
prakāśaṃ bhagavān etad ṛṣir nārāyaṇo 'mṛtam। bhūtānām anukampārthaṃ jagāda jagato hitam ॥12-210-36॥
The blessed sage Nārāyaṇa revealed this immortal teaching out of compassion for all beings, for the welfare of the world.
