12.212
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
janako janadevastu jñāpitaḥ paramarṣiṇā। punarevānupapraccha sāmparāye bhavābhavau ॥12-212-1॥
Janaka, also called Janadeva, having been informed by the supreme sage, again asked about existence and non-existence in the hereafter.
bhagavanyadidaṃ pretya sañjñā bhavati kasyacit। evaṃ sati kimajñānaṃ jñānaṃ vā kiṃ kariṣyati ॥12-212-2॥
O Lord, if after death this consciousness arises for anyone, then what use is ignorance or knowledge?
sarvam-uccheda-niṣṭhaṃ syāt paśya caitad-dvijottama। apramattaḥ pramatto vā kiṃ viśeṣaṃ kariṣyati ॥12-212-3॥
Everything is ultimately destined for destruction; observe this, O best of Brāhmaṇas. Whether one is careful or careless, what difference does it make?
asaṁsargo hi bhūteṣu saṁsargo vā vināśiṣu। kasmai kriyeta kalpena niścayaḥ ko'tra tattvataḥ ॥12-212-4॥
Is there truly any certainty, by rule, for anyone here—whether there is association or non-association among beings, or among the perishable? Who can truly determine this in reality?
tamasā hi praticchannaṃ vibhrāntamiva cāturam। punaḥ praśamayanvākyaiḥ kaviḥ pañcaśikho'bravīt ॥12-212-5॥
The sage Pañcaśikha, seeing cleverness covered by darkness and appearing confused, again soothed with words and spoke.
ucchedaniṣṭhā nehāsti bhāvaniṣṭhā na vidyate। ayaṃ hyapi samāhāraḥ śarīrendriyacet asām ॥ vartate pṛthaganyonyamapyapāśritya karmasu ॥12-212-6॥
Here, neither the doctrine of annihilation nor that of eternal existence is found. Indeed, this aggregate of body, senses, and minds exists, functioning both separately and interdependently in actions.
dhātavaḥ pañcaśākho'yaṃ khaṃ vāyurjyotirambu bhūḥ। te svabhāvena tiṣṭhanti viyujyante svabhāvataḥ ॥12-212-7॥
The elements, which are of five kinds—space, air, fire, water, and earth—exist and separate from each other by their own inherent nature.
ākāśaṃ vāyurūṣmā ca sneho yaccāpi pārthivam। eṣa pañcasamāhāraḥ śarīramiti naikadhā ॥ jñānamūṣmā ca vāyuśca trividhah karmasaṅgrahaḥ ॥12-212-8॥
The body is composed of a fivefold combination: ether, air, heat, moisture, and earth. This is not of a single kind. The collection of actions is threefold: knowledge, heat, and air.
indriyāṇīndriyārthāśca svabhāvaścetanā manaḥ। prāṇāpānau vikāraśca dhātavaścātra niḥsṛtāḥ ॥12-212-9॥
Here, the senses, their objects, innate nature, consciousness, mind, vital breath and apāna, modifications, and elements have arisen.
śravaṇaṃ sparśanaṃ jihvā dṛṣṭir nāsā tathaiva ca। indriyāṇīti pañcaite cittapūrvaṅgamā guṇāḥ ॥12-212-10॥
Hearing, touch, tongue, sight, and nose—these five senses, thus, are qualities preceded by the mind.
tatra vijñānasaṃyuktā trividhā vedanā dhruvā| sukhaduḥkheti yāmāhuraduḥkhetyasukhīti ca ॥12-212-11॥
There, the threefold sensation, always associated with consciousness, is said to be of three kinds: 'pleasure and pain', and also 'not pain' and 'not pleasure'.
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhaś ca mūrtyatha। ete hyāmaraṇāt pañca ṣaḍ-guṇā jñāna-siddhaye ॥12-212-12॥
Sound, touch, form, taste, smell, and form—these five and six qualities, indeed, from deathlessness, are for the accomplishment of knowledge.
teṣu karmanisargaś ca sarvatattvārthaniścayaḥ। tam āhuḥ paramaṃ śukraṃ buddhir ity avyayaṃ mahat॥12-212-13॥
Among these, the natural tendency towards action and the determination of the meaning of all principles—this is called the supreme, pure, imperishable, and great intellect.
imaṃ guṇasamāhāram ātmabhāvena paśyataḥ। asamyagdarśanair duḥkham anantaṃ nopaśāmyati ॥12-212-14॥
When one sees this aggregate of qualities as the self, due to improper perceptions, endless suffering does not cease.
anātmeti ca yaddṛṣṭaṃ tenāhaṃ na mametyapi। vartate kimadhiṣṭhānā prasaktā duḥkhasantatiḥ ॥12-212-15॥
And whatever is perceived as 'not-self', when one regards it as 'I am not, nor is it mine', then what foundation remains for the continued chain of suffering to persist?
tatra samyaṅmano nāma tyāgaśāstramanuttamam। śṛṇu yat tava mokṣāya bhāṣyamāṇaṃ bhaviṣyati ॥12-212-16॥
There, the unsurpassed treatise on renunciation called 'Proper Mind'—listen, for what is being explained will be for your liberation.
tyāga eva hi sarveṣām uktānām api karmaṇām। nityaṃ mithyāvinītānāṃ kleśo duḥkhāvaho mataḥ ॥12-212-17॥
Renunciation alone, even of all prescribed actions, is always considered to bring affliction and sorrow to those who act wrongly.
dravyatyāge tu karmāṇi bhogatyāge vratānyapi। sukhatyāge tapoyogaḥ sarvatyāge samāpanā ॥12-212-18॥
When wealth is renounced, actions remain; when enjoyment is renounced, vows remain; when pleasure is renounced, austerity remains; when everything is renounced, there is completion.
tasya mārgo' yam advaidhaḥ sarvatyāgasya darśitaḥ। viprahāṇāya duḥkhasya durgatir hy anyathā bhavet ॥12-212-19॥
This non-dual path of complete renunciation has been shown for him. Otherwise, for the abandonment of suffering, there would indeed be an evil state.
pañca jñānendriyāṇy uktvā manaḥṣaṣṭhāni cetasi। manaḥṣaṣṭhāni vakṣyāmi pañca karmendriyāṇi tu ॥12-212-20॥
Having described the five sense organs and the mind as the sixth among them, I will now explain the mind as the sixth and the five organs of action.
hastau karmendriyaṃ jñeyam atha pādau gatīndriyam। prajanānandayoh śepho visarge pāyurindriyam ॥12-212-21॥
The two hands are known as the organ of action; the two feet as the organ of movement. The phallus is the organ of generation and pleasure; the anus is the organ of excretion.
vāktu śabdaviśeṣārthaṃ gatiṃ pañcānvitāṃ viduḥ। evamekādaśaitāni buddhyā tvavasṛjenmanaḥ ॥12-212-22॥
For the purpose of speech, the wise recognized the course endowed with five elements for the specific meaning of words. In this way, by intellect, one should indeed release these eleven courses of the mind.
karṇau śabdaś ca cittaṃ ca trayaḥ śravaṇasaṅgrahe। tathā sparśe tathā rūpe tathaiva rasagandhayoḥ ॥12-212-23॥
The ears, sound, and mind—these three constitute the faculty of hearing; similarly, the same applies to touch, form, and likewise to taste and smell.
evaṃ pañcatrikā hyete guṇās tadupalabdhaye। yena yas trividho bhāvaḥ paryāyāt samupasthitaḥ ॥12-212-24॥
Thus, these fivefold qualities exist for the attainment of that. By which, whichever threefold state arises in succession.
sāttviko rājasaścaiva tāmasaścaiva te trayaḥ। trividhā vedanā yeṣu prasūtā sarvasādhanā ॥12-212-25॥
There are three types: sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika. In these three, all means of sensation arise.
praharṣaḥ prītirānandaḥ sukhaṃ saṃśāntacittatā। akutaścitkutaścidvā cittataḥ sāttviko guṇaḥ ॥12-212-26॥
Great joy, affection, bliss, happiness, and a completely calmed mind—whether arising from nowhere or somewhere, from the mind—are qualities of sattva.
atuṣṭiḥ paritāpaś ca śoko lobhas tathākṣamā। liṅgāni rajasas tāni dṛśyante hetvahetutaḥ ॥12-212-27॥
Discontent, distress, sorrow, greed, and impatience—these are the signs of rajas; they are observed with or without cause.
avivekas tathā mohaḥ pramādaḥ svapna-tandritā। kathañcid api vartante vividhās tāmasā guṇāḥ ॥12-212-28॥
Non-discrimination, delusion, negligence, sleep, and drowsiness are various qualities born of tamas that exist in different ways.
tatra yatprītisaṃyuktaṃ kāye manasi vā bhavet। vartate sāttviko bhāva ityapekṣeta tattathā ॥12-212-29॥
Wherever there is a state joined with delight in the body or mind, that is to be considered a sattvic state; thus, it should be regarded as such.
yattu santāpasaṃyuktam aprītikaram ātmanaḥ। pravṛttaṃ raja ity eva tatas tad abhicintayet ॥12-212-30॥
But whatever action is undertaken that is joined with affliction and causes displeasure to oneself, that should be understood as arising from passion; thus, one should reflect upon it.
atha yan-moha-saṃyuktaṃ kāye manasi vā bhavet। apratarkyam avijñeyaṃ tamas tad-upadhārayet ॥12-212-31॥
Now, whatever is associated with delusion, whether in the body or in the mind, which cannot be reasoned or known, that is to be understood as darkness.
taddhi śrotrāśrayaṃ bhūtaṃ śabdaḥ śrotraṃ samāśritaḥ। nobhayaṃ śabda-vijñāne vijñānasya-itarasya vā ॥12-212-32॥
That which has the ear as its support is called sound, and the ear is that which resorts to it. In the cognition of sound, neither both (sound and ear) nor the cognition of the other (object) is present.
evaṃ tvak-cakṣuṣī jihvā nāsikā caiva pañcamī। sparśe rūpe rase gandhe tāni ceto manaś ca tat ॥12-212-33॥
Thus, the skin, eyes, tongue, nose, and the fifth (ear), in relation to touch, form, taste, and smell—these are the senses, and the mind is that (which perceives them).
svakarmayugapadbhāvo daśasveteṣu tiṣṭhati. cittamekādaśaṃ viddhi buddhirdvādaśamī bhavet ॥12-212-34॥
The state of one's own actions exists simultaneously in these ten; know the mind as the eleventh, and the intellect is considered the twelfth.
teṣām ayugapad-bhāve ucchedo nāsti tāmasaḥ। āsthito yugapad-bhāve vyavahāraḥ sa laukikaḥ॥12-212-35॥
For them, when simultaneity is absent, the destruction of darkness does not occur; when simultaneity is present, that transaction is considered worldly.
indriyāṇy avasṛjyāpi dṛṣṭvā pūrvaṃ śrutāgamam। cintayann anupary eti tribhir evānvito guṇaiḥ ॥12-212-36॥
Even after abandoning the senses, having seen the earlier scriptural tradition, and contemplating, he repeatedly pursues it, being endowed with the three qualities.
yat tamopahataṃ cittam āśu sañcāram adhruvam। karoti uparamaṃ kāle tad āhuḥ tāmasam sukham ॥12-212-37॥
That happiness which arises when the mind, overpowered by darkness, quickly becomes unstable and ceases to function, is called tāmasic happiness.
yadyadāgamasaṃyuktaṃ na kṛtsnamupaśāmyati। atha tatrāpyupādatte tamo vyaktamivānṛtam ॥12-212-38॥
Whatever is associated with tradition does not completely cease; then, even there, it takes on darkness, appearing as if it were untruth.
evameṣa prasaṅkhyātaḥ svakarmapratyayī guṇaḥ। kathañcid vartate samyakkeṣāñcidvā na vartate ॥12-212-39॥
Thus, this quality, distinctly recognized as arising from one's own actions, sometimes exists properly for some, or does not exist at all for others.
evam āhuḥ samāhāraṃ kṣetram adhyātma-cintakāḥ | sthito manasi yaḥ bhāvaḥ sa vai kṣetrajña ucyate ||12-212-40||
Thus, those who contemplate on the self say that the collection is the field. The state that is established in the mind is indeed called the knower of the field.
evaṃ sati ka ucchedaḥ śāśvato vā kathaṃ bhavet। svabhāvād vartamāneṣu sarvabhūteṣu hetutaḥ ॥12-212-41॥
Given this, how could there be either destruction or eternality? In all existing beings, everything arises from inherent nature and causality.
yathārṇavagatā nadyo vyaktīr jahati nāma ca। na ca svatāṃ niyacchanti tādṛśaḥ sattvasaṅkṣayaḥ ॥12-212-42॥
Just as rivers, upon entering the ocean, abandon their distinct forms and names but do not lose their own essence, so is the dissolution of beings.
evaṃ sati kutaḥ sañjñā pretyabhāve punarbhavet। pratisaṃmiśrite jīve gṛhyamāṇe ca madhyataḥ ॥12-212-43॥
Thus, under these circumstances, how could a designation arise again after death? When the living being is thoroughly mixed and grasped from the midst.
imāṃ tu yo veda vimokṣabuddhi; mātmānam anvicchati cāpramattaḥ। na lipyate karmaphalair aniṣṭaiḥ; patraṃ bisasyaiva jalena siktam ॥12-212-44॥
But whoever knows this intellect of liberation, seeks his own self, and remains vigilant, is not affected by undesirable results of actions, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.
dṛḍhaiś ca pāśair bahubhir vimuktaḥ; prajānimit tair api daivataiś ca। yadā hy asau sukhaduḥkhe jahāti; muktaḥ tad āgryāṃ gatim ety aliṅgaḥ॥ śruti-pramāṇa-āgama-maṅgalaiś ca; śete jarā-mṛtyu-bhayāt atītaḥ॥ 12-212-45॥
When one is freed from many strong bonds, both those arising from beings and from divine powers, and when he abandons pleasure and pain, then, liberated, he attains the supreme state, without any distinguishing mark. Supported by the auspiciousness of scriptural authority and tradition, he rests, having gone beyond the fear of old age and death.
kṣīṇe ca puṇye vigate ca pāpe; tatonimitte ca phale vinaṣṭe. alepam ākāśam aliṅgam eva; mā āsthāya paśyanti mahad-dhyasaktāḥ ॥12-212-46॥
When merit is exhausted and sin has departed, and when the fruit (of actions) that arises without cause is destroyed, those who are unattached, like the unstained and formless sky, perceive the Supreme by not resorting to anything, being absorbed in great meditation.
yathorṇanābhiḥ parivartamānaḥ; stantukṣaye tiṣṭhati pātyamānaḥ। tathā vimuktaḥ prajahāti duḥkham; vidhvaṃsate loṣṭa ivādrimarccan ॥12-212-47॥
Just as a spider, when its thread is exhausted, remains falling, so too, the liberated one abandons suffering, which is destroyed like a clod of earth striking a mountain.
yathā ruruḥ śṛṅgam atho purāṇaṃ; hitvā tvacaṃ vāpy urago yathāvat. vihāya gacchaty anavekṣamāṇaḥ; tathā vimukto vijahāti duḥkham ॥12-212-48॥
Just as a deer leaves behind its old horn, or a serpent sheds its skin and moves on without looking back, so too does the liberated person abandon suffering and move forward.
drumaṃ yathā vāpyudake patanta; mutsṛjya pakṣī prapatatyasaktaḥ. tathā hyasau sukhaduḥkhe vihāya; muktaḥ parārdhyāṃ gatim etyaliṅgaḥ ॥12-212-49॥
Just as a bird, having abandoned a tree or water, flies away unattached when they fall, so too, one who has left behind pleasure and pain, being liberated, attains the supreme, unmanifest state.
api ca bhavati maithilena gītaṃ; nagaram upāhitam agninābhivīkṣya। na khalu mama tuṣo'pi dahyate'tra; svayam idam āha kila sma bhūmipālaḥ ॥12-212-50॥
Indeed, it is said that the king himself said this: "Even when the city was set on fire by fire, not even my chaff here was burned," as spoken by the Maithila (Janaka).
idam amṛtapadaṃ videharājaḥ; svayam iha pañcaśikhena bhāṣyamāṇaḥ. nikhilam abhisamīkṣya niścitārthaṃ; paramasukhī vijahāra vītaśokaḥ ॥12-212-51॥
King Janaka of Videha, having listened here himself to the explanation of the immortal state by Pañcaśikha, after thoroughly examining and ascertaining its meaning, moved about supremely happy and free from sorrow.
imaṃ hi yaḥ paṭhati vimokṣaniścayaṃ; na hīyate satatam avekṣate tathā। upadravān nānubhavaty aduḥkhitaḥ; pramucyate kapilam ivaitya maithilaḥ ॥12-212-52॥
Whoever recites this teaching on the certainty of liberation does not fall, always remains vigilant, does not experience troubles, and, being free from sorrow, is liberated like Kapila, O man of Mithila.
