12.239
शुक उवाच॥
Shuka said.
अध्यात्मं विस्तरेणेह पुनरेव वदस्व मे। यदध्यात्मं यथा चेदं भगवन्नृषिसत्तम ॥१२-२३९-१॥
O revered one, best among sages, please speak to me again here in detail about that which pertains to the self, and how this is so.
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said.
अध्यात्मं यदिदं तात पुरुषस्येह विद्यते। तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु ॥१२-२३९-२॥
O dear one, I shall now fully explain to you what is called adhyātma, that which exists here in a person; listen to this explanation.
भूमिरापस्तथा ज्योतिर्वायुराकाशमेव च। महाभूतानि भूतानां सागरस्योर्मयो यथा ॥१२-२३९-३॥
Earth, water, fire, air, and space — these great elements of beings are like the waves of the ocean.
प्रसार्येह यथाङ्गानि कूर्मः संहरते पुनः। तद्वन्महान्ति भूतानि यवीयःसु विकुर्वते ॥१२-२३९-४॥
Just as a tortoise, after stretching out its limbs here, withdraws them again, so too do great beings transform themselves into their younger forms.
इति तन्मयमेवेदं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। सर्गे च प्रलये चैव तस्मान्निर्दिश्यते तथा ॥१२-२३९-५॥
Thus, all this, both immobile and mobile, is indeed composed of that; in creation and in dissolution, therefore, it is indicated in this way.
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव सर्वभूतेषु भूतकृत्। अकरोत्तात वैषम्यं यस्मिन्यदनुपश्यति ॥१२-२३९-६॥
O dear one, the creator of beings made the five great elements in all beings, in which he perceives whatever inequality.
शुक उवाच॥
Śuka said.
अकरोद्यच्छरीरेषु कथं तदुपलक्षयेत्। इन्द्रियाणि गुणाः केचित्कथं तानुपलक्षयेत् ॥१२-२३९-७॥
How can one perceive what was done in the bodies? How can one perceive some qualities of the senses?
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said.
एतत्ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावदिह दर्शनम्। शृणु तत्त्वमिहैकाग्रो यथातत्त्वं यथा च तत् ॥१२-२३९-८॥
I will explain this vision to you here as it truly is. Listen attentively to the principle here, with a focused mind, in its true nature, just as it is.
शब्दः श्रोत्रं तथा खानि त्रयमाकाशसम्भवम्। प्राणश्चेष्टा तथा स्पर्श एते वायुगुणास्त्रयः ॥१२-२३९-९॥
Sound, the ear, and the three apertures arising from space; vital breath, movement, and touch—these are the three qualities of air.
रूपं चक्षुर्विपाकश्च त्रिधा ज्योतिर्विधीयते। रसोऽथ रसनं स्नेहो गुणास्त्वेते त्रयोऽम्भसाम् ॥१२-२३९-१०॥
Form, the eye, and its result are the threefold manifestations of light. Taste, the tongue, and unctuousness are the three qualities of water.
घ्रेयं घ्राणं शरीरं च भूमेरेते गुणास्त्रयः। एतावानिन्द्रियग्रामो व्याख्यातः पाञ्चभौतिकः ॥१२-२३९-११॥
The object of smell, the nose, and the body are the three qualities of earth; thus, the group of senses composed of the five elements has been explained.
वायोः स्पर्शो रसोऽद्भ्यश्च ज्योतिषो रूपमुच्यते। आकाशप्रभवः शब्दो गन्धो भूमिगुणः स्मृतः ॥१२-२३९-१२॥
Touch is the quality of air; taste is from water; form is said to be of fire; sound originates from space; smell is remembered as the quality of earth.
मनो बुद्धिश्च भावश्च त्रय एतेऽऽत्मयोनिजाः। न गुणानतिवर्तन्ते गुणेभ्यः परमा मताः ॥१२-२३९-१३॥
Mind, intellect, and disposition—these three are said to be born from the self-origin. They do not transcend the qualities; among the qualities, they are regarded as supreme. (12-239-13)
इन्द्रियाणि नरे पञ्च षष्ठं तु मन उच्यते। सप्तमीं बुद्धिमेवाहुः क्षेत्रज्ञं पुनरष्टमम् ॥१२-२३९-१४॥
In a person, there are five senses; the sixth is called the mind, the seventh is said to be the intellect, and the eighth is the knower of the field (the self or soul).
चक्षुरालोचनायैव संशयं कुरुते मनः। बुद्धिरध्यवसानाय साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते ॥१२-२३९-१५॥
The eye is for seeing, the mind generates doubt, the intellect determines, and the witness is known as the knower of the field.
रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं च त्रय एते स्वयोनिजाः। समाः सर्वेषु भूतेषु तद्गुणेषूपलक्षयेत् ॥१२-२३९-१६॥
Passion (rajas), darkness (tamas), and purity (sattva)—these three qualities, originating from themselves, are present equally in all beings; one should recognize those qualities in all creatures.
यथा कूर्म इहाङ्गानि प्रसार्य विनियच्छति। एवमेवेन्द्रियग्रामं बुद्धिः सृष्ट्वा नियच्छति ॥१२-२३९-१७॥
Just as a tortoise here stretches out its limbs and then withdraws them, so too the intellect, having projected the group of senses, restrains them.
यदूर्ध्वं पादतलयोरवाङ्मूर्ध्नश्च पश्यति। एतस्मिन्नेव कृत्ये वै वर्तते बुद्धिरुत्तमा ॥१२-२३९-१८॥
The highest intellect is present in the act of seeing both upwards from the soles of the feet and downwards from the head.
गुणान्नेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिरेवेन्द्रियाण्यपि। मनःषष्ठानि सर्वाणि बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गुणाः ॥१२-२३९-१९॥
The intellect is directed towards qualities; it is the intellect alone that governs the senses, including the mind as the sixth. In the absence of intellect, how can there be any qualities?
तत्र यत्प्रीतिसंयुक्तं किञ्चिदात्मनि लक्षयेत्। प्रशान्तमिव संशुद्धं सत्त्वं तदुपधारयेत् ॥१२-२३९-२०॥
In that context, whatever little joy is perceived within oneself, one should observe it. One should recognize that state of mind which is tranquil and thoroughly purified, as such.
यत्तु सन्तापसंयुक्तं काये मनसि वा भवेत्। रजः प्रवर्तकं तत्स्यात्सततं हारि देहिनाम् ॥१२-२३९-२१॥
But that which is associated with affliction, whether in the body or in the mind, is rajas, which always acts as a cause of disturbance for embodied beings.
यत्तु संमोहसंयुक्तमव्यक्तविषयं भवेत्। अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं तमस्तदुपधार्यताम् ॥१२-२३९-२२॥
But that which is associated with delusion, whose object is unmanifest, which cannot be reasoned or known, that is to be understood as darkness.
प्रहर्षः प्रीतिरानन्दः साम्यं स्वस्थात्मचित्तता। अकस्माद्यदि वा कस्माद्वर्तते सात्त्विको गुणः ॥१२-२३९-२३॥
Great joy, affection, bliss, equanimity, and a tranquil state of mind—if these arise suddenly or for any reason, they are qualities of sattva (purity and harmony).
अभिमानो मृषावादो लोभो मोहस्तथाक्षमा। लिङ्गानि रजसस्तानि वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुतः ॥१२-२३९-२४॥
Pride, falsehood, greed, delusion, and impatience—these are the marks of rajas; they manifest both with and without apparent cause.
तथा मोहः प्रमादश्च तन्द्री निद्राप्रबोधिता। कथञ्चिदभिवर्तन्ते विज्ञेयास्तामसा गुणाः ॥१२-२३९-२५॥
Thus, delusion, negligence, and sloth, which arise from sleep, are to be understood as qualities of tamas.
