12.239
śuka uvāca॥
Shuka said.
adhyātmaṃ vistareṇeha punareva vadasva me। yadadhyātmaṃ yathā cedaṃ bhagavanṛṣisattama ॥12-239-1॥
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.
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said.
adhyātmaṃ yad idaṃ tāta puruṣasya iha vidyate। tat te ahaṃ sampravakṣyāmi tasya vyākhyām imāṃ śṛṇu ॥12-239-2॥
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.
bhūmir-āpas-tathā jyotir-vāyur-ākāśam-eva ca। mahābhūtāni bhūtānāṃ sāgarasya-ūrmayo yathā ॥12-239-3॥
Earth, water, fire, air, and space — these great elements of beings are like the waves of the ocean.
prasāryeha yathāṅgāni kūrmaḥ saṃharate punaḥ। tadvanmahānti bhūtāni yavīyaḥsu vikurvate ॥12-239-4॥
Just as a tortoise, after stretching out its limbs here, withdraws them again, so too do great beings transform themselves into their younger forms.
iti tanmayamevedaṃ sarvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam। sarge ca pralaye caiva tasmānnirdiśyate tathā ॥12-239-5॥
Thus, all this, both immobile and mobile, is indeed composed of that; in creation and in dissolution, therefore, it is indicated in this way.
mahābhūtāni pañcaiva sarvabhūteṣu bhūtakṛt। akarottāta vaiṣamyaṃ yasminyadanupaśyati ॥12-239-6॥
O dear one, the creator of beings made the five great elements in all beings, in which he perceives whatever inequality.
śuka uvāca॥
Śuka said.
akarodyaccharīreṣu kathaṃ tadupalakṣayet। indriyāṇi guṇāḥ kecitkathaṃ tānupalakṣayet ॥12-239-7॥
How can one perceive what was done in the bodies? How can one perceive some qualities of the senses?
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said.
etat te vartayiṣyāmi yathāvad iha darśanam। śṛṇu tattvam ihaikāgro yathātattvaṃ yathā ca tat ॥12-239-8॥
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.
śabdaḥ śrotraṃ tathā khāni trayam ākāśasambhavam। prāṇaś ceṣṭā tathā sparśa ete vāyuguṇās trayaḥ ॥12-239-9॥
Sound, the ear, and the three apertures arising from space; vital breath, movement, and touch—these are the three qualities of air.
rūpaṃ cakṣurvipākaśca tridhā jyotirvidhīyate। raso'tha rasanaṃ sneho guṇāstvete trayo'mbhasām ॥12-239-10॥
Form, the eye, and its result are the threefold manifestations of light. Taste, the tongue, and unctuousness are the three qualities of water.
ghreyaṃ ghrāṇaṃ śarīraṃ ca bhūmerete guṇāstrayaḥ। etāvānindriyagrāmo vyākhyātaḥ pāñcabhautikaḥ॥12-239-11॥
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.
vāyoḥ sparśo raso’dbhyaśca jyotiṣo rūpamucyate। ākāśaprabhavaḥ śabdo gandho bhūmiguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥12-239-12॥
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.
mano buddhiś ca bhāvaś ca traya ete''tmayonijāḥ। na guṇān ativartante guṇebhyaḥ paramā matāḥ ॥12-239-13॥
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)
indriyāṇi nare pañca ṣaṣṭhaṃ tu mana ucyate। saptamīṃ buddhimevāhuḥ kṣetrajñaṃ punaraṣṭamam ॥12-239-14॥
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).
cakṣurālocanāyaiva saṃśayaṃ kurute manaḥ। buddhiradhyavasānāya sākṣī kṣetrajña ucyate ॥12-239-15॥
The eye is for seeing, the mind generates doubt, the intellect determines, and the witness is known as the knower of the field.
rajastamaś ca sattvaṃ ca traya ete svayonijāḥ। samāḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tadguṇeṣūpalakṣayet ॥12-239-16॥
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.
yathā kūrma ihāṅgāni prasārya viniyacchati। evamevendriyagrāmaṃ buddhiḥ sṛṣṭvā niyacchati ॥12-239-17॥
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.
yad-ūrdhvaṃ pāda-tala-yor-avāṅ-mūrdhnaś-ca paśyati। etasmin-neva kṛtye vai vartate buddhir-uttamā ॥12-239-18॥
The highest intellect is present in the act of seeing both upwards from the soles of the feet and downwards from the head.
guṇānnenīyate buddhirbuddhirevendriyāṇyapi। manaḥṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi buddhyabhāve kuto guṇāḥ ॥12-239-19॥
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?
tatra yatprītisaṃyuktaṃ kiñcidātmani lakṣayet। praśāntamiva saṃśuddhaṃ sattvaṃ tadupadhārayet ॥12-239-20॥
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.
yattu santāpasaṃyuktaṃ kāye manasi vā bhavet। rajaḥ pravartakaṃ tatsyātsatataṃ hāri dehinām ॥12-239-21॥
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.
yattu saṁmoha-saṁyuktam-avyakta-viṣayaṁ bhavet। apratarkyam-avijñeyaṁ tamas-tad-upadhāryatām ॥12-239-22॥
But that which is associated with delusion, whose object is unmanifest, which cannot be reasoned or known, that is to be understood as darkness.
praharṣaḥ prītirānandaḥ sāmyaṃ svasthātmacittatā। akasmādyadi vā kasmādvartate sāttviko guṇaḥ ॥12-239-23॥
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).
abhimāno mṛṣāvādo lobho mohastathākṣamā। liṅgāni rajasastāni vartante hetvahetutaḥ ॥12-239-24॥
Pride, falsehood, greed, delusion, and impatience—these are the marks of rajas; they manifest both with and without apparent cause.
tathā mohaḥ pramādaś ca tandrī nidrāprabodhitā। kathañcid abhivartante vijñeyās tāmasā guṇāḥ ॥12-239-25॥
Thus, delusion, negligence, and sloth, which arise from sleep, are to be understood as qualities of tamas.
