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शुक उवाच॥
Śuka said.
यस्माद्धर्मात्परो धर्मो विद्यते नेह कश्चन। यो विशिष्टश्च धर्मेभ्यस्तं भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥१२-२४२-१॥
Please declare to me that dharma which is higher than all other dharmas, if any such exists, and which is distinguished among dharmas.
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said.
धर्मं ते सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणमृषिसंस्तुतम्। विशिष्टं सर्वधर्मेभ्यस्तमिहैकमनाः शृणु ॥१२-२४२-२॥
I shall now declare to you the duty, ancient and praised by sages, which is distinguished from all other duties; listen to it here with single-minded attention.
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि बुद्ध्या संयम्य यत्नतः। सर्वतो निष्पतिष्णूनि पिता बालानिवात्मजान् ॥१२-२४२-३॥
Just as a father restrains his own children who are eager to run away in all directions, so too, one should restrain the turbulent senses with effort and intellect.
मनसश्चेन्द्रियाणां च ह्यैकाग्र्यं परमं तपः। तज्ज्यायः सर्वधर्मेभ्यः स धर्मः पर उच्यते ॥१२-२४२-४॥
Single-pointedness of the mind and senses is considered the highest austerity. This is regarded as greater than all other duties; such a duty is called supreme.
तानि सर्वाणि सन्धाय मनःषष्ठानि मेधया। आत्मतृप्त इवासीत बहु चिन्त्यमचिन्तयन् ॥१२-२४२-५॥
Having united all those (senses) with the mind as the sixth by intelligence, he, as if self-satisfied, remained not thinking about the many things that ought to be thought about.
गोचरेभ्यो निवृत्तानि यदा स्थास्यन्ति वेश्मनि। तदा त्वमात्मनात्मानं परं द्रक्ष्यसि शाश्वतम् ॥१२-२४२-६॥
When your senses are withdrawn from their objects and remain within, then you will perceive the supreme, eternal Self by your own Self.
सर्वात्मानं महात्मानं विधूममिव पावकम्। तं पश्यन्ति महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः ॥१२-२४२-७॥
The wise brāhmaṇas, who are great-souled, see him who is the soul of all, great-souled, and like a smokeless fire.
यथा पुष्पफलोपेतो बहुशाखो महाद्रुमः। आत्मनो नाभिजानीते क्व मे पुष्पं क्व मे फलम् ॥१२-२४२-८॥
Just as a great tree with many branches, covered with flowers and fruits, does not know itself where its flowers or fruits are, so too (is the case here).
एवमात्मा न जानीते क्व गमिष्ये कुतो न्वहम्। अन्यो ह्यत्रान्तरात्मास्ति यः सर्वमनुपश्यति ॥१२-२४२-९॥
Thus, the self does not know, 'Where will I go? From where indeed am I?' Here, indeed, there is another inner self who sees all.
ज्ञानदीपेन दीप्तेन पश्यत्यात्मानमात्मना। दृष्ट्वा त्वमात्मनात्मानं निरात्मा भव सर्ववित् ॥१२-२४२-१०॥
With the shining lamp of knowledge, one perceives the self by the self. Having thus seen, you too, by the self, perceive the self; then become selfless, a knower of all.
विमुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यो मुक्तत्वच इवोरगः। परां बुद्धिमवाप्येह विपाप्मा विगतज्वरः ॥१२-२४२-११॥
Freed from all sins, just as a serpent is after shedding its skin, one who has attained supreme wisdom here becomes sinless and free from all afflictions.
सर्वतःस्रोतसं घोरां नदीं लोकप्रवाहिनीम्। पञ्चेन्द्रियग्राहवतीं मनःसङ्कल्परोधसम् ॥१२-२४२-१२॥
A dreadful river, fed by streams from all directions, carrying the current of people, grasped by the five senses, and blocked by the determinations of the mind.
लोभमोहतृणच्छन्नां कामक्रोधसरीसृपाम्। सत्यतीर्थानृतक्षोभां क्रोधपङ्कां सरिद्वराम् ॥१२-२४२-१३॥
The best of rivers is covered by the grass of greed and delusion, infested with the serpents of desire and anger, with fords of truth and disturbances of falsehood, and muddied by anger.
अव्यक्तप्रभवां शीघ्रां दुस्तरामकृतात्मभिः। प्रतरस्व नदीं बुद्ध्या कामग्राहसमाकुलाम् ॥१२-२४२-१४॥
Cross the river, which arises from the unmanifest, is swift, difficult to cross for those without self-mastery, and is agitated by the crocodiles of desire, by means of intellect.
संसारसागरगमां योनिपातालदुस्तराम्। आत्मजन्मोद्भवां तात जिह्वावर्तां दुरासदाम् ॥१२-२४२-१५॥
O dear, the movement of the tongue, which leads to the ocean of worldly existence, is difficult to cross like the netherworld of the womb, and arises from the birth of the self; it is hard to overcome.
यां तरन्ति कृतप्रज्ञा धृतिमन्तो मनीषिणः। तां तीर्णः सर्वतोमुक्तो विपूतात्मात्मविच्छुचिः ॥१२-२४२-१६॥
That state, which is crossed by those of established wisdom, steadfastness, and discernment—he who has crossed that, being freed from all sides, with a purified self and intellect, is pure.
उत्तमां बुद्धिमास्थाय ब्रह्मभूयं गमिष्यसि। सन्तीर्णः सर्वसङ्क्लेशान्प्रसन्नात्मा विकल्मषः ॥१२-२४२-१७॥
By adopting the highest wisdom, you will reach the state of Brahman. Freed from all afflictions, with a serene mind and pure of sin, you will attain liberation.
भूमिष्ठानीव भूतानि पर्वतस्थो निशामय। अक्रुध्यन्नप्रहृष्यंश्च ननृशंसमतिस्तथा ॥ ततो द्रक्ष्यसि भूतानां सर्वेषां प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥१२-२४२-१८॥
Stand firmly on the ground and, like one on a mountain, observe all beings without anger, without elation, and with a mind free from cruelty. Then you will perceive the origin and dissolution of all beings.
एवं वै सर्वधर्मेभ्यो विशिष्टं मेनिरे बुधाः। धर्मं धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ मुनयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥१२-२४२-१९॥
Thus, the wise considered that among all dharmas, dharma is the most distinguished; the sages who know the truth regarded dharma as the highest among those who uphold dharma.
आत्मनोऽव्ययिनो ज्ञात्वा इदं पुत्रानुशासनम्। प्रयताय प्रवक्तव्यं हितायानुगताय च ॥१२-२४२-२०॥
Having realized the imperishable self, this instruction to the son should be given only to one who is diligent, for his welfare, and to one who is obedient.
आत्मज्ञानमिदं गुह्यं सर्वगुह्यतमं महत्। अब्रुवं यदहं तात आत्मसाक्षिकमञ्जसा ॥१२-२४२-२१॥
O dear one, I have directly spoken to you this self-knowledge, the greatest and most secret of all secrets, which pertains to direct realization of the Self.
नैव स्त्री न पुमानेतन्नैव चेदं नपुंसकम्। अदुःखमसुखं ब्रह्म भूतभव्यभवात्मकम् ॥१२-२४२-२२॥
This is neither a woman nor a man nor neuter; Brahman is beyond sorrow and happiness, and is of the nature of past, future, and present.
नैतज्ज्ञात्वा पुमान्स्त्री वा पुनर्भवमवाप्नुयात्। अभवप्रतिपत्त्यर्थमेतद्वर्त्म विधीयते ॥१२-२४२-२३॥
If one does not know this, whether man or woman, one is subject to rebirth. This path is prescribed for the attainment of non-existence (liberation from rebirth).
यथा मतानि सर्वाणि न चैतानि यथा तथा। कथितानि मया पुत्र भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥१२-२४२-२४॥
O son, just as all opinions are not exactly these, so too, those which I have spoken may or may not come to be.
तत्प्रीतियुक्तेन गुणान्वितेन; पुत्रेण सत्पुत्रगुणान्वितेन। पृष्टो हीदं प्रीतिमता हितार्थं; ब्रूयात्सुतस्येह यदुक्तमेतत् ॥१२-२४२-२५॥
When a son endowed with the qualities of a good son, full of affection and virtues, is asked something here with affection for his benefit, whatever is spoken by him should be said.
