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व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said.
गन्धान्रसान्नानुरुन्ध्यात्सुखं वा; नालङ्कारांश्चाप्नुयात्तस्य तस्य। मानं च कीर्तिं च यशश्च नेच्छे; त्स वै प्रचारः पश्यतो ब्राह्मणस्य ॥१२-२४३-१॥
A Brāhmaṇa who truly understands should not pursue scents, tastes, or pleasures, nor seek ornaments. He should not desire respect, fame, or glory; such is the conduct of a wise Brāhmaṇa.
सर्वान्वेदानधीयीत शुश्रूषुर्ब्रह्मचर्यवान्। ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि न तेन न स ब्राह्मणः ॥१२-२४३-२॥
A true Brāhmaṇa is one who, being desirous to serve and observing celibacy, studies all the Vedas—Rig, Yajur, and Sāma. Without this, he is not a Brāhmaṇa.
ज्ञातिवत्सर्वभूतानां सर्ववित्सर्ववेदवित्। नाकामो म्रियते जातु न तेन न च ब्राह्मणः ॥१२-२४३-३॥
He who is like a relative to all beings, who knows everything and all the Vedas, who is without desire, never dies; neither by him nor the Brāhmaṇa (is death caused or experienced).
इष्टीश्च विविधाः प्राप्य क्रतूंश्चैवाप्तदक्षिणान्। नैव प्राप्नोति ब्राह्मण्यमभिध्यानात्कथञ्चन ॥१२-२४३-४॥
Even after performing various oblations and sacrifices with proper gifts, one does not attain Brahminhood by mere contemplation in any way.
यदा चायं न बिभेति यदा चास्मान्न बिभ्यति। यदा नेच्छति न द्वेष्टि ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥१२-२४३-५॥
When a person neither fears nor is feared by others, when he neither desires nor hates, then he attains Brahman.
यदा न कुरुते भावं सर्वभूतेषु पापकम्। कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥१२-२४३-६॥
When a person does not harbor or perform any evil towards all beings—whether by action, mind, or speech—then that person attains Brahman.
कामबन्धनमेवैकं नान्यदस्तीह बन्धनम्। कामबन्धनमुक्तो हि ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥१२-२४३-७॥
Only the bondage of desire exists; there is no other bondage here. One who is freed from the bondage of desire is indeed fit to become Brahman. "12-243-7".
कामतो मुच्यमानस्तु धूम्राभ्रादिव चन्द्रमाः। विरजाः कालमाकाङ्क्षन्धीरो धैर्येण वर्तते ॥१२-२४३-८॥
But when freed from desire, just as the moon emerges from a smoky cloud, the steadfast person, purified and passionless, patiently awaits the right time and remains firm with courage.
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं; समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत्। स कामकान्तो न तु कामकामः; स वै लोकात्स्वर्गमुपैति देही ॥१२-२४३-९॥
Just as waters enter the ocean, which is being filled and has a firm foundation, so too, he who is dear to desire, not one who desires desires, he indeed, the embodied being, attains heaven from this world.
वेदस्योपनिषत्सत्यं सत्यस्योपनिषद्दमः। दमस्योपनिषद्दानं दानस्योपनिषत्तपः ॥१२-२४३-१०॥
The essence of the Veda is truth; the essence of truth is self-restraint; the essence of self-restraint is charity; the essence of charity is austerity.
तपसोपनिषत्त्यागस्त्यागस्योपनिषत्सुखम्। सुखस्योपनिषत्स्वर्गः स्वर्गस्योपनिषच्छमः ॥१२-२४३-११॥
Renunciation is the true essence of austerity; happiness is the essence of renunciation; heaven is the essence of happiness; and tranquility is the essence of heaven.
क्लेदनं शोकमनसोः सन्तापं तृष्णया सह। सत्त्वमिच्छसि सन्तोषाच्छान्तिलक्षणमुत्तमम् ॥१२-२४३-१२॥
If you seek steadiness, know that the supreme state marked by peace comes from contentment, not from the moistening, sorrow, or burning of the mind with thirst.
विशोको निर्ममः शान्तः प्रसन्नात्मात्मवित्तमः। षड्भिर्लक्षणवानेतैः समग्रः पुनरेष्यति ॥१२-२४३-१३॥
He who is free from sorrow, without possessiveness, peaceful, clear-minded, the best knower of the self, endowed with these six characteristics, will once again become whole.
षड्भिः सत्त्वगुणोपेतैः प्राज्ञैरधिकमन्त्रिभिः। ये विदुः प्रेत्य चात्मानमिहस्थांस्तांस्तथा विदुः ॥१२-२४३-१४॥
Those who are endowed with the six qualities of sattva, who are wise and have superior counsellors, know both the self after departing and those who are situated here, in the same way.
अकृत्रिममसंहार्यं प्राकृतं निरुपस्कृतम्। अध्यात्मं सुकृतप्रज्ञः सुखमव्ययमश्नुते ॥१२-२४३-१५॥
A person of virtuous wisdom attains imperishable happiness, which is genuine, indestructible, natural, and unmodified, and is of the nature of the self.
निष्प्रचारं मनः कृत्वा प्रतिष्ठाप्य च सर्वतः। यामयं लभते तुष्टिं सा न शक्यमतोऽन्यथा ॥१२-२४३-१६॥
When one makes the mind unmoving and establishes it everywhere, the contentment that is attained thereby cannot be obtained in any other way.
येन तृप्यत्यभुञ्जानो येन तुष्यत्यवित्तवान्। येनास्नेहो बलं धत्ते यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥१२-२४३-१७॥
He who knows that by which one is satisfied without eating, by which a person without wealth is pleased, and by which one without affection possesses strength—he is truly the knower of knowledge.
सङ्गोप्य ह्यात्मनो द्वाराण्यपिधाय विचिन्तयन्। यो ह्यास्ते ब्राह्मणः शिष्टः स आत्मरतिरुच्यते ॥१२-२४३-१८॥
He who, having truly closed the doors of his senses and reflecting within, remains self-controlled, that Brāhmaṇa is called one who delights in the self.
समाहितं परे तत्त्वे क्षीणकाममवस्थितम्। सर्वतः सुखमन्वेति वपुश्चान्द्रमसं यथा ॥१२-२४३-१९॥
One who is established in the supreme reality, whose desires have been exhausted, abides in that state; happiness follows him from all sides, and his body becomes like that of the moon.
सविशेषाणि भूतानि गुणांश्चाभजतो मुनेः। सुखेनापोह्यते दुःखं भास्करेण तमो यथा ॥१२-२४३-२०॥
The sage who does not partake in entities and qualities with distinctions, his suffering is removed by happiness, just as darkness is removed by the sun.
तमतिक्रान्तकर्माणमतिक्रान्तगुणक्षयम्। ब्राह्मणं विषयाश्लिष्टं जरामृत्यू न विन्दतः ॥१२-२४३-२१॥
Old age and death do not affect that brāhmaṇa who has transcended actions and the decline of qualities, even if he is attached to sense-objects.
स यदा सर्वतो मुक्तः समः पर्यवतिष्ठते। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थांश्च शरीरस्थोऽतिवर्तते ॥१२-२४३-२२॥
When he is liberated from all sides and remains equal, he transcends the senses and sense-objects even while remaining in the body.
कारणं परमं प्राप्य अतिक्रान्तस्य कार्यताम्। पुनरावर्तनं नास्ति सम्प्राप्तस्य परात्परम् ॥१२-२४३-२३॥
Once the supreme cause is attained and the state of effect has been transcended, there is no return for what has reached beyond the highest.
