12.243
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said.
gandhān rasān nānuruṇdhyāt sukhaṃ vā; nālaṅkārāṃś cāpnuyāt tasya tasya. mānaṃ ca kīrtiṃ ca yaśaś ca necchet; sa vai pracāraḥ paśyato brāhmaṇasya ॥12-243-1॥
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.
sarvān vedān adhīyīta śuśrūṣur brahmacaryavān। ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni na tena na sa brāhmaṇaḥ ॥12-243-2॥
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.
jñātivat sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvavit sarvavedavit। nākāmo mriyate jātu na tena na ca brāhmaṇaḥ॥ 12-243-3॥
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).
iṣṭīś ca vividhāḥ prāpya kratuṃś caivāptadakṣiṇān। naiva prāpnoti brāhmaṇyam abhidhyānāt kathaṃcana ॥12-243-4॥
Even after performing various oblations and sacrifices with proper gifts, one does not attain Brahminhood by mere contemplation in any way.
yadā cāyaṃ na bibheti yadā cāsmānna bibhyati। yadā neccḥati na dveṣṭi brahma sampadyate tadā ॥12-243-5॥
When a person neither fears nor is feared by others, when he neither desires nor hates, then he attains Brahman.
yadā na kurute bhāvaṃ sarvabhūteṣu pāpakam। karmaṇā manasā vācā brahma sampadyate tadā ॥12-243-6॥
When a person does not harbor or perform any evil towards all beings—whether by action, mind, or speech—then that person attains Brahman.
kāmabandhanam eva ekaṃ nānyad asti iha bandhanam। kāmabandhanam muktaḥ hi brahmabhūyāya kalpate ॥12-243-7॥
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".
kāmato mucyamānas tu dhūmrābhrād iva candramāḥ। virajāḥ kālam ākāṅkṣan dhīraḥ dhairyeṇa vartate ॥12-243-8॥
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.
āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṃ; samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat। sa kāma-kāntaḥ na tu kāma-kāmaḥ; sa vai lokāt svargam upaiti dehī ॥12-243-9॥
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.
vedasyopaniṣatsatyaṃ satyasyopaniṣaddamaḥ। damasyopaniṣaddānaṃ dānasyopaniṣattapaḥ ॥12-243-10॥
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.
tapasopaniṣattyāgast yāgasyaopaniṣatsukham। sukhasyaopaniṣatsvargaḥ svargasyopaniṣacchamaḥ ॥12-243-11॥
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.
kledanaṃ śokamanasoḥ santāpaṃ tṛṣṇayā saha। sattvam icchasi santoṣāc chāntilakṣaṇam uttamam ॥12-243-12॥
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.
viśoko nirmamaḥ śāntaḥ prasannātmātmavittamaḥ। ṣaḍbhir lakṣaṇavān etaiḥ samagraḥ punar eṣyati ॥12-243-13॥
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.
ṣaḍbhiḥ sattvaguṇopetaiḥ prājñairadhikamantribhiḥ। ye viduḥ pretya cātmānamihasthāṃstāṃstathā viduḥ ॥12-243-14॥
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.
akṛtrimam asaṃhāryaṃ prākṛtaṃ nirupaskṛtam। adhyātmaṃ sukṛtaprajñaḥ sukham avyayam aśnute ॥12-243-15॥
A person of virtuous wisdom attains imperishable happiness, which is genuine, indestructible, natural, and unmodified, and is of the nature of the self.
niṣpracāraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā pratiṣṭhāpya ca sarvataḥ। yām ayaṃ labhate tuṣṭiṃ sā na śakyam ato'nyathā॥12-243-16॥
When one makes the mind unmoving and establishes it everywhere, the contentment that is attained thereby cannot be obtained in any other way.
yena tṛpyaty abhuñjāno yena tuṣyaty avittavān। yenāsneho balaṃ dhatte yas taṃ veda sa vedavit ॥12-243-17॥
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.
saṅgopya hy ātmano dvārāṇy apidhāya vicintayan। yo hy āste brāhmaṇaḥ śiṣṭaḥ sa ātmaratir ucyate ॥12-243-18॥
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.
samāhitaṃ pare tattve kṣīṇakāmam avasthitam। sarvataḥ sukham anv eti vapuś cāndramasaṃ yathā ॥12-243-19॥
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.
saviśeṣāṇi bhūtāni guṇāṃścābhajato muneḥ। sukhenaāpohyate duḥkhaṃ bhāskareṇa tamo yathā ॥12-243-20॥
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.
tamatikrāntakarmāṇamatikrāntaguṇakṣayam। brāhmaṇaṃ viṣayāśliṣṭaṃ jarāmṛtyū na vindataḥ ॥12-243-21॥
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.
sa yadā sarvato muktaḥ samaḥ paryavatiṣṭhate। indriyāṇīndriyārthāṃśca śarīrastho'tivartate ॥12-243-22॥
When he is liberated from all sides and remains equal, he transcends the senses and sense-objects even while remaining in the body.
kāraṇaṃ paramaṃ prāpya atikrāntasya kāryatām। punarāvartanaṃ nāsti samprāptasya parātparam ॥12-243-23॥
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.
