12.266
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
mokṣaḥ pitāmahena ukta upāyāt na anupāyataḥ। tam upāyaṃ yathā-nyāyam śrotum icchāmi bhārata ॥12-266-1॥
O Bhārata, I wish to hear, as is proper, the means to liberation spoken by the grandsire, not from non-means.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
tvayy evaitan mahāprājña yuktaṃ nipuṇadarśanam। yadupāyena sarvārthān nityaṃ mṛgayase'nagha ॥12-266-2॥
O greatly wise one, it is indeed fitting in you, endowed with keen insight, that by whatever means you always seek all objectives, O sinless one.
karaṇe ghaṭasya yā buddhir ghaṭotpattau na sā anagha। evaṃ dharmābhyupāyeṣu na anyad dharmeṣu kāraṇam ॥12-266-3॥
O sinless one, just as the understanding present in the making of a pot is not found elsewhere in the arising of the pot, so too, in the means to dharma, there is no other cause found in other dharmas.
pūrve samudre yaḥ panthā na sa gacchati paścimam। ekaḥ panthā hi mokṣasya tanme vistarataḥ śṛṇu ॥12-266-4॥
The path that lies in the eastern ocean does not lead to the west. There is only one path to liberation; listen to it from me in detail.
kṣamayā krodham ucchindyāt kāmaṃ saṅkalpa-varjanāt | sattva-saṃsevanād dhīro nidrām ucchetum arhati ||12-266-5||
One should overcome anger through forgiveness, desire by abandoning resolve, and the steadfast person can conquer sleep by cultivating purity.
apramādādbhayaṃ rakṣecchvāsaṃ kṣetrajñaśīlanāt| icchāṃ dveṣaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca dhairyeṇa vinivartayet ||12-266-6||
By being vigilant, one should guard against fear and regulate the breath through the discipline of self-knowledge; desire, aversion, and passion should be overcome with courage.
bhramaṃ pramoham āvartam abhyāsād vinivartayet | nidrāṃ ca pratibhāṃ caiva jñānābhyāsena tattvavit ||12-266-7||
The knower of truth should dispel delusion, great confusion, and the cycle of ignorance through practice; and through the practice of knowledge, should overcome both sleep and brilliance.
upadravāṃs tathā rogān hita-jīrṇa-mita-āśanāt। lobhaṃ mohaṃ ca santoṣāt viṣayāṃs tattva-darśanāt ॥12-266-8॥
Disturbances and diseases are removed by wholesome, well-digested, moderate eating; greed and delusion by contentment; and sense-objects by realization of truth.
anukrośād adharmaṃ ca jayed dharmam upekṣayā। āyatyā ca jayed āśām arthaṃ saṅgavivarjanāt ॥12-266-9॥
One should overcome unrighteousness with compassion, and even righteousness with indifference; one should conquer desire with foresight, and wealth by avoiding attachment.
anityatvena ca snehaṃ kṣudhaṃ yogena paṇḍitaḥ। kāruṇyenātmano mānaṃ tṛṣṇāṃ ca paritoṣataḥ ॥12-266-10॥
The wise person overcomes affection through awareness of impermanence, hunger through union (with discipline), pride of oneself through compassion, and desire through contentment.
utthānena jayet tandrīṃ vitarkaṃ niścayāj jayet | maunena bahubhāṣyaṃ ca śauryeṇa ca bhayaṃ jayet ||12-266-11||
One should overcome laziness with effort, doubt with determination, excessive speech with silence, and fear with courage.
yacched vāṅ manasī buddhyā tāṃ yacchet jñānacakṣuṣā। jñānam ātmā mahān yacchet taṃ yacchet śāntir ātmanaḥ ॥12-266-12॥
Restrain speech within the mind; restrain the mind with the intellect; restrain the intellect with the eye of knowledge; restrain knowledge, the great self, and restrain that with tranquillity of the self.
tadetadupaśāntena boddhavyaṃ śucikarmaṇā। yogadoṣānsamucchidya pañca yānkavayo viduḥ ॥12-266-13॥
This, having cut off the five faults of yoga, is to be known by the tranquil and pure-acting person, as understood by the wise.
kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca lobhaṃ ca bhayaṃ svapnaṃ ca pañcamam। parityajya niṣeveda tathemān yogasādhanān ॥12-266-14॥
Having abandoned desire, anger, greed, fear, and sleep as the fifth, one should thus practice these means of yoga.
dhyānamadhyayanaṃ dānaṃ satyaṃ hrīrārjavaṃ kṣamā। śaucamāhārataḥ śuddhirindriyāṇāṃ ca saṃyamaḥ ॥12-266-15॥
Meditation, study, charity, truthfulness, modesty, straightforwardness, forbearance, purity, purity of food, and control of the senses.
etairvivardhate tejaḥ pāpmānamapahanti ca। sidhyanti cāsya saṅkalpā vijñānaṃ ca pravartate ॥12-266-16॥
By these means, his splendor increases, sin is destroyed, his intentions are fulfilled, and knowledge arises.
dhūtapāpaḥ sa tejasvī laghvāhāro jitendriyaḥ। kāmakrodhau vaśe kṛtvā ninīṣed brahmaṇaḥ padam ॥12-266-17॥
He whose sins are cleansed, who is brilliant, eats lightly, has conquered his senses, and has brought desire and anger under control, should seek to attain the state of Brahman.
amūḍhatvamasaṅgitvaṃ kāmakrodhavivarjanam। adainyamanudīrṇatvamanudvegō vyavasthitiḥ ॥12-266-18॥
Freedom from delusion, non-attachment, absence of desire and anger, absence of wretchedness, calmness, absence of agitation, and steadiness.
eṣa mārgo hi mokṣasya prasanno vimalaḥ śuciḥ। tathā vākkāyamanasāṃ niyamaḥ kāmato'nyathā ॥12-266-19॥
This is indeed the clear, pure, and clean path to liberation. Likewise, restraint of speech, body, and mind must be practiced, not motivated by desire.
