12.267
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। नारदस्य च संवादं देवलस्यासितस्य च ॥१२-२६७-१॥
Right here, they recount this ancient story: the conversation between Nārada, Devala, and Āsita.
आसीनं देवलं वृद्धं बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमतां वरः। नारदः परिपप्रच्छ भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययम् ॥१२-२६७-२॥
Nārada, the best among the wise, having recognized the aged Devala who was seated, asked him about the origin and dissolution of beings.
कुतः सृष्टमिदं विश्वं ब्रह्मन्स्थावरजङ्गमम्। प्रलये च कमभ्येति तद्भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे ॥१२-२६७-३॥
O Brahman, from where was this universe of immobile and mobile beings created, and where does it go at dissolution? Please tell me that.
असित उवाच॥
Asita said.
येभ्यः सृजति भूतानि कालो भावप्रचोदितः। महाभूतानि पञ्चेति तान्याहुर्भूतचिन्तकाः ॥१२-२६७-४॥
The thinkers on beings say that Time, impelled by conditions, creates beings from these, and that these are the five great elements.
तेभ्यः सृजति भूतानि काल आत्मप्रचोदितः। एतेभ्यो यः परं ब्रूयादसद्ब्रूयादसंशयम् ॥१२-२६७-५॥
Time, impelled by its own nature, creates beings from them. Whoever claims something beyond this to these, certainly speaks untruth, without doubt.
विद्धि नारद पञ्चैताञ्शाश्वतानचलान्ध्रुवान्। महतस्तेजसो राशीन्कालषष्ठान्स्वभावतः ॥१२-२६७-६॥
O Nārada, know these five as eternal, immovable, and fixed—masses of the great energy, by their nature the sixth divisions of time.
आपश्चैवान्तरिक्षं च पृथिवी वायुपावकौ। असिद्धिः परमेतेभ्यो भूतेभ्यो मुक्तसंशयम् ॥१२-२६७-७॥
Waters, sky, earth, air, and fire; imperfection is supreme, being free from doubt regarding these elements.
नोपपत्त्या न वा युक्त्या त्वसद्ब्रूयादसंशयम्। वेत्थ तानभिनिर्वृत्तान्षडेते यस्य राशयः ॥१२-२६७-८॥
Certainly, you should not declare the unreal by reasoning or logic. You know well those six groups which are fully manifested in whom.
पञ्चैव तानि कालश्च भावाभावौ च केवलौ। अष्टौ भूतानि भूतानां शाश्वतानि भवाप्ययौ ॥१२-२६७-९॥
There are five (principles), and also time, existence and non-existence, and only two (states); the eight elements of beings are eternal, as are creation and dissolution.
अभावाद्भावितेष्वेव तेभ्यश्च प्रभवन्त्यपि। विनष्टोऽपि च तान्येव जन्तुर्भवति पञ्चधा ॥१२-२६७-१०॥
From non-existence, beings arise in those that have come into existence, and from those, they also emerge; even when destroyed, the being again becomes those very fivefold forms.
तस्य भूमिमयो देहः श्रोत्रमाकाशसम्भवम्। सूर्यश्चक्षुरसुर्वायुरद्भ्यस्तु खलु शोणितम् ॥१२-२६७-११॥
His body is made of earth; his ear arises from space; the sun is his eye; breath is air; and indeed, his blood is derived from water.
चक्षुषी नासिकाकर्णौ त्वग्जिह्वेति च पञ्चमी। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थानां ज्ञानानि कवयो विदुः ॥१२-२६७-१२॥
The wise know that the two eyes, nose, two ears, skin, and tongue are the five senses, and that these senses provide knowledge of their respective objects.
दर्शनं श्रवणं घ्राणं स्पर्शनं रसनं तथा। उपपत्त्या गुणान्विद्धि पञ्च पञ्चसु पञ्चधा ॥१२-२६७-१३॥
Seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting — these five senses; by reasoning, know that the qualities exist in five ways in the five (senses).
रूपं गन्धो रसः स्पर्शः शब्दश्चैवाथ तद्गुणाः। इन्द्रियैरुपलभ्यन्ते पञ्चधा पञ्च पञ्चभिः ॥१२-२६७-१४॥
Form, smell, taste, touch, and sound—these qualities are perceived by the five senses, each in fivefold ways.
रूपं गन्धं रसं स्पर्शं शब्दं चैतांस्तु तद्गुणान्। इन्द्रियाणि न बुध्यन्ते क्षेत्रज्ञस्तैस्तु बुध्यते ॥१२-२६७-१५॥
Form, smell, taste, touch, and sound—these are their qualities. The senses do not perceive them, but the knower of the field perceives them through the senses.
चित्तमिन्द्रियसङ्घातात्परं तस्मात्परं मनः। मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिः क्षेत्रज्ञो बुद्धितः परः ॥१२-२६७-१६॥
The mind-stuff is superior to the senses; the mind is higher than that; the intellect is higher than the mind; but the knower of the field, the soul, is higher than the intellect.
पूर्वं चेतयते जन्तुरिन्द्रियैर्विषयान्पृथक्। विचार्य मनसा पश्चादथ बुद्ध्या व्यवस्यति ॥ इन्द्रियैरुपलब्धार्थान्सर्वान्यस्त्वध्यवस्यति ॥१२-२६७-१७॥
First, a creature perceives objects separately through the senses; then, after considering them with the mind, he determines them with the intellect. But the one who ascertains all objects apprehended by the senses—
चित्तमिन्द्रियसङ्घातं मनो बुद्धिं तथाष्टमीम्। अष्टौ ज्ञानेन्द्रियाण्याहुरेतान्यध्यात्मचिन्तकाः ॥१२-२६७-१८॥
Those who contemplate on the self say that mind-stuff, the aggregate of senses, mind, intellect, and likewise the eighth (sense), these eight are the sense-organs of knowledge.
पाणिपादं च पायुश्च मेहनं पञ्चमं मुखम्। इति संशब्द्यमानानि शृणु कर्मेन्द्रियाण्यपि ॥१२-२६७-१९॥
Hear also about the organs of action: hand, foot, anus, organ of urination, and the fifth, mouth—these are so named.
जल्पनाभ्यवहारार्थं मुखमिन्द्रियमुच्यते। गमनेन्द्रियं तथा पादौ कर्मणः करणे करौ ॥१२-२६७-२०॥
The mouth is considered the sense organ for speaking and eating; similarly, the feet are the organs of movement, and the hands are the instruments for performing actions.
पायूपस्थौ विसर्गार्थमिन्द्रिये तुल्यकर्मणी। विसर्गे च पुरीषस्य विसर्गे चाभिकामिके ॥१२-२६७-२१॥
The anus and genitals are sense organs with similar functions, being involved in the excretion of feces and in sexual activity.
बलं षष्ठं षडेतानि वाचा सम्यग्यथागमम्। ज्ञानचेष्टेन्द्रियगुणाः सर्वे संशब्दिता मया ॥१२-२६७-२२॥
The sixth, strength—these six have been properly described by me in speech, according to tradition: knowledge, activity, sense qualities—all have been expressed by me.
इन्द्रियाणां स्वकर्मभ्यः श्रमादुपरमो यदा। भवतीन्द्रियसंन्यासादथ स्वपिति वै नरः ॥१२-२६७-२३॥
When a man's senses cease from their own activities due to exhaustion, and he renounces sensory actions, then he truly sleeps.
इन्द्रियाणां व्युपरमे मनोऽनुपरतं यदि। सेवते विषयानेव तद्विद्यात्स्वप्नदर्शनम् ॥१२-२६७-२४॥
If, when the senses are at rest, the mind is not withdrawn and continues to engage with objects, one should recognize that as a dream experience.
सात्त्विकाश्चैव ये भावास्तथा राजसतामसाः। कर्मयुक्तान्प्रशंसन्ति सात्त्विकानितरांस्तथा ॥१२-२६७-२५॥
The states of sattva, as well as those of rajas and tamas, praise those who are engaged in action; similarly, the sattvic praise others as well.
आनन्दः कर्मणां सिद्धिः प्रतिपत्तिः परा गतिः। सात्त्विकस्य निमित्तानि भावान्संश्रयते स्मृतिः ॥१२-२६७-२६॥
The memory of a sāttvika (pure-minded) person embraces bliss, accomplishment in actions, attainment, and the supreme goal—these are the causes and states it holds.
जन्तुष्वेकतमेष्वेवं भावा ये विधिमास्थिताः। भावयोरीप्सितं नित्यं प्रत्यक्षगमनं द्वयोः ॥१२-२६७-२७॥
Among beings, whichever state has adopted the prescribed method, between the two states, the desired result is always directly attained by both.
इन्द्रियाणि च भावाश्च गुणाः सप्तदश स्मृताः। तेषामष्टादशो देही यः शरीरे स शाश्वतः ॥१२-२६७-२८॥
The senses, states, and qualities are said to be seventeen in number. Among them, the eighteenth is the embodied soul, who is eternal in the body.
अथ वा सशरीरास्ते गुणाः सर्वे शरीरिणाम्। संश्रितास्तद्वियोगे हि सशरीरा न सन्ति ते ॥१२-२६७-२९॥
Alternatively, all those qualities of embodied beings exist only with the body; when separated from the body, indeed, those embodied qualities do not exist.
अथ वा संनिपातोऽयं शरीरं पाञ्चभौतिकम्। एकश्च दश चाष्टौ च गुणाः सह शरीरिणाम् ॥ ऊष्मणा सह विंशो वा सङ्घातः पाञ्चभौतिकः ॥१२-२६७-३०॥
Now, alternatively, this combination—the body—is composed of the five elements. There are one, ten, and eight qualities together with those possessing bodies. With heat included, the twentieth or the aggregate is composed of the five elements.
महान्सन्धारयत्येतच्छरीरं वायुना सह। तस्यास्य भावयुक्तस्य निमित्तं देहभेदने ॥१२-२६७-३१॥
The great one (Self) supports this body together with the wind (prāṇa). For him, for this one endowed with feeling, the cause for the separation of the body arises.
यथैवोत्पद्यते किञ्चित्पञ्चत्वं गच्छते तथा। पुण्यपापविनाशान्ते पुण्यपापसमीरितम् ॥ देहं विशति कालेन ततोऽयं कर्मसम्भवम् ॥१२-२६७-३२॥
Just as something is born and passes away, so too, when merit and demerit are exhausted, the body, impelled by merit and demerit, is entered (by the self) in due time; thus, this body arises from action.
हित्वा हित्वा ह्ययं प्रैति देहाद्देहं कृताश्रयः। कालसञ्चोदितः क्षेत्री विशीर्णाद्वा गृहाद्गृहम् ॥१२-२६७-३३॥
The soul, having left one body after another, indeed moves from one body to another, taking up a new abode each time; driven by time, the embodied soul moves from a destroyed body or from one dwelling to another.
तत्र नैवानुतप्यन्ते प्राज्ञा निश्चितनिश्चयाः। कृपणास्त्वनुतप्यन्ते जनाः सम्बन्धिमानिनः ॥१२-२६७-३४॥
There, the wise of firm resolve do not grieve; but pitiable people, those who consider themselves related, do grieve.
न ह्ययं कस्यचित्कश्चिन्नास्य कश्चन विद्यते। भवत्येको ह्ययं नित्यं शरीरे सुखदुःखभाक् ॥१२-२६७-३५॥
Truly, this self does not belong to anyone, nor does anyone belong to it; this one alone always experiences pleasure and pain in the body.
नैव सञ्जायते जन्तुर्न च जातु विपद्यते। याति देहमयं भुक्त्वा कदाचित्परमां गतिम् ॥१२-२६७-३६॥
The creature is neither truly born nor ever perishes; after experiencing the embodied state, it sometimes attains the supreme state.
पुण्यपापमयं देहं क्षपयन्कर्मसञ्चयात्। क्षीणदेहः पुनर्देही ब्रह्मत्वमुपगच्छति ॥१२-२६७-३७॥
When the embodied soul, having destroyed the body made of merit and sin that arises from accumulated actions, and with the body diminished, is reborn, it attains the state of Brahman.
पुण्यपापक्षयार्थं च साङ्ख्यं ज्ञानं विधीयते। तत्क्षये ह्यस्य पश्यन्ति ब्रह्मभावे परां गतिम् ॥१२-२६७-३८॥
Sāṅkhya knowledge is prescribed for the destruction of merit and demerit; when that is destroyed, one indeed perceives the supreme state of Brahman.
