12.291
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kiṃ tadakṣaram ity uktaṃ yasmān nāvartate punaḥ। kiṃ ca tat kṣaram ity uktaṃ yasmād āvartate punaḥ॥12-291-1॥
What is called the imperishable, because of which there is no return again? And what is called the perishable, because of which one returns again?
akṣarakṣarayorvyaktimicchāmyariniṣūdana। upalabdhum mahābāho tattvena kurunandana ॥12-291-2॥
O Ariniṣūdana (destroyer of enemies), I wish to understand the manifestation of the two imperishable; O mighty-armed Kurunandana, I seek to truly comprehend this.
tvaṃ hi jñānanidhir viprair ucyase vedapāragaiḥ। ṛṣibhiś ca mahābhāgair yatibhiś ca mahātmabhiḥ ॥12-291-3॥
You are truly regarded as the repository of knowledge by Brahmins learned in the Vedas, by sages, by the highly fortunate, by ascetics, and by the great-souled.
śeṣamalpaṃ dinānāṃ te dakṣiṇāyanabhāskare। āvṛtte bhagavatyarke gantāsi paramāṃ gatim ॥12-291-4॥
Only a few days remain for you while the sun is in its southern course; when the blessed sun returns, you will attain the supreme state.
tvayi pratigate śreyaḥ kutaḥ śroṣyāmahe vayam। kuruvaṃśapradīpastvaṃ jñānadravyeṇa dīpyase ॥12-291-5॥
When you are gone, from where shall we hear of auspiciousness? You, the lamp of the Kuru dynasty, shine with the substance of knowledge.
tad etac chrotum icchāmi tvattaḥ kurukulodvaha। na tṛpyāmi iha rājendra śṛṇvan amṛtam īdṛśam॥12-291-6॥
O uplifter of the Kuru dynasty, I wish to hear this from you. O king, even here, hearing such nectar, I am not satisfied.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atra te vartayiṣye'hamitihāsaṃ purātanam। vasiṣṭhasya ca saṃvādaṃ karālajanakasya ca ॥12-291-7॥
Here, I will narrate to you the ancient story and the dialogue between Vasiṣṭha and Karala Janaka.
vasiṣṭhaṃ śreṣṭham āsīnam ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāskaradyutim। papraccha janako rājā jñānaṃ naiḥśreyasaṃ param ॥12-291-8॥
King Janaka asked Vasiṣṭha, who was the foremost among the sages and radiant like the sun, about the supreme knowledge that leads to the highest good.
paramadhyātmakuśalam adhyātmagatiniścayam। maitrāvaruṇimāsīnam abhivādya kṛtāñjaliḥ ॥12-291-9॥
Having determined the supreme skill in the self and the path of the self, he saluted Maitrāvaruṇi, who was seated, with joined palms.
svakṣaraṃ praśritaṃ vākyaṃ madhuraṃ cāpyanulbaṇam। papraccharṣivaraṃ rājā karālajanakaḥ purā ॥12-291-10॥
Long ago, King Karalajanaka, with words that were well-pronounced, respectful, sweet, and gentle, asked the best of sages.
bhagavañśrotumicchāmi paraṃ brahma sanātanam। yasmānna punarāvṛttimāpnuvanti manīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-291-11॥
O Lord, I wish to hear about the supreme, eternal Brahman, from which the wise never return again.
yacca tat-kṣaram ity uktaṃ yatra idaṃ kṣarate jagat | yac ca akṣaram iti proktaṃ śivam kṣemyam anāmayam ||12-291-12||
That which is called the perishable is where this world perishes; and that which is declared as the imperishable is auspicious, secure, and free from affliction.
vasiṣṭha uvāca॥
Vasiṣṭha said.
śrūyatāṃ pṛthivīpāla kṣaratīdaṃ yathā jagat। yan na kṣarati pūrveṇa yāvat kālena cāpyatha ॥12-291-13॥
Hear, O king, how this world decays: whatever does not decay with the previous time, will eventually decay with time itself.
yugaṃ dvādaśasāhasraṃ kalpaṃ viddhi caturguṇam। daśakalpaśatāvṛttaṃ tadaharbrāhmamucyate ॥ rātriścaitāvatī rājanyasyānte pratibudhyate ॥12-291-14॥
Know that an age is twelve thousand years, and a kalpa is four times that. The day of Brahmā is said to be the duration of a thousand kalpas, and his night is of equal length, at the end of which, O king, he awakens.
sṛjaty anantakarmāṇaṃ mahāntaṃ bhūtam agrajam। mūrtimantam amūrtātmā viśvaṃ śambhuḥ svayambhuvaḥ ॥ aṇimā laghimā prāptir īśānaṃ jyotir avyayam ॥12-291-15॥
Śambhu, the self-born, creates the great and eldest being of endless actions, who is embodied yet formless in essence, and is the universe itself. He possesses the powers of minuteness, lightness, attainment, lordship, imperishable light.
sarvataḥ-pāṇi-pādāntam sarvato-akṣi-śiro-mukham। sarvataḥ-śrutim-alloke sarvam-āvṛtya tiṣṭhati ॥12-291-16॥
He has hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere; he has ears everywhere in the world. Having pervaded everything, he abides.
hiraṇyagarbho bhagavāneṣa buddhiriti smṛtaḥ। mahāniti ca yogeṣu viriñca iti cāpyuta ॥12-291-17॥
The golden-embryo, the illustrious one, is remembered as intellect; he is also called the great one in the Yogas, and Viriñca (Brahmā), and indeed by others.
sāṅkhye ca paṭhyate śāstre nāmabhir bahudhātmakaḥ। vicitrarūpo viśvātmā ekākṣara iti smṛtaḥ ॥12-291-18॥
In Sāṅkhya and in the scriptures, he is described by many names, as having many and various forms, as the soul of the universe, and as the one syllable; thus he is remembered.
vṛtaṃ naikatmakaṃ yena kṛtsnaṃ trailokyam ātmanā। tathaiva bahurūpatvād viśvarūpa iti smṛtaḥ ॥12-291-19॥
He who, by his own self, encompasses the entire three worlds of diverse nature; in the same way, because of his manifold forms, he is remembered as 'Viśvarūpa' (the one of universal form).
eṣa vai vikriyāpannaḥ sṛjaty ātmānam ātmanā। ahaṅkāraṃ mahātejāḥ prajāpati-mahaṅkṛtam ॥12-291-20॥
This being, having undergone transformation, creates himself by his own power; the one of great brilliance creates the ego, Prajāpati, who is fashioned by ego.
avyaktād vyaktam utpannaṃ vidyāsargaṃ vadanti tam. mahāntaṃ cāpy ahaṅkāram avidyāsargam eva ca ॥12-291-21॥
They say that from the unmanifest arises the manifest, which is called the creation of knowledge. The great principle and also ego are indeed regarded as the creation of ignorance.
avidhiś ca vidhiś caiva samutpannau tathaikaṭaḥ। vidyāvidyeti vikhyāte śrutiśāstrārthacintakaiḥ ॥12-291-22॥
Both non-rule and rule have arisen together from the same source. Those who contemplate the meaning of the Vedas and treatises know them as knowledge and ignorance.
bhūtasargamahaṅkārāttṛtīyaṃ viddhi pārthiva। ahaṅkāreṣu bhūteṣu caturthaṃ viddhi vaikṛtam ॥12-291-23॥
O king, know that the third (creation) arises from the great ego as the creation of elements. Among the egos and elements, know the fourth as the modified (creation).
vāyur jyotir athākāśam āpo 'tha pṛthivī tathā। śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhas tathaiva ca ॥12-291-24॥
Air, light, ether, water, and likewise earth; and similarly, sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.
evaṃ yugapadutpannaṃ daśavargamasaṃśayam। pañcamaṃ viddhi rājendra bhautikaṃ sargamarthavat ॥12-291-25॥
Thus, O king, know without doubt that the fifth, the material creation, is a meaningful tenfold group that arose simultaneously.
śrotraṃ tvak-cakṣuṣī jihvā ghrāṇam-eva ca pañcamam। vāk-ca hastau ca pādau ca pāyur-meḍhraṃ tathaiva ca ॥12-291-26॥
The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose are the five (sense organs); speech, two hands, two feet, anus, and genitals likewise (are the organs of action).
buddhīndriyāṇi caitāni tathā karmendriyāṇi ca। sambhūtānīha yugapanmanasā saha pārthiva ॥12-291-27॥
O king, the organs of intellect and these organs of action have arisen here simultaneously together with the mind.
eṣā tattvacaturviṃśā sarvākr̥tiṣu vartate। yāṃ jñātvā nābhiśocanti brāhmaṇās tattvadarśinaḥ ॥12-291-28॥
This twenty-fourth principle pervades all forms. Knowing this, Brāhmaṇas who are seers of the truth do not grieve.
etaddehaṃ samākhyātaṃ trailokye sarvadehiṣu। veditavyaṃ naraśreṣṭha sadevanaradānave ॥12-291-29॥
O best of men, this body, as declared among all embodied beings in the three worlds, is to be known among gods, men, and demons.
sayakṣabhūtagandharve sakiṁnaramahorage। sacāraṇapiśāce vai sadevarṣiniśācare ॥12-291-30॥
Together with yakṣas, spirits, gandharvas, kiṁnaras, great serpents, cāraṇas, piśācas, as well as divine sages and night-wanderers.
sadaṃśa-kīṭa-maśake sapūti-kṛmi-mūṣake। śuni śvapāke vaiṇeye sa-caṇḍāle sa-pulkase॥12-291-31॥
With biting insects, worms, mosquitoes, putrid creatures, vermin, mice, dogs, dog-eaters, outcastes, caṇḍālas, and pulkasas.
hastyaśvakharaśārdūle savṛkṣe gavi caiva ha| yac ca mūrtimayaṃ kiñcit sarvatraitannidarśanam ॥12-291-32॥
In elephants, horses, donkeys, tigers, trees, cows, and indeed in anything that has form—everywhere, this is its manifestation.
jale bhuvi tathākāśe nānyatreti viniścayaḥ। sthānaṃ dehavatāmasti ityevamanuśuśruma ॥12-291-33॥
We have heard that the place for embodied beings exists only in water, on earth, and in space, and not elsewhere.
kṛtsnam etāvatastāta kṣarate vyaktasañjñakam। ahanyahani bhūtātmā tataḥ kṣara iti smṛtaḥ ॥12-291-34॥
O dear, all that is manifest to this extent perishes; therefore, the embodied soul is called perishable, as it is remembered day by day.
etad akṣaram ity uktaṃ kṣaratīdaṃ yathā jagat। jagan-mohātmakaṃ prāhur avyaktaṃ vyakta-saṃjñakam ॥12-291-35॥
This is called the imperishable; this perishes just as the world does. That which is of the nature of delusion of the world, they call the unmanifest, having the designation 'manifest'.
mahāṁścaivāgrajo nityametatkṣaranidarśanam। kathitaṁ te mahārāja yasmānnāvartate punaḥ ॥12-291-36॥
O great king, this example of the perishable, always great and indeed the elder, has been told to you because one does not return again.
pañcaviṃśatimo viṣṇur nistattvas tattvasañjñakaḥ। tattvasaṃśrayaṇād etat tattvam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-291-37॥
The wise declare that the twenty-fifth Viṣṇu, who is devoid of essence and called 'tattva', is known as such because of its dependence on the principle.
yadamūrtyasṛjadvyaktaṃ tattanmūrtyadhitiṣṭhati। caturviṃśatimo vyakto hyamūrtaḥ pañcaviṃśakaḥ ॥12-291-38॥
That which is formless creates the manifest, and by that form presides over it. The twenty-fourth is the manifest, indeed, and the formless is the twenty-fifth.
sa eva hṛdi sarvāsu mūrtiṣvātiṣṭhate''tmavān| cetayaṃścetano nityaḥ sarvamūrtiramūrtimān ॥12-291-39॥
He alone, abiding in the heart in all forms, is the Self-possessed; making all conscious, the eternal conscious one, who is of all forms and yet formless.
sargapralayadharmiṇyā asargapralayātmakaḥ। gocare vartate nityaṃ nirguṇo guṇasañjñakaḥ ॥12-291-40॥
That which has the nature of creation and dissolution, yet whose essence is beyond both, eternally exists in the field of perception, being itself without qualities but known as possessing qualities.
evameṣa mahānātmā sargapralayakovidaḥ। vikurvāṇaḥ prakṛtimān abhimanyaty abuddhimān ॥12-291-41॥
Thus, this great-souled one, who knows creation and dissolution, while transforming and possessing nature, considers himself to be unintelligent.
tamaḥ-sattva-rajo-yuktas tāsu tāsviha yoniṣu। līyate'pratibuddhatvād abuddha-jana-sevanāt ॥12-291-42॥
One who is endowed with tamas, sattva, and rajas, merges into those wombs here due to ignorance and association with unawakened people.
sahavāso nivāsātmā nānyo'hamiti manyate। yo'ham so'hamiti hyuktvā guṇānanu nivartate ॥12-291-43॥
The one who lives together, whose self is the indwelling resident, thinks 'I am not different.' He who declares 'I am he, I am indeed,' then withdraws from the qualities.
tamasā tāmasānbhāvān vividhān pratipadyate। rajasā rājasāṃścaiva sāttvikān sattvasaṃśrayāt ॥12-291-44॥
Through tamas, one attains various tamasic states; through rajas, rājasic states; and through resorting to sattva, sāttvic states.
śuklalohitakṛṣṇāni rūpāṇyetāni trīṇi tu। sarvāṇyetāni rūpāṇi jānīhi prākṛtāni vai ॥12-291-45॥
The white, red, and black forms—these three, know that all these forms are indeed natural.
tāmasā nirayaṃ yānti rājasā mānuṣāṃstathā। sāttvikā devalokāya gacchanti sukhabhāginaḥ ॥12-291-46॥
Those who are dominated by tamas go to hell, those dominated by rajas are reborn among humans, and those of sattva go to the world of the gods and enjoy happiness.
niṣkaivalyena pāpena tiryagyonim avāpnuyāt। puṇyapāpena mānuṣyaṃ puṇyenaikena devatāḥ ॥12-291-47॥
If there is a complete lack of liberation and predominance of sin, one is born as an animal; with a mixture of merit and sin, one is born as a human; with merit alone, one attains the state of the gods.
evamavyaktaviṣayaṃ kṣaram āhur manīṣiṇaḥ। pañcaviṃśatimo yo'yaṃ jñānād eva pravartate ॥12-291-48॥
Thus, the wise declare that the perishable principle has the unmanifest as its object. This twenty-fifth (principle) arises solely from knowledge.
