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Vasiṣṭha said.
Now hear about this unmanifest, not-awakened order of guṇas. It is these guṇas that indeed hold, create, and likewise cast aside.
O king, here (the Self), unceasingly for the sake of play, transforms itself in many ways, having made those (forms), and observes them.
Thus, even when one appears to be becoming aware among those acting differently, he does not truly become aware. And, due to indistinct knowledge, they also call someone 'aware'.
But indeed, the unmanifest is not understood as either possessing qualities or devoid of qualities. Sometimes, indeed, they say this is not awakened.
If this unmanifest, the so-called twenty-fifth, is understood, then this being, when understood, is of the nature of association—thus says the scripture.
By this, O Acyuta, they call the unmanifest as 'not awakened'. And from the knowledge of the unmanifest, they also say it is being understood.
The twenty-fifth great soul is not even known; the twenty-sixth is the pure, enlightened, immeasurable, and eternal one.
It is understood that the twenty-fourth and the twenty-fifth principles are ever-present; the one of great brilliance pervades both the visible and the invisible.
O dear, the unmanifest is not that Brahman alone. He does not see only the twenty-fifth and the twenty-fourth.
When a person, though awakened, thinks of the self as 'I am someone else,' then, being bound by nature, he becomes one whose vision is obscured.
O tiger among kings, when one realizes the supreme, completely pure and spotless intellect, then, on the twenty-sixth, one attains enlightenment.
Then, he abandons the unmanifest, which has the nature of creation and dissolution. Being without qualities, he knows Prakriti, which is endowed with qualities and is unconscious.
Then, from perceiving the unmanifest, the self becomes of sole nature. By uniting with the sole (one), the liberated attains the self.
They say, "This is that principle"; but that which is devoid of principle is undecaying and immortal. O bestower of honor, by resorting to the principle, this does not become like the principle. The wise declare twenty-five principles.
O dear one, this is not a person of essence, but one devoid of essence, though intelligent; for it is the characteristic of the intelligent to quickly abandon essence.
The wise one, when grasped as "I am the twenty-sixth", ageless and immortal, surely attains equality by strength alone, without doubt.
Even one who is being awakened by the twenty-sixth (principle), though awakened, is still considered unintelligent; this diversity is thus explained by the example from the Sāṅkhya scripture.
When the intellect does not comprehend, the oneness of the united twenty-fifth with consciousness indeed becomes (apparent) for this.
O Maithila, one who is awakened by the unawakened attains equanimity. He who is of the nature of attachment becomes so, but one whose self is free from attachment, O king.
When one attains the detached self, the twenty-sixth unborn principle is realized; then the all-pervading abandons the unmanifest, and when this is awakened, the unfathomable twenty-fourth is also realized through the awakening of the twenty-sixth.
O sinless one, this has been declared to you as not-awakened, awakening, and awakened, in reality, as illustrated by scripture. The manifoldness and oneness should thus be seen through the perspectives of the śāstra.
Just as the distinction between a mosquito and the udumbara tree, so is the distinction between these two; just as the distinction between a fish and water, so is their separateness perceived.
Thus, one must understand the manifoldness and oneness of these two; this is called liberation, as stated in the collected knowledge of the unmanifest.
They say that the one called the twenty-fifth, which abides in these bodies, is to be liberated from the imperceptible sphere.
Thus, he is released in this way and not otherwise—this is certain. By the Supreme, another's dharma also becomes his, having attained it, indeed.
O best of men, he whose nature is purified by the pure and the awakened, and who is wise; whose nature is liberated by the liberated, having approached.
One who follows the dharma of niyoga truly attains the nature of niyoga; similarly, one who seeks liberation, having attained it here, likewise may become liberated.
He whose actions are pure and who is himself pure indeed attains immeasurable brilliance. When one’s soul is spotless, uniting with the spotless soul, he too becomes so.
Thus, one whose self is alone, by uniting with the alone, truly attains independence through independence itself.
O great king, thus much has been explained to you by me: the real truth and principle. Having accepted the absence of envy and the true meaning, the eternal, pure, primordial Brahman is revealed.
O king, this supreme teaching should not be given by you to a person established in the Veda. Instruction that causes awakening should be given to one who desires to know, who seeks awakening, and who is humble.
This should not be given to one of false nature, to the deceitful, to the impotent, or to one with crooked intellect. Nor should it be given to one who torments others with the knowledge of the learned. Understand, this should be given by you only to one who is worthy.
To one who possesses faith, virtues, abstains from slandering others at all times, is pure in yoga, wise, active in deeds, forgiving, and beneficial.
They recognize as worthy those who are of secluded nature, fond of rules, free from disputes, and well-versed in much scripture; but not those who are intolerant of harm. Among embodied beings, those who are capable in self-restraint and tranquility are valued.
One should not give (gifts) to those most lacking in these qualities; this, they say, is my supreme pure Brahman. Such an act does not lead to auspiciousness; even the expounder of dharma is affected by giving to the unworthy.
O king, even if one could give away this earth filled with jewels, this should never be given to one without vows; but to one who has conquered his senses, this, without doubt, should be given as the highest gift.
O Terrible one, let there be no fear for you at all; today you have heard this supreme Brahman. As it has been properly spoken, it is the supreme, pure, sorrowless, eternal, and without beginning or middle.
O king, after understanding the true meaning of knowledge—unfathomable birth, deathlessness, freedom from disease, fearlessness, and auspiciousness—examine delusion and abandon all of it today.
O king, this knowledge was formerly obtained from Hiraṇyagarbha as he spoke. By your effort, you have propitiated him of fierce energy, the eternal Brahman, just as it has been done today.
O king, as you have asked, so have I spoken this to you today. Thus, I have obtained from Brahman, O king, the great and ancient knowledge of those who know liberation.
Bhīṣma said.
O great king, this is declared to be the supreme Brahman, from which there is no return. This, as explained by the supreme sage, is the twenty-fifth principle.
Even after attaining supreme knowledge, if one does not truly realize its essence, though being aware and immortal, one undergoes repeated cycles of birth and death.
O king, this supreme knowledge, which leads to the highest good, has been truly declared to you by me, O dear one; having heard this, addressed by the divine sage.
This was obtained by Nārada, the foremost among sages, from Vasiṣṭha, the great-souled sage, who received it from Hiraṇyagarbha.
O king of the Kauravas, do not grieve; I have learned of this eternal Brahman from Nārada. Having heard of this supreme state, you should not be sorrowful.
O king, he who knows the perishable and imperishable has no fear; but he who does not know this, has fear.
Because of ignorance, the deluded soul, repeatedly afflicted, after death undergoes thousands of births that end in death.
He attains the world of the gods, as well as animal and human existence; if purified by time from that ocean of ignorance.
O Bhārata, the terrible ocean of ignorance, which is unmanifest and bottomless, is so called; in it, day after day, beings sink.
Because you have transcended the unfathomable, the unmanifest, and the eternal, therefore, O king, you are free from passion and delusion.
