12.299
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच॥
yājñavalkya uvāca॥
[याज्ञवल्क्य (yājñavalkya) - Yājñavalkya; (name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(Yājñavalkya said;)
Yājñavalkya said.
अव्यक्तस्य नरश्रेष्ठ कालसङ्ख्यां निबोध मे। पञ्च कल्पसहस्राणि द्विगुणान्यहरुच्यते ॥१२-२९९-१॥
avyaktasya naraśreṣṭha kālasaṅkhyāṃ nibodha me। pañca kalpasahasrāṇi dviguṇāny ahur ucyate ॥12-299-1॥
[अव्यक्तस्य (avyaktasya) - of the unmanifested; नरश्रेष्ठ (naraśreṣṭha) - O best of men; कालसङ्ख्यां (kālasaṅkhyām) - the reckoning of time; निबोध (nibodha) - understand; मे (me) - from me; पञ्च (pañca) - five; कल्पसहस्राणि (kalpasahasrāṇi) - thousand aeons; द्विगुणानि (dviguṇāni) - doubled; अहुः (ahuḥ) - they say; उच्यते (ucyate) - it is said;]
(Of the unmanifested, O best of men, the reckoning of time understand from me. Five thousand aeons, doubled, they say, it is said.)
O best of men, understand from me the reckoning of time of the unmanifested. It is said to be twice five thousand aeons.
रात्रिरेतावती चास्य प्रतिबुद्धो नराधिप। सृजत्योषधिमेवाग्रे जीवनं सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥१२-२९९-२॥
rātriretāvatī cāsya pratibuddho narādhipa। sṛjatyauṣadhimevāgre jīvanaṃ sarvadehinām ॥12-299-2॥
[रात्रि (rātri) - night; एतावती (etāvatī) - this much; such; च (ca) - and; अस्य (asya) - of him; his; प्रतिबुद्धः (pratibuddhaḥ) - awakened; having awakened; नराधिप (narādhipa) - king; lord of men; सृजति (sṛjati) - creates; produces; औषधिम् (auṣadhim) - herb; medicinal plant; इव (iva) - like; as if; अग्रे (agre) - in front; before; at the beginning; जीवनम् (jīvanam) - life; सर्व (sarva) - all; every; देहिनाम् (dehinām) - of embodied beings; of all living beings;]
(Night, such as this, and when he is awakened, the king creates, like a herb at the beginning, life for all embodied beings.)
When the night is thus passed and the king awakens, he, like a medicinal herb at dawn, brings life to all living beings.
ततो ब्रह्माणमसृजद्धैरण्याण्डसमुद्भवम्। सा मूर्तिः सर्वभूतानामित्येवमनुशुश्रुम ॥१२-२९९-३॥
tato brahmāṇamasṛjaddhairaṇyāṇḍasamudbhavam। sā mūrtiḥ sarvabhūtānāmityevamanuśuśruma ॥12-299-3॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; ब्रह्माणम् (brahmāṇam) - Brahmā; असृजत् (asṛjat) - created; हैरण्याण्ड (hairaṇya-aṇḍa) - golden-egg; समुद्भवम् (samudbhavam) - originated; सा (sā) - she; मूर्तिः (mūrtiḥ) - form; सर्वभूतानाम् (sarva-bhūtānām) - of all beings; इति (iti) - thus; एवम् (evam) - so; अनुशुश्रुम (anuśuśruma) - we have heard;]
(Then he created Brahmā, who originated from the golden egg. She is the form of all beings—thus we have heard so.)
Then he created Brahmā, born from the golden egg. That form is said to be of all beings—so have we heard.
संवत्सरमुषित्वाण्डे निष्क्रम्य च महामुनिः। संदधेऽर्धं महीं कृत्स्नां दिवमर्धं प्रजापतिः ॥१२-२९९-४॥
saṃvatsaram uṣitvā āṇḍe niṣkramya ca mahāmuniḥ। sandadhe 'rdhaṃ mahīṃ kṛtsnāṃ divam ardhaṃ prajāpatiḥ॥12-299-4॥
[संवत्सरम् (saṃvatsaram) - year; उषित्वा (uṣitvā) - having dwelt; आण्डे (āṇḍe) - in the egg; निष्क्रम्य (niṣkramya) - having emerged; च (ca) - and; महामुनिः (mahāmuniḥ) - the great sage; संदधे (sandadhe) - established; अर्धम् (ardham) - half; महीम् (mahīm) - the earth; कृत्स्नाम् (kṛtsnām) - entire; दिवम् (divam) - the heaven; अर्धम् (ardham) - half; प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ) - the lord of creatures;]
(Having dwelt in the egg for a year, and having emerged, the great sage, the lord of creatures, established half (as) the entire earth and half (as) the heaven.)
After residing in the egg for a year, the great sage Prajapati emerged and divided the whole earth into one half and the heaven into the other half.
द्यावापृथिव्योरित्येष राजन्वेदेषु पठ्यते। तयोः शकलयोर्मध्यमाकाशमकरोत्प्रभुः ॥१२-२९९-५॥
dyāvāpṛthivyorityeṣa rājanvedeṣu paṭhyate. tayoḥ śakalayormadhyamākāśamakarotprabhuḥ ॥12-299-5॥
[द्यावापृथिव्योः (dyāvāpṛthivyoḥ) - of heaven and earth; इति (iti) - thus; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; राजन् (rājan) - O king; वेदेषु (vedeṣu) - in the Vedas; पठ्यते (paṭhyate) - is recited; तयोः (tayoḥ) - of those two; शकलयोः (śakalayoḥ) - of the two parts; मध्यम् (madhyam) - the middle; आकाशम् (ākāśam) - space; अकरोत् (akarot) - created; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the Lord;]
(Of heaven and earth—thus, this, O king, is recited in the Vedas. Of those two parts, the Lord created the middle space.)
O king, it is said in the Vedas: 'Of heaven and earth.' Of those two divisions, the Lord created the space in between.
एतस्यापि च सङ्ख्यानं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः। दश कल्पसहस्राणि पादोनान्यहरुच्यते ॥ रात्रिमेतावतीं चास्य प्राहुरध्यात्मचिन्तकाः ॥१२-२९९-६॥
etasya api ca saṅkhyānaṃ vedavedāṅgapāragaiḥ। daśa kalpasahasrāṇi pādonāny ahur ucyate ॥ rātrim etāvatīṃ cāsya prāhur adhyātmacintakāḥ ॥12-299-6॥
[एतस्यापि (etasya api) - of this also; च (ca) - and; सङ्ख्यानं (saṅkhyānam) - enumeration; वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः (vedavedāṅgapāragaiḥ) - by those who have mastered the Veda and Vedāṅgas; दश (daśa) - ten; कल्पसहस्राणि (kalpasahasrāṇi) - thousand aeons; पादोन (pādonā) - less by a quarter; अन्यत् (anyat) - other; अहु (ahu) - they say; उच्यते (ucyate) - is said; रात्रिम् (rātrim) - night; एतावतीम् (etāvatīm) - of this extent; च (ca) - and; अस्य (asya) - of this; प्राहुः (prāhuḥ) - they declare; अध्यात्मचिन्तकाः (adhyātmacintakāḥ) - those who contemplate on the Self;]
(Of this also, the enumeration by those who have mastered the Veda and Vedāṅgas is said to be ten thousand aeons less by a quarter; the night of this extent also, those who contemplate on the Self declare.)
Those who have mastered the Veda and Vedāṅgas say that the duration of this too is ten thousand aeons less by a quarter; those who contemplate on the Self declare that its night is also of this extent.
सृजत्यहङ्कारमृषिर्भूतं दिव्यात्मकं तथा। चतुरश्चापरान्पुत्रान्देहात्पूर्वं महानृषिः ॥ ते वै पितृभ्यः पितरः श्रूयन्ते राजसत्तम ॥१२-२९९-७॥
sṛjatyahaṅkāramṛṣirbhūtaṃ divyātmakaṃ tathā। caturaścāparānputrāndehātpūrvaṃ mahānṛṣiḥ ॥ te vai pitṛbhyaḥ pitaraḥ śrūyante rājasattama ॥12-299-7॥
[सृजति (sṛjati) - creates; अहङ्कारम् (ahaṅkāram) - ego; (sense of 'I') ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - sage; भूतम् (bhūtam) - being; दिव्यात्मकम् (divyātmakam) - divine-natured; तथा (tathā) - thus; चतुरः (caturaḥ) - four; च (ca) - and; अपरान् (aparān) - other; पुत्रान् (putrān) - sons; देहात् (dehāt) - from the body; पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - before; महान् (mahān) - great; ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - sage; ते (te) - they; वै (vai) - indeed; पितृभ्यः (pitṛbhyaḥ) - from the ancestors; पितरः (pitaraḥ) - fathers; श्रूयन्ते (śrūyante) - are heard (are said to be); राजसत्तम (rājasattama) - O best of kings;]
(The sage creates the ego, a being of divine nature thus; and four other sons before (arising) from the body, the great sage. They indeed, O best of kings, are heard as the fathers from the ancestors.)
The sage created the ego, a being of divine nature, and also four other sons before (arising) from his body, O best of kings. These are indeed said to be the forefathers of the ancestors.
देवाः पितॄणां च सुता देवैर्लोकाः समावृताः। चराचरा नरश्रेष्ठ इत्येवमनुशुश्रुम ॥१२-२९९-८॥
devāḥ pitṝṇāṃ ca sutā devairlokāḥ samāvṛtāḥ। carācarā naraśreṣṭha ityevamanuśuśruma ॥12-299-8॥
[देवाः (devāḥ) - gods; पितॄणां (pitṝṇāṃ) - of the ancestors; च (ca) - and; सुता (sutā) - sons; देवैः (devaiḥ) - by the gods; लोकाः (lokāḥ) - worlds; समावृताः (samāvṛtāḥ) - are surrounded; चराचरा (carācarā) - moving and unmoving; नरश्रेष्ठ (naraśreṣṭha) - O best of men; इति (iti) - thus; एवम् (evam) - so; अनुशुश्रुम (anuśuśruma) - we have heard;]
(Gods, and the sons of the ancestors, by the gods the worlds are surrounded; moving and unmoving, O best of men, thus so we have heard.)
O best of men, we have heard that the worlds, both moving and unmoving, are surrounded by the gods and by the sons of the ancestors.
परमेष्ठी त्वहङ्कारोऽसृजद्भूतानि पञ्चधा। पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम् ॥१२-२९९-९॥
parameṣṭhī tvahaṅkāro'sṛjadbhūtāni pañcadhā। pṛthivī vāyurākāśamāpo jyotiśca pañcamam ॥12-299-9॥
[परमेष्ठी (parameṣṭhī) - the supreme creator; त्व (tv) - indeed; अहङ्कारः (ahaṅkāraḥ) - ego-principle; असृजत् (asṛjat) - created; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - elements; पञ्चधा (pañcadhā) - in fivefold manner; पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth; वायुः (vāyuḥ) - air; आकाशम् (ākāśam) - ether; आपः (āpaḥ) - water; ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ) - light; च (ca) - and; पञ्चमम् (pañcamam) - the fifth; १२-२९९-९ (12-299-9) - 12-299-9;]
(The supreme creator, indeed, the ego-principle, created the elements in fivefold manner: earth, air, ether, water, and light as the fifth.)
The supreme creator, through the principle of ego, created the five elements: earth, air, ether, water, and light as the fifth.
एतस्यापि निशामाहुस्तृतीयमिह कुर्वतः। पञ्च कल्पसहस्राणि तावदेवाहरुच्यते ॥१२-२९९-१०॥
etasya api niśām āhuḥ tṛtīyam iha kurvataḥ। pañca kalpa-sahasrāṇi tāvat eva ahuḥ ucyate ॥12-299-10॥
[एतस्य (etasya) - of this; अपि (api) - also; निशाम् (niśām) - night; आहुḥ (āhuḥ) - they say; तृतीयम् (tṛtīyam) - third; इह (iha) - here; कुर्वतः (kurvataḥ) - performing; पञ्च (pañca) - five; कल्प (kalpa) - aeon; सहस्राणि (sahasrāṇi) - thousands; तावत् (tāvat) - so much; एव (eva) - indeed; आहुḥ (āhuḥ) - they say; उच्यते (ucyate) - it is said;]
(Of this also, they say the night is the third here for the one performing (the rite); five thousand aeons, so much indeed, they say, is called a day.)
Here, for this as well, the third night is said for the one performing (the rite); it is said that five thousand aeons is called a day.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च पञ्चमः। एते विशेषा राजेन्द्र महाभूतेषु पञ्चसु ॥ यैराविष्टानि भूतानि अहन्यहनि पार्थिव ॥१२-२९९-११॥
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhaś ca pañcamaḥ। ete viśeṣā rājendra mahābhūteṣu pañcasu॥ yair āviṣṭāni bhūtāni ahany ahani pārthiva॥12-299-11॥
[शब्दः (śabdaḥ) - sound; स्पर्शः (sparśaḥ) - touch; च (ca) - and; रूपम् (rūpam) - form; च (ca) - and; रसः (rasaḥ) - taste; गन्धः (gandhaḥ) - smell; च (ca) - and; पञ्चमः (pañcamaḥ) - fifth; एते (ete) - these; विशेषाः (viśeṣāḥ) - particulars; राजेन्द्र (rājendra) - O king; महाभूतेषु (mahābhūteṣu) - in the great elements; पञ्चसु (pañcasu) - in the five; यैः (yaiḥ) - by which; आविष्टानि (āviṣṭāni) - entered; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; अहनि (ahani) - day; अहनि (ahani) - by day; पार्थिव (pārthiva) - O son of Pṛthā;]
(Sound, touch, and form, and taste, and smell, the fifth; these particulars, O king, in the five great elements; by which beings are entered, day by day, O son of Pṛthā.)
O king, sound, touch, form, taste, and smell are the five particulars in the great elements; by which beings are pervaded day after day, O son of Pṛthā.
अन्योन्यं स्पृहयन्त्येते अन्योन्यस्य हिते रताः। अन्योन्यमभिमन्यन्ते अन्योन्यस्पर्धिनस्तथा ॥१२-२९९-१२॥
anyonyaṃ spṛhayantyete anyonyasya hite ratāḥ। anyonyamabhimanyante anyonyaspardhinastathā ॥12-299-12॥
[अन्योन्यं (anyonyam) - one another; स्पृहयन्ति (spṛhayanti) - desire; एते (ete) - these; अन्योन्यस्य (anyonyasya) - of one another; हिते (hite) - in the welfare; रताः (ratāḥ) - engaged; अन्योन्यम् (anyonyam) - one another; अभिमन्यन्ते (abhimanyante) - consider; अन्योन्यस्पर्धिनः (anyonyaspardhinaḥ) - as rivals to one another; तथा (tathā) - thus;]
(These desire one another, are engaged in the welfare of one another; they consider one another as rivals thus.)
They desire each other, are devoted to each other's welfare, and yet regard each other as rivals.
ते वध्यमाना अन्योन्यं गुणैर्हारिभिरव्ययाः। इहैव परिवर्तन्ते तिर्यग्योनिप्रवेशिनः ॥१२-२९९-१३॥
te vadhyamānā anyonyaṃ guṇair hāribhir avyayāḥ। ihaiva parivartante tiryag-yonipraveśinaḥ ॥12-299-13॥
[ते (te) - they; वध्यमाना (vadhyamānā) - being killed; अन्योन्यं (anyonyaṃ) - each other; गुणैः (guṇaiḥ) - by qualities; हारिभिः (hāribhiḥ) - by those who take away; अव्ययाः (avyayāḥ) - imperishable; इहैव (ihaiva) - here itself; परिवर्तन्ते (parivartante) - they revolve; तिर्यग्योनिप्रवेशिनः (tiryag-yonipraveśinaḥ) - entering into the wombs of animals;]
(They, being killed by each other by qualities by those who take away, imperishable, here itself revolve, entering into the wombs of animals.)
They, though imperishable, being killed by each other through their qualities by those who take away, revolve here itself, entering into the wombs of animals.
त्रीणि कल्पसहस्राणि एतेषामहरुच्यते। रत्रिरेतावती चैव मनसश्च नराधिप ॥१२-२९९-१४॥
trīṇi kalpa-sahasrāṇi eteṣām ahar ucyate। ratri etāvatī ca eva manasaś ca narādhipa ॥12-299-14॥
[त्रीणि (trīṇi) - three; (neuter plural) कल्पसहस्राणि (kalpa-sahasrāṇi) - thousand aeons; (compound: kalpa - aeon, sahasra - thousand) एतेषाम् (eteṣām) - of these; अहः (ahaḥ) - day; उच्यते (ucyate) - is said; रात्रिः (rātriḥ) - night; एतावती (etāvatī) - of this measure; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; मनसः (manasaḥ) - of Manu; च (ca) - and; नराधिप (narādhipa) - O king;]
(Three thousand aeons of these is said to be a day; a night of this measure also indeed, of Manu, and O king.)
O king, it is said that for these, a day is three thousand aeons; and the night is of the same measure, for Manu as well.
मनश्चरति राजेन्द्र चरितं सर्वमिन्द्रियैः। न चेन्द्रियाणि पश्यन्ति मन एवात्र पश्यति ॥१२-२९९-१५॥
manaś carati rājendra caritaṃ sarvam indriyaiḥ। na cendriyāṇi paśyanti mana evātra paśyati ॥12-299-15॥
[मनः (manaḥ) - mind; चरति (carati) - moves; राजेन्द्र (rājendra) - O king; चरितं (caritam) - action; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; इन्द्रियैः (indriyaiḥ) - by the senses; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; इन्द्रियाणि (indriyāṇi) - the senses; पश्यन्ति (paśyanti) - see; मनः (manaḥ) - mind; एव (eva) - alone; अत्र (atra) - here; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees;]
(The mind moves, O king, through all actions by the senses. But the senses do not see; here, the mind alone sees.)
O King, the mind moves through all actions by means of the senses. Yet, the senses do not perceive; it is the mind alone that perceives here.
चक्षुः पश्यति रूपाणि मनसा तु न चक्षुषा। मनसि व्याकुले चक्षुः पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति ॥ तथेन्द्रियाणि सर्वाणि पश्यन्तीत्यभिचक्षते ॥१२-२९९-१६॥
cakṣuḥ paśyati rūpāṇi manasā tu na cakṣuṣā। manasi vyākule cakṣuḥ paśyannapi na paśyati ॥ tathendriyāṇi sarvāṇi paśyantītyabhicakṣate ॥12-299-16॥
[चक्षुः (cakṣuḥ) - eye; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; रूपाणि (rūpāṇi) - forms; मनसा (manasā) - by mind; तु (tu) - but; न (na) - not; चक्षुषा (cakṣuṣā) - by the eye; मनसि (manasi) - in the mind; व्याकुले (vyākule) - agitated; चक्षुः (cakṣuḥ) - eye; पश्यन् (paśyan) - seeing; अपि (api) - even; न (na) - not; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; तथा (tathā) - thus; इन्द्रियाणि (indriyāṇi) - senses; सर्वाणि (sarvāṇi) - all; पश्यन्ति (paśyanti) - see; इति (iti) - thus; अभिचक्षते (abhicakṣate) - are said; १२-२९९-१६ (12-299-16) - 12-299-16;]
(The eye sees forms, but not by the eye, by the mind. When the mind is agitated, even though the eye is seeing, it does not see. Thus, all the senses are said to see thus. 12-299-16.)
The eye perceives forms, but not by itself—rather, by means of the mind. When the mind is disturbed, even though the eye looks, it does not truly see. In this way, it is said that all the senses perceive only through the mind. 12-299-16.
मनस्युपरते राजन्निन्द्रियोपरमो भवेत्। न चेन्द्रियव्युपरमे मनस्युपरमो भवेत् ॥ एवं मनःप्रधानानि इन्द्रियाणि विभावयेत् ॥१२-२९९-१७॥
manasy-uparate rājan nindriyoparamo bhavet। na cendriyavyuparame manasy-uparamo bhavet ॥ evaṃ manaḥ-pradhānāni indriyāṇi vibhāvayet ॥12-299-17॥
[मनसि (manasi) - in the mind; उपरते (uparate) - when withdrawn; राजन् (rājan) - O king; इन्द्रिय-उपरमः (indriya-uparamaḥ) - cessation of the senses; भवेत् (bhavet) - may be; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; इन्द्रिय-व्युपरमे (indriya-vyuparame) - in the cessation of the senses; मनसि-उपरमः (manasi-uparamaḥ) - cessation in the mind; एवं (evaṃ) - thus; मनः-प्रधानानि (manaḥ-pradhānāni) - mind-dominated; इन्द्रियाणि (indriyāṇi) - the senses; विभावयेत् (vibhāvayet) - should be considered;]
(When the mind is withdrawn, O king, cessation of the senses may occur; but when the senses are withdrawn, cessation in the mind does not occur. Thus, the senses should be considered as mind-dominated.)
O king, when the mind is withdrawn, the senses may also become inactive; but when the senses are inactive, the mind does not necessarily become withdrawn. Therefore, one should understand that the senses are governed by the mind.
इन्द्रियाणां हि सर्वेषामीश्वरं मन उच्यते। एतद्विशन्ति भूतानि सर्वाणीह महायशाः ॥१२-२९९-१८॥
indriyāṇāṃ hi sarveṣām īśvaraṃ mana ucyate। etad viśanti bhūtāni sarvāṇi iha mahāyaśāḥ ॥12-299-18॥
[इन्द्रियाणाम् (indriyāṇām) - of the senses; हि (hi) - indeed; सर्वेषाम् (sarveṣām) - of all; ईश्वरम् (īśvaram) - the lord; मनः (manaḥ) - mind; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; एतत् (etat) - this; विशन्ति (viśanti) - enter; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; सर्वाणि (sarvāṇi) - all; इह (iha) - here; महायशाः (mahāyaśāḥ) - greatly renowned ones;]
(Of the senses indeed of all, the lord is called the mind. This all beings enter here, O greatly renowned ones.)
The mind is called the lord of all the senses. All beings enter into this here, O greatly renowned ones.
