12.299
yājñavalkya uvāca॥
Yājñavalkya said.
avyaktasya naraśreṣṭha kālasaṅkhyāṃ nibodha me। pañca kalpasahasrāṇi dviguṇāny ahur ucyate ॥12-299-1॥
O best of men, understand from me the reckoning of time of the unmanifested. It is said to be twice five thousand aeons.
rātriretāvatī cāsya pratibuddho narādhipa। sṛjatyauṣadhimevāgre jīvanaṃ sarvadehinām ॥12-299-2॥
When the night is thus passed and the king awakens, he, like a medicinal herb at dawn, brings life to all living beings.
tato brahmāṇamasṛjaddhairaṇyāṇḍasamudbhavam। sā mūrtiḥ sarvabhūtānāmityevamanuśuśruma ॥12-299-3॥
Then he created Brahmā, born from the golden egg. That form is said to be of all beings—so have we heard.
saṃvatsaram uṣitvā āṇḍe niṣkramya ca mahāmuniḥ। sandadhe 'rdhaṃ mahīṃ kṛtsnāṃ divam ardhaṃ prajāpatiḥ॥12-299-4॥
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.
dyāvāpṛthivyorityeṣa rājanvedeṣu paṭhyate. tayoḥ śakalayormadhyamākāśamakarotprabhuḥ ॥12-299-5॥
O king, it is said in the Vedas: 'Of heaven and earth.' Of those two divisions, the Lord created the space in between.
etasya api ca saṅkhyānaṃ vedavedāṅgapāragaiḥ। daśa kalpasahasrāṇi pādonāny ahur ucyate ॥ rātrim etāvatīṃ cāsya prāhur adhyātmacintakāḥ ॥12-299-6॥
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.
sṛjatyahaṅkāramṛṣirbhūtaṃ divyātmakaṃ tathā। caturaścāparānputrāndehātpūrvaṃ mahānṛṣiḥ ॥ te vai pitṛbhyaḥ pitaraḥ śrūyante rājasattama ॥12-299-7॥
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.
devāḥ pitṝṇāṃ ca sutā devairlokāḥ samāvṛtāḥ। carācarā naraśreṣṭha ityevamanuśuśruma ॥12-299-8॥
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.
parameṣṭhī tvahaṅkāro'sṛjadbhūtāni pañcadhā। pṛthivī vāyurākāśamāpo jyotiśca pañcamam ॥12-299-9॥
The supreme creator, through the principle of ego, created the five elements: earth, air, ether, water, and light as the fifth.
etasya api niśām āhuḥ tṛtīyam iha kurvataḥ। pañca kalpa-sahasrāṇi tāvat eva ahuḥ ucyate ॥12-299-10॥
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.
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhaś ca pañcamaḥ। ete viśeṣā rājendra mahābhūteṣu pañcasu॥ yair āviṣṭāni bhūtāni ahany ahani pārthiva॥12-299-11॥
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.
anyonyaṃ spṛhayantyete anyonyasya hite ratāḥ। anyonyamabhimanyante anyonyaspardhinastathā ॥12-299-12॥
They desire each other, are devoted to each other's welfare, and yet regard each other as rivals.
te vadhyamānā anyonyaṃ guṇair hāribhir avyayāḥ। ihaiva parivartante tiryag-yonipraveśinaḥ ॥12-299-13॥
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.
trīṇi kalpa-sahasrāṇi eteṣām ahar ucyate। ratri etāvatī ca eva manasaś ca narādhipa ॥12-299-14॥
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.
manaś carati rājendra caritaṃ sarvam indriyaiḥ। na cendriyāṇi paśyanti mana evātra paśyati ॥12-299-15॥
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.
cakṣuḥ paśyati rūpāṇi manasā tu na cakṣuṣā। manasi vyākule cakṣuḥ paśyannapi na paśyati ॥ tathendriyāṇi sarvāṇi paśyantītyabhicakṣate ॥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.
manasy-uparate rājan nindriyoparamo bhavet। na cendriyavyuparame manasy-uparamo bhavet ॥ evaṃ manaḥ-pradhānāni indriyāṇi vibhāvayet ॥12-299-17॥
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.
indriyāṇāṃ hi sarveṣām īśvaraṃ mana ucyate। etad viśanti bhūtāni sarvāṇi iha mahāyaśāḥ ॥12-299-18॥
The mind is called the lord of all the senses. All beings enter into this here, O greatly renowned ones.
