14.042
Brahmā said.
Indeed, the five great elements—earth, air, ether, water, and light as the fifth—are produced from ego. (14-42-1)
Beings are deluded among those—within the five great elements; in sound, touch, form, as well as in taste, smell, and actions. (14-42-2)
At the end of the destruction of the great elements, when dissolution arrives, among all living beings, even the wise experience great fear. (14-42-3)
Whatever entity arises from a particular source, into that very source it dissolves. The prior things merge back, and increasingly subsequent things are born. (14-42-4)
Then, when all beings, both immobile and mobile, are dissolved, those who possess memory, the steadfast ones, are never absorbed. (14-42-5)
Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell—the fifth—being associated with action and cause, are impermanent and are known as sources of delusion. (14-42-6)
Connected with the generation of greed, undifferentiated, truly possessing nothing, bodies of flesh and blood, subsist upon one another. (14-42-7)
Those who are externally-minded are thus, these are wretched and possessed of miserly tendencies. (They are) prāṇa, apāna, udāna, as well as samāna and indeed vyāna. (14-42-8)
The inner self, so called, and also these five fixed vital airs along with speech, mind, and intellect—together, the universe is of eightfold nature. (14-42-9)
He whose skin, nose, ears, eyes, tongue, and speech are controlled, and whose mind is pure and intellect unwavering; (14-42-10)
He whose mind is not burned by these eight fires at all times, he attains that auspicious Brahman, from which there is no return. (14-42-11)
O twice-born, I will explain those eleven senses, which are especially said to be produced from ego. (14-42-12)
The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose are five; the feet, anus, genitals, hands, and speech make ten. (14-42-13)
This group of senses, thus—this is the eleventh, the mind. One should first conquer this group; then Brahman becomes manifest. (14-42-14)
There are said to be five cognitive sense organs and five organs of action; hearing and the others, five in number, are also said to be truly united with intellect. (14-42-15)
But other actions that are not particular, those, joined with karma; in both cases, the mind should be recognized as (the principle), the intellect is the twelfth. (14-42-16)
Having thus enumerated these eleven senses in order, the wise, having understood these, think, 'It has indeed been explained.' (14-42-17)
Beings have three places; there is no fourth. The earth, waters, and space; and birth is also of four kinds. (14-42-18)
Birth is seen to be of four kinds in the multitude of beings: egg-born, sprouting (plant-born), born from sweat, and born from placenta. (14-42-19)
One should know that not-moving beings, sky-dwellers likewise, and all reptiles are egg-born. (14-42-20)
Beings such as worms, born from perspiration and similar types, are said to be of the second, most inferior birth. (14-42-21)
O best of twice-born, those creatures which are born, having split the earth after the passage of time, are called 'udbhijjas' (entities breaking forth).
Two-footed creatures, many-footed ones, those moving horizontally, and womb-born beings—know that all these as well, O best of beings. (14-42-23)
Here, the wise know the eternal origin of Brahman as twofold: austerity and meritorious action. This is their way. (14-42-24)
Action is of two kinds—sacrifice and gift—performed in the sacrifice; for one who is born, study is meritorious—such is the instruction of the elders. (14-42-25)
O best of the twice-born, he who knows this according to rule would be liberated; know that he is indeed freed from all sins. (14-42-26)
Ether is said to be the first element; the ear is its aspect related to the self. The external counterpart is sound, and the directions are the presiding deity there. (14-42-27)
The second element is wind; the skin as related to the self is well-known, what can be touched pertains to the element, and lightning is its presiding deity. (14-42-28)
They say the third light is thus: The eye is called the self-related (instrument). Of the physical, its form is (the object), and the Sun is the presiding deity there. (14-42-29)
The fourth element is water; the tongue is regarded as corresponding to the individual self. Taste is its aspect among the elements, and Soma is its presiding deity. (14-42-30)
Earth is the fifth element; the nose is considered the sense organ (adhyātmic). Likewise, the smell is related to the element (adhibhūtic), and air is the presiding deity there. (14-42-31)
This is considered to be of fourfold type among the five elements. Therefore, I shall now explain all the senses, which are of three kinds. (14-42-32)
The Brāhmaṇas who know truth say that the feet pertain to the self. But as for what pertains to the elements, Viṣṇu is to be considered there as the presiding deity. (14-42-33)
The downward movement, apāna, and the anus are considered aspects of the self; in relation to the elements, excretion, and there Mitra is the presiding deity. (14-42-34)
Procreation for all beings, the generative organ, is called 'adhyātma'; the seed is called 'adhibhūta'; and Prajāpati is 'daivata'. (14-42-35)
Those knowledgeable about the inner self say, "The Atman in the hand." But with respect to the physical sphere, the actions are (considered), and in that regard, Śakra (Indra) is the presiding deity. (14-42-36)
The speech associated with the Vaiśvadevī, which is preceded by mind, is said here to be related to the self (adhyātma); what is spoken is related to external elements (adhibhūta), and there the presiding deity is fire. (14-42-37)
They say the mind is called 'adhyātma', as it follows the five elements; the material aspect should be regarded as 'adhibhūta', and the moon as the 'adhidaivata'. (14-42-38)
They say that intellect, which examines the six senses, is called 'adhyātma', or concern with the self. But with regard to the physical realm, what is to be known is that Brahmā is its presiding deity. (14-42-39)
I have thus properly explained to you this procedure regarding the self; indeed, O knowers of dharma, knowledge of this has been attained here by the wise. (14-42-40)
One should contemplate all these—the senses, the sense objects, and the five great elements—having united them with the mind. (14-42-41)
When the mind is diminished in all, pleasure arising from birth is considered happiness. For those whose nature is endowed with knowledge, that is held to be happiness by the wise. (14-42-42)
Therefore, I will now explain the auspicious cessation that produces subtle realization in all beings, whether by gentle or harsh means. (14-42-43)
They declare that the conduct of a Brahmin—union of the mind with qualities and non-qualities, solitary living, and immediacy—is happiness, all summed up in a single word. (14-42-44)
He who, just like a tortoise withdraws its limbs and altogether withdraws all desires, is free from passion and liberated from every side; that person is ever happy. (14-42-45)
He who has restrained desires in the self, whose craving is exhausted, who is concentrated, affectionate and a friend to all beings—he attains the state of Brahman. (14-42-46)
When all the senses that desire objects are restrained, and the sage abandons society, the fire of the self is kindled. (14-42-47)
Just as fire, when kindled by fuels, shines with great light, so also the great self shines forth when the senses are restrained. (14-42-48)
When the self-born, with a serene mind, perceives all beings within his own heart, then he attains the supreme subtlety, the unsurpassed. (14-42-49)
Fire is associated with form; water with streams; wind with touch; earth with bearing mud, the terrible; and ether likewise with hearing. (14-42-50)
One that is pervaded by passion and sorrow, covered by five streams, united with the five elements, possessing nine doors, and governed by two divinities. (14-42-51)
The concept is that the body, imbued with rajas, is further imperceptible, is constituted of three qualities and three elements, is attached to association and is deluded. (14-42-52)
In this world of living beings, it is difficult to attain the essential state; yet, it is this alone that causes the wheel of time to revolve in this world. (14-42-53)
This great and terrible ocean, boundless and called delusion—one should abandon it, contract it, and indeed enlighten the entire world, including the immortals. (14-42-54)
He abandons desire and anger, fear, delusion, hostility, and falsehood—those difficult-to-abandon faults—by restraining the senses. (14-42-55)
He for whom, in this world, these three qualities and five elements are conquered—the supreme, endless place of that one is then perceived in the ether. (14-42-56)
Having crossed the river whose source is desire, whose end is infinite, whose swift current is the mind carrying both desire and anger and which has perilous whirlpools, one should conquer both desire and anger. (14-42-57)
He who is free from all faults then perceives that which is supreme. By fixing the mind within the mind, he sees the Self in the Self. (14-42-58)
The all-knower, present in all beings, perceives the Self within the self, manifesting as one and as many, here and there. (14-42-59)
Just as one certainly sees many forms by the light of a single lamp, so too, he indeed is Viṣṇu, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and Prajāpati. (14-42-60)
He is indeed the creator and ordainer, the lord facing all directions; the great Self shines in the hearts of all beings. (14-42-61)
Assemblies of brāhmaṇas, gods and asuras, yakṣas, piśācas, ancestors, birds, hosts of rākṣasas, all hosts of spirits, and great sages indeed always praise him. (14-42-62)
