14.048
ब्रह्मोवाच॥
Brahmā said.
केचिद्ब्रह्ममयं वृक्षं केचिद्ब्रह्ममयं महत्। केचित्पुरुषमव्यक्तं केचित्परमनामयम् ॥ मन्यन्ते सर्वमप्येतदव्यक्तप्रभवाव्ययम् ॥१४-४८-१॥
Some think of the tree as consisting of brahman, some think the great is brahman. Some regard the person as unmanifest, some the supreme, free from decay. They consider even all this to have the unmanifest as its origin and as imperishable. (14-48-1)
उच्छ्वासमात्रमपि चेद्योऽन्तकाले समो भवेत्। आत्मानमुपसङ्गम्य सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥१४-४८-२॥
If, at the time of death, a person remains calm even in his very breath and attains his own self, he becomes worthy of immortality. (14-48-2)
निमेषमात्रमपि चेत्संयम्यात्मानमात्मनि। गच्छत्यात्मप्रसादेन विदुषां प्राप्तिमव्ययाम् ॥१४-४८-३॥
If one restrains oneself in oneself even for the duration of a blink, by the clarity of the self, one attains the imperishable attainment of the wise. (14-48-3)
प्राणायामैरथ प्राणान्संयम्य स पुनः पुनः। दशद्वादशभिर्वापि चतुर्विंशात्परं ततः ॥१४-४८-४॥
Then, by practicing prāṇāyāma, having repeatedly controlled the breaths, he does so with ten or twelve counts, or even beyond twenty-four thereafter. (14-48-4)
एवं पूर्वं प्रसन्नात्मा लभते यद्यदिच्छति। अव्यक्तात्सत्त्वमुद्रिक्तममृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥१४-४८-५॥
Thus, previously, the serene-minded attains whatever he desires. From the unmanifest, with abundant purity, one attains fitness for immortality. (14-48-5)
सत्त्वात्परतरं नान्यत्प्रशंसन्तीह तद्विदः। अनुमानाद्विजानीमः पुरुषं सत्त्वसंश्रयम् ॥ न शक्यमन्यथा गन्तुं पुरुषं तमथो द्विजाः ॥१४-४८-६॥
Those who know that here do not praise anything higher than essence (sattva). We know, by inference, the person who depends upon sattva. O twice-born, it is not possible to realize that person in any other way. (14-48-6)
क्षमा धृतिरहिंसा च समता सत्यमार्जवम्। ज्ञानं त्यागोऽथ संन्यासः सात्त्विकं वृत्तमिष्यते ॥१४-४८-७॥
Patience, steadfastness, non-violence, equanimity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, knowledge, renunciation, and abandonment—these are considered conduct of sattvic (pure) nature. (14-48-7)
एतेनैवानुमानेन मन्यन्तेऽथ मनीषिणः। सत्त्वं च पुरुषश्चैकस्तत्र नास्ति विचारणा ॥१४-४८-८॥
The wise, by this very inference, consider that sattva and puruṣa are one there; there is no further deliberation. (14-48-8)
आहुरेके च विद्वांसो ये ज्ञाने सुप्रतिष्ठिताः। क्षेत्रज्ञसत्त्वयोरैक्यमित्येतन्नोपपद्यते ॥१४-४८-९॥
Some learned people firmly rooted in knowledge also say that there is unity between the knower of the field and sattva; however, this is not established. (14-48-9)
पृथग्भूतस्ततो नित्यमित्येतदविचारितम्। पृथग्भावश्च विज्ञेयः सहजश्चापि तत्त्वतः ॥१४-४८-१०॥
To say, "it is always separate from that"—this is unconsidered. Separateness is to be known, and it is also innate in reality. (14-48-10)
तथैवैकत्वनानात्वमिष्यते विदुषां नयः। मशकोदुम्बरे त्वैक्यं पृथक्त्वमपि दृश्यते ॥१४-४८-११॥
Similarly, the wise regard both unity and diversity as their doctrine; in the example of the mosquito and the fig tree, both oneness and separateness are observed. (14-48-11)
मत्स्यो यथान्यः स्यादप्सु सम्प्रयोगस्तथानयोः। सम्बन्धस्तोयबिन्दूनां पर्णे कोकनदस्य च ॥१४-४८-१२॥
Just as one fish would only be with another in the water, so also is the union of these two; the connection of water drops on the leaf of the red lotus is similar. (14-48-12)
गुरुरुवाच॥
The teacher said.
इत्युक्तवन्तं ते विप्रास्तदा लोकपितामहम्। पुनः संशयमापन्नाः पप्रच्छुर्द्विजसत्तमाः ॥१४-४८-१३॥
After thus having spoken to the grandsire of the worlds, those brāhmaṇas, again overcome by doubt, the foremost of the twice-born, questioned him once more. (14-48-13)
ऋषय ऊचुः॥
The sages said.
किं स्विदेवेह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमं स्मृतम्। व्याहतामिव पश्यामो धर्मस्य विविधां गतिम् ॥१४-४८-१४॥
What, truly, among duties here is remembered as the foremost to be performed? We seem to see the course of dharma as if obstructed and varied. (14-48-14)
ऊर्ध्वं देहाद्वदन्त्येके नैतदस्तीति चापरे। केचित्संशयितं सर्वं निःसंशयमथापरे ॥१४-४८-१५॥
Some say that there is something after the body; others, that this does not exist; some consider everything to be doubtful, while yet others hold there is no doubt about it. (14-48-15)
अनित्यं नित्यमित्येके नास्त्यस्तीत्यपि चापरे। एकरूपं द्विधेत्येके व्यामिश्रमिति चापरे ॥ एकमेके पृथक्चान्ये बहुत्वमिति चापरे ॥१४-४८-१६॥
Some say it is impermanent, some (say) eternal; others say it does not exist, or that it exists. Some say it has one form, some twofold, some say it is mixed. Some (declare it) one, others (declare it) separate; others (say it is) multiplicity. (14-48-16)
मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा एवं प्राज्ञास्तत्त्वार्थदर्शिनः। जटाजिनधराश्चान्ये मुण्डाः केचिदसंवृताः ॥१४-४८-१७॥
Brahmins, the wise, and those who see the truth think thus; some are wearers of matted hair and deerskin, others are shaven-headed, some are unclad. (14-48-17)
अस्नानं केचिदिच्छन्ति स्नानमित्यपि चापरे। आहारं केचिदिच्छन्ति केचिच्चानशने रताः ॥१४-४८-१८॥
Some people desire not to bathe, while others wish to bathe. Some desire to eat, and some are devoted to abstaining from food. (14-48-18)
कर्म केचित्प्रशंसन्ति प्रशान्तिमपि चापरे। देशकालावुभौ केचिन्नैतदस्तीति चापरे ॥ केचिन्मोक्षं प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्भोगान्पृथग्विधान् ॥१४-४८-१९॥
Some praise action, others praise tranquility; some praise both place and time; others say "this does not exist"; some praise liberation, while others praise various kinds of enjoyments. (14-48-19)
धनानि केचिदिच्छन्ति निर्धनत्वं तथापरे। उपास्यसाधनं त्वेके नैतदस्तीति चापरे ॥१४-४८-२०॥
Some desire wealth, others (desire) poverty. Some consider worship as the means, but others say, 'this does not exist.' (14-48-20)
अहिंसानिरताश्चान्ये केचिद्धिंसापरायणाः। पुण्येन यशसेत्येके नैतदस्तीति चापरे ॥१४-४८-२१॥
Some are engaged in non-violence, others are devoted to violence; some say it is for virtue or fame, while others say that this does not exist. (14-48-21)
सद्भावनिरताश्चान्ये केचित्संशयिते स्थिताः। दुःखादन्ये सुखादन्ये ध्यानमित्यपरे स्थिताः ॥१४-४८-२२॥
Some are engaged in good intentions, others are in doubt; some are affected by suffering, others by happiness, while yet others are devoted to meditation. (14-48-22)
यज्ञमित्यपरे धीराः प्रदानमिति चापरे। सर्वमेके प्रशंसन्ति न सर्वमिति चापरे ॥१४-४८-२३॥
Some wise ones declare 'sacrifice', others 'gift'; some praise all, and others say, 'not all'. (14-48-23)
तपस्त्वन्ये प्रशंसन्ति स्वाध्यायमपरे जनाः। ज्ञानं संन्यासमित्येके स्वभावं भूतचिन्तकाः ॥१४-४८-२४॥
But some praise austerity, other people self-study; some say knowledge or renunciation are supreme, while those reflecting on beings consider inherent nature. (14-48-24)
एवं व्युत्थापिते धर्मे बहुधा विप्रधावति। निश्चयं नाधिगच्छामः संमूढाः सुरसत्तम ॥१४-४८-२५॥
O best of the gods, thus, when dharma has been overthrown, it runs in many directions; being utterly confused, we cannot arrive at certainty. (14-48-25)
इदं श्रेय इदं श्रेय इत्येवं प्रस्थितो जनः। यो हि यस्मिन्रतो धर्मे स तं पूजयते सदा ॥१४-४८-२६॥
“This is the best, this is the best”—thus the person who proceeds; whoever is devoted to a particular dharma, he always honors that. (14-48-26)
तत्र नो विहता प्रज्ञा मनश्च बहुलीकृतम्। एतदाख्यातुमिच्छामः श्रेयः किमिति सत्तम ॥१४-४८-२७॥
There our wisdom is destroyed and our minds have become very restless. We wish you to tell us this: 'What is the highest good?' O best one. (14-48-27)
अतः परं च यद्गुह्यं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति। सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोश्चैव सम्बन्धः केन हेतुना ॥१४-४८-२८॥
Therefore, further, whatever secret there is, you are worthy to reveal it. By what cause is there a connection between essence and the knower of the field? (14-48-28)
एवमुक्तः स तैर्विप्रैर्भगवाँल्लोकभावनः। तेभ्यः शशंस धर्मात्मा याथातथ्येन बुद्धिमान् ॥१४-४८-२९॥
Thus addressed by those brāhmaṇas, the blessed creator of the worlds, who was righteous and wise, spoke to them truthfully. (14-48-29)
