ब्रवीषि सूनृतंधर्मं यस्य वक्ता न विद्यते। दिव्यप्रभावः सुमहानृषिरेव मतोसि मे
You speak true righteousness, for whom there is no teacher; in my view, only a great sage of divine power can do so.
ब्राह्मणा वै महाभागाः पितरोऽग्रभुजः सदा। तेषां सर्वात्मना कार्यं प्रियं लोके मनीषिणा
Brahmins are indeed greatly blessed, always the foremost recipients of offerings; a wise person should strive wholeheartedly to please them in this world.
यत्तेषां च प्रियं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि द्विजसत्तम। नमस्कृत्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ब्राह्मीं विद्यां निबोध मे
Now I will tell you, best of twice-born, what pleases them; after bowing to the Brahmins, listen to the Brahminical knowledge from me.
इदं विश्वं जगत्सर्वमजगच्चापि सर्वशः। महाभूतात्मकं ब्रह्मन्नातः परतरं भवेत्
This entire universe, all that moves and does not move, is composed of the great elements, O Brahmin; there is nothing higher than this.
महाभूतानि खं वायुरग्निरापस्तथा च भूः। शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश् तद्गुणाः
The great elements are: space, air, fire, water, and earth; their qualities are sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.
तेषामपि गुणाः सर्वे गुणवृत्तिः परस्परम्। पूर्वपूर्वगुणाः सर्वे क्रमशो गुणिषु त्रिषु
All their qualities function mutually, each preceding quality inhering in the next, in order, within the three elements.
षष्ठी तु चेतना नाम मन इत्यभिधीयते। सप्तमी तु भवेद्बुद्धिरहंकारस्ततः परम्
The sixth is called consciousness, known as mind; the seventh is intellect, and beyond that is ego.
इन्द्रियाणि च पञ्चात्मा रजः सत्वं तमस्तथा। इत्येष सप्तदशको राशिरव्यक्तसंज्ञकः
The senses are fivefold, as are rajas, sattva, and tamas; thus, this group of seventeen is called the unmanifest aggregate.
सर्वैरिहेन्द्रियार्थैस्तु व्यक्ताव्यक्तैः सुसंवृतैः। चतुर्विंसक इत्येष व्यकत्वाव्यक्तमयो गुणः। एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
All these, with their manifest and unmanifest objects, are well encompassed; this aggregate of twenty-four, composed of the manifest and unmanifest, is the quality. All this has been explained to you; what more do you wish to hear?
एवमुक्तः स विप्रस्तु धर्मव्याधेन भारत। कथामकथयद्भूयो मनसः प्रीतिवर्धनीम्
Thus addressed by the righteous hunter, O descendant of Bharata, the Brahmin again recounted a story that gladdened the mind.
महाभूतानि यान्याहुः पञ्च धर्मविदांवर। एकैकस्य गुणान्सम्यक्पञ्चानामपि मे वद
O foremost among those who know righteousness, tell me in detail the qualities of each of the five great elements.
भूमिरापस्तथा ज्योतिर्वायुराकाशमेव च। गुणोत्तराणइ सर्वाणि तेषां वक्ष्यामि ते गुणान्
Earth, water, fire, air, and space—all these possess superior qualities; I will now tell you their qualities.
भूमिः पञ्चगुणा ब्रह्मननुदकं च चतुर्गुणम्। गुणास्त्रयस्तेजसि च त्रयश्चाकाशवातयोः
Earth has five qualities, O Brahmin, water has four; fire and air each have three, and so does space.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च पञ्चमः। एतेगुणाः पञ्च भूमेः सर्वेभ्यो गुणवत्तराः
Sound, touch, form, taste, and the fifth—smell; these five are the qualities of earth, surpassing all others.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च सरश्चापि द्विजोत्तम। अपामेते गुणा ब्रह्मन्कीर्तितास्तव सुव्रत
Sound, touch, form, and taste, O best of twice-born—these are the qualities of water, O Brahmin, as declared to you, O virtuous one.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च तेजसोऽथ गुणास्त्रयः। शब्दः स्पर्शश्च वायौ तु शब्दश्चाकाश एव तु
Sound, touch, and form are the three qualities of fire; sound and touch are the qualities of air, and sound alone is the quality of space.
एते पञ्चदश ब्रह्मन्गुणा भूतेषु पञ्चसु। वर्तन्ते सर्वभूतेषु येषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः
O Brahmin, these fifteen qualities exist in the five elements; they are present in all beings, in whom the worlds are established.
अन्योन्यं नातिवर्तन्ते सम्यक्व भवति द्विज। यदा तु विषमं भावमाचरन्ति चराचराः
They do not overstep one another, O twice-born, and harmony prevails; but when moving and unmoving beings act with discordant intent,
तदा देही देहमन्यं व्यतिरोहति कालतः। प्रातिलोम्याद्विनश्यन्ति जायन्ते चानुपूर्वशः
Then, in due time, the embodied soul enters another body; through opposition they perish, and in due order they are born again.
तत्र तत्रहि दृश्यन्ते धातवः पाञ्चभौतिकाः। यैरावृतमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
Everywhere are seen the elements composed of the five great elements, by which this entire world, both stationary and moving, is enveloped.
इन्द्रियैर्गृह्यते यद्यत्तत्तद्व्यक्तमिति स्मृतम्। तदव्यक्तमिति ज्ञेयं लिङ्गग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्
Whatever is grasped by the senses is considered manifest; that which is apprehended by the subtle faculty, beyond the senses, is to be known as unmanifest.
यथास्वं ग्राहकान्येषां शब्दादीनामिमानि तु। इन्द्रियाणि तथा देही धारयन्निह तप्यते
Just as these senses are the perceivers of sound and the rest, so the embodied soul, bearing them here, experiences both pleasure and pain.
लोके विततमात्मानं लोकं चात्मनि पश्यति। परापरज्ञः सक्तः सन्स तु भूतानि पश्यति
He sees the Self pervading the world and the world in the Self; knowing the higher and lower, yet attached, he perceives all beings.
पश्यतः सर्वभूतानि सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा। ब्रह्मभूतस् संयोगो नाशुभेनोपपद्यते
For one who sees all beings at all times and in all conditions, union with Brahman does not come through anything inauspicious.
ज्ञानमूलात्मकं क्लेशमतिवृत्तस्य मोहजम्। लोकबुद्धिप्रकाशेन ज्ञेयमार्गेण गम्यते
The suffering rooted in ignorance, arising from delusion, is overcome; by the illumination of worldly understanding, one proceeds on the path of knowledge.
अनादिनिधनं जन्तुमात्मयोनिं सदाव्ययम्। अनौपम्यममूर्तं च भगवानाह बुद्धिमान्
The wise declare that the being, whose origin is the Self, is without beginning or end, eternal, incomparable, and formless.
तपोमूलमिदं सर्वं यन्मां विप्रानुपृच्छसि। `तपसा हि समाप्नोति यद्यदेवाभिवाञ्छति'। इन्द्रियाण्येव संयम्य तपो भवति नान्यथा
All this which you ask me about, O Brahmin, has austerity as its root; for by austerity one attains whatever one desires. Only by restraining the senses does austerity arise, not otherwise.
इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वंयत्स्वर्गनरकावुभौ। निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च
Indeed, all that pertains to the senses is both heaven and hell; when restrained or unrestrained, they lead to heaven or hell.
एष योगविधिः कृत्स्नो यावदिन्द्रियधारणम्। एतन्मूलं हि तपसः स्वर्गस्य नरकस्य च
This is the complete discipline of yoga, up to the control of the senses; for this is the root of austerity, of heaven, and of hell.
इन्द्रियाणां प्रसङ्गेन दोमार्च्छत्यसंशयम्। सन्नियम्य तु तान्येव ततः सिद्धिं समाप्नुयात्
Through attachment to the senses, one certainly falls into darkness; but by restraining them, one attains success.