ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः । जघन्यगुणवृत्तस्था अघो गच्छन्ति तामसाः
Those established in sattva go upward; those in rajas remain in the middle; those abiding in the lowest quality, tamas, go downward.
नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टाऽनुपश्यति । गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति
When the seer perceives no other agent than the qualities, and knows that which is beyond the qualities, he attains my state.
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् । जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्रुते
Transcending these three qualities, which arise from the body, the embodied one is freed from birth, death, old age, and sorrow, and attains immortality.
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानीतो भवति प्रभो । किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते
By what marks, O Lord, is one known who has transcended these three qualities? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three qualities?
प्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव। न द्वेष्टि संप्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति
He neither hates the presence of light, activity, or delusion, O Pandava, nor longs for them when they have ceased.
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते । गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते
He who sits indifferent, unmoved by the qualities, who knows that the qualities act and does not waver—such a one abides.
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः । तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः
He who is the same in pain and pleasure, self-composed, who regards a lump of earth, a stone, and gold alike, who is steady in mind toward both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and who is unmoved by praise or blame—
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः । सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते
Who is equal in honor and dishonor, the same toward friend and foe, who has renounced all undertakings—he is said to have transcended the qualities.
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्म भूयाय कल्पते
And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, surpassing these qualities, is fit to become one with Brahman.
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च। शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च
For I am the foundation of Brahman, of the immortal and the unchanging, of the eternal law and of absolute bliss.
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्। छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्
They speak of the imperishable aśvattha tree, with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns; he who knows this tree is a knower of the Veda.
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसंततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके
Its branches extend downward and upward, nourished by the qualities, with sense-objects as its tender shoots; and its roots, spreading downward, bind living beings in the world through actions.
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल- मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्वा
Its form is not perceived here as it is—its end, its beginning, nor its foundation; having cut down this firmly rooted aśvattha tree with the strong axe of detachment—
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी
Then that goal should be sought, having gone where none return again; I take refuge in that original Person from whom the ancient activity has flowed forth.
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वद्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै- र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्
Those who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the fault of attachment, who dwell constantly in the Self, whose desires have departed, who are liberated from the pairs of opposites called pleasure and pain, undeluded, reach that imperishable state.
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम
That realm is not illumined by the sun, nor by the moon, nor by fire; having gone there, they do not return—that is My supreme abode.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति
A portion of Myself, having become the eternal living soul in the world of living beings, draws the senses, which are six with the mind, abiding in nature.
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः । गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्
When the Lord obtains a body, and when He departs from it, He takes these senses and mind along, just as the wind carries scents from their places.
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च। अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते
Presiding over the ear, the eye, the sense of touch, the tongue, and the nose, as well as the mind, He enjoys the objects of the senses.
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वाऽपि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः
The deluded do not perceive Him as He departs, stays, or enjoys, endowed with the qualities; but those with the eye of knowledge see.
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः
Striving yogis see Him dwelling in themselves; but those of unrefined self, though striving, do not see Him, their minds being unsteady.
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्। यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मार्मकम्
That radiance which, abiding in the sun, illumines the whole world, and that which is in the moon and in fire—know that radiance to be Mine.
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयम्यहमोजसा । पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः
Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by My energy; and becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with sap.
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्
Becoming the fire of digestion, I dwell in the bodies of living beings; united with the inward and outward breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च । वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्
I dwell in the heart of all beings; from me arise memory, knowledge, and the loss thereof. I alone am to be known through all the Vedas; I am the author of the Vedānta and the knower of the Vedas.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च। क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते
In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the perishable and the imperishable. All creatures are perishable; the unchanging is called imperishable.
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः
But there is another, the highest person, called the Supreme Self, who, entering the three worlds, sustains them as the imperishable Lord.
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रस्थितः पुरुषोत्तमः
Because I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am proclaimed in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person.
यो मामेवमसंमूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत
Whoever, free from delusion, knows me as the Supreme Person, that one, knowing all, worships me with all their being, O Bhārata.
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ। एवद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत
Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by me, O sinless one. Knowing this, a person becomes wise and accomplished in all duties, O Bhārata.