Agni Purana

सम्मर्तेति तथा भर्त्ता भ्कारोऽर्थद्वयान्वितः । नेता गमयिता स्रष्टा गकारोऽयं महामुने ।। ३७९.

'Sammarta' and likewise 'bhartā'—the syllable 'bha' conveys two meanings; 'netā', 'gama-yitā', 'sraṣṭā'—this is the syllable 'ga', O great sage.

ऐश्वर्य्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्य्यस्य यशसः श्रइयः । ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णं भग इतीङ्गना ।। ३७९.

Sovereignty in full, strength, fame, prosperity, knowledge, and detachment—these six are called 'bhaga', O lady.

वसन्ति विष्णौ भूतानि स च धातुस्त्रिधात्मकः । एवं हरौ हि भगवान् शब्दोऽन्यत्रोपचारतः ।। ३७९.

All beings dwell in Viṣṇu, and he is the substance with threefold nature; thus, the word 'Bhagavān' is applied to Hari, and elsewhere only figuratively.

उत्पत्तिं प्रलयञ्चैव भूतानामगतिं गतिं । वेत्ति विद्यामविद्याञ्च स वाच्यो भगवानिति ।। ३७९.

He knows creation and dissolution, the going and coming of beings; he knows knowledge and ignorance—he is rightly called 'Bhagavān'.

ज्ञानशक्तिः परैश्वर्य्यं वीर्य्यं तेजांस्यशेषतः । भगवच्छब्दवाच्यानि विना हेयैर्गुणादिभिः ।। ३७९.

The power of knowledge, supreme sovereignty, strength, and all radiance—these are denoted by the word 'Bhagavat', without any inferior qualities or attributes.

खाण्डिक्यजनकायाह योगं केशिध्वजः पुरा । अनात्मन्यात्मबुद्धिर्या आत्मस्वमिति या मतिः ।। ३७९.

Keśidhvaja once taught yoga to the daughter of Khāṇḍikya's father: the understanding that sees the self in the non-self, the notion that 'this is mine' regarding the self.

अविद्याभवसम्भूतिर्वीजमेतद्‌द्विधा स्थितम् । पञ्चभूतात्मके देहे देही मोहतमाश्रितः ।। ३७९.

This twofold seed—ignorance and the arising of becoming—abides in the body composed of the five elements; the embodied one, enveloped in delusion, is attached to darkness.

अहमेतदितीत्युच्चैः कुरुते कुमतिर्मतिं । इत्थञ्च पुत्रपौत्रेषु तद्देहोत्पातितेषु च ।। ३७९.

With a mistaken mind, one loudly asserts, 'I am this'; and likewise with regard to sons and grandsons, even when those bodies have perished.

करोति पण्डितः साम्यमनात्मनि कलेवरे । सर्वदेहोपकाराय कुरुते कर्म्म मानवः ।। ३७९.

The wise man regards the body, which is not the self, as equal; for the benefit of all bodies, a person performs actions.

देहश्चान्यो यदा पुंसस्तदा बन्धाय तत्परं । निर्वाणमथ एवायमात्मा ज्ञानमयोऽमलः ।। ३७९.

When the body is seen as other than the person, then it becomes the cause of bondage; but this self, full of knowledge and pure, is then liberation.

दुःखज्ञानमयोऽधर्मः प्रकृतेः स तु नात्मनः । जलस्य नाग्निना सङ्गः स्थालीसङ्गत्तथापि हि ।। ३७९.

Unrighteousness, consisting of suffering and ignorance, belongs to nature, not to the self; just as water does not mix with fire, so it is with the vessel.

शब्दास्ते कादिका धर्मास्तत् कृता वै महामुने । तथात्मा प्रकृतौ सङ्गादहंमानादिभूषितः ।। ३७९.

Words, beginning with 'ka' and so on, are the dharmas created, O great sage; thus, the self, adorned with ego and the like, is bound through association with nature.

भजते प्राकृतान्धर्मान् अन्यस्तेभ्यो हि सोऽव्ययः । बन्धाय विषयासङ्गं मनो निर्विषयं धिये ।। ३७९.

He pursues natural qualities, but apart from these, he is imperishable; attachment to sense-objects is bondage, while the mind free from objects is wisdom.

विषयात्तत्समाकृष्य ब्रह्मभूतं हरिं स्मरेत् । आत्मभावं नयत्येनं तद्‌ब्रह्मध्यायिनं मुने ।। ३७९.

Drawing the mind away from sense objects, one should remember Hari as the embodiment of Brahman; by this, the meditator leads himself to the state of the Self, O sage.

विचार्य्य स्वात्मनः शक्त्या लौहमाकर्षको यथा । आत्भप्रयत्नसापेज्ञा विशिष्टा या मनोगतिः ।। ३७९.

Just as a magnet attracts iron by its power, so too, through the effort of the Self and the knowledge of its means, the movement of the mind becomes distinct.

तस्या ब्रह्‌मणि संयोगो योग इत्यभिधीयते । विनिष्पन्दः समाधिस्थः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ।। ३७९.

The union of that mind with Brahman is called yoga; when motion ceases and one abides in samadhi, the supreme Brahman is attained.

यमैः सन्नियमैः स्थित्या प्रत्याहृत्या मरुज्जयैः । प्राणायामेन पवनैः प्रत्याहारेण चेन्द्रियैः ।। ३७९.

Through restraints, observances, stability, withdrawal, conquest of the winds, regulation of breath, and control of the senses by withdrawal, one proceeds.

वशीकृतैस्ततः कुर्य्यात् स्थितं चेतः शुभाश्रये । आश्रयश्चेतसो ब्रह्म मूर्त्तञ्चामूर्तकं द्विधा ।। ३७९.

Having mastered these, one should establish the mind in an auspicious refuge; the refuge of the mind is Brahman, both with form and formless, in two ways.

हिरण्यगर्भादिषु च ज्ञानकर्मात्मिका द्विधा । त्रिविधा भावना प्रोक्ता विश्वं ब्रह्म उपास्यते ।। ३७९.

In Hiranyagarbha and others, knowledge and action are of two kinds; contemplation is said to be of three types, and the whole universe is worshipped as Brahman.

हिरण्यगर्भादिषु च ज्ञानकर्मात्मिका द्विधा । त्रिविधा भावना प्रोक्ता विश्वं ब्रह्म उपास्यते ।। ३७९.

In Hiranyagarbha and others, knowledge and action are of two kinds; contemplation is said to be of three types, and the whole universe is worshipped as Brahman.

प्रत्यस्तमितभेदं यत् सत्तामात्रमगोचरं । वचसामात्मसंवेद्यं तज्ज्ञानं ब्रह्म संज्ञितम् ।। ३७९.

That which is devoid of all distinctions, perceived only as pure existence, and known inwardly by speech and the Self, is called knowledge of Brahman.

तच्च विष्णोः परं रुपमरुपस्याजमक्षरं । अशक्यं प्रथमं ध्यातुमतो मूर्त्तादि चितन्येत् ।। ३७९.

That is the supreme form of Vishnu, formless, unborn, imperishable; it cannot be meditated upon at first, so one should contemplate the forms and other aspects.

सद्भावभावमापन्नस्ततोऽसौ परमात्मना । भवत्यभेदी भेदश्च तस्याज्ञानकृतो भवेत् ।। ३७९.

When one attains the state of true being, then he becomes one with the Supreme Self; difference arises only through ignorance.

अग्निरुवाच अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानं वक्ष्ये यद्भवतोऽगदत् । शालग्रामे तपश्चक्रे वासुदेवार्चनादिकृत् ।। ३८०.

Agni said: I will explain the knowledge of nondual Brahman, which you have asked about; in Shalagrama, he performed austerities and worshipped Vasudeva.

मृगसङ्गान्मृगो बूत्वा ह्यन्तकाले स्मरन् मृगं । जातिस्मरो मृगस्त्यक्त्वा देहं योगात्स्वतोऽभवत् ।। ३८०.

Having associated with deer, he became a deer, and at the end, remembering the deer, he was born as a deer with memory of his past, and by yoga, he left the body of his own accord.

अद्वैतब्रह्मभूतश्च जडवल्लोकमाचरत् । क्षत्ताऽसौ वीरराजस्य विष्टियोगममन्यत ।। ३८०.

He, having become established in nondual Brahman, wandered the world like an inert being; he was the servant of the heroic king and considered his servitude as yoga.

उवाह शिविकामस्य क्षत्तुर्वचनचोदितः । गृहीतो विष्टिना ज्ञानी उवाहात्मक्षयाय तं ।। ३८०.

He carried the king's palanquin, prompted by the servant's command; the wise one, seized by the servant, carried it for the destruction of his own self.

ययौ जड़गतिः पश्चाद् ये त्वन्ये त्वरितं ययुः । शीघ्रान् शीघ्रगतीन् दृष्ट्वा अशीघ्रं तं नृपोऽव्रवीत् ।। ३८०.

He moved slowly, while others went quickly; seeing the swift ones move fast, the king addressed the slow one.

राजोवाच किं श्रान्तोऽस्यल्पमध्वानं त्वयोढ़ा शिविका मम । किमायाससहो न त्वं पीवानसि निरीक्ष्यसे ।। ३८०.

The king said: Are you tired from such a short journey, and yet you are carrying my palanquin? Why do you not bear the effort? You appear strong.