Agni Purana

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.

ब्राह्मण उवाच नाहं पीवान्न वैषोढ़ा शिविका भवतो मया । न श्रान्तोऽस्मि न वायासो वोढव्योऽसि महीपते ।। ३८०.

The Brahmana said: I am not strong, nor am I carrying your palanquin; I am not tired, nor am I burdened. You are to be carried, O king.

भूमौ पादयुगन्तस्थौ जङ्‌घे पादद्वये स्थिते । उरू जङ्घाद्वयावस्थौ तदाधारं तथोदरम् ।। ३८०.

The pair of feet rests on the ground, the shanks stand on the two feet; the thighs are supported by the two shanks, and the abdomen is supported likewise.

वक्षःस्थलं तथा वाहू स्कन्धौ चोदरसंस्थितौ । स्कन्धस्थितेयं शिविका मम भावोऽत्र किं कृतः ।। ३८०.

The chest, likewise the arms, and the shoulders, and that which is situated in the abdomen—this palanquin is placed upon the shoulders; what is my role here?

शिविकायां स्थितञ्चेदं देहं त्वदुपलक्षितं । तत्र त्वमहमप्यत्र प्रोच्यते चेदमन्यथा ।। ३८०.

If this body, which you observe, is situated in the palanquin, then you and I are both spoken of here; otherwise, it is otherwise.

अहं त्वञ्च तथान्यं च भूतैरुह्याम पार्थिव । गुणप्रवाहपतितो गुणवर्गो हि यात्ययं ।। ३८०.

I, you, and another as well, O king, are carried by the elements; for the collection of qualities, falling into the current of qualities, passes away.

कर्म्मवश्या गुणाश्चैते सत्वाद्याः पृथिवीपते । अविद्यासञ्चितं कर्म तच्चाशेषेषु जन्तुषु ।। ३८०.

These qualities, beginning with sattva, are bound by karma, O lord of the earth; that karma, accumulated through ignorance, exists in all beings.

आत्मा शुद्धोऽक्षरः शान्तो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । प्रवृद्ध्यपचयौ नाम्य एकस्याखिलजन्तुषु ।। ३८०.

The self is pure, imperishable, peaceful, without qualities, beyond nature; increase and decrease do not pertain to the one in all beings.

यदा नोपचयस्तस्य यदा नापचयो नृप। तदा पीवानसीति त्वं कया युक्त्या त्वयेरितं ।। ३८०.

When there is neither increase nor decrease for him, O king, then how can you say, by what reasoning, that he is nourished or diminished?

भूजङ्घापादकट्‌यूरुजठरादिषु संस्थिता । शिविकेयं तथा स्कन्धे तदा भावः समस्त्वया ।। ३८०.

Situated in the arms, thighs, feet, hips, loins, belly, and so on, this palanquin is likewise on the shoulder; then, the state is established by you.

तदन्यजन्तुभिर्भूप शिविसोत्थानकर्मणा । शैलद्रव्यगृहोत्थोपि पृथिवीसम्भवोपि वा ।। ३८०.

Other beings, O king, arise by the act of lifting the palanquin; whether originating from mountain substances, from houses, or from the earth.