Agni Purana

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.

यथा पुंसः पृथग्भावः प्राकृतैः करणैर्नृप । सोढ़व्यः स महाभारः कतरो नृपते मया ।। ३८०.

Just as the distinctness of a person is due to natural instruments, O king, so which is to be borne, which is the great burden, and by whom, O king?

यद्द्रव्या शिविका चेयं तद्‌द्रव्यो भूतसंग्रहः । भवतो मेऽखिलस्यास्य समत्वेनोपबृंहितः ।। ३८०.

Of whatever material this palanquin is, that material is a collection of elements; you and I and all this are equally supported by it.

तच्छ्रु त्वोवाच राजा तं गृहीत्वाङ्‌घ्री क्षमाप्य च । प्रसादं कुरु त्वक्त्वेमां शिविकां ब्रूहि श्रृण्वते । यो भवान् यन्निमित्तं वा यदागमनकारणम् ।। ३८०.

Hearing this, the king spoke, taking his feet and bowing: 'Show your favor, tell me about this palanquin for my understanding—who are you, for what reason, and what is the cause of your coming?'

श्रूयतां कोहमित्येतद्वक्तु नैव च शक्यते । उपभोगनिमित्तञ्च सर्वत्रागमनक्रिया ।। ३८०.

Listen: 'Who am I?'—this cannot truly be spoken; for everywhere, the act of coming is for the sake of experience.

सुखदुःखोपभोगौ तु तौ देशाद्युपपादकौ । धर्माघर्मोद्भवौ भोक्तुं जन्तुर्देशादिमृच्छति ।। ३८०.

Pleasure and pain are to be experienced, and they arise from place and other causes; produced by merit and demerit, the being seeks place and so on to enjoy them.

राजोवाच योऽस्ति सोहमिति ब्रह्मन् कथं वक्तुं न शक्यते । आत्मन्येष न दोषाय शब्कदोहमिति यो द्विज ।। ३८०.

The king said: 'If one exists, O Brahman, how can it not be spoken? If one says "I am this," there is no fault in the self, O twice-born.'

शब्दोहमित्रि दोषाय नात्मन्येष तथैव तत् । अनात्मन्यात्मविज्ञानं शब्दो वा भ्रान्तिलक्षणः ।। ३८०.

The word 'I am this' is indeed faulty, but not so in the self; knowledge of the self in the not-self, or the word itself, is a mark of delusion.

यदा समस्तदेहेषु पुमानेको व्यवस्थितः । तदा हि को भवान् कोहमित्येतद्विफलं वचः ।। ३८०.

When the one person is established in all bodies, then, indeed, 'Who are you? Who am I?'—such speech is fruitless.

त्वं राजा शिविका चेयं वयं वाहाः पुरःसराः । अयञ्च भवतो लोको न सदेनन्नृपोच्यते ।। ३८०.

You are the king, this is the palanquin, we are the bearers leading the way; but this world of yours, O king, is not truly thus.

वृक्षाद्दारु ततश्चेयं शिविका त्वदधिष्ठता । का वृक्षसंज्ञा जातास्य दारुसंज्ञाथ वा नृप ।। ३८०.

From the tree comes the wood, and from that, this palanquin under your authority; what is the designation of tree or wood for this, O king?

वृक्षारूढ़ो महाराजो नायं वदति चेतनः । न च दारुणि सर्वस्त्वां ब्रवीति शिविकागतं ।। ३८०.

The great king mounted upon the tree does not speak with awareness; nor does the wood itself say anything to you, who are seated in the palanquin.

शिविकादारुसङ्घातो रचनास्थितिसंस्थितः । अन्विष्यतां नृपश्रेष्ट तद्भेदे शिविका त्वया ।। ३८०.

The palanquin is a collection of wooden parts, constructed and assembled; O foremost of kings, examine this—if it is broken, the palanquin is no longer by you.

पुमान् स्त्री गौरयं वाजी कुञ्जरो विहगस्तरुः । देहेषु लोकसंज्ञेयं विज्ञेया कर्महेतुषु ।। ३८०.

Man, woman, cow, horse, elephant, bird, tree—these bodies are known in the world by their respective names; understand that these are due to the causes of action.

जिह्वा व्रवीत्यहमिति दन्तौष्ठौ तालुकं नृप । एते नाहं यतः सर्व्वेवाङ्निपादनहेतवः ।। ३८०.

The tongue says 'I speak,' but the teeth, lips, and palate, O king, do not; for all these are merely instruments for producing speech.

किं हेतुभिर्वदत्येषा वागेवाहमिति स्वयं । तथापि वाङ्नाहमेतदुक्तं मिथ्या न युज्यते ।। ३८०.

What is the reason that this speech says 'I am speech' by itself? Even so, speech is not truly 'I'; this statement is not accurate.

पिण्डः पृथग्‌ यतः पुंसः शिरःपाय्वादिलक्षणः । ततोऽहमिति कुत्रैतां संज्ञां राजन् करोम्यहं ।। ३८०.

Since the body is distinct, marked by head, feet, and other features, O king, how then do I make this designation of 'I'?

यदन्योऽस्ति परः कोपि मत्तः पार्थिवसत्तम । तदेषोहमयं चान्यो वक्तुमेवमपीष्यते ।। ३८०.

If there is another, a separate entity apart from me, O best of kings, then this 'I' is that other, and it too is said to be so.

परमार्थभेदो न नगो न पशुर्नच पादपः । शरीराश्च विभेदाश्च य एते कर्मयोनयः ।। ३८०.

In ultimate reality, there is no elephant, no animal, nor tree; the bodies and their distinctions are merely sources of action.

यस्तु राजेत् यल्लोके यच्च राजभटात्मकम् । तच्चान्यच्च नृपेत्थन्तु न सत् सम्यगनामयं ।। ३८०.

Whatever rules, whatever exists in the world, and whatever is of the nature of king and his attendants—all these, O king, are other and not truly named rightly.

त्वं राजा सर्वलोकस्य पितुः पुत्रो रिपोरिपुः । पत्न्याः पतिः पिता सूनोः कस्त्वां भूप वदाम्यहं ।। ३८०.

You are the king of all worlds, son of your father, enemy of your enemy, husband of your wife, father of your son—O ruler, who am I to call you?