Agni Purana

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?

त्वं किमेतच्छिरः किन्नु शिरस्तव तथोदरं । किमु पादादिकं त्वं वै तवैतत् किं महीपते ।। ३८०.

Are you this head? Is this head yours? Likewise, is this abdomen yours? Are you the feet and so on? Is this truly yours, O king?

समस्तावयवेभ्यस्त्वं पृथग्भूतो व्यवस्थितः । कोहमित्यत्र निपुणं भूत्वा चिन्तय पार्थिव ३८०.

You are established as distinct from all the limbs; become discerning and reflect deeply, O king, on 'Who am I?'

श्रेयोऽर्थमुद्यतः प्रष्ट्रं कपिलर्षिमहं द्विज । तस्याशः कपिलर्षेस्त्वं मत् कृते ज्ञानदो भुवि ३८०.

I am Kapila, the sage, who has come to question you for the sake of the highest good; your hope is that Kapila, for my sake, will grant knowledge on earth.

ब्राह्मण उवाच भूयः पृच्छसि किं श्रेयः परमार्थन्न पृच्छसि । श्रेयांस्यपरमार्थानि अशेषाण्येव भूपते ।। ३८०.

The Brahmin said: You ask again about what is good, but do not inquire about ultimate reality; O king, all that is good is not ultimate reality.

देवताराधनं कृत्वा धनसम्पत्तिमिच्छति । पुत्रानिच्छति राज्यञ्च श्रेयस्तस्यैव किं नृपः ।। ३८०.

After worshipping the gods, one desires wealth and prosperity, children, and a kingdom; O king, is this truly the highest good for him?

विवेकिनस्तु संयोगः श्रेयो यः परमात्मनः । यज्ञादिका क्रिया न स्यात् नास्ति द्रव्योपपत्तिता ।। ३८०.

For the discerning, union with the supreme self is the highest good; ritual acts like sacrifice are not possible without the means of material objects.

परमार्थात्मनोर्योगः परमार्थ इतीष्यते । एको व्यापी समः शुद्धो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः ।। ३८०.

Union with the supreme self is considered ultimate reality; it is one, all-pervading, equal, pure, without qualities, and beyond nature.

जन्मवृद्ध्यादिरहित आत्मा सर्वगतोऽव्ययः । परं ज्ञानमयोऽसङ्गी गुणजात्यादिभिर्विभुः ।। ३८०.

The self is free from birth, growth, and so on, all-pervading and imperishable; it is supreme, composed of knowledge, unattached, and transcendent over qualities and categories.

ऋतुर्ब्रह्मसुतो ज्ञानी तच्छिष्योऽभूत् पुलत्स्यजः ।। ३८०.

Ṛtu, the son of Brahmā, was a knower of true knowledge; Pulastya's descendant became his disciple.

निदाघः प्राप्तविद्योऽस्मान्नगरे वै पुरे स्थितः । देविकायास्तटे तञ्च तर्कयामास वै ऋतुः ।। ३८०.

Nidāgha, having attained knowledge, remained in the city; Ṛtu approached him on the banks of the Devikā river and began to question him.

दिव्ये वर्षसहस्रेऽगान्निदाघमवलोकितुं । निदाघो वैश्वदेवान्ते भुक्त्वान्नं शिष्यमब्रवीत् ३८०.

After a thousand divine years had passed, Ṛtu came to see Nidāgha; Nidāgha, having eaten at the Vaiśvadeva rite, spoke to his disciple.

ऋतुरुवाच । क्षुदस्ति यस्य भुक्तेऽन्ने तुष्टिर्ब्राह्मण जायते । न मे क्षुदभवत्तृप्तिं कस्मात्त्वं परिपृच्छसि ।। ३८०.

Ṛtu said: 'Hunger arises in one who eats food, and satisfaction is born in a brāhmaṇa; I did not feel hunger, nor satisfaction—why do you question me about this?'

क्षुत्तृष्णे देहधर्म्माख्ये न ममैते यतो द्विज । पृष्टोहं यत्त्वाया ब्रूयां३ तृप्तिरस्त्येव मे सदा ।। ३८०.

Hunger and thirst are qualities of the body, not mine, O twice-born; you have asked, so I tell you—indeed, I am always satisfied.

सोऽहं गान्ता५ न चागन्ता नैकदेशनिकेतनः । त्वं चान्यो न भवेन्नापि नान्यस्त्वक्तोऽस्मि वा प्यहं ।। ३८०.

I am one who goes, yet not one who comes; I do not dwell in any single place; you are not other, nor am I other than you, nor is anyone else apart from us.

मृण्मयं हि गृहं यद्वन्मृदालिप्तं स्थिरीभबेत् । पार्थिवोऽयं तथा देहः पार्थिवैः परमाणुभिः ।। ३८०.

Just as a house made of clay, when smeared with clay, becomes firm, so too this body, made of earth, is composed of earthly atoms.

ऋतुरस्मि तवाचार्य्यः प्रज्ञादानाय ते द्विज । इहागतोऽहं यास्यामि परमार्थस्तवोदितः ।। ३८०.

I am Ṛtu, your teacher, come here to impart wisdom to you, O twice-born; I will depart, for the highest truth has been revealed to you.

एकमेवमिदं विद्धि न भेदः सकलं जगत् । वासुदेवाभिधेयस्य स्वरूपं परमात्मनः ।। ३८०.

Know this: all this is one, there is no division in the entire universe; it is the true nature of the Supreme Self, known as Vāsudeva.

ऋतुर्वर्षसहस्रान्ते पुनस्तन्नगरं ययौ । निदाघं नगरप्रान्ते एकान्ते स्थितमव्रवीत् ३८०.

At the end of a thousand years, Ṛtu again went to that city and spoke to Nidāgha, who was standing alone at the edge of the city.

निदाघ उवाच भो विप्र जनसंवादो महानेष नरेश्वर । प्रविवीक्ष्य पुरं रम्यं तेनात्र स्थीयते मया ।। ३८०.

Nidāgha said: 'O brāhmaṇa, this great gathering of people, O lord of men, after observing this beautiful city, I have remained here.'

ऋतुरुवाच नराधिपोऽत्र कतमः कतमश्चेतरो जनः । कथ्यतां मे द्विजश्रेष्ठ त्वमभिज्ञो द्विजोत्तम ।। ३८०.

Ṛtu said: 'Who here is the king among men, and who are the others? Tell me, best of twice-born, for you are knowledgeable, O excellent brāhmaṇa.'