Agni Purana

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.'

गजो योऽयमधो ब्रह्मन्नुपर्य्येष स भूपतिः । ऋतुराह गजः कोऽत्र राजा चाह निदाघकः ।। ३८०.

That which is below, O brāhmaṇa, is the elephant; the one above is the king; Ṛtu asked, 'Who is the elephant here, and who is the king?' Nidāgha replied.

ऋतुर्निदाघ आरुढ़ो दृष्टान्तं पश्य वाहनं । उपर्य्यहं यथा राज त्वमधः कुञ्जरो यथा ।। ३८०.

Ṛtu and Nidāgha mounted up: 'See the example, the vehicle; just as I am above and you are below, so is the king above and the elephant below.'

ऋतुः७ प्राह निदाघन्तं कतमस्त्वामहं वदे । उक्तो निदाघस्तन्नत्वा प्राह मे त्वं गुरुर्घ्रुवम् ।। ३८०.

Ṛtu said to Nidāgha: 'Which one am I, and which one are you?' Nidāgha, bowing, replied: 'You are certainly my teacher.'

नात्यस्माद्‌द्वैतसंस्कारसंस्कृतं मानसं तथा । ऋतुः प्राह निदाघन्तं ब्रह्मज्ञानाय चागतः । परमार्थं सारभूतमद्वैतं दर्शितं मया ।। ३८०.

The mind is not truly shaped by the impressions of duality; Ṛtu said to Nidāgha: 'I have come for the knowledge of Brahman; I have shown you the essential, nondual highest reality.'

ब्राह्मण उवाच निदाघोऽप्युपदेशेन तेनाद्वैतपरोऽभवत् । सर्वभूतान्यभेदेन ददृशे स तदात्मनि ।। ३८०.

The brāhmaṇa said: 'By that instruction, Nidāgha also became devoted to nonduality; he saw all beings as non-different from his own Self.'

अवाप मुक्ति ज्ञानात्स तथा त्वं मुक्तिमाप्स्यसि । एकः समस्तं त्वञ्चाहं विष्णुः सर्वगतो यतः ।। ३८०.

By knowledge he attained liberation; in the same way, you too will attain liberation. Since Viṣṇu is all-pervading, you and I are one and the same.

पीतनीलादिभेदेन यथैकं दृश्यते तमः । भ्रान्तिदृष्टिभिरात्मापि तथैकः स पृथक् पृथक् ।। ३८०.

Just as darkness appears as one, though seen as yellow, blue, and other colors due to differences, so too the Self, though one, is perceived as many by deluded vision.

संसाराज्ञानवृक्षारिज्ञानं ब्रह्मेति चिन्तय ।। ३८०.

Know that the knowledge which destroys the tree of worldly ignorance is called Brahman.

अग्निरुवाच गीतासारं प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वगीतोत्तमोत्तमं । कृष्णोऽर्जुनाय यमाह पुरा वै भुक्तिमुक्तिदं ।। ३८१.

Agni said: I will declare the essence of the Gītā, the highest of all Gītās, which Kṛṣṇa once spoke to Arjuna, bestowing both enjoyment and liberation.

श्रीभगवानुवाच गतासुरगतासुर्वा न शोच्यो देहवानजः । आत्माऽजरोऽमरोऽभेद्यस्तस्माच्छोकादिकं त्यजेत् ।। ३८१.

The Blessed Lord said: Whether the life force has departed or not, the embodied one is not to be grieved for; the Self is ageless, immortal, and indestructible—therefore, abandon sorrow and the like.