Agni Purana

गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते । मानावमानमित्रारितुल्यस्त्यागी स निर्गुणः ।। ३८१.

He who regards the qualities as acting and does not move, who is equal in honor and dishonor, friend and foe, who renounces, is without qualities.

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधः शाखमश्चत्थं प्राहुरव्ययं । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ।। ३८१.

They speak of the imperishable aśvattha tree, whose roots are above and branches below; its leaves are the Vedas. Whoever knows this, knows the Veda.

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च । अहिंसादिः क्षमा चैव दैवीसम्पत्तितो नृणां ।। ३८१.

In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the divine and the demonic. Nonviolence and forbearance arise from the divine wealth among people.

न शौचं नापि वाचारो ह्यासुरीसम्पदोद्भवः । नरकत्वात् क्रोधकोभकामस्तस्मात्त्रयं त्यजेत् ।। ३८१.

There is neither purity nor proper conduct arising from demonic wealth; because of hellishness, anger, greed, and desire, one should abandon these three.

दुःखशोकामयायान्नं तीक्ष्णरूक्षन्तु राजसं । अमेध्योच्छिष्टपूत्यन्नं तामसं नीरसादिकं ।। ३८१.

Food that brings suffering, sorrow, and disease, that is excessively bitter or harsh, is rājasic; impure, leftover, putrid food, lacking essence, is tāmasic.

यष्टव्यो विधिना यज्ञो निष्कामाय स सात्त्विकः । यज्ञः फलाय दम्भात्मी राजसस्तामसः क्रतुः ।। ३८१.

A sacrifice performed according to rule, without desire for reward, is sāttvic; a sacrifice done for fruit or out of hypocrisy is rājasic or tāmasic.

श्रद्धामन्त्रादिविध्युक्तं तपः शारीरमुच्यते । देवादिपूजाऽहिंसादि वाङ्‌मयं तप उच्यते ।। ३८१.

Austerity performed as prescribed, with faith and mantras, is called bodily austerity; worship of gods and others, nonviolence, and so on, is called verbal austerity.

अनुद्धेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं स्वाध्यायसज्जपः । मानसं चित्तसंशुद्धेर्मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।। ३८१.

Speech that does not cause agitation, that is truthful, recitation and study—these are mental austerity, as are silence and self-control for the purification of the mind.

सात्त्विकञ्च तपोऽकामं फ्लाद्यर्थन्तु राजसं । तामसं परपीड़ायै सात्त्विकं दानमुच्यते ।। ३८१.

Sāttvic austerity is without desire; rājasic is for the sake of reward; tāmasic is for harming others. Sāttvic is called the giving of gifts.

देशादौ चैव दातव्यमुपकाराय राजसं । अदेशादाववज्ञातं तामसं दानमीरितं ।। ३८१.

A gift given at the right place and time, for the sake of benefit, is rājasic; a gift given at the wrong place and time, with disrespect, is said to be tāmasic.

ओंतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः । यज्ञदानादिकं कर्म्म भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणं ।। ३८१.

"Om, Tat, Sat"—this threefold designation of Brahman is remembered; sacrifice, gift, and other acts bring enjoyment and liberation to people.

अनिष्टमिष्टं मिशञ्च त्रिविंधं कर्मणः फलं । भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्कचित् ।। ३८१.

Unpleasant, pleasant, and mixed—these threefold fruits of action arise for those who do not renounce, after death, but never for the renunciates.

तामसः कर्मसंयोगात् मोहात्क्लेशभयादिकात् । राजसः सात्त्विकोऽकामात् पञ्चैते कर्महेतवः ।। ३८१.

Tāmasic arises from association with wrong action, from delusion, from suffering, fear, and the like; rājasic, sāttvic, and desirelessness—these five are causes of action.

एकं ज्ञानं सात्त्विकं स्यात् पृथग्‌ ज्ञान्तु राजसं । अतत्त्वार्थन्तामसं स्यात् कर्माकामाय सात्त्विकं ।। ३८१.

Knowledge is sāttvic when it is one; knowledge is rājasic when it is manifold; knowledge that is contrary to reality is tāmasic. Action without desire is sāttvic.

कामाय राजसं कर्म मोहात् कर्म तु तामसं । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समः कर्त्ता सात्त्विको राजसोऽत्यपि ।। ३८१.

Action for desire is rājasic; action from delusion is tāmasic. The doer who is equal in success and failure is sāttvic, and also rājasic.

शठोऽलसस्तामसः स्यात् कार्य्यादिधीश्च सात्त्विकी । कार्य्यार्थं सा राजसी स्याद्विपरीता तु तामसी ।। ३८१.

The deceitful and lazy are tāmasic; those whose intellect is directed toward duty are sāttvic; when it is for the sake of action, it is rājasic; when it is contrary, it is tāmasic.

मनोधृतिः सात्त्विकी स्यात् प्रीतिकामेति राजसी । तामसी तु प्रशोकादौ सुखं सत्त्वात्तदन्तगं ।। ३८१.

Mental firmness is sāttvic; that which seeks pleasure is rājasic; but that which is from sorrow and the like is tāmasic. Happiness arises from sattva and ends there.

सुखं तद्राजसञ्चाग्रे अन्ते दुःखन्तु तामसं । अतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदन्ततं ।। ३८१.

That happiness which is rājasic comes first, but in the end is suffering, and tāmasic is suffering throughout. Thus is the activity of beings, by which all this is pervaded.

स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य विष्णुं सिद्धिञ्च विन्दति । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा ।। ३८१.

By worshipping Him—Viṣṇu—with one's own action, one attains perfection; by action, mind, and speech, in all circumstances, always.

ब्रह्मादिस्तम्भपर्यन्तं जगद्विष्णुञ्च वेत्ति यः । सिद्धिमाप्नोति भगवद्भक्तो भागवतो ध्रुवं ।। ३८१.

He who knows the universe from Brahmā down to a blade of grass, and Viṣṇu as well, surely attains perfection as a devotee of the Blessed Lord, a true Bhāgavata.

अग्निरुवाच यमगीतां प्रवक्ष्यामि उक्ता या नाचिकेतसे । पठतां श्रृण्वतां भुक्त्यै मुक्त्यै मोक्षार्थिनां सतां ।। ३८२.

Agni said: I will declare the Song of Yama, which was spoken to Naciketas—let the virtuous who recite or listen to it, seeking enjoyment or liberation, attain their desired fruit.

यम उवाच आसनं शयनं यानपरिधानगृहादिकम् । वाञ्छत्यहोऽतिमोहेन सुस्थिरं स्वयमस्थिरः ।। ३८२.

Yama said: Alas, though himself unstable, a man desires with great delusion a steady seat, bed, vehicle, clothing, house, and the like.

भोगेष्वशक्तिः सततं तथैवात्मावलोकनं । श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणां कपिलोद्गीतमेव हि ।। ३८२.

Constant inability to enjoy pleasures, and likewise self-examination—this alone, as sung by Kapila, is the highest good for human beings.

सर्व्वत्र समदर्शित्वं निर्म्ममत्वमसङ्गता । श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणां गीतं पञ्चशिखेन हि ।। ३८२.

Seeing all equally everywhere, freedom from possessiveness, and detachment—this alone, as sung by Pañcaśikha, is the highest good for human beings.

आगर्भजन्मबाल्यादिवयोऽवस्थादिवेदनं । श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणां गङ्गाविष्णुप्रगीतकं ।। ३८२.

Awareness of the stages from conception, birth, childhood, and so on—this alone, as sung by Gaṅgāviṣṇu, is the highest good for human beings.

आध्यात्मिकादिदुःखानामाद्यन्तादिप्रतिक्रिया । श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणां जनकोद्गीतमेव च ।। ३८२.

The remedy for the beginning, end, and origin of sufferings—bodily and otherwise—this alone, as sung by Janaka, is the highest good for human beings.

अभिन्नयोर्भेदकरः प्रत्ययो यः परात्मनः । तच्छान्तिपरमं श्रेयो ब्रह्मोद्गीतमुदाहृतं ।। ३८२.

The notion that creates division between the undivided Supreme Self and the individual—its pacification is declared as the supreme good, as sung by Brahman.

* कर्त्तव्यमिति यत्कर्म्म ऋग्यजुःसामसंज्ञितं । कुरुते श्रेयसे सङ्गाज्जैगीषव्येण गीयते ।। ३८२.

Whatever action is to be performed, known as Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman, one should do for the sake of good, without attachment—this is sung by Jaigīṣavya.

हानिः सर्व्वविधित्‌सानामात्मनः सुखहैतुकी । श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणां देवलोद्गीतमीरितं ।। ३८२.

The loss of all prescribed actions, which is the cause of happiness for the self—this alone, as sung by Devala, is the highest good for human beings.