Agni Purana

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.

* कामत्यागात्तु विज्ञानं सुखं ब्रह्म परं पदं । कामिनां न हि विज्ञानं सनकोद्गीतमेव तत् ।। ३८२.

By renouncing desire, knowledge, happiness, and the supreme state of Brahman are attained; for those attached to desire, there is no true knowledge—this is what Sanaka has sung.

प्रवृत्तञ्च निवृत्तञ्च कार्य्यं कर्मपरोऽव्रवीत् । श्रेयसां श्रेय एतद्धि नैष्कर्म्यं ब्रह्म तद्धरिः ।। ३८२.

Both action and renunciation of action have been taught by the wise as duties; but the highest of all is non-action—Brahman itself, that is Hari.

पुमांश्चाधिगतज्ञानो भेदं नाप्नोति सत्तमः । ब्रह्माणा विष्णुसंज्ञेन परमेणाव्ययेन च । ३८२.

A man who has attained knowledge does not perceive difference, O best of men; Brahmā and Viṣṇu are known as the supreme, imperishable One.

ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं सौभाग्यं रूपमुत्तमम् । तपसा लभ्यते सर्वं मनसा यद्यदिच्छति ।। ३८२.

Knowledge, realization, faith, supreme beauty, and good fortune—all these are obtained by austerity, whatever the mind desires.

नास्ति विष्णुसमन्ध्येयं तपो नानशनात्परं । नास्त्यारोग्यसमं धन्यं नास्ति गङ्गासमा सरित् ।। ३८२.

There is no vow equal to devotion to Viṣṇu, no austerity greater than fasting, no wealth equal to health, and no river equal to the Gaṅgā.

न सोऽस्ति बान्धवः कश्चिद्विष्णुं मुक्त्वा जगद्गुरुं । अधश्चोद्‌र्ध्वं हरिश्चाग्रे देहेन्द्रियमनोमुखे ।। ३८२.

There is no relative for anyone except Viṣṇu, the teacher of the world; above and below, Hari alone stands foremost, facing the body, senses, and mind.

इत्येवं संस्मरन् प्राणान् यस्त्यजेत्स हरिर्भवेत् । यत्तद् ब्रह्म यतः सर्वं यत्सर्वं तस्य संस्थितम् ।। ३८२.१६ अग्राह्यकमनिर्देश्यं सुप्रतिष्ठञ्च यत्परं । परापरस्वरूपेण विष्णुः सर्व्वहृदि स्थितः ।। ३८२.

Thus, remembering in this way, whoever gives up his life becomes Hari; that which is Brahman, from which all arises, in which all is established—

यज्ञेशं यज्ञपुरुषं केचिदिच्छन्ति तत्परं । केचिद्विष्णुं हरं केचित् केचिद् ब्रह्माणमीश्वरं ।। ३८२.

Some desire the Lord of sacrifice, the sacrificial Person, as that Supreme; some desire Viṣṇu, some Hara, some Brahmā as the Lord.

इन्द्रादिनामभिः केचित् सूर्य्यं सोमञ्च कालकम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्भपर्यन्तं जगद्विष्णुं वदन्ति च ।। ३८२.

Some call the sun and the moon by the names of Indra and others; some speak of the universe as extending from Brahma to a blade of grass, and as Vishnu.

स विष्णुः परमं ब्रह्म यतो नावर्त्तते पुनः । सुवर्णादिमहाकदानपुण्यतीर्थावगाहनैः ।। ३८२.

That Vishnu is the supreme Brahman, from whom there is no return; he is attained by the merit of great gifts of gold and the like, and by bathing in sacred waters.