Agni Purana

बुद्धिन्तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांश्चेषुगोचरान् ।। ३८२.

Know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins; the senses are called the horses, and the objects of sense are their paths.

आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः । यस्त्वविज्ञानवान् भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा ।। ३८२.

The wise say that the self, joined with mind and senses, is the experiencer; but one who lacks discernment, always with an unrestrained mind—

न सत्पदमवाप्नोति संसारञ्चाधिगच्छति । यस्तु विज्ञानवान् भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।। ३८२.

—does not reach the true path, and enters into the cycle of rebirth; but one who possesses discernment, always with a restrained mind—

स तत्पदमवाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते । विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः ।। ३८२.

—attains that state from which one is not born again; he whose charioteer is discernment, and who holds the reins of the mind—

सोऽध्वानं परमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् । इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः ।। ३८२.

—he reaches the supreme path, that highest abode of Vishnu; beyond the senses are the objects, and beyond the objects is the mind.

मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिः बुद्धेरात्मा महान् परः । महतः परमवव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः ।। ३८२.

Beyond the mind is the intellect, beyond the intellect is the great self; beyond the great self is the unmanifest, and beyond the unmanifest is the person.

पुरुषान्न परं किञ्चित् सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः । एषु सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढ़ात्मा न प्रकाशते ।। ३८२.

There is nothing beyond the person; that is the limit, that is the highest goal; in all these beings, the hidden self does not appear.

दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया सूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः । यच्छेद्वाङ्‌मनसी प्राज्ञः तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञानमात्मनि ।। ३८२.

But it is seen by the keen intellect, by those who perceive the subtle; the wise should restrain speech in the mind, and restrain the mind in knowledge, in the self.

ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि । ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मात्मनोर्योगं यमाद्यैर्ब्रह्म सद्भवेत् ।। ३८२.

Let knowledge be restrained in the great self, and the great self in the peaceful self; knowing the union of Brahman and self through the disciplines beginning with restraint, one becomes Brahman.

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रही । यमाश्च नियमाः पञ्च शौचं सन्तोषसत्तपः ।। ३८२.

Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possession—these are the five restraints; purity, contentment, austerity—

स्वाध्यायेश्वरपूजा च आसनं पद्मकादिकं । प्राणायामो वायुजयः प्रत्याहारः स्वनिग्रहः ।। ३८२.

Study of the self, worship of the Lord, posture such as the lotus seat, breath control as mastery of the vital winds, withdrawal as self-restraint—

शुभे ह्येकत्र विषये चेतसो यत् प्रधारणं । निश्चलत्वात्तु धीमद्भिर्धारणा द्विज कथ्यते ।। ३८२.

The steady holding of the mind on a single auspicious object is called concentration by the wise, O twice-born, because of its unshakable nature.

पौनःपुन्येन तत्रैव विषयेष्वेव धारणा । ध्यानं स्मृतं समाधिस्तु अहं ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः ।। ३८२.

Repeated concentration on the same objects is called meditation; absorption is said to be the state of 'I am Brahman, the self established in Brahman.'

घटध्वंसाद्यथाकाशमभिन्नं नभसा भवेत् । मुक्तो जीवो ब्रह्मणैवं सद्‌ब्रह्म ब्रह्म वै भवेत् ।। ३८२.

Just as, when a pot is broken, the space within becomes one with the sky, so the liberated soul becomes one with Brahman; thus, Brahman alone truly exists.

आत्मानं मन्यते ब्रह्म जीवो ज्ञानेन नान्यथा । जीवो ह्यज्ञानतत्कार्य्यमुक्तः स्यादजरामरः ।। ३८२.

The soul knows itself as Brahman by knowledge, not otherwise; freed from ignorance and its effects, the soul becomes undecaying and immortal.

अग्निरुवाच वशिष्ठ यमगीतोक्ता पठतां भुक्तिमुक्तिदा । आत्यन्तिको लयः प्रोक्तो वेदान्तब्रह्मधीमयः ।। ३८२.

Agni said: The recitation of the hymn sung by Vasiṣṭha grants both worldly enjoyment and liberation; the ultimate dissolution is declared to be of the nature of Vedānta and Brahman-meditation.

अग्निरुवाच आग्नेयं ब्रह्मरूपन्ते पुराणं कथितं मया । सप्रपञ्चं निष्प्रपञ्चं विद्याद्वयमयं महत् ।। ३८३.

Agni said: I have narrated the Agneya Purāṇa, which is of the form of Brahman; it is both with and without elaboration, and is composed of knowledge in duality and greatness.

ऋग्यजुःसामाश्चर्वाख्या विद्या विष्णुर्जगज्जनिः । छन्दः शिक्षा व्याकरणं निधण्टुज्योतिराख्यकाः ।। ३८३.

The knowledges named Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Carvāka, Viṣṇu as the origin of the world, meter, phonetics, grammar, and those called nidhaṇṭu and jyotiṣa—

निरुक्तधर्मशास्त्रादि मीमांसान्यायविस्तराः । आयुर्वेदपुराणाख्या धनुर्गन्धर्वविस्तराः ।। ३८३.

Etymology, dharma-śāstra and others, the expansions of Mīmāṃsā and Nyāya, Ayurveda, Purāṇa, archery, and the arts of the Gandharvas—

विद्या सैवार्थसास्त्राख्या वेदान्ताऽन्या हरिर्महान् । इत्येषा चापरा विद्या परविद्याऽक्षरं ।। ३८३.

That knowledge is also called artha-śāstra; Vedānta and others, and Hari the great. This is the lower knowledge; the higher knowledge is the imperishable.

यस्य भावोऽखिलं विष्णुस्तस्य नो बाधते कलिः । अनिष्ट्वा तु महायज्ञानकृत्वापि पितृस्वधां ।। ३८३.

For one whose entire disposition is Viṣṇu, Kali does not afflict; even without performing great sacrifices or offering to ancestors—

कृष्णमभ्यर्च्चयन्भक्त्या नैनसो भाजनं भवेत् । सर्वकारणमत्यन्तं विष्णुं ध्यायन्न सीदति ।। ३८३.

Worshipping Kṛṣṇa with devotion, one does not become a vessel for sin; meditating on Viṣṇu, the ultimate cause, one does not fall.

अन्यतन्त्रादिदोषोत्थो विषयाकृष्टमानसः । कृत्वापि पापं गोविन्दं ध्यायन्पापैः प्रमुच्यते ।। ३८३.

Even if the mind is drawn to objects due to faults arising from other doctrines, one who commits sin but meditates on Govinda is freed from sins.

तद्ध्यानं यत्र गोविन्दः सा कथा यत्र केशवः । तत् कर्म यत्तदर्थीयं किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः ।। ३८३.

Where that meditation is, there is Govinda; where that narration is, there is Keśava; that action which is for that purpose—what need is there for many words?

न तत् पिता पु पुत्राय न शिष्याय गुरुर्द्विज । परमार्थं परं ब्रूयाद्यदेतत्ते मयोदितं ।। ३८३.

A father does not tell his son, nor a teacher his student, nor a twice-born to another, the supreme truth, the highest, which I have declared to you.

संसारे भ्रमता लभ्यं पुत्रदारधनं वसु । सुहृदश्च तथैवान्ये नोपदेशो द्विजेदृशः ।। ३८३.

In wandering through saṃsāra, one may obtain sons, wives, wealth, and possessions, as well as friends and others; but such instruction is not given to a twice-born.

किं पुत्रदारैमित्रैर्वा किं मित्रक्षेत्रवान्धवैः । उपदेशः परो वन्धुरीदृशो यो विमुक्तये ।। ३८३.

What use are sons, wives, or friends? What use are friends, fields, or relatives? The supreme instruction is the true kin, which leads to liberation.

द्विविधो भूतमार्गोयं दैव आसुर एव च । विष्णुभक्तिपरो दैवो विपरीतस्तथासुरः ।। ३८३.

This path of beings is twofold: divine and demonic. The one devoted to Viṣṇu is divine; the contrary is demonic.

एतत् पवित्रमारोग्यं धन्यं दुःस्वप्ननाशनं । सुखप्रीतिकरं नॄणां मोक्षकृद् यत्तवेरितं ।। ३८३.

This, which has been declared, is pure, health-giving, auspicious, dispeller of evil dreams, giver of happiness and delight to people, and bestower of liberation.