Bhagavata Purana

पश्यतैतान् महाभागान् परार्थैकान्तजीवितान् । वातवर्षातपहिमान् सहन्तो वारयन्ति नः

Behold these great souls, who live solely for the sake of others. Enduring wind, rain, sun, and cold, they protect us.

अहो एषां वरं जन्म सर्व प्राण्युपजीवनम् । सुजनस्येव येषां वै विमुखा यान्ति नार्थिनः

Ah, blessed indeed is their birth, for all creatures live by them. Like the truly good, they never turn away those who seek their help.

पत्रपुष्पफलच्छाया मूलवल्कलदारुभिः । गन्धनिर्यासभस्मास्थि तोक्मैः कामान् वितन्वते

They fulfill desires with leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark, wood, fragrant resin, sap, ashes, and bones.

एतावत् जन्मसाफल्यं देहिनामिह देहिषु । प्राणैरर्थैर्धिया वाचा श्रेय एवाचरेत् सदा

This alone is the true fulfillment of birth for embodied beings among embodied beings here: one should always act for the highest good with one's life, wealth, intelligence, and speech.

इति प्रवालस्तबक फलपुष्पदलोत्करैः । तरूणां नम्रशाखानां मध्यतो यमुनां गतः

Thus, entering the midst of the Yamunā, through the low branches of trees laden with fresh shoots, clusters, fruits, flowers, and leaves—

तत्र गाः पाययित्वापः सुमृष्टाः शीतलाः शिवाः । ततो नृप स्वयं गोपाः कामं स्वादु पपुर्जलम्

There, O King, after watering the cows with pure, cool, auspicious water, the cowherds themselves freely drank the sweet water to their satisfaction.

तस्या उपवने कामं चारयन्तः पशून् नृप । कृष्णरामौ उवुपागम्य क्षुधार्ता इदमब्रवन्

In her groves, letting the cattle graze as they wished, O King, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma approached, and, being hungry, the cowherds spoke as follows:

विषयाभिनिवेशेन नात्मानं यत्स्मरेत्पुनः। जन्तोर्वै कस्यचिद्धेतोर्मृत्युरत्यन्तविस्मृतिः

Because of absorption in sense objects, a living being does not remember himself again; for some reason, death is the total forgetting.

जन्म त्वात्मतया पुंसः सर्वभावेन भूरिद। विषयस्वीकृतिं प्राहुर्यथा स्वप्नमनोरथः

Birth, though experienced as the self by a person with all his being, is said to be the acceptance of sense objects, just like a dream or a fantasy.

स्वप्नं मनोरथं चेत्थं प्राक्तनं न स्मरत्यसौ। तत्र पूर्वमिवात्मानमपूर्वं चानुपश्यति

Just as one does not remember a dream or a fantasy from before, so also, in that state, one sees oneself as new, not as before.

इन्द्रियायनसृष्ट्येदं त्रैविध्यं भाति वस्तुनि। बहिरन्तर्भिदाहेतुर्जनोऽसज्जनकृद्यथा

This threefold manifestation—of senses, their objects, and the mind—appears in the substance; the division of inner and outer arises from people, just as the actions of the good and the wicked.

नित्यदा ह्यङ्ग भूतानि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च। कालेनालक्ष्यवेगेन सूक्ष्मत्वात्तन्न दृश्यते

Indeed, O dear one, beings constantly come into being and cease to be; by the imperceptible, swift force of time, due to subtlety, this is not seen.

यथार्चिषां स्रोतसां च फलानां वा वनस्पतेः। तथैव सर्वभूतानां वयोऽवस्थादयः कृताः

Just as with flames, streams, and the fruits of a tree, so too are the ages and stages of all beings established.

सोऽयं दीपोऽर्चिषां यद्वत्स्रोतसां तदिदं जलम्। सोऽयं पुमानिति नृणां मृषा गीर्धीर्मृषायुषाम्

This lamp is called a flame, this water is called a stream, and this person is called a man—such speech is false, as is the notion of lasting life.

मा स्वस्य कर्मबीजेन जायते सोऽप्ययं पुमान्। म्रियते वामरो भ्रान्त्या यथाग्निर्दारुसंयुतः

Do not think that this person is born from the seed of his own actions, or that he truly dies; it is an illusion, just as fire appears to arise and cease with wood.

निषेकगर्भजन्मानि बाल्यकौमारयौवनम्। वयोमध्यं जरा मृत्युरित्यवस्थास्तनोर्नव

Conception, gestation, birth, childhood, boyhood, youth, maturity, old age, and death—these are the nine stages of the body.

एता मनोरथमयीर्हान्यस्योच्चावचास्तनूः। गुणसङ्गादुपादत्ते क्वचित्कश्चिज्जहाति च

These various higher and lower bodies, made of the stuff of fantasy, are assumed through association with qualities; sometimes someone acquires them, sometimes abandons them.

आत्मनः पितृपुत्राभ्यामनुमेयौ भवाप्ययौ। न भवाप्ययवस्तूनामभिज्ञो द्वयलक्षणः

The coming into being and passing away of the self are inferred from father and son; but one who knows the true nature of things that come and go is not characterized by both.

तरोर्बीजविपाकाभ्यां यो विद्वाञ्जन्मसंयमौ। तरोर्विलक्षणो द्रष्टा एवं द्रष्टा तनोः पृथक्

Just as one who knows the seed and fruit of a tree understands its birth and destruction, yet is distinct from the tree, so too is the witness distinct from the body.

प्रकृतेरेवमात्मानमविविच्याबुधः पुमान्। तत्त्वेन स्पर्शसम्मूढः संसारं प्रतिपद्यते

Thus, when a person does not distinguish the self from nature, bewildered by contact, he enters into worldly existence.

सत्त्वसङ्गादृषीन्देवान्रजसासुरमानुषान्। तमसा भूततिर्यक्त्वं भ्रामितो याति कर्मभिः

Through association with sattva, one attains the gods; through rajas, the demons and humans; through tamas, the state of spirits and animals. Driven by actions, one wanders among these.

नृत्यतो गायतः पश्यन्यथैवानुकरोति तान्। एवं बुद्धिगुणान्पश्यन्ननीहोऽप्यनुकार्यते

Watching others dance and sing, one imitates them likewise. In this way, observing the qualities of intellect, even one who is inactive is compelled to imitate.

यथाम्भसा प्रचलता तरवोऽपि चला इव। चक्षुषा भ्राम्यमाणेन दृश्यते भ्रमतीव भूः

Just as trees appear to move when water flows, and the earth seems to spin when the eyes whirl, so too are perceptions distorted.

यथा मनोरथधियो विषयानुभवो मृषा। स्वप्नदृष्टाश्च दाशार्ह तथा संसार आत्मनः

Just as the experience of sense objects through the mind's imagination is false, and as visions in dreams are unreal, so too is worldly existence for the self, O descendant of Dasarha.

अर्थे ह्यविद्यमानेऽपि संसृतिर्न निवर्तते। ध्यायतो विषयानस्य स्वप्नेऽनर्थागमो यथा

Even when the object does not exist, the cycle of worldly existence does not cease; for one who meditates on sense objects, misfortune arises in dreams just as in waking life.

तस्मादुद्धव मा भुङ्क्ष्व विषयानसदिन्द्रियैः। आत्माग्रहणनिर्भातं पश्य वैकल्पिकं भ्रमम्

Therefore, Uddhava, do not indulge in sense objects with unreliable senses. See the confusion born from grasping the self, and recognize the illusory error.

क्षिप्तोऽवमानितोऽसद्भिः प्रलब्धोऽसूयितोऽथ वा। ताडितः सन्निरुद्धो वा वृत्त्या वा परिहापितः

Whether thrown out, insulted by the wicked, mocked, envied, beaten, restrained, or deprived of livelihood—

निष्ठ्युतो मूत्रितो वाज्ञैर्बहुधैवं प्रकम्पितः। श्रेयस्कामः कृच्छ्रगत आत्मनात्मानमुद्धरेत्

Spat upon, urinated upon by ignorant people, shaken in many ways—one who desires what is good, even in hardship, should uplift oneself by one's own self.

श्रीउद्धव उवाच। यथैवमनुबुध्येयं वद नो वदतां वर

Śrī Uddhava said: How may I understand this, O best of speakers? Please tell us.