Bhagavata Purana

इति सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् महाकारुणिको हरिः । दर्शयामास लोकं स्वं गोपानां तमसः परम्

Thinking thus, the Blessed Lord Hari, full of great compassion, revealed to the cowherds his own world, which is beyond darkness.

सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं यद् ब्रह्म ज्योतिः सनातनम् । यद्धि पश्यन्ति मुनयो गुणापाये समाहिताः

That is truth, knowledge, infinite—Brahman, the eternal radiance, which the sages behold when the qualities have ceased and their minds are absorbed.

ते तु ब्रह्मह्रदं नीता मग्नाः कृष्णेन चोद्‌धृताः । ददृशुर्ब्रह्मणो लोकं यत्राक्रूरोऽध्यगात् पुरा

They were led to the lake of Brahman, immersed and then lifted out by Krishna, and saw the world of Brahman, where Akrura had once gone.

नन्दादयस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा परमानन्दनिवृताः । कृष्णं च तत्रच्छन्दोभिः स्तूयमानं सुविस्मिताः

Nanda and the others, seeing that place, were filled with supreme bliss, and, amazed, saw Krishna being praised there by hymns.

इति श्रीमद्‍भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the twenty-eighth chapter of the first half of the tenth book in the great Purana, Srimad Bhagavata, the scripture of the supreme swan-like sages.

ज्ञानं विवेको निगमस्तपश्च प्रत्यक्षमैतिह्यमथानुमानम् । आद्यन्तयोरस्य यदेव केवलं कालश्च हेतुश्च तदेव मध्ये

Knowledge, discrimination, scripture, austerity, direct perception, tradition, and inference—whatever is present at the beginning and end of these, and time and causality as well, that alone exists in the middle.

यथा हिरण्यं स्वकृतं पुरस्तात् पश्चाच्च सर्वस्य हिरण्मयस्य । तदेव मध्ये व्यवहार्यमाणं नानापदेशैरहमस्य तद्वत्

Just as gold, made by oneself before and after, is all-pervading in golden objects, so too, in the midst of various designations, I am that.

विज्ञानमेतत् त्रियवस्थमङ्ग गुणत्रयं कारणकार्यकर्तृ । समन्वयेन व्यतिरेकतश्च येनैव तुर्येण तदेव सत्यम्

O dear one, this knowledge is threefold in its states, consisting of the three guṇas—cause, effect, and agent; by both their conjunction and separation, that alone which is the fourth state is the truth.

न यत्पुरस्ताद् उत यन्न पश्चान् मध्ये च तन्न व्यपदेशमात्रम् । भूतं प्रसिद्धं च परेण यद् यत् तदेव तत् स्यादिति मे मनीषा

That which is not before, nor after, nor in the middle, is merely a designation; whatever is established as existent by the supreme, that alone is, thus is my understanding.

अविद्यमानोऽप्यवभासते यो वैकारिको राजससर्ग एषः । ब्रह्म स्वयं ज्योतिरतो विभाति ब्रह्मेन्द्रियार्थात्मविकारचित्रम्

That which, though not existing, yet appears—this is the transformation born of rajas; Brahman itself, being self-luminous, shines forth as the wondrous variety of Brahman, senses, objects, mind, and their modifications.

एवं स्फुटं ब्रह्मविवेकहेतुभिः । परापवादेन विशारदेन । छित्त्वाऽऽत्मसन्देहमुपारमेत । स्वानन्दतुष्टोऽखिलकामुकेभ्यः

Thus, by clear reasoning that discerns Brahman, and with skill in refuting opposing views, one should cut off self-doubt and become tranquil, satisfied in one's own bliss, indifferent to all objects of desire.

नात्मा वपुः पार्थिवमिन्द्रियाणि देवा ह्यसुर्वायुर्जलम् हुताशः । मनोऽन्नमात्रं धिषणा च सत्त्वम् अहङ्कृतिः खं क्षितिरर्थसाम्यम्

The self is not the body made of earth, nor the senses, nor the gods, demons, wind, water, or fire; mind is only food, intellect is sattva, ego is space, earth is the balance of elements.

समाहितैः कः करणैर्गुणात्मभि र्गुणो भवेन्मत्सुविविक्तधाम्नः । विक्षिप्यमाणैरुत किं नु दूषणं । घनैरुपेतैर्विगतै रवेः किम्

How could the senses, composed of guṇas, affect the one whose abode is clearly distinguished? Or what fault is there if they are agitated? Just as clouds, even when present, do not affect the sun when they have departed.

यथा नभो वाय्वनलाम्बुभूगुणै र्गतागतैर्वर्तुगुणैर्न सज्जते । तथाक्षरं सत्त्वरजस्तमोमलै रहंमतेः संसृतिहेतुभिः परम्

Just as space is not attached to the qualities of wind, fire, water, or earth, as they come and go with their own properties, so too the imperishable is untouched by sattva, rajas, and tamas—the causes of transmigration in the mind.

तथापि सङ्गः परिवर्जनीयो गुणेषु मायारचितेषु तावत् । मद्‍भक्तियोगेन दृढेन यावद् रजो निरस्येत मनःकषायः

Nevertheless, association with the guṇas, which are creations of māyā, should be avoided, until, by firm devotion to me, the impurity of rajas is removed from the mind.

कुयोगिनो ये विहितान्तरायै र्मनुष्यभूतैस्त्रिदशोपसृष्टैः । ते प्राक्तनाभ्यासबलेन भूयो युञ्जन्ति योगं न तु कर्मतन्त्रम्

Those false yogis, hindered by obstacles created by gods or humans, again practice yoga by the force of previous habit, but not according to the method of karma.

करोति कर्म क्रियते च जन्तुः केनाप्यसौ चोदित आनिपतात् । न तत्र विद्वान् प्रकृतौ स्थितोऽपि निवृत्ततृष्णः स्वसुखानुभूत्या

Action is performed, and the living being acts, impelled by some cause or by fate; but the wise one, even while situated in nature, having renounced thirst, experiences his own happiness.

तिष्ठन्तमासीनमुत व्रजन्तं शयानमुक्षन्तमदन्तमन्नम् । स्वभावमन्यत् किमपीहमानं आत्मानमात्मस्थमतिर्न वेद

Whether standing, sitting, walking, lying down, releasing, or eating food—whatever state the self assumes, the mind established in the self does not know it as anything else.

यदि स्म पश्यत्यसदिन्द्रियार्थं नानानुमानेन विरुद्धमन्यत् । न मन्यते वस्तुतया मनीषी स्वाप्नं यथोत्थाय तिरोदधानम्

If one perceives an unreal object of the senses, and by various reasoning sees something contrary, the wise do not consider it real—just as, upon waking, a dream disappears.

पूर्वं गृहीतं गुणकर्मचित्रम् अज्ञानमात्मन्यविविक्तमङ्ग । निवर्तते तत्पुनरीक्षयैव न गृह्यते नापि विसृज्य आत्मा

The pattern of guṇas and actions, previously acquired and not distinguished from the self due to ignorance, ceases by mere observation; the self is neither grasped nor abandoned.

यथा हि भानोरुदयो नृचक्षुषां तमो निहन्यान्न तु सद् विधत्ते । एवं समीक्षा निपुणा सती मे हन्यात्तमिस्रं पुरुषस्य बुद्धेः

Just as the rising sun destroys darkness for human eyes but does not create it, so too my keen discernment destroys the darkness of ignorance in a person's intellect.

एष स्वयंज्योतिरजोऽप्रमेयो महानुभूतिः सकलानुभूतिः । एकोऽद्वितीयो वचसां विरामे येनेषिता वागसवश्चरन्ति

This self-luminous, unborn, immeasurable one is the great experience, the experience of all; the one without a second, when speech ceases, by whom speech and life are directed.

( अनुष्टुप् ) एतावान् आत्मसम्मोहो यद् विकल्पस्तु केवले । आत्मन्नृते स्वमात्मानं अवलम्बो न यस्य हि

This much is the delusion of self: the notion of difference in the pure; apart from the self, there is no support for one's own self.

यन्नामाकृतिभिर्ग्राह्यं पञ्चवर्णमबाधितम् । व्यर्थेनाप्यर्थवादोऽयं द्वयं पण्डितमानिनाम्

That which is apprehended by name and form, fivefold and uncontradicted—this, even if meaningless, is mere praise; such duality belongs to those who consider themselves wise.

योगिनोऽपक्वयोगस्य युञ्जतः काय उत्थितैः । उपसर्गैर्विहन्येत तत्रायं विहितो विधिः

For a yogi whose yoga is not yet mature, disturbances arising in the body may hinder him; for this, the prescribed rule is given.

योगधारणया कांश्चिद् आसनैर्धारणान्वितैः । तपोमन्त्रौषधैः कांश्चिद् उपसर्गान् विनिर्दहेत्

By the power of yogic concentration, some destroy afflictions through postures accompanied by retention; others dispel disturbances with austerity, mantras, and medicinal herbs.

कांश्चित् ममानुध्यानेन नामसङ्कीर्तनादिभिः । योगेश्वरानुवृत्त्या वा हन्याद् अशुभदान्छनैः

Some eliminate inauspicious influences by meditating on me, by chanting my name and similar practices, or by following the path of the masters of yoga.

केचिद् देहमिमं धीराः सुकल्पं वयसि स्थिरम् । विधाय विविधोपायैः अथ युञ्जन्ति सिद्धये

Certain wise ones establish this body as stable and well-formed in youth, and then engage in various methods to attain perfection.

न हि तत् कुशलादृत्यं तदायासो ह्यपार्थकः । अन्तवत्त्वात् शरीरस्य फलस्येव वनस्पतेः

But such skill is not to be esteemed, for that effort is fruitless; since the body is perishable, like the fruit of a tree.