आसीनो हि रहस्य् एको गच्छेद् अक्षरसाम्यताम् प्रमोहो भ्रम आवर्तो घ्राणं श्रवणदर्शने
Sitting alone in a secret place, one attains sameness with the imperishable; confusion, delusion, and agitation affect the senses of smell, hearing, and sight.
अद्भुतानि रसः स्पर्शः शीतोष्णमारुताकृतिः प्रतिभान् उपसर्गाश् च प्रतिसंगृह्य योगतः
Tastes, touches, cold, heat, forms of wind, flashes of insight, and disturbances—all these, through yoga, one should restrain.
तांस् तत्त्वविद् अनादृत्य साम्येनैव निवर्तयेत् कुर्यात् परिचयं योगे त्रैलोक्ये नियतो मुनिः
The knower of truth, disregarding these, should withdraw with equanimity; the disciplined sage should cultivate familiarity with yoga in the three worlds.
गिरिशृङ्गे तथा चैत्ये वृक्षमूलेषु योजयेत् संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं कोष्ठे भाण्डमना इव
On a mountain peak, at a shrine, or at the root of a tree, having restrained the group of senses, one should practice, like a man intent on his storehouse.
एकाग्रं चिन्तयेन् नित्यं योगान् नोद्विजते मनः येनोपायेन शक्येत नियन्तुं चञ्चलं मनः
Let one always contemplate with single-pointed attention, so that the mind is not disturbed by the practices of yoga; by whatever means the restless mind can be restrained, let that be employed.
तत्र युक्तो निषेवेत न चैव विचलेत् ततः शून्यागाराणि चैकाग्रो निवासार्थम् उपक्रमेत्
There, being steadfast, let one persist and not waver; let one, with focused mind, seek out empty dwellings for the purpose of residence.
नातिव्रजेत् परं वाचा कर्मणा मनसापि वा उपेक्षको यताहारो लब्धालब्धसमो भवेत्
Let one not transgress excessively by speech, action, or even thought; let one be indifferent, moderate in food, and equal in gain and loss.
यश् चैनम् अभिनन्देत यश् चैनम् अभिवादयेत् समस् तयोश् चाप्य् उभयोर् नाभिध्यायेच् छुभाशुभम्
Whoever praises him, and whoever salutes him, let him remain equal toward both, and not dwell upon their good or bad intentions.
न प्रहृष्येत लाभेषु नालाभेषु च चिन्तयेत् समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु सधर्मा मातरिश्वनः
Let him not rejoice in gains, nor brood over losses; let him be equal toward all beings, sharing the nature of the wind.
एवं स्वस्थात्मनः साधोः सर्वत्र समदर्शिनः षण् मासान् नित्ययुक्तस्य शब्दब्रह्माभिवर्तते
Thus, for the sage whose self is established, who sees equally everywhere, who is always engaged for six months, the sound-Brahman is transcended.
वेदनार्तान् परान् दृष्ट्वा समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः एवं तु निरतो मार्गं विरमेन् न विमोहितः
Seeing others afflicted with pain, let him remain equal toward clod, stone, and gold; thus, devoted to the path, let him not stray nor be deluded.
अपि वर्णावकृष्टस् तु नारी वा धर्मकाङ्क्षिणी ताव् अप्य् एतेन मार्गेण गच्छेतां परमां गतिम्
Even one of a lower caste, or a woman desiring righteousness, may, by this very path, attain the highest goal.
अजं पुराणम् अजरं सनातनं यम् इन्द्रियातिगम् अगोचरं द्विजाः अवेक्ष्य चेमां परमेष्ठिसाम्यतां प्रयान्त्य् अनावृत्तिगतिं मनीषिणः
Having perceived the unborn, ancient, ageless, eternal, beyond the senses and unseen, O twice-born, the wise attain this supreme equality with the Highest, and proceed to the path of no return.
यद्य् एवं वेदवचनं कुरु कर्म त्यजेति च कां दिशं विद्यया यान्ति कां च गच्छन्ति कर्मणा
If the Vedic teaching says 'perform action' and also 'renounce action,' by which path do people go through knowledge, and by which through action?
एतद् वै श्रोतुम् इच्छामस् तद् भवान् प्रब्रवीतु नः एतद् अन्योन्यवैरूप्यं वर्तते प्रतिकूलतः
We wish to hear this; let your honor declare it to us. There is mutual contradiction and opposition in this matter.
शृणुध्वं मुनिशार्दूला यत् पृच्छध्वं समासतः कर्मविद्यामयौ चोभौ व्याख्यास्यामि क्षराक्षरौ
Listen, O foremost sages, to what you ask in summary; I will explain both the paths of action and knowledge, the perishable and imperishable.
यां दिशं विद्यया यान्ति यां गच्छन्ति च कर्मणा शृणुध्वं सांप्रतं विप्रा गहनं ह्य् एतद् उत्तरम्
To which path people go by knowledge, and to which by action—listen now, O Brahmins, for this is a profound and difficult question.
अस्ति धर्म इति युक्तं नास्ति तत्रैव यो वदेत् यक्षस्य सादृश्यम् इदं यक्षस्येदं भवेद् अथ
If one says, 'There is righteousness,' that is proper; if one says, 'There is not,' that too belongs here. This is the likeness of the Yaksha; this is the nature of the Yaksha.
द्वाव् इमाव् अथ पन्थानौ यत्र वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो निवृत्तो वा विभाषितः
There are two paths where the Vedas are established: one is characterized by activity, the other by renunciation, both are spoken of.
कर्मणा बध्यते जन्तुर् विद्यया च विमुच्यते तस्मात् कर्म न कुर्वन्ति यतयः पारदर्शिनः
By action, the creature is bound; by knowledge, it is released. Therefore, the ascetics who see clearly do not perform action.
कर्मणा जायते प्रेत्य मूर्तिमान् षोडशात्मकः विद्यया जायते नित्यम् अव्यक्तं ह्य् अक्षरात्मकम्
By action, after death, one is born with a sixteenfold form; by knowledge, one is always born as the unmanifest, of imperishable nature.
कर्म त्व् एके प्रशंसन्ति स्वल्पबुद्धिरता नराः तेन ते देहजालेन रमयन्त उपासते
Some praise action, men devoted to little understanding; by it, they delight in the web of the body and worship.
ये तु बुद्धिं परां प्राप्ता धर्मनैपुण्यदर्शिनः न ते कर्म प्रशंसन्ति कूपं नद्यां पिबन्न् इव
But those who have attained higher understanding and see the subtlety of righteousness do not praise ritual acts, just as one does not drink from a well when a river is at hand.
कर्मणां फलम् आप्नोति सुखदुःखे भवाभवौ विद्यया तद् अवाप्नोति यत्र गत्वा न शोचति
By action one attains the fruits of pleasure and pain, birth and death; by knowledge, one reaches that state where, having arrived, one does not grieve.
न म्रियते यत्र गत्वा यत्र गत्वा न जायते न जीर्यते यत्र गत्वा यत्र गत्वा न वर्धते
There, having reached, one does not die; having reached, one is not born; having reached, one does not age; having reached, one does not grow.
यत्र तद् ब्रह्म परमम् अव्यक्तम् अचलं ध्रुवम् अव्याकृतम् अनायामम् अमृतं चाधियोगवित्
There is that supreme Brahman: unmanifest, unmoving, eternal, unchanging, effortless, immortal, and known by those united with knowledge.
द्वंद्वैर् न यत्र बाध्यन्ते मानसेन च कर्मणा समाः सर्वत्र मैत्राश् च सर्वभूतहिते रताः
There, they are not afflicted by dualities, nor by mental or physical actions; they are equal everywhere, friendly, and delight in the welfare of all beings.
विद्यामयो ऽन्यः पुरुषो द्विजाः कर्ममयो ऽपरः विप्राश् चन्द्रसमस्पर्शः सूक्ष्मया कलया स्थितः
There is one person composed of knowledge, O twice-born, and another composed of action; the wise, like the moon's gentle touch, abide in subtle measure.
तद् एतद् ऋषिणा प्रोक्तं विस्तरेणानुगीयते न वक्तुं शक्यते द्रष्टुं चक्रतन्तुम् इवाम्बरे
This has been spoken by the seer and sung in detail; it cannot be fully described or seen, like a wheel's thread in the sky.
एकादशविकारात्मा कलासंभारसंभृतः मूर्तिमान् इति तं विद्याद् विप्राः कर्मगुणात्मकम्
Know, O wise, that he is the embodied one of eleven modifications, composed of the aggregate of energies, and possessed of the qualities of action.