अभक्तम् अटवीप्रायं दावदग्धमहीरुहम् पन्थानं तस्कराकीर्णं क्षेमेणाभिपतेत् तथा
Uninhabited, resembling a wilderness, with trees burned by forest fire, a path crowded with thieves—so too one may safely cross it.
योगमार्गं समासाद्य यः कश्चिद् व्रजते द्विजः क्षेमेणोपरमेन् मार्गाद् बहुदोषो ऽपि संमतः
Having attained the path of yoga, whichever twice-born proceeds upon it, though the path is considered full of faults, he safely reaches cessation.
आस्थेयं क्षुरधारासु निशितासु द्विजोत्तमाः धारणा सा तु योगस्य दुर्गेयम् अकृतात्मभिः
The path of yoga, O best of twice-born, is to be established on sharp razors; that concentration is difficult to attain for those whose minds are unprepared.
विषमा धारणा विप्रा यान्ति वै न शुभां गतिम् नेतृहीना यथा नावः पुरुषाणां तु वै द्विजाः
Concentration is difficult, O Brahmins; those who lack a guide do not reach a good destination, just as boats without a helmsman among men.
यस् तु तिष्ठति योगाधौ धारणासु यथाविधि मरणं जन्मदुःखित्वं सुखित्वं स विशिष्यते
But he who abides properly in the seat of yoga and in concentration excels over death, the pain of birth, and happiness.
नानाशास्त्रेषु नियतं नानामुनिनिषेवितम् परं योगस्य पन्थानं निश्चितं तं द्विजातिषु
Among the twice-born, that supreme path of yoga, practiced in various scriptures and by various sages, is established as certain.
परं हि तद् ब्रह्ममयं मुनीन्द्रा ब्रह्माणम् ईशं वरदं च विष्णुम् भवं च धर्मं च महानुभावं यद् ब्रह्मपुत्रान् सुमहानुभावान्
That supreme, truly, is of the nature of Brahman, O best of sages: Brahma, the lord, the bestower of boons, Vishnu, Shiva, Dharma, the great soul, and the sons of Brahma, of great might.
तमश् च कष्टं सुमहद् रजश् च सत्त्वं च शुद्धं प्रकृतिं परां च सिद्धिं च देवीं वरुणस्य पत्नीं तेजश् च कृत्स्नं सुमहच् च धैर्यम्
Darkness, the great, and rajas, and pure sattva, the supreme nature, and also Siddhi, the goddess, wife of Varuna, and all the great brilliance and great courage—
ताराधिपं खे विमलं सुतारं विश्वांश् च देवान् उरगान् पितॄंश् च शैलांश् च कृत्स्नान् उदधींश् च वाचलान् नदीश् च सर्वाः सनगांश् च नागान्
The lord of stars, pure and shining in the sky, all the gods, serpents, ancestors, all the mountains, oceans, all the rivers, and all the Nagas with their mountains—
साध्यांस् तथा यक्षगणान् दिशश् च गन्धर्वसिद्धान् पुरुषान् स्त्रियश् च परस्परं प्राप्य महान् महात्मा विशेत योगी नचिराद् विमुक्तः
The Sadhyas, the hosts of Yakshas, the directions, Gandharvas, Siddhas, men and women—all these, having attained one another, the great yogi, soon liberated, enters the Supreme.
कथा च या विप्रवराः प्रसक्ता दैवे महावीर्यमतौ शुभेयम् योगान् स सर्वान् अनुभूय मर्त्या नारायणं तं द्रुतम् आप्नुवन्ति
And the story, O best of Brahmins, which is devoted to the divine, to the great valor and wisdom, is auspicious; having experienced all the yogas, mortals swiftly attain Narayana.
सम्यक् क्रियेयं विप्रेन्द्र वर्णिता शिष्टसंमता योगमार्गो यथान्यायं शिष्यायेह हितैषिणा
This practice has been properly described, O chief of Brahmins, esteemed by the virtuous; the path of yoga, as is fitting, has been explained here for the benefit of the disciple.
सांख्ये त्व् इदानीं धर्मस्य विधिं प्रब्रूहि तत्त्वतः त्रिषु लोकेषु यज् ज्ञानं सर्वं तद् विदितं हि ते
Now, in the context of Sāṃkhya, declare the rule of dharma in truth; all the knowledge in the three worlds is indeed known to you.
शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वम् आख्यानं विदितात्मनाम् विहितं यतिभिर् वृद्धैः कपिलादिभिर् ईश्वरैः
Listen, O sages, to the entire account of those who know the self, established by elder ascetics, by Kapila and others, who are lords.
यस्मिन् सुविभ्रमाः केचिद् दृश्यन्ते मुनिसत्तमाः गुणाश् च यस्मिन् बहवो दोषहानिश् च केवला
In which, O eminent sages, some are seen to be greatly confused, and in which there are many virtues, and only faults and deficiencies.
ज्ञानेन परिसंख्याय सदोषान् विषयान् द्विजाः मानुषान् दुर्जयान् कृत्स्नान् पैशाचान् विषयांस् तथा
By knowledge, count all the faulty objects, O twice-born, both human objects, difficult to conquer, and all the demonic objects as well.
विषयान् औरगाञ् ज्ञात्वा गन्धर्वविषयांस् तथा पितॄणां विषयाञ् ज्ञात्वा तिर्यक्त्वं चरतां द्विजाः
Knowing the objects of serpents, and likewise the objects of Gandharvas, knowing the objects of ancestors, and the state of animals, O twice-born.
सुपर्णविषयाञ् ज्ञात्वा मरुतां विषयांस् तथा महर्षिविषयांश् चैव राजर्षिविषयांस् तथा
Knowing the objects of Suparnas, and likewise the objects of the Maruts, and also the objects of great sages and royal sages.
आसुरान् विषयाञ् ज्ञात्वा वैश्वदेवांस् तथैव च देवर्षिविषयाञ् ज्ञात्वा योगानाम् अपि वै परान्
Knowing the objects of Asuras, and likewise those of the Visvedevas, and knowing the objects of divine sages, and also the supreme yogas.
विषयांश् च प्रमाणस्य ब्रह्मणो विषयांस् तथा आयुषश् च परं कालं लोकैर् विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः
Knowing the objects of measure, and likewise the objects of Brahma, and the ultimate time of lifespan, as understood in truth by the worlds.
सुखस्य च परं कालं विज्ञाय मुनिसत्तमाः प्राप्तकाले च यद् दुःखं पततां विषयैषिणाम्
Knowing the ultimate time of happiness, O eminent sages, and at the proper time, the suffering that befalls those who pursue objects.
तिर्यक्त्वे पततां विप्रास् तथैव नरकेषु यत् स्वर्गस्य च गुणाञ् ज्ञात्वा दोषान् सर्वांश् च भो द्विजाः
O Brahmins, the fall into animal existence, likewise into hells, and knowing the virtues of heaven and all its faults.
वेदवादे च ये दोषा गुणा ये चापि वैदिकाः ज्ञानयोगे च ये दोषा ज्ञानयोगे च ये गुणाः
The faults in Vedic doctrine, and the virtues that are Vedic, the faults in the yoga of knowledge, and the virtues in the yoga of knowledge.
सांख्यज्ञाने च ये दोषांस् तथैव च गुणा द्विजाः सत्त्वं दशगुणं ज्ञात्वा रजो नवगुणं तथा
The faults in Sāṃkhya knowledge, and likewise the virtues, O twice-born; knowing the ten qualities of sattva, and the nine qualities of rajas.
तमश् चाष्टगुणं ज्ञात्वा बुद्धिं सप्तगुणां तथा षड्गुणं च नभो ज्ञात्वा तमश् च त्रिगुणं महत्
Knowing the eight qualities of tamas, and likewise the seven qualities of intellect, and knowing the six qualities of space, and the three great qualities of tamas.
द्विगुणं च रजो ज्ञात्वा सत्त्वं चैकगुणं पुनः मार्गं विज्ञाय तत्त्वेन प्रलयप्रेक्षणेन तु
Knowing the two qualities of rajas, and again the single quality of sattva, understanding the path in truth, with a view to dissolution.
ज्ञानविज्ञानसंपन्नाः कारणैर् भावितात्मभिः प्राप्नुवन्ति शुभं मोक्षं सूक्ष्मा इव नभः परम्
Those endowed with knowledge and wisdom, whose minds are shaped by causes, attain auspicious liberation, subtle as the highest sky.
रूपेण दृष्टिं संयुक्तां घ्राणं गन्धगुणेन च शब्दग्राह्यं तथा श्रोत्रं जिह्वां रसगुणेन च
Sight is joined with form, smell with the quality of fragrance, hearing with what is grasped as sound, and taste with the quality of flavor.
त्वचं स्पर्शं तथा शक्यं वायुं चैव तदाश्रितम् मोहं तमसि संयुक्तं लोभं मोहेषु संश्रितम्
Skin and touch are likewise to be understood, as well as the air that supports them; delusion joined with darkness, and greed residing among delusions.
विष्णुं क्रान्ते बले शक्रं कोष्ठे सक्तं तथानलम् अप्सु देवीं समायुक्ताम् आपस् तेजसि संश्रिताः
Vishnu pervades strength, Indra is attached to the body, fire is likewise fixed within, the goddess is united with the waters, and the waters are established in energy.