तेजो वायौ तु संयुक्तं वायुं नभसि चाश्रितम् नभो महति संयुक्तं तमो महसि संस्थितम्
Energy is joined with air, air is supported in space, space is united with the great, and darkness is established in the great.
रजः सत्त्वं तथा सक्तं सत्त्वं सक्तं तथात्मनि सक्तम् आत्मानम् ईशे च देवे नारायणे तथा
Passion is attached to purity, purity is likewise attached to the self, and the self is joined with the Lord, the god Nārāyaṇa.
देवं मोक्षे च संयुक्तं ततो मोक्षं च न क्वचित् ज्ञात्वा सत्त्वगुणं देहं वृतं षोडशभिर् गुणैः
The god is united with liberation, and thus liberation is nowhere else; knowing the quality of purity, the body is enveloped by sixteen qualities.
स्वभावं भावनां चैव ज्ञात्वा देहसमाश्रिताम् मध्यस्थम् इव चात्मानं पापं यस्मिन् न विद्यते
Knowing one’s own nature and disposition as residing in the body, and the self as if in the middle, in which there is no sin.
द्वितीयं कर्म वै ज्ञात्वा विप्रेन्द्रा विषयैषिणाम् इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थांश् च सर्वान् आत्मनि संश्रितान्
Knowing the second action, O best of Brahmins, of those who seek sense-objects, and all the senses and their objects as established in the self.
दुर्लभत्वं च मोक्षस्य विज्ञाय श्रुतिपूर्वकम् प्राणापानौ समानं च व्यानोदानौ च तत्त्वतः
Understanding the difficulty of attaining liberation, as taught by the scriptures, and truly knowing the vital breaths—prāṇa, apāna, samāna, vyāna, and udāna.
आद्यं चैवानिलं ज्ञात्वा प्रभवं चानिलं पुनः सप्तधा तांस् तथा शेषान् सप्तधा विधिवत् पुनः
Knowing the first air and again its origin, and likewise the remaining sevenfold divisions, and again the sevenfold divisions according to rule.
प्रजापतीन् ऋषींश् चैव सर्गांश् च सुबहून् वरान् सप्तर्षींश् च बहूञ् ज्ञात्वा राजर्षींश् च परंतपान्
Knowing the progenitors, the seers, the many excellent creations, the many great sages, and the royal sages who are destroyers of foes.
सुरर्षीन् मरुतश् चान्यान् ब्रह्मर्षीन् सूर्यसंनिभान् ऐश्वर्याच् च्यावितान् दृष्ट्वा कालेन महता द्विजाः
The divine seers, the Maruts, and others, the Brahmarshis shining like the sun, seeing those deprived of power by the great force of time, O twice-born.
महतां भूतसंघानां श्रुत्वा नाशं च भो द्विजाः गतिं वाचां शुभां ज्ञात्वा अर्चार्हाः पापकर्मणाम्
Hearing of the destruction of the great hosts of beings, O twice-born, and knowing the auspicious path of speech, worthy of worship, for those of evil deeds.
वैतरण्यां च यद् दुःखं पतितानां यमक्षये योनिषु च विचित्रासु संचारान् अशुभांस् तथा
And the suffering in the Vaitaraṇī for those fallen at the abode of Yama, and the various wanderings in strange wombs, and likewise the inauspicious ones.
जठरे चाशुभे वासं शोणितोदकभाजने श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषे च तीव्रगन्धसमन्विते
And the dwelling in the impure belly, in the vessel of blood and water, and in mucus, urine, and feces, accompanied by intense foulness.
शुक्रशोणितसंघाते मज्जास्नायुपरिग्रहे शिराशतसमाकीर्णे नवद्वारे पुरे ऽथ वै
In the mass of semen and blood, surrounded by marrow and sinews, filled with hundreds of veins, in the city with nine gates.
विज्ञाय हितम् आत्मानं योगांश् च विविधान् द्विजाः तामसानां च जन्तूनां रमणीयानृतात्मनाम्
Knowing the beneficial self and the various forms of yoga, O twice-born, and the delightful but false-natured beings of darkness.
सात्त्विकानां च जन्तूनां कुत्सितं मुनिसत्तमाः गर्हितं महताम् अर्थे सांख्यानां विदितात्मनाम्
And the base nature of beings of purity, O best of sages, and the reproachful acts among the great, in the matter of the Sāṃkhyas, who know the self.
उपप्लवांस् तथा घोराञ् शशिनस् तेजसस् तथा ताराणां पतनं दृष्ट्वा नक्षत्राणां च पर्ययम्
And likewise the dreadful disturbances, the waning of the moon’s energy, the falling of the stars, and the changes of the constellations.
द्वंद्वानां विप्रयोगं च विज्ञाय कृपणं द्विजाः अन्योन्यभक्षणं दृष्ट्वा भूतानाम् अपि चाशुभम्
Having understood the separation of pairs and the misery, O twice-born, and having seen the mutual devouring and the inauspiciousness even among beings,
बाल्ये मोहं च विज्ञाय पक्षदेहस्य चाशुभम् रागं मोहं च संप्राप्तं क्वचित् सत्त्वं समाश्रितम्
Having understood the delusion in childhood and the misfortune of the bodily condition, and having seen attachment and delusion arise, and sometimes the presence of purity,
सहस्रेषु नरः कश्चिन् मोक्षबुद्धिं समाश्रितः दुर्लभत्वं च मोक्षस्य विज्ञानं श्रुतिपूर्वकम्
Among thousands, only one man pursues the intention for liberation; and the rarity of liberation, and knowledge preceded by the Veda, are to be understood.
बहुमानम् अलब्धेषु लब्धे मध्यस्थतां पुनः विषयाणां च दौरात्म्यं विज्ञाय च पुनर् द्विजाः
Having seen the lack of respect for those who have not obtained, and indifference upon obtaining, and having understood the baseness of sense objects, O twice-born,
गतासूनां च सत्त्वानां देहान् भित्त्वा तथा शुभान् वासं कुलेषु जन्तूनां मरणाय धृतात्मनाम्
Having seen the bodies of beings whose life has departed, whether pure or not, and the dwelling of creatures in families, and the death of those who are steadfast in self-control,
सात्त्विकानां च जन्तूनां दुःखं विज्ञाय भो द्विजाः ब्रह्मघ्नानां गतिं ज्ञात्वा पतितानां सुदारुणाम्
Having understood the suffering of sattvic beings, O twice-born, and having known the fate of slayers of Brahmins, which is most terrible for the fallen,
सुरापाने च सक्तानां ब्राह्मणानां दुरात्मनाम् गुरुदारप्रसक्तानां गतिं विज्ञाय चाशुभाम्
Having understood the inauspicious fate of Brahmins addicted to drinking liquor, of evil-minded ones, and of those attached to the wives of their teachers,
जननीषु च वर्तन्ते येन सम्यग् द्विजोत्तमाः सदेवकेषु लोकेषु येन वर्तन्ति मानवाः
By whom beings are born in mothers, O best of twice-born, and by whom men exist among the worlds with the gods,
तेन ज्ञानेन विज्ञाय गतिं चाशुभकर्मणाम् तिर्यग्योनिगतानां च विज्ञाय च गतीः पृथक्
By that knowledge, having understood the fate of those who perform inauspicious deeds, and having known separately the destinies of those born in animal wombs,
वेदवादांस् तथा चित्रान् ऋतूनां पर्ययांस् तथा क्षयं संवत्सराणां च मासानां च क्षयं तथा
The various doctrines of the Vedas, and likewise the cycles of the seasons, and the decline of years, and likewise the waning of months,
पक्षक्षयं तथा दृष्ट्वा दिवसानां च संक्षयम् क्षयं वृद्धिं च चन्द्रस्य दृष्ट्वा प्रत्यक्षतस् तथा
Having seen the waning of fortnights, and likewise the decrease of days, and having directly observed the waning and waxing of the moon,
वृद्धिं दृष्ट्वा समुद्राणां क्षयं तेषां तथा पुनः क्षयं धनानां दृष्ट्वा च पुनर् वृद्धिं तथैव च
Having seen the increase of oceans, and likewise their decrease, and having seen the loss of wealth and again its increase in the same way,
संयोगानां तथा दृष्ट्वा युगानां च विशेषतः देहवैक्लव्यतां चैव सम्यग् विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः
Having seen the unions, especially of the ages, and having thoroughly understood the infirmity of the body in truth,
आत्मदोषांश् च विज्ञाय सर्वान् आत्मनि संस्थितान् स्वदेहाद् उत्थितान् गन्धांस् तथा विज्ञाय चाशुभान्
And having understood all the faults residing in the self, and the inauspicious odors arising from one's own body,