चान्द्रायणानि विधिवल् लिङ्गानि विविधानि च चातुराश्रम्ययुक्तानि धर्माधर्माश्रयाण्य् अपि
The rites of the Cāndrāyaṇa and various other observances, as well as the diverse symbols, all connected with the four stages of life, are indeed based on righteousness and unrighteousness.
उपाश्रयान् अप्य् अपरान् पाखण्डान् विविधान् अपि विविक्ताश् च शिलाछायास् तथा प्रस्रवणानि च
There are also other refuges, and many heretical paths, as well as solitary places, the shade of rocks, and likewise springs.
पुलिनानि विविक्तानि विविधानि वनानि च काननेषु विविक्ताश् च शैलानां महतीर् गुहाः
There are solitary riverbanks, various forests, and in the groves, the great caves of mountains, set apart.
नियमान् विविधांश् चापि विविधानि तपांसि च यज्ञांश् च विविधाकारान् विद्याश् च विविधास् तथा
There are also various disciplines, many forms of austerity, diverse sacrifices, and likewise manifold branches of knowledge.
वणिक्पथं द्विजक्षत्रवैश्यशूद्रांस् तथैव च दानं च विविधाकारं दीनान्धकृपणादिषु
The path of trade, and the four classes—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—as well as the various forms of giving to the poor, the blind, and the destitute.
अभिमन्येत संधातुं तथैव विविधान् गुणान् सत्त्वं रजस् तमश् चैव धर्मार्थौ काम एव च
One should consider how to unite these, as well as the various qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas—and also righteousness, wealth, and desire.
प्रकृत्यात्मानम् एवात्मा एवं प्रविभजत्य् उत स्वाहाकारवषट्कारौ स्वधाकारनमस्क्रिये
By its own nature, the self divides itself in this way; the acts of svāhā and vaṣaṭ, the offerings to ancestors, and acts of homage.
यजनाध्ययने दानं तथैवाहुः प्रतिग्रहम् याजनाध्यापने चैव तथान्यद् अपि किंचन
They speak of sacrifice, study, and giving, as well as receiving gifts, and also of officiating and teaching, and anything else of that kind.
जन्ममृत्युविधानेन तथा विशसनेन च शुभाशुभभयं सर्वम् एतद् आहुः सनातनम्
By the arrangement of birth and death, and by punishment as well, all auspicious and inauspicious fear—this, they say, is eternal.
प्रकृतिः कुरुते देवी भयं प्रलयम् एव च दिवसान्ते गुणान् एतान् अतीत्यैको ऽवतिष्ठते
Prakriti, the goddess, brings about fear and dissolution; at the end of the day, transcending these qualities, the One alone remains.
रश्मिजालम् इवादित्यस् तत्कालं संनियच्छति एवम् एवैष तत् सर्वं क्रीडार्थम् अभिमन्यते
Just as the sun withdraws its rays at that time, so too does He gather all this unto Himself, regarding it all as play.
आत्मरूपगुणान् एतान् विविधान् हृदयप्रियान् एवम् एतां प्रकुर्वाणः सर्गप्रलयधर्मिणीम्
Thus, performing these manifold qualities and forms of the self, dear to the heart, He brings about creation and dissolution.
क्रियां क्रियापथे रक्तस् त्रिगुणस् त्रिगुणाधिपः क्रियाक्रियापथोपेतस् तथा तद् इति मन्यते
Attached to action on the path of action, the threefold one, lord of the three qualities, endowed with both action and inaction, thus considers it to be so.
प्रकृत्या सर्वम् एवेदं जगद् अन्धीकृतं विभो रजसा तमसा चैव व्याप्तं सर्वम् अनेकधा
By Prakriti, all this world is indeed obscured, O mighty one, pervaded everywhere in many ways by rajas and tamas.
एवं द्वंद्वान्य् अतीतानि मम वर्तन्ति नित्यशः मत्त एतानि जायन्ते प्रलये यान्ति माम् अपि
Thus, these pairs of opposites, having been transcended, abide in Me eternally; from Me they arise, and at dissolution, they return to Me as well.
निस्तर्तव्याण्य् अथैतानि सर्वाणीति नराधिप मन्यते पक्षबुद्धित्वात् तथैव सुकृतान्य् अपि
These, O king, are to be crossed over, he thinks, because of his partial understanding; likewise, even good deeds are thought of in this way.
भोक्तव्यानि ममैतानि देवलोकगतेन वै इहैव चैनं भोक्ष्यामि शुभाशुभफलोदयम्
These are to be enjoyed by Me, by one who has reached the world of the gods; and here itself, I shall enjoy the arising of both auspicious and inauspicious fruits.
सुखम् एवं तु कर्तव्यं सकृत् कृत्वा सुखं मम यावद् एव तु मे सौख्यं जात्यां जात्यां भविष्यति
Thus, happiness alone should be pursued; having once attained happiness for Myself, as long as My happiness endures, so it will be in each birth.
भविष्यति न मे दुःखं कृतेनेहाप्य् अनन्तकम् सुखदुःखं हि मानुष्यं निरये चापि मज्जनम्
There will not be endless suffering for me here, even from actions performed; for human life is a mixture of pleasure and pain, and also immersion in hell.
निरयाच् चापि मानुष्यं कालेनैष्याम्य् अहं पुनः मनुष्यत्वाच् च देवत्वं देवत्वात् पौरुषं पुनः
From hell, in due course, I will again attain human birth; from humanity, divinity; and from divinity, manhood once more.
मनुष्यत्वाच् च निरयं पर्यायेणोपगच्छति एष एवं द्विजातीनाम् आत्मा वै स गुणैर् वृतः
From humanity, one also attains hell in turn; thus, the soul of twice-born beings, enveloped by qualities, continues.
तेन देवमनुष्येषु निरयं चोपपद्यते ममत्वेनावृतो नित्यं तत्रैव परिवर्तते
By that, among gods and humans, and also in hell, one is born; ever covered by attachment, one revolves there continually.
सर्गकोटिसहस्राणि मरणान्तासु मूर्तिषु य एवं कुरुते कर्म शुभाशुभफलात्मकम्
For thousands of cycles of creation, in forms ending with death, whoever acts thus, with deeds yielding good and evil fruits—
स एवं फलम् आप्नोति त्रिषु लोकेषु मूर्तिमान् प्रकृतिः कुरुते कर्म शुभाशुभफलात्मकम्
He thus obtains the result, embodied in the three worlds; nature performs actions that yield both auspicious and inauspicious fruits.
प्रकृतिश् च तथाप्नोति त्रिषु लोकेषु कामगा तिर्यग्योनिमनुष्यत्वे देवलोके तथैव च
And nature likewise attains, in the three worlds, forms born of desire: in animal wombs, in human existence, and likewise in the realm of the gods.
त्रीणि स्थानानि चैतानि जानीयात् प्राकृतानि ह अलिङ्गप्रकृतित्वाच् च लिङ्गैर् अप्य् अनुमीयते
One should know these three states as natural; and because of the unmanifest nature, they are inferred even by their marks.
तथैव पौरुषं लिङ्गम् अनुमानाद् धि मन्यते स लिङ्गान्तरम् आसाद्य प्राकृतं लिङ्गम् अव्रणम्
In the same way, the mark of manhood is inferred by reasoning; having attained another mark, the natural mark is unblemished.
व्रणद्वाराण्य् अधिष्ठाय कर्माण्य् आत्मनि मन्यते श्रोत्रादीनि तु सर्वाणि पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियाण्य् अथ
Presiding over the doors of the senses, he considers actions as his own; and all the sense organs, beginning with hearing, are the five organs of action.
रागादीनि प्रवर्तन्ते गुणेष्व् इह गुणैः सह अहम् एतानि वै कुर्वन् ममैतानीन्द्रियाणि ह
Attachments and the like arise here among the qualities, together with the qualities; I, indeed, performing these, consider these sense organs as mine.
निरिन्द्रियो हि मन्येत व्रणवान् अस्मि निर्व्रणः अलिङ्गो लिङ्गम् आत्मानम् अकालं कालम् आत्मनः
He thinks himself devoid of senses, wounded or unwounded; the self, without marks, considers itself as marked, timeless or time-bound.