आत्मा गम्योऽनुमानेन प्रत्यक्षो न कदाचन । स कथं बध्यते ब्रह्मन्निर्विकारो निरञ्जनः
The self is known through inference, never directly perceived; how then, O Brahmin, could that changeless, stainless one be bound?
मनस्तु सुखदुःखानां महतां कारणं द्विज । जाते तु निर्मले ह्यस्मिन्सर्वं भवति निर्मलम्
The mind is the chief cause of pleasure and pain, O twice-born; when it becomes pure, everything indeed becomes pure.
भ्रमन्सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु स्नात्वा स्नात्वा पुनः पुनः । निर्मलं न मनो यावत्तावत्सर्वं निरर्थकम्
Wandering to all the sacred places and bathing again and again, unless the mind is purified, all else is useless.
न देहो न च जीवात्मा नेन्द्रियाणि परन्तप । मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः
Neither the body, nor the individual soul, nor the senses, O scorcher of foes, but the mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation for human beings.
शुद्धो मुक्तः सदैवात्मा न वै बध्येत कर्हिचित् । बन्धमोक्षौ मनःसंस्थौ तस्मिञ्छान्ते प्रशाम्यति
The self is always pure and free, never bound at any time; bondage and liberation reside in the mind, and when it is peaceful, they cease.
शत्रुर्मित्रमुदासीनो भेदाः सर्वे मनोगताः । एकात्मत्वे कथं भेदः सम्भवेद्द्वैतदर्शनात्
Enemy, friend, and indifferent—all distinctions are mental; how can division arise in unity, except through the perception of duality?
जीवो ब्रह्म सदैवाहं नात्र कार्या विचारणा । भेदबुद्धिस्तु संसारे वर्तमाना प्रवर्तते
The individual soul is always Brahman; there is no need for further inquiry here. The notion of difference operates only in worldly existence.
अविद्येयं महाभाग विद्या चैतन्निवर्तनम् । विद्याविद्ये च विज्ञेये सर्वदैव विचक्षणैः
This ignorance, O noble one, is dispelled by knowledge; the wise must always discern between knowledge and ignorance.
विनातपं हि छायाया ज्ञायते च कथं सुखम् । अविद्यया विना तद्वत्कथं विद्यां च वेत्ति वै
Just as shade cannot be known without sunlight, so without ignorance, how can one know knowledge?
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्ते भूतानि च तथैव च । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु को दोषस्तत्र चात्मनः
Qualities act among qualities, and beings likewise; the senses engage with their objects—what fault is there in the self regarding this?
मर्यादा सर्वरक्षार्थं कृता वेदेषु सर्वशः । अन्यथा धर्मनाशः स्यात्सौगतानामिवानघ
Boundaries were established in the Vedas for the protection of all; otherwise, the destruction of dharma would occur, as happened among the Buddhists, O sinless one.
धर्मनाशे विनष्टः स्याद्वर्णाचारोऽतिवर्तितः । अतो वेदप्रदिष्टेन मार्गेण गच्छतां शुभम्
When dharma is destroyed, the conduct of the castes is lost and transgressed; therefore, auspiciousness comes to those who follow the path prescribed by the Vedas.
शुक उवाच सन्देहो वर्तते राजन्न निवर्तति मे क्वचित् । भवता कथितं यत्तच्छृण्वतो मे नराधिप
Śuka said: O King, doubt persists in me and never ceases; what you have spoken, as I listen, does not resolve it, O ruler of men.
वेदधर्मेषु हिंसा स्यादधर्मबहुला हि सा । कथं मुक्तिप्रदो धर्मो वेदोक्तो बत भूपते
In Vedic dharma, violence is found, and it is full of unrighteousness; how can the dharma spoken in the Vedas bestow liberation, O King?
प्रत्यक्षेण त्वनाचारः सोमपानं नराधिप । पशूनां हिंसनं तद्वद्भक्षणं चामिषस्य च
Directly, improper acts are seen: drinking soma, O King, killing animals, and likewise eating flesh.
सौत्रामणौ तथा प्रोक्तः प्रत्यक्षेण सुराग्रहः । द्यूतक्रीडा तथा प्रोक्ता व्रतानि विविधानि च
In the Sautrāmaṇī rite, drinking liquor is prescribed directly; gambling is also mentioned, along with various vows.
श्रूयते स्म पुरा ह्यासीच्छशबिन्दुर्नृपोत्तमः । यज्वा धर्मपरो नित्यं वदान्यः सत्यसागरः
It is heard that long ago there was Śaśabindu, O foremost king; he was devoted to sacrifice, always righteous, generous, and an ocean of truth.
गोप्ता च धर्मसेतूनां शास्ता चोत्पथगामिनाम् । यज्ञाश्च विहितास्तेन बहवो भूरिदक्षिणाः
He was the protector of the bridges of dharma and the ruler of those who strayed from the path; he performed many sacrifices, giving abundant gifts.
चर्मणां पर्वतो जातो विन्ध्याचलसमः पुनः । मेघाम्बुप्लावनाज्जाता नदी चर्मण्वती शुभा
From skins, a mountain arose, equal to the Vindhya range; from the washing of clouds and water, the auspicious river Carmanvatī was born.
सोऽपि राजा दिवं यातः कीर्तिरस्याचला भुवि । एवं धर्मेषु वेदेषु न मे बुद्धिः प्रवर्तते
That king too went to heaven, and his fame is immovable on earth; thus, regarding dharma in the Vedas, my mind does not incline.
स्त्रीसङ्गेन सदा भोगे सुखमाप्नोति मानवः । अलाभे दुःखमत्यन्तं जीवन्मुक्तः कथं भवेत्
Through association with women and constant enjoyment, a man attains happiness; in their absence, he suffers greatly—how then can one be liberated while living?
जनक उवाच हिंसा यज्ञेषु प्रत्यक्षा साहिंसा परिकीर्तिता । उपाधियोगतो हिंसा नान्यथेति विनिर्णयः
Janaka said: Violence in sacrifice is apparent, yet it is called non-violence; violence arises due to conditions, and this is the settled conclusion.
यथा चेन्धनसंयोगादग्नौ धूमः प्रवर्तते । तद्वियोगात्तथा तस्मिन्निर्धूमत्वं विभाति वै
Just as smoke arises in fire from the presence of fuel, so, when that is absent, the fire appears without smoke.
अहिंसां च तथा विद्धि वेदोक्तां मुनिसत्तम । रागिणां सापि हिंसैव निःस्पृहाणां न सा मता
Understand, O best of sages, that nonviolence as taught in the Vedas is itself violence for those who are attached; for those free from desire, it is not considered so.
अरागेण च यत्कर्म तथाहङ्कारवर्जितम् । अकृतं वेदविद्वांसः प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
Whatever action is performed without attachment and without ego, the wise and learned in the Vedas declare it as not truly done.
गृहस्थानां तु हिंसैव या यज्ञे द्विजसत्तम । अरागेण च यत्कर्म तथाहंकारवर्जितम्
For householders, O best of twice-born, the violence involved in sacrifice is indeed present; but whatever action is performed without attachment and without ego—
साहिंसैव महाभाग मुमुक्षूणां जितात्मनाम्
That is true nonviolence, O illustrious one, for seekers of liberation who have mastered themselves.
शुकस्य विवाहादिकार्यवर्णनम् शुक उवाच सन्देहोऽयं महाराज वर्तते हृदये मम । मायामध्ये वर्तमानः स कथं निःस्पृहो भवेत्
Description of Śuka's marriage and related rites Śuka said: O great king, a doubt remains in my heart: How can one living amidst illusion become free from desire?
शास्त्रज्ञानं च सम्प्राप्य नित्यानित्यविचारणम् । त्यजते न मनो मोहं स कथं मुच्यते नरः
Even after attaining scriptural knowledge and discerning the eternal from the transient, the mind does not abandon delusion; how then is a person liberated?
अन्तर्गतं तमश्छेत्तुं शास्त्राद्बोधो हि न क्षमः । यथा न नश्यति तमः कृतया दीपवार्तया
Scriptural understanding is not capable of cutting away the darkness within; just as darkness does not vanish merely by lighting a lamp.