किं वा ज्ञानं च बुद्धिः का को वा प्राणः शरीरिणाम् । कानीन्द्रियाणि किं तेषां लक्षणं देवताश्च काः
What is knowledge, and what is intellect? Who is the vital force among embodied beings? What are the senses? What are their characteristics, and who are their presiding deities?
भोक्ता भोजयिता को वा को वा भोगश्च निष्कृतिः । को जीवः परमात्मा कस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Who is the enjoyer and who is the giver of enjoyment? What is enjoyment and what is liberation? Who is the jiva, who is the supreme self? Please explain this to me.
धर्म उवाच वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मः कर्म यन्मङ्गलं परम् । अवैदिकं तु यत्कर्म तदेवाशुभमेव च
Dharma said: Dharma is that which is established by the Vedas; action that is supremely auspicious. But whatever action is not in accordance with the Vedas, that alone is inauspicious.
अहैतुकी देवसेवा संकल्परहिता सती । कर्मनिर्मूलरूपा च सा एव परभक्तिदा
Selfless service to the gods, performed without desire and free from personal motives, and which is the very root of action—this alone bestows supreme devotion.
को वा कर्मफलं भुङ्क्ते को वा निर्लिप्त एव च । ब्रह्मभक्तो यो नरश्च स च मुक्तः श्रुतः श्रुतौ
Who enjoys the fruit of action, and who remains untouched? The man who is devoted to Brahman is declared in the scriptures to be liberated.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकभीतिविवर्जितः । भक्तिश्च द्विविधा साध्वि श्रुत्युक्ता सर्वसम्मता
He is free from birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow, and fear. O virtuous one, devotion is twofold, as stated in the scriptures and accepted by all.
निर्वाणपददात्री च हरिरूपप्रदा नृणाम् । हरिरूपस्वरूपां च भक्तिं वाञ्छन्ति वैष्णवाः
It bestows the state of liberation and grants the form of Hari to men; the Vaishnavas desire devotion whose nature is the very form of Hari.
अन्ये निर्वाणमिच्छन्ति योगिनो ब्रह्मवित्तमाः । कर्मणो बीजरूपश्च सततं तत्फलप्रदः
Others, the best among yogis and knowers of Brahman, desire liberation; the seed-form of action always yields its own fruit.
कर्मरूपश्च भगवान्परात्मा प्रकृतिः परा । सोऽपि तद्धेतुरूपश्च देहो नश्वर एव च
The Lord, who is of the nature of action, is the Supreme Self and the supreme Prakriti; he is also the cause of that, and the body is indeed perishable.
पृथिवी वायुराकाशो जलं तेजस्तथैव च । एतानि सूत्ररूपाणि सृष्टिरूपविधौ सतः
Earth, air, space, water, and fire—these five, in their subtle forms, exist as the threads in the process of creation.
कर्मकर्ता च देही च आत्मा भोजयिता सदा । भोगो विभवभेदश्च नित्कृतिर्मुक्तिरेव च
The doer of actions, the embodied soul, the Self who always experiences, enjoyment, the diversity of wealth, merit, and liberation—all these exist.
सदसद्भेदबीजं च ज्ञानं नानाविधं भवेत् । विषयाणां विभागानां भेदि बीजं च कीर्तितम्
Knowledge, which is the seed of the distinction between existence and non-existence, is of many kinds; it is said to be the seed of the divisions among objects.
बुद्धिर्विवेचना सा च ज्ञानबीजं श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । वायुभेदाश्च प्राणाश्च बलरूपाश्च देहिनाम्
Intellect is discernment, and is called the seed of knowledge in the scriptures; the various forms of air, the vital breaths, and the powers in embodied beings.
इन्द्रियाणां च प्रवरमीश्वरांशमनूहकम् । प्रेरकं कर्मणां चैव दुर्निवार्यं च देहिनाम्
Among the senses, the foremost is considered a portion of the Lord, the unseen mover of actions, and for embodied beings, it is irresistible.
अनिरूप्यमदृश्यं च ज्ञानभेदो मनः स्मृतम् । लोचनं श्रवणं घ्राणं त्वक्च रसनमिन्द्रियम्
Mind is said to be the variety of knowledge, which cannot be precisely defined or seen; sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are the senses.
अङ्गिनामङ्गरूपं च प्रेरकं सर्वकर्मणाम् । रिपुरूपं मित्ररूपं सुखरूपं च दुःखदम्
The limbs of beings are of the nature of limbs, the instigators of all actions; they take the form of enemy, friend, pleasure, and giver of pain.
सूर्यो वायुश्च पृथिवी ब्रह्माद्या देवताः स्मृताः । प्राणदेहादिभृद्यो हि स जीवः परिकीर्तितः
The sun, air, earth, and deities beginning with Brahma are remembered; the one who supports life, body, and so on is called the jīva.
परमं व्यापकं ब्रह्म निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । कारणं कारणानां च परमात्मा स उच्यते
The supreme, all-pervading Brahman, without qualities and beyond Prakriti, the cause of causes, is called the Supreme Self.
इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं त्वया पृष्टं यथागमम् । ज्ञानिनां ज्ञानरूपं च गच्छ वत्से यथासुखम्
Thus, all that you have asked has been explained according to the scriptures; the form of knowledge for the wise has been given—go, child, as you please.
सावित्र्युवाच त्यक्त्वा क्व यामि कान्तं वा त्वां वा ज्ञानार्णवं ध्रुवम् । यद्यत्करोमि प्रश्नं च तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति
Savitri said: Where shall I go, having abandoned you, my beloved, or you, the unfailing ocean of knowledge? Whatever question I ask, you are worthy to answer.
कां कां योनिं याति जीवः कर्मणा केन वा पुनः । केन वा कर्मणा स्वर्गं केन वा नरकं पितः
By what action does the soul enter which womb, and by what action again? By what action does one go to heaven, and by what action to hell, O father?
केन वा कर्मणा मुक्तिः केन भक्तिर्भवेद् गुरौ । केन वा कर्मणा योगी रोगी वा केन कर्मणा
By what action is there liberation, and by what is there devotion to the guru? By what action does one become a yogi or a sick person?
केन वा दीर्घजीवी च केनाल्पायुश्च कर्मणा । केन वा कर्मणा दुःखी सुखी वा केन कर्मणा
By what action does one become long-lived, and by what action short-lived? By what action is one unhappy, or by what action happy?
अङ्गहीनश्च काणश्च बधिरः केन कर्मणा । अन्धो वा पङ्गुरपि वा प्रमत्तः केन कर्मणा
By what action does one become limbless, one-eyed, or deaf? Or by what action blind, lame, or mad?
क्षिप्तोऽतिलुब्धकश्चौरः केन वा कर्मणा भवेत् । केन सिद्धिमवाप्नोति सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम्
By what action does one become possessed, extremely greedy, or a thief? By what action does one attain the fourfold perfection, such as residing in the same world as the deity?
केन वा ब्राह्मणत्वं च तपस्वित्वं च केन वा । स्वर्गभोगादिकं केन वैकुण्ठं केन कर्मणा
By what action does one become a Brahmin, or an ascetic? By what action does one enjoy heavenly pleasures, or by what action does one reach Vaikuntha?
गोलोकं केन वा ब्रह्मन् सर्वोत्कृष्टं निरामयम् । नरको वा कतिविधः किंसंख्यो नाम किं च वा
O Brahman, by whom was Goloka created, that supreme and flawless realm? And how many kinds of hell are there, by what names, and of what number?
को वा कं नरकं याति कियन्तं तेषु तिष्ठति । पापिनां कर्मणा केन को वा व्याधिः प्रजायते । यद्यत्प्रियं मया पृष्टं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Who goes to which hell, and for how long do they remain there? By what actions do sinners incur disease, and what diseases arise? Whatever I have asked out of affection, you ought to explain to me.
सावित्र्युपाख्याने कर्मविपाकवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच सावित्रीवचनं श्रुत्वा जगाम विस्मयं यमः । प्रहस्य वक्तुमारेभे कर्मपाकं तु जीविनाम्
Narration of the results of actions in the story of Savitri. Shri Narayana said: Hearing Savitri’s words, Yama was filled with wonder; smiling, he began to speak about the results of actions for living beings.
धर्म उवाच कन्या द्वादशवर्षीया वत्से त्वं वयसाधुना । ज्ञानं ते पूर्वविदुषां ज्ञानिनां योगिनां परम्
Dharma said: O child, though you are only twelve years old, you possess the supreme knowledge known to the wise and to great yogis of the past.