अग्नेः शब्दश्च स्पर्शश्च रूपमेते त्रयो गुणाः । शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसाश्चत्वारो वै जलस्य च
For fire, the qualities are sound, touch, and form—these three; for water, the qualities are sound, touch, form, and taste—these four.
स्पर्शशब्दरसा रूपं गन्धश्च पृथिवीगुणाः । एवं मिलितयोगैश्च ब्रह्माण्डोत्पत्तिरुच्यते
For earth, the qualities are touch, sound, taste, form, and smell; thus, by these combinations, the origin of the cosmic egg is described.
सर्वे जीवा मिलित्वैव ब्रह्माण्डांशसमुद्भवाः । चतुरशीतिलक्षाश्च प्रोक्ता वै जीवजातयः
All living beings, having come together, arise as parts of the cosmic egg; and eighty-four hundred thousand species of living beings are said to exist.
गुणानां रूपसंस्थानादिवर्णनम् ब्रह्मोवाच सर्गोऽयं कथितस्तात यत्पृष्टोऽहं त्वयाऽधुना । गुणानां रूपसंस्थां वै शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः
Description of the forms and arrangements of the qualities.
सत्त्वं प्रीत्यात्मकं ज्ञेयं सुखात्प्रीतिसमुद्भवः । आर्जवं च तथा सत्यं शौचं श्रद्धा क्षमा धृतिः
Brahmā said: This creation, O dear one, which you have just asked me about, has been described; now, with focused mind, listen to the forms and arrangements of the qualities.
अनुकम्पा तथा लज्जा शान्तिः सन्तोष एव च । एतैः सत्त्वप्रतीतिश्च जायते निश्चला सदा
Sattva is to be understood as consisting of delight, arising from happiness and satisfaction; straightforwardness, truth, purity, faith, forgiveness, and steadfastness—
श्वेतवर्णं तथा सत्त्वं धर्मे प्रीतिकरः सदा । सच्छ्रद्धोत्पादकं नित्यमसच्छ्रद्धानिवारकम्
Compassion, modesty, peace, and contentment as well; by these, the unwavering realization of sattva always arises.
सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी च तथापरा । श्रद्धा तु त्रिविधा प्रोक्ता मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः
Faith is said by sages who see the truth to be of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic.
रक्तवर्णं रजः प्रोक्तमप्रीतिकरमद्भुतम् । अप्रीतिर्दुःखयोगत्वाद्भवत्येव सुनिश्चिता
Red color is declared to be rajas, which is wondrous but brings displeasure; indeed, displeasure arises certainly due to its connection with suffering.
प्रद्वेषोऽथ तथा द्रोहो मत्सरः स्तम्भ एव च । उत्कण्ठा च तथा निद्रा श्रद्धा तत्र च राजसी
Hatred, hostility, envy, arrogance, longing, and sleep—these are the qualities of rajasic faith.
मानो मदस्तथा गर्वो रजसा किल जायते । प्रत्येतव्यं रजस्त्वेतैर्लक्षणैश्च विचक्षणैः
Pride, intoxication, and conceit are born from rajas; the wise should recognize rajas by these characteristics.
कृष्णवर्णं तमः प्रोक्तं मोहनं च विषादकृत् । आलस्यं च तथाऽज्ञानं निद्रा दैन्यं भयं तथा
Black color is declared to be tamas, which causes delusion and despair, as well as laziness, ignorance, sleep, misery, and fear.
विवादश्चैव कार्पण्यं कौटिल्यं रोष एव च । वैषम्यं वातिनास्तिक्यं परदोषानुदर्शनम्
Quarreling, miserliness, deceit, anger, inequality, extreme atheism, and finding fault in others—
प्रत्येतव्यं तमस्त्वेतैर्लक्षणैः सर्वथा बुधैः । तामस्या श्रद्धया युक्तं परतापोपपादकम्
The wise should always recognize tamas by these signs; tamasic faith is associated with causing harm to others.
सत्त्वं प्रकाशयितव्यं नियन्तव्यं रजः सदा । संहर्तव्यं तमः कामं जनेन शुभमिच्छता
Sattva should be made manifest, rajas should always be restrained, and tamas should be destroyed by those who desire auspiciousness.
अन्योन्याभिभवाच्चैते विरुध्यन्ति परस्परम् । तथोऽन्योन्याश्रयाः सर्वे न तिष्ठन्ति निराश्रयाः
These qualities overpower each other and oppose one another; all depend on each other and do not exist independently.
सत्त्वं न केवलं क्वापि न रजो न तमस्तथा । मिलिताश्च सदा सर्वे तेनान्योन्याश्रयाः स्मृताः
Sattva, rajas, and tamas never exist alone anywhere; they are always mixed together, and thus are considered mutually dependent.
अन्योन्यमिथुनाच्चैव विस्तारं कथयाम्यहम् । शृणु नारद यज्ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते भवबन्धनात्
I will explain their mutual combination and expansion; listen, Narada, for knowing this one is freed from the bondage of existence.
सन्देहोऽत्र न कर्तव्यो ज्ञात्वेत्युक्तं मया वचः । ज्ञातं तदनुभूतं यत्परिज्ञातं फले सति
No doubt should be made here, for I have spoken this word: what is known, experienced, and understood yields its result.
श्रवणाद्दर्शनाच्चैव सपद्येव महामते । संस्कारानुभवाच्चैव परिज्ञातं न जायते
Through hearing and seeing, O wise one, and through experiencing impressions, true understanding does not arise.
श्रुतं तीर्थं पवित्रञ्च श्रद्धोत्पन्ना च राजसी । निर्गतस्तत्र तीर्थे वै दृष्टं चैव यथाश्रुतम्
A sacred place is heard of, purified, and rajasic faith arises; one goes to that place and sees it as heard.
स्नातस्तत्र कृतं कृत्यं दत्तं दानं च राजसम् । स्थितस्तत्र कियत्कालं रजोगुणसमावृतः
One bathes there, performs rites, gives gifts in a rajasic manner, and stays there for some time, enveloped by the quality of rajas.
रागद्वेषान्न निर्मुक्तः कामक्रोधसमावृतः । पुनरेव गृहं प्राप्तो यथापूर्वं तथा स्थितः
Not freed from attachment and aversion, enveloped by desire and anger, one returns home and remains as before.
श्रुतं च नानुभूतं वै तेन तीर्थं मुनीश्वर । न प्राप्तं च फलं यस्मादश्रुतं विद्धि नारद
What is heard but not experienced, O sage, does not yield the result of visiting the sacred place; know, Narada, that what is not heard is fruitless.
निष्पापत्वं बलं विद्धि तीर्थस्य मुनिसत्तम । कृषेः फलं यथा लोके निष्पन्नान्नस्य भक्षणम्
O best of sages, know that the power of a sacred place lies in its freedom from sin, just as in the world, the fruit of cultivation is the enjoyment of the food produced.
पापदेहविकारा ये कामक्रोधादयः परे । लोभो मोहस्तथा तृष्णा द्वेषो रागस्तथा मदः
The transformations of the sinful body are those such as desire, anger, greed, delusion, thirst, hatred, attachment, and pride.
असूयेर्ष्याक्षमाशान्तिः पापान्येतानि नारद । न निर्गतानि देहात्तु तावत्पापयुतो नरः
These are the sins, O Nārada: envy, jealousy, impatience, and lack of peace; as long as these have not departed from the body, a person remains bound by sin.
कृते तीर्थे यदैतानि देहान्न निर्गतानि चेत् । निष्फलः श्रम एवैकः कर्षकस्य यथा तथा
If, after visiting a sacred place, these have not left the body, then the effort is fruitless, just like the toil of a farmer that yields nothing.
श्रमेणापीडितं क्षेत्रं कृष्टा भूमिः सुदुर्घटा । उप्तं बीजं महार्घं च हिता वृत्तिरुदाहृता
A field afflicted by toil, land that is difficult to till, and precious seed sown—such is considered a beneficial livelihood.
अहोरात्रं परिक्लिष्टो रक्षणार्थं फलोत्सुकः । काले सुप्तस्तु हेमन्ते वने व्याघ्रादिभिर्भृशम्
Day and night, exhausted with effort, eager for the fruit, he guards it; but in winter, if he sleeps in the forest, he is greatly troubled by tigers and the like.