तदाहात्मानमाराध्यमेतैः किं ते प्रयोजनम् । तत्त्वतो ब्रूहि मे देव सदा शुद्धोसि सर्वदा
Then, having worshipped your own self with these, what purpose is served for you? Tell me the truth, O Lord; you are always pure, at all times.
आत्मोवाच- एते पंच महाभागा रूपवंतो मनस्विनः । गत्वा संदर्शयाम्येनानाभाष्ये ज्ञान श्रूयताम्
The Self said: These five are great beings, endowed with form and intelligence. I will go and show them; listen to the knowledge that is not to be spoken.
भव्यानेतान्प्रवक्ष्यामि पंचमीं गतिमागतान् । दूतत्वं गच्छ भो ज्ञान कुशलो दूतकर्मणि
I will declare to them the auspicious fifth state to which they have come. Go, O Knowledge, you are skilled in the task of a messenger.
ज्ञानमुवाच- त्वमात्मञ्छृणु मे वाक्यं सत्यं सत्यं वदाम्यहम् । एतेषां संगतिस्तात कार्या नैव त्वया कदा
Knowledge said: O Self, listen to my words; I speak the truth, the truth indeed. Association with these, dear one, must never be undertaken by you.
पंचानामपि शुद्धात्मन्न कार्यं शुभमिच्छता । भवतः संगतिं मोह इच्छत्येष महामते
O pure Self, even for the five, one who desires auspiciousness should not act. It is delusion that desires union with you, O greatly wise one.
आत्मोवाच- एतेषां संगतिं ज्ञान कस्माद्वारयते भवान् । तन्मे त्वं कारणं ब्रूहि याथातथ्येन पंडित
The Self said: Why, O Knowledge, do you prevent their association? Tell me the true reason for this, O wise one.
ज्ञानमुवाच- एतेषां संगमात्रात्तु महद्दुःखं भविष्यति । दुःखमूला हि पंचैव शोकसंतापकारकाः
Knowledge said: From mere association with them, great suffering will arise. Indeed, the five are the root of suffering, causing grief and distress.
एवमस्तु महाप्राज्ञ करिष्ये वचनं तव । ज्ञानमाभाष्य स ह्यात्मा ध्यानेन सह संगतः
So be it, O greatly wise one, I will do as you say. Having spoken with Knowledge, the Self joined with Meditation.
कश्यप उवाच- ततः पंचैव ते तत्राद्राक्षुरात्मानमेव तम् । बुद्धिमूचुः समाहूय संगच्छात्मानमेव हि
Kashyapa said: Then those five saw the Self there. Calling forth Intelligence, they said, 'Let us approach the Self.'
दूतत्वं कुरु कल्याणि अस्माकमात्मना सह । पंचतत्त्वा महात्मानो विश्वस्यधारकाः शुभाः
Be our messenger, O auspicious one, together with the Self. The five great elements are auspicious, upholding the universe.
भवतो मैत्रमिच्छंति इत्याभाष्य महामतिम् । गत्वा बुद्धे त्वया कार्यं कर्तव्यं न इतो व्रज
Desiring your friendship, they addressed the greatly wise one. Go to Intelligence; your task is there, do not go elsewhere.
एवमस्तु महाभागा करिष्ये कार्यमुत्तमम् । एवमाभाषितं तेषां गत्वाऽहात्मानमेव तम्
So be it, O great beings, I will perform the excellent task. Thus addressed by them, she went to the Self.
अहं बुद्धिर्महाभाग भवंतं समुपागता । दूतत्वे महतां पार्श्वात्तेषां त्वं वचनं शृणु
I am Intelligence, O great one, and I have come to you. As a messenger from the great ones, listen to their words.
भवन्मैत्रीं समिच्छंति अक्षयां पंच आत्मकाः । कुरु मैत्रीं महाप्राज्ञ जहि ध्यानं सुदूरतः
The five selves desire your unfailing friendship. O greatly wise one, make friendship and cast away Meditation far from you.
ध्यानमुवाच- न कर्तव्यं त्वया चात्मन्नैतेषां वै समागमम् । एषां संसर्गमात्रेण महद्दुःखं भविष्यति
Meditation said: You must not, O Self, associate with them. From mere contact with them, great suffering will arise.
मया ज्ञानेन हीनस्त्वं कथं कर्म करिष्यति । एवमेव न कर्तव्यं तेषां चैव समागमम्
Deprived of Knowledge by me, how will you act? Thus, you must not associate with them.
गर्भवासं नयिष्यंति भवंतं नान्यथा विभो । ज्ञानेनैव मया हीनो अज्ञानं यास्यसि ध्रुवम्
They will lead you into the womb, O Lord, and not otherwise. Deprived of Knowledge by me, you will surely fall into ignorance.
एवमुक्त्वा तमात्मानं विरराम महामतिम् । ततस्तामागतां बुद्धिमात्मा प्रोवाच निश्चितः
Having thus spoken to the Self, the greatly wise one became silent. Then the Self, resolved, addressed Intelligence who had come.
ज्ञानध्यानौ महात्मानौ मंत्रिणौ मम शोभनौ । तत्र यानं न मे युक्तं तद्बुद्धे किं करोम्यहम्
Jñāna and Dhyāna, my two noble ministers, are both great souls; it is not fitting for me to go there without their counsel—what should I do, O wise one?
एवं श्रुत्वा ततो बुद्धिस्तेषां पार्श्वे यशस्विनी । समाचष्ट समग्रं तत्कथनं ज्ञानध्यानयोः
Hearing this, the illustrious Buddhi then approached them and fully related the words of Jñāna and Dhyāna.
ततस्ते पंचकाः सर्वे आत्मानं प्रतिजग्मिरे । मैत्रीमेव प्रतीच्छामो भवतो नित्यमेव हि
Then all five of them together returned to themselves, saying, 'We seek only friendship with you, always.'
यस्माच्छुद्धोसि लोकेश तस्मात्त्वां समुपागताः । स्वयमेव विचार्यैव उत्तरं नः प्रदीयताम्
Because you are pure, O Lord of the world, we have come to you; please consider carefully and give us your answer yourself.
आत्मोवाच- यूयं पंचैव संप्राप्ता मम मैत्रं समिच्छथ । स्वीयं गुणं प्रभावं च कथयंतु ममाग्रतः
The Self said: 'You five have come desiring my friendship; let each of you declare your own quality and power before me.'
भूमिरुवाच- सर्वकार्यस्य संस्थानं चर्ममांससमन्वितम् । अस्थिमूलदृढत्वं मे नखलोमसमन्वितम्
The Earth said: 'The structure of all things is mine, endowed with skin and flesh; my firmness is rooted in bone, and I am joined with nails and hair.'
प्रभावो हि महाप्राज्ञ कायमध्ये ममैव हि । नासिकागमनो गंधस्स मे भृत्यो महामनाः
Indeed, O great wise one, my power is within the body itself; the sense of smell, which enters the nose, is my devoted servant, endowed with great mind.'
आकाश उवाच- अहमाकाशकः प्राप्तो मम काये प्रभावकम् । श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणम्
Ākāśa (Space) said: 'I am Ākāśa, arrived here, and my power is within the body; listen as I describe the one whose nature is Supreme Brahman.'
बाह्यांतरावकाशश्च शून्यस्थाने वसाम्यहम् । तत्रामात्यौ तु कर्णौ मे श्रवणार्थं प्रतिष्ठितौ
I dwell in the empty spaces, both inner and outer; there, my two ministers, the ears, are established for the purpose of hearing.'
वायुरुवाच- पंचरूपेण तिष्ठामि करोम्येवं शुभाशुभम् । चर्मकायेस्थितोमात्यः स्पर्शं संश्रयते गुणम्
Vāyu (Air) said: 'I exist in five forms and perform both auspicious and inauspicious acts; as a minister residing in the skin, I possess the quality of touch.'
तेज उवाच- काये संस्थः सदा नित्यं पाकयोगं करोम्यहम् । सबाह्याभ्यंतरं सर्वं द्रव्याद्रव्यं प्रदर्शये
Tejas (Fire) said: 'Always abiding in the body, I bring about the process of cooking and transformation; I reveal all substances, both external and internal, material and immaterial.'
शुक्रं मज्जा तथा लाला एवं त्वक्संधिसंस्थितम् । रुधिरं प्रेषयाम्येव कायमध्ये स्थितोस्म्यहम्
Semen, marrow, saliva, and those located in the skin and joints, as well as blood—I send forth all these, while I remain within the body.'