Vayu Purana

सर्वमेतत्प्रयातस्य गुणमात्रात्मकं स्मृतम्। निरिन्द्रियाणां च तदा ज्ञानिनां यच्छुभाशुभम् ।। ४०.

All this, for one who has departed, is considered to be of the nature of the qualities alone; and for those wise ones who are without senses, whatever is auspicious or inauspicious.

प्रकृत्यां चैव तत्सर्वं पुण्यं पापं प्रतिष्ठति। योन्यवस्था स्वभावे च देहिनां तु निषिच्यते ।। ४०.

All that, both merit and sin, is established in nature; and according to the state of the womb and one's own nature, it is assigned to embodied beings.

जन्तूनां पापपुण्यन्तु प्रकृतौ यत्प्रतिष्ठितम् । अव्यक्त स्थानि तान्येव पुण्यपापानि जन्तवः। ये जयन्ति पुनर्देहे देहान्यत्वे तथैव च ।। ४०.

The merit and sin of creatures, whatever is established in nature, remain in the unmanifest; those very merits and sins belong to the beings who are born again in another body, just so.

धर्माधर्मौ तु जन्तूनां गुणमात्रात्मकावुभौ । करणैः स्वैः प्रचीयेते कायत्वेनेह जन्तुभिः ।। ४०.

Righteousness and unrighteousness of beings, both consisting only of qualities, are accumulated by each with their own instruments, in the form of the body, here among creatures.

सुचेतनाः प्रलीयन्ते क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठिता गुणाः। सर्गे च प्रतिसर्गे च संसारे चैव जन्तवः। संयुज्यन्ते वियुज्यन्ते करणैः सञ्चरन्ति च ।। ४०.

The well-endowed qualities, presided over by the knower of the field, are dissolved; and in creation, dissolution, and transmigration, beings are joined and separated, and move about with their instruments.

राजसी तामसी चैव सात्विकी चैव वृत्तयः। गुणमात्राः प्रवर्त्तन्ते पुरुषाधिष्ठितास्त्रिधा ।। ४०.

The modes—rajas, tamas, and sattva—consisting only of qualities, operate in threefold ways, presided over by the person.

ऊर्द्ध्वं देवात्मकं सत्त्वमधोभागात्मकं तमः। तयोः प्रवर्त्तकं मद्ये इहैवावर्त्तकं रजः ।। ४०.

Upwards is the divine nature, sattva; downwards is the nature of tamas; and in the middle, here, rajas is the cause of activity and of cyclic return.

इत्येवं परिवर्त्तन्ते त्रयः स्रोतोगुणात्मकाः। लोकेषु सर्वभूतानां तन्न कार्यं विजानता ।। ४०.

Thus, these three streams, consisting of qualities, revolve among all beings in the worlds; one who knows this should not be attached to their effects.

अविद्याप्रत्ययारम्भा आरभ्यन्ते हि मानवैः । एतास्तु गतयस्तिस्रः शुभाः पापात्मिकाः स्मृताः ।। ४०.

The beginnings of ignorance and its causes are undertaken by men; these three courses are remembered as auspicious or of sinful nature.

तम साभिभवाज्जन्तुर्याथातथ्यं न विन्दति। अतत्द्दर्शनात्सोऽथ त्रिविधं बध्यते ततः ।। ४०.

When a person, overpowered by darkness, does not perceive things as they truly are, then, due to seeing what is not real, he is bound in three ways.

प्राकृतेन च बन्धेन तथा वैकारिकेन च। दक्षिणाभिस्तृतीयेन बद्धोऽत्यन्तं विवर्त्तते ।। ४०.

He is bound by the natural bond, by the bond of the ego, and thirdly by the bond arising from actions; thus he undergoes endless transformation.

इत्येते वै त्रयः प्रोक्ता बन्धा ह्यज्ञानहेतुकाः। अनित्ये नित्यसंज्ञा च दुःखे च सुखदर्शनम् ।। ४०.

These three bonds, indeed, are said to arise from ignorance: seeing the impermanent as permanent, perceiving happiness in suffering,

अस्वे स्वमिति च ज्ञानमशुचौ शुचिनिश्चयः। येषामेते मनोदोषा ज्ञानदोषा विपर्य्ययात् ।। ४०.

Thinking what is not one's own as one's own, believing the impure to be pure—these are defects of the mind and errors of knowledge, arising from confusion.

रागद्वेषनिवृत्तिश्च तज्ज्ञानं समुदाहृतम्। अज्ञानं तमसो मूलं कर्म्मद्वयफलं रजः। कर्म्मजस्तु पुनर्देहो महादुःखं प्रवर्त्तते ।। ४०.

The cessation of attachment and aversion is called true knowledge; ignorance is rooted in darkness, the fruit of action is passion, and from action arises the body, which leads to great suffering.

श्रोत्रजा नेत्रजा चैव त्वग्जिह्वाघ्राणतस्तथा। पुनर्भवकरी दुःखा कर्म्मणां जायते तु सा ।। ४०.

Born from the ear, the eye, the skin, the tongue, and the nose, suffering arises again and again from actions, causing rebirth.

सतृष्णोऽभिहितो बालः स्वकृतैः कर्म्मणः फलैः। तैलपालीकवज्जीवस्तत्रैव परि वर्त्तते ।। ४०.

The foolish one, filled with desire, revolves endlessly in the results of his own actions, just like oil in a lamp.

तस्मात्स्थूलमनर्थानामज्ञानमुपदिश्यते । तं शक्तमवधार्य्यैकं ज्ञाने यत्नं समाचरेत् ।। ४०.

Therefore, ignorance is taught as the root of gross misfortune; understanding this, one should strive with effort for knowledge.

ज्ञानाद्विजयते सर्वं त्यागाद्‌बुद्धिर्विरज्यते। वैराग्याच्छुद्ध्यते चापि शुद्धः सत्त्वेन मुच्यते ।। ४०.

By knowledge, everything is conquered; by renunciation, the intellect is purified; by dispassion, there is also purity, and by pure being, one is liberated.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि रागं भूतापहारिणम्। अभिषङ्गाय यो यस्माद्विषयोऽप्यवशात्मनः ।। ४०.

Now I will explain attachment, which seizes beings and leads to entanglement with sense objects, even against one's will.

अनिष्टमभिषङ्गं हि प्रीतितापविषादनम्। दुःखलाभे न तापञ्च सुखानुस्मरणं तथा ।। ४०.

Attachment to what is undesirable brings pleasure, pain, and dejection; when suffering is obtained, there is no torment, but there is remembrance of happiness.

इत्येष वैषयो रागः सम्भूत्याः कारणं स्मृतम्। ब्रह्मादौ स्थावरान्ते वै संसारे ह्याधिभौतिके। अज्ञानपूर्वकं तस्मादज्ञानन्तु विवर्जयेत् ।। ४०.

Thus, this attachment to sense objects is said to be the cause of rebirth, from Brahma down to plants, in the world of matter; therefore, one should abandon ignorance, which precedes it.

यस्य चार्षं न प्रमाणं शिष्टाचारं तथैव च। वर्णाश्रमविरोधी यः शिष्टशास्त्रविरोधकः ।। ४०.

He who does not accept the authority of the seers, nor the conduct of the virtuous, who opposes the duties of caste and stage of life, and who rejects the teachings of the wise—

एष मार्गो हि निरधितिर्यग्योनौ च कारणम्। तिर्यग्योनिगतञ्चैव कारणं स निरुच्यते ।। ४०.

This path is indeed without foundation, and is the cause of birth among animals; it is declared to be the cause of entering the animal womb.

विविधा यातना स्थाने तिर्यग्योनौ च षड्विधे। कारणे विषये चैव प्रतिघातस्तु सर्वशः ।। ४०.

There are various forms of suffering in the animal womb, of six kinds; in all these situations, there is complete obstruction.

अनैश्वर्य्यन्तु तत्सर्वं प्रतिघातात्मकं स्मृतम् । इत्येषा तामसी वृत्तिर्भूतादीनां चतुर्विधा ।। ४०.

All this lack of power is considered to be of the nature of obstruction; thus, this is the tamasic disposition, fourfold among beings.

सत्त्वस्थमात्रकं चित्तं यथा सत्त्वप्रदर्शनात्। तत्त्वानाञ्च तथा तत्त्वं दृष्ट्वा वै तत्त्वदर्शनात् ।। ४०.

The mind established in purity is so by the perception of purity; likewise, the reality of the elements is known by seeing their true nature.

सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञनानात्वमेतज्ज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्। नानात्वदर्शनं ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्वै योगमुच्यते ।। ४०.

The diversity of purity and the knower of the field is the perception of the purpose of knowledge; seeing diversity is knowledge, and from knowledge, union is attained.

तेन बद्धस्य वै बन्धो मोक्षो मुक्तस्य तेन च । संसारे विनिवृत्ते तु मुक्तो लिङ्गेन मुच्यते ।। ४०.

By that, bondage is indeed bondage, and by that, liberation is liberation; when involvement in worldly existence ceases, the liberated one is freed from the subtle body.

निःसम्बन्धो ह्यचैतन्यः स्वात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते। स्वात्मव्यवस्थितश्चापि विरूपाख्येन लिख्यते ।। ४०.

Devoid of connection and unconscious, he abides only in his own self; established in his own self, he is described as 'formless.'