महतां नित्यतृप्तानां तज्ज्ञानां भावितात्मनाम् । ईप्सितान्तं प्रयातानां नोपकुर्वन्ति सिद्धयः
For the great ones who are ever content, who possess true knowledge, whose minds are purified, and who have reached their desired end, accomplishments offer no benefit.
अयं मे संशयो ब्रह्मन् वीतहव्यस्य सा तनुः । क्रव्यादैर् न कथं भुक्ता कथं क्लिन्ना न भूतले
O Brahman, I have this doubt: how is it that Vītahavya's body was not eaten by wild beasts, nor did it decay on the ground?
तदैव वीतहव्यो ऽसौ कथं च न गतः प्रभो । विदेहमुक्ततां शीघ्रं यथावद् इति मे वद
At that very moment, how did Vītahavya not immediately attain bodiless liberation, O Lord? Tell me this properly.
या संविद् वलिता साधो वासनामलतन्तुना । सुखदुःखदशादाहभागिनी भवतीह सा
O noble one, that consciousness which is entwined with the subtle thread of latent impressions becomes the experiencer here of pleasure and pain, and the states of waking and so on.
निर्मुक्तवासना शुद्धसंविन्मात्रमयी तु या । तनुस् तिष्ठति तच्छेदे शक्ता नेह हि केचन
When all tendencies have been abandoned and only pure consciousness remains, the body persists after its severance, but no power remains here.
शृणु युक्त्या यया योगितनुश् छेदादिभिर् भ्रमैः । नाक्रम्यते महाबाहो बहुवर्षशतैर् अपि
Hear by what reasoning, O mighty-armed one, the yogi’s body is not affected by cutting or other disturbances, even after hundreds of years.
चेतः पदार्थे पतति यस्मिन् यस्मिन् यदा यदा । तन्मयं तद् भवत्य् आशु तस्मिंस् तस्मिंस् तदा तदा
Wherever and whenever the mind falls upon any object, it quickly becomes of that very nature at that very time and place.
तथा दृष्टारि हि मनो विकारम् उपगच्छति । दृष्टमित्रं च हृद्यत्वं स्वयम् एवाभिपद्यते
Thus, when the mind perceives an enemy, it takes on agitation; when it perceives a friend, it naturally assumes a sense of affection.
रागद्वेषविहीने तु पथिके पादपे गिरौ । भवत्य् अरागविद्वेषं स्वयम् इत्य् अनुभूयते
But for the traveler who is free from attachment and aversion, whether with a tree or on a mountain, non-attachment and non-aversion arise naturally and are experienced as such.
मृष्टे लौल्यम् उपादत्ते दुर्भोज्ये याति नस्पृहाम् । वैरस्यं याति कटुनि स्वयम् इत्य् अनुभूयते
One develops craving for delicious food, feels no desire for poor food, and experiences distaste for something bitter—this is naturally experienced.
समसंविद्विलासाढ्ये यद् यदा योगिदेहके । हिंस्रं चेतः पतत्य् आशु समताम् एति तत् तदा
In the yogi’s body, endowed with the play of equal awareness, whenever the mind falls upon something harmful, it immediately attains equanimity.
समं सद्भावमुक्तत्वाच् छेदादौ न प्रवर्तते । पान्थो व्यर्थं पथि ग्रामे यथा ग्रामीणकर्मणि
Because of abiding in equal being, there is no involvement in cutting or the like, just as a traveler does not engage in the village affairs while passing through the road.
योगिदेहसमीपात् तु गत्वा प्राप्नोति हिंस्रताम् । यद् यद् भवति तत्राशु तथारूपं न संशयः
Approaching the yogi’s body, it becomes violent; whatever occurs there, it swiftly takes on that form—there is no doubt.
इति हिंस्रैर् मृगव्याघ्रसिंहकीटसरीसृपैः । न च्छिन्ना वीतहव्यस्य तनुर् भूतलशायिनी
Thus, though attacked by fierce animals—deer, tigers, lions, insects, reptiles—the body of Vītahavya, lying on the earth, was not destroyed.
सर्वत्र विद्यते संवित् काष्ठलोष्टोपलादिके । सत्तासामान्यरूपेण संस्थिता बालमूकवत्
Consciousness exists everywhere—even in wood, clods, stones—present in the form of universal existence, like a child or mute.
पोप्लूयमाना तरला केवलं परिदृश्यते । तन्वी पुर्यष्टकेष्व् एव प्रतिबिम्बं जलेष्व् इव
It is seen only as a subtle, fleeting reflection within the eightfold body, just as an image appears in water.
तेन भूजलवाय्वग्निसंवित्त्या समरूपया । न विकारं तनुर् नीता वीतहव्यस्य राघव
Therefore, Rāghava, the body of Vītahavya was not altered, because of the sameness of consciousness in earth, water, air, and fire.
अन्यच् च शृणु हे राम स्पन्दो नाशस्य कारणम् । विकारस्य च चित्तोत्थो वातजो वा जगत्स्थितौ
Hear further, O Rāma: vibration is the cause of destruction, and transformation arises from the mind or from wind in the world’s existence.
प्राणानां प्राणता स्पन्दात् तच्छान्तौ ते दृषत्समाः । यतस् स्थिता धारणया तेनानष्टास्य सा तनुः
The vitality of the life-forces comes from vibration; when that ceases, they become inert. Because they are sustained by retention, his body was not lost.
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं स्पन्दश् चेतसो वातजो ऽथ वा । न यस्य विद्यते तस्य दूरस्थौ विकृतिक्षयौ
If there is no vibration, either mental or wind-born, inside or outside, then for that one, change and decay remain distant.
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं शान्ते स्पन्दे तत्त्वविदां वर । धातवस् संस्थितिं देहे न त्यजन्ति कदाचन
When the inner and outer movements are tranquil, O best among those who know the truth, the bodily elements never abandon their position in the body.
संशान्ते देहगेहस्थे प्रस्पन्दे चित्तवातयोः । धातवो मैरवं स्थैर्यं यान्ति संस्तम्भितात्मकाः
When the house of the body is quiet and the winds of mind and breath are still, the bodily elements attain a stable, unmoving state, like the essence of mercury.
तथा च दृश्यते लोके स्पन्दशान्तौ दृढा स्थितिः । दारूणाम् इव धीराणां सर्वाङ्गानाम् अचोपताम्
Thus it is seen in the world that when movement ceases, there is firm stability—just as in strong wood, all parts remain unshaken.
इति वर्षसहस्राणि देहा जगति योगिनाम् । न क्लिद्यन्ति न भिद्यन्ते ऽभग्नवज्रलवा इव
In this way, for thousands of years, the bodies of yogis in the world neither decay nor break, like fragments of unbroken diamond.
तदैव वीतहव्यो ऽसौ शृणु किं नोपशान्तवान् । देहम् उत्सृज्य तत्त्वज्ञो ज्ञातज्ञेयतया परः
At that very moment, Vītahavya, listen: why did he not become peaceful? The knower of truth, having realized the unity of knower and known, abandoned the body and became supreme.
ये हि विज्ञातविज्ञेया वीतरागा महाधियः । विच्छिन्नग्रन्थयस् सर्वे ते स्वतन्त्रास् तनौ स्थिताः
Those who have understood both the knower and the known, who are free from passion and possess great intellect, whose knots are severed—all of them remain independent, even while in the body.
एवं वापि च कर्माणि प्राक्तनान्य् ऐहिकानि वा । वासना वा न तेषां तच् चेतो नियमयन्त्य् अलम्
Thus, whether actions are past or present, or whether there are latent tendencies, none of these can control the mind of such people.
तेन तत्त्वविदां तात काकतालीयवन् मनः । यद् यद् भावयति क्षिप्रं तत् तद् आशु करोत्य् अलम्
Therefore, O dear one, the mind of those who know the truth acts like a crow at a coconut tree: whatever it intends, it accomplishes swiftly and completely.
काकतालीययोगेन वीतहव्यस्य संविदा । साम्प्रतं जीवितं बुद्धं तद् एवाशु स्थिरीकृतम्
By a chance conjunction, through the awareness of Vītahavya, his awakened life was immediately stabilized.
यदा तु तस्य प्रतिभा विदेहोन्मुखतां गता । तदा विदेहमुक्तो ऽभूद् असौ स्वातन्त्र्यसंस्थितिः
When his intuition inclined toward disembodiment, then he became liberated from the body, established in freedom.