प्रतिबिम्बेष्व् इवादर्शं समं साक्षिवद् आस्थितम् । नश्यत्सु न विनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति
Just as an image appears equally present in reflections, as in a mirror, and remains as a witness even when the reflections vanish, so one who perceives that which does not perish when all else perishes, truly perceives.
इदं चाहम् इदं चाहम् इतीदं कथ्यते मया । एवम् आत्मासि सर्वात्मा माम् एवं विद्धि पाण्डव
This is me, and this is me—thus I speak of this; in this way, the Self is the Self of all. Know me thus, O Pandava.
इमास् सर्वाः प्रवर्तन्ते सर्गप्रलयविक्रियाः । आत्मतन्तोश् चितो ऽन्तस्स्थाः पयस्स्पन्दा इवाम्बुधौ
All these processes—creation, dissolution, and transformation—arise from the thread of the Self, existing within consciousness, like ripples in water.
यथोपलत्वं शैलानां दारुत्वं च महीरुहाम् । तरङ्गाणां जलत्वं च पदार्थानां तथात्मता
Just as stones possess stoneness, trees possess woodenness, and waves possess waterness, so all objects possess the nature of the Self.
सर्वभूतस्थम् आत्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । यः पश्यति तथात्मानम् अकर्तारं स पश्यति
One who sees the Self abiding in all beings, and all beings within the Self, and thus perceives the Self as non-agent, truly perceives.
नानाकारविकारेषु तरङ्गेषु यथा पयः । कटकादिषु वा हेम भूतेष्व् आत्मा तथार्जुन
Just as water remains unchanged in waves of various forms, or gold in ornaments like bangles, so the Self remains in beings, O Arjuna.
नानातरङ्गवृन्दानि यथा लोलानि वारिणि । कटकादीनि वा हेम्नि तथा भूतानि चात्मनि
Just as the various restless groups of waves exist in water, or ornaments in gold, so do beings exist in the Self.
पदार्थजातं भूतादि बृहद् ब्रह्म च भारत । एकम् एवाखिलं विद्धि पृथक्स्थं न मनाग् अपि
The collection of objects, the elements, and the vast Brahman, O Bharata, know all this as one alone, not at all separate.
किं तद्भावविकाराणां गम्यम् अस्ति जगत्त्रये । क्व ते वापि जगत् किं वा किं मुधा परिमुह्यसि
Is there any ascertainable reality to these modifications of being in the three worlds? Where are they, or what is the world? Why do you become bewildered in vain?
इति श्रुत्वावगम्यान्तर् भावयित्वा सुनिश्चितम् । जीवन्मुक्ताश् चरन्तीह सन्तस् समरसाशयाः
Hearing this, understanding it inwardly, and contemplating it with certainty, the liberated ones live here, their minds at peace and in harmony.
निर्मानमोहा जीतसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मविद्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर् विमुक्तास् सुखदुःखसञ्ज्ञैर् गच्छन्त्य् अमूढाः पदम् अव्ययं तत्
Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the faults of attachment, knowing the Self, desireless, released from the pairs of opposites called pleasure and pain, they go, unconfused, to that imperishable state.
भूय एव महाबाहो शृणु मे परमं वचः । यत् ते ऽहं प्रीयमाणाय वक्ष्यामि हितकाम्यया
Once again, mighty-armed one, listen to my supreme words, which I will speak to you, who are dear to me, out of a wish for your welfare.
मात्रास्पर्शास् तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास् तांस् तितिक्षस्व भारत
Contact with sense objects, O Kaunteya, gives rise to cold, heat, pleasure, and pain; they come and go, are impermanent—endure them, O Bharata.
ते तु नैकात्मनश् चान्ये क्वातो दुःखं क्व वा सुखम् । अनाद्यन्ते ऽनवयवे कुतः पूरणखण्डने
But those are not of a single essence; where, then, is pain or pleasure? In that which has no beginning or end, no parts, how can there be fullness or division?
संस्थिता स्पर्शमात्राख्या कलास्मिन् परमात्मनि । अनन्ते ऽसन्निवेशादौ हेम्नीव कटकादिता
These modes, known as mere contact, are established in the Supreme Self; in the infinite, at the outset of manifestation, like ornaments in gold.
यं हि न व्यथयन्त्य् एते मात्रास्पर्शा भ्रमात्मकाः । समदुःखसुखो धीरस् सो ऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते
He whom these sense contacts, which are of the nature of illusion, do not disturb, who is steady in pleasure and pain, that wise one is fit for immortality.
सर्वत्वाद् आत्मनस् त्व् एते आभासास् संस्थिता इव । असद्रूपास् त्व् असद्रूपं कथं सोढुं न शक्यते
Because the Self is all, these appearances seem to be established; but since they are unreal, how can what is unreal endure the unreal?
मनाग् अपि न विद्येते सुखदुःखे असर्वगे । सर्वत्वाद् आत्मतत्त्वस्य सत्ता कथम् इवानयोः
Pleasure and pain do not exist at all in the non-all-pervading; since the essence of Self is all-pervading, how could these two have any existence?
नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः । नास्त्य् एव सुखदुःखादि परमात्मास्ति सर्वगः
There is no existence for the unreal, nor non-existence for the real; indeed, pleasure, pain, and the like do not exist, but the supreme Self, all-pervading, does.
सत्त्वासत्त्वमती त्यक्त्वैवैतयोर् जगदात्मनोः । त्यक्त्वा नकिञ्चिन् मध्यं च शेषे बद्धपदो भव
Abandon both existence and non-existence regarding the world and the Self; having let go of both and the middle, remain firmly established in what remains.
न हृष्यति सुखेनात्मा दुःखैर् ग्लायति नार्जुन । दृषद्वच् चेतनात्मापि शरीरान्तर्गतो ऽपि सन्
The Self is not elated by pleasure nor distressed by pain, O Arjuna; even if the conscious Self is within the body, it is unmoved, like a rock.
जडं चित्तादि दुःखस्य भाजनं देहतां गतम् । न चैतस्मिन् क्षते क्षीणे किञ्चिद् एवात्मनः क्षतम्
The inert mind and such, which have become the body, are the vessels of suffering; but when these are injured or destroyed, nothing of the Self is harmed.
जडं देहादि दुःखादेर् यद् इदं भोक्त्र् इति स्थितम् । तन् मायाभ्रमम् एवाङ्ग विद्ध्य् अबोधवशोत्थितम्
This idea that the inert body and so on are the enjoyers of suffering is only a delusion born of ignorance, O dear one; know it to be a trick of illusion.
न किञ्चिद् एव देहादि न च दुःखादि विद्यते । आत्मनो यत् पृथग्भूतं किं केनातो ऽनुभूयते
There is truly no body or anything like suffering; whatever is imagined as separate from the Self—how could it be experienced by whom?
यद् इदं कथयाम्य् अत्र तेनैषा ते विनश्यति । भ्रान्तिर् दुरवबोधोत्था सम्यग्बोधेन भारत
By what I am telling you here, that delusion—arising from difficult-to-understand ignorance—will be destroyed for you, through true understanding, O Bharata.
यथा रज्ज्वाम् अहिभयं बोधान् नश्यत्य् अबोधजम् । तथा देहादि दुःखादि बोधान् नश्यत्य् अबोधजम्
Just as the fear of a snake on a rope, born of ignorance, is dispelled by knowledge, so too, suffering and the like, arising from the body and such, are destroyed by knowledge.
विष्वग् विश्वम् अजं ब्रह्म न नश्यति न जायते । इति सत्यं परं विद्धि बोधः परम एष सः
Everywhere, the unborn Brahman, the universe, neither perishes nor is born; know this as the highest truth—this is supreme knowledge.
ब्रह्मार्णवतरङ्गस् त्वं किञ्चिद् भूत्वा विलीयसे । ब्रह्मावर्ते स्फुरस्य् अद्य ब्रह्मैवासि निरामयम्
You are a wave in the ocean of Brahman; becoming something for a while, you dissolve again. Today, you shine forth in the whirlpool of Brahman; you are Brahman alone, free from all affliction.
जगत् कालः क्रिया देशस् त्वम् अहं सैनिका इति । ब्रह्मण्य् एवं परिस्पन्दो नात्र स्तस् सदसत्क्रमौ
World, time, action, place, you, I, and the armies—all this is but movement within Brahman; here, there is no sequence of real and unreal.
जहि मानं मदं शोकं भयम् ईर्ष्यां सुखासुखे । द्वैतम् एतद् असद्रूपम् एकस् सद्रूपवान् भव
Abandon pride, arrogance, sorrow, fear, envy, pleasure and pain; this duality is unreal—be one, possessing the true nature.