Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 14

MBh 8 14.1

भृगुरुवाच न प्रणाशोऽस्ति जीवस्य दत्तस्य च कृतस्य च। याति देहान्तरं प्राणी शरीरं तु विशीर्यते॥

bhṛguruvāca na praṇāśo'sti jīvasya dattasya ca kṛtasya ca| yāti dehāntaraṃ prāṇī śarīraṃ tu viśīryate||

Bhrigu said The living creature, or what is given, or our other acts, are never destroyed. The death of a creature is only a change of form. The body alone is dissolved.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.2

न शरीराश्रितो जीवस्तस्मिन् नष्टे प्रणश्यति। समिधामिव दग्धानां यथाग्निर्दृश्यते तथा॥

na śarīrāśrito jīvastasmin naṣṭe praṇaśyati| samidhāmiva dagdhānāṃ yathāgnirdṛśyate tathā||

The living creature, though it depends upon the body, is not destroyed when the body is destroyed. It is not seen after the destroyed. It is not seen after the destruction of the physical body just as fire is not visible after the consumption of the fuel with which it was lighted.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.3

भरद्वाज उवाच अग्नेर्यथा तथा तस्य यदि नाशो न विद्यते। इन्धनस्योपयोगान्ते स चाग्निर्नोपलभ्यते॥

bharadvāja uvāca agneryathā tathā tasya yadi nāśo na vidyate| indhanasyopayogānte sa cāgnirnopalabhyate||

Bharadwaja said If there is no destruction of the living creature like that of fire, I say, fire itself is not visible after consumption of the fuel (that ignited it).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.4

नश्यतीत्येव जानामि शान्तमग्निमनिन्धनम्। गतिर्यस्य प्रमाणं वा संस्थानं वा न विद्यते॥

naśyatītyeva jānāmi śāntamagnimanindhanam| gatiryasya pramāṇaṃ vā saṃsthānaṃ vā na vidyate||

When the supply of a fuel is stopped, the fire is put out, and as far as I know, is destroyed. What has no longer any action should be considered as destroyed, for it proves its non-existence and which no longer occupics any space.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.5

भृगुरुवाच समिधामुपयोगान्ते यथाग्निर्नोपलभ्यते। आकाशानुगतत्वाद्धि दुर्ग्राह्यो हि निराश्रयः॥

bhṛguruvāca samidhāmupayogānte yathāgnirnopalabhyate| ākāśānugatatvāddhi durgrāhyo hi nirāśrayaḥ||

Bhrigu said, It is true that after the consumption of fuel fire is no longer visible. It mixes with space because there is no longer any visible object wherein it can abide, and hence it cannot be perceived by us.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.6

तथा शरीरसंत्यागे जीवो ह्याकाशवत् स्थितः। न गृह्यते तु सूक्ष्मत्वाद् यथा ज्योतिर्न संशयः॥

tathā śarīrasaṃtyāge jīvo hyākāśavat sthitaḥ| na gṛhyate tu sūkṣmatvād yathā jyotirna saṃśayaḥ||

Likewise, upon renouncing the body, the creature lives in space, and cannot be seen for its extreme subtility as is the case with fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.7

प्राणान् धारयते ह्यग्निः स जीव उपधार्यताम्। वायुसंधारणो ह्यग्निर्नश्यत्युच्छ्वासनिग्रहात्॥

prāṇān dhārayate hyagniḥ sa jīva upadhāryatām| vāyusaṃdhāraṇo hyagnirnaśyatyucchvāsanigrahāt||

It is fire or heat that kceps us the vital airs called Prana and the others. Know this heat is called life or the living agent. The heat which keeps up vital airs, is extinguished for the suppression of breath.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.8

तस्मिन् नष्टे शरीराग्नौ ततो देहमचेतनम्। पतितं याति भूमित्वमयनं तस्य हि क्षितिः॥

tasmin naṣṭe śarīrāgnau tato dehamacetanam| patitaṃ yāti bhūmitvamayanaṃ tasya hi kṣitiḥ||

With the extinction of heat, the body itself loses aniination. Falling down, it it is metamorphosed into earth, its ultimate destination.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.9

जङ्गमानां हि सर्वेषां स्थावराणां तथैव च। आकाशं पवनोऽन्वेति ज्योतिस्तमनुगच्छति। तेषां त्रयाणामेकत्वाद् द्वयं भूमौ प्रतिष्ठितम्॥

jaṅgamānāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ sthāvarāṇāṃ tathaiva ca| ākāśaṃ pavano'nveti jyotistamanugacchati| teṣāṃ trayāṇāmekatvād dvayaṃ bhūmau pratiṣṭhitam||

The breath that exists in all mobile and immobile objects mingles with space, and the heat which is in them follows that breath. These three (viz., space, air, and fair), mingle together. The other two (viz., water and earth), exist together in the shape of earth.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.10

यत्र खं तत्र पवनस्तत्राग्निर्यत्र मारुतः। अमूर्तयस्ते विज्ञेया मूर्तिमन्तः शरीरिणाम्॥

yatra khaṃ tatra pavanastatrāgniryatra mārutaḥ| amūrtayaste vijñeyā mūrtimantaḥ śarīriṇām||

There is wind where space is, and there is fire where is. They have in reality no forms, and become endued with form only in embodied creatures.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.11

भरद्वाज उवाच यद्याग्निमारुतौ भूमिः खमापश्च शरीरिषु। जीव: किंलक्षणस्तत्रेत्येतदाचक्ष्व मेऽनघ॥

bharadvāja uvāca yadyāgnimārutau bhūmiḥ khamāpaśca śarīriṣu| jīva: kiṃlakṣaṇastatretyetadācakṣva me'nagha||

Bharadwaja said If in the bodies of all living creatures there are heat, wind, earth, space, and water, what then are the sins of the living agent? Tell me these, O sinless one.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.12

पञ्चात्मके पञ्चरतौ पञ्चविज्ञानचेतने। शरीरे प्राणिनां जीवं वेत्तुमिच्छामि यादृशम्॥

pañcātmake pañcaratau pañcavijñānacetane| śarīre prāṇināṃ jīvaṃ vettumicchāmi yādṛśam||

I wish to know the nature of the life that exists in the bodies of living beings,composed of the five principal elements, engaged in the five principal elements, engaged in the five acts, endued with the five senses and animation.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.13

मांसशोणितसंघाते मेदःस्नाय्वस्थिसंचये। भिद्यमाने शरीरे त जीवो नैवोपलभ्यते॥

māṃsaśoṇitasaṃghāte medaḥsnāyvasthisaṃcaye| bhidyamāne śarīre ta jīvo naivopalabhyate||

After the dissolution of the body which is a compound of flesh and blood, a mass of fat, sinews and bones, that which is the living agent is not seen.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.14

यद्यजीवं शरीरं तु पञ्चभूतसमन्वितम्। शरीरे मानसे दुःखे कस्तां वेदयते रुजम्॥

yadyajīvaṃ śarīraṃ tu pañcabhūtasamanvitam| śarīre mānase duḥkhe kastāṃ vedayate rujam||

If this body, composed of the give elements, has no life, who or what then is that which feels misery on account of either physical or metal pain?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.15

शृणोति कथितं जीवः कर्णाभ्यां न शृणोति तत्। महर्षे मनसि व्यग्रे तस्माज्जीवो निरर्थकः॥

śṛṇoti kathitaṃ jīvaḥ karṇābhyāṃ na śṛṇoti tat| maharṣe manasi vyagre tasmājjīvo nirarthakaḥ||

The living agent hears what is said, through the ears. It is, again, the fact, O great Rishi, that the same agent hears not when the mind is elsewhere engaged. It appears, therefore, that what is called the living agent serves no purpose.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.16

सर्वं पश्यति यद् दृश्यं मनोयुक्तेन चक्षुषा। मनसि व्याकुले चक्षुः पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति॥

sarvaṃ paśyati yad dṛśyaṃ manoyuktena cakṣuṣā| manasi vyākule cakṣuḥ paśyannapi na paśyati||

What the living agent sces with eyes acting in unison with the mind, the eye sees not, even when lying before it, if the mind elsewhere engaged.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.17

न पश्यति न चाघ्राति न शृणोति न भाषते। न च स्पर्शरसौ वेत्ति निद्रावशगतः पुनः॥

na paśyati na cāghrāti na śṛṇoti na bhāṣate| na ca sparśarasau vetti nidrāvaśagataḥ punaḥ||

Then again, when it is asleep, that agent neither sees nor smells, nor hears, nor speaks, nor feels the perceptions of touch and taste.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.18

हष्यति क्रुद्ध्यते कोऽत्र शोचत्युद्विजते चकः। इच्छति ध्यायति द्वेष्टि वाचमीरयते च कः॥

haṣyati kruddhyate ko'tra śocatyudvijate cakaḥ| icchati dhyāyati dveṣṭi vācamīrayate ca kaḥ||

Who or what then is that which feels joy, becomes angry, or sorry and suffers tribulation? What is that which wishes, thinks, feels hatred and utters words.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.19

भृगुरुवाच च्छरीरमेको बहतेऽन्तरात्मा। स वेत्ति गन्धांश्च रसाश्रुतीश्च स्पर्श च रूपं च गुणाश्च येऽन्ये॥

bhṛguruvāca ccharīrameko bahate'ntarātmā| sa vetti gandhāṃśca rasāśrutīśca sparśa ca rūpaṃ ca guṇāśca ye'nye||

Bhrigu said The mind, like the body also, is made of the five elements. Therefore it is useless regarding the acts mentioned by you. Only the soul sustains the body. It is he that perceives smell, taste, sound, touch, forin and other properties.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.20

पञ्चात्मके पञ्चगुणप्रदर्शी स सर्वगात्रानुगतोऽन्तरात्मा। स वेत्ति दुःखानि सुखानि चात्र तद्विप्रयोगात् तु न वेत्ति देहः॥

pañcātmake pañcaguṇapradarśī sa sarvagātrānugato'ntarātmā| sa vetti duḥkhāni sukhāni cātra tadviprayogāt tu na vetti dehaḥ||

Permeating all the limbs, that Soul witness the acts of the mind possessing five attributes and living within the body composed of the five elements. It is he who feels pleasure and pain, and when separated from him the body does not feel them.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.21

यदा न रूपं न स्पर्शो नोष्मभावश्च पञ्चके। तदा शान्ते शरीराग्नौ देहत्यागे न नश्यति॥

yadā na rūpaṃ na sparśo noṣmabhāvaśca pañcake| tadā śānte śarīrāgnau dehatyāge na naśyati||

When one has no perception of form or of touch, when there is no heat in the fire of the body,—when the animal heat is gone,-the body, being renounced by the Soul, meets with destruction.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.22

आपोमयमिदं सर्वमापो मूर्तिः शरीरिणाम्। तत्रात्मा मानसो ब्रह्मा सर्वभूतेषु लोककृत्॥

āpomayamidaṃ sarvamāpo mūrtiḥ śarīriṇām| tatrātmā mānaso brahmā sarvabhūteṣu lokakṛt||

The whole universe is made of water. Water is the form of all embodied creatures. In that water lives the Soul which is seen in the mind. That Soul is the Creator Brahman who exists in all things.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.23

आत्मा क्षेत्रज्ञ इत्युक्तः संयुक्तः प्राकृतैर्गुणैः। तैरेव तु विनिर्मुक्तः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः॥

ātmā kṣetrajña ityuktaḥ saṃyuktaḥ prākṛtairguṇaiḥ| taireva tu vinirmuktaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ||

When the Soul is endued with ordinary attributes, it is called Kshetrajna. When freed from those attributes, attributes, it is designated Paramatman or Supreme Self.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.24

आत्मानं तं विजानीहि सर्वलोकहितात्मकम्। तस्मिन् यः संश्रितो देहे ह्यब्विन्दुरिव पुष्करें।२४॥

ātmānaṃ taṃ vijānīhi sarvalokahitātmakam| tasmin yaḥ saṃśrito dehe hyabvinduriva puṣkareṃ|24||

Know that Soul. He is full of universal benevolence. He lives in the body like a drop of water in a lotus.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.25

क्षेत्रज्ञं तं विजानीहि नित्यं लोकहितात्मकम्। तमो रजश्च सत्त्वं च विद्धि जीवगुणानिमान्॥

kṣetrajñaṃ taṃ vijānīhi nityaṃ lokahitātmakam| tamo rajaśca sattvaṃ ca viddhi jīvaguṇānimān||

Know well what is called Kshetrajna and which had universal benevolence. Goodness, darkness, and ignorance are the three attributes of the living agent.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.26

सचेतनं जीवगुणं वदन्ति स चेष्टते चेश्यते च सर्वम्। अतः परं क्षेत्रविदो वदन्ति। प्रावर्तयद् यो भुवनानि सप्त॥

sacetanaṃ jīvaguṇaṃ vadanti sa ceṣṭate ceśyate ca sarvam| ataḥ paraṃ kṣetravido vadanti| prāvartayad yo bhuvanāni sapta||

The learned hold that the Soul had Consciousness and has the attributes of life. The Soul works and makes everything to work. Persons cognisant of the Soul say that the Soul is different from life. It is the Supreme Soul that has created the seven words and makes them works.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.27

न जीवनाशोऽस्ति हि देहभेदे मिथ्यैतदाहुर्मत इत्यबुद्धाः। जीवस्तु देहान्तरितः प्रयाति दशार्धतैवास्य शरीरभेदः॥

na jīvanāśo'sti hi dehabhede mithyaitadāhurmata ityabuddhāḥ| jīvastu dehāntaritaḥ prayāti daśārdhataivāsya śarīrabhedaḥ||

There is no destruction of the living agent even when the body is dissolved. Men shorn of intelligence say that it dies. That is in fact false. All that the living agent does is that it goes from one body to another. What is called death is merely the dissolution of the body.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.28

एवं सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढचरति संवृतः। दृश्यते त्वग्रयया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया तत्त्वदर्शिभिः॥

evaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍhacarati saṃvṛtaḥ| dṛśyate tvagrayayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā tattvadarśibhiḥ||

It is thus that the Soul, covered with various forms, goes form to form, unseen and unnoticed by others. Persons endued with true Knowledge witness the Soul by their keen and subtile intelligence.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.29

तं पूर्वापररात्रेषु युञ्जानः सततं बुधः। लब्धाहारो विशुद्धात्मा पश्यत्यात्मानमात्मनि॥

taṃ pūrvāpararātreṣu yuñjānaḥ satataṃ budhaḥ| labdhāhāro viśuddhātmā paśyatyātmānamātmani||

Living on restricted diet, and with heart purged of all sins, devoting himself to meditation, a wise man succeeds every night, before sleep and after sleep, in sceing Soul by the help of his Soul.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 14.30

चित्तस्य हि प्रसादेन हित्वा कर्म शुभाशुभम्। प्रसन्नात्माऽऽत्मनि स्थित्वा सुखमानन्त्यमश्नुते॥ मानसोऽग्निः शरीरेषु जीव इत्यभिधीयते। सृष्टिः प्रजापतेरेषा भूताध्यात्मविनिश्चये॥

cittasya hi prasādena hitvā karma śubhāśubham| prasannātmā''tmani sthitvā sukhamānantyamaśnute|| mānaso'gniḥ śarīreṣu jīva ityabhidhīyate| sṛṣṭiḥ prajāpatereṣā bhūtādhyātmaviniścaye||

The king, effulgent, like fire living within the mind is called the living agent. It is from that Lord of everything that this creation has originated. This is the conclusion of the enquiry into the origin of creatures and the soul.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)