Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 63

MBh 8 63.1

व्यास उवाच अथ चेद् रोचयेदेतदुह्येत स्रोतसा यथा। उन्मज्जंश्च निमज्जंश्च ज्ञानवान् प्लववान् भवेत्॥

vyāsa uvāca atha ced rocayedetaduhyeta srotasā yathā| unmajjaṃśca nimajjaṃśca jñānavān plavavān bhavet||

Vyasa said If Liberation is sought for, then knowledge should be acquired. For a person who is carried up and down along the stream of Time or life, Knowledge is the raft by which he can reach the shore.

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

MBh 8 63.2

प्रज्ञया निश्चिता धीरास्तारयन्त्यबुधान् प्लवैः। नाबुधास्तारयन्त्यन्यानात्मानं वा कथंचन॥

prajñayā niścitā dhīrāstārayantyabudhān plavaiḥ| nābudhāstārayantyanyānātmānaṃ vā kathaṃcana||

Those wise men who have acquired fixed conclusions of the nature of the soul by the help of wisdom, are able of assist the ignorant in crossing the river of time or life with the raft of knowledge. The ignorant, are unable to save either themselves or others.

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

MBh 8 63.3

छिन्नदोषो मुनिर्योगान् युक्तो युजीत द्वादश। देशकर्मानुरागार्थानुपायापायनिश्चयैः॥ चक्षुराहारसंहारैर्मनसा दर्शनेन च।

chinnadoṣo muniryogān yukto yujīta dvādaśa| deśakarmānurāgārthānupāyāpāyaniścayaiḥ|| cakṣurāhārasaṃhārairmanasā darśanena ca|

He who has freed himself from desire and all other faults, and who has freed himself from all attachments, should attend to these twelve requirements of Yoga, viz., place, acts, affection, objects, means, destruction, certainty, eyes, food, suppression, mind and survey.

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

MBh 8 63.4

यच्छेद् वाङ्मानसी बुद्ध्या इच्छेज्ज्ञानमुत्तमम्॥ ज्ञानेन यच्छेदात्मानं य इच्छेच्छान्तितात्मनः।

yacched vāṅmānasī buddhyā icchejjñānamuttamam|| jñānena yacchedātmānaṃ ya icchecchāntitātmanaḥ|

He who wishes to acquire superior Knowledge, should, by the help of his understanding, restrain both speech and mind. He who wishes to have tranquillity, should, by the help of his knowledge, govern his soul.

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

MBh 8 63.5

एतेषां चेदनुद्रष्टा पुरुषोऽपि सुदारुणः॥ यदि वा सर्ववेदज्ञो यदि वाप्यनृचो द्विजः। यदि वा धार्मिको यज्वा यदि वा पापकृत्तमः॥ यदि वा पुरुषव्याघ्रो यदि वा क्लेशधारितः। तरत्येवं महादुर्गं जरामरणसागरम्॥

eteṣāṃ cedanudraṣṭā puruṣo'pi sudāruṇaḥ|| yadi vā sarvavedajño yadi vāpyanṛco dvijaḥ| yadi vā dhārmiko yajvā yadi vā pāpakṛttamaḥ|| yadi vā puruṣavyāghro yadi vā kleśadhāritaḥ| taratyevaṃ mahādurgaṃ jarāmaraṇasāgaram||

Whether he becomes merciful or cruel, whether he becomes conversant with all the Vedas or ignorant of the Richs, whether he becomes pious and observant of sacrifices or the worst of sinners, whether be becomes eminent for power and wealth or sunk into misery, that person who directs his mind towards these, is sure to cross the ocean of life which is so difficult to cross over.

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

MBh 8 63.6

एवं ह्येतेन योगेन युञ्जानो ह्येवमन्ततः। अपि जिज्ञासमानोऽपि शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते॥

evaṃ hyetena yogena yuñjāno hyevamantataḥ| api jijñāsamāno'pi śabdabrahmātivartate||

Without speaking of the results of the attainment of Brahma by Yoga, it may be said that he who engages himself to only enquire after the Soul rises above the necessity of observing the acts laid down in the Vedas.

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

MBh 8 63.7

धर्मोपस्थो हीवरूथ उपायापायकूबरः। अपानाक्षः प्राणयुगः प्रज्ञायुर्जीवबन्धनः॥ चेतनाबन्धुरचास्याचारग्रहनेमिनान्। दर्शनस्पर्शनवहो घ्राणश्रवणवाहनः॥ प्रज्ञानाभिः सर्वतन्त्रप्रदोतो ज्ञानसारथिः। क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितो धीरः श्रद्धादमपुरःसरः॥ त्यागसूक्ष्मानुगः क्षेम्यः शौचगो ध्यानगोचरः। जीवयुक्तो रथो दिव्यो ब्रह्मलोके विराजते॥

dharmopastho hīvarūtha upāyāpāyakūbaraḥ| apānākṣaḥ prāṇayugaḥ prajñāyurjīvabandhanaḥ|| cetanābandhuracāsyācāragrahaneminān| darśanasparśanavaho ghrāṇaśravaṇavāhanaḥ|| prajñānābhiḥ sarvatantrapradoto jñānasārathiḥ| kṣetrajñādhiṣṭhito dhīraḥ śraddhādamapuraḥsaraḥ|| tyāgasūkṣmānugaḥ kṣemyaḥ śaucago dhyānagocaraḥ| jīvayukto ratho divyo brahmaloke virājate||

The body with individual soul within it is an excellent car. When sacrifices and religious rights are made its upastha, shame, its varutha, Upaya and Apaya, its Kuvara, the vital air called Apana, its Aksha, the vital air called Prana, its Yuga, knowledge and the span of existence its points for tieng the horses, carefulness, its Vandhura, the assumption of good conduct, its nemi, vision, touch, scent, and hearing, its four horses, wisdom, its nabhi, all the scriptures, its pratoda, certain knowledge of the scriptural sayings, its driver, the soul, its firinly-seated rider, faith, and self-control, its fore-runners, renunciation, its inseparable companion following behind and bent upon doing it good, purity the path along which it goes, meditaion, its goal, then may that car reach Brahma and shine there effulgently.

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

MBh 8 63.8

अथ संत्वरमाणस्य रथमेवं युयुक्षतः अक्षरं गन्तुमनसो विधिं वक्ष्यामि शीघ्रगम्॥

atha saṃtvaramāṇasya rathamevaṃ yuyukṣataḥ akṣaraṃ gantumanaso vidhiṃ vakṣyāmi śīghragam||

I shall now tell you the speedy means that should be followed by the person who would get ready his car in such a way for passing through this forest of the world in order to reach the goal formed by Brahma that is above decrepitude and destruction.

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

MBh 8 63.9

सप्त या धारणाः कृत्स्ना वाग्यतः प्रतिपद्यते। पृष्ठतः पार्वतश्चान्यास्तावत्यस्ताः प्रधारणाः॥

sapta yā dhāraṇāḥ kṛtsnā vāgyataḥ pratipadyate| pṛṣṭhataḥ pārvataścānyāstāvatyastāḥ pradhāraṇāḥ||

To fix the mind upon one thing at a time is called Dharana, following proper vows and restraints, the Yogin practises in all seven kinds of Dharana. There are, again, as many sorts of Dharanas originating out of these, upon subjects which are near or distant.

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

MBh 8 63.10

क्रमशः पार्थिवं यच्च वायव्यं खं तथा पयः। ज्योतिषो यत् तदैश्वर्यमहङ्कारस्य बुद्धितः। अव्यक्तस्य तथैश्वर्यं क्रमशः प्रतिपद्यते॥

kramaśaḥ pārthivaṃ yacca vāyavyaṃ khaṃ tathā payaḥ| jyotiṣo yat tadaiśvaryamahaṅkārasya buddhitaḥ| avyaktasya tathaiśvaryaṃ kramaśaḥ pratipadyate||

Through these the Yogin by and by, lords Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, Fire, Consciousness, and Understanding. After this he gradually lords over the Unmanifest.

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

MBh 8 63.11

विक्रमाश्चापि यस्यैते तथा युक्तेषु योगतः। तथा योगस्य युक्तस्य सिद्धिमात्मनि पश्यतः॥

vikramāścāpi yasyaite tathā yukteṣu yogataḥ| tathā yogasya yuktasya siddhimātmani paśyataḥ||

I shall now describe to you the conceptions in their order that are realised by particular individuals amongst those who practise Yoga according to the rules and ordinances sanctioned for them. I shall tell you also of the nature of the success of Yoga undertaken by him who looks within his own self.

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

MBh 8 63.12

निर्मुच्यमानः सूक्ष्मत्वाद् रूपाणीमानि पश्यतः। शैशिरस्तु यथा धूमः सूक्ष्मः संश्रयते नभः॥

nirmucyamānaḥ sūkṣmatvād rūpāṇīmāni paśyataḥ| śaiśirastu yathā dhūmaḥ sūkṣmaḥ saṃśrayate nabhaḥ||

The Yogin who casts off his gross body, following the instructions of his preceptor, sees his soul displaying the following forms on account of its subtility. To him, in the first stage, the sky appears to be filled with a subtile substance like fog.

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

MBh 8 63.13

तथा देहाद् विमुक्तस्य पूर्वं रूपं भवत्युत। अथ धूमस्य विरमे द्वितीयं रूपदर्शनम्॥

tathā dehād vimuktasya pūrvaṃ rūpaṃ bhavatyuta| atha dhūmasya virame dvitīyaṃ rūpadarśanam||

Such becomes the form of the Soul which has been separated from the body. When this fog disappears, a second form is seen.

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

MBh 8 63.14

जलरूपमिवाकाशे तथैवात्मनि पश्यति। अपां व्यतिक्रमे चास्य वह्निरूपं प्रकाशते ।१९।।

jalarūpamivākāśe tathaivātmani paśyati| apāṃ vyatikrame cāsya vahnirūpaṃ prakāśate |19||

For then the Yogin sees within himself, in the sky of his heart, the form of Water. After the disappearance of water, the form of Fire appears.

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

MBh 8 63.15

तस्मिन्नुपरतेऽजोऽस्य पीतशस्त्रः प्रकाशते। उर्णारूपसवर्णस्य तस्य रूपं प्रकाशते॥

tasminnuparate'jo'sya pītaśastraḥ prakāśate| urṇārūpasavarṇasya tasya rūpaṃ prakāśate||

When this disappears, the form that is seen that of Wind as effulgent as a well-tempered and highly polished weapon. Gradually the form shown by Wind becomes like that of the thinnest gossamer.

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

MBh 8 63.16

अथ श्वेतां गतिं गत्वा वायव्यं सूक्ष्ममप्युत। अशुक्लं चेतसः सौक्ष्यमप्युक्तं ब्राह्मणस्य वै॥

atha śvetāṃ gatiṃ gatvā vāyavyaṃ sūkṣmamapyuta| aśuklaṃ cetasaḥ saukṣyamapyuktaṃ brāhmaṇasya vai||

Then having gained whiteness, and the subtility of air, the Brahman's soul attains the supreme whiteness and subtilety of Ether.

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

MBh 8 63.17

एतेष्वपि हि जातेषु फलजातानि मे शृणु। जातस्य पार्थिवैश्वर्यैः सृष्टिरत्र विधीयते॥

eteṣvapi hi jāteṣu phalajātāni me śṛṇu| jātasya pārthivaiśvaryaiḥ sṛṣṭiratra vidhīyate||

Listen to me, as I tell you the results of these various conditions when they take place. That Yogin who has been able to conquer the element of Earth, acquires by such mastery the power of Creation.

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

MBh 8 63.18

प्रजापतिरिवाक्षोभ्यः शरीरात् सृजते प्रजाः। अङ्गुल्यङ्गुष्ठमात्रेण हस्तपादेन वा तथा॥ पृथिवीं कम्पयत्येको गुणो वायोरिति श्रुतिः। आकाशभूतश्चाकाशे सवर्णत्वात् प्रकाशते॥

prajāpatirivākṣobhyaḥ śarīrāt sṛjate prajāḥ| aṅgulyaṅguṣṭhamātreṇa hastapādena vā tathā|| pṛthivīṃ kampayatyeko guṇo vāyoriti śrutiḥ| ākāśabhūtaścākāśe savarṇatvāt prakāśate||

Like a second Prajapati possessed of a nature which knows no disturbances he can, from his own body, create all sorts of creatures. With only his foe, or with his hand or fcet, that person can, alone, make the entire Earth tremble who has conquered the Wind. Even this is the attribute of the Wind as said in the Shruti. The Yogin who has conquered count of his having attained to uniformity with that element, and can also disappear at will.

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

MBh 8 63.19

वर्णतो गुह्यते चापि कामात् पिबति चाशयान्। न चास्य तेजसा रूपं दृश्यते शाम्यते तथा। अहङ्कारेऽस्य विजिते पञ्चैते स्युर्वशानुगाः॥

varṇato guhyate cāpi kāmāt pibati cāśayān| na cāsya tejasā rūpaṃ dṛśyate śāmyate tathā| ahaṅkāre'sya vijite pañcaite syurvaśānugāḥ||

By mastering over Water, one can drink up rivers, lakes, and oceans. By mastering over Fire, the Yogin becomes so effulgent that his form cannot be spied. He becomes visible only when he puts out the fire within him. When the Yogin succeeds in destroying the consciousness of Ego, these five elements come within his control.

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

MBh 8 63.20

षण्णामात्मनि बुद्धौ च जितायां प्रभवत्यथ। निर्दोषप्रतिभा ह्येनं कृत्स्ना समभिवर्तते॥

ṣaṇṇāmātmani buddhau ca jitāyāṃ prabhavatyatha| nirdoṣapratibhā hyenaṃ kṛtsnā samabhivartate||

When the Understanding, which is the soul of the five elements and of the consciousness of Ego, is conquered, the Yogin acquires Omnipotence, and Omniscience.

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

MBh 8 63.21

तथैव व्यक्तमात्मानमव्यक्तं प्रतिपद्यते। यतो नि:सरते लोको भवति व्यक्तसंज्ञकः॥

tathaiva vyaktamātmānamavyaktaṃ pratipadyate| yato ni:sarate loko bhavati vyaktasaṃjñakaḥ||

For this, the Manifest is fused into the Unmanifest or Supreme Soul from which the world comes into being and becomes what is called Manifest.

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

MBh 8 63.22

तत्राव्यक्तमयी विद्यां शृणु त्वं विस्तरेण मे। तथा व्यक्तमयं चैव सांख्ये पूर्वं निबोध मे॥

tatrāvyaktamayī vidyāṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ vistareṇa me| tathā vyaktamayaṃ caiva sāṃkhye pūrvaṃ nibodha me||

Listen now to me fully as I explain the science of Unmanifest. But first of all listen to me about all that is Manifest as explained in the Sankhya system of philosophy.

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

MBh 8 63.23

पञ्चविंशति तत्त्वानि तुल्यान्युभयतः समम्। योगे सांख्येऽपि च तथा विशेषं तत्र मे शृणु।॥

pañcaviṃśati tattvāni tulyānyubhayataḥ samam| yoge sāṃkhye'pi ca tathā viśeṣaṃ tatra me śṛṇu|||

In both the Yoga and the Sankhya systems, twenty-five subjects of knowledge have been treated in nearly the same way. Here me as I describe their chief characteristics.

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

MBh 8 63.24

प्रोक्तं तद् व्यक्तमित्येव जायते वर्धते च यत्। जीर्यते म्रियते चैव चतुर्भिर्लक्षणैर्युतम्॥३०

proktaṃ tad vyaktamityeva jāyate vardhate ca yat| jīryate mriyate caiva caturbhirlakṣaṇairyutam||30

What is Manifest is possessed of those four attributes, viz., birth, growth, decay and death.

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

MBh 8 63.25

विपरीतमतो यत् तु तदव्यक्तमुदाहृतम्। द्वावात्मानौ च वेदेषु सिद्धान्तेष्वप्युदाहृतौ॥

viparītamato yat tu tadavyaktamudāhṛtam| dvāvātmānau ca vedeṣu siddhānteṣvapyudāhṛtau||

What does not possess these attributes is said to to be Unmanifest. Two Souls are mentioned in the Vedas and in their auxiliary sciences.

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

MBh 8 63.26

चतुर्लक्षण त्वाद्यं चतुर्वर्गं प्रचक्षते। व्यक्तमव्यक्तजं चैव तथा बुद्धमथेतरत्।

caturlakṣaṇa tvādyaṃ caturvargaṃ pracakṣate| vyaktamavyaktajaṃ caiva tathā buddhamathetarat|

The first is endued with the four attributes already mentioned, and has a longing for the four-fold objects of life. This soul is called Manifest, and it is born of the Unmanifest. It is both Intelligent and non-Intelligent.

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

MBh 8 63.27

सत्त्वं क्षेत्रज्ञ इत्येतद् द्वयमप्यनुदर्शितम्॥ द्वावात्मानौ च वेदेषु विषयेष्वनुरज्यतः।

sattvaṃ kṣetrajña ityetad dvayamapyanudarśitam|| dvāvātmānau ca vedeṣu viṣayeṣvanurajyataḥ|

I have thus told you of Sattva (inert matter) and Kshetrajna (immaterial spirit). Both kinds of Soul, as said in the Vedas, become attached to objects of the senses.

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

MBh 8 63.28

विषयात् प्रतिसंहारः सांख्यानां सिद्धिलक्षणम्॥ निर्ममश्चानहङ्कारो निर्द्वन्द्वश्छिन्नसंशयः। नैव क्रुद्ध्यति न द्वेष्टि नानृता भाषते गिरः॥ आक्रुष्टस्ताडितश्चैव मैत्रेण ध्याति नाशुभम्। वाग्दण्डकर्ममनसां त्रयाणां च निवर्तकः॥ समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्माणमभिवर्तते। नैवेच्छति न चानिच्छो यात्रामात्रव्यवस्थितः॥ अलोलुपोऽव्यथा दान्तो न कृती न निराकृतीः। नास्ये न्द्रियमनेकाग्रं न विक्षिप्तमनोरथः॥ सर्वभूतसदृड्मैत्रः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः। तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः॥ अस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो ब्रह्मचर्यदृढव्रतः। अहिंस्रः सर्वभूतानामीदृक् सांख्यो विमुच्यते।३९।।

viṣayāt pratisaṃhāraḥ sāṃkhyānāṃ siddhilakṣaṇam|| nirmamaścānahaṅkāro nirdvandvaśchinnasaṃśayaḥ| naiva kruddhyati na dveṣṭi nānṛtā bhāṣate giraḥ|| ākruṣṭastāḍitaścaiva maitreṇa dhyāti nāśubham| vāgdaṇḍakarmamanasāṃ trayāṇāṃ ca nivartakaḥ|| samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu brahmāṇamabhivartate| naivecchati na cāniccho yātrāmātravyavasthitaḥ|| alolupo'vyathā dānto na kṛtī na nirākṛtīḥ| nāsye ndriyamanekāgraṃ na vikṣiptamanorathaḥ|| sarvabhūtasadṛḍmaitraḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ| tulyapriyāpriyo dhīrastulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ|| aspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo brahmacaryadṛḍhavrataḥ| ahiṃsraḥ sarvabhūtānāmīdṛk sāṃkhyo vimucyate|39||

The doctrine of the Sankhyas is that one should stand aloof or dissociated from objects of the senses, That Yogin who is freed from attachment and pride, who transcends all pairs of opposites such as pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., who never yields to anger or hate, who never speaks an untruth, who though, censured or struck still shows friendship for the slanderer or the striker, who never thinks of injuring others, who restrains these three, viz., speech, acts, and mind, and who treats all creatures equally, succeeds in approaching the presence of Brahman. That person who has no desire for earthly objects, who is not unwilling to take what comes, who is dependent on earthly objects so far as they are required for sustaining life, who is free from cupidity, who has driven off all sorrow, who has controlled his senses, who performs all necessary acts, who does not care for beauty and dress, whose senses are all collected, whose purposes are never left undone, who treats all creatures like friends, who considers equally a clod of earth and a lump of gold, who is equally disposed towards friend and enemy, who is endued with patience, who treats praise and blame equally, who is free from longing for all objects of desire, who practises Brahmacharya, and who is firin and steady in all his vows and observances, who cherishes no malice or envy for any creature in the universe, is a Yogin who according to the Sankhya system succeeds in acquiring Liberation. 27217 yrir fagreint frustrate na

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

MBh 8 63.29

योगैश्वर्यमतिक्रान्तो यो निष्कामति मुच्यते॥

yogaiśvaryamatikrānto yo niṣkāmati mucyate||

Hear now of the way and the means by which a person may acquire Liberation through Yoga. That person who moves and acts after having transcended the power that follows the practise of Yoga succeeds in acquiring Liberation.

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

MBh 8 63.30

इत्येषा भावजा बुद्धिः कथिता ते न संशयः। एवं भवति निर्द्वन्द्वो ब्रह्माणं चाधिगच्छति॥

ityeṣā bhāvajā buddhiḥ kathitā te na saṃśayaḥ| evaṃ bhavati nirdvandvo brahmāṇaṃ cādhigacchati||

I have thus described to you those topics, viz., Liberation according to the Yoga system which are dissimilar if the speaker be disposed to treat them as such. Thus can one get over all pairs of opposites. thus can one attain to Brahma.

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