वासुदेव उवाच न बाह्यं द्रव्यमुत्सृज्य सिद्धिर्भवति भारत। शारीरं द्रव्यमुत्सृज्य सिद्धिर्भवति वा न वा॥
Vasudeva said O foremost of Bharata's race, salvation is not attained by removing the external things (like kingdom, etc.), but by giving up things which satisfy the flesh (body).
बाह्यद्रव्यविमुक्तस्य शारीरेषु च गृङ्ख्यतः। यो धर्मो तत् सुखं चैव द्विषतामस्तु तत् तथा॥
The virtue and happiness which one attains who has renounced only the external objects, but who at the same time possessed by passions and weakness of the flesh, let these be the portion of our enemies.
व्यक्षरस्तु भवेन्मृत्युस्त्र्यक्षरं ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्। ममेति च भवेन्मृत्युर्न ममेति च शाश्वतम्॥
The word with two letters is Mrityu (death,) and the word with three letters is Shashvata Brahman, the eternal spirit. The consciousness of ego, or the state of being addicted to worldly objects is Death, and the absence of that feeling is immortality.
ब्रह्ममृत्यू ततो राजन्नात्मन्येव व्यवस्थितौ।। अदृश्यमानौ भूतानि योधयेतामसंशयम्॥
And these two, Spirit and Death, O king, have their scats in the souls of all creatures, and remaining unseen, they, forsooth, rage war with each other.
अविनाशोऽस्य सत्त्वस्य नियतो यदि भारत। भित्त्वा शरीरं भूतानामहिंसां प्रतिपद्यते॥
And if, O Bharata, it be true that no creature is ever killed, then one commits no sin for the death of a creature by destroying its body.
लब्ध्वा हि पृथ्वी कृत्स्नां सहस्थावरजङ्गमाम्। ममत्वं यस्य नैव स्यात् किं तया स करिष्यति॥
Or What matters the world to a man, if having acquired the sovereignty of the entire earth with its mobile and immobile creation, he does not become attached to it.
अथवा वसतः पार्थ वने वन्येन जीवतः। ममता यस्य द्रव्येषु मृत्योरास्ये स वर्तते॥
But if the man who having renounced the world, has adopted the forest mode of life, living on wild roots and edibles, O son of Pritha, has a craving for the earthly things, and is addicted to them, he may be said to bear death in his mouth.
बाह्यान्तराणां शत्रूणां स्वभाव पश्य भारत। यन्न पश्यति तद् भूतमुच्यते स महाभयात्॥
Do you, O Bharata, watch and observe the character of your external and internal enemies. And the man who is able to perceive the nature of the eternal reality is able to get over the influence of the great fear (perdition).
कामात्मानं न प्रशंसन्ति लोके नेहाकामा काचिदस्ति प्रवृत्तिः। सर्वे कामा मनसोऽङ्गप्रभूता यान् पण्डितः संहरते विचिन्त्य॥ भूयो भूयो जन्मनोऽभ्यासयोगाद् योगी योगं सारमार्ग विचिन्त्य। दानं च वेदाध्ययनं तपश्च काम्यानि कर्माणि च वैदिकानि॥ व्रतं यज्ञान् नियमान् ध्यानयोगान् कामेन यो नारभते विदित्वा। यद् यच्चायं कामयते स धर्मो न यो धर्मो नियमस्तस्य मूलम्॥
Men do not like the conduct of those who are engrossed in earthly desires, and there is not deed without having a desire (at its root) and all desires are, as it were, the limbs of the mind. Therefore, wise men knowing this, control their desires. The Yogi who communes with the Supreme Spirit, knows Yoga to be the perfect way to salvation by reason of the practices of his many pristine births. And remembering that, what the soul wishes, is not conducive of piety and virtuc, but that the control of the desires is at the root of all true virtue, such men do not engage in the practice of charity, Vedic learning, asceticism, Vedic rites, whose object is attainment of earthly prosperity, ceremonies, sacrifices, religious rules and meditation, with the desires of securing any advantage thereby.
अत्र गाथा: कामगीताः कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः। शृणु संकीर्त्यमानास्ता अखिलेन युधिष्ठिर। नाहं शक्योऽनुपायेन हन्तुं भूतेन केनचित्॥
As an illustration of this truth, the sages, well-read in ancient learning, recite these verses called by the name of Kamagita, do you, Yudhishthira, listen to the recital of them in full.
यो मां प्रयतते हन्तुं ज्ञात्वा प्रहरणे बलम्। तस्य तस्मिन् प्रहरणे पुनः प्रादुर्भवाम्यहम्॥
(Kama says), No creature is able to destroy me without following the proper methods (viz., subjugation of all desires and practice of Yoga, etc.)
यो मां प्रयतते हन्तुं यज्ञैर्विविधदक्षिणैः। जङ्गमेष्विव धर्मात्मा पुनः प्रादुर्भवाम्यहम्॥ यो मां प्रयतते नित्यं वेदैर्वेदान्तसाधनैः। स्थावरेष्विव भूतात्मा तस्य प्रादुर्भवाम्यहम्॥
If a man knowing my power, tries to destroy me by muttering prayers, etc., I prevail over him by deluding him with the belief that I am the ego within him. If he desire to destroy me by means of sacrifices with many presents, I deceive hiin by appearing in his mind as a most virtuous creature amongst the mobile creation, and if he wish to destroy me by mastering the Vedas and its auxiliaries, I overreach him by appearing to his mind to be the soul of virtue amongst the immobile creation.
यो मां प्रयतते हन्तुं धृत्या सत्यपराक्रमः। भावो भवामि तस्याहं स च मां नावबुध्यते॥ यो मां प्रयतते हन्तुं तपसा संशितव्रतः। ततस्तपसि तस्याथ पुनः प्रादुर्भवाम्यहम्॥ यो मां प्रयतते हन्तुं मोक्षमास्थाय पण्डितः। तस्य मोक्षरतिस्थस्य नृत्यामि च हसामि च। अवध्यः सर्वभूतानामहमेकः सनातनः॥
And if the man whose strength lies in truth, wish to overcome me by patience, I appear to him as is mind, and thus he does not perceive my existence, and if the man of austere religious practices, wish to destroy me by means of asceticism, I appear in the dress of asceticism in his mind, and thus he is prevented from knowing me, and the man of learning, who with the object of attaining salvation wish to destroy me, I frolic and laugh in the face of such a man intent on salvation. I am the everlasting one without an equal, whom no creature can kill or destroy.
तस्मात्त्वमपि तं कामं यज्ञैर्विविधदक्षिणैः। धर्मे कुरु महाराज तत्र ते स भविष्यति॥
Therefore, you too, O prince, divert your desires (Kama) to virtue, so that, by this means, you may attain what is for your good.
यजस्व वाजिमेधेन विधिवद् दक्षिणावता। अन्यैश्च विविधैर्यज्ञैः समृद्धराप्तदक्षिणैः॥
Do you, therefore, make preparations for the due performance of ihe Horse Sacrifice with presents, and various other sacrifices of great splendour, and accompanied with presents.
मा ते व्यथास्तु निहतान् बन्धून् वीक्ष्य पुनः पुनः। न शक्यास्ते पुनर्द्रष्टुं ये हताऽस्मिन् रणाजिरे॥
Let not, therefore, grief overpower you again, on seeing your friends lying killed on the battle-field. You cannot see the men killed in this battle alive again.
स त्वमिष्ट्वा महायज्ञैः समृद्धैराप्तदक्षिणैः। कीर्ति लोके परां प्राप्य गतिमय्यां गमिष्यसि॥
Therefore, should you perform inagnificent sacrifices with presents, so that you may attain fame in this world, and reach the perfect way in the next.