युधिष्ठिर उवाच मोक्षः पितामहेनोक्त उपायान्नानुपायतः। तमुपायं यथान्यायं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भारत॥
Yudhisthira said You have said, O grand-father, that Liberation is to be acquired by means and not otherwise. I wish to hear duly what those means are.
भीष्म उवाच त्वय्येवैतन्महाप्राज्ञ युक्तं निपुणदर्शनम्। येनोपायेन सर्वार्थं नित्यं मृगयसेऽनघ॥
Bhishma said O you of great wisdom, this enquiry which you have made me and which is connected with a subtle topic, is really worthy of you, since you, O sinless one, always try to accomplish all your objects by the application of means.
करणे घटस्य या बुद्धिर्घटोत्पत्तौ न सा मता। एवं धर्माभ्युपायेषु नान्यधर्मेषु कारणम्॥
That state of mind which one feels when he makes an earthen jar for his use, disappears after the jar has been completed. Likewise, that cause which makes persons who regard virtue as the root of advancement and prosperity ceases to act with them who seek to acquire Liberation.
पूर्वे समुद्रे यः पन्थाः स न गच्छति पश्चिमम्। एकः पन्था हि मोक्षस्य तन्मे विस्तरतः शृणु॥
That path which leads to the Eastern Ocean is not the path by which one can go to the Western Ocean. There is only one path which leads to Liberation. Listen to me as I describe it to you in detail.
क्षमया क्रोधमुच्छिन्द्यात् कामं संकल्पवर्जनात्। सत्त्वससंसेवनाद् धीरो निद्रां च च्छेत्तुमर्हति॥
One should, by practising forgiveness, root out anger and by renouncing all purposes, root out desire. By practising the quality of goodness one should conquer sleep.
अप्रमादाद् भयं रक्षेच्छ्वासं क्षेत्रज्ञशीलनात्। इच्छां द्वेषं च कामं च धैर्येण विनिवर्तयेत्॥ भ्रमं सम्मोहमावर्तमभ्यासाद् विनिवर्तयेत्। निद्रां च प्रतिभां चैव ज्ञानाभ्यासेन तत्त्ववित्॥
By carefulness one should keep off fear, and by contemplation of the Soul one should conquer vital airs. One should remove by patience desire, hatred, and lust; and error, ignorance, and doubt, by study of truth. By pursuit of knowledge one should avoid inquiry after uninteresting things.
उपद्रवांस्तथा रोगान् हितजीर्णमिताशनात्। लोभं मोहं च संतोषाद् विषयास्तत्त्वदर्शनात्॥
By frugal and easily digestible food one should dispell all disorders and diseases. By contentment one should remove greed and stupefaction of judgement, and all earthly concerns should be avoided by a knowledge of the truth.
अनुक्रोशादधर्मं च जयेद् धर्ममवेक्षया। आयत्या च जयेदाशामर्थं संगविवर्जनात्॥
By practising benevolence one should conquer sin, and by regard for all creatures one should gain virtue. One should avoid expectation by thinking that it is connected with the future; and one should renounce riches by abandoning desire itself.
अनित्यत्वेन च स्नेहं क्षुधां योगेन पण्डितः। कारुण्येनात्मनो मानं तृष्णां च परितोषतः॥
The intelligent man should cast off affection by thinking that everything is fickle. He should control hunger by practising Yoga. By practising benevolence one should keep off all ideas of ego, and remove all sorts of craving by adopting contentment.
उत्थानेन जयेत् तन्द्री वितर्कं निश्चयाज्जयेत्। मौनेन बहुभाष्यं च शौर्येण च भयं त्यजेत्॥
By exertion should subdue procrastination, by certainty all kinds of doubt, one by taciturnity, loquaciousness, and by courage every sort of fear.
यच्छेद् वाङ्मनसी बुद्ध्या तां यच्छेज्ज्ञानचक्षुषा। ज्ञानमात्मावबोधेन यच्छेदात्मानमात्मना॥
Speech and mind are to be controlled by the Understanding, and the Understanding, in its turn, by the eye of knowledge. Knowledge, again, is to be controlled by the knowledge of the Soul, and finally the Soul it to be controlled by the Soul.
तदेतदुपशान्तेन बोद्धव्यं शुचिकर्मणा। योगदोषान् समुच्छिद्य पञ्च यान् कवयो विदुः॥
This last is acquired by those who are of pure acts and endued with tranquillity of soul, the means being the subjugation of those five obstacles of Yoga of which the learned speak.
कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च भयं स्वप्नं च पञ्चमम्। परित्यज्य निषेवेत यतवाग् योगसाधनान्॥ ध्यानमध्ययनं दानं सत्यं ह्रीरार्जवं क्षमा। शौचमाहारतः शुद्धिरिन्द्रियाणां च संयमः॥
By renouncing desire, anger covetousness, fear and sleep, one should controlling speech, practise the observances favourable to Yoga, viz., contemplation, study, gift, truth, modesty, candour, forgiveness, purity of heart, purity of food, and the subjugation of the senses.
एतैर्विवधते तेजः पाप्मानमुपहन्ति च। सिध्यन्ति चास्य संकल्या विज्ञानं च प्रवर्तते॥
By these one's energy is increased, sins are removed, wishes crowned with success, and knowledge gained.
धूतपाप: स तेजस्वी लघ्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः। कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद् ब्रह्मणः पदम्॥
When one becomes purged of sins and possessed of energy and abstemious in diet and the master of his senses, one then, having conquered both desire and anger, seeks to attain to Brahma.
अमूढत्वमसंगित्वं कामक्रोधविवर्जनम्। अदैन्यमनुदीर्णत्वमनुद्वेगो व्यवस्थितिः॥ एष मार्गो हि मोक्षस्य प्रसन्नो विमलः शुचिः। तथा वाक्कायमनसां नियमः कामतोऽन्यथा॥
The avoidance of ignorance, the absence of attachment, freedom from desire and anger, the power that is acquired by Yoga, the absence of pride and haughtiness, freedom from anxiety, absence of attachment to anything like home and family,—these forin the path of Liberation. That path is delightful, stainless, and pure. Likewise, the control of speech, of body, and of mind, when practised from the absence of desire, forms also the path of Liberation.