युधिष्ठिर उवाच अध्यात्मं नाम यदिदं पुरुषस्येह विद्यते। यदध्यात्मं यतश्चैव तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, what is the spiritual science of man and whence does it originate.
भीष्म उवाच सर्वज्ञानं परं बुद्ध्या यन्मां त्वमनुपृच्छसि। तद् व्याख्यास्यामि ते तात तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु।।२
Bhishma said Helped by the spiritual science, one may know everything. It is, again, superior to all things. I shall, with the help of my intelligence, explain to you that spiritual science about which you ask me. Listen, O son, to my explanation.
पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्। महाभूतानि भूतानां सर्वेषां प्रभवाप्ययौ॥
Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, and Light forming the fifth, are the great elements. These are the origin and the destruction of all creatures.
स तेषां गुणसंघातः शरीरं भरतर्षभ। सततं हि प्रलीयन्ते गुणास्ते प्रभवन्ति च॥
The bodies of living creatures, O foremost of Bharata's race, are the result of the combination of the virtues of these five. Those virtues repeatedly come into being and repeatedly merge into the Supreme Soul.
ततः सृष्टानि भूतानि तानि यान्ति पुनः पुनः। महाभूतानि भूतेभ्य ऊर्मयः सागरे यथा॥
From those five primal elements are created all creatures, and into those five great elements all creatures resolve themselves, again and again, like the numberless waves of the Ocean rising from the Ocean and merging into that which causes thein.
प्रसारयित्वेहाङ्गानि कूर्मः संहरते यथा। तद्वद् भूतानि भूतानामल्पीयांसि स्थवीयसाम्॥
As a tortoise stretches forth its legs and withdraws them again into itself, so the numberless creatures originate from (and enter) these five great essences.
आकाशात् खलु यो घोषः संघातस्तु महीगुणः। वायोः प्राणो रसस्त्वद्भ्यो रूपं तेजस उच्यते॥
Verily, sound originates from ether, and all dense matter is the attribute of Earth. Life springs from Wind. Taste is from Water. From is the property of Light.
इत्येतन्मयमेवैतत् सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। प्रलये च तमभ्येति तस्मादुद्दिश्यते पुनः॥
The entire mobile and immobile universe is thus the outcome of the combination of these five great essences. When Destruction sets in, the infinite variety of creatures resolve themselves into those five, and once more, when Creation begins, they originate from the same five.
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव सर्वभूतेषु भूतकृत्। विषयान् कल्पयामास यस्मिन् यदनुपश्यति॥
The Creator puts in all creatures the same five great elements in proportions that He thinks fit.
शब्दश्रोत्रे तथा खानि त्रयमाकाशयोनिजम्। रसः स्नेहश्च जिह्वा च अपामेते गुणाः स्मृताः॥
Sound, the cars, and all cavities,-these three-have ether for their cause. Taste, all watery or juicy substances, and the tongue, are the properties of Water.
रूपं चक्षुर्विपाश्च त्रिविधं ज्योतिरुच्यते। प्रेयं घ्राणं शरीरं च एते भूमिगुणाः स्मृताः॥
From, the eye, and the digestive fire in the stomach, are the properties of Light. Smell, the organ of smelling, and the body, are the properties of Earth.
प्राणः स्पर्शश्च चेष्टा च वायोरेते गुणाः स्मृताः। इति सर्वगुणा राजन् व्याख्याताः पाञ्चभौतिकाः॥
Life, touch, and action are the properties of Wind. I have thus explained to you, O king, all the properties of the five principal elements.
सत्त्वं रजस्तमः कालः कर्म बुद्धिश्च भारत। मनःषष्ठानि चैतेषु ईश्वरः समकल्पयत्॥
Having created these, the Supreme God, O Bharata, united with them the qualities of Goodness, Darkness, and Ignorance, Time, Consciousness of functions, and Mind forming the sixth.
यदूर्ध्वं पादतलयोरवाङ् मूर्ध्नश्च पश्यसि। एतस्मिन्नेव कृत्स्नेयं वर्तते बुद्धिरन्तरे॥
What is called the Understanding lives in the interior of what you see above the soles of the feet and below the crown of the heat.
इन्द्रियाणि नरे पञ्च षष्ठं तु मन उच्यते। सप्तमी बुद्धिमेवाहुः क्षेत्रज्ञः पुनरष्टमः॥
In man there are five senses. The sixth (sense) is the Mind. The seventh is called the Understanding. The Kshetrajna or Soul is the eighth.
इन्द्रियाणि च कर्ता च विचेतव्यानि भागशः। तमः सत्त्वं रजश्चैव तेऽपि भावास्तदाश्रयाः॥
The senses and the Actor should be determined by apprehension of their respective functions. The states called Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, depend upon the senses for their formation.
चक्षुरालोचनायैव संशयं कुरुते मनः। बुद्धिरध्यवसानाय साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते।
The senses exist for simply catching the impressions of their respective objects. Doubt is the function of the Mind. The Understanding is for ascertainment. The soul is said to be only an inactive witness.
तमः सत्त्वं रजति काल: कर्म च भारत॥ गुणैर्नेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिरेवेन्द्रियाणि च।
Sattva, Rajas, Tamas, Time, and Acts, O Bharata, these attributes govern the Understanding. The Understanding is the senses and the five attributes.
मनः षष्ठानि सर्वाणि बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गणाः॥ येन पश्यति तच्चक्षुः शृण्वती श्रोत्रमुच्यते। जिघ्रती भवति घ्राणं रसती रसना रसान्॥
When the Understanding is not, the senses with the mind, and the five other attributes, cease to be. That by which the understanding sees is called the eye. When she smells, the becomes the organ of smell; and when she tastes the various objects, she is called tongue.
स्पर्शनं स्पर्शती स्पर्शान् बुद्धिर्विक्रियतेऽसकृत्। यदा प्रार्थयते किंचित् तदा भवति सा मनः॥
When again she feels the touch of the various objects, she becomes the organ of touch. It is the Understanding that becomes modified variously and frequently. When the Understanding wishes for anything, she becomes Mind.
अधिष्ठानानि बुद्ध्या हि पृथगेतानि पञ्चधा। इन्द्रियाणीति तान्याहुस्तेषु दुष्टेषु दुष्यति॥
The five senses with the Mind, which separately form the foundations (of the Understanding), are the creations of the Understanding. They are called Indriyas or organs. When they become stained, the Understanding also becomes sullied.
पुरुष तिष्ठती बुद्धिस्त्रिषु भावेषु वर्तते। कदाचिल्लभते प्रीति कदाचिदपि शोचति॥ न सुखेन न दुःखेन कदाचिदपि वर्तते। सेयं भावात्मिका भावांस्त्रीनेतान् परिवर्तते॥
The Understanding, living in individual Soul, exists in three states. Sometimes she rejoices, sometimes she grieves, and sometimes she exists in a state which is neither pleasure nor pain. Having for her essence these states, of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas), the Understanding passes through these three states.
सरितां सागरो भर्ता यथा वेलामिवोर्मिवान्। इति भावगता बुद्धिर्भावे मनसि वर्तते॥
As the lord of rivers, viz., the Ocean, always keeps within his bounds, so the Understanding, which exists united with the (three) states, exists in the Mind.
प्रवर्तमानं तु रजस्तद्भावेनानुवर्तते। प्रहर्षः प्रीतिरानन्दः सुखं संशान्तचित्तता॥ कथंचिदुपपद्यन्ते पुरुषे सात्त्विका गुणाः। परिदाहस्तथा शोकः संतापोऽपूर्तिरक्षमा॥ लिङ्गानि रजसस्तानि दृश्यन्ते हेत्वहेतुभिः। अविद्या रागमोहौ च प्रमादः स्तब्धता भयम्॥ असमृद्धिस्तथा दैन्यं प्रमोहः स्वप्नतन्द्रिता। कथंचिदुपवर्तन्ते विविधास्तामसा गुणाः॥
When the state of Rajas is awakened, the Understanding becomes changed into Rajas. Delight, joy, gladness, happiness, and contentment, these when somehow excited, are the properties of Sattva. Heart-burning, grief, sorrow, discontentment, and unforgiveness, arising from particular causes, are the outcome of Rajas. Ignorance, attachment and mistake, carelessness, stupefaction, and terror, meanness, cheerlessness. sleep and procrastination,-these, when engendered by particular causes, are the properties of Tamas.
तत्र यत् प्रीतिसंयुक्तं काये मनसि वा भवेत्। वर्तते सात्त्विको भाव इत्युपेक्षेत तत् तथा॥
Whatever state of body of mind, either joy or happiness, arises, should be considered as due to the state of Sattva.
अथ यद् दुःखसंयुक्तमप्रीतिकरमात्मनः। प्रवृत्तं रज इत्येव तदसंरभ्य चिन्तयेत्॥
Whatever, again, is full of sorrow and is disagreeable to oneself, should be considered as originating from Rajas. Without undertaking any such act, one should turn his attention to it.
अथ यन्मोहसंयुक्तं काये मनसि वा भवेत्। अप्रतय॑मविज्ञेयं तमस्तदुपधारयेत्॥
Whatever is full of error or stupefaction in either body or mind, and is inconceivable and mysterious, should be known as being outcome to Tamas.
इति बुद्धिगतीः सर्वा व्याख्याता यावतीरिह। एतद् बुद्ध्वा भवेद् बुद्धः किमन्यद् बुद्धलक्षणम्॥
Thus have I explained to you that all things in this world live in the Understanding. By knowing this one becomes wise. What else can be the characteristics of wisdom?
सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयोः। सृजतेऽत्र गुणानेक एको न सृजते गुणान्।॥
Know now the difference between these two subtile things, viz., Understanding, the Soul. One of these viz., the Understanding, creates qualities. The other, i.e., the Soul, does not create them.
पृथग्भूतौ प्रकृत्या तु सम्प्रयुक्तौ च सर्वदा। यथा मत्स्योऽद्भिरन्यः स्यात् सम्प्रयुक्तो भवेत् तथा।।३४।
Although they are, by nature, distinct from each other, yet they always dwell in a state of union. A fish is different from the water in which it lives, but the fish and the water exist together.
न गुणा विदुरात्मानं स गुणान् वेद सर्वतः। परिद्रष्टा गुणानां तं संस्रष्टा मन्यते यथा।॥
The qualities cannot know the Soul. The Soul, however, knows them. The ignorant regard the Soul as existing in a state of union with the qualities like qualities existing with their possessors. This, however, is not the case, for the Soul is only an idle spectator of everything.
आश्रयो नास्ति सत्त्वस्य गुणसर्गेण चेतना। सत्त्वमस्य सृजन्त्यन्ये गुणान् वेद कदाचन॥
The Understanding has no refuge. That which is called life originates from the effects of the qualities coming together. Others, acting as causes, create the Understanding that lives in the body. No one can apprehend the qualities in the true nature or from of existence.
सृजते हि गुणान् सत्त्वं क्षेत्रज्ञः परिपश्यति। सम्प्रयोगस्तयोरेष सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्भुवः॥
The Understanding, as already said, creates the qualities. The Soul simply sees them. This union between the Understanding and the Soul is eternal.
इन्द्रियैस्तु प्रदीपार्थं क्रियते बुद्धिरन्तरा। निश्चक्षुर्भिरजानाद्भिरिन्द्रियाणि प्रदीपवत्॥
The Understanding living within, perceives all things through the Senses which are by nature inanimate and unapprehending. In sooth, the senses are only like lamps.
एवंस्वभावमेवैतत् तद् बुद्ध्वा विहरेन्नरः। अशोचन्नप्रहष्यंश्च स वै विगतमत्सरः॥
This is there nature. Knowing this, one should live cheerfully, without giving way to either grief or joy. Such a man is above the influence of pride.
स्वभावसिद्धमेवैतद् यदिमान् सृजते गुणान्। उर्णनाभिर्यथा सूत्रं विज्ञेयास्तन्तुवद् गुणाः॥
Owing to her nature, the Understanding creates all these attributes, as a spider weaves threads. These qualities should be known as the threads the spider weaves.
प्रध्वस्ता न निवर्तन्ते प्रवृत्तिर्नोपलभ्यते। एवमेके व्यवस्यन्ति निवृत्तिरिति चापरे॥
When destroyed, the qualities do not cease to exist; only, their existence becomes invisible. When, however, a thing is beyond the range of the senses, its existence (or otherwise) is understood by inference. This is the opinion of some persons. Others hold that with destruction the qualities cease to be. are
इतीदं हृदयग्रन्थि बुद्धिचिन्तामयं दृढम्। विमुच्य सुखमासीत विशोकश्छिन्नसंशयः॥
Solving this hard problem of the understanding and reflection, and removing all doubt, one should renounce sorrow and live happily.
ताम्येयुः प्रच्युताः पृथ्वीं मोहपूर्णा नदी नराः। यथा गाधमविद्वांसो बुद्धियोगमयं तथा॥
As men not knowing the bottom become distressed when they fall upon this Earth which is like a river filled with the waters of stupefaction, so is that man pained who falls away from that state in which there is a union with the Understanding.
नैव ताम्यन्ति विद्वांसः प्लवन्तः पारमम्भसः। अध्यात्मविदुषो धीरा ज्ञानं तु परमं प्लवः॥
Learned men, however, conversant with spiritual science and armed with fortitu never afflicted, because they can go to the other end of those waters. Indeed, Knowledge is a good vessel.
न भवति विदुषां महद्भयं यदविदुषां सुमहद्भयं भवेत्। न हि गतिरधिकास्ति कस्यचित् सकृदुपदर्शयतीह तुल्यताम्॥
Men of knowledge have not to meet those fears which terrify them that are shorn of knowledge. Regarding the righteous, none of them attains to an end which is superior to that of any other person amongst them. In fact, the righteous display an equality about it.
स्तच्च दूषयति यत्पुरा कृतम्। नाप्रियं तदुभयं करोत्यसौ यच्च दूषयति यत् करोति च।।४६।
Regarding the man of knowledge, whatever acts have been done by him in pristine times out of Ignorance and whatever sinful acts he does, he destroys both by Knowledge as his sole means. Then, again, upon the attainment of Knowledge he ceases to commit these two evils, viz., blaming the wicked acts of others and doing any wicked acts himself under the influence of attachment.