मनुरुवाच यदा तैः पञ्चभिः पञ्च युक्तानि मनसा सह। अथ तद् रक्ष्यते ब्रह्म मणौ सूत्रमिवापितम्॥
Manu said When the five attributes are united with the five senses and the mind, then is Brahma seen by the individual like a thread passing through a gem.
तदेव च यथा सूत्रं सुवर्णे वर्तते पुनः। मुक्तास्वथ प्रवालेषु मृन्मये राजते तथा॥ तद्वद् गोऽश्वमनुष्येषु तद्वद्धस्तिमृगादिषु। तद्वत् कीटपतङ्गेषु प्रसक्तात्मा स्वकर्मभिः॥
As a thread may lie within gold or a pearl or a coral or any earthen object, so one's soul, for his own acts, may live within a cow, a horse, a man, an elephant or any other animal, or with a worm or an insect.
येन येन शरीरेण यद्यत्कर्म करोत्ययम्। तेन तेन शरीरेण तत् तत् फलमुपाश्नुते॥
The good deeds with a person performs in a particular body yield rewards that the individual enjoys in that particular body.
यथा ह्येकरसा भूमिरोषध्यर्थानुसारिणी। तथा कर्मानुगा बुद्धिरन्तरात्मानुदर्शिनी॥
A soil, seemingly drenched with one particular kind of liquid, supplies to each different sort of Herb or plant that grows on it the sort of juice it requires for itself. Similarly, the Understanding, whose course is witnessed by the Soul, is obliged to follow the path marked out by pristine deeds.
ज्ञानपूर्वा भवेल्लिप्सा लिप्सापूर्वाभिसंधिता। अभिसधिपूर्वकं कर्म कर्ममूलं ततः फलम्॥
From knowledge originates desire. From desire originates resolution. From resolution proceeds action. From action proceed fruits.
फलं कर्मात्मकं विद्यात् कर्म ज्ञेयात्मकं तथा। ज्ञेयं ज्ञानात्मकं विद्याजानं सदसदात्मकम्॥
Fruits, therefore, have actions as their cause. Actions have the understanding for their root. The understanding has knowledge for its ot, and knowledge has the Soul for its cause.
ज्ञानानां च फलानां च ज्ञेयानां कर्मणां तथा। क्षयान्ते यत् फलं विद्याज्ज्ञानं ज्ञेयप्रतिष्ठितम्॥
That excellent outcome which is gained by the destruction of knowledge, of fruits, of the understanding, and of acts is called knowledge of Brahma.
महद्धि परमं भूतं यत् प्रपश्यन्ति योगिनः। अबुधास्तं न पश्यन्ति ह्यात्मस्थं गुणबुद्धयः॥
High indeed is that self-existent Essence which Yogins witness. They who are devoid of wisdom, and whose understandings are addicted to worldly objects never see that which exists in the soul itself.
पृथिवीरूपतो रूपमपामिह महत्तरम्। अद्भयो महत्तरं तेजस्तेजसः पवनो महान्॥
Water is superior to the Earth; Light is superior to Water; Wind is superior to Light.
पवनाच्च महद् व्योम तस्मात् परतरं मनः। मनसो महती बुद्धिर्बुद्धेः कालो महान् स्मृतः॥
Space is superior to Wind; Mind is superior 10 Space; Understanding is superior to Mind; Time is superior to Understanding.
कालात् स भगवान् विष्णुर्यस्य सर्वमिदं जगत्। नादिर्न मध्यं नैवान्तस्तस्य देवस्य विद्यते॥
The Divine Vishnu, who is identical with this universe, is superior to Time. That god is without beginning, middle, and end.
अनादित्वादमध्यत्वादनन्तत्वाच्च सोऽव्ययः। अत्येति सर्वदुःखानि दुःखं ह्यन्तवदुच्यते॥
For his being without beginning, iniddle, and cnd, he is Unchangeable. He is above all Sorrow, for Sorrow has limits.
तद् ब्रह्म परमं प्रोक्तं तद्धाम परमं पदम्। तद् गत्वा कालविषयाद् विमुक्ता मोक्षमाश्रिताः॥
That Vishnu is called the Supreme Brahma. He is the refuge or object of what is called the Highest. Knowing Him, they who are wise, freed from everything which is under the influence of Time, acquire liberation.
गुणेष्वेते प्रकाशन्ते निर्गुणत्वात् ततः परम्। निवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मस्तथाऽऽनन्त्याय कल्पते॥
What we perceive is displayed in attributes. That which is called Brahma, being without attributes, is superior to these. Abstention from acts constitutes the greatest religion. That religion is sure to bring on deathlessness.
ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि शरीराणि व्यपाश्रिताः। जिह्वाग्रेषु प्रवर्तन्ते यत्नसाध्या विनाशिनः॥
The Richs, the yajuses and the Samans depend on the body. They flow from the end of the tongue. They cannot be acquired without exertion and are subject to destruction.
न चैवमिष्यते ब्रह्म शरीराश्रयसम्भवम्। न यत्नसाध्यं तद् ब्रह्म नादिमध्यं न चान्तवत्॥ ।
Brahma, however, cannot be acquired in this way, for it depends upon that (Soul) which has the body for its refuge. Without beginning, middle, or end, Brahma cannot be acquired by effort.
ऋचामादिस्तथा साम्नां यजुषामादिरुच्यते। अन्तश्चादिमतां दृष्टो न त्वादिब्रह्मणः स्मृतः॥
The Richs, the Samans, the Yajuses, have each a beginning. Those that have a beginning have also an end. But Brahma is said to be without beginning.
अनादिन्वादनन्तत्वात्तदन्तमथाव्ययम्। अव्ययत्वाच्च निर्दुःखं द्वन्द्वाभावस्ततः परम्॥
And because Brahma has neither beginning nor end, it is said to be infinite and unchangeable. On account of unchangeableness, Brahma transcends all sorrow as also pairs of opposites.
अदृष्टतोऽनुपायाच्च प्रतिसंधेश्च कर्मणः। न तेन माः पश्यन्ति येन गच्छन्ति तत् पदम्॥
Through unfavourable destiny, through inability to find out the proper expedient, and through the obstacles put in by acts, men cannot see the path by which Brahına may be reached.
विषयेषु च संसर्गाच्छाश्वतस्य च दर्शनात्। मनसा चान्यदाकाङ्क्षन् परं न प्रतिपद्यते॥
On account of attachment to worldly objects, in view of the joys of the highest heaven, and for seeking something other than Brahma, men do not attain to the Supremc.
गुणान् यदिह पश्यन्ति तदिच्छन्त्यपरे जनाः। परं नैवाभिकाङ्क्षन्ति निर्गुणत्वाद् गुणार्थिनः॥
Others seeing worldly objects seek their possession. When they hanker after such objects, they do not see Brahma inasmuch as it is shorn of all attributes.
गुणैर्यस्त्ववरैर्युक्तः कथं विद्यात् परान् गुणान्। अनुमानाद्धि गन्तव्यं गुणैरवयवैः परम्॥
How can one who is endued with inferior qualities, acquire a knowledge of him who is possessed of superior qualities? It is by inference that one can arrive at a knowledge of Him who transcends all things in attributes and form.
सूक्ष्मेण मनसा विद्यो वाचा वक्तुं न शक्नुमः। मनो हि मनसा ग्राह्यं दर्शनेन च दर्शनम्॥
We can know him only. By subtile intelligence, we cannot describe Him in words. The mind is caught by the mind, the eye by the eye.
ज्ञानेन निर्मलीकृत्य बुद्धिं बुद्ध्या मनस्तथा। मनसा चेन्द्रियग्राममक्षरं प्रतिपद्यते॥
By knowledge the understanding can be purged off of its impurities The understanding may be engaged for purifying the mind. The senses should be restrained by the mind. Performing all this, one may attain to the Unchangeable.
बुद्धिप्रवीणो मनसा समृद्धो निराशिषं निर्गुणमभ्युपैति। परं त्यजन्तीह विलोड्यमाना हुताशनं वायुरिवेन्धनस्थम्॥
One who has, by contemplation, become freed from attachments, and who has the wealth of a discerning mind, succeeds in attaining to Brahma which is without desire and above all attributes. As the wind does not touch the fire that lies within a piece of wood, so persons, who are moved (by desire for worldly objects stand aloof from that which is Supreme).
गुणादाने विप्रयोगे च तेषां मनः सदा बुद्धिपरावराभ्याम्। अनेनैव विधिना सम्प्रवृत्तो गुणापाये ब्रह्म शरीर मेति॥
When all earthly objects are destroyed, the mind always attains to That which is higher than the Understanding; while upon their separation the mind always acquires that which is below the Understanding. Therefore, a person, who, according to the method already described, becomes engaged in destroying carthly objects, becomes immersed in Brahma.
अव्यक्तात्मा पुरुषो व्यक्तकर्मा सोऽव्यक्तत्वं गच्छति दन्तकाले। ग्लायद्भिर्वाऽऽवर्ततेऽकामरूपः॥
Though the Soul is unmanifest, yet when endued with qualities, its acts become manifest. When dissolution sets in it once more becomes unmanifest. The Soul is really inactive. Its exists, endued with the senses which create either happiness or misery.
सर्वैरयं चेन्द्रियैः सम्प्रयुक्तो देहं प्राप्तः पञ्चभूताश्रयः स्यात्। नासामर्थ्याद् गच्छति कर्मणेह हीनस्तेन परमेणाव्ययेन॥
United with all the senses and body, it takes refuge in the five primal elements. It cannot, however, act through want of power, however, when it is deprived of force by the Supreme and Unchangeable.
पृथ्व्यां नरः पश्यति नान्तमस्या ह्यन्तश्चास्या भविता चेति विद्धि। परं नयन्तीह विलोड्यमानं यथा प्लवं वायुरिवार्णवस्थम्॥
No man sees the end of this earth, but know this, viz., that the Earth's end will surely come. Man moved here (by attachments) is surely led to his last resort like the wind leading a vessel, tossed on the sea to a safe harbour at last.
दिवाकरो गुणमुपलभ्य निर्गुणो यथा भवेदपगतरश्मिमण्डलः। तथा ह्यसौ मुनिरिह निर्विशेषवान् स निर्गुणं प्रविशति ब्रह्म चाव्ययम्॥
Diffusing his rays the sun becomes the possessor of an attribute, withdrawing his rays he once more becomes an object shorn of attributes, Similarly a person casting off all distinctions and practising penances, at last enters the indestructible Brahma which is shorn of all attributes.
अनागतं सुकृतवतां परां गति स्वयम्भुवं प्रभवनिधानमव्ययम्। सनातनं यदमृतमव्ययं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तत् परममृतत्वमश्नुते॥
By knowing Him who is without birth, who is the highest refuge of all pious men, who is self-create, from whom everything originates and whom everything returns, who is unchangeable, who is without beginning, middle, and end, and who is self and supreme, a person attains to immortality.'
अनागतं सुकृतवतां परां गति स्वयम्भुवं प्रभवनिधानमव्ययम्। सनातनं यदमृतमव्ययं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तत् परममृतत्वमश्नुते॥
By knowing Him who is without birth, who is the highest refuge of all pious men, who is self-create, from whom everything originates and whom everything returns, who is unchangeable, who is without beginning, middle, and end, and who is self and supreme, a person attains to immortality.'