शुक उवाच अध्यात्म विस्तरेणेह पुनरेव वदस्व मे। यदध्यात्म यथा वेद भगवनृषिसत्तम्॥
Shuka said O illustrious one, O foremost of Rishis, once again describe to me fully the subject bearing on soul. Tell me what, in deed, is spiritual topic and whence does it come?
व्यास उवाच अध्यात्मं यदिदं तात पुरुषस्येह पठ्यते। तत् तेऽहं वर्तयिष्यामि तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु॥
Vyasa said That, O son, which is considered as spiritual with reference to human beings, I shall now mention to you, and listen to the explanation I give.
भूमिरापस्तथा ज्योतिर्वायुराकाश एव चा महाभूतानि भूतानां सागरस्योर्मयो यथा।॥
Earth, water, light, wind, and entities are the great principles which form the component parts of all creatures, and though really one are yet considered different like the waves of the Ocean.
प्रसार्येह यथाङ्गानि कूर्मः संहरते पुनः। तद्वन्महान्ति भूतानि यवीयःसु विकुर्वते॥
Like a tortoise extending out its limbs and withdrawing then again, the great elements, by living in innumerable small forms, go through transformations.
इति तन्मयमेवेदं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। सर्गे च प्रलये चैव तस्मिन् निर्दिश्यते तथा॥
All this universe of mobile and immobile objects has for its component parts these five elements. Everything, regarding creation and destruction, is referable to this fivefold elements.
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव सर्वभूतेषु भूतकृत्। अकरोत् तात वैषम्यं यस्मिन् यदनुपश्यति॥
These five elements are in all existent things. The Creator of all things, however, has made an unequal distribution of those elements for serving different ends.
शुक उवाच अकरोद् यच्छरीरेषु कथं तदुपलक्षयेत्। इन्द्रियाणि गुणाः केचित् कथं तानुपलक्षयेत्॥
How can one understand that unequal distribution in the various objects of the universe? Which amongst them are the senses and which the attributes? How may this be understood?
व्यास उवाच एत् ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावदनुपूर्वशः। शृणु तत् त्वमिहैकाग्रो यथातत्त्वं यथा च तत्॥
Vyasa said I shall explain this to you properly, one after another. Listen with rapt attention to the subject as I explain how what I have said actually takes place.
शब्दः श्रोतं तथा स्वानि त्रयमाकाशसम्भवम्। प्राणश्चेष्टा तथा स्पर्श एते वायुगुणास्त्रयः॥
Sound, the sense of hearing, and all the cavities within the body,-these three Originate-from ether. The vital airs, the action of the limbs, and touch are the attributes of the wind.
रूपं चक्षुर्विपाकश्च त्रिधा ज्योतिर्विधीयते। रसोऽथ रसनं स्नेहो गुणास्त्वेते त्रयोऽम्भसः॥
From eyes and the digestive fire within the stomach, originate from light. Taste, tongue, and all the humours,—these three originate from water.
प्रेयं घ्राणं शरीरं च भूमेरेते गुणास्त्रयः। एतावानिन्द्रियग्रामैर्व्याख्यातः पाञ्चभौतिकः॥
Scent, nose, and the body,-these three,-form the attributes of earth. These then, as I have explained to you, are the changes of the five (great) elements in connection with the senses.
वायोः स्पर्शो रसोऽङ्ग्यश्च ज्योतिषो रूपमुच्यते। आकाशप्रभवः शब्दो गन्धो भूमिगुणः स्मृतः॥
Touch is said to be attribute of the wind; taste of water; form of light. Sound originate from ether, and scent is the property of earth.
मनो बुद्धिः स्वभावश्च त्रय एते स्वयोनिजाः। न गुणानतिवर्तन्ते गुणेभ्यः परमागताः॥
Mind, Understanding, and Nature,—these three, originate from their own previous states, and acquiring a position higher than the attributes, do not get over those attributes.
यथा कूर्म इहाङ्गानि प्रसार्य विनियच्छति। एवमेवेन्द्रियग्रामं बुद्धिः सृष्ट्वा नियच्छति॥ एतस्मिन्नेव कृत्ये तु वर्तते बुद्धिरुत्तमा॥
As the tortoise extends its limbs and withdraws them once again within itself, so the Understanding creates the senses and once again withdraws them into itself. The consciousness of ego which arises about what is above the soles of the feet and below the crown of the head, is mainly due to the action of the Understanding.
गुणान् नेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिरेवेन्द्रियाण्यपि। मनःषष्ठानि सर्वाणि बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गुणाः॥
It is the Understanding which is transformed into the (five) attributes. It is the Understanding also which is transformed into the (five) senses with the mind for the sixth. Where the attributes when the Understanding is nowhere? are Own
इन्द्रियाणि नरे पञ्च षष्ठं तु मन उच्यते। सप्तमी बुद्धिमेवाहुः क्षेत्रज्ञं पुनरष्टमम्॥
There are five senses in man. The mind is called the sixth. The Understanding is called the seventh. The Soul is the eighth.
चक्षुरालोचनायैव संशयं कुरुते मनः। बुद्धिरध्यवसानाय साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते॥
The eyes and the other senses are for only receiving impressions of form, etc. The mind exists for doubting. The Understanding determines those doubts. The Soul is said to only see every work without mingling with them.
रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं च यत्र एते स्वयोनिजाः। समाः सर्वेषु भूतेषु तान् गुणानुपलक्षयेत्॥
The qualities of goodness, darkness and ignorance originate from their counterparts. These exist equally in all creatures. These are called qualities and should be known by the actions they produce.
तत्र यत् प्रीतिसंयुक्तं किंचिदात्मनि लक्षयेत्। प्रशान्तमिव संशुद्धं सत्त्वं तदुपधारयेत्॥
Regarding those actions, all such states of cheerfulness or joy, of tranquillity and purity which one becomes conscious of in one self, should be known as due to the quality of goodness.
यत् तु संतापसंयुक्तं काये मनसि वा भवेत्। प्रवृत्तं रज इत्येवं तत्र चाप्युपलक्षयेत्॥
All such states of sorrow in either the body or the mind, should be considered as due to the influence of the quality of darkness.
यदूर्ध्वं पादतलयोरवाङ्मूर्ध्नश्च पश्यति। यत् तु सम्मोहसंयुक्तमव्यक्तविषयं भवेत्। अप्रतय॑मविज्ञेयं तमस्तदुपधार्यताम्॥
All such states of stupefaction whose cause cannot be deterinined (by either reason or inward light), should be known as due to the action of Ignorance.
प्रहर्षः प्रीतिरानन्दः साम्यं स्वस्थात्मचित्तता। अकस्माद् यदि वा कस्माद् वर्तन्ते सात्त्विका गुणाः।।२
Delight, cheerfulness, joy, equanimity, contentment of heart, due to any known cause or originating otherwise, are all effects of the quality of goodness.
अभिमानो मृघावादो लोभो मोहस्तथाक्षमा। लिङ्गानि रजसस्तानि वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुतः॥
Pride, false speech, cupidity, stupefaction, vindictiveness, whether originating from any known cause or otherwise, are characteristics of the quality of darkness.
तथा मोहः प्रमादश्च निद्रा तन्द्राप्रबोधिता। कथंचिदभिवर्तन्ते विज्ञेयास्तामसा गुणाः॥
Stupefaction of judgement, carelessness, sleep, lethargy, and indolence, from whatever cause these may originate, are to be regarded as the characteristics of the quality of Ignorance.