Critical Edition
शुक उवाच यदिदं वेदवचनं कुरु कर्म त्यजेति च कां दिशं विद्यया यान्ति कां च गच्छन्ति कर्मणा
M. N. Dutt: Shuka said The injunctions of the Vedas are twofold. They once lay down the command,Do all acts. They again declare renounce acts.-I ask-where do persons go by the help of Knowledge and where by the help of acts.
एतद्वै श्रोतुमिच्छामि तद्भवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे एतत्त्वन्योन्यवैरूप्ये वर्तते प्रतिकूलतः
M. N. Dutt: I wish to hear this. Do tell me this. Indeed, these injunctions about knowledge and acts are dissimilar and even contradictory.
भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं पराशरसुतः सुतम् कर्मविद्यामयावेतौ व्याख्यास्यामि क्षराक्षरौ
AI Translation: Bhishma said: Thus addressed, the son of Parashara replied to his son: I shall explain the perishable and imperishable ones, which are composed of action and knowledge.
यां दिशं विद्यया यान्ति यां च गच्छन्ति कर्मणा शृणुष्वैकमनाः पुत्र गह्वरं ह्येतदन्तरम्
AI Translation: The direction in which they go by knowledge and the direction in which they go by action, Listen, O son, with a single mind, for this is a deep secret.
अस्ति धर्म इति प्रोक्तं नास्तीत्यत्रैव यो वदेत् तस्य पक्षस्य सदृशमिदं मम भवेदथ
M. N. Dutt: The question which you have asked me has given me such pain as an athestic talk gives to a religious man.
द्वाविमावथ पन्थानौ यत्र वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो निवृत्तौ च सुभाषितः
AI Translation: There are these two paths on which the Vedas are established: The Dharma characterized by activity and the well-spoken in cessation.
कर्मणा बध्यते जन्तुर्विद्यया तु प्रमुच्यते तस्मात्कर्म न कुर्वन्ति यतयः पारदर्शिनः
AI Translation: The creature is bound by action, but is liberated by knowledge. Therefore, the ascetics who see the other shore do not perform actions.
कर्मणा जायते प्रेत्य मूर्तिमान्षोडशात्मकः विद्यया जायते नित्यमव्ययो ह्यव्ययात्मकः
M. N. Dutt: Through acts one is compelled to take rebirth, after death which a body composed of the sixteen ingredients. Through knowledge, however, one becomes metamorphosed into that which is Eternal, is Eternal, Unmanifest, and Immutable.
कर्म त्वेके प्रशंसन्ति स्वल्पबुद्धितरा नराः तेन ते देहजालानि रमयन्त उपासते
M. N. Dutt: Little-witted persons speak highly of acts. On account of this they have to assume bodies ceaselessly.
ये तु बुद्धिं परां प्राप्ता धर्मनैपुण्यदर्शिनः न ते कर्म प्रशंसन्ति कूपं नद्यां पिबन्निव
M. N. Dutt: Those men, who have keen perceptions about duties and who have attained to that high understanding, never speak highly of acts even as persons, who depend for their drinking water upon the supply of streams never speak highly of wells and tanks.
कर्मणः फलमाप्नोति सुखदुःखे भवाभवौ विद्यया तदवाप्नोति यत्र गत्वा न शोचति
AI Translation: One attains the fruits of one's actions, happiness and suffering, existence and non-existence. One attains that by knowledge, going to which one does not grieve.
यत्र गत्वा न म्रियते यत्र गत्वा न जायते न जीर्यते यत्र गत्वा यत्र गत्वा न वर्धते
AI Translation: Where, having gone, one does not die, where, having gone, one is not born, Where, having gone, one does not age, where, having gone, one does not increase,
यत्र तद्ब्रह्म परममव्यक्तमजरं ध्रुवम् अव्याहतमनायासममृतं चावियोगि च
AI Translation: Where that Brahman is supreme, unmanifest, deathless, and eternal, Unimpeded, effortless, immortal, and inseparable,
द्वंद्वैर्यत्र न बाध्यन्ते मानसेन च कर्मणा समाः सर्वत्र मैत्राश्च सर्वभूतहिते रताः
AI Translation: Those who are not afflicted by dualities, and by mental actions, Who are equal everywhere, friendly, and devoted to the welfare of all beings,
विद्यामयोऽन्यः पुरुषस्तात कर्ममयोऽपरः विद्धि चन्द्रमसं दर्शे सूक्ष्मया कलया स्थितम्
M. N. Dutt: Know that without suffering destruction, the man of knowledge exists for ever like the moon on the last day of the dark fortnight existing in a subtile form.
Supplementary Passages:
12.233.15 After 15, D7 T G1.3.6 Kumbh. ed. ins.: *682 विद्यामयं तं पुरुषं नित्यं ज्ञानगुणात्मकम्
तदेतदृषिणा प्रोक्तं विस्तरेणानुमीयते नवजं शशिनं दृष्ट्वा वक्रं तन्तुमिवाम्बरे
M. N. Dutt: The great Rishi had described this more fully. Regarding the man given to acts his nature may be inferred from seeing the new moon which appears like a bent thread in the sky.
एकादशविकारात्मा कलासंभारसंभृतः मूर्तिमानिति तं विद्धि तात कर्मगुणात्मकम्
M. N. Dutt: Know, O son, that the man of acts is born again with a body with eleven elements for its component parts which are the results of modification, and with a subtile form which represents a total of sixteen.
Supplementary Passages:
12.233.17 After 17, D7 T G1.3.6 M1.5-7 Kumbh. ed. Cv ins.: *683 तस्मिन्यः संस्थितो ह्यग्निर्नित्यं स्थाल्यामिवाहितः आत्मानं तं विजानीहि नित्यं त्यागजितात्मकम्
देवो यः संश्रितस्तस्मिन्नब्बिन्दुरिव पुष्करे क्षेत्रज्ञं तं विजानीयान्नित्यं त्यागजितात्मकम्
M. N. Dutt: The god who resides in that (material) form, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, should be known as Kshetrajna (Soul) which is Eternal and which gets over by Yoga both the mind and the understanding.
तमो रजश्च सत्त्वं च विद्धि जीवगुणानिमान् जीवमात्मगुणं विद्यादात्मानं परमात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: Goodness, darkness, and ignorance are the qualities of the Understanding. The understanding is the attribute of the individual soul living within the body. The individual soul, in its turn, emanates froin the Supreme Soul.
सचेतनं जीवगुणं वदन्ति; स चेष्टते चेष्टयते च सर्वम् ततः परं क्षेत्रविदो वदन्ति; प्रावर्तयद्यो भुवनानि सप्त
M. N. Dutt: The body with the soul is said to be the attribute of individual soul. It is individual soul which acts and causes all bodies to live. He who has created the seven worlds is said by those who are acquainted with what is Kshatra to be above individual soul.