Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच किं तदक्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मान्नावर्तते पुनः किं च तत्क्षरमित्युक्तं यस्मादावर्तते पुनः
M. N. Dutt: What is that which is called Undecaying and by acquiring which no one has to return? What, again, is that which is called Decaying, and by acquiring which one has to return once more?
अक्षरक्षरयोर्व्यक्तिमिच्छाम्यरिनिषूदन उपलब्धुं महाबाहो तत्त्वेन कुरुनन्दन
M. N. Dutt: O destroyer of enemies, I ask you the distinction that exists, O you of mighty arms, between the Decaying and the Undecaying ones for understanding them both truly, O delighter of the Kurus.
त्वं हि ज्ञाननिधिर्विप्रैरुच्यसे वेदपारगैः ऋषिभिश्च महाभागैर्यतिभिश्च महात्मभिः
M. N. Dutt: Brahmans conversant with the Vedas, speak of you as on Ocean of knowledge. Highly blessed Rishis and Yatis of great souls do the Salme.
शेषमल्पं दिनानां ते दक्षिणायनभास्करे आवृत्ते भगवत्यर्के गन्तासि परमां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: You have very few days to live. When the Sun turns from his southern solstice for entering into the northern, you will attain to your high end.
त्वयि प्रतिगते श्रेयः कुतः श्रोष्यामहे वयम् कुरुवंशप्रदीपस्त्वं ज्ञानद्रव्येण दीप्यसे
M. N. Dutt: When you will leave us, from whom shall we hear of all that is wholesome for us? You are the lamp of Kuru's race. Indeed, you are always shining with the light of knowledge.
तदेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तः कुरुकुलोद्वह न तृप्यामीह राजेन्द्र शृण्वन्नमृतमीदृशम्
M. N. Dutt: O perpetuator of Kuru's race, I wish, therefore, to hear all this from you. Listening to your discourses which are always sweet like nectar, my curiosity, without being satiated, is always increasing.
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम् वसिष्ठस्य च संवादं करालजनकस्य च
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said I shall, regarding it, relate to you the old discourse that took place between Vashishtha and king Karala of Janaka's race.
वसिष्ठं श्रेष्ठमासीनमृषीणां भास्करद्युतिम् पप्रच्छ जनको राजा ज्ञानं नैःश्रेयसं परम्
M. N. Dutt: Once on a time when that foremost of Rishis, viz., Vashishtha, effulgent like the Sun, was seated at his ease, king Janaka asked him about that highest knowledge which is for our supreme behoof.
परमध्यात्मकुशलमध्यात्मगतिनिश्चयम् मैत्रावरुणिमासीनमभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः
AI Translation: One who is skilled in the highest inner knowledge, who has ascertained the inner path, Seated with Maitrāvaruṇi, having bowed with folded hands,
स्वक्षरं प्रश्रितं वाक्यं मधुरं चाप्यनुल्बणम् पप्रच्छर्षिवरं राजा करालजनकः पुरा
AI Translation: The king Karala Janaka asked the best of sages, in a soft, gentle, sweet, and not harsh voice.
भगवञ्श्रोतुमिच्छामि परं ब्रह्म सनातनम् यस्मान्न पुनरावृत्तिमाप्नुवन्ति मनीषिणः
AI Translation: O Blessed One, I wish to hear about the supreme Brahman, the eternal one, from which the wise ones do not return again.
यच्च तत्क्षरमित्युक्तं यत्रेदं क्षरते जगत् यच्चाक्षरमिति प्रोक्तं शिवं क्षेम्यमनामयम्
M. N. Dutt: I wish also to know that which is called Destructible and That into which this universe goes when destroyed. Indeed, what is That which is said to be indestructible. Auspicious, wholesome and free from all sorts of evil.
वसिष्ठ उवाच श्रूयतां पृथिवीपाल क्षरतीदं यथा जगत् यन्न क्षरति पूर्वेण यावत्कालेन चाप्यथ
M. N. Dutt: Hear, O king, as to how this universe is destroyed, and of That which was never destroyed and which will never be destroyed at any time.
युगं द्वादशसाहस्रं कल्पं विद्धि चतुर्गुणम् दशकल्पशतावृत्तं तदहर्ब्राह्ममुच्यते रात्रिश्चैतावती राजन्यस्यान्ते प्रतिबुध्यते
M. N. Dutt: Twelve thousand years make a cycle. Four such cycles, taken a thousand times, make a Kalpa which measures one day of Brahman.
सृजत्यनन्तकर्माणं महान्तं भूतमग्रजम् मूर्तिमन्तममूर्तात्मा विश्वं शंभुः स्वयंभुवः अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिरीशानं ज्योतिरव्ययम्
AI Translation: He creates the great being, the eldest, of infinite deeds. The embodied one, the self-less one, the universe, Śambhu, from the self-existent one. Aṇimā, laghīmaā, prāpti, Īśāna, the imperishable light.
सर्वतःपाणिपादान्तं सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखम् सर्वतःश्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति
M. N. Dutt: His hands and feet extend over every part his eyes and head and face are everywhere, his reach every places, and he exists possessing all things.
हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानेष बुद्धिरिति स्मृतः महानिति च योगेषु विरिञ्च इति चाप्युत
AI Translation: The Blessed One, the Golden Embryo, is known as the intellect. And in the Yogas, as the Great One, and also as Virinci.
सांख्ये च पठ्यते शास्त्रे नामभिर्बहुधात्मकः विचित्ररूपो विश्वात्मा एकाक्षर इति स्मृतः
AI Translation: In the Sāṃkhya treatise, he is said to be of many names, of various forms, the universal Self, known as the single syllable.
वृतं नैकात्मकं येन कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यमात्मना तथैव बहुरूपत्वाद्विश्वरूप इति स्मृतः
AI Translation: By whom the entire three worlds are surrounded by a single self, And by whom the world is pervaded by many forms, he is known as Viśvarūpa.
एष वै विक्रियापन्नः सृजत्यात्मानमात्मना अहंकारं महातेजाः प्रजापतिमहंकृतम्
AI Translation: This one, fallen into the state of change, creates himself by himself, The greatly radiant one, the creator of beings, the one who has made the ego.
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तमुत्पन्नं विद्यासर्गं वदन्ति तम् महान्तं चाप्यहंकारमविद्यासर्गमेव च
AI Translation: From the unmanifest is born the manifest; this is said to be the creation of knowledge. And also the great one and the ego, which is the creation of ignorance.
अविधिश्च विधिश्चैव समुत्पन्नौ तथैकतः विद्याविद्येति विख्याते श्रुतिशास्त्रार्थचिन्तकैः
AI Translation: And the unmethodical and the methodical have arisen together, and are one. The wise, who reflect on the meaning of the scriptures, have declared them to be knowledge and ignorance.
भूतसर्गमहंकारात्तृतीयं विद्धि पार्थिव अहंकारेषु भूतेषु चतुर्थं विद्धि वैकृतम्
AI Translation: Know, O king, that the third creation is from the ego. Know the fourth creation as the modification of the ego in the elements.
वायुर्ज्योतिरथाकाशमापोऽथ पृथिवी तथा शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च
AI Translation: Air, light, space, water, and earth, Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell.
एवं युगपदुत्पन्नं दशवर्गमसंशयम् पञ्चमं विद्धि राजेन्द्र भौतिकं सर्गमर्थवत्
AI Translation: Thus, the tenfold class, arisen simultaneously, is undoubtedly Know, O king, the fifth creation, the material one, to be purposeful.
श्रोत्रं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्वा घ्राणमेव च पञ्चमम् वाक्च हस्तौ च पादौ च पायुर्मेढ्रं तथैव च
AI Translation: The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose as the fifth, Speech, hands, feet, anus, and also the penis,
बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि चैतानि तथा कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च संभूतानीह युगपन्मनसा सह पार्थिव
AI Translation: These are the senses of knowledge and the senses of action, arisen here simultaneously with the mind, O son of Pritha.
एषा तत्त्वचतुर्विंशा सर्वाकृतिषु वर्तते यां ज्ञात्वा नाभिशोचन्ति ब्राह्मणास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
AI Translation: This is the twenty-fourfold truth, present in all forms. Knowing this, the Brahmins who see the truth do not grieve.
एतद्देहं समाख्यातं त्रैलोक्ये सर्वदेहिषु वेदितव्यं नरश्रेष्ठ सदेवनरदानवे
AI Translation: This body is declared in the three worlds in all embodied beings. It should be known, best of men, by gods, men, and demons.
सयक्षभूतगन्धर्वे सकिंनरमहोरगे सचारणपिशाचे वै सदेवर्षिनिशाचरे
AI Translation: with Yakshas, Bhutas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Mahoragas, with Charanas, Pisachas, and Devarshis, with the moving and un
सदंशकीटमशके सपूतिकृमिमूषके शुनि श्वपाके वैणेये सचण्डाले सपुल्कसे
AI Translation: with a bee, a fly, a worm, a rat, with a dog, a dog-cook, a hunter, a caṇḍāla, a pulakasa,
हस्त्यश्वखरशार्दूले सवृक्षे गवि चैव ह यच्च मूर्तिमयं किंचित्सर्वत्रैतन्निदर्शनम्
AI Translation: In elephants, horses, donkeys, tigers, trees, cows, and so forth, and in whatever else has form, everywhere this is an example.
Supplementary Passages:
12.291.32 For 32ab, T G1.3.6 subst.: *752 सहस्त्यश्वे सशार्दूले सऋक्षगवि चैव हि
जले भुवि तथाकाशे नान्यत्रेति विनिश्चयः स्थानं देहवतामस्ति इत्येवमनुशुश्रुम
AI Translation: We have heard that there is a place for those who have bodies, but not for those who are without bodies.
कृत्स्नमेतावतस्तात क्षरते व्यक्तसंज्ञकम् अहन्यहनि भूतात्मा ततः क्षर इति स्मृतः
AI Translation: O son, all this, known as the manifest, is exhausted in this way. The embodied soul, day by day, is therefore said to be exhausted.
एतदक्षरमित्युक्तं क्षरतीदं यथा जगत् जगन्मोहात्मकं प्राहुरव्यक्तं व्यक्तसंज्ञकम्
AI Translation: This is said to be the imperishable, as the world perishes. They say that the unmanifest, which is the essence of the delusion of the world, is called the manifest.
महांश्चैवाग्रजो नित्यमेतत्क्षरनिदर्शनम् कथितं ते महाराज यस्मान्नावर्तते पुनः
AI Translation: And the great elder, always, this is the example of the perishable. This has been told to you, great king, from which one does not return again.
पञ्चविंशतिमो विष्णुर्निस्तत्त्वस्तत्त्वसंज्ञकः तत्त्वसंश्रयणादेतत्तत्त्वमाहुर्मनीषिणः
AI Translation: The twenty-fifth is Viṣṇu, who is without reality, but is called reality. The wise call this reality because it is the support of reality.
यदमूर्त्यसृजद्व्यक्तं तत्तन्मूर्त्यधितिष्ठति चतुर्विंशतिमो व्यक्तो ह्यमूर्तः पञ्चविंशकः
AI Translation: That which is formless, he created as manifest. That which is manifest, he presides over. The manifest is the twenty-fourth, the formless is the twenty-fifth.
स एव हृदि सर्वासु मूर्तिष्वातिष्ठतेऽऽत्मवान् चेतयंश्चेतनो नित्यः सर्वमूर्तिरमूर्तिमान्
AI Translation: He alone, the Self, abides in all forms in the heart, the conscious one, the eternal one, the formless one with all forms,
सर्गप्रलयधर्मिण्या असर्गप्रलयात्मकः गोचरे वर्तते नित्यं निर्गुणो गुणसंज्ञकः
AI Translation: He who is the Self of all, who is the Self of the universe, who is the Self of the universe, who is the Self of the universe, who is the Self of the universe,
एवमेष महानात्मा सर्गप्रलयकोविदः विकुर्वाणः प्रकृतिमानभिमन्यत्यबुद्धिमान्
AI Translation: Thus this great soul, skilled in creation and dissolution, changing, conceives himself to be the highest, being devoid of wisdom.
तमःसत्त्वरजोयुक्तस्तासु तास्विह योनिषु लीयतेऽप्रतिबुद्धत्वादबुद्धजनसेवनात्
AI Translation: He is united with darkness, goodness, and passion, and is absorbed in these various wombs, because of his lack of awakening and his association with the unawakened.
सहवासो निवासात्मा नान्योऽहमिति मन्यते योऽहं सोऽहमिति ह्युक्त्वा गुणाननु निवर्तते
AI Translation: The self is the abode of association, and is not different from me. Having said "I am that", he turns away from the qualities.
तमसा तामसान्भावान्विविधान्प्रतिपद्यते रजसा राजसांश्चैव सात्त्विकान्सत्त्वसंश्रयात्
AI Translation: He experiences the various Tamas-born states through Tamas, and the Rajas-born states through Rajas, and the Sattva-born states through Sattva.
शुक्ललोहितकृष्णानि रूपाण्येतानि त्रीणि तु सर्वाण्येतानि रूपाणि जानीहि प्राकृतानि वै
AI Translation: These three forms - white, red and black - Know all these forms to be natural.
तामसा निरयं यान्ति राजसा मानुषांस्तथा सात्त्विका देवलोकाय गच्छन्ति सुखभागिनः
AI Translation: Those who are in the mode of goodness go to the heavenly planets, and those who are in the mode of passion go to the human planets. Those who are in the mode of ignorance go to hell
निष्कैवल्येन पापेन तिर्यग्योनिमवाप्नुयात् पुण्यपापेन मानुष्यं पुण्येनैकेन देवताः
AI Translation: By the sin of non-solitude, one would attain the animal birth. By the sin and merit, one would attain the human birth. By the merit alone, one would attain the state
एवमव्यक्तविषयं क्षरमाहुर्मनीषिणः पञ्चविंशतिमो योऽयं ज्ञानादेव प्रवर्तते
AI Translation: Thus the wise call the unmanifest object of knowledge the perishable. This twenty-fifth one proceeds from knowledge alone.