Critical Edition
ब्रह्मोवाच मनुष्याणां तु राजन्यः क्षत्रियो मध्यमो गुणः कुञ्जरो वाहनानां च सिंहश्चारण्यवासिनाम्
AI Translation: Brahma said: The Kshatriya is the middle quality of men, The elephant is among vehicles, the lion among forest-dwellers,
अविः पशूनां सर्वेषामाखुश्च बिलवासिनाम् गवां गोवृषभश्चैव स्त्रीणां पुरुष एव च
AI Translation: The cow is the mother of all animals, the rat is the mother of all burrow-dwellers, The bull is the father of cows, the man is the father of women.
न्यग्रोधो जम्बुवृक्षश्च पिप्पलः शाल्मलिस्तथा शिंशपा मेषशृङ्गश्च तथा कीचकवेणवः एते द्रुमाणां राजानो लोकेऽस्मिन्नात्र संशयः
M. N. Dutt: There is no doubt in this that in this world, the Nyagrodha, the Jambu, the Pippala, the Shalmali, the Shinshapa, the Meshashringa, and the Kichaka, are the foremost ones among trees.
हिमवान्पारियात्रश्च सह्यो विन्ध्यस्त्रिकूटवान् श्वेतो नीलश्च भासश्च काष्ठवांश्चैव पर्वतः
AI Translation: Himavat, Pariyātra, Sahya, Vindhya, Trikūṭa, Śveta, Nīla, Bhāsa, and Kāṣṭhavān are the mountains.
शुभस्कन्धो महेन्द्रश्च माल्यवान्पर्वतस्तथा एते पर्वतराजानो गणानां मरुतस्तथा
AI Translation: Śubha-skandha, Mahendra, Mālyavān, and Parvata, These are the kings of the mountains, and the Maruts of the groups,
सूर्यो ग्रहाणामधिपो नक्षत्राणां च चन्द्रमाः यमः पितॄणामधिपः सरितामथ सागरः
M. N. Dutt: The Sun is the lord of all the planets, and the Moon of all the constellations. Yama is the lord of the departed manes; Ocean is the lord of all rivers.
अम्भसां वरुणो राजा सत्त्वानां मित्र उच्यते अर्कोऽधिपतिरुष्णानां ज्योतिषामिन्दुरुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: Varuna is the king of the waters. Indra is said to be the king of the Maruts. Arka is the king of all hot bodies, and Indra of all luminous bodies.
अग्निर्भूतपतिर्नित्यं ब्राह्मणानां बृहस्पतिः ओषधीनां पतिः सोमो विष्णुर्बलवतां वरः
M. N. Dutt: Agni is the eternal lord of the elements, and Brihaspati of the Brahmanas. Soma is the lord herbs, and Vishnu is the foremost of all that are gifted with might.
त्वष्टाधिराजो रूपाणां पशूनामीश्वरः शिवः दक्षिणानां तथा यज्ञो वेदानामृषयस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Tvashtri is the king of Rudras, and Shiva of all creatures. Sacrifice is the foremost of all initiatory rites and Maghavat of the celestials.
दिशामुदीची विप्राणां सोमो राजा प्रतापवान् कुबेरः सर्वयक्षाणां देवतानां पुरंदरः एष भूतादिकः सर्गः प्रजानां च प्रजापतिः
M. N. Dutt: The North is the lord of all the points of the compass; the energetic Soma is the lord of all learned Brahmanas. Kubera is the lord of all precious gems, and Purandara of all the celestials.
सर्वेषामेव भूतानामहं ब्रह्ममयो महान् भूतं परतरं मत्तो विष्णोर्वापि न विद्यते
AI Translation: I am the great one, consisting of Brahman, of all beings. There is no being superior to me or to Vishnu.
राजाधिराजः सर्वासां विष्णुर्ब्रह्ममयो महान् ईश्वरं तं विजानीमः स विभुः स प्रजापतिः
AI Translation: The king of kings, the great Vishnu, full of Brahman, We know that Lord, the all-pervading, the creator.
नरकिंनरयक्षाणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् देवदानवनागानां सर्वेषामीश्वरो हि सः
M. N. Dutt: He is the ruler of men and Kinnaras and Yakshas and Gandharvas, and snakes and Rakshasas, and celestials and Danavas and Nagas.
भगदेवानुयातानां सर्वासां वामलोचना माहेश्वरी महादेवी प्रोच्यते पार्वतीति या
M. N. Dutt: Among those that are followed by persons full of desire is the great goddess Mahesvari having beautiful eyes.
उमां देवीं विजानीत नारीणामुत्तमां शुभाम् रतीनां वसुमत्यस्तु स्त्रीणामप्सरसस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: She is otherwisc called by the name of Parvati. Know that the goddess Uma is the foremost and the most auspicious of women. Ainong women who are a source of pleasure, the foremost are the Apsaras who are endued with great splendour.
धर्मकामाश्च राजानो ब्राह्मणा धर्मलक्षणाः तस्माद्राजा द्विजातीनां प्रयतेतेह रक्षणे
M. N. Dutt: Kings are desirous of acquiring piety, and Brahmanas are causeways of Piety. Therefore, the king should always strive to protect the twice-born ones.
राज्ञां हि विषये येषामवसीदन्ति साधवः हीनास्ते स्वगुणैः सर्वैः प्रेत्यावाङ्मार्गगामिनः
M. N. Dutt: Those kings in whose kingdoms good men languish are considered as bereft of the virtues of their order. Hereafter they have to go into wrong paths.
राज्ञां तु विषये येषां साधवः परिरक्षिताः तेऽस्मिँल्लोके प्रमोदन्ते प्रेत्य चानन्त्यमेव च प्राप्नुवन्ति महात्मान इति वित्त द्विजर्षभाः
AI Translation: But those who are protected by the good in the kingdom of the kings Rejoice in this world and attain the infinite after death. The great ones attain this, O best of Brahmins.
अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि नियतं धर्मलक्षणम् अहिंसालक्षणो धर्मो हिंसा चाधर्मलक्षणा
AI Translation: From here on I shall describe the characteristics of Dharma, which are certain. Non-violence is the characteristic of Dharma, and violence is the characteristic of Adharma.
प्रकाशलक्षणा देवा मनुष्याः कर्मलक्षणाः शब्दलक्षणमाकाशं वायुस्तु स्पर्शलक्षणः
AI Translation: Gods are characterized by light, humans by action, Space is characterized by sound, wind by touch,
ज्योतिषां लक्षणं रूपमापश्च रसलक्षणाः धरणी सर्वभूतानां पृथिवी गन्धलक्षणा
AI Translation: The characteristics of light are form, water is characterized by taste, Earth is the support of all beings, earth is characterized by smell.
स्वरव्यञ्जनसंस्कारा भारती सत्यलक्षणा मनसो लक्षणं चिन्ता तथोक्ता बुद्धिरन्वयात्
AI Translation: The embellishment of vowels and consonants is Bharata, characterized by truth. The characteristic of the mind is thought, and thus it is said to be the intellect due to its connection.
मनसा चिन्तयानोऽर्थान्बुद्ध्या चैव व्यवस्यति बुद्धिर्हि व्यवसायेन लक्ष्यते नात्र संशयः
AI Translation: Thinking with the mind, he decides with the intellect. For, the intellect is certainly perceived by decision.
लक्षणं महतो ध्यानमव्यक्तं साधुलक्षणम् प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो योगो ज्ञानं संन्यासलक्षणम्
AI Translation: The characteristic of the great meditation is the unmanifest, the characteristic of the good. The characteristic of practice is yoga, knowledge is the characteristic of renunciation.
तस्माज्ज्ञानं पुरस्कृत्य संन्यसेदिह बुद्धिमान् संन्यासी ज्ञानसंयुक्तः प्राप्नोति परमां गतिम् अतीतोऽद्वंद्वमभ्येति तमोमृत्युजरातिगम्
M. N. Dutt: The man who follows renunciation and who is endued with knowledge, who is above all pairs of opposites, as also darkness, death, and decrepitude, attains to the highest goal.
धर्मलक्षणसंयुक्तमुक्तं वो विधिवन्मया गुणानां ग्रहणं सम्यग्वक्ष्याम्यहमतः परम्
M. N. Dutt: I have thus described to you duly what the characteristics are of duty. I shall, after this tell you of the comprehension of qualities.
पार्थिवो यस्तु गन्धो वै घ्राणेनेह स गृह्यते घ्राणस्थश्च तथा वायुर्गन्धज्ञाने विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: Smell, which belongs to earth, is seized by the nose. The wind, which dwells in the nose is likewise appointed as an agent) in the perception of smell.
अपां धातुरसो नित्यं जिह्वया स तु गृह्यते जिह्वास्थश्च तथा सोमो रसज्ञाने विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: Taste is the essence of water. That is perceived by the tongue. Soma, who lives in the tongue, is appointed likewise in the perception of taste.
ज्योतिषश्च गुणो रूपं चक्षुषा तच्च गृह्यते चक्षुःस्थश्च तथादित्यो रूपज्ञाने विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: The quality of a lighted body is colour. That is apprehended by the eye. Aditya who always lives in the eye has been appointed in the perception of colour.
वायव्यस्तु तथा स्पर्शस्त्वचा प्रज्ञायते च सः त्वक्स्थश्चैव तथा वायुः स्पर्शज्ञाने विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: Touch always belongs to the wind (as its quality). That is perceived by the skin. The wind that always lives in the skin has been appointed in apprehending touch.
आकाशस्य गुणो घोषः श्रोत्रेण स तु गृह्यते श्रोत्रस्थाश्च दिशः सर्वाः शब्दज्ञाने प्रकीर्तिताः
M. N. Dutt: The quality of a ether is sound. That is seized by the car. All the quarters, which live in the ear, have been appointed in apprehending sound.
मनसस्तु गुणश्चिन्ता प्रज्ञया स तु गृह्यते हृदिस्थचेतनाधातुर्मनोज्ञाने विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: The quality of the mind is thought. That is seized by the understanding. The upholder of consciousness, living in the heart, has been appointed in apprehending the mind.
बुद्धिरध्यवसायेन ध्यानेन च महांस्तथा निश्चित्य ग्रहणं नित्यमव्यक्तं नात्र संशयः
M. N. Dutt: The understanding is appended in the form of determination or certitude, and principle of Greatness in the form of knowledge. The unperceived (Nature) has been, it is evident, appointed for the seizure of all things after certitude. There is no doubt in this.
अलिङ्गग्रहणो नित्यः क्षेत्रज्ञो निर्गुणात्मकः तस्मादलिङ्गः क्षेत्रज्ञः केवलं ज्ञानलक्षणः
M. N. Dutt: The Kshetrajna which is eternal and is shorn of qualities about its essence, is incapable of being seized by symbols. Hence, the characteristic of the Kshetrajna, which is without symbols, is purely knowledge.
अव्यक्तं क्षेत्रमुद्दिष्टं गुणानां प्रभवाप्ययम् सदा पश्याम्यहं लीनं विजानामि शृणोमि च
M. N. Dutt: The unmanifest lives in the symbol called. Kshetra, and is that in which the qualities are produced and absorbed. I always see, know, and hear it (though) it is hidden.
पुरुषस्तद्विजानीते तस्मात्क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते गुणवृत्तं तथा कृत्स्नं क्षेत्रज्ञः परिपश्यति
M. N. Dutt: Purusha knows it; therefore is he called Kshetrajna. The Kshetrajna perceives also the action of the qualities and absence of their actions.
आदिमध्यावसानान्तं सृज्यमानमचेतनम् न गुणा विदुरात्मानं सृज्यमानं पुनः पुनः
M. N. Dutt: The qualities, which are created repeatedly, do not know themselves, being unintelligent, as entities to be created and gifted with a beginning, middle, and end.
न सत्यं वेद वै कश्चित्क्षेत्रज्ञस्त्वेव विन्दति गुणानां गुणभूतानां यत्परं परतो महत्
M. N. Dutt: No one else, but the Kshetrajna, comes by that which is the highest and great and which is above the qualities and those entities which are born of the qualities.
तस्माद्गुणांश्च तत्त्वं च परित्यज्येह तत्त्ववित् क्षीणदोषो गुणान्हित्वा क्षेत्रज्ञं प्रविशत्यथ
M. N. Dutt: Hence, who understands duties, renouncing qualities and the understanding, and having his destroyed, and transcending the qualities, enters the Kshetrajna.
निर्द्वंद्वो निर्नमस्कारो निःस्वधाकार एव च अचलश्चानिकेतश्च क्षेत्रज्ञः स परो विभुः
M. N. Dutt: One who is free from all pairs of opposites, who never bends his head to any one, who is divested of Svaha, who is immovable, and hom ess, is the Kshetrajna. He is the Supreme Lord. one sons