Critical Edition
मार्कण्डेय उवाच एवमुक्तः स विप्रस्तु धर्मव्याधेन भारत कथामकथयद्भूयो मनसः प्रीतिवर्धनीम्
M. N. Dutt: Markandeya said : O descendant of Bharata, having been thus addressed by that Brahmana, the virtuous fowler again began to speak (on things) so pleasing to the mind.
ब्राह्मण महाभूतानि यान्याहुः पञ्च धर्मविदां वर एकैकस्य गुणान्सम्यक्पञ्चानामपि मे वद
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said : O foremost of all virtuous men, it is said that there are five great elements. Will you describe to me in detail the properties of those five (elements)?
व्याध उवाच भूमिरापस्तथा ज्योतिर्वायुराकाशमेव च गुणोत्तराणि सर्वाणि तेषां वक्ष्यामि ते गुणान्
M. N. Dutt: The Fowler said: The earth, water, fire, air and sky, all have properties enter-lapping each other. I shall describe them to you.
भूमिः पञ्चगुणा ब्रह्मन्नुदकं च चतुर्गुणम् गुणास्त्रयस्तेजसि च त्रयश्चाकाशवातयोः
M. N. Dutt: O Brahmana, the earth has five qualities, water four, fire three and the air and the sky together three.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च पञ्चमः एते गुणाः पञ्च भूमेः सर्वेभ्यो गुणवत्तराः
M. N. Dutt: Sound, touch, form, flavour and taste, these five qualities belong to earth.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसश्चापि द्विजोत्तम अपामेते गुणा ब्रह्मन्कीर्तितास्तव सुव्रत
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of Brahmanas, O twice-borm one, O vow-observing Rishi, sound, touch, form and taste have been described to you as the properties of water.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च तेजसोऽथ गुणास्त्रयः शब्दः स्पर्शश्च वायौ तु शब्द आकाश एव च
M. N. Dutt: Sound, touch and form are the three properties of fire; sound and touch are the two properties of the air; and sound is the property of the sky.
एते पञ्चदश ब्रह्मन्गुणा भूतेषु पञ्चसु वर्तन्ते सर्वभूतेषु येषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः अन्योन्यं नातिवर्तन्ते संपच्च भवति द्विज
M. N. Dutt: O Brahmana, these fifteen fifteen properties inherent in five elements, exist in all substances of which this universe is composed.
यदा तु विषमीभावमाचरन्ति चराचराः तदा देही देहमन्यं व्यतिरोहति कालतः
AI Translation: But when the moving and unmoving creatures behave in a contrary manner, then the embodied soul, by the force of time, casts off the body and takes up another.
आनुपूर्व्या विनश्यन्ति जायन्ते चानुपूर्वशः तत्र तत्र हि दृश्यन्ते धातवः पाञ्चभौतिकाः यैरावृतमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
AI Translation: They perish in due order, and are born in due order. For there are seen the elements consisting of the five elements, by which this whole world, consisting of the immovable and the movable, is enveloped.
इन्द्रियैः सृज्यते यद्यत्तत्तद्व्यक्तमिति स्मृतम् अव्यक्तमिति विज्ञेयं लिङ्गग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्
AI Translation: Whatever is created by the senses, that is known as the manifest. The unmanifest should be known as the cause, the object of inference, and beyond the senses.
यथास्वं ग्राहकान्येषां शब्दादीनामिमानि तु इन्द्रियाणि यदा देही धारयन्निह तप्यते
AI Translation: These are the sense-organs of the other senses, such as sound and so on. When the embodied one is tormented here, holding these sense-organs,
लोके विततमात्मानं लोकं चात्मनि पश्यति परावरज्ञः सक्तः सन्सर्वभूतानि पश्यति
AI Translation: One who sees the self in the world and the world in the self, and who, knowing the supreme and the inferior, is attached, sees all beings.
पश्यतः सर्वभूतानि सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा ब्रह्मभूतस्य संयोगो नाशुभेनोपपद्यते
AI Translation: Seeing all beings in all states at all times, The one who has become Brahman does not come into contact with the inauspicious.
ज्ञानमूलात्मकं क्लेशमतिवृत्तस्य मोहजम् लोको बुद्धिप्रकाशेन ज्ञेयमार्गेण दृश्यते
AI Translation: The world is seen by the path of knowledge, which is based on knowledge, which has gone beyond the delusion of the root of affliction,
अनादिनिधनं जन्तुमात्मयोनिं सदाव्ययम् अनौपम्यममूर्तं च भगवानाह बुद्धिमान् तपोमूलमिदं सर्वं यन्मां विप्रानुपृच्छसि
AI Translation: The imperishable, beginningless and endless being, the source of the self, the eternal and unchanging, The incomparable, formless one, the wise Lord has said. This entire thing is rooted in austerity, which you are asking me.
Supplementary Passages:
3.202.16 After 16, S ins.: *1030 तपसा हि समाप्नोति यद्यदेवाभिवाञ्छितम् T2 G1.2.4 M2 cont.: Ś1 K1.2 Dn D5 ins. after 16: *1031 तदिन्द्रियाणि संयम्य तपो भवति नान्यथा
इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वं यत्स्वर्गनरकावुभौ निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च
M. N. Dutt: Heaven and hell both are dependent on our senses. When subdued, they lead us to heaven and when indulged in, they lead us to hell.
एष योगविधिः कृत्स्नो यावदिन्द्रियधारणम् एतन्मूलं हि तपसः कृत्स्नस्य नरकस्य च
M. N. Dutt: This subjugation of the senses is the highest means of attaining spiritual advancement; it is also at the root of all our spiritual degradation.
इन्द्रियाणां प्रसङ्गेन दोषमृच्छत्यसंशयम् संनियम्य तु तान्येव ततः सिद्धिमवाप्नुते
M. N. Dutt: By indulging in them, a person contracts vices and by bringing them under control, he attains salvation.
षण्णामात्मनि नित्यानामैश्वर्यं योऽधिगच्छति न स पापैः कुतोऽनर्थैर्युज्यते विजितेन्द्रियः
M. N. Dutt: The self-controlled man who acquires over his six senses is never tainted with win; and consequently evil has no power over him.
रथः शरीरं पुरुषस्य दृष्ट;मात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्याहुरश्वान् तैरप्रमत्तः कुशली सदश्वै;र्दान्तैः सुखं याति रथीव धीरः
M. N. Dutt: Man's body has been compared with a chariot, his soul with a charioteer and his senses with the horses. A skillful man drives about without confusion, like an able charioteer with well-broken horses.
षण्णामात्मनि नित्यानामिन्द्रियाणां प्रमाथिनाम् यो धीरो धारयेद्रश्मीन्स स्यात्परमसारथिः
M. N. Dutt: That man is an excellent driver who knows how to patiently wield the reins of these and horses, namely the six senses inherent in our nature.
इन्द्रियाणां प्रसृष्टानां हयानामिव वर्त्मसु धृतिं कुर्वीत सारथ्ये धृत्या तानि जयेद्ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: When our senses become ungovernable like horses on the road, we must patiently rein them in, for with patience we are sure to get the better of them.
इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते तदस्य हरते बुद्धिं नावं वायुरिवाम्भसि
M. N. Dutt: When man's mind is overpowered by any one of these senses running wild, he loses his reason and becomes like a ship tossed by the tempest in the sea.
येषु विप्रतिपद्यन्ते षट्सु मोहात्फलागमे तेष्वध्यवसिताध्यायी विन्दते ध्यानजं फलम्
M. N. Dutt: Men are deceived by illusion in hoping to reap the fruit of those six things the effects of which are studied by persons of spiritual insight who thereby reap the fruits of their clear perception.