Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 339

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 339

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 339

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 339 of the classical Mahābhārata with 22 verses.

Total: 22 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.339.1–22 • 250 Lexicon Terms
शृणु पुत्र यथा ह्येष पुरुषः शाश्वतोऽव्ययः । अक्षयश्चाप्रमेयश्च सर्वगश्च निरुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Brahman said Listen, O son, as to how that Soul is indicated. He is eternal and immutable. He is undecaying and immeasurable. He pervades all things.
न स शक्यस्त्वया द्रष्टुं मयान्यैर्वापि सत्तम । सगुणो निर्गुणो विश्वो ज्ञानदृश्यो ह्यसौ स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
O best of all creatures, that soul cannot be seen by you or me, others. Those who are endued with the understanding and the senses but shorn of self-control and tranquillity of soul cannot see him. The Supreme Soul is said to be one that can be seen with the help of knowledge alone.
अशरीरः शरीरेषु सर्वेषु निवसत्यसौ । वसन्नपि शरीरेषु न स लिप्यति कर्मभिः ॥
English Translation
Though shorn of body, He lives in every body. Though living, again, in bodies He is never touched by the acts done by those bodies.
ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहसंज्ञिताः । सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न ग्राह्यः केनचित्क्वचित् ॥
English Translation
He is my inner soul. He is your inner soul. He is the omniscient Witness living within all embodied creatures and engaged in marking their acts. No one can grasp or comprehend him at any time.
विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः । एकश्चरति क्षेत्रेषु स्वैरचारी यथासुखम् ॥
English Translation
The universe is the crown of his head. The universe is his arms. The universe is his feet. The universe is his eyes. The universe is his nose. Alone and singly, he passed through all bodies, unrestrained by any limitations on his will and as best as it likes him.
क्षेत्राणि हि शरीराणि बीजानि च शुभाशुभे । तानि वेत्ति स योगात्मा ततः क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते ॥
English Translation
Kshetriya is another name for body. And because he knows all bodies as also all good and bad acts, therefore, he, who is the soul of Yoga, is called by the name of Kshetrajna.
नागतिर्न गतिस्तस्य ज्ञेया भूतेन केनचित् । सांख्येन विधिना चैव योगेन च यथाक्रमम् ॥
चिन्तयामि गतिं चास्य न गतिं वेद्मि चोत्तमाम् । यथाज्ञानं तु वक्ष्यामि पुरुषं तं सनातनम् ॥
तस्यैकत्वं महत्त्वं हि स चैकः पुरुषः स्मृतः । महापुरुषशब्दं स बिभर्त्येकः सनातनः ॥
एको हुताशो बहुधा समिध्यते; एकः सूर्यस्तपसां योनिरेका । एको वायुर्बहुधा वाति लोके; महोदधिश्चाम्भसां योनिरेकः । पुरुषश्चैको निर्गुणो विश्वरूप;स्तं निर्गुणं पुरुषं चाविशन्ति ॥
English Translation
Fire is an element, but it may be seen to burn up in a thousand places under thousand different circumstances. The Sun is one and single, but his rays extend over the wide universe. Penances are of various kinds, but they have one common origin whence they have originated. The Wind is one, but it blows in various forms in the world. The great Ocean is the one parent of all the waters in the world seen under various circumstances. Shorn of qualities, that one Soul is the universe shown in infinitude. Originating from him, the infinite universe enters into that one Soul again who is above all qualities, when the time for its destruction comes.
हित्वा गुणमयं सर्वं कर्म हित्वा शुभाशुभम् । उभे सत्यानृते त्यक्त्वा एवं भवति निर्गुणः ॥
English Translation
By renouncing the consciousness of body and the senses, by renouncing all acts good and bad, by renouncing both truth and falsehood, one succeeds in divesting oneself of qualities.
अचिन्त्यं चापि तं ज्ञात्वा भावसूक्ष्मं चतुष्टयम् । विचरेद्यो यतिर्यत्तः स गच्छेत्पुरुषं प्रभुम् ॥
English Translation
The person who realises that inconceivable Soul and comprehends his subtile existence in the four-fold of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva, and who, on account of such comprehension, acquires perfect tranquillity of heart, succeeds in entering into, and identifying himself with, that one auspicious Soul.
एवं हि परमात्मानं केचिदिच्छन्ति पण्डिताः । एकात्मानं तथात्मानमपरेऽध्यात्मचिन्तकाः ॥
English Translation
Some persons endued with learning speak of Him as the Supreme Soul. Others hold Him as the One Soul. A third class of learned men describe Him as the Soul.
तत्र यः परमात्मा हि स नित्यं निर्गुणः स्मृतः । स हि नारायणो ज्ञेयः सर्वात्मा पुरुषो हि सः । न लिप्यते फलैश्चापि पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥
English Translation
The truth is that He who is the Supreme Soul is always shorn of qualities. He is Narayana. He is the Universal Soul, and He is the One Purusha. He is never affected by the fruits of deeds as the leaf of the lotus is never drenched by the water one may throw upon it.
कर्मात्मा त्वपरो योऽसौ मोक्षबन्धैः स युज्यते । ससप्तदशकेनापि राशिना युज्यते हि सः । एवं बहुविधः प्रोक्तः पुरुषस्ते यथाक्रमम् ॥
English Translation
The acting Soul is endued with the seventeen possessions. Thus is it said that there are innumerable kinds of Souls in due order.
यत्तत्कृत्स्नं लोकतन्त्रस्य धाम; वेद्यं परं बोधनीयं सबोद्धृ । मन्ता मन्तव्यं प्राशिता प्राशितव्यं; घ्राता घ्रेयं स्पर्शिता स्पर्शनीयम् ॥
English Translation
In sooth, however, there is but one Soul. He is the abode of all the ordinances in the universe. He is the highest object of knowledge. He is at once the knower and the object to be known. He is at once the thinker and the object of thought. He is the eater and the food that is eaten. He is the smeller and the scent that is smelled. He is at once he that touches and the object that is touched.
द्रष्टा द्रष्टव्यं श्राविता श्रावणीयं; ज्ञाता ज्ञेयं सगुणं निर्गुणं च । यद्वै प्रोक्तं गुणसाम्यं प्रधानं; नित्यं चैतच्छाश्वतं चाव्ययं च ॥
English Translation
He is the agent that sees and the object that is seen. He is the hearer and the object that is heard. He is the conceiver and the object conceived. He is possessed of qualities and is free from them. He is that, O son, which is named Pradhana (Nature), enduring, eternal, and immutable.
यद्वै सूते धातुराद्यं निधानं; तद्वै विप्राः प्रवदन्तेऽनिरुद्धम् । यद्वै लोके वैदिकं कर्म साधु; आशीर्युक्तं तद्धि तस्योपभोज्यम् ॥
English Translation
He it is who creates the prime ordinance about Dhatri himself. Learned Brahmanas call Him by the name of Aniruddha. Whatever acts of excellent merits and blessings, originate in the world from the Vedas, have been caused by Him.
देवाः सर्वे मुनयः साधु दान्ता;स्तं प्राग्यज्ञैर्यज्ञभागं यजन्ते । अहं ब्रह्मा आद्य ईशः प्रजानां; तस्माज्जातस्त्वं च मत्तः प्रसूतः । मत्तो जगज्जङ्गमं स्थावरं च; सर्वे वेदाः सरहस्या हि पुत्र ॥
English Translation
All the gods, and all the Rishis, gifted with tranquil souls, occupying their places on the altar, dedicate to Him the first share of their sacrificial offerings. I that am Brahman, the primeval master of all creatures, have come into being from Him, and you have sprung from me. From me has originated the universe with all its mobile and immobile creatures, and all the Vedas, O son, with their mysteries.
चतुर्विभक्तः पुरुषः स क्रीडति यथेच्छति । एवं स एव भगवाञ्ज्ञानेन प्रतिबोधितः ॥
English Translation
Divided into four parts, (viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva), He sports as He pleases. That illustrious and divine Lord is such, awakened by His Own knowledge.
एतत्ते कथितं पुत्र यथावदनुपृच्छतः । सांख्यज्ञाने तथा योगे यथावदनुवर्णितम् ॥
English Translation
I have thus answered you, O son, according to your questions, and according to the way in which the matter is explained in the Sankhya System and the Yoga Philosophy."
← Previous (Ch. 1666) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1668) →