Bhagavad Gita

Dhmarash/ra said : What did my (people) and the Pdz/rt'avas do, O San^aya ! when they assembled together on the holy field of Kurukshetra, desirous to do battle ? San^aya said : Seeing the army of the Pa;/^avas drawn up in batde-array \ the prince Duryodhana approached the preceptor, and spoke (these) words : ' O preceptor ! observe this grand army of the sons of Fiindu, drawn up in battle-array by your talented pupil, the son of Drupada. In it are heroes (bearing) large bows, the equals of Bhima and Ar^ma in battle — (namely), Yuyudhana, Vira/a, and Drupada, the master of a great car -, and Dhr/sh/aketu, A'ekitana, and the valiant king of Ka^i, Puru^nt and Kuntibhqo-a, and that eminent man 6aibya; the heroic Yudhamanyu, the valiant Uttamau^as, the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi — all masters of f^reat cars. And now, O best of Brah- * Several of these modes of array are described in Manu VII, 187, like a staff, like a wain, like a boar, &c. That of the Paw/avas, here referred to, appears to have been Hke the thunderbolt, as to which see Manu VII, 191. proficient in militar)' science, who can fight single-handed a thousand archers.'

ma;ias! learn who are most distinguished among us, and are leaders of my army. I will name them to you, in order that you may know them well. Yourself, and Bhishma, and Kar;m, and Kr/pa the victor of (many) battles ; A^vatthaman, and Vikan^a, and also the son of Somadatta, and many other brave men, who have given up their lives for me, who fight with various weapons, (and are) all dexterous in battle. Thus our army which is protected by Bhishma is unlimited ; while this army of theirs which is protected by Bhima is very limited. And therefore do ye all, occupying respectively the positions ^ assigned to you, protect Bhishma "^ only.' Then his powerful grandsire, Bhishma, the oldest of the Kauravas, roaring aloud like a lion, blew his conch, (thereby) affording delight to Duryodhana. And then all at once, conchs, and kettledrums, and tabors, and trumpets were played upon ; and there was a tumultuous din. Then, too, Madhava and the son of Pa;^rtfu (Ar^na), seated in a grand chariot to which white steeds were yoked, blew their heavenly conchs. Hrzshike^a^ blew the PaMa^anya^ and Dhanan^aya the Devadatta, and Bhima, (the doer) of fearful deeds, blew the great conch Pau;/^ra. King Yudhish//^ira, the son of Kunti ^ blew the Anantavi^aya, and Nakula and Sahadeva (respectively)

^ The original word means, according to .Sridhara, ' the ways of entrance into a Vyuha or phalanx.' 2 Who, as generalissimo, remained in the centre of the army. ^ Literally, according to the commentators, ' lord of the senses of perception.' " Schlegel renders the names of these conchs by Gigantea, Theodotes, Arundinea, Triumphatrix, Dulcisona, and Gemmiflorea respectively. " So called, par excellence, apparently. the Siighosha and Ma;/ipushpaka. And the king- of Ka^i, too, who has an excellent bow, and 6'ikha;^ (fm, the master of a great car, and Dhr/sh/adyumna. Vira/a, and the unconquered Satyaki, and Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadra, of mighty arms, blew conchs severally from all sides, O kine of the earth! That tumultuous din rent the hearts of all (the people) of Dhr/tarash/ra's (party), causing reverberations throughout heaven and earth. Then seeing (tlie people of) Dhrz- tarash/ra's party regularly marshalled, the son of Pa;/^u, whose standard is the ape, raised his bow S after the discharge of missiles had commenced, and O king of the earth ! spake these words to Hrishi- kesa. : ' O undegraded one ! station my chariot between the two armies, while I observe those, who

stand here desirous to engage in battle, and with w^hom, in the labours of this struggle, I must do battle. I will observe those who are assembled here and who are about to engage in batde, wishing to do service in battle- to the evil-minded son of Thus addressed by Gu^ake^a ^ O descendant of BharataM Hr/shike^a stationed that excellent chariot between the two armies, in front of Bhishma and Dro;za and of all the kings of the earth, and ^ I. e. to join in the fight. ing ' to fight,' occur with the same frequency as ' battle ' here. ^ Generally interpreted * lord of sleep,' i. e. not indolent. Nilaka«///a also suggests, that it may mean ' of thick hair.' * The son of Dushyanta and 6'akuntala, after whom India is called ' Bharatavarsha,' and from whom both Pa«a'avas and Kauravas were descended. said : ' O son of Pmha ! look at these assembled Kauravas.' There the son of Pmha saw In both armies, fathers and grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons^ grandsons, companions, fathers-in-law, as well as friends. And seeing all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of Kunti was overcome by excessive pity, and spake thus

Seeing these kinsmen, O Kr/sh;^a! standing (here) desirous to engage in battle, my limbs droop down ; my mouth is quite dried up ; a tremor comes on my body ; and my hairs stand on end ; the Ga;^rt^iva (bow) slips from my hand; my skin burns intensely. I am unable, too, to stand up ; my mind whirls round, as it were ; O Kei^ava! I see adverse omens ^; and I do not perceive any good (to accrue) after killing (my) kinsmen in the battle. I do not wish for victory, O Kr/sh;^a ! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures : what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda ! what enjoyments, and even life ? Even those, for whose sake we desire sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures, are standing here for battle, abandoning life and wealth — preceptors, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, as also (other) relatives. These I do not wish to kill, though they kill (me), O destroyer of Madhu ^ ! even for the sake of sovereignty over the three worlds, how much less then for this earth ^ The words in this list include all standing in similar relationships to those directly signified.

^ Such as the appearance of vultures, cars moving without horses, &c., mentioned in the Bhishma Farvan II, 17. Cf. Suita Nipata, p. 100. * A demon of this name. (alone) ? What joy shall be ours, O 6^anardana ! after killing Dhr/tarash/ra's sons ? Killing these felons ^ we shall only incur sin. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of Dh;7tarash/ra. For how, O Madhava ! shall we be happy after killing our own relatives ? Although having their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, and the sin in treachery to friends, still, O 6^anardana ! should not we, who do see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from that sin ? On the extinction of a family, the eternal rites of families are destroyed-. Those rites being destroyed, impiety predominates over the whole family'^. In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O K;'/sh;^a ! the women of the family become corrupt ■*; and the women becoming corrupt, O descendant of Vr/sh;/i ! intermingling of castes results; that intermingling necessarily leads the family and the destroyers of the family to hell ; for when the ceremonies of (offering) the balls of food and water (to them) fail ^, their ancestors fall down (to hell). By these transgressions of the destroyers of families, which occasion interminglings of castes, the eternal rites of castes and rites of families are

' Six classes are mentioned : an incendiary; one who administers poison ; one who assaults another — weapon in hand ; one who destroys property ; one who robs another of his wife ; or his fields. ^ I. e. there being none to attend to the ' rites,' women being inehgible. ^ I. e. the surviving members. * I. e. either by the mere fact of relationship to such men, or by following their bad example. ^ There being no qualified person to perform them; 'their ancestors' — that is to say, of the ' destroyers of families.' subverted. And O (9anardana! we have heard that men whose family-rites are subverted, must necessarily Hve in hell. Alas ! we are engaged in committing a heinous sin, seeing that we are making efforts for killing our own kinsmen out of greed of the pleasures of sovereignty. If the sons of Dhr/tarash/'ra, weapon in hand, should kill me in battle, me weaponless and not defending (myself), that would be better for me. San^^aya said : Having spoken thus, Ar^una cast aside his bow together with the arrows, on the battle-field, and sat down in (his) chariot, with a mind agitated by grief

San^aya said : To him, who was thus overcome with pity, and dejected, and whose eyes were full of tears and turbid, the destroyer of Madhu spoke these words. The Deity said : How (comes it that) this delusion, O Ar^ma! which is discarded by the good, which excludes from heaven, and occasions infamy, has overtaken you in this (place of) peril ? Be not effeminate, O son of Pmha ! it is not worthy of you. Cast off this base weakness of heart, and arise, O terror of (your) How, O destroyer of Madhu ! shall I encounter with arrows in the battle Bhishma and Dro;^a — both, O destroyer of enemies ! entitled to reverence? Not killing (my) preceptors — (men) of great glory — it is better to live even on alms in this world. But killing them, though they are avaricious of worldly goods, I should only enjoy blood-tainted enjoyments. Nor do we know which of the two is better for us — whether that we should vanquish them, or that they should vanquish us. Even those, whom having killed, we do not wish to live — even those sons of Dhr/tarash/ra stand (arrayed) against us. With a

heart contaminated by the taint of helplessness \ with a mind confounded about my duty, I ask you. Tell me what is assuredly good for me. I am your disciple ; instruct me, who have thrown myself on your (indulgence). For I do not perceive what is to dispel that grief which will dry up my organs ^ after I shall have obtained a prosperous kingdom on earth without a foe, or even the sovereignty of the Having spoken thus to Hr/shike^ra, O terror of (your) foes ! Gudakesa. said to Govinda, ' I shall not engage in battle ; ' and verily remained silent. To him thus desponding between the two armies, O descendant of Bharata ! Hr/shike^a spoke these words with a slii^ht smile. The Deity said : You have grieved for those who deserve no grief, ' The commentators say that ' heart ' here signifies the dispositions which are stated in chapter XVIII infra, p. 126. The feeling of ' helplessness ' is incompatible with what is there stated as the proper disposition for a Kshatriya. ^ I.e. by the heat of vexation; the meaning is, 'which will cause constant vexation of spirit.' ^ I. e. if the means employed are the sinful acts referred to.

and you talk words of wisdom \ Learned men grieve not for the living nor the dead. Never did I not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men ; nor will any one of us ever hereafter cease to be. As in this body, infancy and youth and old age (come) to the embodied (self) -, so does the acquisition of another body; a sensible man is not deceived about that. The contacts of the senses^ O son of Kunti! which produce cold and heat, pleasure and pain, are not permanent, they are ever coming and going. Bear them, O descendant of Bharata ! For, O chief of men! that sensible man whom they* (pain and pleasure being alike to him) afflict not, he merits immortality. There is no existence for that which is unreal ; there is no non-existence for that which is real. And the (correct) conclusion about both^ is perceived by those who perceive the truth. Know that to be indestructible which pervades all this ; / the destruction of that inexhaustible (principle) none can bring about. These bodies appertaining to the embodied (self) which is eternal, indestructible, and indefinable, are said ^ to be perishable ; therefore do enofaee in battle, O descendant of Bharata ! He who thinks it to be the killer and he who thinks

^ Scil. regarding family-rites, &c., for, says Nilaka/z/^a, they indicate knowledge of soul as distinct from body. ^ Scil. with external objects. * I. e. the ' contacts.' ^ The sense is this — there are two things apparently, the soul which is indestructible, and the feelings of pain &c. which ' come and go.' The true philosopher knows that the former only is real and exists; and that the latter is unreal and non-existent. He therefore does not mind the latter. ® Scil. by those who are possessed of true knowledge. it to be killed, both know nothing. It kills not, is not killed ^ It is not borp, nor does it ever die, nor, having existed, does it exist no more. Unborn, everlasting, unchangeable, and primeval, it is not killed when the body is killed ^ O son or Pr/tha ! how can that man who knows it thus to be indestructible, everlasting, unborn, and inexhaustible, how and whom can he kill, whom can he cause to be killed? As a man, casting off old clothes, puts on others and new ones, so the embodied (self) casting off old bodies, goes to others and new ones. Weapons do not divide it (into pieces) ; fire does not burn it; waters do not moisten it; the wind does not dry it up. It is not divisible; it is not combustible; it is not to be moistened; it is not to be dried up. It is everlasting, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal^. It is said to be unperceived, to be unthinkable, to be unchangeable. Therefore knowing it to be such, you ought not to grieve. But even if you think that it is constantly born, and constantly dies, still, O you of mighty arms! you ought not to grieve thus. For to one that is born, death is certain ; and to one that dies, birth is certain *.. Therefore

^ Cf. Ka//^a-upanishad, p. 104. "^ KaMa-upanishad, pp. 103, 104. ^ ' Eternal.' NilakawMa explains this by ' unlimited by time, place,' &c. iSahkara and others as ' uncreated,' ' without cause.' Stable = not assuming new forms; firm=not abandoning the original form. (.SVidhara.) The latter signifies a slight change; the former a total change. " Cf. the following from the Sutta Nipata (Sir IM. C. Swamy's translation), pp. 124, 125: 'There is, indeed, no means by which those born could be prevented from dying.' ' Even thus the world is afflicted with death and decay; therefore wise men, knowing the course of things in the world, do not give way to grief.' about (this) unavoidable thing, you ought not to grieve. The source of things, O descendant of Bharata ! is unperceived ; their middle state is perceived; and their end again is unperceived. What (occasion is there for any) lamentation regarding them ^ ? One looks upon it ^ as a wonder ; another similarly speaks of it as a wonder; another too hears of it as a wonder; and even after having heard of it, no one does really know it ^. This embodied (self j, O descendant of Bharata ! within every one's body is ever indestructible. Therefore you ought not to grieve for any being. Having regard to your own duty also, you ought not to falter, for there is nothing better for a Kshatriya ^ than a righteous battle.

Happy those Kshatriyas, O son of Pmha ! who can find such a battle (to fight) — come of itself^ — an open door to heaven! But if you will not fight this righteous battle, then you will have abandoned your own duty and your fame, and you will incur sin.\ All beings, too, will tell of your everlasting infamy ; and to one who has been honoured, infamy is (a) greater (evil) than death. (Warriors who are) masters of great cars will think that you abstained from the battle through fear, and having been highly thought of by them, you will fall down to littleness. Your enemies, too,

^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 125. 'In vain do you grieve, not knowing well the two ends of him whose manner either of coming or going you know not.' '^ I. e. the self spoken of above. ^ KaMa-upanishad, p. 96. * One of the warrior caste. ^ Without any eifort, that is to say, of one's own. decrying your power, will speak much about you that should not be spoken. And what, indeed, more lamentable than that ? Killed, you will obtain heaven; victorious, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore arise, O son of Kunti ! resolved to (engage in) battle. Looking alike on pleasure and pain, on gain and loss, on victory and defeat, then prepare for battle, and thus you will not incur sin. The knowledge here declared to you is that relating to the Saiikhya^. Now hear that relating to the Yoga. Possessed of this knowledge, O son of Prz'tha ! you will cast off the bonds of action. In this (path to final emancipation) nothing that is commenced becomes abortive ; no obstacles exist; and even a little of this (form of) piety protects one from great danger ^. There is here ^ O descendant of "Kuru ! but one state of mind consisting in firm understanding. But the states of mind of those who have no firm understanding are many-branched and endless. The state of mind consisting in firm understanding regarding steady contemplation ■* does not belong to those, O son of Pr/tha I who are strongly attached to (worldly) pleasures and power, and whose minds are drawn away by that flowery talk which is full of (ordinances of) specific acts for the attainment of (those) pleasures and (that) power, and which pro-

^ Sahkhya is explained in different modes by the different commentators, but the resulting meaning here seems to be, that the doctrine stated is the doctrine of true knowledge and emancipation by its means. See infra, p. 52. ^ Viz. this mortal mundane life. ' I. e. for those who enter on this ' path.' * I.e. of the supreme Being; Yoga meaning really the dedication of all acts to that Being. mises birth as the fruit of acts^ — (that flowery talk) which those unwise ones utter, who are enamoured of Vedic words, who say there is nothing else, who are full of desires, and whose goal is heaven ^. The Vedas (merely) relate to the effects of the three qualities ^ ; do you, O Ar^una ! rise above those effects of the three qualities, and be free from the pairs of opposites *, always preserve courage ^ be free from anxiety for new acquisitions or protection of old acquisitions, and be self-controlled*'. To the instructed Brdhma;^a, there is in all the Vedas as much utility as in a reservoir of water into which waters flow from all sides '. Your business is with action alone ; not by any means with fruit. Let not the fruit of action be your motive (to action). Let not your attachment be (fixed) on inaction ^ Having recourse to devotion, O Dhanafi^aya! perform actions, casting off (all) attachment, and being equable in success or ill-

1 See Sutta Nipata, p. 4. to be aspired to before final emancipation. ^ I. e. the whole course of worldly affairs. As to qualities, see chapter XIV. ■* Heat and cold, pain and pleasure, and so forth. Cf. Manu I, 26. 5 Cf Sutta Nipata, p. 17 and other places. ® Keeping the mind from worldly objects. ■^ The meaning here is not easily apprehended. I suggest the following explanation : — Having said that the Vedas are concerned with actions for special benefits, Kr/shwa compares them to a reservoir which provides water for various special purposes, drinking, bathing, &c. The Vedas similarly prescribe particular rites and ceremonies for going to heaven, or destroying an enemy, &c. But, says K;-/sh«a, man's duty is merely to perform the actions prescribed for him among these, and not entertain desires for the special benefits named. The stanza occurs in the Sanatsu^^atiya, too. ** Doing nothing at all. success; (such) equability is called devotion. ; Action, O Dhanan^aya ! is far inferior to the devotion of the mind. In that devotion seek shelter. Wretched are those whose motive (to action) is the fruit (of action). He who has obtained devotion in this world casts off both merit and sin\ Therefore apply yourself to devotion ; devotion in (all) actions is wisdom. The wise who have obtained devotion cast off the fruit of action ; and released from the shackles of (repeated) births 2, repair to that seat where there is no unhappiness ^. When your mind shall have crossed beyond the taint of delusion, then will you become indifferent to all that you have heard or will hear ^ When your mind, confounded by what you have heard ^, will stand firm and steady in contemplation *^, then will you acquire devotion. \

What are the characteristics, O Kei^ava ! of one whose mind is steady, and who is intent on contemplation ? How should one of steady mind speak, how sit, how move ? The Deity said : When a man, O son of Pr/tha ! abandons all the ^ INIerit merely leads to heaven, as to which see note on last page. Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 4, 136, 145 note. ^ Sutta Nipata, pp. 3-7, &c. ' Sutta Nipata, p. 21. * This, according to Anandagiri, means all writings other than those on the science of the soul. ' I.e. about the means for the acquisition of various desired things. " I. e. of the soul (6'ankara), of the supreme Being (^ridhara). Substantially they both mean the same thing. ^. desires of his heart, and is pleased in his self only and by his self^ he is then called one of steady mind. He whose heart is not acjitated in the midst of calamities, who has no longing for pleasures, and from whom (the feelings of) affection, fear, and wrath ^ have departed, is called a sage of steady mind. His mind is steady, who, being without attachments anywhere, feels no exultation and no aversion on encountering the various agreeable and disagreeable^ (things of this world). A man's mind is steady, when he withdraws his senses from (all) objects of sense, as the tortoise (withdraws) its limbs from all sides. ? Objects of sense draw back from a person who is abstinent ; not so the taste (for those objects). But even the taste departs from him, when he has seen the Supreme *. The boisterous senses, O son of Kuntt ! carry away by force the mind even of a wise man, who exerts himself (for final emancipation). Restraining them all, a man should remain engaged in devotion,

[ making me his only resort. For his mind is steady whose senses are under his control. The man who ponders over objects of sense forms an attachment to them ; from (that) attachment is produced desire; and from desire anger is produced ^ ; from anger results want of discrimination ^ ; from want of dis- ' I. e. pleased, without regard to external objects, by self-contemplation alone. 2 Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 3. ^ The word jubhajubha in this sense also occurs in the Dhammapada, stanza 78, and in the Maitri-upanishad, p. 34. * See on this, Wilson's Essays on Sanskrit Literature, vol. iii, p. 130. ^ I. e. when the desire is frustrated. * I. e. between right and wrong. Confusion of memory =forgetfulness of .S'dstras and rules prescribed in them. CIIArTER II, 70. 51 crimination, confusion of the memory ; from confusion of the memory, loss of reason ; and in consequence of loss of reason he is utterly ruined. But the self-restrained man who moves among ^ objects with senses under the control of his own self, and free from affection and aversion, obtains tranquillity^. When there is tranquillity, all his miseries are destroyed, for the mind of him whose heart is tranquil soon becomes steady. He who is not self-restrained has no steadiness of mind ; nor has he who is not selfrestrained perseverance'* in the pursuit of self-knowledge ; there is no tranquillity for him who does not persevere in the pursuit of self-knowledge ;

and whence can there be happiness for one who is not tranquil ?\ For the heart which follows the rambling senses leads away his judgment, as the wind leads a boat astray upon the waters. Therefore, O you of mighty arms ! his mind is steady whose senses are restrained on all sides from objects of sense. • The self-restrained man is awake, when it is night for all beings ; and when all beings are awake, that is the night of the right-seeing sage^ He into whom all objects of desire enter, as w^aters enter the ocean, which, (though) replenished, (still) keeps its position unmoved, — he only obtains tranquillity ; not he who desires (those) objects of desire. The man who, casting

' Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 45. ^ Cf. Maitri-upanisliad, p. 134, where the commentator explains it to mean freedom from desires. ^ For a somewhat similar use of the word bhavana in this sense, comp. Dhammapada, stanza 301. * Spiritual matters are dark as night to the common run of men, while they are wide awake in all worldly pursuits. With the sage the case is exactly the reverse. off all desires, lives free from attachments, who is free from egoism \ and from (the feeling that this or that is) mine -, obtains tranquillity. This, O son of /Pmha! is the Brahmic^ state; attaining to this, one / is never deluded; and remaining in it in (one's) last ^^ moments, one attains (brahma-nirva/^a) the Brahmic \ bliss ^

Ar^una said : If, O Canardana! devotion is deemed by you to be superior to action, then why, O Ke^-ava! do you prompt me to (this) fearful action ? You seem, indeed, to confuse my mind by equivocal words. Therefore, declare one thing determinately, by which I may attain the highest good. The Deity said : O sinless one ! I have already declared, that in this world there is a twofold path ^ — that of the Saiikhyas by devotion in the shape of (true) knowledge ; and that of the Yogins by devotion in the shape of action. A man does not attain freedom from action ^ merely by not engaging in action ; nor does he attain perfection '^ by mere ^ renunciation. For nobody ever remains even for an instant without ^ Either pride or, better, the false notion mentioned infra, p. 55. ^ An almost identical expression occurs in the Dhammapada, stanza 367, and Maitri-upanishad, p. 37. * The state of identification of oneself with the Brahman, which results from a correct knowledge of the Brahman. * Infra, p. 66. ^ Supra, p. 47. " I. e., according to ^^ahkara, identification of oneself with Brahman. "^ Final emancipation.

" I. e. not coupled with knowledge and purity of heart. performing some action: since the qualities of nature constrain everybody, not having free-will (in the matter), to some action ^ The deluded man who, restraining the organs of action -, continues to think in his mind about objects of sense, is called a h)pocrite. But he, O Ar;^una! who restraining his senses by his mind ^, and being free from attachments, engages in devotion (in the shape) of action, with the organs of action, is far superior. Do you perform prescribed action, for action is better than inaction, and the support of your body, too, cannot be accomplished with inaction. This world is fettered by all action other than action for the purpose of the sacrificed Therefore, O son of Kuntt! do you, casting off attachment, perform action for that purpose. The Creator, having in olden times created men together with the sacrifice, said : ' Propagate with this. May it be the giver to you of the things you desire. Please the gods with this, and may those gods please you. Pleasing each other, you will attain the highest good. For pleased with the sacrifices, the gods will give you the enjoyments you desire. And he who enjoys himself without giving them what they have given, is, indeed, a thief.' The good, who eat the leavings of a sacrifice, are released from all sins. But the unrighteous ones, who prepare food for themselves only, incur sin ^.

^ Cf. infra, pp. 122-128. "^ Hands, feet, &c. ' By means of true discrimination keeping the senses from attachments to worldly objects, which lead to sin and evil. * Cf. infra, pp. 60, 61. Probably the ' sacrifices' spoken of in that passage must be taken to be the same as those referred to in the Creator's injunction mentioned in this passage. * Cf, Maitri'Upanishad, p. 143. '^ From food are born (all) creatures ; from rain is the production of food ; rain is produced by sacrifices ; sacrifices are the result of action ; know that action has its source in the Vedas ; the Vedas come from the Indestructible. Therefore the all-comprehending Vedas are always concerned with sacrifices \ He who in this world does not turn round the wheel revolving thus, is of sinful life, indulging his senses, and, O son of Pmha! he lives in vain. But the man who is attached to his self only, who is contented in his self, and is pleased with his self ^, has nothing to do. He has no interest at all in what is done, and none whatever in what is not done, in this world ^ ; nor is any interest of his dependent on any being. Therefore^ always perform action, which must be performed, without attachment. For a man, performing action without attachment, attains the Supreme. By action alone, did 6^anaka and the rest work for perfection ^. And having regard also to the keeping of people (to their duties) you should

sj perform action. Whatever a great man does, that other men also do. And people follow whatever he receives as authority. There is nothing, O son of Prztha ! for me to do in (all) the three worlds, ^ The commentators explain this to mean that though the Vedas elucidate all matters, their principal subject is the sacrifice. ^ The distinctions here are rather nice, — an ordinary man is ' attached ' to worldly objects, is ' contented ' with goods &c., and is ' pleased ' with special gains. ^ No good or evil accrues to him from anything he does or omits to do. * -Sridhara says that Ar^una is here told to perform action, as freedom from it is only for the man of true knowledge, which Ar^una is not as yet. ' I. e. final emancipation ; cf. p. 59 infra, and Ijopanishad, p. 6. nothing to acquire which has not been acquired. Still I do engage in action. For should I at any time not enfjas^e without sloth in action, men would follow in my path from all sides, O son of Pmha ! If I did not perform actions, these worlds would be destroyed, I should be the cause of casteinterminglings; and I should be ruining these people. As the ignorant act, O descendant of Bharata! with attachment to action, so should a wise man act without attachment, w^ishing to keep the people (to their duties).

A wise man should not shake the convictions of the iijnorant who are attached to action, but acting with devotion (himself) should make them apply themselves to all action. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks himself the doer of the actions, which, in every way, are done by the qualities of nature ^ But he, O you of mighty arms! who know^ the truth about the difference from qualities and the difference from actions -, forms no attachments, believing that qualities deal with qualities^ But those who are deluded by the qualities of nature form attachments to the actions of the qualities ^. A man of perfect knowledge should not shake these men of imperfect knowledge (in their convictions). Dedicating all actions to me with a mind knowing the relation of the supreme and individual self, engage in battle with-

' The active principle is nature, the aggregate of the three qualities; the soul is only the looker-on; cf. inter alia, p. 104 infra. ^ Scil. the difference of the soul from the collection of qualities, viz. the body, senses, &c., and from the actions of which they are the authors. ^ Qualities (i. e. senses) deal widi qualities, i. e. objects of sense. * I. e. all mundane affairs. out desire, without (any feeling that this or that is) mine, and without any mental trouble \ Even those men who always act on this opinion of mine, full of faith, and without carping, are released from all actions. But those who carp at my opinion and do not act upon it, know them to be devoid of discrimination, deluded as regards all knowledge ^, and ruined. Even a man of knowledge acts consonantly to his own nature ^ All beings follow nature. What will restraint effect ? Every sense has its affections and aversions towards its objects fixed. One should not become subject to them, for they are one's opponents ^ One's own duty, though defective, is better than another's duty well performed. Death in (performing) one's own duty is preferable ; the (performance of the) duty of others is dangerous.

Ar^una said : But by whom, O descendant of Vrishm ! is man impelled, even though unwilling, and, as it were, constrained by force, to commit sin ? ^ About the consequences of your actions. ^ Of actions, or of the Brahman in its various forms. ^ Which is the result of the virtues and vices of a preceding life. The sequence of ideas here is as follows : — The true view stated here about the ' difference from qualities and actions ' is disregarded by some, owing to their 'nature' as now explained. Then the question is, If nature is so potent, what is the good of the 6astras ? The answer is, Nature only acts through our likes and dislikes. Withstand them and then you can follow the ^'astras. It is under the influence of these likes and dislikes, that some may say, we shall practise duties prescribed for others (our own being bad ones) as they are equally prescribed by the -Sastras. That, as stated in the last sentence here, is wrong. * Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. loi, as to 'likings and dislikings.' The Deity said : It is desire, it is wrath \ born from the quality of passion ; it is very ravenous, very sinful. Know that that is the foe in this world. As fire is enveloped by smoke, a mirror by dust, the foetus by the womb, so is this - enveloped by desire.

Knowledge, O son of Kunti ! is enveloped by this constant foe of the man of knowledge, in the shape of desire, which is like a fire ^ and insatiable. The senses, the mind, and the understanding are said to be its seat*; with these it deludes the embodied (self) after enveloping knowledge. Therefore, O chief of the descendants of Bharata ! first restrain your senses, then cast off this sinful thing which destroys knowledge and experienced It has been said''. Great are the senses, greater than the senses is the mind, greater than the mind is the understanding. WJhat is greater than the understanding is that \ Thus knowing that which is higher than the understanding, and restraining (your)self by (your)self, O you of mighty

^ Vide p. 50 supra. * I. e. knowledge, mentioned in the next sentence, for which construction p. 7 r and p. 98 may be compared. ^ Wliich becomes more powerful the more it is fed. * The mind is that, which ponders over things as such or such ; the understanding is that which finally determines (cf. Lewes' History of Philosophy, II, 463-465). These and the senses are the ' seat ' of desire, because the perception of an object by the sense, the pondering over it by the mind, and the determination about it by the understanding are the preliminaries to the awakening of the desire ; supra, p. 50. '' Knowledge is from books or teachers, experience is the result of personal perception. * Ka/>^opanishad, p. 114; and see also pp. 148, 149. '' I. e. the supreme Being, as in the KaMopanishad. arms! destroy this unmanageable enemy in the shape of desire.

The Deity said : This everlasting' (system of) devotion I declared to the sun, the sun declared it to Manu^, and Manu communicated It to Ikshvaku. Coming thus by steps, it became known to royal sages. But, O terror of (your) foes ! that devotion was lost to the world by long (lapse of) time. That same primeval devotion I have declared to you to-day, seeing that you are my devotee and friend, for It is the highest mystery. Later is your birth ; the birth of the sun Is prior. How then shall I understand that you declared (this) The Deity said : I have passed through many births, O Ar^una ! and you also. I know them all, but you, O terror of (your) foes ! do not know them. Even though I am unborn and inexhaustible In (my) essence, even though I am lord of all beings, still I take up the control of my own nature ^, and am born by means ^ Because its fruit is imperishable, viz, final emancipation. ^ In the A'Mndogya-upanishad, Manu is the channel of communication for some doctrine taught by Pra^apati, which Manu teaches the 'people,' interpreted by .Sahkara to mean Ikshvaku, &c. (p. 178; see too p. 625).

^ Nature is what goes to the formation of the material form in which he is born ; the ' power ' includes knowledge, omnipotence, &c. It is delusive because he is still really ' unborn.' CHAPTER IV, l6. 59 of my delusive power. Whensoever, O descendant of Bharata ! piety languishes, and impiety is in the ascendant, I create myself. I am born age after age, for the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, and the establishment of piety. Whoever truly knows thus my divine birth and work, casts off (this) body and is not born again. He comes to me, O Ar^una! Many from whom affection, fear\ and wrath have departed, who are full of me, who depend on me, and who are purified by the penance of knowledge^, have come into my essence. I serve men in the way in which they approach me^ In every way, 0 son of Pmha! men follow in my path*. Desiring the success of actions \ men in this world worship the divinities, for in this world of mortals, the success produced by action is soon obtained. The fourfold division of castes was created by me according to the apportionment of qualities and duties. But though I am its author, know me to be inexhaustible, and not the author. Actions defile me not.

1 have no attachment to the fruit of actions. He who knows me thus is not tied down by actions. Knowing this, the men of old who wished for final emancipation, performed action. Therefore do you, too, perform action as was done by men of old in olden times. Even sao^es are confused as to what ^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 73. " Cf. infra, p. 61. ' I. e. I give to each worshipper what is proper for him. * The original words used here occur before in a different sense (see p. 55). Here the meaning is that to whomsoever directly addressed, all worship is worship of me (see p. 84). In the whole passage, Kr/sh;;a says that the Deity is not chargeable with partiality on account of the variety of human qualities and states. " Such as acquisition of sons, cattle, &c. is action, what inaction. Therefore I will speak to you about action, and learning that, you will be freed from (this world of) evil. One must possess knowledge about action ; one must also possess knowledge about prohibited action; and again one must possess knowledge about inaction. The truth regarding action is abstruse. He is wise among men, he is possessed of devotion, and performs all actions ^ who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction. The wise call him learned, whose acts are all free from desires and fancies, and whose actions are burnt down by the fire of knowledge.

Forsaking all attachment to the fruit of action, always contented, dependent on none, he does nothing at all, though he engages in action. Devoid of expectations, restraining the mind and the self, and casting off all belongings ^, he incurs no sin, performing actions merely for the sake of the body^ Satisfied with earnings coming spontaneously*, rising above the pairs of opposites, free from all animosity, and equable on success or ill-success, he is not fettered down, even though he performs (actions). The acts of one who is devoid of attachment, who is free^, whose mind is fixed on knowledge, and who performs action for (the purpose of) the sacrifice'' are all destroyed.

^ Devoted though performing all actions. ^ 'Appropriating nothing,' at Sutta Nipata, p. loi, seems to be the same idea. 'Self just before this means senses. ^ Preferably, perhaps, ' with the body only.' But ^Saiikara rejects this. * Cf infra, p. loi; and Sutta Nipata, p. 12. ® The commentators vary in their interpretations of this word (mukta), but the common point appears to be ' free from attachment to worldly concerns.' Cf Sutta Nipata, p. 8. * Sacrifice here apparently means every act for the attainment of Brahman is the oblation ; with Brahman (as a sacrificial instrument) it is offered up ; Brahman is in the fire ; and by Brahman it is thrown ; and Brahman, too, is the goal to which he proceeds who meditates on Brahman in the action \ Some devotees perform the sacrifice to the gods, some offer up the sacrifice by the sacrifice itself in the fire of Brahman-. Others offer up the senses, such as the sense of hearing and others, in the fires of restraint •^• others offer up the objects of sense, such as sound and so forth, into the fires of the senses'*. Some again offer up all the operations of the senses and the operations of the life-breaths into the fire of devotion by self-restraint^ kindled by knowledge. Others perform the sacrifice of wealth, the sacrifice of penance, the sacrifice of concentration of mind, the sacrifice of Vedic study*', and of knowledge, and others are ascetics of rigid vows. Some offer up the upward life-breath into the downward life-breath, and the downward life-breath into the upper life-breath, and stopping up the motions of the upward and downward life-breaths, devote themselves to the restraint of the life-breaths ^ Others, who (take) limited food, offer up the life-breaths into

the supreme; cf. supra, p. 53. In Ajvalayana Grzhya-sfitra I, i, 5, a text is cited meanihg ' salutation verily is a sacrifice.' ' This thorough identification with the Brahman explains why the action is ' destroyed ' and does not ' fetter ' the doer. * I. e. all acts, religious and other, offered up to the Brahman in the mode above stated. ' Practise 'yoga' and other like exercises. * Remaining unattached to sensuous enjoyments. ' Stopping the bodily operations mentioned, and engaging in contemplation. * This is called Brahmaya^fia, Ajvalayana Gnliya-sutra III, i, 3. '' Maitri-upanishad, p. 129. the life-breaths. All of these, conversant with the sacrifice, have their sins destroyed by the sacrifice. Those who eat the nectar-like leavings of the sacrifice repair to the eternal Brahman ^ This world is not for those who perform no sacrifice, whence (then) the other, O best of the Kauravas ! Thus sacrifices of various sorts are laid down in the Vedas. Know them all to be produced from action 2, and knowing this you will be released (from the fetters of this world). The sacrifice of knowledge, O terror of (your) foes ! is superior to the sacrifice of wealth, for action, O son of Pr/tha ! is wholly and entirely comprehended in knowledge. That ^ you should learn by salutation, question, and serviced The men of knowledge who perceive the truth will teach knowledge to you. Having learnt that, O son of Faudu !

you will not again fall thus into delusion ; and by means of it, you will see all beings, without exception, first in yourself, and then in me^ Even if you are the most sinful of all sinful men, you will cross over all trespasses by means of the boat of knowledge alone. As a fire well kindled, O Arcama ! reduces fuel to ashes, so the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes ^. For there is in this world no means of sanctification like knowledge \ and that one perfected by devotion finds within one's self in time. He who has faith, whose

^ Supra, p. 53. ^ Operations of mind, senses, &c. ; cf. supra, p. 54. ' I. e. knowledge. * Addressed to men of knowledge. Cf. Muw^/akopanishad, p.282. '^ The essential unity of the supreme and individual soul and the whole universe. Cf. I.ropanishad, pp. 13, 14. * Supra, p. 60. ^ Sutta Nipata, p. 48. senses are restrained, and who is assiduous, obtains knowledge ^ Obtaining knowledge, he acquires, without delay, the highest tranquillity. He who is ignorant and devoid of faith, and whose self is full of misgivings, is ruined. Not this world, not the next, nor happiness, is for him whose self is full of misgivings. Actions, O Dhanafi^aya ! do not fetter one who is self-possessed -, who has renounced action by devotion, and who has destroyed misgivings by knowledge. Therefore, O descendant of Bharata ! destroy, with the sword of knowledo-e, these misgivings of yours which fill your mind, and which are produced from ignorance. Eno-ao-e in devotion. Arise !

Ar^una said : O Kr/sh;2a! you praise renunciation of actions and also the pursuit (of them). Tell me determinately which one of these two is superior. The Deity said : Renunciation and pursuit of action are both instruments of happiness. But of the two, pursuit of action is superior to renunciation of action. He should be understood to be always an ascetic ^, who has no aversion and no desire. For, O you of mighty arms ! he who is free from the pairs of opposites is easily released from (all) bonds. Children — not wise men — talk of sahkhya and yoga as dis- ' Sutta Nipata, p. 49. ^ Cautious, free from heedlessness. ^ I. e. one who has performed ' renunciation.' tinct. One who pursues either well obtains the fruit of both. The seat which the sarikhyas obtain is reached by the yogas ^ also. He sees (truly), who sees the sahkhya and yoga as one. Renunciation, O you of mighty arms ! is difficult to reach without devotion; the sage possessed of devotion attains Brahman ^ without delay. He who is possessed of devotion, whose self is pure, who has restrained his self^, and who has controlled his senses, and who identifies his self with every being, is not / tainted though he performs (actions). The man of devotion, who knows the truth, thinks he does nothing at all, when he sees*, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps, breathes, talks, throws out ^, takes, opens or closes the eyelids ; he holds that the senses deal with the objects of the senses. He who, casting off (all) attachment, performs actions dedicating them to Brahman, is not tainted by sin, as the lotus-leaf^ (is not tainted) by water. Devotees, casting off attachment, perform actions for attaining purity of self, with the body, the mind, the understanding, or even the senses "^ — (all) free (from

^ Those who follow the yoga ' path.' The form is noteworthy, grammatically. ^ I.e. 'attains true renunciation,' says 5'ahkara; .Sridhara says, ' attains Brahman, after becoming a " renouncer." ' ' Here self is explained as body; in the line which goes before it is explained as heart. * These are the various operations of the organs of perception, action, &c. * A very common simile. Cf. inter alia ^//andogya-upanishad, p. 276; Sutta Nipata, pp. 107-134; and Davids' Buddhism, p. 158 note. ' Body = bathing, &c.; mind = meditation, &c.; understanding= ascertainment of truth; senses = hearing and celebrating God's name. eg-oistic notions). He who is possessed of devotion, abandoning the fruit of actions, attains the highest tranquilHty. He who is w^ithout devotion, and attached to the fruit (of action), is tied down by (reason of his) acting in consequence of (some) desire. The self-restrained, embodied (self) lies at ease within the city of nine portals S renouncing all actions by the mind, not doing nor causing (anything) to be done. The Lord is not the cause of actions, or of the capacity of performing actions amongst men, or of the connexion of action and fruit. But nature only works. The Lord receives no one's sin, nor merit either. Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, hence all creatures are deluded^. But to those who have destroyed that ignorance by knowledge of the self, (such) knowledge, like the sun, shows forth that supreme (principle). And those whose mind is (centred) on it, whose (very) self it is, who are thoroughly devoted to it, and whose final goal it is, go never to return, having their sins destroyed by knowledge. The wise look upon a Brahma;^a possessed of learning and humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a ^'vapaka, as alike ^. Even here, those have conquered the material world, whose mind rests in equability ■* ; since Brahman is free from defects and equable, therefore they rest in

^ Cf. Prajnopanishad, p. 202 ; ^vetajvatara, p. 332 ; Sutta Nipata, p. 52, The Ka///opanishad has eleven portals (p. 132). The nine are the eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth, and the two for excretions. ^ As regards the Lord's relation to man's merit or sin. ' As manifestations of Brahman, though of different qualities and classes. As to .Svapaka, a very low caste, see Sutta Nipata, p. 36. * As stated in the preceding words. Brahman. He who knows Brahman, whose mind is steady, who is not dekided, and who rests in Brahman, does not exult on finding anything agreeable, nor does he grieve on finding anything disagreeable \ One whose self is not attached to external objects, obtains the happiness that is in (one's) self; and by means of concentration of mind, joining one's self (with the Brahman), one obtains indestructible happiness. For the enjoyments born of contact (between senses and their objects) are, indeed, sources of misery ; they have a beginning as well as an end^ O son of Kunti ! a wise man feels no pleasure in them, f He who even in this world, before his release from the body, is able to bear the agitations produced from desire and wrath, is a devoted man, he is a happy man. The devotee whose happiness is within (himself), whose recreation is within (himself), and whose light (of knowledge) also is within (himself), becoming (one with) the Brahman^, obtains the Brahmic bliss *. The sages whose sins have perished, whose misgivings are destroyed, who are self-restrained, and who are intent on the welfare of all beings ''\ obtain the Brahmic bliss. To the ascetics, who are free from desire and wrath ^, and whose minds are restrained, and who have knowledge of the self, the Brahmic bliss is on both sides (of death). The sage who excludes (from his mind)

' Ka///opanishad, p. loo. ^ Cf. supra, p. 44. ^ He is one with the Brahman as he is intent exclusively on the Brahman. * The bliss of assimilation with the Brahman, or, as Ramanu^a puts it, the bliss of direct knowledge of the self. ° Sutta Nipata, p. 39; also Davids' Buddhism, p. 109. « Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 3. external objects, (concentrates) the visual power between the brows \ and making the upward and downward life-breaths even, confines their movements within the nose, who restrains senses, mind, and understanding ^, whose highest goal is final emancipation, from whom desire, fear, and wrath have departed, is, indeed, for ever released (from birth and death). He knowing me to be the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains tranquillity.

The Deity said : He who, regardless of the fruit of actions, performs the actions which ought to be performed, is the devotee and renouncer; not he who discards the (sacred) fires •\ nor he who performs no acts. Know, O son of Pa/^rt^u ! that what is called renunciation is devotion ; for nobody becomes a devotee who has not renounced (all) fancies*. To the sage who wishes to rise to devotion, action is said to be a means, and to him, when he has risen to devotion, tranquillity ^ is said to be a means. When one does not attach oneself to objects of sense, nor to action, renouncing all fancies, then is one said to have risen to devotion. (A man) should elevate his self by his self"^ ; he should not debase his self, for even (a man's) own self is his ' Cf. infra, p. 78. "^ V. 57 and Ka//iopanishad, p. 157. ^ Which are required for ordinary religious rites. * Which are the cause of desires ; see supra, p. 50. ^ Abandonment of distracting actions ; means scil. to perfect knowledge, says 6'ridhara. ^ I. e. by means of a mind possessed of true discrimination.

friend, (a man's) own self is also his enemy ^ To him who has subjugated his self by his self^, his self is a friend ; but to him who has not restrained his self, his own self behaves inimically, like an enemy. The self of one who has subjugated his self and is tranquil, is absolutely concentrated (on itself), in the midst of cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as well as honour and dishonour. The devotee whose self is contented with knowledge and experience ^ who is unmoved"*, who has restrained his senses, and to whom a sod, a stone, and gold are alike, is said to be devoted. And he is esteemed highest, who thinks alike^ about well-wishers, friends, and enemies, and those who are indifferent, and those who take part with both sides, and those who are objects of hatred, and relatives, as well as about the good and ; the sinful. A devotee should constantly devote his self to abstraction, remaining in a secret place ^ alone, with his mind and self^ restrained, without expectations, and without belongings. Fixing his seat firmly in a clean ^ place, not too high nor too low, and covered over with a sheet of cloth, a deerskin, and (blades of) Kui"a (grass), — and there seated on (that) seat, fixing his mind exclusively on one point, with the workings of the mind and senses

' Self is here explained as mind, the unsteadiness of which prevents the acquisition of devotion, p. 71. ^ This means restraining senses by mind. See Maitri-upanishad, p. 180. ^ Supra, p. 57. * By any of the vexations of the world. ^ I. e. is free from affection or aversion towards them. ^ ' Release from society ' is insisted on at Sutta Nipata, p. 55. '' Self is here explained as senses ; in the previous clause as mind. * This requisite is prescribed by many authorities. Cf. A7/andogya-upanishad,p.626; Maitri, p. 156; 6'vetajvatara, pp. 318, 319; and Ajvalayana (Gr^hya-siitra) III, 2, 2, for Vedic study too. restrained, he should practice devotion for purity of self Holding his body, head, and neck even and unmoved, (remaining) steady, looking at the tip of his own nose \ and not looking about in (all) directions, with a tranquil self, devoid of fear, and adhering to the rules of BrahmaMrins ^, he should restrain his mind, and (concentrate it) on me, and sit down engaged in devotion, regarding me as his final goal. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee whose mind is restrained, attains that tranquillity which culminates in final emancipation, and assimilation with me. Devotion is not his, O Ar^una! who eats too much, nor his who eats not at all ; not his who is addicted to too much sleep, nor his who is (ever) awake. That devotion which destroys (all) misery is his, who takes due food and exercise ^, who toils duly in ail works, and who sleeps and awakes (in) due (time) *.

When (a man's) mind well restrained becomes steady upon the self alone, then he being indifferent to all objects of desire, is said to be devoted. As a light standing in a windless (place) flickers not, that is declared to be the parallel for a devotee, whose mind is restrained, and who devotes his self to abstraction. That (mental condition), in which the mind restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work ; in which too, one seeing the self by the self ^, is pleased in

^ Cf. Kumarasambhava, Canto III, 47. This is done in order to prevent the sight from ramliling — a total closing of the eyes being objectionable as leading to sleep. ''■ See these in Apastamba (p. 7 in this series); and cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 159, 160; and IMiiller's Hibbert Lectures, p. 158. ^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 28, 95. * Buddhism shows similar injunctions. Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 21, 28, 95; and Dhammapada, stanza 8. * Sees the highest principle by a mind purified by abstraction. the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses, and which can be grasped by the understanding only ; and adhering to which, one never swerves from the truth ; acquiring which, one thinks no other acquisition higher than it; and adhering to which, one is not shaken off even by great misery; that should be understood to be called devotion in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart. Abandoning, without exception, all desires ^ which are produced from fancies, and restraining the whole group of the senses on all sides by the mind only ^, one should by slow steps becom.e quiescent ^, with a firm resolve coupled with courage * ; and fixing his mind upon the self, should think of nothing. Wherever the active and unsteady mind breaks forth ^, there one should ever restrain it, and fix it steadily on the self alone.

The highest happiness comes to such a devotee, whose mind is fully tranquil, in whom the quality of passion has been suppressed, who is free from sin, and who is become (one with) the Brahman. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee, freed from sin, easily obtains that supreme happiness — contact with the Brahman*'. He who has devoted his self to abstraction, by devotion, looking alike on everything, sees the self abiding in all beings, and all beings in

^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 62. ^ cf supra, p. 53. * I. e. cease to think of objects of sense. Cf. supra, p. 69. * I. e. an undespairing and firm resolution that devotion will be achieved ultimately. ^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 106. " Assimilation with the Brahman. the self \ To him who sees me in everything-, and everything in me, I am never lost, and he is not lost to me'-. The devotee who worships me abiding in all beings, holding that all is one ^, lives in me, however he may be living'*. That devotee, O Ar^ama ! is deemed to be the best, who looks alike on pleasure or pain, whatever it may be, in all (creatures), comparing all with his own (pleasure or I cannot see, O destroyer of Madhu ! (how) the sustained existence (is to be secured) of this devotion by means of equanimity which you have declared — in consequence of fickleness. For, O Kr/sh;^a! the mind is fickle, boisterous", strong, and obstinate ; and I think that to restrain it is as difficult as (to restrain) the wind. The Deity said : Doubtless, O you of mighty arms ! the mind is difficult to restrain, and fickle \ Still, O son of Kunti! it may be restrained by constant practice and by indifference (to worldly objects). It is my belief, that devotion is hard to obtain for one who does not restrain his self. But by one who is self-restrained

^ Realises the essential unity of everything. ^ He has access to me, and I am kind to him. ^ Cf. Ij-opanishad, p. 13. * ' Even abandoning all action,' says ^lidhara ; and cf. infra, p. 105. '^ Who believes that pleasure and pain are as much liked or disliked by others as by himself, and puts himself in fact in the place of others. * Troublesome to the body, senses, &c. ^ Cf. Dhammapada, stanza 33 seq. and assiduous, it can be obtained through (proper) What is the end of him, O Krzsh.?i3. ! who does not attain the consummation of his devotion, being not assiduous ^ and having a mind shaken off from devotion, (though) full of faith ? Does he, fallen from both (paths) ^, go to ruin like a broken cloud, being, O you of mighty arms ! without support, and deluded on the path (leading) to the Brahman ? Be pleased, O Kr2sh;^a ! to entirely destroy this doubt of mine, for none else than you can destroy this doubt. The Deity said : O son of Pmha ! neither in this world nor the next, is ruin for him ; for, O dear friend ! none who performs good (deeds) comes to an evil end. He who is fallen from devotion attains the worlds of those who perform meritorious acts, dwells (there) for many a year, and is afterwards born into a family of holy and illustrious ^ men. Or he is even born into a family of talented devotees; for such a birth as that in this world is more difficult to obtain. There he comes into contact with the knowledge which belonged to him in his former body, and then again, O descendant of Kuru ! he works for perfection ^. For even though reluctant ^, he is led away by the

' Cf. p. 73 infra. ^ The path to heaven, and that to final emancipation. ' ' Kings or emperors,' says Madhusudana. * I. e. final emancipation. ® ' As Ar^una himself,' says Madhusvldana, ' receives instruction in knowledge, though he comes to the battle-field without any such object ; hence it was said before, " nothing is here abortive." ' See p. 47. self-same former practice, and although he only wishes to learn devotion, he rises above the (fruits of action laid down in the) divine word. But the devotee working with great efforts ^ and cleared of his sins, attains perfection after many births, and then reaches the supreme goal. The devotee is esteemed higher than the performers of penances, higher even than the men of knowledge, and the devotee is higher than the men of action ; therefore, O Ar^mna ! become a devotee. And even among all devotees, he who, being full of faith, worships me, with his inmost self intent on me, is esteemed by me to be the most devoted.

The Deity said : O son of Pr/tha! now hear how you can without doubt know me fully, fixing your mind on me, and resting in me, and practising devotion. I will now tell you exhaustively about knowledge together with experience ; that being known, there is nothing further left in this world to know. Among thousands of men, only some ^ work for perfection ^ ; and even of those who have reached perfection, and who are assiduous, only some know me truly. Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, understanding, ^ As distinguished from the others who work half-heartedly, so to say. See p. 72. ^ ' Some one ' in the original. ' I.e. knowledge of the self. ^Sahkara says, as to the next clause, that those even who work for final emancipation must be deemed to have ' reached perfection.' and egoism \ thus is my nature divided eightfold. But this is a lower (form of my) nature. Know (that there is) another (form of my) nature, and higher than this, which is animate, O you of mighty arms ! and by which this universe is upheld. Know that all things have these (for their) source ^. I am

the producer and the destroyer of the whole universe. There is nothing else, O Dhanan^aya ! higher than myself; all this is woven upon me, like numbers of pearls upon a thread ^ I am the taste in water, O son of Kunti ! I am the light of the sun and moon. I am ' Om * ' in all the Vedas, sound ^ in space, and manliness in human beings; I am the fragrant smell in the earth, refulgence in the fire ; I am life in all beings, and penance^ in those who perform penance. Know me, O son of Pr/tha ! to be the eternal seed of all beings; I am the discernment of the discerning ones, and I the glory of the glorious I I am also the strength, unaccompanied by fondness or desire ^ of the strong. And, O chief of the descendants of Bharata ! I am love unopposed to piety ^ among all sutra 6 1 of the current aphorisms. 2 Cf. infra, p. 105. " Cf. Muwfl'akopanishad, p. 298. * Infra, p. 79. Cf. Goldstucker's Remains, I, 14, 122; Yogasutras I, 27. •^ I. e. the occult essence which underlies all these and the other qualities of the various things mentioned.

'^ I. e. power to bear the pairs of opposites. ■^ Glory here seems to mean dignity, greatness. ^ Desire is the wish to obtain new things; fondness is the anxiety to retain what has been obtained. The strength here spoken of, therefore, is that which is applied to the performance of one's own duties only. * I. e. indulged within the bounds allowed by the rules of the ^astras, namely, for the procreation of sons &c. only. beings. And all entities which are of the quality of goodness, and those which are of the quality of passion and of darkness, know that they are, indeed, all from me; I am not in them, but they are in me^ The whole universe deluded by these three states of mind, developed from the qualities, does not know me, who am beyond them and inexhaustible ; for this delusion of mine, developed from the qualities, is divine and difficult to transcend. Those cross beyond this delusion who resort to me alone. Wicked men, doers of evil (acts), who are deluded, who are deprived of their knowledge by (this) delusion, and who incline to the demoniac state of mind ^, do not resort to me. But, O Ar^uia ! doers of good (acts) of four classes worship me : one who is distressed, one who is seeking after knowledge, one who wants wealth, and one, O chief of the descendants of Bharata !

who is possessed of knowledge. Of these, he who is possessed of knowledge, who is always devoted, and whose worship is (addressed) to one (Being) only, is esteemed highest. For to the man of knowledge I am dear above all things, and he is dear to me. All these are noble. But the man possessed of knowledge is deemed by me to be my own self. For he with (his) self devoted to abstraction, has taken to me as the goal than which there is nothing higher. At the end of many lives, the man possessed of knowledge approaches me, (believing) that Vasudeva is everything. Such a high-souled man is very hard to find. Those who are deprived of knowledge by various desires approach other

* They do not dominate over me, I rule them. * Infra, p. 115. divinities, observing various regulations ^ and controlled by their own natures ^ Whichever form (of deity) any worshipper wishes to worship with faith, to that form I render his faith steady. Possessed of that faith, he seeks to propitiate (the deity in) that (form), and obtains from it those beneficial things which he desires, (though they are) really given by me. But the fruit thus (obtained) by them, who have little judgment, is perishable. Those who worship the divinities go to the divinities ^, and my worshippers, too, go to me. The undiscerning ones, not knowing my transcendent and inexhaustible essence, than which there is nothing higher, think me, who am unperceived, to have become perceptible ^ Surrounded by the delusion of my mystic power ^, I am not manifest to all. This deluded world knows not me unborn and inexhaustible. I know, O Ar^ima ! the things which have been, those which are, and those which are to be. But me nobody knows. All beings, O terror of (your) foes! are deluded at the time of birth by the delusion, O descendant of Bharata ! caused by the pairs of opposites arising from desire and aversion. But the men of meritorious actions, whose sins have terminated, worship me, being released from the delusion (caused) by the pairs of

^ Fasts and so forth. 2 Which are the result of the actions done in previous lives. ^ And the divinities are not eternal, so the fruit obtained is ephemeral. ^ The ignorant do not know the real divinity ofVishwu, thinking him to be no higher than as he is seen in the human form. This gives them an inadequate notion of the purity and eternity of the happiness to be obtained by worshipping him; cf. infra, p. 83. ^ The veil surrounding me is created by my mysterious power, and that everybody cannot pierce through ; cf. Ka//^a, p. 117. opposites, and being firm in their beliefs ^ Those who, resting on me, work for release from old age and death -, know the Brahman ^ the whole Adhyatma, and all action. And those who know me with the AdhibhCita, the Adhidaiva, and the Adhiya^fia, having minds devoted to abstraction, know me at the time of departure (from this world).

What is that Brahman, what the Adhyatma, and what, O best of beings! is action? And what is called the Adhibhuta ? And who is the Adhiya^na, and how in this body, O destroyer of Madhu ? And how, too, are you to be known at the time of departure (from this world) by those who restrain their selfs } The Deity said : The Brahman is the supreme, the indestructible. Its manifestation (as an individual self) is called the Adhyatma. The offering (of an oblation to any divinity), which is the cause of the production and development of all things, is named action. The Adhibhuta is all perishable things. The Adhidaivata is the (primal) being. And the Adhiya^ia, O best of embodied (beings)! is I myself in this body*. ' Concerning the supreme principle and the mode of worshipping it. '^ Cf. infra, p. 109. ^ gee the next chapter. * Adhyatma where it occurs before (e.g. p. 55) has been rendered 'die relation belwecn the supreme and individual soul.' As to And he who leaves this body and departs (from this world) remembering me in (his) last moments, comes into my essence. There is no doubt of that. Also whichever form ^ (of deity) he remembers when he finally leaves this body, to that he goes, O son of Kunti! having been used to ponder on it. Therefore, at all times remember me, and engage in battle. Fixing your mind and understanding on me, you will come to me, there is no doubt.

He who thinks of the supreme divine Being, O son ofPmha! witha mind not (running) to other (objects), and possessed of abstraction in the shape of continuous meditation (about the supreme), goes to him. He who, possessed of reverence (for the supreme Being) with a steady mind, and with the power of devotion, properly concentrates the life-breath between the brows ^, and meditates on the ancient Seer, the ruler, more minute than the minutest atom ^, the supporter of all, who is of an unthinkable form, whose brilliance is like that of the sun, and who is beyond all darkness^, he attains to that transcendent and divine Being. I ^ will tell you briefly about the seat, which those who know the Vedas declare to be indestructible ; which is entered by ascetics from whom all desires have departed ; and wishing for which, people pursue the

action, cf. pp. 53, 54. Adhibhfita is apparently the whole inanimate creation, and Adhidaivata is the being supposed to dwell in the sun. Adhiya^Qa is Kr/shwa. Cf. too pp. 113, 114. ^ Some commentators say ' whatever thing ' generally. The ' form ' remembered in one's last moments would be that which had been most often meditated on during life. ^ Cf. supra, p. 67. ^ Ka///a, p. 105; ^vetarvatara, p. 333. * Cf. 6'vetajvatara-upanishad, p. 327. ^ Ka///opanishad, p. 102. mode of life of Brahma/C'arins ^ He who leaves the body and departs (from this world), stopping up all passages'-, and confining the mind within the heart '^ placing the life-breath in the head, and adhering to uninterrupted meditation ^ repeating the single syllable ' Om,' (signifying) the eternal Brahman ^ and meditating on me, he reaches the highest goal. To the devotee who constantly practises abstraction, O son of Pr/tha ! and who with a mind not (turned) to anything else, is ever and constantly meditating on me, I am easy of access. The high-souled ones, who achieve the highest perfection, attaining to me, do not again come to life, which is transient, a home of woes •'. All worlds, O Ar^una ! up to the world of Brahman, are (destined) to return '^. But, O son of Kunti ! after attaining to me, there is no birth again. Those who know a day of Brahman to end after one thousand ages, and the night to terminate after one thousand ages, are the persons

^ As to BrahmaMrins, see supra, p. 69. ^ 'The senses,' say the commentators. Might it not refer to the 'nine portals' at p. 65 supra? See also, however, p. 108. •'' I. e. thinking of nothing, making the mind cease to work. Cf Maitri-upanishad, p. 179. * Cf. IMaitri-upanishad, p. 130, uninterrupted, like 'oil when poured out,' says the commentator. ^ Cf. AV/andogya-upanishad, p. 151; Mandukya, pp. 330-388 (Om is all — past, present, and future); Nr/siwha Tapini, pp. no, 117, 171; Maitri, p. 140; Prajna, p. 220. On the opening passage of the A7/anclogya, 6'ankara says, 'Om is the closest designation of the supreme Being. He is pleased when it is pronounced, as people are at the mention of a favourite name.' See also Max Miiller, Hibbcrt Lectures, p. 84; Goldstiicker's Remains, I, 122. " See infra, p. 86 ; and cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 125. ' They are only temporary, not the everlasting seats of the soul. who know day and night ^ On the advent of day, all perceptible things are produced from the unperceived ; and on the advent of night they dissolve in that same (principle) called the unperceived. This same assemblage of entities, being produced again and again, dissolves on the advent of night, and, O son of Pmha! issues forth on the advent of day, without a will of its own ^. But there is another entity, unperceived and eternal, and distinct from this unperceived (principle), which is not destroyed when all entities are destroyed.

It is called the unperceived, the indestructible ; they call it the highest goal. Attaining to it, none returns ^ That is my supreme abode. That supreme Being, O son of Pmha ! he in whom all these entities dwell *, and by whom all this is permeated, is to be attained to by reverence not (directed) to another. I will state the times, O descendant of Bharata ! at which devotees departing (from this world) go, never to return, or to return. The fire, the flame ^, the day,

^ Cf. Manu I, 73. 6'ahkara says, that this explains why the abodes of Brahma and others are said to be not lasting. They are limited by time. As to ages, -5'ridhara says, a human year is a day and night of the gods. Twelve thousand years made of such days and nights make up the four ages : one thousand such 'quaternions of ages' make up a day, and another thousand a night of Brahma. Of such days and nights Brahma has a hundred years to live. At the close of his life, the universe is destroyed. 2 Cf. p. 82 infra; also Manu-smrz'ti I, 52; and Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava II, 8. 3 Cf. Ka/-^opanishad, p. 149 ; and also p. 112 infra. * I. e. by whom, as the cause of them, all these entities are supported ; cf. p. 8 2 infra. ceding this, to mean ' the path indicated by a deity presiding over CHAPTER IX, 2. 8l the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice, departing (from the world) in these, those who know the Brahman go to the Brahman. Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice, (dying) in these, the devotee goes to the lunar light and returns \ These two paths, bright and dark, are deemed to be eternal in this world -'. By the one, (a man) goes never to return, by the other he comes back. Knowing these two paths, O son of Pmha ! no devotee is deluded 'K Therefore at all times be possessed of devotion, O Ar^una ! A devotee knowing all this *, obtains all the holy fruit which is prescribed for (study of) the Vedas, for sacrifices, and also for penances and gifts, and he attains to the highest and primeval seat.

Now I will speak to you, who are not given to carping, of that most mysterious knowledge, accompanied by experience, by knowing which you will be released from evil. It is the chief among the sciences, the chief among the mysteries. It is the best means of sanctification. It is imperishable, not time, by which;' and the fire-flame as included in this, though having no connexion with time. ^Sahkara agrees, though he also suggests that fire means a deity presiding over time. I own I have no clear notion of the meaning of these verses. Cf A'/zandogya, p. 342 ; B/vluid-arawyaka-upanishad, p. 1057 seq. ' Cf. Prajna-upanishad, p. 64 ; and ^ariraka Bhashya, p. 747 seq. - I. e. for those who are fitted for knowledge or action. ^ I.e. does not desire heaven, but devotes himself to the supreme Being, seeing that heavenly bliss is only temporary. * All that is staled in this chapter. opposed to the sacred law. It is to be apprehended directly ^ and is easy to practise. O terror of your foes! those men who have no faith in this holy doctrine, return to the path of this mortal world, without attaining to me. This whole universe is pervaded by me in an unperceived form. All entities live in me, but I do not live in them ^. Nor yet do all entities live in me. See my divine power. Supporting all entities and producing all entities, my self lives not in (those) entities.

As the great and ubiquitous atmosphere always remains in space, know that similarly all entities live in me ^ At the expiration of a Kalpa, O son of Kunti ! all entities enter my nature ; and at the beginning of a Kalpa, I again bring them forth. Taking the control of my own nature ^, I bring forth again and again this whole collection of entities, without a will of its own ^, by the power of nature. But, O Ar^na ! these actions do not fetter*' me, who remain like one unconcerned, and who am unattached to those actions. Nature gives birth to movables and immovables through me, the supervisor, and by reason of that ^ O son of Kunti ! the universe revolves. Deluded people of vain hopes, vain acts, vain know-

^ I. e. by immediate consciousness, not mediately ; ' not opposed to the sacred law,' i.e. like the 6yena sacrifice for destroying a foe. ^ Because he is untainted by anything. And therefore also the entities do not live in him, as said in the next sentence. See p. 80 supra. ' As space is untainted and unaffected by the air which remains in it, so am I by the entities. ^ Supra, p. 58. Nature = the unperceived principle. ^ Cf. p. 80 supra. ^ I am not affected by the differences in the conditions of these entities. "' Viz. the supervision. ledge \ whose minds are disordered, and M'ho are inclined to the delusive nature of Asuras and Rakshasas, not knowing my highest nature as great lord of all entities, disregard me as I have assumed a human body 2. But the high-souled ones, O son of P^'/tha ! who are inclined to the godlike nature, knowing me as the inexhaustible source of (all) entities, worship me with minds not (turned) elsewhere. Constantly glorifying me, and exerting themselves ■', firm in their vows *, and saluting me with reverence, they worship me, being always devoted. And others again, offering up the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me as one, as distinct, and as all-pervading in numerous forms I I am the Kratu", I am the Ya^'iia, I am the Svadha, I the product of the herbs. I am the sacred verse. I too am the sacrificial butter, and I the fire, I the offering '. I am the father of this universe, the mother, the creator, the grandsire, the thing to be known, the means of sanctification. the syllable Om^ the J^i/c, Saman, and Ya^us also ; the goal, the sustainer, the lord, the supervisor, the

' Hope, viz. that some other deity will give them what they want; acts, vain as not ofTercd to the supreme; knowledge, vain as abounding in foolish doubts, &c. ^ Cf. p. 76 supra. ^ For a knowledge of the supreme, or for the means of such knowledge. * Vows — veracity, harmlcssncss, &c. ^- Sacrifice of knowledge, viz. the knowledge that Vasudeva is all; as one = believing that all is one; as distinct = believing that sun, moon, &c. are different manifestations of ' me.' " Kratu is a Vedic sacrifice ; Ya^nla, a sacrifice laid down in Rmmis. Svadha = offering to the manes; 'product of the herbs ' = food prepared from vegetables, or medicine. ' Cf. p. 61 supra. 8 P. 79 supra. residence \ the asylum, the friend, the source, and that in which it merges, the support, the receptacle, and the inexhaustible seed. I cause heat and I send forth and stop showers. I am immortality and also death; and I, O Ar^'una ! am that which is and that which is not-. Those who know the three (branches of ) knowledge, who drink the Soma juice, whose sins are washed away, offer sacrifices and pray to me for a passage into heaven ; and reaching the holy world of the lord of gods, they enjoy in the celestial regions the celestial pleasures of the gods. And having enjoyed that great heavenly world, they enter the mortal world when (their) merit is exhausted ^ Thus those who wish for objects of desire, and resort to the ordinances of the three (Vedas), obtain (as the fruit) going and coming.

To those men who worship me, meditating on me and on no one else, and who are constantly devoted, I give new gifts and preserve what is acquired by them *. Even those, O son of Kunti ! who being devotees of other divinities worship with faith, worship me only, (but) irregularly ^ For I am the enjoyer as well as the lord ^ of all sacrifices. But they know me not truly, therefore do they fall \ Those who make vows ^ to the gods go to the gods ;

^ I.e. the seat of enjoyment; receptacle = where things are preserved for future use, say the commentators. ^ The gross and the subtle elements, or causes and eflfects. 3 Cf. MuWakopanishad, p. 279; and AVnindogya, p. 344. ^ Cf. Dhammapada, stanza 23. I.e. attainment to the Brahman and not returning from it.— Ramanu^a. •' Because in form they worship other divinities. * Giver of the fruit. As to enjoyer, cf. p. 67 supra. ■^ I. c. return to the mortal world. * I.e. some regulation as to n.ode of worship. Cf. also p. 76 supra. those who make vows to the manes go to the manes; those who worship the Bhiitas go to the BhAtas ; and those hkewise who worship me go to me. Whoever with devotion offers me leaf, flower, fruit, water, that, presented with devotion, I accept from him whose self is pure. Whatever you do, O son of Kunti ! whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice you make, whatever you give, whatever penance you perform, do that as offered to me \ Thus will you be released from the bonds of action, the fruits of which are agrreeable or disag^reeable. And with your self possessed of (this) devotion, (this) renunciation^, you will be released (from the bonds of ^ action) and will come to me. I am alike to all beings ; to me none is hateful, none dear. But those who worship me with devotion (dwell) in me ^, and I too in them. Even if a very ill-conducted man worships me, not worshipping any one else, he must certainly be deemed to be good, for he has well resolved ^ He soon becomes devout of heart, and obtains lasting tranquillity. (You may) affirm, O son of Kunti ! that my devotee is never ruined. For, O son of Pmha! even those who are of sinful births women, Vai^yas, and ^'udras likewise, resorting to me, attain the supreme goal. What then (need

' Cf. p. 55 supra, and other passages. ^ This mode of action is at once devotion and renunciation : the first, because one cares not for fruit ; the second, because it is offered to the supreme. ' ' They dwell in me ' by their devotion to me ; I dwell in them as giver of happiness to them. ■* Viz. that the supreme Being alone shouUl be reverenced. ' .Sahkara takes Vaijyas &c. as examples of this ; not so .Sridhara. Cf. as to women and ^Tidras, N/-/siwha-tapini, p. 14. 'Of sinful birth' = of low birth (.S'ridhara) = birth resulting from sins (6'ahkara). be said of) holy Brahma;^as and royal saints who are (my) devotees ? Coming to this transient unhappy^ world, worship me. (Place your) mind on me, become my devotee, my worshipper ; reverence me, and thus making me your highest goal, and devoting your self to abstraction, you will certainly come to me.

Yet again, O you of mighty arms ! listen to my excellent- words, wdiich, out of a wish for your welfare, I speak to you who are delighted (with them). Not the multitudes of gods, nor the great sages know my source ; for I am in every way ^ the origin of the gods and great sages. Of (all) mortals, he who knows me to be unborn, without beginning, the great lord of the world, being free from delusion, is released from all sins. Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from delusion, forgiveness, truth, restraint of the senses, tranquillity, pleasure, pain, birth, death, fear, and also security, harmlessness, equability, contentment, penance, (making) gifts, glory, disgrace, all these different tempers^ of living beings are from me alone. The seven great sages, and likewise the four ancient Manus ^, whose descendants are (all) these people in the world, w^ere all born from my ^ Cf. p. 79 supra. ^ As referring to the supreme soul. ^ As creator, as moving agent in workings of the intellect, &c. * The names are not always names of ' tempers,' but the corresponding ' temper ' must be understood. ^ The words are also otherwise construed, ' The four ancients (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara) and the Manus.' According to the later mythology the Manus are fourteen.

mincP, (partaking) of my powers. Whoever correctly knows these powers and emanations of mine, becomes possessed of devotion free from indecision ; of this (there is) no doubt. The wise, full of love '\ worship me, believing that I am the origin of all, and that all moves on through me. (Placing their) minds on me, offering (their) lives to me, instructing each other, and speaking about me, they are always contented and happy. To these, who are constantly devoted, and who worship with love, I give that knowledge by which they attain to me. And remaining in their hearts, I destroy, with the brilliant lamp of knowledge, the darkness born of ignorance in such (men) only, out of compassion for them. Ar^una said : You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme goal, the holiest of the holy. All sages, as well as the divine sage Narada, Asita^, Devala, and Vyasa, call you the eternal being, divine, the first god, the unborn, the all-pervading. And so, too, you tell me yourself, O Kesava! I believe all this that you tell me (to be) true ; for, O lord ! neither the gods nor demons understand your manifestation*. You only know your self by your self. O best of beings ! creator of all things ! lord of all things ! god of gods ! lord of the universe ! be pleased to declare without exception your divine emanations, by which emana-

' By the mere operation of my thought. As to ancients, cf. Aitareya-arawyaka, p. 136. ^ .Sahkara renders the word here by perseverance in pursuit of truih. •■' Anandagiri calls Asita father of Devala. See also Davids' Buddhism, p. 185; Muller's Anc. Sansk. Lit., p. 463. * Scil. in human form for the good of the gods and the destruction of demons. tions you stand pervading all these worlds. How shall I know you, O you of mystic power ! always meditating on you ? And in what various entities^ 0 lord ! should I meditate on you ? Again, O Canardana ! do you yourself declare your powers and emanations ; because hearing this nectar, I (still) feel no satiety. The Deity said : Well then, O best of Kauravas ! I will state to you my own divine emanations ; but (only) the chief (ones), for there is no end to the extent of my (emanations). I am the self, O Gudakesa. ! seated in the hearts of all beino-s 2. I am the beofinnino^ and the middle and the end also of all beingrs. I am Vish;Ai among the Adityas ^, the beaming sun among the shining (bodies) ; I am MarU'i among the Maruts^, and the moon among the lunar mansions ^ Among the Vedas, I am the vSama-veda^ I am Indra among the gods. And I am mind among the senses'^. I am consciousness in (living) beings. And

1 am ^ahkara ^ among the Rudras, the lord of wealth ^ amonor Yakshas and Rakshases. And I am fire among the Vasus, and Meru^*^ among the hightopped (mountains). And know me, O Arc^una ! to ^ To know you fully being impossible, what special manifestation of you should we resort to for our meditations ? ^ P. 129 infra. ^' ' Aditya is used in the Veda chiefly as a general epithet for a number of solar deities.' Max Miiller, Hibbert Lectures, p. 264. * The storm-gods, as Max Miiller calls them. ^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 121. " As being, probably, full of music. ■^ Cf. A'y^andogya, p. 121, where -S'ahkara says, ' Mind is the chief of man's inner activities.' ^ Now the third member of our Trinity. Kubcra. '« The Golden Mount. be Br/haspati, the chief among domestic priests. I am Skanda amone crenerals. I am the ocean among- reservoirs of water ^ I am Bhr/gu among the great sages. I am the single s)llablc (Om -) among words. Among sacrifices I am the 6^apa sacrifice^; the Himalaya among the firmly-fixed (mountains); the A^vattha * among all trees, and Narada among divine sages ; A'itraratha among the heavenly choristers, the sage Kapila among the Siddhas \ Among horses know me to be U/('/'ai55ravas '', brought forth by (the labours for) the nectar ; and Airavata among the great elephants, and the ruler of men among men '^. I am the thunderbolt among weapons, the wish-giving (cow) among cows. And I am love which generates ^. Among serpents I am Vasuki. Among Naga^ snakes I am Ananta ; I am Varu;/a among aquatic beings. And I am Aryaman among the manes, and Yama^" among rulers. Among demons, too, I am Pralhada. I am the king of death (Kala, time) among those that count '^ Among beasts I

^ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 121. ^ Vide p. 79 supra. ' Gapa is the silent meditation. Madhusudana says it is superior owing to its not involving the slaughter of any animal, &c. ^ The fig tree. It is the symbol of ' life ' in chapter XV infra. ^ Those who even from birth are possessed of piety, knowledge, indifference to the world, and superhuman power. Cf. ^Svetajvatara-upanishad, p. 357. * This is Indra's horse, brought out at the churning of the ocean. Airavata is Indra's elephant. " Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 121. ® I.e. not the merely carnal passion. Cf. p. 74 supra. ' Nagas are without poison, says ^ridhara. Varuwa is the sea-god. '" Yama is death, and Pralhada the virtuous demon for whom Vishwu became incarnate as the man-lion. As to manes, see Goldstiicker's Remains, I, 133. " ' Counts the number of men's sins,' Ramanu^a ; 6'ridhara says am the lord of beasts, and the son of Vinata^ among birds. I am the whid among those that blow ^. I am Rama ^ among those that wield weapons. Among fishes I am Makara '', and among streams the G^ahnavi^ Of created things I am the beginning and the end and the middle also, O Ar^una ! Among sciences, I am the science of the Adhyatma, and I am the argument of controversialists. Among letters I am the letter A ^ and among the group of compounds the copulative' compound. I myself am time inexhaustible, and I the creator whose faces are in all directions. I am death who seizes all, and the source of what is to be. And among females, fame^ fortune, speech, memory, intellect, courage, forgiveness. Likewise among Saman hymns, I am the Br/hat-saman^ and I the Gayatri^'^ among metres. I am Marga^irsha among the months, the spring

this refers to ' time, with its divisions into years, months,' &c. ; while a Httle further on it means ' time eternal.' ^ I. e. the Garu</a or eagle, who is the vehicle of Vish;;u in Hindu mytholog3\ 2 ' Those who have the capacity of motion,' says Ramanu^a. ^ The hero of the Hindu epos, Ramaya«a, translated into verse by Mr. R. T. H. Griffiths. * The dolphin. =* The Ganges. * That letter is supposed to comprehend all language. Cf. Aitareya-ara«yaka, p. 346, and another text there cited by ]\Iadhava in his commentary (p. 348). "^ This is said to be the best, because all its members are co-ordinate with one another, not one depending on another. * I. e. the deities of fame, &c. ' See, as to this, Muir, Sanskrit Texts, vol. i, p. 16. 6'ahkara says this hymn relates to final emancipation. ^^ Cf, AV/tandogya-upanishad, p. 181, where <9ahkara says, 'Gayatri is the chief metre, because it is the means to a knowledge of the Brahman.' It is the metre of the celebrated verse ' Om Tatsavitur,' &c. among the seasons ^ of cheats, I am the game of dice ; I am the glory of the glorious ; I am victory, I am industry, I am the goodness of the good. I am Vasudeva among the descendants of Vr/shwi ^, and Ar^una among the Pa/^^^avas. Among sages also, I am Vyasa ^ ;

and among the discerning ones, I am the discerning Ui^anas *. I am the rod of those that restrain, and the policy'^ of those that desire victory. I am silence respecting secrets. I am the knowledge of those that have knowledge. And, O Ar^una ! I am also that which is the seed of all things. There is nothing movable or immovable which can exist without me. O terror of your foes ! there is no end to my divine emanations. Here I have declared the extent of (those) emanations only in part. Whatever thing (there is) of power, or glorious, or splendid, know all that to be produced from portions of my energy. Or rather, O Ar^una ! what have you to do, knowing all this at large ? I stand supporting all this by (but) a single portion (of myself) '^.

' Cf. AV/andogya-upanishad, p. 126. IMarga.rirsha is NovemberDecember. Madhusudana says this is the best month, as being neither too hot nor too cold ; but see Schlegel's Bhagavadgita, ed. Lassen, p. 276. " One of Kr/sh«a's ancestors. ' The compiler of the Vedas. * The preceptor of the Daityas or demons. A work on politics is ascribed to him. " Making peace, bribing, &c. ' Cf. Purusha-sukta (Muir, Sanskrit Texts, vol. i, p. 9).

In consequence of the excellent and mysterious words concerning the relation of the supreme and individual soul, which you have spoken for my welfare, this delusion of mine is gone away. O you whose eyes are like lotus leaves ! I have heard from you at large about the production and dissolution of things, and also about your inexhaustible greatness. O highest lord! what you have said about yourself is so. I wish, O best of beings! to see your divine form. If, O lord ! you think that it is possible for me to look upon it, then, O lord of the possessors of mystic power ^ ! show your inexhaustible form The Deity said : In hundreds and in thousands see my forms, O son of Pr/tha! various, divine, and of various colours and shapes. See the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, the two Aj"vins, and Maruts likewise. And O descendant of Bharata ! see wonders, in numbers, unseen before. Within my body, O GudakesD.\ see to-day the whole universe, including (everything) movable and immovable, (all) in one, and whatever else you wish to see. But you will not be able to see me with merely this eye of yours. I give you an eye divine. (Now) see my divine power.

Safi^aya said : Having spoken thus, O king! Hari, the great ^ Madhusudana takes power to mean capacity of becoming small or great, of obtaining what is wanted, &c.; the so-called eight Bhfitis. lord of the possessors of mystic power, then showed to the son of Pr/tha his supreme divine form, having many mouths and eyes, having (within it) many wonderful sights, having many celestial ornaments, having many celestial weapons held erect, wearing celestial flowers and vestments, having an anointment of celestial perfumes, full of every wonder, the infinite deity with faces in all directions \ If in the heavens, the lustre of a thousand suns burst forth all at once, that would be like the lustre of that mighty one. There the son of FaJidu then observed in the body of the god of gods the whole universe (all) in one, and divided into numerous ^ (divisions). Then Dhanafi^ya filled with amazement, and with hair standing on end, bowed his head before the god, and spoke with joined hands. Ar^iuia said : O god ! I see within your body the gods, as also all the groups of various beings ; and the lord Brahman seated on (his) lotus seat, and all the sages and celestial snakes. I see you, who are of countless forms, possessed of many arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes on all sides. And, O lord of the universe ! O you of all forms ! I do not see your end or middle or beginning. I see you bearing a coronet and a mace and a discus — a mass of glory, brilliant on all sides, difficult to look at, having on

' Cf. p. 90 supra. 6'ankara explains it as meaning * pervading everything.' The expression occurs in the Nr/siw/ha-tapini-upanishad, p. 50, where it is said, ' as, without organs, it sees, hears, goes, takes from all sides and pervades cvtrylhing, therefore it has faces on all sides.' - Gods, manes, men, and so forth. all sides the effulgence of a blazing fire or sun, and indefinable. You are indestructible, the supreme one to be known. You are the highest support ^ of this universe. You are the inexhaustible protector of everlasting piety. I believe you to be the eternal being. I see you void of beginning, middle, end — of infinite power, of unnumbered arms, having the sun and moon for eyes, having a mouth like a blazing fire, and heating the universe with your radiance. For this space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are pervaded by you alone. Looking at this wonderful and terrible form of yours, O high-souled one ! the three worlds are affrighted. For here these groups of gods are entering into you. Some being afraid are praying with joined hands, and the groups of great sages and Siddhas are saying 'Welfare-!' and praising you with abundant (hymns) of praise. The Rudras, and Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Vi^vas, the two A^vins, the Maruts, and the Ushmapas, and the groups of Gandharvas, Yakshas, demons, and Siddhas are all looking at you amazed. Seeing your mighty form, with many mouths and eyes, with many arms, thighs, and feet, with many stomachs, and fearful with many jaws, all people, and I likewise, are much alarmed, O you of mighty arms! Seeing you, O Vish;Ai ! touching the skies, radiant, possessed of many hues, with a gaping mouth, and with large blazing eyes, I am much alarmed in my inmost self, and feel no courage, no tranquillity.

^ The words arc the same as at p. 97 infra, where see the note. ^ Seeing signs of some great cataclysm, they say, ' May it be well with the universe,' and then proceed to pray to you. And seeing your mouths terrible by the jaws, and resembling the fire of destruction, I cannot recog - nise the (various) directions, I feel no comfort. Be gracious, O lord of gods ! who pervadest the universe. And all these sons of Dhr/tarash/ra, together with all the bands of kings, and Bhishma and Dro;/a, and this charioteer's son^ likewise, together with our principal warriors also, are rapidly entering your mouths, fearful and horrific- by (reason of your) jaws. And some with their heads smashed are seen (to be) stuck in the spaces between the teeth. As the many rapid currents of a river's waters run towards the sea alone, so do these heroes of the human world enter your mouths blazing all round. As butterflies, with increased velocity, enter a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these people enter your mouths with increased velocity (only) to their destruction. Swallowing all these people, you are licking them over and over again from all sides, with your blazing mouths. Your fierce splendours, O Vish;ai! filling the whole universe Avith (their) effulgence, are heating it. Tell me who you are in this fierce form. Salutations be to thee, O chief of the gods! Be gracious. I wish to know you, the primeval one, for I do not understand your actions.

The Deity said : I am death, the destroyer of the worlds, fully developed, and I am now active about the over- * I.e. Kai;/a, who was really the eldest brother of the Paw</avas, l)Ul having been immediately on birth abandoned by Kunli, was l)r()ught up by a charioteer. Kar;/a was told of his true origin by Bhishma on his deathbed, and advised to join the Pa;/</avas, but he declined. * By reason of the ruggedness and dibtortion of face. throw of the worlds. Even without you, the warriors standing in the adverse hosts, shall all cease to be. Therefore, be up, obtain glory, and vanquishing (your) foes, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. All these have been already killed by me. Be only the instrument, O Savyasa/'in ^ ! Dro;^a, and Bhishma, and 6^ayadratha, and Kar;^a, and likewise other valiant warriors also, whom I have killed, do you kill. Be not alarmed. Do fight. And in the battle you will conquer (your) foes. Hearing these words of Kesava, the wearer of the coronet ^ trembling, and with joined hands, bowed down ; and sorely afraid, and with throat choked up, he again spoke to Kr/sh;/a after saluting him. Ar^una said : It is quite proper, O Hr/shikei'a ! that the universe is delighted and charmed by your renown, that the demons run away affrighted in all directions, and that all the assemblages of Siddhas bow down (to you). And why, O high-souled one ! should they not bow down to you (who are) greater than Brahman, and first cause ? O infinite lord of gods ! O you pervading the universe ! you are the indestructible, that which is, that which is not, and what is beyond them ^. You are the primal

^ Ari'una, as he could shoot with his left hand as well as the right. — 6Yidhara. ^ Ar^una, who had this coronet given him by Indra. — INIadhusudana. ^ The commentators interpret this to mean the perceptible, the unperceived, and the higher principle. Cf. p. 84 supra, and also pp. 103, 113 infra and notes there. god, the ancient being, you are the highest support of this universe ^ You are that which has knowledge, that which is the object of knowledge, you are the highest goal. By you is this universe pervaded, O you of infinite forms ! You are the wind, Yama, fire, Varu^a, the moon, you Pra^apati, and the great grandsire -. Obeisance be to thee a thousand times, and again and again obeisance to thee ! In front and from behind obeisance to thee! Obeisance be to thee from all sides, O you who are all ! You are of infinite power, of unmeasured glory ; you pervade all, and therefore you are all ! Whatever I have said contemptuously, — for instance, ' O K;'/sh;2a!' 'O Yadava!' 'O friend!' — thinking you to be (my) friend, and not knowing your greatness (as shown in) this (universal form), or through friendliness, or incautiously ; and whatever disrespect I have shown you for purposes of merriment, on (occasions of) play, sleep, dinner, or sitting (together), w^hether alone or in the presence (of friends), — for all that, O undegraded one ! I ask pardon of you who are indefinable ^ You are the father of the world — movable and immovable — you its great and venerable master ; there is none equal to you, whence can there be one greater, O you whose power is unparalleled in all the three worlds ? Therefore I bow and prostrate myself, and would propitiate you, the praiseworthy lord. Be pleased,

' See p. 94 supra. Here the commentators say the words mean ' that in which the universe is placed at deluge-time.' ^ Professor Tide mentions great-grandfather as a name for the Creator among Kaffirs (History of Religion, p. 18). Cf. p- 83 supra. ' I. e. of whom it is impossible to ascertain whether he is such or such. Cf. p. 94 supra. O god ! to pardon (my guilt) as a father (that of his) son, a friend (that of his) friend, or a husband (that of his) beloved. I am delighted at seeing what I had never seen before, and my heart is also alarmed by fear. Show me that same form, O god ! Be gracious, O lord of gods ! O you pervading the universe ! I wish to see you bearing the coronet and the mace, with the discus in hand, just the same (as before) \ O you of thousand arms ! O you of all forms ! assume that same four-handed form. The Deity said : O Ar^ma ! being pleased (with you), I have by my own mystic power shown you this supreme form, full of glory, universal, infinite, primeval, and which

has not been seen before by any one else but you, O you hero among the Kauravas ! I cannot be seen in this form by any one but you, (even) by (the help of) the study of the Vedas, or of^ sacrifices, nor by gifts, nor by actions, nor by fierce penances. Be not alarmed, be not perplexed, at seeing this form of mine, fearful like this. Free from fear and with delighted heart, see now again that same form of Having thus spoken to Ar^una, Vasudeva again showed his own form, and the high-souled one becoming aeain of a mild form, comforted him who had been affrighted. ^ This is the ordinary form of Kr/sh/^a. fices and study of the Vedas are meant. Cf. the speech of Knsh^/a on the next page. O (9anardana ! seeing this mild, human form of yours, I am now in my right mind, and have come to my normal state. The Deity said : Even the gods are always desiring to see this form of mine, which it is difficult to get a sight of, and which you have seen. I cannot be seen, as you have seen me, by (means of) the Vedas, not by penance, not by gift, nor yet by sacrifice. But, O Ar^'una ! by devotion to me exclusively, I can in this form be truly known, seen, and assimilated ^ with, O terror of your foes ! He who performs acts for (propitiating) me, to whom I am the highest (object), who is my devotee, who is free from attachment, and who has no enmity towards any being, he, O son of Va.udu ! comes to me.

Of the worshippers, who thus, constantly devoted, meditate on )'ou, and those who (meditate) on the unperceived and indestructible, which best know The Deity said : Those who being constantly devoted, and possessed of the highest faith, worship me with a mind fixed on me, are deemed by me to be the most devoted. But those, who, restraining the (whole) group of the senses, and with a mind at all times ' Literally, 'entered into;' it means final emancipation. See p. 128. equable, meditate on the Indescribable, indestructible, unperceived (principle) which is all-pervading, unthinkable, indifferent\ immovable, and constant, they, intent on the good of all beings, necessarily attain to me. For those whose minds are attached to the unperceived, the trouble is much greater. Because the unperceived goal ^ is obtained by embodied (beings) with difficulty. As to those, however, O son of Pmha! who, dedicating all their actions to me, and (holding) me as their highest (goal), worship me, meditating on me with a devotion towards none besides me, and whose minds are fixed on me, I, without delay, come forward as their deliverer from the ocean of this world of death. Place your mind on me only; fix your understanding on me. In me you will dwell''' hereafter, (there is) no doubt. But if you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me, then, O Dhanafi^aya ! endeavour ^ to obtain me by the abstraction of mind (resulting) from continuous meditation ^ If you are unequal even to continuous meditation, then let acts for (propitiating) me be your highest (aim). Even performing actions for (propitiating) me, you will attain perfection. If you are unable to do even this, then resort to devotion " to me, and, with self-restraint, abandon all fruit of action. For knowledge is better than continuous meditation; concentration" is esteemed higher

^ Passively looking on what occurs on earth; immovable = changeless; constant = eternal. - Viz. the indestructible. ' I. e. assimilated with me, as expressed before. * Literally, 'wish.' ^ Cf. p. 78 supra. " Performing actions, but dedicating them to me. " Fixing the mind with effort on the object of contemplation. Cf Maitri-upanishad, p. 130, CHAPTER XII, 19. lOI than knowledge ; and the abandonment of fruit of action than concentration ; from (that) abandonment, tranquilHty soon (results). That devotee of mine, who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, who is free from egoism, and from (the idea that this or that is) mine, to whom happiness and misery are alike, who is forgiving, contented, constantly devoted, self-restrained, and firm in his determinations, and whose mind and understanding are devoted to me, he is dear to me. He through whom the world is not agitated ^ and who is not agitated by the world, who is free from joy and anger and fear and agitation, he too is dear to me. That devotee of mine, who is unconcerned'^, pure, assiduous ^ impartial, free from distress *, who abandons all actions (for fruit ^), he is dear to me. He who is full of devotion to me, who feels no joy and no aversion, who does not grieve and does not desire, who abandons (both what is) agreeable and (what is) disagreeable, he is dear to me. He who is alike to friend and foe, as also in honour and dishonour, who is alike in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, who is free from attachments, to whom praise and blame are alike, who is taciturn <^, and contented with anything whatever (that comes), who is homeless", and of a steady mind, and full of devo-

^ No disturbance results from him to other men, or from other men to him. Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 56. ^ IndilTerent to worldly objects. ' Ready to do work as it arises. * Not feeling afflicted by other people's doing an injury to him. ^ ' For fruit ' must be understood here. « I. e. governs his tongue properly. Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 55, and Dhammapada, stanza 96. '' Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 94, loi, 122 ; Apastamba, Dharma-sfitra, tion, that man is dear to me. But those devotees who, imbued with faith, and (regarding) me as their highest (goal), resort to this holy (means for attaining) immortaHty, as stated, they are extremely dear to me.

The Deity said : This body, O son of Kunti ! is called Kshetra ', and the learned call him who knows it the Kshetra^na ^. And know me also, O descendant of Bharata ! to be the Kshetra^^na in all Kshetras. The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetra^fia is deemed by me (to be real) knowledge. Now hear from me in brief what that Kshetra (is), what (it is) like, what changes (it undergoes), and whence (it comes), and what is he ■', and what his powers, (all which) is sung in various ways by sages in numerous hymns'^, distinctly, and in well-settled texts full of argument, giving indications or full instruction about the Brahman. The great elements '\ egoism, the understanding, the unperceived also, the ten senses, and the one, and the five objects of sense, desire, p. 86 (p. 152 in this series); and Dhammapada, stanzas 40-91 (where the identical word is used). ' I retain the original for want of a good equivalent. - Cf. .Sveta^vataropanishad, p. 368, and Maitri, pp. 25-72. ^ I. e. the Kshetra^o'na. * Hymns = soil, from the Vedas about ordinary or special actions and so forth. Argument = e.g. in texts like 'How can entity come from non-entity.?' 'Who could breathe, if &c. ?'

■''' Cf Aitareya-arawyaka, p. 97. The subde elements, earth, fire, &c., are meant. The unperceived = nature ; the one = mind ; courage = that by which the drooping body and senses are supported; egoism=self-consciousness — the feeling 'this is I.' aversion, pleasure, pain, body, consciousness, coiiraee, thus in brief has been declared the Kshetra with chan<;es \ Absence of vanity, absence of ostentatiousness, absence of hurtfulness, forgiveness, straightforwardness, devotion to a preceptor, purity-, steadiness, self-restraint, indifference towards objects of sense, and also absence of egoism ; perception of the misery and evil of birth, death ^ old age, and disease ; absence of attachment, absence of selfidentifying regard for son, wife'*, home, and so forth; and constant equability on the approach of (both what is) agreeable and (what is) disagreeable ; unswerving devotion to me, without meditation on any one else ; resorting to clean places, distaste for assemblages of men % constancy in knowledge of the relation of the individual self to the supreme, perception of the object *"' of knowledge of the truth, this is called knowledge; that is ignorance which is opposed to this. 1 will declare that which is the object of knowledge, knowing which, one reaches immortality; the highest Brahman, having no beginning nor end, which cannot be said to be existent or non-existent^. It has hands and feet on all sides, it has eyes, heads, and faces on all sides, it has ears on all sides, it

1 See the last page. Changes= development. 2 Internal as well as external ; as to devotion to a preceptor, cf. Apastamba, p. 1 1 (p. 23 in this series); Taittiriya-upanishad, p. 38; 5'vetajvatara, p. 117; and Sutta Nipata, p. 87 ; as to egoism, see p. 52 supra. 3 Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 18-95. * Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 12. "• Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. ir. « Viz. removal of ignorance and acquisition of happiness. ■^ Words indicate a class, a quality, an action, or a relation, says .9ahkara. None of these can be predicated of the Brahman ; so you cannot apply cither of these words to it. Cf. pp. 84, 96 supra, also 6'vetajvatara, p. 346. Stands pervading everything- in the world. Possessed of the quahties of all the senses, (but) devoid of all senses \ unattached, it supports all, is devoid of qualities, and the enjoyer- of qualities. It is within all things and without them ; it is movable and also immovable ; it is unknowable through (its) subtlety ; it stands afar and near^ Not different in (different) things ^, but standing as though different, it should be known to be the supporter of (all) things, and that which absorbs and creates (them). It is the radiance even of the radiant (bodies) ; it is said (to be) beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the object of knowledge, that which is to be attained to by knowledge, and placed in the heart of all^ Thus in brief have Kshetra, knowledge, and the object of knowledge been declared. My devotee, knowing this, becomes fit for assimilation with me. Know nature and spirit both (to be) without beginning, and know all developments and qualities ^ (to be) produced from nature. Nature is said to be the origin of the capacity of working (residing) in the body and the senses ; and spirit is said (to be) the origin of the capacity of enjoying pleasures and

' Cf. ^'vetajvatara, p. 331. He has no ears, but has the quality of hearing, and so forth ; unattached =. really out of relation to everything, though seeming to be connected with other things through delusion. "^ I. e. he perceives them. ^ Ijopanishad, p. 12; Mu;/^/aka, p. 313. * Everything being really one. Cf inter alia, p. 124 infra. The various manifestations of the Brahman are really one in essence, though apparently different, like foam and water. ' a. p. 88. • Developments = body, senses, &c. Qualities = pleasure, pain, &c.; altogether the expression means the body and feelings and so forth. pains \ For spirit with nature joined, enjoys the qualities born of nature. And the cause of its birth in eood or evil wombs is the connexion with the qualities -. The supreme spirit in this body is called supervisor, adviser^ supporter, enjoyer, the great lord, and the supreme self also. He who thus knows nature and spirit, together with the qualities, is not born again, however living*. Some by concentration see the self in the self by the self; others by the Sahkhya-yoga ; and others still by the Karma-yoga ^ ; others yet, not knowing this, practise concentration, after hearing from others ^ They, too, being (thus) devoted to hearing (instruction) cross beyond death. Whatever thing movable or immovable comes into existence, know that to be from the connexion of Kshetra and Kshetra^ia, O chief of the descendants of Bharata ! He sees (truly)

' .S'ridhara says that ' is said to be ' means by Kapila and others. For the notion that activity is not a function of the soul, see inter alia, p. 55 supra. Enjoyment, however, is, according to this passage, the function of the soul, not of nature. See also Maitri-upanishad, pp. 107, 108. ^ I.e. 'the senses,' says 6'ridhara; good=gods, &c. ; evil = beasts, &c. ^ Scil. concerning the operations of the body and senses. Cf. Nr/siwha-tapini, p. 224. He is adviser because, though he does not interfere, he sees and therefore may be said to sanction the operations alluded to. Supporter, i. e. of body &c. in their workings. * I. e. though he may have transgressed rules. ' Concentration = fixing of the mind exclusively on the soul, the senses being quiescent. * See the self,' i. e. the soul ; ' in the self,' i. e. within themselves ; ' by the self,' i. e. by the mind. Sahkhyayoga = belief that qualities are distinct from the self, which is only a passive spectator of their operations. Cf. vS'vetlrvatara, p. 109. Karma-yoga= dedication of actions to the supreme. Cf. as to this the gloss on 6'ahkara's Bhashya on Vcdanta-sutra IV, 2, 21.

« Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 49. who sees the supreme lord abiding ahlce in all entities, and not destroyed though they are destroyed. For he who sees the lord abiding everywhere alike, does not destroy himself^ by himself, and then reaches the highest goal. He sees (truly), who sees (all) actions (to be) in every way done by nature alone, and likewise the self (to be) not the doer. When a man sees all the variety of entities as existing in one ^ and (all as) emanating from that, then he becomes (one with) the Brahman. This inexhaustible supreme self, being without beginning and without qualities, does not act, and is not tainted, O son of Kunti ! though stationed in the body. As by (reason of its) subtlety the all-pervading space is not tainted, so the self stationed in every body is not tainted. As the sun singly lights up all this world, so the Kshetra^na, O descendant of Bharata! lights up the whole Kshetra. Those who, with the eye of knowledge, thus understand the difference between Kshetra and Kshetra^na, and the destruction of the nature of all entities ^ go to the supreme.

The Deity said :. Again I will declare (to you) the highest knowledge, the best of (all sorts of) knowledge, having 1 Not to have true knowledge is equivalent to self-destruction. Cf. Ijopanishad, pp. 9, 15, 16. energies of the supreme ; ' emanating,' i. e. at the time of creation. ^ Nature, which is the material cause from which all entities are produced ; the destruction of it results from true knowledge of the soul. See the third note on p. 107 infra. learnt which, all sages have reached perfection beyond (the bonds of) this (body). Those who, resorting to this knowledge, reach assimilation with my essence, are not born at the creation, and are not afflicted ^ at the destruction (of the universe). The great Brahman - is a womb for me, in which I cast the seed. From that, O descendant of Bharata ! is the birth of all things. Of the bodies, O son of Kunti ! which are born from all wombs, the (main) womb is the great Brahman, and I (am) the father, the giver of the seed. Goodness, passion, darkness, these qualities ^ born from nature, O you of mighty arms! bind down the inexhaustible soul in the body. Of these, goodness, which, in consequence of being untainted, is enlightening and free from (all) misery, binds the soul, O sinless one ! with the bond of pleasure and the bond of knowledge "*. Know that passion consists in being enamoured, and is produced from craving and attachment. That, O son of Kunti ! binds down the embodied (self) with the

^ I.e. 'are not destroyed,' IMadhusudana ; 'do not fall,' ^ahkara; ' are not born,' ^S'ridhara, and apparently Ramanu^a. ^ I. e. the ' nature ' spoken of before. •' These constitute nature. We must understand nature, with Professor Bha//<^/arkar, as the hypothetical cause of the soul's feeling itself limited and conditioned. If nature is understood, as it usually is, to mean matter, its being made up of the qualities is inexplicable. Interpreted idealistically, as suggested by Professor Bha«Jarkar, the destruction of it spoken of at the close of the last chapter also becomes intelligible. By means of knowledge of the soul, the unreality of these manifestations is understood and nature is destroyed. * Pleasure and knowledge appertain to the mind, not the self, hence they are described as constituting bonds, when erroneously connected with the self, ^S'ahkara and ^ridhara. They constitute ' bonds,' because the self when brought into contact with them, strives to obtain them, Ramanu^^a. bond of action. Darkness (you must) know to be born of ignorance, it deludes all embodied (selfs). And that, O descendant of Bharata ! binds down (the self) with heedlessness ^, indolence, and sleep. Goodness unites (the self) with pleasure ; passion, O descendant of Bharata! with action ; and darkness with heedlessness, after shrouding up knowledge. Passion and darkness being repressed, goodness stands, O descendant of Bharata ! Passion and goodness (being repressed), darkness ; and likewise darkness and goodness (being repressed), passion 2.

When in this body at all portals ^ light (that is to say) knowledge prevails, then should one know goodness to be developed. Avarice, activity ^, performance of actions, want of tranquillity, desire, these are produced, O chief of the descendants of Bharata ! when passion is developed. Want of light, want of activity \ heedlessness, and delusion, these are produced, O descendant of Kuru ! when darkness is developed. When an embocHed (self) encounters death, while goodness is developed, then he reaches the untainted worlds of those who know the highest^. Encountering death during (the preva-

^ Carelessness about duty, owing to being intent on something else. Cf. Sutta Nipata, pp. 51-91; Dhammapada, stanza 21; KaMopanishad, p. 152. two are held in check, ^ I. c. the senses of perception. * Activity = always doing something or another; performance, &c.=:rearing large mansions, &c. ; want of tranquillity =: perpetual agitation of mind, 'this I will do now, then that, and next the other;' desire=to obtain everything that one comes across. ° I. e. doing absolutely nothing. " The highest manifestations of Brahman, viz. the Hirawyagarbha, &c., say 6'ridhara and Madhusudana. Nilaka«//^a also suggests that ' those who know the highest' means gods. CHAPTER XIV, 2 1. lOQ lence of) passion, he is born among those attached to action. Likewise, dying during (the prevalence of) darkness, he is born in the wombs of the ignorant '. The fruit of meritorious action is said to be good, untainted ; while the fruit of passion is misery ; and the fruit of darkness ignorance. From goodness is produced knowledge, from passion avarice -, and from darkness heedlessness and delusion and ignorance also. Those who adhere to (the ways of) goodness go up^; the passionate remain in the middle ; while those of the qualities of darkness, adhering to the ways of the lowest quality, go down. When a right-seeing person sees none but the qualities (to be) the doers (of all action), and knows what is above the qualities ^, he enters into my essence. The embodied (self), who transcends these three qualities, from which bodies are produced "\ attains immortality, being freed from birth and death and old age and misery.

Ar^una said : What are the characteristics, O lord ! of one who has transcended these three qualities ? What is his conduct, and how does he transcend these three qualities*'? ' Lower creation, such as birds, beasts, &c. 2 Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 15. •'' I.e. arc born as gods, &c.; 'middle,' as men, &c.; 'down," as brutes, &c. * I.e. what has been called Kshctra^fia before, the supervising principle within one. •"' Bodies are developments of the qualities, say the commentators, which is not incompatible with the explanation of qualities given above. As to transcending qualities, cf. p. 48 supra. '• Cf. as to what follows what is said in chapter II about ' one whose mind is steady.' The Deity said : He is said to have transcended the qiiahties, O son of Pa;^^u ! who is not averse to light and activity and dekision (when they) prevail, and who does not desire (them when they) cease ^; who sitting like one unconcerned is never perturbed by the qualities -; who remains steady and moves ^ not, (thinking) merely that the qualities'* exist; who is self-contained^; to whom pain and pleasure are alike ; to whom a sod and a stone and gold are alike ; to whom what is agreeable and what is disagreeable are alike; who has discernment ; to whom censure and praise of himself are alike ; who is alike in honour and dishonour; who is alike towards the sides of friends and foes ; and who abandons all action ". And he who worships me with an unswerving devotion, transcends these qualities, and becomes fit for (entrance Into) the essence of the Brahman. For I am the embodiment of the Brahman '^, of indefeasible immortality, of eternal piety, and of unbroken happiness.

^ I. e. who does not feel troubled, for instance, thinking now I am actuated by a motive of passion or darkness, and so forth. ^ So as to lose all discrimination. ^ I.e. from his determination to pursue truth, by worldly pleasures or pains. * Cf. p. 55 supra. ° Intent on the self only. •^ For the whole passage, cf. p. loi supra. '' Nilaka?;///a interprets this to mean ' the ultimate object of the Vedas.' I here means K;7sh??a. 6'ridhara suggests this parallel, as light embodied is the sun, so is the Brahman embodied identical with Vasudeva. CHAPTER XV, 5. Ill