Mokshadharma Parva — The Supreme Soul and the Individual Soul

Vashishtha said Listen now to me as I describe to you the Buddha (Enlightened to the Supreme Self) and Abuddha (Individual Soul) which is the dispensation of the qualities, Assuming many forms the Supreme Soul, becoming Individual Soul, regards all those forms as real.

On account of such transformations Individual Soul fails to understand the Supreme Soul, for he has the three qualities and creates and withdraws into himself what he creates.

Carelessly for his sport, O king, does Individual Soul undergo changes and because he is capable of understanding the called action of the Unmanifest, therefore he is the Comprehender.

The Unmanifest or Nature can at no time comprehend Brahma which is really without qualities even when it shows itself with qualities. Hence is Nature called Unintelligent.

There is a declaration of the Shrutis that is ever Nature does succeed in knowing the twenty fifth, she then becomes at one with the Individual Soul who is united with her. On account of this Individual Soul or Purusha, who is not manifest and which in his real nature is not subject to changes, comes to be called as the Unawakened or Ignorant.

Indeed, because the twenty-fifth can comprehend the Unmanifest, he is, therefore, called Comprehender. He cannot, however readily, comprehened the twenty-sixth, which is pure, which is Knowledge without duality, which is immeasurable, and which is eternal. The twenty-sixth, however, can know both the Individual Soul and Nature, numbering the twenty-fifth and the twenty-fourth respectively.

O you of great effulgence, only wise men know that Brahma which is Unmanifest, which is in its real nature to all that is seen and unseen, and which, O son, is the one independent essence in the universe,

When Individual Soul considers himself different from what he truly is, it is only then that lie fails to know the Supreme Soul and himself and Nature with which he is united.

When Individual Soul succeeds in understanding Nature then he is said to be restored to his true nature and then does he attain to that high understanding which is pure and stainless.

When Individual Soul succeeds, O foremost of kings, in attaining to that excellent understanding, he then attains to that Pure Knowledge which is called the twenty-sixth (or Brahma). He then casts off the Unmanifest or Nature which has the attributes of Creation and Destruction.

When Individual Soul know Nature which is unintelligent and subject to the action of the three qualities of Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance, he then becomes shorn of qualities himself. On account of his thus understanding the Unmanifest, he succeeds in acquiring the nature of the Supreme Soul.

The Learned say that when he is feed from the qualities and united in nature with the Supreme Soul, then does Individual Soul become at one with that Soul. The Supreme Soul, is called the Real as well as Not Real, and is above decay and destruction.

O giver of honours, the Soul, though it has the body for its resting place, yet it cannot be said to have acquired the nature of those principles. The wise say that there are five and twenty principles in all.

Indeed, O son, the Soul not to be considered as possessed of any of the principles. Endued with Intelligence, it is above the principles. It renounces quickly even that principle which is the mark of Knowledge.

When Individual Soul comes to regard himself as the twenty-sixth which is divested of decay and destruction, it is then that, forsooth, he succeeds by his own force in attaining to similarity with the twenty-sixth.

Though awakened by the twenty-sixth which is Pure Intelligence, Individual Soul still becomes subject to Ignorance. This is the cause of Jiva's multifariousness as explanied in the Shrutis and the Sankhya scriptures.

When Individual Soul, who is endued with consciousness, loses all Consciousness of a distinct or individual self, then does he, losing his multifariousness, resume his Oneness.

O king, of Mithila, when Individual Soul, who is found to be in union with happiness and misery and who is seldom free from the consciousness of self, becomes identified with the Supreme Soul which transcends understanding, then does he becomes freed from virtue and vice.

Indeed, when Individual soul attaining to the twenty-sixth which is Unborn and Powerful and which is shorn of all attachments, succeeds in comprehend it thoroughly, he himself becomes possessed of power and entirely renounces the Unmanifest or Nature.

For understanding the twenty-sixth, the twenty-four principles seem to Individual soul to be unreal. I have thus told you, O sinless one, according to the indications of the Shrutis the nature of the Unintelligent, and of Individual Soul, as also of that which is Pure knowledge, agreeably to the truth. Guided by the scriptures, variety and oneness are thus to be understood.

The difference between the gnat and the Udumvara, or that between the fish and water, illustrates the difference between the Individual Soul and the Supreme Soul.

The Multiplicity and Oneness of these two are to be understood thus. This is called Liberation, viz., this comprehension of oneself as something distinct from Unintelligent or Unmanifest Nature.

The twenty-fifth, which lives in the bodies of living creatures, should be liberated making him know the Unmanifest or the Supreme Soul which is above the understading.

Indeed, that twenty-fifth is capable of acquiring Liberation in this way only and not through any other means. Though insooth different from the body in which he lives for the time being, he partakes of the nature of that body on account of his union with it.

Uniting with what is Pure, he becomes Pure. Uniting with the Intelligent, he becomes Intelligent. By uniting, O foremost of men, with one that is Liberate he becomes Liberated.

By uniting with one who is shorn of all attachments, he becomes freed from all attachments. By uniting with one striving after Liberation, he himself partaking of the nature of his companion, strives after Liberation.

By uniting with one of pure acts, he becomes pure and of pure acts and endued with blazing effulgence. By uniting with one of pure soul, he becomes of pure soul himself.

By uniting with the One independent Soul, he becomes One and Independent. Uniting with One that is dependent on One's Own Self, he attains to the same nature and acquires Independence.

O monarch, I have duly told you all this that is perfectly true. Candidly have I described to you this subject, viz., the Eternal, Pure and Prime Brahma.

You may communicate this high knowledge, capable of awakening the soul, to that person, O king, who though not a master of the Vedas is, nevertheless, humble and has a keen desire for acquiring the knowledge of Brahma.

It should never be given to one who speaks falsehood, or one who is cunning or roguish, or one who has no strength of mind, or one who is of crooked understanding, or one who is jealous of men of knowledge, or one who pains others. Listen to me as I say who they are to whom this knowledge may safely be given.

It should be given to one who has faith, or one who has merit, or one who does not speak ill of others, or one who is given to penances from the purest of motives, or one who is endued with knowledge and wisdom, or one who performs sacrifices and other rites laid down in the Vedas, or one who has a forgiving nature, or one who feels compassion on and does good to all crcatures; or one who is fond of living in privacy and solitude, or one who is fond of performing all acts laid down in the scriptures, or one who does not like to quarrel, or one who is endued with great learning, or one having wisdom, or one possessed of forgiveness and self-control and tranquillity of soul.

This high knowledge of Brahma should never be given to one who has not such qualifications. It has been said that by giving this knowledge to one who is not considered a worthy recipient, no advantage or good fruit can arise.

This great knowledge should never be given, even if he gives in exchange the whole Earth full of gems and riches of every sort, to one that is not obscrvant of any vows and restraints. Forsooth, however, O king, this knowledge should be imparted to one who has conquered his senses.

O Karala, do not entertain any fear since you have heard all this regarding high Brahma from the to-day! I have described to you duly the high and holy Brahma that is without beginning and middle, and that is capable of removing all kinds of sorrow.

Seeing Brahma whose sight is capable of doing away with both birth and death, O king, which is full of auspiciousness, which removes all fear, and which yields the highest benefit, and having acquired this essence of all knowledge, renounce all error and stupefaction to-day.

I had acquired this knowledge from the eternal Hiranyagarbha himself, O king, who communicated it to me for my having carefully pleased that great Being of very superior Soul. Asked by you to-day, I have, O king, communicated the knowledge of eternal Brahma to you, just as I had myself gained it from my teacher. Indeed, this great knowledge which is the refuge of all persons conversant with Liberation has been given to you exactly as I had it from Brahman himself.”

Bhishma said I have thus told you of high Brahma, just as the great Rishi had said, by attaining to which the Twenty-fifth (Individual Soul) has never to return.

On account of his knowing truly the Supreme Soul which is not subject to decay and death, Individual Soul is obliged to frequently return to the world. When, however, Individual Soul succeeds in acquiring that high knowledge, he has no longer to return.

Having heard it, O king, from the celestial Rishi, I have, O son, given to you that great knowledge which yields the highest good.

This knowledge acquired from Hiranyagarbha by the great Rishi Vashishtha. was From that foremost of Rishis, viz., Vashishtha, it was acquired by Narada.

From Narada I have acquired that knowledge which is truly at one with the eternal Brahma. Having heard this discourse of great import, couched in excellent words, do not, O foremost of the Kurus, give way any longer to greaf.

That man who knows the Destructible and the Indestructible, become freed from fear. He, indeed, O king, is compelled to entertain fear who is shorn of this knowledge.

On account of Ignorance, the man of foolish soul hath repeatedly to return to this world. Indeed, after death he has to be born in thousands and thousands of orders of Being, every one of which meets with Death in the end.

Now in the world of the gods, now among men, and now among intermediate orders of Being, he has to appear again and again. If in course of time he succeeds in crossing that Ocean of Ignorance in which he is sunk, he then succeeds in avoiding completely re-birth and attaining to oneness with the Supreme Soul.

The Ocean of Ignorance is dreadful. It is bottomless and called the Unmanifest. 0 Bharata, day after day, creatures are seen to fall and sink in that Ocean.

Since you, O king, have been freed from that eternal and limitless Ocean of Ignorance, you have, therefore, become freed from Darkness and also Ignorance.