The conversation between Panchashikha and king Janaka

Bhishma said "Thus instructed by the great Rishi Panchashikha, Janadeva of the family of Janaka, once more asked him about the subject of existence or non-existence after death.

O illustrious one, if no person, retains any knowledge after departing from this state of existence, if, indeed, this is true, what then is the difference between Ignorance and Knowledge? What do we gain then by knowledge and what do we lose by ignorance?

See, O foremost of the twice-born, that if liberation be such, then all religious acts and vows terminate only in annihilation? Of what use would then the distinction be between heedfulness and heedlessness.

If Liberation means dissociation from all objects of pleasure or an association with objects that are not lasting, why should then men cherish a desire for action or having set themselves to action, continue to find out the necessary means for the accomplishment of desired ends? What then is the truth.

Bhishma said Seeing the king enveloped in thick darkness, stupefied by error, and become helpless, the learned Panchashikha put his mind at rest by once more addressing him thus.

In Liberation the consummation is not Extinction. Nur is that consummation any kind of Existence. What we see is a union of body senses, and mind. Existing independently as also depending on one another, these go on acting.

The ingredients that form the body are water, ether, wind, heat, and earth. These exisi together according to their own nature. They become separated again according to their own nature.

Ether, wind, heat, water and earth,-these five objects in a state of union form the body. The body is not one element.

Intelligence, stomachic heat, and the vital airs, called Prana, etc., that are all wind, three are the organs of action. The senses, the objects of the senses, the power by which they become capable of being perceived the faculties by which they succeed in perceiving them, the mind, the vital airs called Prana. Apana and the rest, and the various juices and humours that are the results of the digestive organs, flow from the three organs already named.

Hearing, touch, taste, vision, and scent,-these are the five senses. They have derived their attributes from the mind which is their cause.

The mind, which is as an attribute of Chit, has three states, viz., pleasure, pain and absence of both pleasure and pain.

Sound, touch, form, taste, scent, and the objects to which they are attached these till the time of one's death are causes for the production of one's knowledge.

Upon the senses depend all acts (leading to lucavon), as also renunciation (leading to the attainment of Brahma), and also the ! ascertainment of truth regarding all topics of enquiry. The learned say thai ascertainment of truth) is the highest end of existences, and is the root of Liberation and regarding Intelligence, they say that it leads to Liberation and Brahma.

That person who considers this union of perishable attributes as the Soui, feeis, on account of such imperfect knowledge, unending misery

Those persons, who, however, regard alll worldly objects as not-Soui, and who on that account cease to have any affection or attachment for them, have never to suffer any misery, for sorrow, in their case, stands in need of some foundation upon which to depend.

About it there is the unrivalled branch of knowledge which treats of Renunciation. It is called Samyagvadha. I shall describe it to you. Listen to it for the sake of your Liberation.

Renunciation of acts is (laid down) for all persons who seek Liberation earnestly. They, however, who have not been instructed correctly have to bear a heavy load of sorrow,

Vedic sacrifices and other rites exist for renunciation of wealth and other earthly (objects. For renunciation of all enjoyments, exist yows and fasts of various sorts. For renunciation of pleasure and happiness exist penances and yoga. Renunciation everything, is the highest kind of renunciation,

This that I shall presently describe to you is the one path pointed out by the learned for that renunciation of everything. They who follow that path succeed in driving off all sorrow. They, however, that deviate from it suffer distress and misery

First speaking of the five organs of knowledge having the mind for the sixth, und all of which live in the understanding, i stall describe the five organs of action having strength for their sixth.

The two hands forms the two organs of action. The two legs are two organs for moving from one place to another. The sexual organ is for both pleasure and the continuation of in species. The lower channel, leading from the stomach downwards, is the organ for purging off of all used-up matter. aran a prafastarffuta usati fag: 1

The organ of speaking exists for the expression of sounds. These five organs of action belong to the mind. These are the eleven organs of knowledge and of action. One should speedily cast off the inind with the understanding.

In the act of hearing, three causes must exist simultaneously, viz., the two ears, sound, and the mind. The same is the case with the perception of touch; the same with that of form; the same with that of taste and smell.

These fifteen attributes are necessary for the several kinds of perception. In consequence of them, every man becomes conscious of three separate things regarding those perceptions.

There are again three classes (of mental perception, viz., those that appertain to Goodness, those that belong of Darkness, and those that belong to Ignorance. With them are connected three kinds of consciousness, including all feelings and emotions.

Pleasure, satisfaction, joy, happiness, and tranquillity, originating in the mind from any perceptible cause or in the absence of any apparent cause, appertain to the quality of Goodness.

Discontent, regret, grief, cupidity, and vindictiveness, having no cause or occasioned by any perceptible cause, are the marks of the quality of Darkness.

Wrong judgement, stupefaction, carelessness, dreams, and sleepiness, however, caused, appertain to the quality of Ignorance.

Whatever state of consciousness exists, regarding either the body or the mind, united with joy or satisfaction, should be considered as due to the quality of Goodness.

Whatever state of consciousness exists united with any feeling of discontent or depression should be considered as the outcome of the quality of Darkness.

Whatever state, of the body or the body or the mind, exists with error or carelessness, is the outcome of Ignorance which is incomprehensible and inexplicable.

The organ of hearing rests on either; it is either itself (under limitations); Sound has that organ for its refuge. In perceiving sound, one may not immediately acquire a knowledge of the organ of hearing and of ether. But when sound is perceived, the organ of hearing and ether do not long remain unknown.

The same is the case with the skin, the eyes, the tongue, and the nose forming the fifth. They exist in touch, form, taste, and smell. They form the faculty of perception and they are the mind.

Each doing its own particular function, all the five organs of action and the five others of knowledge exist simultaneously, and upon the union of the ten dwells the mind as the eleventh and upon the mind the understanding as the twelfth.

It is be said that these twelve do not exist simultaneously, then the consequence would be that there would be death in dreamless sleep. But as there is no death in dreamless sleep, it must be admitted that these twelve exist simultaneously as regards themselves but of past separately from the Soul. The co-existence of those twelve with the Soul that is ordinarily spoken is only a common form of speech with the vulgar for ordinary purposes of the world.

The dreamer, on account of the appearance sensual impressions, becomes conscious of his senses in their subtile forms, and endued as he already is with the three qualities, he considers his senses as existing with their respective objects and, therefore, acts and moves about with an imaginary body after the manner of his own self while awake.

That dissociation of the Soul from the understanding and the mind with the senses, which speedily disappears, which has no stability, and which the mind causes to arise only when influenced by Ignorance is happiness that partakes as the learned say, of the nature of Ignorance and is experienced in this gross body only.

Over the felicity of Liberation also, the felicity, viz., which is created by the inspired teaching of Vedas and in which no one sees the slightest mark of sorrow,-the same indescribable and truth-concealing darkness seems to spread itself.

Like to what occurs in dreamless sleep, in liberation also, subjective and objective existences, which have their origin in one's : acts, are all discarded. In some, that are possessd by Ignorance, these exits, firmly grafted with them. They never approach others who have transcended Avidya and have acquired knowledge.

Those who know thoroughly well the character of Soul and non-Soul, say that this sum total of the senses, etc.,) is body. That existent thing which rests, upon the mind is called Soul.

When such is the case, and when all creatures, on account of the well-known cause, exist, due to a state of union between Soul and body, which of these two then is destructible and how can that which is said to be eternal, suffer destruction?

As small rivers falling into larger ones lose their forms and names, and the larger ones falling into the ocean lose their forms and names too, similarly called Liberation.

Likewise, the individual Soul which is characterised by qualities, is received into the Universal Soul, and when all its attributes disappear, how can it be differently mentioned?

One who is conversant with that understanding which brings on Liberation and who carefully seeks to know the soul, is never sullied by the evil fruits of his acts water is never soaked by it.

When one becomes freed from the very many strong fetters, occasioned by affection for children and wives and love for sacrifices and other rites, when one renounces both joy and sorrow and transcends all attachments, one then attains to the highest end and entering into the Universal Soul becomes immersed in it.

When one has understood the injunction of the Shrutis that lead to correct conclusion (about Brahma) and has practised those auspicious virtues which the same and other Scriptures teach, one may lie down at ease, disregarding the fears of decrepitude and death. When both merits and demerits disappear, and the fruits, in the form of joy and sorrow, originating therefrom, and destroyed, men, unattached to everything, seek refuge at first with personal Brahma, and then behold impersonal Brahma in their understandings.

In course of its downwards descent under the influence of ignorance individual soul lives (within its cell formed by acts) like a silkworm living within its cell made of threads woven by itself. Like the freed silk-worm again that quits its cell, individual soul also abandons its house forined by its acts. The final result, is that its sorrows are then dissipated like a clump of carth falling violently upon a rocky mass.

As the Ruru deer casting off its hold horns or the snake casting off slough passes on without arresting any notice, similarly a person who is unattached renounces all his sorrows.

As a bird leaves a tree that is about to fall down upon a water and sits on a (new) resting place, similarly similarly the person freed from attachinents renounces both joy and sorrow and dissociated even from his subtile and subtler forms attains to that end which is full of the highest prosperty.

Seeing his city burning in a fire, their own ancestor Janaka, the king of Mithila himself proclaimed-'In this fire nothing of mine is burning.'

Having heard these words capable of giving imınortality and uttered by Panchashikha, and arriving at the truth after carefully reflecting upon everything that the latter had said King Janadeva cast off his sorrows and lived on in the enjoyment of great happiness.

He who reads this discourse, O king, that deals with emancipation and who always reflects upon it, is never pained by any misfortune, and freed from sorrow, attains to liberation like Janadeva the king of Mithila after his meeting with Panchashikha.' He who reads this discourse, O king, that deals with emancipation and who always reflects upon it, is never pained by any misfortune, and freed from sorrow, attains to liberation like Janadeva the king of Mithila after his meeting with Panchashikha.'