Anugita Parva — The mind and the Dissolution of the Body described

Since the mind is the ruler of these five elements, for controlling and bringing them forth, the mind, therefore, is the soul of the elements.

The mind always presides over the great elements. The understanding proclaims power, and is called the Soul.

The mind yokes the senses, as a charioteer yokes good horses. The senses, the mind, and the understanding are always joined to the Soul.

The individual soul, mounting the chariot to which big horses are yoked and which has the understanding for the reins, drives about on all sides.

With all the senses attached to it (for steeds), with the mind for the charioteer, and the understanding for the eternal reins, exists thc great Brahma car.

Indeed, that man gifted with learning and wisdom who always understands the Brahmacharin this way, is never possessed by delusion in the midst of all entities.

This forest of Brahina begins with the unmanifest and ends with gross objects. It includes mobile and immobile objects, and gets, light from the radiance of the sun and the moon, and is decorated with planets and constellations. It is decked, again, on all sides with nets of rivers and mountains. It is always embellished likewise by various kinds of waters. It is the means of livelihood for all creatures. It is, again, the end of all living creatures. In that forest the Kshetrajna always moves about.

Whatever exist in this world, mobile and immobile, are the very first to be dissolved away. After this (are dissolved) those qualities which compose all entities.

After the qualities (are dissolved) the five elements. Such is the gradation of entities. Celestials, men, Gandharvas, Pishachas, Asuras, (and) Rakshasa, have all originated from Nature, and not from actions, nor from a cause. The Brahmanas, who are creators of the universe are born here again and again.

All that originates from them dissolves, when the time comes, in those very five great elements like billows in the ocean.

All the great elements are beyond those elements which form the universe. He who is released from those five clements goes to the highest goal.

The powerful Prajapati created all this by the mind only. Similarly Rishis attained to the status of celestials by the help of penance.

Likewise, those who have acquired perfection, who capable of the concentration of Yoga, and who live on fruits and roots, likewise perceive the triple world by penance.

Medicines and herbs and all the various sciences are acquired by means of penance alone, for all acquisition has penance for its were root.

Whatever is difficult of acquisition, difficult to learn, difficult to defeat, difficult to pass through, can all be acquired by penance, for penance is irresistible.

One who drinks alcoholic liquors, one who kills a Brahmana, one who steals, one who destroys a foe us, one who violates one's preceptor's bed, becomes cleansed of such sin by penance well performed.

Human beings, departed manes, deities, (sacrificial) animal, beasts and birds, and all other creatures mobile and immobile, by always devoting themselves to penances, become successful by penance along. Similarly the celestials gifted with great powers of illusion, have attained to the celestial region.

Those who without idleness perforın deeds with expectation, being full of egoism, approach the presence of Prajapati.

Those great ones, however, who are devoid of mineness and freed from egoism through the pure contemplation of Yoga, acquire the great and highest regions.

Those who understand best the self, having acquired Yoga contemplation and having their minds always cheerful, into the unmanifest accumulation of happiness.

Those persons who are freed from egoism and who are re-born after having attained to the fullness of Yoga contemplation, enter into the highest region reserved for the great, viz., the Unmanifest.

Born from that same unmanifest (principle) and attaining to the same once more, frecd from the qualities of Darkness and Ignorance and adhering to only the quality of Goodness, one becomes freed from every sin and creates all things. Such a one should be known to be Kshetrajna in perfection. He who knows him knows the Veda. enter to

Attaining pure knowledge from (restraining) the mind, the ascetic should sit self-controlled. One necessarily becomes that on which one's mind is set. This is an eternal mystery.

That which has the unmanifest for its beginning and gross qualities for its end, has been said to have Ne-science for its mark. But do you understand that whose nature is shorn of qualities.

Of two syllables is Mrityu (death); of three syllable is the eternal Brahma Mineness is death, and the opposite of mineness is the eternal.

Some who led by bad understanding speak highly of action. Those, however, who are numbered among the great ancients never speak highly of action.

By action is a creature born with body which is made up of the sixteen. (True) Knowledge swallows up Purusha. This is what is highly acceptable to eaters of ambrosia.

Therefore, those whose vision extends to the other end have no attachment to actions. This Purusha, however is full of knowledge and not full of action.

He dies not who understands Him' who is immortal, immutable, incomprehensible, men are eternal and indestructible-Him who is the restrained Soul and who is above all attachments.

He who thus understands the Soul to which there is nothing prior, which is uncreated, immutable, unconquered, and incomprehensible even to those who are eaters of nectar, certainly becomes himself incomprehensible and immortal through these means.

Removing all impressions and controlling the soul in the soul, he understands that auspicious Brahma than which nothing greater exists.

Upon the understanding becoming clear, he succeeds in acquiring tranquillity. The mark of tranquillity is like that what takes place in a dream.

This is the end of those liberated ones who are intent on knowledge. They sees all those movements which are born of successive developments.

This is the end of those who are unattached to the world. This is the eternal practice. This is the acquisition of men of knowledge. This is the uncensured made of conduct.

This end is capable of being attained by one who is alike to all creatures, who is without attachment, who is without expectations, and who looks equally on all things.

I have now described everything to you, O foremost of twice-born Rishis! Do you act thus immediately, you will then acquire success.

The Preceptor said, Thus addressed by the preceptor Brahman, those great sages acted accordingly and then attained to many happy regions.

Do you also, O blessed one, duly act according to the words of Brahman as described by me, O you of pure soul. You will then acquire success.

Thus instructed in the principles of high religion by the preceptor, the pupil. O son of Kunti, did everything accordingly and then attained to Liberation.

Having done all that he should have done, the pupil, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, attained to that seat going where one has not to grieve.

Arjuna said Who, indeed, was was that Brahmana, O Krishna, and who the pupil, O Janardana! Truly, if am worthy of hearing it, do you then tell me, O Lord!

I am the preceptor, O mighty armed one, and know that the inind is my pupil. Through my affection for you. O Dhananjaya, I have described this mystery to you.

If you have any love for me, O perpetuator of Kuru family, do you then, after having heard these instructions about the Soul, always act only, O you of excellent vows.

Then when this religion has been duly practised, O destroyer of foes, you will become freed from all your sins and attain to perfect liberation.

Formerly, when the hour of battle came, this very religion, O you of mighty-arins, was described by me. Do you, therefore, set your mind on it.

And now, O chief of Bharata's race, it is long since that I saw the lord my father. I wish to see him again, with your leave, O Phalguna.

Dhananjaya replied to Krishna who had said so. We shall go today from this town to Hastinapur.

Meeting king Yudhishthira of virtuous soul there, and informing him you shall then go to your own city.