अध्यात्म-विद्या

Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, what and of what nature is that which passes by the name of Adhyatma (spiritual) and which is laid down for ever person.

O you who are acquainted with Brahma, whence has this universe, consisting of inobile and immobile objects, been created? When universal dissolution sets in, to whom does it go? You should describe this subject to me.

Bhishma said This Adhyatma, O son of Pritha, that you ask me about, I will presently describe. It is, O son, highly agreeable and productive of great happiness.

Great teachers have (before this) described the Creation and the Destruction of the universe). Knowing those truths, a person may acquire, even in this world, great satisfaction and happiness. Such knowledge also bring on the acquisition of great fruits, and it is highly beneficial to all creatures.

Earth, air, space, water, and light as the fifth, are considered as Great Creatures. These form both the origin and the destruction of all created objects.

To Him from whom these great primal elements spring, they return again and again severing themselves from all creatures like the wave of the ocean.

As the tortoise extends its limbs and withdraws them again, so the Supreme Soul creates all objects and again withdraws them into Himself.

The Creator places the five primary clements in all created objects in different proportions. The living creature, however, does not mark it.

Sound, the organ of hearing, and all holes,-these three, originate from Space Touch, action, and skin are the three-fold attributes of the Wind.

Form, cye, and digestion are the three-fold attributes of Fire or Energy. Taste all liquid secretions, and the tongue are the three attributes of Water.

Smell, the nose, and the body are the three properties, of Earth. The great elements are five. The mind is the sixth.

The senses and the mind, O Bharata are the organs through which the cognition of a living creature is made. The seventh is the understanding; and the eight is the soul.

The senses are for perceiving; the mind creates uncertainty. The understanding brings all knowledge to certainty. The Soul exists as a witness.

All that is above the two feet, all that is behind, and all that is above, are witnessed by the Soul. Know that the Soul permeates the entire being without left vacant.

All men should know fully the senses, the mind and the understanding. The three universal tendencies qualities called Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance, exist, dependent on the senses, the mind, and the understanding.

Man, by understanding with the help of his intelligence, the manner in which creatures come and leave the world, is sure to attain by and by to steadfast peace.

or The three qualities lead the understanding to worldly attachments. In this matter, the Understanding is identical with the Senses and the Mind. The Understanding, therefore, is identical with the six (the five senses and the mind), and also with the objects cognised by it. When, however, the Understanding is destroyed, the three qualities cannot produce action.

This universe of mobile and iinmobile objects consists of that Intelligence. It is from that Intelligence that everything originales and it is into it that everything originates and it is into it that everything subsides. The scriptures point out, therefore, that everything is a manifestation of Intelligence.

That by which one sees, that is eye hears is the car. That by which one smells is called the organ of smell, and that by which one distinguishes the tastes is called the tongue.

One acquires perception of touch by the skin that covers the body. That which is called the Intelligence undergoes changes. When the Intelligence desires anything it is called Mind.

The foundations of the Intelligence are five in number, cach serving a different purpose. They are called the sense. The invisible principle. viz., Intelligence, Depends on them.

The Intelligence that exists in a living creature embraces the three qualities. Sometimes it obtains happiness and sometimes misery.

Sometimes it becomes shorn of both joy and misery. Thus Intelligence exists on the minds of all men.

Sometimes the Intelligence which is made up of the three qualities, transcends them (by Yoga), like the Ocean with his surges, transgressing his high continents.

That Intelligence which transcends the three qualities exists in the mind in a purc state, of (unmodified) existence alone. The quality of Darkness, however, that leads to action, soon pursues it.

At that time the Intelligence sets and the senses to action. The properties of the three are these : happiness dwell in Goodness; sorrow in Darkness; delusion in Ignorance.

All the states of the mind are included in the three qualities. I have now, O Bharata, described to you the course of the understanding.

An intelligent man should control all his senses. The three qualities of Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance are always attached to living creatures.

Three kinds of intelligence also are seen in every creature, viz., that which depends upon Goodness, that upon darkness, and that upon Ignorance, O Bharata.

The quality of goodness brings happiness; the quality of Darkness produces sorrow; and if these two combine with the quality of Ignorance then neither happiness nor sorrow is produced.

Every state of happiness that appears in the body or the mind is due to the quality of Goodness.

A disagreeable state of sorrow to oneself, is due to nothing but the quality of Darkness. One should never think of it in fear.

That state, which is full of delusion and error, and for which one knows not what to do, which is unascertainable and unknown, should be regarded as belonging to the quality of Ignorance.

Joy, satisfaction, delight, happiness, tranquillity of heart, these are the properties of the state of Goodness. Man sometimes acquires a portion of them.

Discontent, heart-burning, grief, cupidity, vindictiveness, are all marks of darkness. They are seen with or without sufficient causes for producing them.

Disgrace, delusion, error, slcep and stupefaction, that befall one through excess of ill-luck, are various properties of the state of Jgnorance.

That person whose mind is far-reaching, capable of going on all directions, not confident about acquiring the objects it desires, and well-controlled, is happy both here and hereafter.

Mark the differences between those two subtile things, viz., Intelligence and the Soul. One of these viz., Intelligence (displays of qualities. The other viz., the Soul) does nothing of the kind.

A gnat and a fig may be seen to be united with each other. Though united, each, however, is separate from the other.

Likewise, Intelligence and Soul, though different from each other, by their by their respective natures, yet they may always be seen to exist in a state of union. A fish and water exist together. But cach, however, the case with Intelligence and Soul.

The qualities do not know the Soul, but the Soul knows them all. The Soul is the spectator of the qualities and consider them all as emanating from itself.

Acting through the senses, the mind, and the understanding which is the seventh, all of which are inactive and have no self-consciousness, the Soul discovers the objects like a lamp showing all objects around it by shedding its rays through an opening in the covering.

The understanding or Intelligence creates all the qualities. The Soul only sees them. Such is certainly the connection between the Intelligence and the Soul.

There is no resort of cither Intelligence or Soul. The understanding creates the mind, but never the qualities.

When the Soul, by means of the mind, sufficiently controls the rays that proved from the senses, it is then that it becomes visible (10 the Understanding) like a lamp burning within a cover.

That person who renounces all ordinary acts, practises penances, devotes himself to Study the Soul, taking a delight in it, and regards himself as the Soul of all creatures, acquires a supreme end.

As an aquatic bird while moving over the waters, is never welted, so does a wise person move among creatures.

One should act in the world, by the help of his intelligence, in this way, without grief, without joy, without distinction of personality, for all, and shorn of malice and envy,

One living in this way creates the qualities (i.e. transcends them), like a spider creating threads. The qualities should indeed, be considered as the threads of the spider.

Some say that the qualities of such men are not lost. Some say that they are all lost. Those who say that they are not lost rely upon the Shrutis, which do not contain any declaration to the contrary. They, however, who say, that the qualities are all lost rely on the Smritis. One should taking into consideration both these opinions, judge as to which of them is right.

One should thus solve the knotty question which is capable of shaking the understanding by doubt, and thereby acquire happiness. When that doubt will be removed, one will no longer : have to grieve.

Men of impure hearts may by knowledge acquire success like persons plunging in a full river purifying themselves of all dirts.

One who has to get over large river, does not feel happy at only seeing the other shore. If the case were otherwise, (i. c., if by merely sceing the other shore he could reach it) then might one become happy. It is quite different with one acquainted with truth. The mere knowledge of Truth will give him happiness. As soon as such knowledge begins to fructify, the person may be considered to have reached the other shore. They who thus know the Soul as freed from all worldly objects and is but the One, are said to acquire high and excellent knowledge.

By knowing the origin and the end of all creatures, a person which is such, and by thinking upon the subject, a person by and by obtains infinite reality.

He who has understood the three-fold objects and reflecting upon it, casts it away, succeeds by Yoga to see the Truth and secure perfect happiness.

The Soul cannot be seen unless the senses, which are set on various objects and are difficult of being controlled, be all duly restrained.

He who knows this, is really wise. What other mark is there of a wise man? Acquiring this knowledge, intelligent men considered themselves to be crowned with success.

That which strikes the Ignorant with fear can never create fear in persons of Knowledge. There is no higher and for anybody than Liberation. The sages say that on account of the excess or otherwise of good qualities, differences are seen regarding the degree of Liberation.

A person succeeds, by acting without expecting fruits, (by those acts) in destroying his pristine sinful acts. To a wise man, the acts of a former life and those of this life also, do not yield any disagreeable result. But how can acts, if he continues to be engaged in them, bring about what is agreeable (viz., Liberation.)

People blame a person who is possessed of lust, envy, and other evil passions). Those vices draw the person down in his next life into various sorts of inferior births.

Mark attentively the vicious in this world who grieve exceedingly for the loss of their possessions. See also those who are gifted with judgement and who never grieve when placed in similar circumstances! Those who are conversant with both, deserve to be called truly wise..