मोक्षधर्म पर्व — परब्रह्म का ज्ञान

Bhishma said 'He does not know Brahma who does not know the four topics, namely, dreams, dreamless sleep, immanent, and transcendent Brahma, as also what is Manifest (viz., the body), and what is Unmanifest (the intelligence-soul), which the great Rishi (Narayana) has described as Tattvam (pure principle).

That which is manifest is subject to death. That which is unmanifest transcends, death. The Rishi Narayana has described the religion of inclination.

Upon that depends the entire universe with its mobile and immobile creatures. The religion of disinclination again leads to the unmanifest and eternal Brahma.

The Creator (Brahman) has described the religion of inclination. Inclination indicates rebirth or return. Disinclination on the other hand, indicates the highest end.

The ascetic who wish to discriminate exactly between good and evil, who is always bent on conceiving the nature of the Soul, and who devotes himself to the religion of disinclination, attains to that high end.

One who wishes to accomplish this, should know both the Unmanifest and Purusha of which I shall speak now. That, again, which is different from both the Unmanifest and Purusha, and which transcends them both, and which is distinguished from all beings, should be particularly seen by an intelligent man. Both, Prakriti and Purusha are without beginning and without end. Both are incapable of being known by their likes.

Both are eternal and indestructible. Both are greater than the greatest. They are similar in these. There are point of dissimilarity again between them.

Prakriti is endued with the three qualities. It is also engaged in creation. The true attributes of Kshetrajna (Purusha or the Soul) are different.

Purusha apprehends all the changes of Prakriti (but cannot be apprehended himself.) He transcends all qualities. As regards Purusha and the Supreme Soul again, both of them cannot be comprehended. Again for their both being without qualities by which they can be distinguished, both are greatly distinguished froin all else.

The creation is the result of relation between Prakriti and Purusha (the soul), but we understand it by action. All movements come through the senses by person. "Who, I, This" etc. are only wordily statements.

A person putting on a turban has his head circled with three folds of a piece of cloth. Similarly the embodied Soul is invested with the three qualities of Goodness, and Ignorance. But though thus invested, the Soul is not identical with those qualities.

Hence these four topics, which are covered by these four considerations, should be understood. One who understands all this is never stupefied when he tries to form conclusions.

He who wishes to secure high prosperity should become pure in mind, and practising austere practices regarding the body and the senses, should devote himself to yoga without seeking for fruits.

The universe is permeated by yoga power secretly passing through every part of it and lighting it up brightly. The sun and the moon shine in the sky of the heart on account of yoga power.

The result of yoga is Knowledge. Yoga is spoken of highly in the world. Whatever acts destroy Darkness and Ignorance form yoga of the in respect of its real character.

Brahmacharya and abstention from injury form yoga of the body; while restraining of mind and words form yoga of the mind.

The food which is acquired by begging from twice-born persons conversant with the ritual is distinguished from all other food. By taking that food abstemiously, one's sins begotten of Darkness are dissipated.

Living upon such food a Yogin finds his senses gradually withdrawn from their objects. Hence, he should take only that quality of food which is barely necessary for the support of his body.

Knowledge which one acquires gradually by mind devoted to yoga should be made one's own on the verge of death by a forcible stretch of power.

The embodied Soul, when divested of Darkness, assumes a subtile form with all the senses of perception and moves about in space. When his mind becomes untouched by acts, he, on account of such renunciation, becomes merged in Prakriti.

After the destruction of this gross body, one who through absence of carelessness escapes from all the three bodies, succeeds in attaining to Liberation. The birth and death of creatures is always brought about by by Avidya (Ignorance.)

When knowledge of Brahman originates, the person on longer feels the pinch of necessity. Those, however, who believe what is the reverse of truth whose understandings are always busy with the birth and death of all existent things.

Keeping their bodies by the help of patience, withdrawing their hearts by the help of their understanding, and withdrawing are men themselves from the world of senses, some Yogins worship the senses for their subtility.

Some of them, with mind purified by yoga, proceeding according to the scriptures and reaching the highest, succeed in knowing it by help of the understanding and live in that which is the highest and which without resting on any other thing rests on itself.

Some adore Brahma in images. Some adore Him as devoid of qualities. Divinity which has been described to be like a flash of lightning and which is again indestructible.

Others who have consumed their sins by penances, attain to Brahman in the end. All these great persons attain to the highest end.

With the eye of scriptures one should mark the subtile attributes of these several forms, as distinguished by attributes, of Brahma that are adored by men. The Yogin who has gone above the necessity, as the Supreme Divinity, or as that which is Unmanifest.

They whose hearts are given to the acquisition of knowledge succeed first in disassociating themselves for the world of mortals. Afterwards, by renouncing attachments they partake of the nature of Brahma and at last attain to the highest end.

Thus persons conversant with the Vedas have described the religion that brings on the attaininent of Brahma. They who follow that religion according to the extent of their respective knowledge all succeed in acquiring the highest end.

Those persons who can acquire a knowledge which is incapable of being shaken and which makes its possessors shorn of all sorts of attachments acquire different high regions after death and become emancipate according to the extent of their knowledge.

Those pure-hearted persons who have acquired contentment from knowledge, and who have contentment from knowledge, and who have renounced all desires and attachments, gradually approach in respect of their nature nearer Brahma which is unmanifest by nature, which is divine, and without birth and death.

Realising that Brahma lives in their souls, they become themselves immutable and have never to come back to the Earth). Acquiring that supreme, indestructible and eternal state they live in happiness.

The knowledge of this world is this: (Persons who have overcome ignorance think that) it does not exist. The whole universe, feltered by desire, is revolving like a wheel.

As the fibres of a lotus-stalk overspread themselves into every part of the stalk, likewise the fibres of desire, which are without beginning or end, spread themselves over every part of the body.

As a weaver drives his threads into a cloth by means of his shuttle, similarly the threads that constitute the fabric of the universe are woven by the shuttle of Desire.

He who understands the changes of Nature, Nature herself, and Purusha, becomes freed from Desire and acquires Liberation.

The divine Rishi Narayana, that refuge of the universe, for the sake of mercy towards all creatures, distinctly laid down these means for the acquisition of immortality.