मोक्षधर्म पर्व — आत्मा का ज्ञान

The objects by which one is encircled are created by the Understanding. Without being connected with them, the Soul stands aloof, lording over them. The Understanding creates all objects. The three principal qualities are continually being transformed. The Soul, gifled with power, lords over them all, without, however, mingling with them.

The objects created by the Understanding partake of its own nature. Like the threads created by the spider, the objects created by the Understanding partake of the nature of Understanding.

Some hold that the qualities, when done away with by yoga or knowledge, do not cease to exist. They hold this because when once gone, the marks only of their return are not perceived. Others hold that when destroyed by knowledge, they are at once destroyed never to rcturn.

Meditating duly upon these two opinions, one should try his best according to the way one thinks proper. It is by this way that one should acquire eminence and take refuge in his own Soul alone.

The Soul is without beginning and without end. Understanding his Soul properly man should move and act, without yielding to anger, without indulging in joy, and always shorn of envy.

Cutting by this means the knot that is in his heart, created by the faculties of the Understanding, which is hard (to cut), but which can be destroyed by knowledge, one should live happily, without yielding to grief, and with his doubts removed.

Know that they who mix in worldly affairs, are as distressed in body and mind as persons ignorant of the art of swimming when they fall from the land into a vast and deep river.

Being conversant with the truth, the learned man, however, is never distressed, for he feels like one walking over firm land. Indeed, he who perceives his Soul to be such, viz., as full of consciousness which has knowledge alone for its mark, is never distressed.

By thus knowing the origin and end of all creatures, and by thus apprehending their distinctions, a person succeeds in acquiring high felicity.

This knowledge is the possession of a Brahmana in particular by virtue of his birth. Knowledge of the Soul, and happiness like above, are each fully sufficient to lead to Liberation.

By gaining such knowledge one really becomes learned. What else is the mark of a person of knowledge? Having gained such knowledge, the wise men consider themselves successful and become liberated. Those things which produce fear to men shorn of knowledge do not do so to those who are gifted with knowledge. There is no end higher than the eternal end which is acquired by a learned person.

One sees with aversion all earthly objects of enjoyment which are, of course, full of shortcomings. Again seeing others pursue such objects with pleasure, another is filled with sorrow. But they who are conversant with both objects, viz., that which is fictitious and that which is not so, are never grieved and are truly happy.

What a man does without expectation of fruits dissipates his acts of a pristine life. The acts, however, of such a person both of this end and his pristine life cannot lead to Liberation. On the other hand, such destruction of former acts and such acts of this life cannot bring what is disagreeable (viz., hell), even if the wise man engages in acts.