अनुगीता पर्व — ज्ञानको परम विषय ब्रह्मको वर्णन

Arjuna said You should explain Brahma to me, that which is the highest object of knowledge. Through your favour, my mind is delighted with these subtle disquisition's.

Vasudeva said Regarding it is recited the old discourse between a preceptor and his disciple on the subject of Brahma.

Once on a time, O destroyer of enemics, an intelligent disciple questioned certain Brahmana of rigid vows who was preceptor, as a he was scated, saying-What, indeed, is the highest good?

Desirous of acquiring that which forms the highest good, I throw myself at your fect, O holy one! O learned Brahmana, I solicit you, bending my head, to explain to me what I ask.

To that disciple, O son of Pritha, who said So, the preceptor said, O twice-born one, I shall explain to you everything about which you may have any doubts.

Thus addressed, O foremost one of Kuru's race, by his preceptor, that disciple who was greatly devoted to his preceptor, spoke as follows, with joined hands. Do you hear what he said, O you of great intelligence.

Whence aim I? Whence are you? Explain that which is the highest truth. From what source have originated all creatures mobile and immobile?

By what do creatures live? What is the limit of their life? What is truth? What is penance, O learned Brahmana? What are called qualities by the good?

What paths are to be called auspicious? What is happiness? What is sin? O holy one, O you of excellent vows, you should answer these questions of mine, O learned Rishi, correctly, truly, and accurately. Who else is there in this world than you who is capable of answering these questions?

Do you answer them, o foremost of all persons knowing duties! My curiosity is great. you are celebrated in all the worlds as one well-skilled in the duties about liberation.

There is none else save you who can remove all kinds of doubts. Afraid of worldly life, we have become desirous of acquiring Liberation.

Vasudeva said To that disciple who had humbly sought his instruction and put the questions duly. Who was devoted to his preceptor and endued with tranquillity, and who always acted in a manner that was agreeable (to his instructor), who lived so constantly by the side of his instructor as to have almost become his shadow, who was selfcontrolled and who had the life of a Yati and a Brahmacharin, O son of Pritha, that preceptor gifted with intelligence and observant of vows, duly explained all the questions, O foremost of Kuru's race, O chastiser of all enemies.

All this was declared by Brahman himself. Applauded and practised by the foreinost of Rishis, and depending on Vedic knowledge it involves a consideration of what forms the real entity.

We regard knowledge to be that highest object, and renunciation as the best penance. He who, certainly, knows the true object of knowledge which is incapable of being modified by circumstances, viz., the soul living in all creatures, succeeds in going wherever he likes and comes to be considered as the highest. That learned man who sees the residence of all things in one place and their severance as well, and who sees unity in diversity, succeeds in freeing himself from misery. He who does not long for anything and does not cherish the idea of mineness abut any thing, comes to be considered, although living in this world, as being at one with Brahina. He who knows the truth about the qualities of Nature, acquainted with the creation of all existent objects, divested of egoism, and without pride, succeeds, forsooth, in freeing himself. Understanding properly that great tree which has the unmanifest for its seed-sprout and the understanding for its trunk, and high consciousness of self for its branches, and the senses for the cells whence its twigs issue and the (five) great elements for its flower-buds, and the gross elements for its smaller boughs, which has leaves, which always puts forth flowers, and upon which all existent objects depend, whose seeds is Brahma, and which is eternal, and cutting all subjects with the sharp sword of knowledge, one acquires immortality and renounces birth and death.

The conclusions about the past, present, and future, etc., and religion, pleasure, and profit, which are all well known to Siddhas, which belong to remote ages, and which are, indeed, eternal, I shall declare to you. O you of great wisdom! These form what is called Good, Wise Men, understanding them in this world, acquire success.

Formerly, the Rishis Brihaspati Bharadvaja, Gautama Bhargava, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, Vishvamitra and Atri, assembled together for the purpose of asking one another. They thus assembled together after having travelled over all paths and after they had got tired with the deeds each of them had done.

Those twice-born persons, headed by the sage son of Angirasa, proceeded to the region of the Grandfather. There they saw Brahman perfectly purged of all sin.

Bowing their heads to that great one who was seated at their ease, the great Rishis, gifted with humility, asked him this grave question about the highest good.

How should a good man act? How would one be freed from sin? What paths are: auspicious for us? What is truth, and what is sin?

By what action are the two paths, northern and southern, obtained? What is destruction? What, Liberation? What is birth and what death of all existent objects?

I shall tell you. O disciple, what the Grandfather, thus addressed, said to them, according to the scriptures. Do you listen.

It is from Truth that all creatures, mobile and immobile, have been born. They live by penance (or action). Understand this, O you of excellent vows! On account of their own actions they live, transcending their own origin.

For Truth when united with qualities becomes always possessed of five marks. Brahman is Truth. Penance is truth. Prajapati is truth.

It is from Truth that all creatures have originated. Truth is the universe of being. It is for this that Brahmanas who are always devoted to Yoga, who have got over anger and sorrow, and who always consider Religion as the causeway, take refuge in Truth. I shall now speak of those Brahmanas who are controlled by one another and endued with knowledge, of the orders, and of those who belong to the four modes of life.

The wise say that Rcligion or duty is one, having four quarters. You twice born ones, I shall speak to you now of that path which is auspicious and yields good.

That path has constantly been trod over by wise men in order to acquirc an identity with Brahmana. I shall speak now of that path which is the highest and which is highly difficult of being understood.

Do you understand, in all its fullness, you highly blessed ones, what is the highest set. The first step has been said to be the mode of life that belongs to Brahmacharins.

The second step is domesticity. After this is the residence in the forcst. After that it should be known is the highest step, viz., that belongs to Adhyatma.

Light, ether, sun, wind, Indra, and Prajapati, one sees these as long as one does not acquire Adhyatma.

I shall declare the means. Do you first understand them. The forest mode of life that is followed by ascetics living in the forest and subsisting upon fruits and roots and air is laid down for the three twice-born classes. The domestic mode of life is ordained for all the orders.

The wise say that Religion or duty has Faith for its characteristic mark. Thus have I declared to you the paths leading to the celestials. They are adopted by the good and wise by their a 'ts. Those paihs are the causeways of picty.

That persons of rigid vows who follows any one of these modes separately, always succeeds in time to understand the production and destruction of all creatures.

I shall now declarc, accurately and with reasons, the elements which live in parts in all objects.

The great soul, the uninanifest, egoisin, the eleven organs (of knowledge and action), the five great elements, the characteristics of the five elements, these form the eternal creation. The number of clements has been said to be twenty-four and one (more).

That wise person who understands the production and destruction of all these elements, that man among all creatures, never meets with delusion.

Hc who understands the elements accurately, all the qualities, all the celestials, succeeds in purifying himself of all sin. Freed from all fetters, such a man succeeds in enjoying all regions of spotless purity.