The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
The Brâhmaṇa said:
There is nothing else more delightful than that, when there is no distinction from it. There is nothing more afflicting than that, when there is a distinction from it*. There is nothing smaller than that, there is nothing larger than that’. There is nothing more subtle than that; there is no other happiness equal to that. Entering it, the twiceborn do not grieve, and do not exult⁵. They are not afraid of anybody, and nobody is afraid of them. In that forest are seven large trees’, seven fruits, and seven guests; seven hermitages, seven (forms of) concentration, and seven (forms of) initiation. This is the description of the forest. That forest is filled with trees producing splendid flowers and fruits of five coloursf. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of four colours. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of three colours, and mixed. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of two colours, and of beautiful colours. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of one colour, and fragrant. That forest is filled with two large trees producing numerous flowers and fruits of undistinguished colours}. There is one fire? here, connected with the Brahman”, and having a good mind‘, And there is fuel here, (namely) the five senses. The seven (forms of) emancipation from them are the seven (forms of) initiation®, The qualities are the fruits, and the guests eat the fruits. There, in various places, the great sages receive hospitality. And when they have been worshipped and have disappeared ®, another forest shines forth, in which. intelligence is the tree, and emancipation the fruit, and which possesses shade (in the form of) tranquillity, which depends on knowledge, which has contentment for its water, and which has the Kshetragäa within for the sun. The good who attain to that, have no fear afterwards. Its end cannot be perceived upwards or downwards or horizontally '. There always dwell seven females there ?, with faces (turned) downwards, full of brilliance, and causes of generation. They absorb® all the higher delights of people, as inconstancy (absorbs) everything #, In that same® (principle) the seven perfect sages, together with their chiefs, the richest °, abide, and again emerge from the same. Glory, brilliance, and greatness, enlightenment, victory, perfection, and power *—these seven rays follow after this same sun. Hills and mountains also are there collected together, and rivers and streams flowing with water produced from the Brahman’, And there is the confluence of the rivers in the secluded place® for the sacrifice, whence those who are contented in their own selfs repair to the divine grandsire himself. Those whose wishes are reduced', whose wishes are (fixed) on good vows, whose sins are burnt up by penance, merging the self in the self?, devote themselves to Brahman. Those people who understand the forest of knowledge’, praise tranquillity. And aspiring to that forest, they are born so as not to lose courage‘. Such, indeed, is this holy forest, as understood by Brâhmaṇas. And understanding it, they act (accordingly), being directed by the Kshetragña.
Cf. Khandogya, pp. 516, 517- 2. Cf. Sanatsugâtiya, p. 180 and note there. 2 Cf. as to all this Gita, p. ror. 3
4 This is not the forest spoken of before, but what has been before called the ‘impassable place,’ but which also at p. 286 is by implication called a forest, viz. the course of worldly life.
5 Viz. the eye, ear, tongue, skin, and nose, and the mind, and understanding—these are called trees, as being producers of the fruits, namely, the pleasures and pains derived from their several operations; the guests are the powers of each sense personified— they receive the fruits above described ; the hermitages are the trees above mentioned, in which the guests take shelter; the seven forms of concentration are the exclusion from the self of the seven functions of the seven senses &c. already referred to; the seven forms of initiation refer to the initiation into the higher life, by repudiating as not one’s own the actions of each member out of the group of seven. Cf. as to this Khândogya, p. 219, and commentary there. 6* Cf. for these different numbers of colours, Yoga-sûtra I, 19, and commentary, p. 105, and Sankhya-sara, p.18. The trees here meant are the Tanmâtras, or subtle elements, and the theory is that the Gandha-tanmâtra, or subtle element of smell, has five qualities, its
The Brâhmaṇa said:
There is nothing more delightful than that, when there is no distinction from it. There is nothing more afflicting than that, when there is a distinction from it. There is nothing smaller than that; there is nothing larger than that. There is nothing more subtle than that; no other happiness equals it. Entering it, the twiceborn do not grieve and do not exult⁵. They are afraid of nobody, and nobody is afraid of them. In that forest are seven large trees, seven fruits, and seven guests; seven hermitages, seven forms of concentration, and seven forms of initiation. This is the description of the forest. That forest is filled with trees producing splendid flowers and fruits of five colours. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of four colours. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of three colours, and mixed. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of two colours, and of beautiful colours. That forest is filled with trees producing flowers and fruits of one colour, and fragrant. That forest is filled with two large trees producing numerous flowers and fruits of undistinguished colours. There is one fire here, connected with the Brahman, and having a good mind. And there is fuel here, namely the five senses. The seven forms of emancipation from them are the seven forms of initiation. The qualities are the fruits, and the guests eat the fruits. There, in various places, the great sages receive hospitality. And when they have been worshipped and have disappeared, another forest shines forth, in which intelligence is the tree and emancipation the fruit, and which possesses shade in the form of tranquillity, which depends on knowledge, which has contentment for its water, and which has the Kshetragäa within for the sun. The good who attain to that have no fear afterwards. Its end cannot be perceived upwards or downwards or horizontally. There always dwell seven females there, with faces turned downwards, full of brilliance, and causes of generation. They absorb all the higher delights of people, as inconstancy absorbs everything. In that same principle the seven perfect sages, together with their chiefs, the richest, abide, and again emerge from the same. Glory, brilliance, and greatness, enlightenment, victory, perfection, and power—these seven rays follow after this same sun. Hills and mountains also are there collected together, and rivers and streams flowing with water produced from the Brahman. And there is the confluence of the rivers in the secluded place for the sacrifice, whence those who are contented in their own self repair to the divine grandsire himself. Those whose wishes are reduced, whose wishes are fixed on good vows, whose sins are burnt up by penance, merging the self in the self, devote themselves to Brahman. Those people who understand the forest of knowledge praise tranquillity. And aspiring to that forest, they are born so as not to lose courage. Such, indeed, is this holy forest, as understood by Brâhmaṇas. And understanding it, they act accordingly, being directed by the Kshetragäa.
Cf. Khandogya, pp. 516, 517. 2. Cf. Sanatsujâtîya, p. 180 and note there. 2 Cf. as to all this Gita, p. 101. 3
4 This is not the forest spoken of before, but what has previously been called the 'impassable place,' which at p. 286 is also implicitly called a forest — namely, the course of worldly life.
5 That is, the eye, ear, tongue, skin, and nose, together with the mind and understanding—these are called trees because they produce the fruits, namely the pleasures and pains that arise from their several operations. The guests are the powers of each sense personified; they receive the fruits just described. The hermitages are the trees mentioned above, in which the guests take shelter. The seven forms of concentration consist in excluding from the self the seven functions of the seven senses and so on already referred to. The seven forms of initiation refer to initiation into the higher life by repudiating as not one's own the actions of each member of the group of seven. Cf. on this point Khândogya, p. 219, and the commentary there.
6* Cf. for these different numbers of colours, Yoga-sûtra I, 19, and commentary, p. 105, and Sankhya-sara, p. 18. The trees meant here are the Tanmâtras, or subtle elements, and the theory is that the Gandha-tanmâtra, or subtle element of smell, has five qualities, its