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 learned man who absorbs objects of desire from all sides, as a tortoise (draws in) his limbs*, and who is devoid of passion, and released from everything’, is ever happy. Restraining objects of desire within the self*, he becomes fit for assimilation with the Brahman‘, having his cravings destroyed, and being concentrated in mind, and friendly and affectionate* to all beings. The fire of the Adhyâtmaf is kindled in a sage by his abandoning the country’, and by the restraint of all the senses which hanker after objects of sense. As fire kindled with fuel shines forth with a great blaze, so the great self* shines forth through the restraint of the senses. When one with a tranquil self perceives all entities in one’s own heart, then being self-illumined*, one attains to that which is subtler than (the most) subtle (thing)?°, and than which there is nothing higher. It is settled, that the body in which the colour* is fire, the flowing” oe ee eee (element) water, and the feeling of touch is air, the hideous holder of the mud! is earth, and likewise the sound is space; which is pervaded by disease and sorrow; which is surrounded by the five currents?; which is made up of the five elements; which has nine passages* and two deities*; which is full of passion; unfit to be seen®; made up of three qualities and of three constituent elements®; pleased with contacts’; and full of delusion*; —this same (body), which is difficult to move in this mortal world, and which rests on the real (entity)®, is the very wheel of time which rotates in this world’, It is a great ocean, fearful and unfathomable, and is named" delusion. The world, together with the immortals, should cast it aside, curtail it, a a a al iN ree and restrain it!. Desire, wrath, fear, avarice, treachery, and falsehood also, (all these), which are difficult to get rid of, the good do get rid of by restraint of the senses% And he who in this world has vanquished the three qualities and the five constituent elements, obtains the highest #— the infinite—seat in heaven. Crossing the river of which the five senses are the lofty banks, the agitation of mind® the mighty waters, and delusion the reservoir, one should vanquish both desire and wrath. Freed from all sins, he then perceives that highest (principle), concentrating the mind within the mind’, and seeing the self within the self®, Understanding everything, he sees the self with the self in all entities as one°, and also as various, changing from time to time. He can always perceive (numerous) bodies like a hundred lights from one light. He verily is Vishṇu, and Mitra, and Varuṇa, Agni, and Pragapati. He is the supporter, and the creator. He is the lord whose faces are in all directions’. (In him) the great self—the heart of all beings—is resplendent. Him, all companies of Brâhmaṇas, and also gods, and demons, and Yakshas, and Pisâkas, and Pitris, and birds, and the bands of Rakshases, and the bands of Bhûtas#, and also all the great sages, ever extol.
* Cf. Gita, pp. 50, 51, and Sânti Parvan (Moksha Dharma) I, 51, where the phrase is precisely the same as here.
* Le. from all bonds, I suppose. See p. 292 supra. SSCL GHG, p. 82: * Cf. Gita, p. 110. 5 Cf. Gita, p. 68.
* Le. experience, Nîlakaṇṭha. It means direct perception of the relations between the supreme and individual self. Cf. Gita, p. ETE: T As opposed to forests. See Sanatsugattya, p. 159, note 9.
* This must mean here the supreme self, apparently.
* Le. being devoted to the self only, Arguna Misra. The ordinary meaning of the word, however, is one who has direct experience or perception without the aid of senses, &c. Cf. Bṛihadâraṇyaka, p. 765, and Sârîraka Bhashya, pp. 648, 784, &c.
* Nîlakaṇṭha says, ‘The supreme Brahman which is subtler than the Brahman within the lotus-like heart.’ ” Le. that which perceives colour, viz. the sense, Arguna Misra. This applies to the analogous words coming further on. ™ Le. taste, says Arguna Misra, which seems to be more correct than Nîlakaṇṭha’s blood and such other liquid elements of the body.
The learned man who absorbs objects of desire from all sides as a tortoise draws in his limbs, and who is devoid of passion and released from everything, is ever happy. Restraining objects of desire within the self, he becomes fit for assimilation with the Brahman, having his cravings destroyed, being concentrated in mind, and friendly and affectionate to all beings. The fire of the Adhyâtmaf is kindled in a sage by his abandoning the country, and by the restraint of all the senses which hanker after objects of sense. As fire kindled with fuel shines forth with a great blaze, so the great self shines forth through the restraint of the senses. When one with a tranquil self perceives all entities in one's own heart, then being self-illumined, one attains to that which is subtler than the most subtle thing, and than which there is nothing higher. It is settled that the body in which the colour is fire, the flowing element water, the feeling of touch is air, the hideous holder of the mud is earth, and likewise the sound is space; which is pervaded by disease and sorrow; which is surrounded by the five currents; which is made up of the five elements; which has nine passages and two deities; which is full of passion; unfit to be seen; made up of three qualities and of three constituent elements; pleased with contacts; and full of delusion—this same body, which is difficult to move in this mortal world and which rests on the real entity, is the very wheel of time which rotates in this world. It is a great ocean, fearful and unfathomable, and is named delusion. The world, together with the immortals, should cast it aside, curtail it, and restrain it. Desire, wrath, fear, avarice, treachery, and falsehood also—all these, which are difficult to get rid of—the good do get rid of by restraint of the senses. And he who in this world has vanquished the three qualities and the five constituent elements obtains the highest—the infinite—seat in heaven. Crossing the river of which the five senses are the lofty banks, the agitation of mind the mighty waters, and delusion the reservoir, one should vanquish both desire and wrath. Freed from all sins, he then perceives that highest principle, concentrating the mind within the mind, and seeing the self within the self. Understanding everything, he sees the self with the self in all entities as one, and also as various, changing from time to time. He can always perceive numerous bodies like a hundred lights from one light. He verily is Vishṇu, and Mitra, and Varuṇa, Agni, and Prajâpati. He is the supporter, and the creator. He is the lord whose faces are in all directions. In him the great self—the heart of all beings—is resplendent. Him, all companies of Brâhmaṇas, and also gods, and demons, and Yakshas, and Pisâkas, and Pitris, and birds, and the bands of Rakshases, and the bands of Bhûtas, and also all the great sages, ever extol.
* Cf. Gita, pp. 50, 51, and Sânti Parvan (Moksha Dharma) I, 51, where the phrase is precisely the same as here.
* I.e. from all bonds, I suppose. See p. 292 supra. SSCL GHG, p. 82: * Cf. Gita, p. 110. 5 Cf. Gita, p. 68.
* That is, experience, Nîlakaṇṭha. It means direct perception of the relations between the supreme and individual self. Cf. Gita, p. ETE: As opposed to forests. See Sanatsujâtîya, p. 159, note 9.
* This must mean the supreme self here, apparently.
* That is, being devoted to the self only, Arjuna Misra. The ordinary meaning of the word, however, is one who has direct experience or perception without the aid of the senses, etc. Cf. Bṛihadâraṇyaka, p. 765, and Sârîraka Bhashya, pp. 648, 784, etc.
* Nîlakaṇṭha says, 'The supreme Brahman, which is subtler than the Brahman within the lotus-like heart.' " That is, that which perceives colour, namely the sense, according to Arjuna Misra. This applies to the analogous words that follow. ™ That is, taste, says Arjuna Misra, which seems more correct than Nîlakaṇṭha's interpretation of blood and such other liquid elements of the body.