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.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Brahman said:
Since the mind is ruler of these five elements, in (the matter of) absorbing or bringing (them) forth 1, aie ED nome LES C the mind itself is the individual self!. The mind always presides over the great elements. The understanding proclaims its power ’, and it is called the Kshetragña. The mind yokes the senses asa charioteer (yokes) good horses. The senses, the mind, and the understanding are always joined to the Kshetragña*. That individual self, mounting the chariot to which big horses # are ‘yoked, and in which the understanding is the drag®, drives about on all sides. The great chariot which is pervaded by the Brahman 7, has the group of the senses yoked (to it), has the mind for a charioteer, and the understanding fora drag. That learned and talented person verily, who always understands thus the chariot pervaded by the Brahman, comes not by delusion in the midst of all entities’. This forest of the Brahman® begins with the unperceived,and ends with the gross ebjects”; ee ee and includes movables and immovables, receives light from the radiance of the sun and moon, is adorned with planets and nakshatras, and is decked on all sides with nets of rivers and mountains, and always beautified likewise by various (descriptions of) waters; it is (the means of) subsistence for all entities', and it is the goal of all living creatures. In this the Kshetragña always moves about. Whatever entities (there are) in this world, movable or immovable, they are the very first? to be dissolved; and next the developments produced from the elements*; and (after) these developments, all the elements. Such is the upward gradation* among entities. Gods, men, Gandharvas, Pisâkas, Asuras, Râkshasas, all have been created by nature 5, not by actions, nor by a cause. These Brâhmaṇas, the creators of the world, are born here again and again. And whatever is produced from them! is dissolved in due time in those very five great elements, like billows in the ocean. The great elements are in every way (beyond) the elements that make up the world 2. And he who is released, even from those five elements, goes to the highest goal. The Lord Pragäpati created all this by the mind? only. And in the same manner‘ the sages attainéd the godhead 5 by means of penancef. And in like manner, those who have achieved perfection, who have acquired concentration by a course of penance, and who likewise feed on fruits and roots, perceive the triple world? here by penance. Medicines, and herbs, and the various sciences are all acquired® by means of penance alone. For all acquisition® has penance for its root. Whatever is difficult to obtain ™, difficult to learn, difficult to vanquish, and difficult to pass through ; all that can be accomplished by penance, for penance is difficult to overcome. One who drinks spirituous liquors, one who kills a Brâhmaṇa, one who steals, one who destroys an embryo, one who violates the bed of his preceptor 1, is released from that sin only by penance well performed. (Those) men, Pitṛis, gods, (sacrificial) animals’, beasts and birds, and all other creatures movable or immovable, (who are) constantly devoted to penance, always reach perfection by penance. And in like manner the noble(-minded) gods went to heaven. Those who without sloth perform actions with expectations, and being full of egoism, they go near Pragâpati‘ Those high-souled ones who are devoid of (the thought that this or that is} mine, and devoid of egoism, by means of a pure concentration (of mind) on contemplation, obtain the great and highest world. Those who best understand the self, attaining concentration (of mind) on contemplation *, and having their minds always tranquil, enter into the unperceived accumulation of happiness*. Those who are free from (all thought that this or that is) mine, and who are free from egoism, attaining concentration (of mind) on contemplation, enter the highest: world of the great, which is the unperceived. Born from that same unperceived ? (principle), again acquiring knowledge, and getting rid of the (qualities of) passion and darkness, and resorting to the pure (quality of) goodness, a man gets rid of all sins, and abandons everything as fruitless. He should be understood to be the Kshetragña. He who understands him understands the Vedas*. Withdrawing from the mind the objects # of mental operations, a sage should sit down self-restrained. (He) necessarily (becomes) that on which his mind® (is fixed). This is the eternal mystery. That which begins with the unperceived and ends with the gross objects 5 is stated to be of the nature of ignorance. But (you should) learn that whose nature is devoid of qualities. Two syllables! are death; three syllables the eternal Brahman. Mine is death, and not mine is the eternal?. Some men of dull understandings extol action. But as to the high-souled ancients they do not extol action’. By action a creature is born with a body and made up of the sixteen’, Knowledge brings forth® the being, and that is acceptable and constitutes immortality. Therefore those who are far-sighted have no attachment to actions. This being is stated to be full of knowledge, not full of action’. The self-restrained man who thus understands the immortal, changeless, incomprehensible, and ever indestructible and unattached (principle), he dies not’. He who thus understands the self to which there is nothing prior, which is uncreated, changeless, unmoving *, which is incomprehensible (even) to those who feed on nectar, he certainly becomes immortal" and not to be restrained®, in consequence of these means ".
1 This is the Hindu Gamut.
2 These are not in the Santi Parvan; of many ingredients= collection of sounds, Arguna Misra. $ Being all-pervading, Arguna Misra. Cf. its position at Taittiriya, p. 67.
4 Cf. Katha, pp. 114, 115, 149,and Sankarâkârya’s commentary there, for an explanation of the whole passage. And see Sankhyasara, p. 16, as to what are here called self and understanding.
5 Cf. Gita, p. 64, where the words are identical.
6 The elements are perceived or are not perceived by the senses under the direction of the mind; absorbing=destroying ; bringing forth=producing, Nîlakaṇṭha. See p. 268 supra, and Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 240, st. 12. [8] cc
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Brahman said:
Since the mind rules these five elements—whether absorbing or bringing them forth 1—the mind itself is the individual self. The mind always presides over the great elements. The understanding proclaims its power, and it is called the Kshetrajña. The mind yokes the senses as a charioteer yokes good horses. The senses, the mind, and the understanding are always joined to the Kshetrajña. That individual self, mounting the chariot to which big horses are yoked and in which the understanding is the drag, drives about on all sides. The great chariot pervaded by the Brahman 7 has the group of the senses yoked to it, the mind for a charioteer, and the understanding for a drag. That learned and talented person who always understands thus the chariot pervaded by the Brahman is never deluded in the midst of all entities. This forest of the Brahman begins with the unperceived and ends with the gross objects; it includes movables and immovables, receives light from the radiance of the sun and moon, is adorned with planets and nakshatras, decked on all sides with nets of rivers and mountains, and always beautified likewise by various descriptions of waters. It is the means of subsistence for all entities and the goal of all living creatures. In this the Kshetrajña always moves about. Whatever entities there are in this world, movable or immovable, they are the very first 2 to be dissolved; next the developments produced from the elements; and after these developments, all the elements. Such is the upward gradation among entities. Gods, men, Gandharvas, Pisâkas, Asuras, Râkshasas—all have been created by nature 5, not by actions, nor by a cause. These Brâhmaṇas, the creators of the world, are born here again and again. Whatever is produced from them is dissolved in due time in those very five great elements, like billows in the ocean. The great elements are in every way beyond the elements that make up the world 2. And he who is released even from those five elements goes to the highest goal. The Lord Pragäpati created all this by the mind only. And in the same manner the sages attainéd the godhead 5 by means of penance. And in like manner, those who have achieved perfection, who have acquired concentration by a course of penance, and who likewise feed on fruits and roots, perceive the triple world here by penance. Medicines, and herbs, and the various sciences are all acquired by means of penance alone. For all acquisition has penance for its root. Whatever is difficult to obtain, difficult to learn, difficult to vanquish, and difficult to pass through—all that can be accomplished by penance, for penance is difficult to overcome. One who drinks spirituous liquors, one who kills a Brâhmaṇa, one who steals, one who destroys an embryo, one who violates the bed of his preceptor, is released from that sin only by penance well performed. Men, Pitṛis, gods, sacrificial animals, beasts and birds, and all other creatures movable or immovable, who are constantly devoted to penance, always reach perfection by penance. And in like manner the noble-minded gods went to heaven. Those who without sloth perform actions with expectations, and being full of egoism, go near Prajâpati. Those high-souled ones who are devoid of the thought that this or that is mine, and devoid of egoism, obtain the great and highest world by means of a pure concentration of mind on contemplation. Those who best understand the self, attaining concentration of mind on contemplation and having their minds always tranquil, enter into the unperceived accumulation of happiness. Those who are free from all thought that this or that is mine, and who are free from egoism, attaining concentration of mind on contemplation, enter the highest world of the great, which is the unperceived. Born from that same unperceived principle, again acquiring knowledge, and getting rid of the qualities of passion and darkness, and resorting to the pure quality of goodness, a man gets rid of all sins and abandons everything as fruitless. He should be understood to be the Kshetrajña. He who understands him understands the Vedas. Withdrawing from the mind the objects of mental operations, a sage should sit down self-restrained. He necessarily becomes that on which his mind is fixed. This is the eternal mystery. That which begins with the unperceived and ends with the gross objects is stated to be of the nature of ignorance. But learn that whose nature is devoid of qualities. Two syllables 1 are death; three syllables the eternal Brahman. Mine is death, and not mine is the eternal 2. Some men of dull understandings extol action. But the high-souled ancients do not extol action. By action a creature is born with a body and made up of the sixteen 7. Knowledge brings forth the being, and that is acceptable and constitutes immortality. Therefore those who are far-sighted have no attachment to actions. This being is stated to be full of knowledge, not full of action. The self-restrained man who thus understands the immortal, changeless, incomprehensible, and ever indestructible and unattached principle—he dies not. He who thus understands the self to which there is nothing prior, which is uncreated, changeless, unmoving, which is incomprehensible even to those who feed on nectar, certainly becomes immortal and not to be restrained, in consequence of these means.
1 This is the Hindu Gamut.
2 These are not in the Santi Parvan; of many ingredients = collection of sounds, Arjuna Misra. $ Being all-pervading, Arjuna Misra. Cf. its position at Taittiriya, p. 67.
4 Cf. Katha, pp. 114, 115, 149, and Sankarâkârya's commentary there, for an explanation of the whole passage. And see Sankhyasara, p. 16, as to what are here called self and understanding.
5 Cf. Gita, p. 64, where the words are identical.
6 The elements are either perceived or not perceived by the senses acting under the direction of the mind; "absorbing" means destroying; "bringing forth" means producing, Nîlakaṇṭha. See p. 268 above, and Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 240, st. 12. [8] cc