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.
Sanatsugata said:
Since the Vedas, together with the mind, fail to attain to him, hence (is he) taciturnity *—he about whom the words of the Vedas were uttered So who, O king! shines forth as consubstantial 4 with them.
Dhṛitarâshṭra said :
Does 5* the twice-born person who studies the Rik and the Yagus texts, and the Sâma-veda, committing sinful (acts), become tainted, or does he not become tainted ?
Sanatsugâta said :
Not the Saman texts, nor yet the Azé texts, nor the Yagus texts * save him, O acute sir! from sinful action. I do not tell you an untruth. The Khandas do not save a sinful deceitful * man who behaves deceitfully 2. At the time of the termination (of his life), the Khandas abandon * him, as birds who have got wings (abandon their) nest.
* Cf. Kenopanishad, p. 39; Kaṭha, p.152; Taittirîya, p. 110. ? “Taciturnity is his name,’ says Nîlakaṇṭha.
* Or, says Sankara, ‘who is the author of the Vedas.’
* Le. ‘with the Vedas,’ says Nîlakaṇṭha, Om, the quintessence of the Vedas, being a name of the Brahman (as to which cf. Gita, p. 79, and Maitri, p. 84). Sankara takes the whole expression to mean gyotirmaya, consisting of light. Nîlakaṇṭha says this stanza answers the five following questions put in the stanza preceding, viz. of what use is taciturnity? which of the two is taciturnity? &c., as above. The first four questions are answered by the first two lines of this stanza—the substance of the answer being, that the use of taciturnity is to attain the seat which is not to be grasped even by the mind, that taciturnity includes both restraint of mind and of the external senses. By means of such restraint, the external and internal worlds cease to be perceived as existing, and the highest goal is attained.
5 This question arises naturally enough on Nîlakaṇṭha¢ha’s interpretation of the preceding stanza, the meaning of which is in ” substance that the Vedas cannot grasp the Brahman fully, but they are of use towards a rudimentary comprehension of it, as is said further on, see p. 172 infra.
6 Cf. Svetâsvatara-upanishad, p. 339; see, too, Nṛisimha Tapini, pp. 81-98.
Sanatsujâta said:
Since the Vedas, together with the mind, fail to attain to him, hence is he taciturnity — he about whom the words of the Vedas were uttered, and who shines forth as consubstantial 4 with them, O king!
Dhṛitarâshṭra said:
Does 5* the twice-born person who studies the Rik and the Yajus texts, and the Sâma-veda, committing sinful acts, become tainted, or does he not become tainted?
Sanatsujâta said:
Not the Saman texts, nor the Azé texts, nor the Yajus texts save him, O acute sir, from sinful action. I tell you no untruth. The Khandas do not save a sinful, deceitful man who behaves deceitfully 2. At the moment his life ends, the Khandas abandon him, as winged birds abandon their nest.
* Cf. Kenopanishad, p. 39; Kaṭha, p.152; Taittirîya, p. 110. ? "Taciturnity is his name," says Nîlakaṇṭha.
* Or, says Sankara, 'who is the author of the Vedas.'
* That is, 'with the Vedas,' says Nîlakaṇṭha: Om, the quintessence of the Vedas, is a name of the Brahman (cf. Gita, p. 79, and Maitri, p. 84). Sankara takes the whole expression to mean gyotirmaya, consisting of light. Nîlakaṇṭha says this stanza answers the five questions put in the preceding stanza, namely: of what use is taciturnity? which of the two is taciturnity? and so on, as above. The first four questions are answered by the first two lines of this stanza. In substance, the answer is that taciturnity serves to attain the seat which even the mind cannot grasp, and that taciturnity embraces both restraint of the mind and restraint of the external senses. Through such restraint, the external and internal worlds cease to be perceived as existing, and the highest goal is attained.
5 This question arises naturally enough on Nīlakaṇṭha's interpretation of the preceding stanza, which means in substance that the Vedas cannot fully grasp the Brahman, but are of use toward a rudimentary comprehension of it, as is said further on; see p. 172 infra.
6 Cf. Svetâsvatara-upanishad, p. 339; see, too, Nṛisimha Tapini, pp. 81-98.