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 fruit of one’s? own) toils (only) ; and that one should forego one’s own profit’. Such a man, possessed of wealth, and possessed of merits, is a liberal man of the quality of goodness; such a one diverts the five elements from the five 4 (senses). This 5 pure penance, acquired out of desire 5 by those who are fallen off from the truth, even though developed, leads upwards’; since sacrifices are performed owing to a misapprehension of the truth 5. (The
? Not a friend’s. ? For a friend. $ See Gita, p. 120.
* The commentators take this to mean objects of sense, and they interpret ‘ elements” before to mean senses.
? ‘Viz. the turning away of the senses from their objects,’ says one copy of Śaṅkara.
* Scil. to enjoy the higher enjoyments of superior worlds.
7 Le. to the higher worlds ; it does not lead to emancipation here.
" Cf. Mundaka, p. 277. I must own that I do not quite understand this passage, nor its explanation as given in the commentaries. I do not quite see what the penance here mentioned has to do with sacrifice, and: yet the commentators seem to take the words “since sacrifices,’ &c., with what precedes them, not with what follows. Taking them, however, with what follows, it is difficult to explain the word ‘since.’ As far as I can understand the passage I take the sense of it to be as follows: The author having said that penance performed out of a particular motive does not lead to final emancipation, he then proceeds to point out that all ‘action? or ‘sacrifice’ is due to an imperfect understanding of the truth (cf. p. 171 supra), being mostly due to some particular motive. Then he goes on to show the different classes of sacrifice, and finally is actuated by desires. The original for ‘ misapprehension’ is avabodha, which commonly means ‘apprehension,’ but Śaṅkara finally makes it mean moha or ‘delusion.’ The original for truth is rendered by Nîlakaṇṭha to mean ‘fancies, N Îlakaz/za says that the sacrifice by the mind is the highest; that by speech, viz. Brahmayagfia, Gapa, &c., is middling ; and that by deed, viz. with clarified butter and other offerings, of the lowest class. ‘ Perfected by fancies ’= one whose fancies are always fulfilled « through a knowledge,’ says Nîlakaṇṭha, ‘of the Brahma as possessing qualities,’ sacrifices) of some are by the mind, of others by speech, and also by deed. The man void of fancies takes precedence over the man perfected by fancies, —especially among Brâhmaṇas. And hear this further from me. One should teach this great and glorious (doctrine) ; (other doctrines) the wise call mere arrangements of words. On this concentration of mind’, all this depends. Those who know this become immortal. Not by meritorious action only, O king! does man conquer the truth”. One may offer offerings, or sacrifice. By that the child(-like man) does not cross beyond death; nor, O king! does he obtain happiness in his last moments, One should practise devotion quietly, and should not be active even in mind’: and then one should avoid delight and wrath (resulting) from praise and censure. I say to you, O learned person! that adhering to this, one attains the Brahman and perceives it, O Kshatriya! by a course (of study) of the Vedas.
the fruit of one's own toils only; and that one should forgo one's own profit. A man like this, possessing wealth and possessing merits, is a generous man of the quality of goodness; such a one diverts the five elements from the five 4 senses. This 5 pure penance, acquired out of desire 5 by those who have fallen away from the truth, even when fully developed, leads upward; since sacrifices are performed owing to a misapprehension of the truth 5. (The
? Not a friend's. ? For a friend. $ See Gita, p. 120.
* The commentators take this to mean objects of sense, and they interpret "elements" earlier in the passage to mean senses.
? 'That is, the turning away of the senses from their objects,' says one copy of Śaṅkara.
* That is, to enjoy the higher enjoyments of superior worlds.
7 I.e. to the higher worlds; it does not lead to emancipation here.
Cf. Mundaka, p. 277. I must own that I do not quite understand this passage, nor its explanation as given in the commentaries. I do not quite see what the penance here mentioned has to do with sacrifice, and yet the commentators seem to take the words "since sacrifices," etc., with what precedes them, not with what follows. Taking them, however, with what follows, it is difficult to explain the word "since." As far as I can understand the passage, I take its sense to be as follows: having said that penance performed from a particular motive does not lead to final emancipation, the author proceeds to show that all "action" or "sacrifice" arises from an imperfect understanding of the truth (cf. p. 171 supra), being for the most part driven by some particular motive. He then goes on to distinguish the different classes of sacrifice, noting that the last is finally actuated by desires. The original word for "misapprehension" is avabodha, which commonly means "apprehension," but Śaṅkara ultimately takes it to mean moha, or "delusion." The original word rendered as "truth" is interpreted by Nîlakaṇṭha to mean "fancies." Nîlakaṇṭha says that sacrifice by the mind is the highest; that by speech—namely Brahmayajña, Japa, and so on—is middling; and that by deed, with clarified butter and other offerings, is of the lowest class. "Perfected by fancies" means one whose fancies are always fulfilled. "Through a knowledge," says Nîlakaṇṭha, "of the Brahma as possessing qualities"—the sacrifices of some are by the mind, of others by speech, and also by deed. The man void of fancies takes precedence over the man perfected by fancies—especially among Brâhmaṇas. And hear this further from me. One should teach this great and glorious doctrine; other doctrines the wise call mere arrangements of words. On this concentration of mind, all this depends. Those who know this become immortal. Not by meritorious action alone, O king, does man conquer the truth. One may offer offerings, or sacrifice; yet by that the child-like man does not cross beyond death, nor, O king, does he obtain happiness in his last moments. One should practise devotion quietly, and should not be active even in mind; and then one should avoid the delight and wrath that arise from praise and censure. I say to you, O learned person, that by adhering to this one attains the Brahman and perceives it, O Kshatriya, through a course of study of the Vedas.