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.
Now listen how one habituated to exclusive meditation attains concentration. Thinking¹ of a quarter seen before, he should steady his mind within and not out of the city in which he dwells. Remaining within (that) city, he should place his mind both in its external and internal (operations) in that habitation in which he dwells. When, meditating in that habitation, he perceives the perfect one, his mind should not in any way wander outside. Restraining the group of the senses, in a forest² free from noises and unpeopled, he should meditate on the perfect one within his body with a mind fixed on one point. He should meditate on his teeth’, palate, tongue, neck, and throat likewise, and also the heart, and likewise the seat of the heart. That talented pupil, O destroyer of Madhu! having been thus instructed by me, proceeded further to interrogate (me) about the piety (required) for final emancipation, which is difficult to explain. ‘How does this food eaten from time to time become digested in the stomach? How does it turn to juice and how also to blood? And how, too, do the flesh, and marrow, and muscles, and bones—which all (form) the bodies for embodied (selves)—develop in a woman as that (self) develops ? How, too, does the strength develop? (And how is it also) about the removal of non-nutritive (substances)², and of the excretions, distinctly ? How, too, does he breathe inwards or outwards? And what place does the self occupy, dwelling in the self*? And how does the soul moving about carry the body? And of what colour and of what description (is it when) he leaves it? O sinless venerable sir! be pleased to state this accurately to me. Thus questioned by that Brâhmaṇa, O Mâdhava! I replied‘, ‘© you of mighty arms! O i ee eee eee restrainer of (your) foes! according to what (I had) heard. As one placing any property in his store-room should fix his mind on the property!, so placing ones mind in one’s body, and (keeping) the passages confined, one should there look for the self and avoid heedlessness*." Being thus always assiduous and pleased in the self, he attains in a short time to that Brahman, after perceiving which he understands the Pradhana*. He is not to be grasped by the eye, nor by any of the senses. Only by the mind (used) as a lamp is the great self perceived +. He has hands and feet on all sides; he has eyes, heads, and faces on all sides; he has ears on all sides; he stands pervading everything in the world’. The soul sees the self* come out from the body; and abandoning his body, he perceives the self,— holding it to be the immaculate Brahman,—with, as it were, a mental smile’. And then depending upon it thus, he attains final emancipation in me ’.
1 This is all rather mystical. Nîlakaṇṭha takes ‘city’ to mean ‘body, and ‘habitation’ to mean the mûlâdhâra, or other similar mystic centre within the body, where, according to the Yoga philosophy, the soul is sometimes to be kept with the life-winds, &c. ‘Thinking of a quarter,’ &c., he explains to mean ‘meditating on the instruction he has received after studying the Upanishads.’ I do not understand the passage well. ‘City’ for ‘body’ is a familiar use of the word. Cf. Gita, p. 65. The original word for habitation occurs at Aitareya-upanishad, p. 199, where Sankara explains it to mean ‘seat.’ Three ‘seats’ are there mentioned,— the organs of sight, &c.; the mind; and the Âkâsa in the heart. There, too, the body is described as a ‘city, and Anandagiri explains habitation to mean ‘seat of amusement or SPOKE. ) ELere; however, the meaning seems to be that one should work for concentration in the manner indicated, viz. first fix the mind on the city where one dwells, then on the particular part of it oftenest seen before, then one’s own habitation, then the various parts of one’s body, and finally one’s own heart and the Brahman within it. Thus gradually circumscribed in its operations, the mind is better fitted for the final concentration on the Brahman. As to external and internal operations, cf. note 8, p. 247. The perfect one is the Brahman. Cf. Sanatsugâtiya, p. 171. As to âvasatha, which we have rendered by ‘habitation,’ see also Mandukya, p. 349; Bṛihadaraṇyaka, p. 751; and the alternative sense suggested by Sankara on the Aitareya, loc. cit.
2 Cf, Maitri-upanishad, p. 100.
Now listen to how someone accustomed to exclusive meditation attains concentration. Thinking¹ of a quarter seen before, he should steady his mind within and not outside the city in which he lives. Remaining within that city, he should fix his mind—both in its external and internal operations—on the habitation in which he dwells. When, meditating in that habitation, he perceives the perfect one, his mind should not wander outside in any way. Restraining the group of the senses, in a forest² free from noise and people, he should meditate on the perfect one within his body with a mind fixed on a single point. He should meditate on his teeth, palate, tongue, neck, and throat, and likewise on the heart and the seat of the heart. That talented pupil, O destroyer of Madhu! having been instructed by me in this way, went on to question me about the piety required for final emancipation, which is difficult to explain. 'How does the food eaten from time to time become digested in the stomach? How does it turn to juice, and how to blood? And how do the flesh, marrow, muscles, and bones—which all form bodies for embodied selves—develop in a woman as that self develops? How does strength develop? And what of the removal of non-nutritive substances², and of the excretions, distinctly? How does he breathe inwards or outwards? What place does the self occupy, dwelling in the self*? How does the soul, moving about, carry the body? And of what colour and what description is it when he leaves it? O sinless venerable sir! please state all this accurately to me.' Thus questioned by that Brâhmaṇa, O Mâdhava! I replied¹, 'O you of mighty arms! O restrainer of your foes! according to what I had heard. As one who places property in a store-room should fix his mind on that property¹, so placing one's mind in one's body and keeping the passages confined, one should look there for the self and avoid heedlessness*.' Being always assiduous in this way and pleased in the self, he attains in a short time to that Brahman, after perceiving which he understands the Pradhana*. He cannot be grasped by the eye, nor by any of the senses. Only by the mind used as a lamp is the great self perceived⁴. He has hands and feet on all sides; he has eyes, heads, and faces on all sides; he has ears on all sides; he stands pervading everything in the world⁵. The soul sees the self* come out from the body; and abandoning his body, he perceives the self—holding it to be the immaculate Brahman—with what is, as it were, a mental smile⁷. And then, depending upon it in this way, he attains final emancipation in me¹.
1 All this is rather mystical. Nîlakaṇṭha takes 'city' to mean 'body,' and 'habitation' to mean the mûlâdhâra, or some other similar mystic centre within the body where, according to the Yoga philosophy, the soul is sometimes to be held together with the life-winds and so on. 'Thinking of a quarter,' and so forth, he explains as 'meditating on the instruction one has received after studying the Upanishads.' I do not fully understand the passage. Using 'city' for 'body' is a familiar sense of the word; cf. Gita, p. 65. The original word for habitation occurs at Aitareya-upanishad, p. 199, where Sankara explains it to mean 'seat.' Three 'seats' are mentioned there — the organs of sight and so on, the mind, and the Âkâsa in the heart. There too the body is described as a 'city,' and Anandagiri explains habitation to mean 'seat of amusement or sport.' Here, however, the meaning seems to be that one should work toward concentration in the manner indicated: first fix the mind on the city where one dwells, then on the particular part of it most often seen before, then on one's own habitation, then on the various parts of one's body, and finally on one's own heart and the Brahman within it. Gradually narrowed in its range of operation in this way, the mind is better fitted for the final act of concentration on the Brahman. On external and internal operations, cf. note 8, p. 247. The perfect one is the Brahman; cf. Sanatsujâtîya, p. 171. On âvasatha, which we have rendered 'habitation,' see also Mandukya, p. 349; Bṛihadaraṇyaka, p. 751; and the alternative sense Sankara suggests on the Aitareya, loc. cit.
2 Cf. Maitri-upanishad, p. 100.