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 Brâhmaṇa ! said:
Know, that (in) my (view), there are two minds 2, immovable and also movable. The immovable, verily, is with me; the movable is in your dominion. Whatever mantra, or letter, or tone goes to your dominion, that indeed is the movable mind To that you are superior. But inasmuch, O beautiful one! as you came personally to speak to me (in the way you did)‘, therefore, O Sarasvati! you shall never speak after (hard) exhalations*. The goddess speech, verily, dwelt always between the Prâṇa and Apâna. But, O noble one! going with the Apâna ES ee Pr A HOME ONE CE wind’, though impelled, (in consequence of) being without the Prâṇa, she ran up to Pragâpati, saying, ‘ Be pleased?, O venerable sir!’ Then* the Prâṇa appeared again nourishing speech. And therefore speech never speaks after (hard) exhalation. It is always noisy or noiseless. Of those two, the noiseless is superior to the noisy * (speech). This excellent (speech), like a cow, yields milk5, and speaking of the Brahman it always produces the eternal (emancipation). This cow-like speech, O you of a bright smile ! is divine, with divine $ power. Observe the difference of (its) two subtle, flowing (forms).
as the means of acquiring desired fruit, visible or invisible, is learnt by speech, Nîlakaṇṭha. Cf. as to all this, Brzhadarazyakaupanishad, pp. 50 seq. and 261.
* I.e. Nîlakaṇṭha says, ‘the Brâhmaṇa named mind,’ alluding apparently to p. 310 infra. But the reading of some of the MSS., viz. Brahman for the Brâhmaṇa, seems preferable, having regard to what follows. Apparently, the Brahmaya’s own speech should begin at ‘The goddess speech’ further on.
* Nîlakaṇṭha says, immovable=to be understood by the external senses ; movable=not perceptible by senses, such as heaven, &c., which is not quite intelligible. Arguna Misra says, the immovable mind is that of the teacher, which is fixed, as it has not to learn or acquire anything, while that of the pupil is movable as acquiring new impressions and knowledge.
* I.e. it is the movable mind which takes cognisance of the significations of all mantras (sacred texts), letters, tones, in which, I presume, sacred instruction is conveyed. To this mind, speech is superior, as that mind only works on what speech places before it; but the mind which is ‘ with’ Pragâpati, is superior to speech as it is not dependent on speech like the other. I.e. proudly, about her being the giver of desires to Brahman.
* I.e., says Arguna Misra, the words will not come out with the Prâṇa life-wind and convey any sense to the hearer, but will be absorbed down into the Apâna life-wind, and not be articulated as speech at all. Cf. Kaushîtaki, p. 41; Kâṭha, p. 184 (with glosses) ; and Khândogya, p. 42. ‘ I.e., I presume, was dependent on the two life-winds named.
The Brâhmaṇa ! said:
Know that, in my view, there are two minds 2, one immovable and one movable. The immovable is with me; the movable is in your dominion. Whatever mantra, letter, or tone passes into your dominion is the movable mind. You are superior to that. But, O beautiful one, because you came to me in person to speak as you did, therefore, O Sarasvati, you shall never speak after hard exhalations. The goddess speech had always dwelt between the Prâṇa and Apâna. But, O noble one, going with the Apâna wind, though impelled, and being without the Prâṇa, she ran up to Prajâpati, saying, "Be pleased, O venerable sir!" Then the Prâṇa appeared again, nourishing speech. And therefore speech never speaks after hard exhalation. It is always either noisy or noiseless. Of these two, the noiseless is superior to the noisy speech. This excellent speech, like a cow, yields milk5, and in speaking of the Brahman it always produces eternal emancipation. This cow-like speech, O you of a bright smile, is divine, with divine power. Observe the difference between its two subtle, flowing forms.
as the means of acquiring desired fruit, visible or invisible, is learnt through speech, Nîlakaṇṭha. Cf. as to all this, Brzhadarazyakaupanishad, pp. 50 seq. and 261.
* That is, Nîlakaṇṭha says "the Brâhmaṇa named mind," apparently alluding to p. 310 below. But the reading found in some manuscripts — Brahman in place of Brâhmaṇa — seems preferable, given what follows. The Brahmaya's own speech apparently begins at "The goddess speech" further on.
* Nîlakaṇṭha says: immovable = perceptible by the external senses; movable = not perceptible by the senses, such as heaven, etc. — which is not entirely clear. Arjuna Misra says the immovable mind is the teacher's, which is fixed, having nothing left to learn or acquire, while the pupil's mind is movable, as it is taking in new impressions and knowledge.
That is, it is the movable mind which takes cognisance of the meanings of all mantras, letters, and tones, in which, I presume, sacred instruction is conveyed. Speech is superior to this mind, since that mind works only on what speech places before it; but the mind which is "with" Prajâpati is superior to speech, as it does not depend on speech the way the other does. That is, proudly, concerning her being the giver of desires to Brahman.
* That is to say, according to Arjuna Misra, the words will not emerge on the Prâṇa life-wind and carry any meaning to the hearer, but will instead be drawn down into the Apâna life-wind and never be articulated as speech at all. Cf. Kaushîtaki, p. 41; Kâṭha, p. 184 (with glosses); and Khândogya, p. 42. ¹ That is, I presume, was dependent on the two life-winds named.