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 VI.
The Deity said:
He who, regardless of the fruit of actions, performs the actions which ought to be performed, is the devotee and renouncer; not he who discards the (sacred) fires*, nor he who performs no acts. Know, O son of Pâṇḍu! that what is called renunciation is devotion; for nobody becomes a devotee who has not renounced (all) fancies*. To the sage who wishes to rise to devotion, action is said to be a means, and to him, when he has risen to devotion, tranquillity* is said to be a means. When one does not attach oneself to objects of sense, nor to action, renouncing all fancies, then one is said to have risen to devotion. (A man) should elevate his self by his self; he should not debase his self, for even (a man’s) own self is his friend, (a man’s) own self is also his enemy*. To him who has subjugated his self by his self *, his self is a friend; but to him who has not restrained his self, his own self behaves inimically, like an enemy. The self of one who has subjugated his self and is tranquil, is absolutely concentrated (on itself), in the midst of cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as well as honour and dishonour. The devotee whose self is contented with knowledge and experience °, who is unmoved, who has restrained his senses, and to whom a sod, a stone, and gold are alike, is said to be devoted. And he is esteemed highest, who thinks alike5 about well-wishers, friends, and enemies, and those who are indifferent, and those who take part with both sides, and those who are objects of hatred, and relatives, as well as about the good and the sinful. A devotee should constantly devote his self to abstraction, remaining in a secret place’, alone, with his mind and self? restrained, without expectations, and without belongings. Fixing his point, with the workings of the mind and senses restrained, he should practice devotion for purity of self. Holding his body, head, and neck even and unmoved, (remaining) steady, looking at the tip of his own nose!, and not looking about in (all) directions, with a tranquil self, devoid of fear, and adhering to the rules of Brahmakârins ?, he should restrain his mind, and (concentrate it) on me, and sit down engaged in devotion, regarding me as his final goal. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee whose mind is restrained, attains that tranquillity which culminates in final emancipation, and assimilation with me. Devotion is not his, O Arguna! who eats too much, nor his who eats not at all; not his who is addicted to too much sleep, nor his who is (ever) awake. That devotion which destroys (all) misery is his, who takes due food and exercise *, who toils duly in all works, and who sleeps and awakes (in) due (time) *. When (a man’s) mind well restrained becomes steady upon the self alone, then he being indifferent to all objects of desire, is said to be devoted. As a light standing in a windless (place) flickers not, that is declared to be the parallel for a devotee, whose mind is restrained, and who devotes his self to abstraction. That (mental condition), in which the mind restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work ; in which eae eee ee i too, one seeing the self by the self!, is pleased in the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses, and which can be grasped by the understanding only; and adhering to which, one never swerves from the truth ; acquiring which, one thinks no other acquisition higher than it; and adhering to which, one is not shaken off even by great misery; that should be understood to be called devotion in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart. Abandoning, without exception, all desires*, which are produced from fancies, and restraining the whole group of the senses on all sides by the mind only °, one should by slow steps become quiescent 4, with a firm resolve coupled with courage’; and fixing the mind upon the self, should think of nothing. Wherever the active and unsteady mind breaks forth 5, there one should ever restrain it, and fix it steadily on the self alone. The highest happiness comes to such a devotee, whose mind is fully tranquil, in whom the quality of passion has been suppressed, who is free from sin, and who is become (one with) the Brahman. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee, freed from sin, easily obtains that supreme happiness—contact with the Brahman’. He who has devoted his self to abstraction, by devotion, looking alike on everything, sees the self abiding in all beings, and all beings in the self!. To him who sees me in everything, and everything in me, I am never lost, and he is not lost to me. The devotee who worships me abiding in all beings, holding that all is one’, lives in me, however he may be living’ That devotee, O Arguna ! is deemed to be the best, who looks alike on pleasure or pain, whatever it may be, in all (creatures), comparing all with his own (pleasure or pain) >.
MC. infra, p78: 2 P. 57 and Kaṭhopanishad, p. 157.
3 Which are required for ordinary religious rites.
4 Which are the cause of desires; see supra, p. 50.
5 Abandonment of distracting actions; means scil. to perfect knowledge, says Śrîdhara.
6 J. e. by means of a mind possessed of true discrimination.
CHAPTER VI.
The Deity said:
He who performs the actions that ought to be performed without attachment to their fruits is the devotee and renouncer—not he who discards the sacred fires, nor he who simply does no acts. Know, O son of Pâṇḍu! that what is called renunciation is devotion; for nobody becomes a devotee who has not renounced all fancies. To the sage who wishes to rise to devotion, action is said to be a means; to him who has already risen to devotion, tranquillity is said to be a means. When one does not attach oneself to objects of sense or to action, renouncing all fancies, one is said to have risen to devotion. A man should elevate his self by his self; he should not debase his self, for a man's own self is his friend, and a man's own self is also his enemy. To him who has subjugated his self by his self, his self is a friend; but to him who has not restrained his self, his own self behaves inimically, like an enemy. The self of one who has subjugated his self and is tranquil is absolutely concentrated on itself in the midst of cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and honour and dishonour alike. The devotee whose self is contented with knowledge and experience, who is unmoved, who has restrained his senses, and to whom a sod, a stone, and gold are alike, is said to be devoted. And he is esteemed highest who thinks alike5 about well-wishers, friends, and enemies, those who are indifferent, those who take part with both sides, those who are objects of hatred, relatives, as well as the good and the sinful. A devotee should constantly devote his self to abstraction, remaining in a secret place, alone, with his mind and self restrained, without expectations and without belongings. Fixing his point, with the workings of the mind and senses restrained, he should practise devotion for purity of self. Holding his body, head, and neck even and unmoved, remaining steady, looking at the tip of his own nose, and not looking about in all directions—with a tranquil self, devoid of fear, and adhering to the rules of Brahmaärins—he should restrain his mind and concentrate it on me, and sit down engaged in devotion, regarding me as his final goal. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee whose mind is restrained attains that tranquillity which culminates in final emancipation and assimilation with me. Devotion is not his, O Arjuna! who eats too much, nor his who eats not at all; not his who is addicted to too much sleep, nor his who is ever awake. That devotion which destroys all misery belongs to him who takes due food and exercise, who toils duly in all works, and who sleeps and awakes in due time. When a man's mind, well restrained, becomes steady upon the self alone, then he, being indifferent to all objects of desire, is said to be devoted. As a light standing in a windless place does not flicker—that is declared to be the parallel for a devotee whose mind is restrained and who devotes his self to abstraction. That mental condition in which the mind, restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work; in which, too, one seeing the self by the self is pleased in the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses and can be grasped by the understanding only; adhering to which one never swerves from the truth; acquiring which one thinks no other acquisition higher; and adhering to which one is not shaken off even by great misery—that should be understood as devotion, in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart. Abandoning, without exception, all desires that are produced from fancies, and restraining the whole group of the senses on all sides by the mind alone, one should by slow steps become quiescent⁴, with a firm resolve coupled with courage; and fixing the mind upon the self, should think of nothing. Wherever the active and unsteady mind breaks forth, there one should ever restrain it and fix it steadily on the self alone. The highest happiness comes to such a devotee whose mind is fully tranquil, in whom the quality of passion has been suppressed, who is free from sin, and who has become one with the Brahman. Thus constantly devoting his self to abstraction, a devotee freed from sin easily obtains that supreme happiness—contact with the Brahman. He who has devoted his self to abstraction, by devotion, looking alike on everything, sees the self abiding in all beings and all beings in the self. To him who sees me in everything and everything in me, I am never lost, and he is not lost to me. The devotee who worships me abiding in all beings, holding that all is one, lives in me, however he may be living. That devotee, O Arjuna! is deemed to be the best who looks alike on pleasure or pain, whatever it may be, in all creatures, comparing all with his own pleasure or pain.
See below, p78: 2 P. 57 and Kaṭhopanishad, p. 157.
3 Which are required for ordinary religious rites.
4 Which are the cause of desires; see supra, p. 50.
5 Abandonment of distracting actions; means, that is to say, a means to perfect knowledge, says Śrîdhara.
6 That is, by means of a mind possessed of true discrimination.