130 - Review of Sāṁkhya and Yoga

Vyāsa said: 

1. Sattva creates Guņas and the Kşhetrajña presides over them. As though indifferent, the lord presides over them. 

2. It is all but natural, that it creates these Guņas. Just as the spider weaves its web so also it creates Guņas. 

3. Some are of this firm opinion: Those who have started functioning do not stop the same; the fact is) the functioning is not perceptible. But others accept cessation of activity. 

4. One should ponder over these two and come to a decision in accordance with one's intellect. Of course, in this manner a great doubt may occur. 

5. Indeed the Ātman has neither birth nor death. A man shall sport about after realizing it. He should never be angry nor too delighted. He shall be free from enmity and jealousy. 

6-9. (Defective) Thus everyone should reflect on (the supreme Being) by means of intellect and heart. He should consider that the worldly pleasures are evanescent. He should be free from doubts. He shall cross the earth that has fallen down in the same manner as scholarly men cross the swollen river by diving and swimming in it. 

O brahmins, this (carthly existence) is fickle and unsteady. A scholar does not feel distressed. Knowing the reality he walks on firm ground after pondering over the Atman and the knowledge of Ātman. 

After understanding the creation of living beings, their advent as well as departure, and observing (everything) well, a man obtains excellent quiescence and tranquillity. 

10-11. This is the entire (aim) of the twice-born and especially of the Brahmin. It is the knowledge of Ātman. It is the ultimate resort. It is confined to impartiality and love to wards all. One shall become enlightened after understanding the reality. What else is the characteristic of an enlightened one? After comprehending this, learned men become liberated and contented. 

12. The enlightened ones do not have to face the great fear that the unenlightened ones have to after death in the other world. No one has a greater status than the eternal one which the enlightened one has. 

13. Man is detracted from the inner world. On not seeing the lord there, he bewails. If there is efficiency in that respect, those who comprehend both-the done as well as the undone - do not bewail. 

14. If one performs Karmans without yearning for benefit, it burns away sins. If actions are performed with pleasure or hatred as motives the same is the result of his actions.

The sages said: 

15. May Your Holiness be pleased to tell us that most excellent virtue than which there is no greater virtue and that which is greater than all valuable things.

Vyasa said: 

16. I shall recount the ancient virtue eulogised by the sages, which is the most excellent of all virtues. Listen to it, o excellent sages. 

17-18. The sense-organs agitate us. One shall intelligently control them like a father who controls his sons during their formative childhood years. The concentration of the mind and that of sense-organs is the greatest austerity. That is the most excellent of all virtues. It is mentioned as the greatest virtue. 

19. By means of perfect knowledge one shall control those (sense-organs) including the mind as the sixth and shall be self-contented. He shall not ponder over the multifarious objects of thought. 

20.. When these (sense-organs) refrain from their respective objects and remain in their abodes, you will all see the supreme Atman, the eternal one, by means of the self. 

21. The intelligent Brahmins see the great Ātman, the soul of all like the smokeless fire. 

22-23. Just as great tree with many branches having flowers and fruits does not know specifically “Where is my  flower? Where is my fruit?", so also the (individual) soul does not know "Whence have I come? Whither will I go?" It has another inner soul that sees everything. 

24. One sees Ātman by Ātman through the mind that is illuminated by perfect knowledge. O brahmins, you all shall be free from passionate attachment on seeing Ātman. 

25. Even in this world you will attain great intellect and. become liberated from all sins like serpents that shed off their slough. You will be devoid of anxieties and free from ailments. 

26-30. The river of worldly existence is terrible. It has cur- rents everywhere. The five sense organs are its crocodiles. The conceptions of the mind are its banks. Greed and delusion are the grasses that cover them up. Lust and anger are the reptiles that are there. Truthfulness constitutes holy waters and falsehood the turbulent eddies. That excellent river of worldly existence has anger for its marshy bed. Its source is the Unmanifest one. It is a rapid river agitated by lust and anger. Those who are not self-possessed cannot cross it. O brahmins, cross that river by means of your intellect. If flows into the ocean of worldly existence. It is impassable as it falls into the nether regions of the vaginal passage. It starts with one's own birth. It is difficult of access due to the whirlpool of tongues. Intelligent persons of great courage and steadfast intellect cross it. One who has crossed it is liberated from everywhere. His soul is purified. He is pure and self-possessed. 

31-32. He is capable of becoming Brahman by adopting excellent intellect. He crosses great distresses. He is devoid of sins and his soul is clean and pleasant. From all places he sees all living beings (?) He becomes neither angry nor elated. He is also not wicked in his mind. 

33. Thereafter, you will see the birth and annihilation of all living beings. Wise men have considered this as the most excellent of all virtues. 

34. O most excellent ones, among persons upholding virtue, the wise sages of truthful speech consider this as the most excellent virtue. O Brahmins, the souls are all-pervading. This principle should be imparted to one's sons. 

35. This great secret doctrine of the soul is the highest of all esoteric doctrines. This should be imparted to a pure and devoted follower. 

36-37. What I have recounted is a highly secret doctrine with the soul as witness thereof. The Ātman is neither a female nor a male, nor is it a neuter one. Brahman is devoid of misery and happiness. It is identical with the past, present and future. After realizing this, no man or woman shall have to undergo rebirth. 

38. All these facts have been described, O brahmins, by me. 

39. (Defective) A person of delighted mind, whose son possesses good qualities and who is compassionate towards good sons will think about the welfare of those sons. 

The sages said: 

40. It has been said by Brahma that liberation is to be acquired through a certain means and not without means. Osage, we wish to hear that means.

Vyāsa said: 

41. In regard to this, O extremely intelligent ones, a close scrutiny is proper. O sinless ones, always seek all objects through that means.. 

42. The intellect is the means of finding a pot. But it is not the cause of the pot. The same formula applies to the means of virtue. It is not the cause of other Dharmas. 

43. The path that leads to the eastern sea does not go to the western sea. Indeed there is only one path unto liberation. O sinless ones, listen to that. 

44. One shall dispel anger by patience and forbearance; lust by avoiding mental conceptions. A bold man (a self-pos sessed one) deserves to dispel slumber by resorting to Sattva quality. 

45. One shall guard against fear by avoiding errors. One shall protect (one's soul) and its knowledge. One shall courageously cause wish, hatred and lust to recede. 

46. He who knows reality shall win over slumber and intellect by means of knowledge. The Yogin shall subdue 

713 ilments by taking wholesome food in limited quantities after the previous intake has been digested. 

47. One shall conquer greed and delusion by contentment: sensual object by means of the vision of reality; the evil by tenderness and compassion, and virtue by indifference (?) 

48. The learned man shall conquer hope and ambition by restraining his mind; competence (?) by avoiding close contact. He shall conquer affection by the thought of (?) noneternity and hunger by Yogic practice, 

49. One shall conquer self by means of self by merciful compassion, excessive greed by means of contentment; languor by early rise. One shall conquer fanciful doubt by means of decision. 

50. One shall conquer variety of languages by means of silence, fear by heroism. One shall control speech and mind by his intellect. One shall conquer intellect by the eye of knowledge. 

51. The great Ātman shall control knowledge. The tran quillity of the Ātman shall control the Ātman. These things shall be understood by a tranquil person of pure activities. 

52-54. The seers know that the defects of Yogic practice are five, viz. lust, anger, greed, fear and slumber. The devotee shall dispel these defects and resort to the Yogic means duly. (They are) meditation, self-study of the Vedas, charitable gifts, truthfulness, shyness, straight-forward ness. forbearance, clealiness, pious conduct and control over the sense-organs. One's splendour increases by means of these. One dispels sin by means of these. 

55-57. Everything that he wishes for is achieved. His perfect knowledge begins to function. He shakes off his sins and becomes brilliant. He shall have limited diet. He shall conquer sense-organs. He shall keep lust and anger under his control. He shall thus enter the region of Brahman. 

This is the clean, pure and vivid path of liberation: The state of being not deluded, the state of being unattached, avoidance of lust and anger, the state of not being puffed up, absence of excited anxiety and the state of being steady. Similarly the control of speech, body and mind can become imperishable (in their consequence) as one pleases.