Adyaya I, Valli II - The pursuit of Knowledge and Yoga

Text: एतद्ध्येवाक्शरं ब्रह्म एतद्ध्येवाक्शरं परम् । एतद्ध्येवाक्शरं ज्ञात्वा यो यदिच्छति तस्य तत् ॥ १६ ॥ etaddhyevākśaraṃ brahma etaddhyevākśaraṃ param | etaddhyevākśaraṃ jñātvā yo yadicchati tasya tat || 16 || 16. This word is, indeed, Brahman, this word is, in deed, the highest; whoso knows this word obtains, indeed, whatever he wishes for. Shankara’s Commentary: Therefore, the word, indeed, is Brahman, (manifested). This word, indeed, is also the highest- Brahman. For, this word is the substitute for both of them....

Text: एतदालम्बनँ श्रेष्ठमेतदालम्बनं परं । एतदालम्बनं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ॥ १७ ॥ etadālambanam̐ śreṣṭhametadālambanaṃ paraṃ । etadālambanaṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate ॥ 17 ॥ 17. This prop is the best. This prop is the highest Knowing this prop, one is worshipped in the world of Brahman. Shankara’s Commentary: This being so, this prop is the best, i.e., the most praiseworthy of all props, to attain the Brahman. This prop is both the higher and lower; for, it leads to both the highest and the manifested Brahman i....

Text: न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ १८ ॥ na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścinnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit | ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre || 18 || 18. The intelligent atman is not born, nor does he die; he did not come from anywhere nor was he anything, unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient; he is not slain though the body is slain....

Text: हन्ता चेन्मन्यते हन्तुँ हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतं । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायँ हन्ति न हन्यते ॥ १९ ॥ hantā cenmanyate hantum̐ hataścenmanyate hataṃ । ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyam̐ hanti na hanyate ॥ 19 ॥ 19. The slayer who thinks of slaying this and the slain who thinks this slain, both these do not know. This slays not, nor is slain. Shankara’s Commentary: Even the atman of such description, the slayer who sees the mere body as the atman thinks of slaying and he who thinks that his atman is slain, both these do not know their own atman; for, he does not slay the atman, being incapable of modification; nor is he slain being incapable of modification like the akas....

Text: अणोरणीयान्महतो महीयानात्मास्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायां । तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुः प्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः ॥ २० ॥ aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmāsya jantornihito guhāyāṃ | tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuḥ prasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ || 20 || 20. Subtler than the subtle, greater than the great, in the heart of each living being, the atman reposes. One free from desire, with his mind and the senses composed, sees the glory of the atman and becomes absolved from grief. Shankara’s Commentary: How then does one know the atman is explained?...

Text: आसीनो दूरं व्रजति शयानो याति सर्वतः । कस्तं मदामदं देवं मदन्यो ज्ञातुमर्हति ॥ २१ ॥ āsīno dūraṃ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvataḥ | kastaṃ madāmadaṃ devaṃ madanyo jñātumarhati || 21 || 21. Sitting, he goes far; lying, he goes everywhere. Who else but me deserves to know the God, who is joyful and joyless. Shankara’s Commentary: Otherwise, this atman cannot be known by worldly men having desires, because sitting, i.e., not moving, he goes a great distance....

Text: अशरीरँ शरीरेष्वनवस्थेष्ववस्थितं । महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ २२ ॥ aśarīram̐ śarīreṣvanavastheṣvavasthitaṃ | mahāntaṃ vibhumātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati || 22 || 22. The intelligent man knowing the atman, bodiless, seated firmly in perishable bodies, great and all-pervading, does not grieve. Shankara’s Commentary: This text shows that by knowing him, grief also vanishes. ‘Bodiless,’ the atman being like the akas by its own nature; ‘bodies,’ bodies of the gods, the manes, men and the rest....

Text: नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूँ स्वाम् ॥ २३ ॥ nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena | yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyastasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūm̐ svām || 23 || 23. This atman is not to be attained by a study of the Vedas, nor by intelligence, nor by much hearing, but the atman can be attained, only by him who seeks to know it....

Text: नाविरतो दुश्चरितान्नाशान्तो नासमाहितः । नाशान्तमानसो वापि प्रज्ञानेनैनमाप्नुयात् ॥ २४ ॥ nāvirato duścaritānnāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ | nāśāntamānaso vāpi prajñānenainamāpnuyāt || 24 || 24. None who has not turned away from bad conducts whose senses are not under control, whose mind is not collected, or whose mind is not at rest, can attain this atman by knowledge. Shankara’s Commentary: Yet something more: who has not turned away from bad conduct, i.e., from sinful acts prohibited and not permitted by the srutis and the smritis, who has no quietude from the activity of the senses, whose mind is not concentrated, i....

Text: यस्य ब्रह्म च क्शत्रं च उभे भवत ओदनः । मृत्युर्यस्योपसेचनं क इत्था वेद यत्र सः ॥ २५ ॥ yasya brahma ca kśatraṃ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ | mṛtyuryasyopasecanaṃ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ || 25 || 25. Of whom, the Brahma and the Kshatriya classes are the food, and Death but pickles (to supplement it); how can one thus know where that atman is. Shankara’s Commentary: As for him who is not of this description, the sruti says: Of whom Brahmins and Kshatriyas, though the stay of all virtue and the protectors of all, are the food; and Death, though destroyer of all, is only a pickle being insufficient as food....