Adyaya I, Valli III - The parable of the chariot

Text: ऋतं पिबन्तौ सुकृतस्य लोके गुहां प्रविष्टौ परमे परार्धे । छायातपौ ब्रह्मविदो वदन्ति पञ्चाग्नयो ये च त्रिणाचिकेताः ॥ १ ॥ ṛtaṃ pibantau sukṛtasya loke guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe | chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ || 1 || 1. The two, who enjoy the fruits of their good deeds, being lodged in the cavity of the seat of the supreme, the knowers of Brahman call shadow and light, as also those who maintain five fires and have thrice propitiated the Nachiketa fire....

Text: यः सेतुरीजानानामक्शरं ब्रह्म यत्परम् । अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं नाचिकेतँ शकेमहि ॥ २ ॥ yaḥ seturījānānāmakśaraṃ brahma yatparam | abhayaṃ titīrṣatāṃ pāraṃ nāciketam̐ śakemahi || 2 || 2. We are able to know the fire which is the bridge of those who perform sacrifices, and also the highest immortal Brahman, fearless, and the other shore for those, who wish to cross the ocean of Samsara. Shankara’s Commentary: The Nachiketa fire, which is, as it were, a bridge for persons performing sacrifices for the purpose of crossing grief, we can light up....

Text: आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३ ॥ ātmānam̐ rathitaṃ viddhi śarīram̐ rathameva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca || 3 || 3. Know the atman as the lord of the chariot, the body as only the chariot, know also intelligence as the driver; know the minds as the reins. Shankara’s Commentary: Here a chariot is imagined for the atman, conditioned in Samsara, entitled to acquire knowledge and perform Karma for attaining emancipation and for travelling in Samsara, as a means to reach both....

Text: इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४ ॥ indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu gocarān । ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ ॥ 4 ॥ 4. The senses, they say, are the horses; the objects which they perceive, the way; the atman, the senses and the mind combined, the intelligent call the enjoyer. Shankara’s Commentary: Those who are versed in the construction of chariots call the senses, such as the eye and the rest, horses, from the similitude of their drawing the body....

Text: यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ५ ॥ yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ || 5 || 5. But of him who is not possessed of discrimination, and whose mind is always uncontrolled, the senses are not controllable as vicious horses of a driver. Shankara’s Commentary: This being so, of that driver known as Buddhi, who is not capable of discrimination as to what is to be done or omitted to be done, as the other driver in the guiding of his chariot has a mind like the reins of a chariot not well-grasped by the driver, i....

Text: यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ६ ॥ yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ || 6 || 6. But of him who knows and has a mind always controlled, the senses are always controllable as the good horses of the driver. Shankara’s Commentary: But of him who is a driver, the contrary of one already explained, i.e., of the driver who knows and who has the mind always under restraint, the senses standing in the place of the horses can be let go or stopped, i....

Text: यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः । न स तत्पदमाप्नोति सँ सारं चाधिगच्छति ॥ ७ ॥ yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskaḥ sadā’śuciḥ । na sa tatpadamāpnoti sam̐ sāraṃ cādhigacchati ॥ 7 ॥ 7. But he, whose intellect has no discrimination and whose thind is not under control and who is always unclean, does not reach that goal and falls into Samsara. Shankara’s Commentary: Now the text mentions the results produced by the driver (intelligence) who is unknowing, as above stated; the lord of the chariot, who does not know and who has not the mind under control and who is, therefore, always unclean, does not attain that immortal great goal already described, by reason of having such a driver....

Text: यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः । स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते ॥ ८ ॥ yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ | sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate || 8 || 8. But he, who knows, who has his mind always under control and who is clean, reaches that goal from which he is not born again. Shankara’s Commentary: But the second, i.e., the lord of the chariot who has a discriminating intellect as his driver, i....

Text: विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः । सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९ ॥ vijñānasārathiryastu manaḥpragrahavānnaraḥ | so’dhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam || 9 || 9. But the man who has a discriminating intellect for the driver and a controlling mind for the reins, reaches the end of the road, i.e., that highest place of Vishnu. Shankara’s Commentary: What that goal is, is now explained; but the man who has discerning intelligence for the driver, whose mind is under control, and who is clean, i....

Text: इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः ॥ १० ॥ indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca paraṃ manaḥ | manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparaḥ || 10 || 10. Beyond the senses, are the rudiments of its objects; beyond these rudiments is the mind; beyond the mind is atman known as Mahat (great). Shankara’s Commentary: Now this subsequent portion is introduced for the purpose of showing that the goal to be reached should be understood to be the Pratyak (the internal) atman, the subtlest proceeding from the gross senses in the ascending degree of subtlety....

Text: महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः । पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः ॥ ११ ॥ mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ | puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ || 11 || Beyond the great Ātman is the Unmanifested; beyond the Unmanifested is the Puruṣa (the Cosmic Soul); beyond the Puruṣa there is nothing. That is the end that is the final goal. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book. The alternate translation for the verse presented above is from Swami Paramananda....

Text: एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा न प्रकाशते । दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्श्मया सूक्श्मदर्शिभिः ॥ १२ ॥ eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho’’tmā na prakāśate | dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkśmayā sūkśmadarśibhiḥ || 12 || This Ātman (Self), hidden in all beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through keen and subtle understanding. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book.

Text: यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि । ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि ॥ १३ ॥ yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna ātmani | jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani || 13 || 13. Let the intelligent man sink speech into mind, sink that into intelligence and intelligence into the great atman and sink that into the peaceful atman. Shankara’s Commentary: The text states the means of attaining that Yatchet, draw into. Prajnah, one having discernment. What? Vaky, i.e., speech. The word ‘vak,’ i....

Text: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत । क्शुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४ ॥ uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata | kśurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti || 14 || 14. Arise, awake; having reached the great, learn; the edge of a razor is sharp and impassable; that path, the intelligent say, is hard to go by. Shankara’s Commentary: Having thus merged into the purusha, the atman, all the three, i....

Text: अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथाऽरसन्नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत् । अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १५ ॥ aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ tathā’rasannityamagandhavacca yat | anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate || 15 || 15. Which is soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying, so tasteless, eternal and scentless, beginningless, endless, beyond the Mahat, and constant, knowing that, man escapes from the mouth of Death. Shankara’s Commentary: How the object to be known is very subtle is explained. This earth produced by sound, touch, form, taste and scent, and the object of all the senses, is gross; so is the body....