Adyaya II, Valli III - The theory of Karma and Rebirth

Text: ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः । तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते । तस्मिंल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वैतत् ॥ १ ॥ ūrdhvamūlo’vākśākha eṣo’śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ | tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate | tasmiṃllokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvaitat || 1 || 1. Root up and branches down is this ancient asvattha tree, that (its source) is pure. That is Brahman and that alone is called immortal. On that, do all worlds depend and none passes beyond that....

Text: यदिदं किंच जगत्सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् । महद्भयं वज्रमुद्यतं य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥ २ ॥ yadidaṃ kiṃca jagatsarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam | mahadbhayaṃ vajramudyataṃ ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti || 2 || 2. All this universe evolved (from prana) moves while Prana is; a mighty terror, the thunderbolt uplifted; those who know this become immortal. Shankara’s Commentary: If it be said that Brahman, the source of the world, by knowledge of which men are said to become immortal, does not exist and that all this has come out of nothing, it is not sound; all this universe, the highest Brahman existing, moves; and having come out of that alone, acts regularly....

Text: भयादस्याग्निस्तपति भयात्तपति सूर्यः । भयादिन्द्रश्च वायुश्च मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चमः ॥ ३ ॥ bhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāttapati sūryaḥ | bhayādindraśca vāyuśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamaḥ || 3 || 3. From fear of him, fire burns; from fear, the sun shines; from fear, Indra and Wind; and Death, the fifth, speeds. Shankara’s Commentary: How the world lives from fear, of him, is explained. The fire burns from fear of him, the lord of all; the sun shines from fear; from fear, Indra and Wind; and Death, the fifth, runs; for, if Brahman did not exist as controller of the competent protectors of the world, like one with the thunderbolt uplifted in his hand, their well-regulated activity, as that of the servants trembling from fear of the master would not be possible....

Text: इह चेदशकद्बोद्धुं प्राक्शरीरस्य विस्रसः । ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते ॥ ४ ॥ iha cedaśakadboddhuṃ prākśarīrasya visrasaḥ | tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate || 4 || 4. If here he is able to know before the falling of the body, then in the worlds of created things, he becomes embodied. Shankara’s Commentary: If he is able to know and knows even during life, this Brahman the cause of fear, before the falling of the body, then he becomes freed from the bond of Samsara....

Text: यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके । यथाप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोरिव ब्रह्मलोके ॥ ५ ॥ yathādarśe tathātmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke | yathāpsu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke chāyātapayoriva brahmaloke || 5 || 5. As in a mirror, so within one’s self; as in dreams, so in the world of the manes; as indistinctly seen in water, so in the world of the Gandharvas; as of light and shade, so in the world of Brahma....

Text: इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावमुदयास्तमयौ च यत् । पृथगुत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ ६ ॥ indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvamudayāstamayau ca yat | pṛthagutpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati || 6 || 6. The intelligent man knowing that the senses separately produced are distinct (from the atman) and also their rising and setting, does not grieve. Shankara’s Commentary: How is he to be known and what avails it to know him are explained. Of the senses, such as the ear, etc....

Text: इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम् । सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा महतोऽव्यक्तमुत्तमम् ॥ ७ ॥ indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvamuttamam | sattvādadhi mahānātmā mahato’vyaktamuttamam || 7 || 7. Beyond the senses is the mind; higher than the mind is the intellect; above the intellect is the great atman; higher than the mahat is Avyaktam. Shankara’s Commentary: As the senses have been stated to be distinct from the atman, he cannot be externally perceived; because he is the internal principle of all....

Text: अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च । यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुरमृतत्वं च गच्छति ॥ ८ ॥ avyaktāttu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako’liṅga eva ca | yaṃ jñātvā mucyate janturamṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati || 8 || 8. Beyond the Avyaktam is Purusha, all-pervading and devoid of linga (indicative mark), whom knowing the mortal is freed and attains immortality. Shankara’s Commentary: Beyond the Avyaktam is Purusha all-pervad-ing, being the cause of all akasa, etc., which is all-pervading....

Text: न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्य न चक्शुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् । हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिक्लृप्तो य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥ ९ ॥ na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasya na cakśuṣā paśyati kaścanainam | hṛdā manīṣā manasābhiklṛpto ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti || 9 || 9. His form stands not within the fold of vision. None sees him with the eye. By the intellect controlling the mind, and by constant meditation is he revealed. Whoso knows that becomes immortal....

Text: यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह । बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टते तामाहुः परमां गतिम् ॥ १० ॥ yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha | buddhiśca na viceṣṭate tāmāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim || 10 || When the five organs of perception become still, together with the mind, and the intellect ceases to be active: that is called the highest state. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book. The alternate translation for the verse presented above is from Swami Paramananda....

Text: तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम् । अप्रमत्तस्तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥ ११ ॥ tāṃ yogamiti manyante sthirāmindriyadhāraṇām | apramattastadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau || 11 || This firm holding back of the senses is what is known as Yoga. Then one should become watchful, for Yoga comes and goes. NOTE: Tranlsation and commentary is missing from the book. The alternate translation for the verse presented above is from Swami Paramananda....

Text: नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्शुषा । अस्तीति ब्रुवतोऽन्यत्र कथं तदुपलभ्यते ॥ १२ ॥ naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakśuṣā | astīti bruvato’nyatra kathaṃ tadupalabhyate || 12 || 12. Not by speech, not by mind, not by the eye, can he be attained; except in his case who says ‘He is,’ how can that be known. Shankara’s Commentary: If the Brahman could be perceived by the operation of the intellect, etc....

Text: अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धव्यस्तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः । अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति ॥ १३ ॥ astītyevopalabdhavyastattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ | astītyevopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati || 13 || 13. He should be known to exist and also as he really is. Of these two, to him who knows him to exist, his real nature becomes revealed. Shankara’s Commentary: Therefore, having abandoned the theory of those who argue for non-existence, the atman should be known as existing, as productive of effects and conditioned by intelligence....

Text: यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः । अथ मर्त्यो’मृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥ yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye’sya hṛdi śritāḥ | atha martyo’mṛto bhavatyatra brahma samaśnute || 14 || 14. When all desires clinging to the heart of one fall off, then the mortal becomes immortal and here attains Brahman. Shankara’s Commentary: When of the person thus seeing the truth, all desires, which were clinging to the intellect of the knower before he attained the knowledge, fall off from want of anything else to be desired (for intellect and not the atman is the seat of desires, and also from another sruti which says desire, volition, etc....

Text: यथा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः । अथ मर्त्यो’मृतो भवत्येतावद्ध्यनुशासनम् ॥ १५ ॥ yathā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ | atha martyo’mṛto bhavatyetāvaddhyanuśāsanam || 15 || 15. When here all the knots of the heart are sundered, then the mortal becomes immortal. Thus, much, the instruction. Shankara’s Commentary: When again, the up-rooting of all desires takes place is explained. When all the ties of the heart of one, while yet alive, i....