याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच एते प्रधानस्य गुणास्त्रयः पुरुषसत्तम। कृत्स्नस्य चैव जगतस्तिष्ठन्त्यनपगाः सदा॥
These three, O foremost of men, are the qualities of Nature. These belong to all things of the universe.
अव्यक्तरूपो भगवान् शतधा च सहस्रधा। शतधा सहस्रधा चैव तथा शतसहस्रधा॥ कोटिशश्च करोत्येष प्रत्यगात्मानमात्मना।
The uninanifest Purusha endued with the six Yoga qualities transforms himself by himself into hundreds and thousands and millions and millions of forms.
सात्त्विकस्योत्तमं स्थानं राजसस्येह मध्यमम्॥ तामसस्याधमं स्थान प्राहुरध्यात्मचिन्तकाः।
Those that are conversant with the spiritual science say that to the quality of Sattva is assigned a high, to Rajas a middling, and to Tamas, a low place in the universe.
केवलेनेह पुण्येन गतिमूर्ध्वामवाप्नुयात्॥ पुण्यपापेन मानुष्यमधर्मेणाप्यधोगतिम्।
By the help of unmixed virtue one acquires a high end. Through virtue mixed with sin one acquires the status of humanity. While through unmixed sin one is visited by a vile end.
द्वन्द्वमेषां त्रयाणां तु संनिपातं च तत्त्वतः॥ सत्त्वस्य रजसश्चैव तमसश्च शृणुष्व मे।
Listen now to me, king, as I speak to you of the intermixture of the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
सत्त्वस्य तु रजो दृष्टं रजसश्च तमस्तथा॥ तमसश्च तथा सत्त्वं सत्त्वस्याव्यक्तमेव च।
Sometimes Rajas is seen mixed with Sattva Tamas also exists with Rajas. With Tamas may also be seen Sattva. Also Sattva and Rajas and Tamas may be seen existing together and in cqual parts. They then form the Nature.
अव्यक्तः सत्त्वसंयुक्तो देवलोकमवाप्नुयात्॥ रजःसत्त्वसमायुक्तो मानुषेषु प्रपद्यते। रजस्तमोभ्यां संयुक्तस्तिर्यग्योनिषु जायते॥ राजसैस्तामसैः सत्त्वैर्युक्तो मानुषमाप्नुयात्।
When the Purusha becomes endued with only Sattva, he aquires the region of the gods. Endued with both Sattva and Rajas, he is born as a man. Endued with Rajas and Tamas, he is born the intermediate order of Being. Endued with all three, viz., Sattva and Rajas and Tamas, he becomes a man.
पुण्यपापवियुक्तानां स्थानमाहुर्महात्मनाम्। शाश्वतं चाव्ययं चैवमक्षयं चामृतं च तत्॥
Those great persons who are above both virtue and sin, attain, it is said, to that place which is eternal, immutable, undecaying, and immortal.
ज्ञानिनां सम्भवं श्रेष्ठं स्थानमव्रणमच्युतम्। अतीन्द्रियमबीजं च जन्ममृत्युतमोनुदम्॥
Men of knowledge go by very superior births and their place is faultless and undecaying, transcending the perception of the senses, free from ignorance above birth and death, and full of light that removes all sorts of darkness,
अव्यक्तस्थं परं यत् तत् पृष्टस्तेऽहं नराधिप। स एष प्रकृतिस्थो हि तत्स्थ इत्यभिधीयते॥
You had asked me about the nature of the supreme living in the Unmanifest, Purusha. I shall tell you. He is said to live in His own nature without partaking of the nature of Prakriti.
अचेतना चैव मता प्रकृतिश्चापि पार्थिव। एतेनाधिष्ठिता चैव सृजते संहरत्यपि॥
Nature, O king, is inanimate and unintelligent. When presided over by Purusha (Soul) then only can she create and destroy.
जनक उवाच अनादिनिधनावेतावुभावेव महामते। अमूर्तिमन्तावचलावप्रकम्प्यगुणागुणौ॥
Both Nature and Soul, O you of great intelligence, are without beginning and without end. Both of them are without end. Both of them are without form. Both of them are undeteriorating.
अग्राह्यावृषिशार्दूल कथमेको ह्यचेतनः। चेतनावांस्तथा चैकः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति भाषितः॥
Both of them, again, cannot be comprehended. How then, O foremost of Rishis, can it be said that one of them is inanimate and unintelligent? How, is the other said to be animate and intelligent? And why is the latter called Kshetrajna (Soul).
त्वं हि विप्रेन्द्र कात्स्येंन मोक्षधर्ममुपाससे। साकल्यं मोक्षधर्मस्य श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः॥
You, O foremost of Brahmanas, are a master of the entire religion of Liberation. I wish to hear fully of the religion of Liberation.
अस्तित्वं केवलत्वं च विनाभावं तथैव च। दैवतानि च मे ब्रूहि देहं यान्याश्रितानि वै॥ तथैवोत्क्रामिणः स्थानं देहिनो वै विपद्यतः। कालेन यद्धि प्राप्नोति स्थानं तत् प्रब्रवीहि मे॥
Do you describe to me then the existence and Oneness of Soul, of his separateness from Nature, of the gods which attach to the body, of the place to which embodied creatures go when they die, and that place to which they may ultimately, in course of time, be able to go.
सांख्यज्ञानं च तत्त्वेन पृथग्योगं तथैव च। अरिष्टानि च तत्त्वानि वक्तुमर्हसि सत्तम। विदितं सर्वमेतत् ते पाणावामलकं यथा॥
Tell me, also, of the Knowledge expounded in the Sankhya system, and of the Yoga system separately. You also speak of the predicaments of death, O best of men. All these subjects are well known to you even as an embolic myrobalan in your hand. Tell me, also, of the Knowledge expounded in the Sankhya system, and of the Yoga system separately. You also speak of the predicaments of death, O best of men. All these subjects are well known to you even as an embolic myrobalan in your hand.