ब्रह्मोवाच शृणु पुत्र यथा ह्येष पुरुषः शाश्वतोऽव्ययः। अक्षयश्चाप्रमेयश्च सर्वगश्च निरुच्यते॥
Brahman said Listen, O son, as to how that Soul is indicated. He is eternal and immutable. He is undecaying and immeasurable. He pervades all things.
न स शक्यस्त्वया द्रष्टुं मयान्यैर्वापि सत्तम। सगुणो निर्गुणो विश्वोज्ञानदृश्योह्यसौ स्मृतः॥
O best of all creatures, that soul cannot be seen by you or me, others. Those who are endued with the understanding and the senses but shorn of self-control and tranquillity of soul cannot see him. The Supreme Soul is said to be one that can be seen with the help of knowledge alone.
अशरीरः शरीरेषु सर्वेषु निवसत्यसौ। वसन्नपि शरीरेषु न स लिप्यति कर्मभिः॥
Though shorn of body, He lives in every body. Though living, again, in bodies He is never touched by the acts done by those bodies.
ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहिसंज्ञिताः। सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न ग्राह्यः केनचित् क्वचित्॥
He is my inner soul. He is your inner soul. He is the omniscient Witness living within all embodied creatures and engaged in marking their acts. No one can grasp or comprehend him at any time.
विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः। एकश्चरति क्षेत्रेषु स्वैरचारी यथासुखम्॥
The universe is the crown of his head. The universe is his arms. The universe is his feet. The universe is his eyes. The universe is his nose. Alone and singly, he passed through all bodies, unrestrained by any limitations on his will and as best as it likes him.
क्षेत्राणि हि शरीराणि बीजं चापि शुभाशुभम्। तानि वेत्ति स योगात्मा ततः क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते॥
Kshetriya is another name for body. And because he knows all bodies as also all good and bad acts, therefore, he, who is the soul of Yoga, is called by the name of Kshetrajna.
नागतिर्न गतिस्तस्य ज्ञेया भूतेषु केनचित्। सांख्येन विधिना चैव योगेन च यथाक्रमम्॥ चिन्तयामि गतिं चास्य न गतिं वेधि चोत्तराम्। यथाज्ञानं तु वक्ष्यामि पुरुषं तु सनातनम्॥ तस्यैकत्वं महत्त्वं च स चैकः पुरुषः स्मृतः। महापुरुषशब्दं स बिभत्र्येकः सनातनः॥
No one succeeds in perceiving how he enters into embodied creatures and how he goes out of them. According to the Sankhya mode, as also with the help of Yoga and the due observance of the ordinances prescribed by it, I am engaged in thinking of the cause of that Soul, but, alas, I am unable to comprehend that cause, excellent as it is. I shall, however, according to the extent of my knowledge describe to you that eternal Soul and his Oneness and supreme greatness. The learned speak of him as the one Soul. That one eternal Being deserves the appellation of the great Supreme Purusha.
एको हुताशो बहुधा समिध्यते एकः सूर्यस्तपसो योनिरेका। एको वायुर्बहुधा वाति लोके महोदधिश्चाम्भसां योनिरेकः। स्तं निर्गुणं पुरुषं चाविशन्ति।॥
Fire is an element, but it may be seen to burn up in a thousand places under thousand different circumstances. The Sun is one and single, but his rays extend over the wide universe. Penances are of various kinds, but they have one common origin whence they have originated. The Wind is one, but it blows in various forms in the world. The great Ocean is the one parent of all the waters in the world seen under various circumstances. Shorn of qualities, that one Soul is the universe shown in infinitude. Originating from him, the infinite universe enters into that one Soul again who is above all qualities, when the time for its destruction comes.
हित्वा गुणमयं सर्वं कर्म हित्वा शुभाशुभम्। उभे सत्यानृते त्यक्त्वा एवं भवति निर्गुणः॥
By renouncing the consciousness of body and the senses, by renouncing all acts good and bad, by renouncing both truth and falsehood, one succeeds in divesting oneself of qualities.
अचिन्त्यं चापि तं ज्ञात्वा भावसूक्ष्मं चतुश्यम्। विचरेद् योऽसमुन्नद्धः स गच्छेत् पुरुषं शुभम्॥
The person who realises that inconceivable Soul and comprehends his subtile existence in the four-fold of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva, and who, on account of such comprehension, acquires perfect tranquillity of heart, succeeds in entering into, and identifying himself with, that one auspicious Soul.
एवं हि परमात्मानं केचिदिच्छन्ति पण्डिताः। एकात्मानं तथाऽऽत्मानमपरे ज्ञानचिन्तकाः॥
Some persons endued with learning speak of Him as the Supreme Soul. Others hold Him as the One Soul. A third class of learned men describe Him as the Soul.
तत्र य: परमात्मा हि स नित्यं निर्गुणः स्मृतः। स हि नारायणो ज्ञेयः सर्वात्मा पुरुषो हि सः॥
The truth is that He who is the Supreme Soul is always shorn of qualities. He is Narayana. He is the Universal Soul, and He is the One Purusha. He is never affected by the fruits of deeds as the leaf of the lotus is never drenched by the water one may throw upon it.
न लिप्यते फलैश्चापि पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा। कर्मात्मा त्वपरो योऽसौ मोक्षबन्धैः स युज्यते॥
The acting Soul is different. That Soul is sometimes engaged in acts and when it succeeds in renouncing acts acquires Liberation or identity with the Supreme Soul.
स सप्तदशकेनापि राशिना युज्यते च सः। एवं बहुविधः प्रोक्तः पुरुषस्ते यथाक्रमम्॥
The acting Soul is endued with the seventeen possessions. Thus is it said that there are innumerable kinds of Souls in due order.
यत् तत्कृत्स्नं लोकतन्त्रस्य धाम वेद्यं परं बोधनीयं स बोद्धा। मन्ता मन्तव्यं प्राशिता प्राशनीयं घ्राता प्रेयं स्पर्शिता स्पर्शनीयम्॥
In sooth, however, there is but one Soul. He is the abode of all the ordinances in the universe. He is the highest object of knowledge. He is at once the knower and the object to be known. He is at once the thinker and the object of thought. He is the eater and the food that is eaten. He is the smeller and the scent that is smelled. He is at once he that touches and the object that is touched.
द्रष्टा द्रष्टव्यं श्राविता श्रावणीयं ज्ञाता ज्ञेयं सगुणं निर्गुणं च। यद् वै प्रोक्तं तात सम्यक् प्रधानं नित्यं चैतच्छाश्वतं चाव्ययं च॥
He is the agent that sees and the object that is seen. He is the hearer and the object that is heard. He is the conceiver and the object conceived. He is possessed of qualities and is free from them. He is that, O son, which is named Pradhana (Nature), enduring, eternal, and immutable.
यद् वै सूते धातुराद्यं विधानं तद् वै विप्राः प्रवदन्तेऽनिरुद्धम्। यद् वै लोके वैदिकं कर्म साधु आशीर्युक्तं तद्धि तस्यैव भाव्यम्॥
He it is who creates the prime ordinance about Dhatri himself. Learned Brahmanas call Him by the name of Aniruddha. Whatever acts of excellent merits and blessings, originate in the world from the Vedas, have been caused by Him.
देवाः सर्वे मुनयः साधु शान्तास्तं प्राग्वंशे यज्ञभागैर्यजन्ते। अहं ब्रह्मा आद्य ईशः प्रजानां तस्माज्जातस्त्वं च मत्तः प्रसूतः॥ मत्तो जगज्जङ्गमं स्थावरं च सर्वे वेदाः सरहस्या हि पुत्र॥
All the gods, and all the Rishis, gifted with tranquil souls, occupying their places on the altar, dedicate to Him the first share of their sacrificial offerings. I that am Brahman, the primeval master of all creatures, have come into being from Him, and you have sprung from me. From me has originated the universe with all its mobile and immobile creatures, and all the Vedas, O son, with their mysteries.
चतुर्विभक्तः पुरुषः स क्रीडति यथेच्छति। एवं स भगवान् स्वेन ज्ञानेन प्रतिबोधितः॥
Divided into four parts, (viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva), He sports as He pleases. That illustrious and divine Lord is such, awakened by His Own knowledge.
एतत् ते कथितं पुत्र यथावदनुपृच्छतः। सांख्यज्ञाने तथा योगे यथावदनुवर्णितम्॥
I have thus answered you, O son, according to your questions, and according to the way in which the matter is explained in the Sankhya System and the Yoga Philosophy."