युधिष्ठिर उवाच किं फलं ज्ञानयोगस्य वेदानां नियमस्य च। भूतात्मा च कथं ज्ञेयस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said What are the fruits of the Jnana Yoga, of all the Vedas, and of the (various) observances and vows? How also may the individual soul be known? Tell me this, O grand father.
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। मनोः पजापतेर्वादं महर्षेश्च बृहस्पतेः॥
Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old narrative of the conversation between that lord of creatures, viz., Manu, and the great Rishi Brihaspati.
प्रजापतिं श्रेष्ठतमं प्रजानां देवर्षिसंघप्रवरो महर्षिः। बृहस्पतिः प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं पप्रच्छ शिष्योऽथ गुरुं प्रणम्य॥ यत्कारणं यत्र विधिः प्रवृत्तो ज्ञाने फल यत्प्रवदन्ति विप्राः। यन्मन्त्रशब्दैरकृतप्रकाशं तदुच्यतां मे भगवन्यथावत्॥
In days of yore, the foremost of celestial Rishis, viz., Brihaspati, who was a disciple of Manu bowed to his preceptor and addressing that king and first of all creatures, said,-What is the origin of the universe? Whence have the ordinances originated? What are those fruits attributed by the learned to Knowledge? Tell me also truly, O illustrious one, what is that which the Vedas have not been able to show?
र्यज्ञैरनेकैरथ गोप्रदानैः। फलं महद्भिर्यदुपास्यते च किं तत्कथं वा भविता क्व वा तत्॥
What are those fruits which are respected by eminent sages conversant with the science of Artha, with the Vedas, and with the mantras, through sacrifices and profuse gifts of kine? Whence do those fruits originate? Where are they do be found?
मही महीजाः पवनोऽन्तरिक्षं जलौकसश्चैव जलं दिवं च। स्तदुच्यतां मे भगवन् पुराणम्॥
Tell me also this old history, viz., whence have the Earth, all earthly objects, wind, sky aquatic animals, water, heaven, and the dwellers of heaven, all originated.
ज्ञानं यतः प्रार्थयते नरो वै ततस्तदर्था भवति प्रवृत्तिः। न चाप्यहं वेद परं पुराणं मिथ्याप्रवृत्तिं च कथं नु कुर्याम्।
Man is inclined towards that object which he seeks to know. I have no knowledge of that Ancient and Supreme Being. How shall I free myself from a false display of my leaning towards Him?
ऋक्सामसंघांश्च यजूंषि चापि च्छन्दांसि नक्षत्रगति निरुक्तम्। अधीत्य च व्याकरणं सकल्पं शिक्षां च भूतप्रकृतिं न वेदि॥
I have read the Riks, all the Samans, all the Yajuses, the Chhandas, Astronomy, Nirukta, Grammar, Sankalpa, and Shiksha. But I have no knowledge of the nature of the five principal elements which forin everything.
स मे भवान् शंसतु सर्वमेतत् सामान्यशब्दैश्च विशेषणैश्च। ज्ज्ञाने फलं कर्मणि वा यदस्ति॥
Describe to me all I have asked you, by making only simple statements and using qualifying adjectives or attributes. Tell me what the fruits are of Knowledge, sacrifices and other religious rites. Explain to me how also an embodied being leaves his body and acquires a new one.
यथा च देहाच्च्यवते शरीरी पुनः शरीरं च यथाभ्युपैति। मनुरुवाच स्तदेव दुःखं प्रवदन्त्यनिष्टम्।
What is agreeable to one constitutes his happiness. Likewise what is disagreeable to one forms his misery, feeling-"By this I shall acquire happiness and prevent misery”_-men perform all religious acts.
देतत्कृते कर्मविधिः प्रवृत्तः। त्येतत्कृते ज्ञानविधिः प्रवृत्तः॥
The efforts for the acquisition of Knowledge, however, originate from a desire for avoiding both happiness and misery.
कामात्मकाश्छन्दसि कर्मयोगा एभिर्विमुक्तः परमश्नुवीत। नानाविधे कर्मपथे सुखार्थी नरः प्रवृत्तो न परं प्रयाति॥
The ordinances about sacrifices and other observances, which are in the Vedas, all originate from desire. He, however, who frees himself from desire of acquiring happiness, performs various acts is constrained to go to hell.
बृहस्पतिरुवाच इष्टं त्वनिष्टं च सुखासुखे च साशीस्त्वबच्छन्दति कर्मभिश्च।
Men aspire to acquire the agreeable which ends in happiness, to avoid the disagreeable which begets misery. Such acquisition and such avoidance again are brought about by acts.
मनुरुवाच एभिर्विमुक्तः परमाविवेश एतत् कृते कर्मविधिः प्रवृत्तः। कामात्मकांश्छन्दति कर्मयोग एभिर्विमुक्तः परमाददीत॥
By freeing oneself from acts that a man succeeds in entering into Brahma. The injunctions of Karma or acts are laid down for that very end. The ordinances of Karma tempt only those whose hearts are not shorn of desire. By freeing oneself from acts one wins the highest state.
आत्मादिभिः कर्मभिरिन्ध्यमानो धर्मे प्रवृत्तो द्युतिमान् सुखार्थी। परं हि तत् कर्मपथादपेतं निराशिषं ब्रह्मपरं ह्यवैति॥
By performing religious rites, one who wishes liberation becomes purified (from attachments, for these acts have for their object the purification of the soul, and at last acquires great splendour. By freeing oneself from acts, one acquires the highest end, viz., Brahma, which reigns Supreme over the reward which acts give.
प्रजाः सृष्टा मनसा कर्मणा च द्वावेवैतौ सत्पथौ लोकजुष्टौ। दृष्टं कर्म शाश्वतं चान्तवच्च मनस्त्यागः कारणं नान्यदस्ति॥
Creatures have all been engendered by Mind and Act. These are the two best paths adored of all. External acts yields fruits that are both transitory as also eternal. For acquiring the latter there is no other means than relinquishing the desire for fruits by the mind,
स्वेनात्मना चक्षुरिव प्रणेता निशात्यये तमसा संवृतात्मा। ज्ञानं तु विज्ञानगुणेन युक्तं कर्माशुभं पश्यति वर्जनीयम्॥
As the eye, when night passes away and the veil of darkness is gone, leads its possessor by its own power, so the Understanding, when it becomes endued with Knowledge, sees all evils which should be shunned.
सर्पान्कुशाग्राणि तथोदपानं ज्ञात्वा मनुष्याः परिवर्जयन्ति। ज्ज्ञाने फलं पश्य यथा विशिष्टम्॥
Men avoid snakes, sharp blades, of Kusha and pits, when they find them on their way. If some tread upon or fall into them, they do so by ignorance. Mark the superiority of the fruits of knowledge.
कृत्स्नस्तु मन्त्रो विधिवत् प्रयुक्तो यथा यथोक्तास्त्विह दक्षिणाश्च। अन्नप्रदानं मनसः समाधिः पञ्चात्मकं कर्मफलं वदन्ति॥
Duly administered Mantras, sacrifices, the presents called Dakshina, gift of food and concentration of the mind are the five acts which yield fruits, there being none else.
स्तस्मान्मन्त्रो मन्त्रपूर्वं हि कर्म। विधिविधेयं मनसोपपत्तिः फलस्य भोक्ता तु तथा शरीरी॥
Acts have the three Gunas (of Satva Rajas, and Tamas) for their soul. The Vedas say this. The Mantras, therefore, have the same three qualities, since it is with Mantras that acts are performed. The ritual also is possessed by the same three qualities. The fruits of action depend upon the mind. It is the embodied creature who enjoys those fruits.
शब्दाश्च रूपाणि रसाश्च पुण्या: स्पर्शाश्च गन्धाश्च शुभास्तथैव। देतत् पुलं सिद्ध्यति कर्मलोके।॥
All excellent sorts of sound, form, tastes, touch, and scent, are the fruits of acts, being acquired in the region of acts. As for, however, the fruits of knowledge, man acquires them even here before death.
यद् यच्छरीरेण करोति कर्म शरीरयुक्तः समुपाश्नुते तत्। शरीरमेवायतनं सुखस्य दुःखस्य चाप्यायतनं शरीरम्॥
Whatever acts are perforined by means of the body, one enjoys the fruits thereof in this body. The body is, indeed, the structure to which adhere both happiness and misery.
वाचा तु यत्कर्म करोति किंचिद् वाचैव सर्वं समुपाश्नुते तत्। न्मन:स्थ एवायमुपाश्नुते तत्॥
Whatever acts are performed by means of words, their fruits are enjoyed in a state in which words can be spoken. Likewise, whatever acts are performed by the mind, their fruits are enjoyed in a state in which one is not treed from the mind.
यथा यथा कर्मगुणं फलार्थी करोत्ययं कर्मफले निविष्टः। तथा तथायं गुणसम्प्रयुक्तः शुभाशुभं कर्मफलं भुनक्ति॥
Seeking the fruits of acts, whatever acts (Satvika or Rajasika or Tamasika) a person performs, the fruits, good or bad, that he actually enjoys are permeated by their nature.
मत्स्यो यथा स्रोत इवाभिपाती तथा कृतं पूर्वमुपैति कर्म। शुभे त्वसौ तुष्यति दुष्कृते तु न तुष्यते वै परमः शरीरी॥
Like fishes going against a current of water, pristine acts visit the actor. The embodied creature enjoys happiness for his good acts, and suffers misery for his evil ones.
यतो जगत् सर्वमिदं प्रसूतं ज्ञात्वाऽऽत्मवन्तो व्यतियान्ति यत् तत्। यन्मन्त्रशब्दैरकृतप्रकाशं तदुच्यमानं शृणु मे परं यत्॥
I will now describe Him from whom this universe has originated, Him by knowing whom persons of purified souls cross this world, Him who has not been expressed by Vedic Mantras and Words. Listen to me as I speak of that greatest of the grcat.
रसैविमुक्तं विविधैश्च गन्धै रशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपवच्चा अग्राह्यमव्यक्तमवर्णमेकं पञ्चप्रकारान् ससृजे प्रजानाम्॥
Himself freed from the several sorts of tasto and scent, and sound and touch and forin, He is incapable of being comprehended by the senses, unmanifest, without colour, the One, and He has created the five kinds of objects for His creatures.
न स्त्री पुमान् नापि नपुंसकं च न सन्न चासत् सदसच्च तन्न। स्तदक्षरं न क्षरतीति विद्धि॥
He is neither female, nor male, nor of the neuter sex. He is neither existent, nor nonexistent, nor existent-non-existent. Only those that are acquainted with Bralıma see Him. He knows no deterioration.