भीष्म उवाच दुरन्तेष्विन्द्रियार्थेषु सक्ताः सीदन्ति जन्तवः। ये त्वसक्ता महात्मानस्ते यान्ति परमां गतिम्॥
Bhishma said By being attached to objects of the senses which are always imbued with evil, living creatures become helpless. Those great persons, however, who are not attached to them, acquire the greatest end.
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्व्याधिभिर्मानसक्लमैः। दृष्ट्वैव संततं लोकं घटेन्मोक्षाय बुद्धिमान्॥
Seeing the world beset with the evils formed by birth, death, decrepitude, sorrow, disease, and anxieties, the man of intelligence should try for the attainment of Liberation.
वाड्मनोभ्यां शरीरेण शुचिः स्यादनहंकृतः। प्रशान्तो ज्ञानवान् भिक्षुनिरपेक्षश्चरेत् सुखम्॥
He should be pure in words, thought and body; he should be shorn of pride. Of tranquil soul and endued with knowledge, he should live like a mendicant, and pursue happiness without being attached to any wordły object.
अथवा मनसः सङ्गं पश्येद् भूतानुकम्पया। तत्राप्युपेक्षां कुर्वीत ज्ञात्वा कर्मफलं जगत्॥
Again, if his mind is filled with attachment for mercy to creatures, he should, seeing that the universe is the result of acts, one should show indifference even to mercy itself.
यत् कृतं स्याच्छुभं कर्म पापं वा यदि वाश्नुते। तस्माच्छुभानि कर्माणि कुर्याद् वा बुद्धिकर्मभिः॥
Whatever good acts are done, or whatever sin is committed, the actor reaps the points thereof. Hence, one should, in words, thought, and deed, do only good acts.
अहिंसा सत्यवचनं सर्वभूतेषु चार्जयम्। क्षमा चैवाप्रमादश्च यस्यैते स सुखी भवेत्॥
He enjoys happiness who practises abstention from injuring (others), truthfulness of speech, honesty towards all creatures, and forgiveness, and who is never careless.
यश्चैनं परमं धर्मं सर्वभूतसुखावहम्। दुःखान्निःसरणं वेद सर्वज्ञः स सुखी भवेत्॥
Hence one, exercising his intelligence, should fix his mind, after training it, on peace towards all creatures.
तस्मात् समाहितं बुद्ध्या मनो भूतेषु धारयेत्। नापध्यायेन स्पृहयेन्नाबद्धं चिन्तयेदसत्॥
That man who considers the practice of the virtues mentioned above as the greatest duty as securing the happiness of all creatures, and as destroying all sorts of sorrow, is possessed of the greatest knowledge, and succeeds in acquiring happiness. Hence, one should, exercising his intelligence, fix his mind, after training it, on peace towards all creatures.
अथामोधप्रयत्नेन मनो ज्ञाने निवेशयत्। वाचामोघप्रयासेन मनोज्ञं तत् प्रवर्तते॥
One should never think of committing evil to others, One should not covet what is far above his power to acquire. One should not fix his thoughts on objects which are not real. One should, on the other hand, direct mind towards knowledge by continued exertions.
विवक्षता च सद्वाक्यं धर्मं सूक्ष्ममवेक्षता। सत्यां वाचमहिंस्रां च वदेदनपवादिनीम्॥ कल्कापेतामपरुषामनृशंसामपैशुनाम्। ईदृगल्पं च वक्तव्यमविक्षिप्तेन चेतसा॥ वाक्प्रबद्धो हि संसारो विरागाद् व्याहरेद् यदि। बुद्ध्याप्यनुगृहीतेन मनसा कर्म तामसम्॥ रजोभूतैर्हि करणैः कर्मणि प्रतिपद्यते। स दुःखं प्राप्य लोकेऽस्मिन् नरकायोपपद्यते। तस्मान्मनोवाक्शरीरै राचरेद् धैर्यमात्मनः॥
With the help of the injunctions of the Shrutis and of continued efforts calculated to bring success, Knowledge is sure to originate. One who is desirous of saying good words or observing a religion which is purged off of all impurities, should speak only truth which is not fraught with any malice or censure. One who has got a sound heart should speak words which are not fraught with dishonesty, which are not harsh, which are not cruel, which are not evil, and which are not characterised by garrulity. The universe is bound in words. If a person disposed to renunciation he should proclaim, with a humble mind and a cleansed understanding, his own evil deeds. He who performs action, urged there to by propensities pervaded by the quality of Darkness, suffers much misery in this world and at last sinks into hell. One should, therefore, practise selfcontrol in body, words and mind.
प्रकीर्णमेषभारं हि यद्वद् धार्येत दस्युभिः। प्रतिलोमां दिशं बुद्ध्वा संसारमबुधास्तथा॥
Ignorant persons bearing the weight of the world are like robbers laden with their booty of straggling sheep. The latter always avoid roads which are not favourable to them,
तमेव च यथा दस्युः क्षिप्त्वा गच्छेच्छिवां दिशम्। तथा रजस्तमःकर्माण्युत्सृज्य प्राप्नुयाच्छुभम्॥
Indeed, as robbers have to throw away their booty if they wish safety, so should a person cast off all acts induced by Darkness and Ignorance, if he is to acquire happiness.
नि:संदिग्धमनीहो वै मुक्तः सर्वपरिग्रहैः। विविक्तचारी लघ्वाशी तपस्वी नियतेन्द्रियः॥ ज्ञानदग्धपरिक्लेशः प्रयोगरतिरात्मवान्। निष्प्रचारेण मनसा परं तदधिगच्छति॥
Forsooth, a person who is shorn of desire, free from the fetters of the world, contented to live in solitude, abstemious in diet, devoted to penances, and with senses under restraint, who has consumed all his sorrows by knowledge, who finds pleasure in practising Yoga and who has a cleansed soul, succeeds, on account of his mind being withdrawn into itself, in attaining to Brahina or Liberation.
धृतिमानात्मवान् बुद्धिं निगृह्णीयादसंशयम्। मनो बुद्ध्या निगृह्णीयाद् विषयान्मनसाऽऽत्मनः॥
One endued with patience and a pure soul should, forsooth, control his understanding. With the understanding, one should next restrain mind, and then with the mind overpower the objects of the senses.
निगृहीतेन्द्रियस्यास्य कुर्वाणस्य मनो वशे। देवतास्तत् प्रकाशन्ते हृष्टा यान्ति तमीश्वरम्॥
Upon the mind being thus restrained and the senses being all subdued, the senses will shine and gladly enter into Brahma.
ताभिः संयुक्तमनसो ब्रह्म तत् सम्प्रकाशते। शनैश्चोपगते सत्त्वे ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते॥
When one's senses are withdrawn into the mind, the result becomes that Brahma becomes manifested in it. Indeed, when the senses are destroyed, and the soul returns to the quality of pure existence, it is regarded as being transformed into Brahma.
अथवा न प्रवर्तेत योगतन्त्रैरुपक्रमेत्। येन तन्त्रयतस्तन्त्रं वृत्तिः स्यात् तत् तदाचरेत्॥
Then again, one should never show his Yoga power. On the other hand, one should always try to restrain his senses by practising the rules of Yoga. Indeed, one engaged in the practice of Yoga should do all those acts by which his conduct and nature may become pure.
कणकुल्माषपिण्याकशाकयावकसक्तवः। तथा मूलफलं भक्ष्यं पर्यायेणोपयोजयेत्॥
One should rather live upon broken grains of corn, ripe beans, dry cakes of seeds from which the oil has been pressed out, potherbs, half-ripe barley, flour of fried pulses, fruits, and roots, secured by begging.
आहारनियमं चैव देशे काले च सात्त्विकम्। तत् परीक्ष्यानुवर्तेत तत्प्रवृत्त्यनुपूर्वकम्॥
Reflecting upon the characteristics of time and place, one should according to his inclinations observe, after proper search, vows and rules about fasts.
प्रवृत्तं नोपरुन्धेत शनैरग्निमिवेन्धयेत्। ज्ञानान्वितं तथा ज्ञानमर्कवत् सम्प्रकाशते।॥
One should not suspend a rite that has been begun. Like one slowly creating a fire, one should by and by perform an act that is prompted by knowledge. By so doing, Brahma by and by shines in one like the Sun.
ज्ञानाधिष्ठानमज्ञानं त्रौंल्लोकानधितिष्ठति। विज्ञानानुगतं ज्ञानमज्ञानेनापकृष्यते॥
The Ignorance which rests on Knowledge, extends its influence over all the three states. The knowledge, again, that follows the Understanding, is attacked by Ignorance.
पृथक्त्वात् सम्प्रयोगाच्च नासूयुर्वेद शाश्वतम्। स तयोरपवर्गज्ञो वीतरागो विमुच्यते॥
The evil-hearted person cannot acquire a knowledge of the Self for his considering it as united with the three states although in reality it transcends them all. When, however, he perceives the limits under which the two, viz., union with the three states and separation from them are manifested, it is then that he becomes shorn of attachment and attains to Liberation.
ततो वीतजरामृत्युर्ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्म सनातनम्। अमृतं तदवाप्नोति यत् तदक्षरमव्ययम्॥
When such an apprehension has been acquired, one transcends the effects of age, rises superior the consequences of decrepitude and death, and obtains Brahma which is eternal, deathless, immutable, and underetiorating. to