व्यास उवाच अथ ज्ञानप्लवं धीरो गृहीत्वा शान्तिमात्मनः! उन्मजंश्च निमश्च ज्ञानमेवाभिसंश्रयेत्॥
Vyasa said Carried up and down in life's ocean, he that is capable of meditation catches the raft of Knowledge, and for achieving his Liberation adheres to Knowledge itself.
शुक उवाच किं तज्ज्ञानमयो विद्या यथा निस्तरते द्वयम्। प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो निवृत्तिरिति वा वद॥
Shuka said What is that Knowledge? Is it that learning by which, when error is gone, the truth reveals itselt? Or, is it those duties consisting of acts to be done or achieved, by the help of which the object sought for, may be understood or attained? Or, is it those duties, called absention from acts by which an extinction of the Soul is to be sought? Do tell me what it is, so that by its help the two, viz., birth and death, may be avoided.
व्यास उवाच यस्तु पश्यन् स्वभावेन विनाभावमचेतनः। पुष्यते च पुनः सर्वान् प्रज्ञया मुक्तहेतुकान्॥
Vyasa said That fool who, believing that all this exists by its own Nature without, in sooth, an eternal foundation, satisfies by such instruction the aspirations of disciples, defeating by his dialectical ingenuity the reasons the latter might urge to the contrary, succeeds not in acquiring any truth.
येषां चैकान्तभावेन स्वभावात् कारणं मतम्। पूत्वा तृणमिषीकां वा ते लभन्ते न किंचन॥
They again, who firinly believe that all Cause is due to the Nature of things, cannot acquire any truth by even listening to learned 17en or the Rishis.
ये चैनं पक्षमाश्रित्य निवर्तन्त्यल्पमेधसः। स्वभावं कारणं ज्ञात्वा न श्रेयः प्राप्नुवन्ति ते॥
Those little-witted men who stop (in their speculations), having adopted either of these doctrines, those men who regard Nature as the Cause never succeed in acquiring any benefit for themselves.
स्वभावो हि विनाशाय मोहकर्म मनोभवः। निरुतमेतयोरेतत् स्वभावपरिभावयोः॥
This belief in Nature (as the producing and the sustaining Cause), originating as it does from a mind labouring under the influence of error, causes the destruction of the person who cherishes it. Hear of the truth regarding these two doctrines which hold (1) that things exist by their own Nature and (2) that they flow accordingly from others that are different form, and that precede, them.
कृष्यादीनीह कर्माणि सस्यसंहरणानि च। प्रज्ञावद्भिः प्रक्लृप्तानि यानासनगृहाणि च॥
Wise men take to agriculture and tillage, and the acquisition of crops and of vehicles, seats, carpets and houses.
आक्रीडानां गृहाणां च गदानामगदस्य च। प्रज्ञावन्तः प्रयोक्तारो ज्ञानवद्भिरनुष्ठिताः॥
They also look to the laying of pleasuregardens, the construction of spacious palaces and the preparation of medicines for all sorts of diseases.
प्रज्ञा संयोजयत्यथैः : प्रजा श्रेयोऽधिगच्छति। राजानो भुञ्जते राज्यं प्रज्ञया तुल्यलक्षणाः॥
It is wisdom (which consists in the application of means) which brings about the fruition of objects. It is wisdom which gains beneficial results. It is wisdom which enables kings to exercise and enjoy sovereignty although they are endued with attributes equal to those of persons over whom they rule.
परावरं तु भूतानां ज्ञानेनैवोपलभ्यते। विद्यया तात सृष्टानां विद्यैवेह परा गतिः॥
It is by wisdom that the difference is made between the high and the low among beings. It is by wisdom that the superior and the inferior ones among created objects are made out. It is wisdom or knowledge which is greatest refuge of all things.
भूतानां जन्म सर्वेषां विविधानां चतुर्विधम्। जरायुजाण्डजोद्भिज्जस्वेदजं चोपलक्षयेत्॥
All the sorts of created things have four kinds of birth. They are viviparous, oviparous, vegetables, and those born of filth.
स्थावरेभ्यो विशिष्टानि जङ्गमान्युपधारयेत्। उपपन्नं हि यच्चेष्टा विशिष्येत विशेष्यया॥
Mobile creatures should be regarded superior to the immobile. It is reasonable that intelligence which differentiates (all nonintelligent matter), should be considered superior to (non-intelligent) matter.
आहुः बहुपादानि जङ्गमानि द्वयानि तु। बहुपाट्यो विशिष्टानि द्विपदानि बहून्यपि॥
Mobile creatures, whose number is legion, are of two sorts, viz., those that are many legs and those that have two. The latter, however, are superior to the former.
द्विपदानि द्वयान्याहुः पार्थिवानीतराणि च। पार्थिवानि विशिष्टानि तानि ह्यन्नानि भुञ्जते॥
Bipeds, again, are of two sorts, viz., those that live on land and those that are otherwise. Of these, the former are superior to the latter. The superior ones eat various sorts of cooked food.
पार्थिवानि द्वयान्याहुर्मध्यमान्यधमानि तु। मध्यमानि विशिष्टानि जातिधर्मोपधारणात्॥
Bipeds moving on land are of two sorts, viz., middling or intermediate, and those that are foremost. Of these, the middling or intermediate are considered as superior (to the foriner) for their observing the duties of caste.
मध्यमानि द्वयान्याहुर्धर्मज्ञानीतराणि च। धर्मज्ञानि विशिष्टानि कार्याकार्योपधारणात्॥
The middling or intermediate ones are said to be of two sorts, viz., those who are conversant with duties, and those who are otherwise. Of those, the former are superior for they can discriminate between what should be done and what should not.
धर्मज्ञानि द्वयान्याहुर्वेदज्ञानीतराणि च। वेदज्ञानि विशिष्टानि वेदो ह्येषु प्रतिष्ठितः॥
Those conversant with duties are said to be of two sorts, viz., those who are acquainted with the Vedas and those who are otherwise. Of those the former are superior, for the Vedas are said to live in them.
वेदज्ञानि द्वयान्याहुः प्रवक्तृणीतराणि च। प्रवक्तणि विशिष्टानि सर्वधर्मोपधारणात्॥ विज्ञायन्ते हि यैर्वेदाः सधर्माः सक्रियाफला:। सधर्मा निखिला वेदाः प्रवक्तृभ्यो विनिःसृताः॥
Those who are acquainted with the Vedas are said to be of two sorts, viz., those who lecture on the Vedas and those who are otherwise. Of these the former, who are wellread in the Vedas, and are conversant with the duties and the rites laid down in them, and the fruits of those duties and rites, are superior for their declaring all those duties and rites. Indeed, all the Vedas, with the duties laid down in them, are said to emanate from them.
प्रवक्तृणि द्वयान्याहुरात्मज्ञानीतराणि च। आत्मज्ञानि विशिष्टानि जन्माजन्मोपधारणात्॥
Preceptors of the Vedas are of two sorts, viz., those who are conversant with the Self and those that are otherwise. Of these the former are superior on account of their knowledge of Birth and Death.
धर्मद्वयं हि यो वेद स सर्वज्ञः स सर्ववित्। स त्यागी सत्यसंकल्पः सत्यः शुचिरथेश्वरः॥
Duties, again, are of two kinds (viz., Pravritti and Nivritti). He who is conversant with duties is said to be omniscient or endued with universal knowledge. Such a man is a Renouncer. Such a man is firin in the fulfilment of his objects. Such a man is truthful, pure and endued with prowess.
ब्रह्मज्ञानप्रतिष्ठं हि तं देवा ब्राह्मणं विदुः। शब्दब्रह्मणि निष्णातं परे च कृतनिश्चयम्॥
The gods know him as a Brahmana who is devoted to knowledge of Brahma. Such a man is versed also in the Vedas are earnestly given to the study of the Self.
अन्तःस्थं च बहिष्ठं च साधियज्ञाधिदैवतम्। ज्ञानान्विता हि पश्यन्ति ते देवास्तात ते द्विजाः॥
They who have true knowledge see their own self as existing both in and out. Such men, O child, are truly twice-born and such men are gods.
तेषु विश्वमिदं भूतं सर्वं च जगदाहितम्। तेषां माहात्म्यभावस्य सदृशं नास्ति किंचन।॥
This world of beings depends upon these, and in them exist this whole universe. There is nothing equal to their greatness.
आद्यन्ते निधनं चैव कर्म चातीत्य सर्वशः। चतुर्विधस्य भूतस्य सर्वस्येशाः स्वयम्भुवः॥
Transcending birth, and death, and distinctions and all acts, they are the lords of the four kinds of creatures, and are the equals of Self-create himself.