व्यास उवाच पृच्छतस्तव सत्पुत्र यथावदिह तत्त्वतः। सांख्यज्ञानेन संयुक्तं यदेतत् कीर्तितं मया॥
Vyasa said O excellent son, accosted by you. I have told you truly what the answer to your question should be according to the doctrine of Knowledge as explained in the Sankhya system.
योगकृत्ये तु ते कृत्स्नं वर्तयिष्यामि तच्छृणु। एकत्वं बुद्धिमनसारिन्द्रियाणां च सर्वशः॥ आत्मनो व्यापिनस्तात ज्ञानमेतदनुत्तमम्। तदेतदुपशान्तेन दान्तेनाध्यात्मशीलिना॥ आत्मारामेण बुद्धेन बोद्धव्यं शुचिकर्मणा। योगदोषान् समुच्छिद्य पञ्च यान् कवयो विदुः॥ कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च भयं स्वप्नं च पञ्चमम्। क्रोधं शमेन जयति कामं संकल्पवर्जनात्॥
Listen now to me as I explain to you all that should be done according to the Yoga doctrine. The unison of intellect and Mind, and all the Senses, and the all-prevading Soul is said to be the highest kind of knowledge. That Knowledge should be gained by one who is of a tranquil mind, who has governed his senses, who is capable of seeing the Soul, who takes pleasure in (such) meditation, who is gifted with intelligence and purity in acts. One should try to gain this knowledge by abandoning those five obstacles of Yoga which are known to the wise, namely, desire, anger, cupidity, fear, and sleep. Anger is conquered by tranquility of disposition. Desire is defeated by giving up all purposes.
सत्त्वसंसेवनाद् धीरो निद्रामुच्छेत्तुमर्हति। धृत्या शिश्नोदरं रक्षेत् पाणिपादं च चक्षुषा॥
By meditating with the help of the understanding upon topics deserving meditation one, gifted with patience, succeeds in relinquishing sleep. By steady endurance one should govern his organs of generation and the stomach. One should protect his hands and feet by his eyes.
चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च मनसा मनोवाचं च कर्मणा। अप्रमादाद् भयं जह्याद् दम्भं प्राज्ञोपसेवनात्॥
One should protect his eyes and ears by the help of his mind, and his mind and speech by his acts, One should avoid fear by carefulness, and pride by attending the wise.
एवमेतान् योगदोषान् जयेन्नित्यमतन्द्रितः। अग्नीश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चार्चेद् देवताः प्रणमेत च॥
Controlling procrastination, one should by these means subdue these obstacles of Yoga. One should pay his adorations to fire and the Brahmanas and should bow his head to the gods.
वर्जयेदुशती वाचं हिंसायुक्तां मनोनुदाम्। ब्रह्म तेजोमयं शुक्रं यस्य सर्वमिदं रसः॥
One should avoid all kinds of unholy conversation and malicious speech and words which pain other minds. Brahma is the effulgent seed. It is again, the essence of that seed from which proceeds all this.
एतस्य भूतं भव्यस्य दृष्टं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। ध्यानमध्ययनं दानं सत्यं हीरार्जवं क्षमा॥ शौचमाचारसंशुद्धिरिन्द्रियाणां च निग्रहः। एतैर्विवर्धते तेजः पाप्मानं चापकर्षति॥
Brahma became the eye, in the form of this mobile and immobile universe, of all elements that were born. Meditation, study, gift, truth, modesty, simplicity, forgiveness, purity of body, purity of conduct, and subjugation of the senses, these increase one's energy which dissipates his sins.
सिध्यन्ति चास्य सर्वार्था विज्ञानं च प्रवर्तते। समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु लब्धालब्धेन वर्तयन्॥
By treating impartially all creatures and by living contentedly upon what is gained easily and without exertion one acquires the fruition of all his objects and succeeds in gaining knowledge.
धूतपाप्मा तु तेजस्वी लध्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः। कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद् ब्रह्मणः पदम्॥
Purged of all sins, gifted with energy, sparing in diet, with senses under complete control, one should, after having subdued his desire and anger, try to attain to Brahima.
मनसश्चेन्द्रियाणां च कृत्वैकाम्यं समाहितः। पूर्वरात्रापरार्धं च धारयेन्मन आत्मनि॥
Uniting firmly the senses and the mind with gaze fixed inwards, one should, in the silent hours of evening or those before dawn, fix his mind upon the understanding.
जन्तोः पञ्चेन्द्रियस्यास्य यदेकं छिद्रमिन्द्रियम्। ततोऽस्य स्रवते प्रज्ञा दृतेः पादादिवोदकम्।१५।।
If even one of the five senses of a human being be kept ungoverned all his wisdom escapes through it like water through a hole not made up at the bottom of a leather bag.
मनस्तु पूर्वमादद्यात् कुमीनमिव मत्स्यहा! ततः श्रोत्रं ततश्चक्षुर्जिह्वां घ्राणं च योगवित्॥
The mind in the first instance should be controlled by the Yogin like a fisherman trying at the commencement to make that one among the fish powerless from which he auticipates the greatest danger to his nets. Having first governed the mind, the Yogin should then proceed to subdue his ears, then his tongue, and then his nose.
तत एतानि संयम्य मनसि स्थापयेद् यतिः। तथैवापोह्य संकल्पान्मनो ह्यात्मनि धारयेत्॥
Having controlled these, he should fix there on the mind. Then withdrawing the mind from all purposes. He should settle it on the understanding.
पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि संधाय मनसि स्थापयेद् यतिः। यदैतान्यवतिष्ठन्ति मनःषष्ठान्यथात्मनि॥ प्रसीदन्ति च संस्थाय तदा ब्रह्म प्रकाशते। विधूम इव दीप्तार्चिरादित्य इव दीप्तिमान्॥
Indeed having governed the five senses, the Yati should fix them on the mind. When these with the mind for the sixth become concentrated in the understanding, and thus centred remain steady and firm then Brahma becomes perceptible like a smokeless blazing fire or the effulgent Sun.
वैद्युतोऽग्निरिवाकाशे दृश्यतेऽऽत्मा तथाऽऽत्मनि। सर्वस्तत्र स सर्वत्र व्यापकत्वाच्च दृश्यते॥
Indeed, one then beholds in himself his own soul like lightning in the firmament. Everything then appears in it and it appears in cverything on account of its infinitude.
तं पश्यन्ति महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः। धृतिमन्तो महाप्राज्ञाः सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥
Those great Brahmanas, who are possessed of wisdom, who are endued with fortitude, who are possessed of high knowledge and who are cngaged in the well being of all creatures, succeed in saying it.
एवं परिमितं कालमाचरन् संशितव्रतः। आसीनो हि रहस्येको गच्छेदक्षरसात्मताम्॥
Practising austere vows, the Yogin, who acts thus for six months seated by himself on a lonely spot, becomes at one with the Indestructible.
प्रमोहो भ्रम आवर्तो प्राणं श्रवणदर्शने। अद्भुतानि रसस्पर्शे शीतोष्णे मारुताकृतिः॥ प्रतिभामुपसर्गाश्चाप्युपसंगृह्य योगतः। तांस्तत्त्वविदनादृत्य आत्मन्येव निवर्तयेत्॥
Acquiring by Yoga annihilation, extension, power to present different shapes in the same person or body, celestial scents, and sounds, and sights, the most agreeable sensations of taste and touch, pleasurable sensations of coolness and warmth, equality with the wind, power to understanding the meaning of scriptures and every work of genius, living with celestial damsels, the Yogin should not care for them and merge them all in the Understanding.
कुर्यात् परिचयं योगे त्रैकाल्ये नियतो मुनिः। गिरि शृङ्गे तथा चैत्ये वृक्षाग्रेषु च योजयेत्॥
Restraining words and the senses should practise Yoga after dusk and before dawn seated on a mountain summit, or at the foot of a huge tree or with a tree before him.
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्राम कोष्ठे भाण्डमना इव! एकाग्रं चिन्तयेन्नित्यं योगानोद्वेजयेन्मनः॥
Controlling all the senses within the heart, one should, with faculties concentrated, think on the Eternal and Indestructible like a man of the world thinking of wealth and other valuable properties. One should never, while practising Yoga, with draw his mind from it. one
येनोपायेन शक्येत संनियन्तुं चलं मनः। तं च युक्तो निषेवेत न चैव विचलेत् ततः॥
One should with devotion pursue those mcans by which he may control the restive mind. One should never suffer himself to fall away from it.
शून्या गिरिगुहाश्चैव देवतायतनानि च। शून्यागाराणि चैकाग्रो निवासार्थमुपक्रमेत्॥
With the senses and the mind withdrawn from everything else, the Yogin should repair 10 empty caves of mountains, to temples consecrated to the gods and to empty houses or apartiments, for living there.
नाभिष्वजेत् परं वाचा कर्मणा मनसापि वा। उपेक्षको यताहारो लब्धालब्धे समो भवेत्॥
One should not mix with another in either speech, act or thought. Disregarding all things and eating very sparingly the Yogin should regard equally objects acquired or lost.
यश्चैनमभिनन्देत यश्चैनमपवादयेत्। समस्तयोश्चाप्युभयो भिध्यायेच्छुभाशुभम्॥
He should treat equally one who praises and one who censures him. He should not seek the good or the evil of one or the other.
न प्रहृष्येत लाभेषु नालाभेषु च चिन्तयेत्। समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु सधर्मा मातरिश्वनः॥
He should not rejoice at an acquisition or be sorry at a failure or loss. Treating all beings equally he should imitate the wind.
एवं स्वस्थात्मनः साधोः सर्वत्र समदर्शिनः। षण्मासान्नित्ययुक्तस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते॥
Brahma, represented by sound, appcars very clearly unto one whose mind is thus turned to itself, who leads a pure life, and who sees all things equally, indeed unto one who is ever engaged in Yoga thus for even six months.
वेदनार्ताः प्रज्ञा दृष्ट्वा समलोष्ठाश्मकाञ्चनः। एतस्मिन्विरतो मार्गे विरमेन च मोहितः॥
Seeing all men stricken with anxiety the Yogin should regard a clod of earth, a piece of stone, and a lump of gold with an equal eye. Indeed, he should withdraw himself from this path, cherishing a hatred for it, and never allow himself to be stupefied.
अपि वर्णावकृष्टस्तु नारी वा धर्मकाङ्क्षिणी। तावण्येतेन मार्गेण गच्छेतां परमां गतिम्॥
By following the path indicated above, even a person of an inferior caste, or a woman, will surely acquire the highest end.
अजं पुराणमजरं सनातनं यदिन्द्रियैरुपलभेत निश्चलैः। अणोरणीयो महतो महत्तरं तदात्मना पश्यति मुक्तमात्मवान्।॥
He who has subdued his mind sees in his own self, by the help of his own understanding the Increate, Ancient, Undeteriorating, and Eternal Brahma,-That which cannot be attained to except by controlled senses,-That which is subtler than the most subtile, and grosser than the most gross, and which is Emancipation's self.
इदं महर्षेर्वचनं महात्मनो यथावदुक्तं मनसानुदृश्य च। अवेक्ष्य चेमां परमेष्ठिसाम्यतां प्रयान्ति चाभूतगतिं मनीषिणः॥
Bhishma said By ascertaining from the preceptors and by themselves reflecting with their minds upon these words of the great Rishi spoken so properly wise persons become at one with Brahima himself, till, indeed, the time when the universal dissolution sets in that swallows up all existent beings.