Bhagavad-Gita (Besant 4th)/Discourse 15

by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

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FIFTEENTH DISCOURSE.

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।

छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १ ॥

The Blessed Lord said:

With roots above, branches below, the Asvattha is said to be indestructible; the leaves of it are hymns; he who knoweth it is a Veda-knower. (1)

 

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखाः गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ २ ॥

Downwards and upwards spread the branches of it, nourished by the qualities^[1]; the objects of the senses its buds; and its roots grow downwards, the bonds of action in the world of men. (2)

 

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ ३ ॥

Nor here may be acquired knowledge of its form, nor its end, nor its origin, nor its rooting-place; this strongly rooted Asvattha having been cut down by the unswerving weapon of non-attachment, (3)

 

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यम्

यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।

तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये

यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ ४ ॥

That path beyond may be sought, treading which there is no return. I go indeed to that Primal Man^[2], whence the ancient energy forth-streamed. (4)

 

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषाः

अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।

द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै-

र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ ५ ॥

Without pride and delusion, victorious over the vice of attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, desire pacified, liberated from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, they tread, undeluded, that indestructible path. (5)

 

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ६ ॥

Nor doth the sun lighten there, nor moon, nor fire; having gone thither they return not; that is My supreme abode. (6)

 

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥

A portion of Mine own Self, transformed in the world of life into an immortal Spirit,^[3] draweth round itself the senses of which the mind^[4] is the sixth, veiled in matter^[5]. (7)

 

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः । गृहित्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥ ८ ॥

When the Lord acquireth a body and when He abandoneth it, He seizeth these^[6] and goeth with them, as the wind takes fragrances from their retreats (8)

 

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च । अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥ ९ ॥

Enshrined in the ear, the eye, the touch, the taste and the smell, and in the mind^[4] also, He enjoyeth the objects of the senses (9)

 

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥ १० ॥

The deluded do not perceive (Him) when He departeth or stayeth or enjoyeth, swayed by the qualities^[7]; the wisdom-eyed perceive. (10)

 

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥ ११ ॥

Yogîs also, struggling, perceive Him, established in the Self; but though struggling, the unintelligent perceive Him not, their selves untrained. (11)

 

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् । यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥ १२ ॥

That splendour issuing from the sun that enlighteneth the whole world, that which is in the moon and in fire, that splendour know as from Me. (12)

 

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा । पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥ १३ ॥

Permeating the soil, I support beings by my vital energy, and having become the delicious Soma^[8] I nourish all plants. (13)

 

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥ १४ ॥

I, having become the Fire of Life^[9], take possession of the bodies of breathing things, and united with the life-breaths^[10], I digest the four kinds of food. (14)

 

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च । वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥

And I am seated in the hearts of all, and from Me memory and wisdom and their absence. And that which is to be known in all the Vedas am I; and I indeed the Veda-knower and the author of the Vedanta. (15)

 

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च । क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥ १६ ॥

There are two Energies^[11] in this world, the destructible and the indestructible; the destructible is all beings, the unchanging is called the indestructible. (16)

 

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥ १७ ॥

The highest Energy^[11] is verily Another, declared as the Supreme Self, He who, pervading all, sustaineth the three worlds, the indestructible Lord. (17)

 

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १८ ॥

Since I excel the destructible, and am more excellent also than the indestructible, in the world and in the Veda I am proclaimed the Supreme Spirit.^[12] (18)

 

यो मामेवमसंमूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥ १९ ॥

He who undeluded knoweth Me thus as the Supreme Spirit^[12], he, all-knowing, worshippeth Me with his whole being, O Bhârata. (19)

 

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ । एतद्‌बुध्वा बुद्धिमान् स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥ २० ॥

Thus by Me this most secret teaching hath been told O sinless one. This known, he hath become illuminated and hath finished his work, O Bhârata. (20)

 

इति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता॰ पुरुषोत्तमयोगो नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः ।

Thus in the glorious Upanishads of the Bhagavad-Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Shrî Krishna and Arjuna, the fifteenth discourse, entitled:

THE YOGA OF ATTAINING THE SUPREME SPIRIT.

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1. Gunas.
2. Purusha.
3. Jîva, a life, individualised from the Universal Spirit.
4. Manah.
5. Prakriti.
6. The senses and the mind.
7. Gunas.
8. "Having become the watery moon" is the accepted translation. Soma is a liquid, drawn from the Soma-plant. "Having become sap" is a probable translation.
9. Vaisvânara.
10. Prâna and Apâna.
11. Purusha.
12. Purushottama, the highest Purusha.