Mahabharata, Book 14, Section XLVIIIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.48.

48Sanskrit adhyāya 14.48 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

ब्रह्मोवाच।
केचिद्ब्रह्ममयं वृक्षं केचिद्ब्रह्ममयं वनम्।
केचित्परममव्यक्तं केचित्परमनामयम्।
मन्यन्ते सर्वमप्येतदव्यक्तप्रभवाव्ययम्।।
उच्छ्वासमात्रमपि चेद्योऽन्तकाले समो भवेत्।
आत्मानमुपसङ्म्य सोमृतत्वाय कल्पते।।
निमेषमात्रमपि चेत्संयम्यात्मानमात्मनि।
गच्छत्यात्मप्रसादेन विदुषां प्राप्तिमव्ययाम्।।
प्राणायामैरथ प्राणान्संयम्य स पुनःपुनः।
दशद्वादशभिर्वापि चतुर्विंशात्समन्ततः।।
एवं पूर्वं प्रसन्नात्मा लभते यद्यदिच्छति।
अव्यक्तात्सत्वमुद्रिक्तममृतत्वाय कल्पते।।
सत्वात्परतरं नान्यत्प्रशंसन्तीह तद्विदः।
अनुमानाद्विजानीमः पुरुषं सत्वसंश्रयम्।
न शक्यमन्यथा गन्तुं पुरुषं द्विजसत्तमाः।।
क्षमा धृतिरहिंसा च समता सत्यमार्जवम्।
ज्ञानं त्यागोथ संन्यासः सात्विकं वृत्तमिष्यते।।
एतेनैवानुमानेन मन्यन्ते वै मनीषिणः।
सत्वं च पुरुषश्चैव तत्र नास्ति विचारणा।।
आहुरेके च विद्वांसो ये ज्ञाने सुप्रतिष्ठिताः।
क्षेत्रज्ञसत्वयोरैक्यमित्येतन्नोपपद्यते।।
पृथग्भूतस्तथा नित्यमित्येतदविचारितम्।
पृथग्भावश्च विज्ञेयः सहजश्चापि तत्त्वतः।।
तथैवैकत्वनानात्वमिष्यते विदुषां नयः।
मशकोदुम्बरे चैक्यं पृथक्त्वमपि दृश्यते।।
मत्स्यो यथाऽन्यः स्यादप्सु सम्प्रयोगस्तथा तयोः।
सम्बन्धस्तोयबिन्दूनां पर्णैः कोकनदस्य च।।
गुरुरुवाच।
इत्युक्तवन्तस्ते विप्रास्तदा लोकपितामहम्।
पुनः संशयमापन्नाः पप्रच्छुर्मुनिसत्तमाः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्व
णि अनुगीतापर्वणि अष्टचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः।। 48 ।।

English Ganguli

"'"'Brahma said, "Some regard Brahman as a tree. Some regard Brahman as a great forest. Some regard Brahman as unmanifest. Some regard it as transcendant and freed from every distress. They think that all this is produced from and absorbed into the unmanifest. He who, even for the short space of time that is taken by a single breath, when his end comes, becomes equable, attaining to the self, fits himself for immortality. Restraining the self in the self, even for the space of a wink, one goes, through the tranquillity of the self, to that which constitutes the inexhaustible acquisition of those that are endued with knowledge. Restraining the life-breaths again and again by controlling them according to the method called Pranayama, by the ten or the twelve, he attains to that which is beyond the four and twenty. Thus having first acquired a tranquil soul, one attains to the fruition of all one's wishes.[144] When the quality of Goodness predominates in that which arises from the Unmanifest, it becomes fit for immortality. They who are conversant with Goodness applaud it highly, saying that there is nothing higher than Goodness. By inference we know that Purusha is dependent on Goodness. Ye best of regenerate ones, it is impossible to attain to Purusha by any other means. Forgiveness, courage, abstention from harm, equability, truth, sincerity, knowledge, gift, and renunciation, are said to be the characteristics of that course of conduct which arises out of Goodness. It is by this inference that the wise believe in the identity of Purusha and Goodness, There is no doubt in this. Some learned men that are devoted to knowledge assert the unity of Kshetrajna and Nature. This, however, is not correct. It is said that Nature is different from Purusha: that also will imply a want to consideration. Truly, distinction and association should be known (as applying to Purusha and Nature). Unity and diversity are likewise laid down. That is the doctrine of the learned. In the Gnat and Udumbara both unity and diversity are seen. As a fish in water is different from it, such is the relation of the two (viz., Purusha and Nature). Verily, their relation is like that of water drops on the leaf of the lotus."'

"'"The preceptor continued, 'Thus addressed, those learned Brahmanas, who were the foremost of men, felt some doubts and (therefore) they once more questioned the Grandsire (of all creatures).'"'"[145]