The Great Forest of the Self

Verse 1 (14.28.1)

संकल्पदंशमशकं शोकहर्षहिमातपम् । मोहान्धकारतिमिरं लोभव्याधिसरीसृपम् ॥

saṃkalpadaṃśamaśakaṃ śokaharṣahimātapam | mohāndhakāratimiraṃ lobhavyādhisarīsṛpam

Its gadflies and mosquitoes are resolves; its cold and heat are grief and joy; its darkness and gloom are delusion; its reptiles are greed and sickness.

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 2 (14.28.2)

विषयैकात्ययाध्वानं कामक्रोधकिरातकम् । तदतीत्य महादुर्गं प्रविष्टोऽस्मि महद्वनम् ॥

viṣayaikātyayādhvānaṃ kāmakrodhakirātakam | tadatītya mahādurgaṃ praviṣṭo'smi mahadvanam

Its one road runs through the objects of the senses, and desire and anger are its wild hunters. Having crossed that great and difficult place, I have entered the great forest.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रविष्टोस्मि → प्रविष्टोऽस्मि (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 3 (14.28.3)

क्व तद्वनं महाप्राज्ञ के वृक्षाः सरितश्च काः । कियन्तः पर्वताश्चैव कियत्यध्वनि तद्वनम् ॥

kva tadvanaṃ mahāprājña ke vṛkṣāḥ saritaśca kāḥ | kiyantaḥ parvatāścaiva kiyatyadhvani tadvanam

"Where is that forest, O greatly wise one? What trees are there, and what rivers? How many mountains, and how far along the road is that forest?"

Note on the text: Corrected कियत्यध्यनि → कियत्यध्वनि (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads kiyaty adhvani).

Verse 4 (14.28.4)

नैतदस्ति पृथग्भावः किञ्चिदन्यत्ततः सुखम् । नैतदस्त्यपृथग्भावः किञ्चिद्दुःखतरं ततः ॥

naitadasti pṛthagbhāvaḥ kiñcidanyattataḥ sukham | naitadastyapṛthagbhāvaḥ kiñcidduḥkhataraṃ tataḥ

"It is not a matter of separateness: there is nothing else more pleasing than that. It is not a matter of non-separateness: there is nothing more painful than that."

Note on the text: Corrected किञ्चिनद्यत्ततः → किञ्चिदन्यत्ततः (misprint in Wikisource; not a valid word group in context; the critical edition's line reads na tad asti pṛthagbhāve kiṃ cid anyat tataḥ samam, and the smallest fix toward it is अन्यत्, 'anything else'; the Wikisource ending सुखम् for the CE's samam is a recension variant and is kept). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 5 (14.28.5)

तस्माद्ध्रस्वतरं नास्ति न ततोऽस्ति महत्तरम् । नास्ति तस्माद्दुःखतरं नास्त्यन्यत्तत्समं सुखम् ॥

tasmāddhrasvataraṃ nāsti na tato'sti mahattaram | nāsti tasmādduḥkhataraṃ nāstyanyattatsamaṃ sukham

"Nothing is shorter than it, and nothing is greater; nothing is more painful than it, and no other happiness equals it."

Note on the text: Corrected ततोस्ति → ततोऽस्ति (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition).

Verse 6 (14.28.6)

न तत्राविश्य शोचन्ति न प्रहृष्यन्ति च द्विजाः । न च बिभ्यति केभ्यश्चिन्नैभ्यो बिभ्यति केचन ॥

na tatrāviśya śocanti na prahṛṣyanti ca dvijāḥ | na ca bibhyati kebhyaścinnaibhyo bibhyati kecana

"Having entered it, the twice-born neither grieve nor rejoice; they fear no one, and no one fears them."

Note on the text: Corrected तत्राविश्यि → तत्राविश्य (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign ि on the absolutive; the critical edition reads na tat praviśya śocanti). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 7 (14.28.7)

तस्मिन्वने सप्त महाद्रुमाश्च । फलानि सप्तातिथयश्च सप्त । सप्ताश्रमाः सप्त समाधयश्च । दीक्षाश्च सप्तैतदरण्यरूपम् ॥

tasminvane sapta mahādrumāśca | phalāni saptātithayaśca sapta | saptāśramāḥ sapta samādhayaśca | dīkṣāśca saptaitadaraṇyarūpam

"In that forest there are seven great trees, seven fruits and seven guests, seven hermitages and seven concentrations, and seven consecrations: this is the form of the forest."

Verse 8 (14.28.8)

पञ्चवर्णानि दिव्यानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम् ॥

pañcavarṇāni divyāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | sṛjantaḥ pādapāstatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tadvanam

"Trees there bring forth divine flowers and fruits of five colours, and stand pervading that forest."

Note on the text: Corrected तद्वन्म् → तद्वनम् (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads tad vanam).

Verse 9 (14.28.9)

सुवर्णानि द्विवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम् ॥

suvarṇāni dvivarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | sṛjantaḥ pādapāstatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tadvanam

"Trees there bring forth flowers and fruits of gold and of two colours, and stand pervading that forest."

Verse 10 (14.28.10)

शङ्कराणि त्रिवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम् ॥

śaṅkarāṇi trivarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | sṛjantaḥ pādapāstatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tadvanam

"Trees there bring forth auspicious flowers and fruits of three colours, and stand pervading that forest."

Note on the text: Removed the wiki marks (a backtick before the verse and an apostrophe after it) that mark the verse as a bracketed addition on the page. Critical edition: CE 14.27.11 (the CE gives the four-colour verse 14.27.10, caturvarṇāni divyāni, before it; that verse is not on the Wikisource page, whose footnote at verse 9 records caturvarṇāni as a variant).

Verse 11 (14.28.11)

सुरभीणि द्विवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम् ॥

surabhīṇi dvivarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | sṛjantaḥ pādapāstatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tadvanam

"Trees there bring forth fragrant flowers and fruits of two colours, and stand pervading that forest."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension): it repeats the pattern of CE 14.27.12 with द्विवर्णानि for the CE's ekavarṇāni (the next Wikisource verse is CE 14.27.12 itself).

Verse 12 (14.28.12)

सुरभीण्येकवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । सृजन्तः पादपास्तत्र व्याप्य तिष्ठन्ति तद्वनम् ॥

surabhīṇyekavarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | sṛjantaḥ pādapāstatra vyāpya tiṣṭhanti tadvanam

"Trees there bring forth fragrant flowers and fruits of one colour, and stand pervading that forest."

Verse 13 (14.28.13)

बहून्यव्यक्तवर्णानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । विसृजन्तौ महावृक्षौ तद्वनं व्याप्य तिष्ठतः ॥

bahūnyavyaktavarṇāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca | visṛjantau mahāvṛkṣau tadvanaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhataḥ

"Two great trees, bringing forth many flowers and fruits of unmanifest colour, stand pervading that forest."

Verse 14 (14.28.14)

एको वह्निः सुमना ब्राह्मणोऽत्र । पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि समिधश्चात्र सन्ति । तेभ्यो वृक्षाः सप्त फलन्ति दीक्षा । गुणाः फलान्यतिथयः फलाशाः ॥

eko vahniḥ sumanā brāhmaṇo'tra | pañcendriyāṇi samidhaścātra santi | tebhyo vṛkṣāḥ sapta phalanti dīkṣā | guṇāḥ phalānyatithayaḥ phalāśāḥ

"Here there is one fire, a Brahmin of good mind; here the five senses are the kindling-sticks. From them the seven trees bear fruit as consecrations; the qualities are the fruits, and the guests are those who hope for the fruit."

Note on the text: Corrected ब्राह्मणोत्र → ब्राह्मणोऽत्र (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition). Corrected वृक्षाःक → वृक्षाः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray क after the visarga, apparently a footnote mark; the critical edition reads tebhyo mokṣāḥ sapta bhavanti dīkṣā, and Wikisource's वृक्षाः is a recension variant). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 15 (14.28.15)

आतिथ्यं प्रतिगृह्णन्ति तत्र सप्त महर्षयः । अर्चितेषु प्रलीनेषु तेष्वन्यद्रोचते वनम् ॥

ātithyaṃ pratigṛhṇanti tatra sapta maharṣayaḥ | arciteṣu pralīneṣu teṣvanyadrocate vanam

"There the seven great sages accept hospitality; when they have been honoured and have withdrawn, another forest delights."

Verse 16 (14.28.16)

प्रज्ञावृक्षं मोक्षफलं शान्तिच्छायासमन्वितम् । ज्ञानाश्रयं तृप्तितोयमन्तःक्षेत्रज्ञभास्करम् ॥

prajñāvṛkṣaṃ mokṣaphalaṃ śānticchāyāsamanvitam | jñānāśrayaṃ tṛptitoyamantaḥkṣetrajñabhāskaram

"A tree of wisdom whose fruit is liberation, endowed with the shade of peace, resting on knowledge, with the water of contentment, and with the Knower of the Field within as its sun."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 17 (14.28.17)

येऽधिगच्छन्ति तत्सन्तस्तेषां नास्ति पुनर्भवः । ऊर्ध्वं चाधश्च तिर्यक्च तस्य नान्तोऽधिगम्यते ॥

ye'dhigacchanti tatsantasteṣāṃ nāsti punarbhavaḥ | ūrdhvaṃ cādhaśca tiryakca tasya nānto'dhigamyate

"The good who reach it have no rebirth. Upward, downward and across, no end of it can be found."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 18 (14.28.18)

सप्त स्त्रियस्तत्र चरन्ति सत्या- । स्त्ववाङ्मुखा भानुमत्यो जनित्र्यः । ऊर्ध्वं रसानाददते प्रजाभ्यः । सर्वान्यथा नित्यमनित्यता च ॥

sapta striyastatra caranti satyā- | stvavāṅmukhā bhānumatyo janitryaḥ | ūrdhvaṃ rasānādadate prajābhyaḥ | sarvānyathā nityamanityatā ca

"Seven women, true and radiant, move about there, facing downward, the mothers of creatures. They draw upward all the essences from living beings, as ever, and impermanence is always with them."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 19 (14.28.19)

तत्रैव प्रतितिष्ठन्ति पुनस्तत्रोदयन्ति च । सप्त सप्तर्षयः सिद्धा वसिष्ठप्रमुखैः सह ॥

tatraiva pratitiṣṭhanti punastatrodayanti ca | sapta saptarṣayaḥ siddhā vasiṣṭhapramukhaiḥ saha

"There they stand firm, and there they rise again: the seven seers, the perfected, together with Vasishtha at their head."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 20 (14.28.20)

यशो वर्चो भगश्चैव विजयः सिद्धतेजसः । एतमेवानुवर्तन्ते सप्त ज्योतींषि भास्करम् ॥

yaśo varco bhagaścaiva vijayaḥ siddhatejasaḥ | etamevānuvartante sapta jyotīṃṣi bhāskaram

"Fame, radiance, fortune, victory, and those of perfected splendour: these seven lights follow the sun alone."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 21 (14.28.21)

ऋषयः पर्वताश्चैव सन्ति तत्र समासतः । नद्यश्च परितो वारि वहन्त्यो ब्रह्मसम्भवम् ॥

ṛṣayaḥ parvatāścaiva santi tatra samāsataḥ | nadyaśca parito vāri vahantyo brahmasambhavam

"Sages and mountains are there in brief, and rivers all round, bearing waters that are born of Brahman."

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मिसम्भवम् → ब्रह्मसम्भवम् (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign ि; the critical edition reads brahmasaṃbhavam). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 22 (14.28.22)

नदीनां सङ्गमश्चैव वैताने समुपह्वरे । स्वात्मतृप्ता यतो यान्ति साक्षादेव पितामहम् ॥

nadīnāṃ saṅgamaścaiva vaitāne samupahvare | svātmatṛptā yato yānti sākṣādeva pitāmaham

"And there is a confluence of rivers at the Vaitana, in a secluded recess, from which those contented in themselves go straight to the Grandfather."

Note on the text: Corrected समुपहरे → समुपह्वरे (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped conjunct; the critical edition reads samupahvare). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 23 (14.28.23)

कृशाशाः सुव्रताः शान्तास्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाः । आत्मन्यात्मानमावेश्य ब्राह्मणास्तमुपासते ॥

kṛśāśāḥ suvratāḥ śāntāstapasā dagdhakilbiṣāḥ | ātmanyātmānamāveśya brāhmaṇāstamupāsate

"Lean in their desires, firm in their vows, tranquil, their sins burnt away by austerity, having fixed the self in the Self, the Brahmins worship him."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 24 (14.28.24)

शमिमप्यत्र शंसन्ति विद्यारण्यविदो जनाः । तदरण्यमभिप्रेत्य यथातत्वमजायत ॥

śamimapyatra śaṃsanti vidyāraṇyavido janāḥ | tadaraṇyamabhipretya yathātatvamajāyata

"Those who know the forest of knowledge speak here too of the shami tree; with that forest in view, it came to be as it truly is."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant). The page's footnotes record other readings of this verse (ऋचमप्यत्र पश्यन्ति, शममप्यत्र शंसन्ति); the base reading is kept.

Verse 25 (14.28.25)

एतदेवेदृशं पुण्यमरण्यं ब्राह्मणा विदुः । विदित्वा चानुतिष्ठन्ति क्षेत्रज्ञेनानुदर्शिना ॥

etadevedṛśaṃ puṇyamaraṇyaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ | viditvā cānutiṣṭhanti kṣetrajñenānudarśinā

"The Brahmins know such a forest as this sacred wood; having known it, they follow it, shown the way by the Knower of the Field."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).