The Adhvaryu and the Ascetic

Verse 1 (14.29.1)

गन्धान्न जिघ्रामि रसान्न वेद्मि । रूपं न पश्यामि न च स्पृशामि । न चापि शब्दान्विविधाञ्शृणोमि । न चापि सङ्कल्पमुपैमि कञ्चित् ॥

gandhānna jighrāmi rasānna vedmi | rūpaṃ na paśyāmi na ca spṛśāmi | na cāpi śabdānvividhāñśṛṇomi | na cāpi saṅkalpamupaimi kañcit

The Brahmin said: I do not smell scents and I do not know flavours; I do not see forms and I do not touch; I do not hear the many kinds of sounds, nor do I form any intention at all.

Note on the text: Corrected रासान्न → रसान्न (misprint in Wikisource: a long आ in the word for 'flavours'; CE rasān).

Verse 2 (14.29.2)

अर्थानिष्टान्कामयते स्वभावः । सर्वान्द्वेष्यान्प्रद्विषते स्वभावः । कामद्वेषावुद्भवतः स्वभावा- । त्प्राणापानौ जन्तुदेहान्निवेश्य ॥

arthāniṣṭānkāmayate svabhāvaḥ | sarvāndveṣyānpradviṣate svabhāvaḥ | kāmadveṣāvudbhavataḥ svabhāvā- | tprāṇāpānau jantudehānniveśya

It is nature that desires the things it likes, and nature that hates all that it dislikes. Desire and hatred arise from nature, once it has set the in-breath and the out-breath in the bodies of living creatures.

Note on the text: Corrected कामद्वेषानुद्भवतः → कामद्वेषावुद्भवतः (misprint in Wikisource: न for व, so that the dual subject of उद्भवतः is lost; CE kāmadveṣāv udbhavataḥ).

Verse 3 (14.29.3)

तेभ्यश्चान्यांस्तेषु नित्यांश्च भावा- । न्भूतात्मानं अक्षयेऽहं शरीरे । तस्मिंस्तिष्ठन्नास्मि सक्तः कथंचि- । त्कामक्रोधाभ्यां जरया मृत्युना च ॥

tebhyaścānyāṃsteṣu nityāṃśca bhāvā- | nbhūtātmānaṃ akṣaye'haṃ śarīre | tasmiṃstiṣṭhannāsmi saktaḥ kathaṃci- | tkāmakrodhābhyāṃ jarayā mṛtyunā ca

In this imperishable body I perceive the states other than these, and those among them that endure, and the self of beings. Abiding in it, I am in no way attached to desire and anger, to old age and death.

Verse 4 (14.29.4)

अकामयानस्य च सर्वकामा- । अविद्विषाणस्य च सर्वदोषान् । न मे स्वभावेषु भवन्ति लेपा- । स्तोयस्य बिन्दोरिव पुष्करेषु ॥

akāmayānasya ca sarvakāmā- | avidviṣāṇasya ca sarvadoṣān | na me svabhāveṣu bhavanti lepā- | stoyasya bindoriva puṣkareṣu

I desire no desires and hate no faults, so the natural states leave no stain on me, as a drop of water leaves none on the leaves of a lotus.

Note on the text: Corrected नविद्विषाणस्य → अविद्विषाणस्य (misprint in Wikisource: the words run together as a non-word; CE avidviṣāṇasya, parallel to अकामयानस्य in line 1).

Verse 5 (14.29.5)

नित्यस्य चैतस्य भवन्ति नित्या । निरीक्ष्यमाणस्य बहून्स्वभावान् । न सज्जते कर्मसु भोगजालं । दिवीव सूर्यस्य मयूखजालम् ॥

nityasya caitasya bhavanti nityā | nirīkṣyamāṇasya bahūnsvabhāvān | na sajjate karmasu bhogajālaṃ | divīva sūryasya mayūkhajālam

To this eternal one, as he looks upon the many natural states, those states remain lasting; yet the net of enjoyments does not cling to his actions, just as the net of the sun's rays does not cling to anything in the sky.

Verse 6 (14.29.6)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । अध्वर्युयतिसंवादं तं निबोध यशस्विनि ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | adhvaryuyatisaṃvādaṃ taṃ nibodha yaśasvini

On this subject they recount an ancient tale, the dialogue between an Adhvaryu priest and an ascetic. Listen to it, O illustrious one.

Verse 7 (14.29.7)

प्रोक्ष्यमाणं पशुं दृष्ट्वा यज्ञकर्मण्यथाब्रवीत् । यतिरध्वर्युमासीनो हिंसोऽयमिति कुत्सयन् ॥

prokṣyamāṇaṃ paśuṃ dṛṣṭvā yajñakarmaṇyathābravīt | yatiradhvaryumāsīno hiṃso'yamiti kutsayan

At a sacrificial rite, seeing an animal being sprinkled for the offering, an ascetic who was sitting there said to the Adhvaryu, condemning the act: "This is violence."

Note on the text: Corrected हिंसोयमिति → हिंसोऽयमिति (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE reads हिंसेयम्, a different form of the same words).

Verse 8 (14.29.8)

तमध्वर्युः प्रत्युवाच नायं छागो विनश्यति । श्रेयसा योक्ष्यते जन्तुर्यज्ञाच्छ्रुतिरियं तथा ॥

tamadhvaryuḥ pratyuvāca nāyaṃ chāgo vinaśyati | śreyasā yokṣyate janturyajñācchrutiriyaṃ tathā

The Adhvaryu answered him: "This goat does not perish. Through the sacrifice the creature will be joined to a better state; so the scriptural text declares.

Verse 9 (14.29.9)

यो ह्यस्य पार्थिवो भागः पृथिवीं स गमिष्यति । यदस्य वारिजं किञ्चिदपस्तत्सम्प्रवेक्ष्यति ॥

yo hyasya pārthivo bhāgaḥ pṛthivīṃ sa gamiṣyati | yadasya vārijaṃ kiñcidapastatsampravekṣyati

Whatever part of it is of earth will go to the earth, and whatever in it is born of water will enter the waters.

Note on the text: Speaker: no heading is printed; whole-verse speech of the Adhvaryu priest, so given to him (the input had ब्राह्मण).

Verse 10 (14.29.10)

सूर्यं चक्षुर्दिशः श्रोत्रे प्राणोऽस्य दिवमेव च । आगमे वर्तमानस्य न मे दोषोऽस्ति कश्चन ॥

sūryaṃ cakṣurdiśaḥ śrotre prāṇo'sya divameva ca | āgame vartamānasya na me doṣo'sti kaścana

Its eye goes to the sun, its ears to the quarters of space, and its breath to the sky. As long as I act in keeping with the scripture, no fault attaches to me."

Note on the text: Speaker: whole-verse speech of the Adhvaryu priest (no heading printed; the input had ब्राह्मण). Corrected नमे दोषोस्ति → न मे दोषोऽस्ति (words run together and avagraha dropped in Wikisource; CE na me doṣo 'sti).

Verse 11 (14.29.11)

प्राणैर्वियोगे च्छागस्य यदि श्रेयः प्रपश्यसि । छागार्थे वर्तते यज्ञो भवतः किं प्रयोजनम् ॥

prāṇairviyoge cchāgasya yadi śreyaḥ prapaśyasi | chāgārthe vartate yajño bhavataḥ kiṃ prayojanam

The Ascetic said: If you see a better state for the goat in being parted from its breaths, then the sacrifice is being performed for the goat's sake; what purpose is it to you?

Verse 12 (14.29.12)

अनु त्वां मन्यते माता अनु त्वां मन्यते पिता । मन्त्रविज्ञानमुन्नीय परिवर्ते विशेषतः ॥

anu tvāṃ manyate mātā anu tvāṃ manyate pitā | mantravijñānamunnīya parivarte viśeṣataḥ

Your mother gives you her consent, and so does your father. Having drawn out the knowledge of the mantra, I shall go over the matter with special care.

Note on the text: Recension variant of CE 14.28.12 (anu tvā manyatāṃ mātā pitā bhrātā sakhāpi ca / mantrayasvainam unnīya paravantaṃ viśeṣataḥ), which the alignment left unmatched; the page's own apparatus records a similar reading (झ.द.पाठ). Kept as printed.

Verse 13 (14.29.13)

एवमेवानुमन्येरंस्तान्भवान्द्रष्टुमर्हति । तेषामनुमतिं श्रुत्वा शक्या कर्तुं विचारणा ॥

evamevānumanyeraṃstānbhavāndraṣṭumarhati | teṣāmanumatiṃ śrutvā śakyā kartuṃ vicāraṇā

You ought to consult those who would give their consent in the same way. Once you have heard their consent, deliberation on the matter becomes possible.

Verse 14 (14.29.14)

प्राणा अप्यस्य च्छागस्य प्रापितास्ते स्वयोनिषु । शरीरं केवलं शिष्टं निश्चेष्टमिति मे मतिः ॥

prāṇā apyasya cchāgasya prāpitāste svayoniṣu | śarīraṃ kevalaṃ śiṣṭaṃ niśceṣṭamiti me matiḥ

The Adhvaryu said: The breaths of this goat have been carried back to their own sources; only the body remains, motionless. That is my view.

Verse 15 (14.29.15)

इन्धनस्य तु तुल्येन शरीरेण विचेतसा । हिंसा हि यष्टुकामानामिन्धनं पशुसंज्ञितम् ॥

indhanasya tu tulyena śarīreṇa vicetasā | hiṃsā hi yaṣṭukāmānāmindhanaṃ paśusaṃjñitam

With a body now without mind, it is equal to firewood; for those who wish to sacrifice, what is called violence is simply the fuel that goes by the name of animal.

Note on the text: Corrected शरीरेणि → शरीरेण (misprint in Wikisource: stray ि; CE śarīreṇa). Line 2 is a recension variant (यष्टुकामानाम् for CE nirveṣṭukāmānām), kept.

Verse 16 (14.29.16)

अहिंसा सर्वधर्माणामिति वृद्धानुशासनम् । यदहिंस्रं भवेत्कर्म तत्कार्यमिति विद्महे ॥

ahiṃsā sarvadharmāṇāmiti vṛddhānuśāsanam | yadahiṃsraṃ bhavetkarma tatkāryamiti vidmahe

Non-violence is the highest of all duties; so the elders teach. We hold that an action free of violence is the one that should be done.

Verse 17 (14.29.17)

अहिंसेति प्रतिज्ञेयं यदि वक्ष्याम्यतः परम् । शक्यं बहुविधं वक्तुं भवता कार्यदूषणम् ॥

ahiṃseti pratijñeyaṃ yadi vakṣyāmyataḥ param | śakyaṃ bahuvidhaṃ vaktuṃ bhavatā kāryadūṣaṇam

If I am to speak further, "non-violence" must be the vow we state; and you, for your part, could raise many kinds of objections against the act.

Verse 18 (14.29.18)

अहिंसा सर्वभूतानां नित्यमस्मासु रोचते । प्रत्यक्षतः साधयामो न परोक्षमुपास्महे ॥

ahiṃsā sarvabhūtānāṃ nityamasmāsu rocate | pratyakṣataḥ sādhayāmo na parokṣamupāsmahe

Non-violence towards all beings is always dear to us. We accomplish it before our eyes; we do not rely on what lies beyond perception.

Verse 19 (14.29.19)

भूमेर्गन्धगुणान्भुङ्क्षे पिबस्यापोमयान्रसान् । ज्योतिषां पश्यसे रूपं स्पृशस्यनिलजान्गुणान् ॥

bhūmergandhaguṇānbhuṅkṣe pibasyāpomayānrasān | jyotiṣāṃ paśyase rūpaṃ spṛśasyanilajānguṇān

The Adhvaryu said: You enjoy the qualities of earth, the scents; you drink the flavours made of water; you see the form of lights; you touch the qualities born of wind.

Note on the text: Corrected भुङ्क्ष्व → भुङ्क्षे and पश्यते → पश्यसे (misprints in Wikisource: the second-person present forms required by the series पिबसि … स्पृशसि; CE bhuṅkṣe … paśyase). Speaker: the page's heading reads अध्वर्य उवाच, a misprint for अध्वर्युरुवाच; the speaker is the Adhvaryu priest (verses 19-21).

Verse 20 (14.29.20)

शृणोष्याकाशजाञ्शब्दान्मनसा मन्यसे मतिम् । सर्वाण्येतानि भूतानि प्राणा इति च मन्यसे ॥

śṛṇoṣyākāśajāñśabdānmanasā manyase matim | sarvāṇyetāni bhūtāni prāṇā iti ca manyase

You hear the sounds born of space, and with your mind you form your thought. All these are beings, and you hold them to be life-breaths.

Verse 21 (14.29.21)

प्राणादाने निवृत्तोऽसि हिंसायां वर्तते भवान् । नास्ति चेष्टा विना हिंसां किं वा त्वं मन्यसे द्विज ॥

prāṇādāne nivṛtto'si hiṃsāyāṃ vartate bhavān | nāsti ceṣṭā vinā hiṃsāṃ kiṃ vā tvaṃ manyase dvija

You say you have turned away from taking life, yet you live in violence. There is no activity without violence. What then do you really hold, O twice-born?

Note on the text: Corrected निवृत्तोसि → निवृत्तोऽसि (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE reads नित्यो 'सि, a different reading, not adopted).

Verse 22 (14.29.22)

अक्षरं च क्षरं चैव द्वैधीभावोऽयमात्मनः । अक्षरं तत्र सद्भावः स्वभावः क्षर उच्यते ॥

akṣaraṃ ca kṣaraṃ caiva dvaidhībhāvo'yamātmanaḥ | akṣaraṃ tatra sadbhāvaḥ svabhāvaḥ kṣara ucyate

The Ascetic said: The imperishable and the perishable are the two states of the self. Of these, the imperishable is real being, and the perishable is called natural disposition.

Verse 23 (14.29.23)

प्राणो जिह्वा मनः सत्त्वं सद्भावो रजसा सह । भावैरेतैर्विमुक्तस्य निर्द्वन्द्वस्य निराशिषः ॥

prāṇo jihvā manaḥ sattvaṃ sadbhāvo rajasā saha | bhāvairetairvimuktasya nirdvandvasya nirāśiṣaḥ

Breath, tongue, mind, sattva, and real being together with rajas: for one who is freed from these states, free of the pairs of opposites and without expectations,

Verse 24 (14.29.24)

समस्य सर्वभूतेषु निर्ममस्य जितात्मनः । समन्तात्परिमुक्तस्य न भयं विद्यते क्वचित् ॥

samasya sarvabhūteṣu nirmamasya jitātmanaḥ | samantātparimuktasya na bhayaṃ vidyate kvacit

who is the same towards all beings, free of possessiveness, master of himself and wholly released on every side, there is no fear anywhere.

Verse 25 (14.29.25)

सद्भिरेवेह संवादः कार्यो मतिमतांवर । भवतो हि मतं श्रुत्वा प्रतिभाति मतिर्मम ॥

sadbhireveha saṃvādaḥ kāryo matimatāṃvara | bhavato hi mataṃ śrutvā pratibhāti matirmama

The Adhvaryu said: O best of the wise, conversation should be held with the good alone; for having heard your view, my understanding is awakened.

Verse 26 (14.29.26)

भगवन्भगवद्बुद्ध्या प्रतिबुद्धो ब्रवीम्यहम् । व्रतं मन्त्रकृतं कर्तुर्नापराधोऽस्ति मे द्विज ॥

bhagavanbhagavadbuddhyā pratibuddho bravīmyaham | vrataṃ mantrakṛtaṃ karturnāparādho'sti me dvija

Revered sir, enlightened by your venerable insight, I say this: in me, who perform the rite enjoined by the mantras, there is no fault, O twice-born.

Note on the text: Corrected नापराधोस्ति → नापराधोऽस्ति (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE nāparādho 'sti). Line 1 "व्रतं मन्त्रकृतं" is a recension variant of CE mataṃ mantuṃ kratuṃ (the page's apparatus records मतं मन्तुं क्रतुं कर्तुम् as a manuscript reading), kept.

Verse 27 (14.29.27)

उपपत्त्या यतिस्तूष्णीं वर्तमानस्ततः परम् । अध्वर्युरपि निर्मोहः प्रचचार महामखे ॥

upapattyā yatistūṣṇīṃ vartamānastataḥ param | adhvaryurapi nirmohaḥ pracacāra mahāmakhe

The Brahmin said: Persuaded by that reasoning, the ascetic remained silent thereafter, and the Adhvaryu, now free of delusion, carried on with the great sacrifice.

Verse 28 (14.29.28)

एवमेतादृशं मोक्षं सुसूक्ष्मं ब्राह्मणा विदुः । विदित्वा चानुतिष्ठन्ति क्षेत्रज्ञेनार्थदर्शिना ॥

evametādṛśaṃ mokṣaṃ susūkṣmaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ | viditvā cānutiṣṭhanti kṣetrajñenārthadarśinā

Thus do Brahmins know such a liberation, most subtle; and having known it, they practise it with the knower of the field, the seer of the true aim.