Brahma Describes Sattva, the Quality of Goodness

Verse 1 (14.39.1)

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि तृतीयं गुणमुत्तमम् । सर्वभूतहितं लोके सतां धर्ममनिन्दितम् ॥

ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi tṛtīyaṃ guṇamuttamam | sarvabhūtahitaṃ loke satāṃ dharmamaninditam

Next I shall tell you of the third quality, the highest, which does good to all beings in the world and is the blameless dharma of the good.

Verse 2 (14.39.2)

आनन्दः प्रीतिरुद्रेकः प्राकाश्यं सुखमेव च । अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भः संतोषः श्रद्दधानता ॥

ānandaḥ prītirudrekaḥ prākāśyaṃ sukhameva ca | akārpaṇyamasaṃrambhaḥ saṃtoṣaḥ śraddadhānatā

Joy, delight, abundance, clarity, and happiness; freedom from meanness, from agitation, contentment, faith;

Verse 3 (14.39.3)

क्षमा धृतिरहिंसा च समता सत्यमार्जवम् । अक्रोधश्चानसूया च शौचं दाक्ष्यं पराक्रमः ॥

kṣamā dhṛtirahiṃsā ca samatā satyamārjavam | akrodhaścānasūyā ca śaucaṃ dākṣyaṃ parākramaḥ

forbearance, steadiness, non-violence, evenness of mind, truth, uprightness, freedom from anger and from envy, purity, skill, courage;

Verse 4 (14.39.4)

मुधाज्ञानं मुधावृत्तं मुधासेवा मुधाश्रमः । एवं यो युक्तधर्मः स्यात्सोऽमुत्रात्यन्तमश्नुते ॥

mudhājñānaṃ mudhāvṛttaṃ mudhāsevā mudhāśramaḥ | evaṃ yo yuktadharmaḥ syātso'mutrātyantamaśnute

knowledge given freely, conduct kept freely, service rendered freely, toil undertaken freely, with no return sought. He who is thus joined to dharma attains the limitless in the world beyond.

Note on the text: Corrected मुदाश्रमः → मुधाश्रमः (misprint in Wikisource: द for ध; CE mudhā śramaḥ) and सोमुत्रात्यन्तम् → सोऽमुत्रात्यन्तम् (missing avagraha, so 'mutra). The page's अत्यन्तम् for CE ānantyam is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 5 (14.39.5)

निर्ममो निरहङ्कारो निराशीः सर्वतः समः । अकामहत इत्येव सतां धर्मः सनातनः ॥

nirmamo nirahaṅkāro nirāśīḥ sarvataḥ samaḥ | akāmahata ityeva satāṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Free of possessiveness, free of egoism, without expectation, the same toward all, unstruck by desire: this is the eternal dharma of the good.

Verse 6 (14.39.6)

विश्रंभो ह्रीस्तितिक्षा च त्यागः शौचमतन्द्रिता । आनृशंस्यमसंमोहो दया भूतेष्वपैशुनम् ॥

viśraṃbho hrīstitikṣā ca tyāgaḥ śaucamatandritā | ānṛśaṃsyamasaṃmoho dayā bhūteṣvapaiśunam

Trust, modesty, forbearance, renunciation, purity, freedom from sloth, gentleness, freedom from delusion, compassion for beings, freedom from malice;

Verse 7 (14.39.7)

हर्षस्तुष्टिर्विस्मयश्च विनयः साधुवृत्तिता । शान्तिकर्मविशुद्धिश्च भावशुद्धिर्विमोचनम् ॥

harṣastuṣṭirvismayaśca vinayaḥ sādhuvṛttitā | śāntikarmaviśuddhiśca bhāvaśuddhirvimocanam

joy, contentment, wonder, humility, good conduct, purity in the rites of peace, purity of feeling, release;

Note on the text: The page reads भावशुद्धिः for CE śubhā buddhiḥ; a recension variant, kept. The page's footnote 14-39-7 (commentary glosses on हर्ष, तुष्टि, शान्तिकर्म) is printed after the colophon and is not added.

Verse 8 (14.39.8)

उपेक्षा ब्रह्मचर्यं च परित्यागश्च सर्वशः । निर्ममत्वमनाशीस्त्वमपरिक्षतधर्मता ॥

upekṣā brahmacaryaṃ ca parityāgaśca sarvaśaḥ | nirmamatvamanāśīstvamaparikṣatadharmatā

equanimity, chastity, renunciation of everything, freedom from possessiveness, from desire for blessings, and unimpaired dharma;

Note on the text: Corrected अनाशीष्ट्वम् → अनाशीस्त्वम् (misprint in Wikisource: ष्ट्व for स्त्व; CE anāśīstvam). The page's अपरिक्षतधर्मता for CE aparikrītadharmatā is a recension variant, kept. The page's footnote 14-39-8 (a gloss on उपेक्षा) is printed after the colophon and is not added.

Verse 9 (14.39.9)

मुधादानं मुधायज्ञो मुधाधीतं मुधाव्रतम् । मुधाप्रतिग्रहश्चैव मुधाधर्मो मुधातपः ॥

mudhādānaṃ mudhāyajño mudhādhītaṃ mudhāvratam | mudhāpratigrahaścaiva mudhādharmo mudhātapaḥ

gifts made freely, sacrifices made freely, study done freely, vows kept freely, acceptance of gifts freely, dharma followed freely, austerity practised freely, with no return sought.

Note on the text: Corrected मधाध्रमो → मुधाधर्मो (misprint in Wikisource: scrambled letters; CE mudhā dharmo).

Verse 10 (14.39.10)

एवंवृत्तास्तु ये केचिल्लोकेऽस्मिन्सत्वसंश्रयाः । ब्राह्मणा ब्रह्मयोनिस्थास्ते धीराः साधुदर्शिनः ॥

evaṃvṛttāstu ye kecilloke'sminsatvasaṃśrayāḥ | brāhmaṇā brahmayonisthāste dhīrāḥ sādhudarśinaḥ

Whoever in this world lives in this way and rests in sattva, those Brahmins, established in the source of Brahman, are steadfast and see what is good.

Verse 11 (14.39.11)

हित्वा सर्वाणि पापानि निःशोका ह्यजरामराः । दिव्यं प्राप्य तु ते धीराः कुर्वते वै ततस्तनूः ॥

hitvā sarvāṇi pāpāni niḥśokā hyajarāmarāḥ | divyaṃ prāpya tu te dhīrāḥ kurvate vai tatastanūḥ

Having cast off all sins, free of sorrow, ageless and deathless, those steadfast ones, having reached the divine, thereafter take bodies as they will.

Note on the text: The page's दिव्यं … ततस्तनूः differs from CE 14.38.11c (divaṃ prāpya … tatas tataḥ), a recension variant.

Verse 12 (14.39.12)

ईशित्वं च वशित्वं च लघुत्वं चाणुता तथा । विकुर्वते महात्मानो देवास्त्रिदिवगा इव ॥

īśitvaṃ ca vaśitvaṃ ca laghutvaṃ cāṇutā tathā | vikurvate mahātmāno devāstridivagā iva

Lordship, mastery, lightness, and minuteness: these great-souled ones take on forms at will, like the gods who move in the three heavens.

Note on the text: Line 1 ends लघुत्वं चाणुता तथा where the CE has laghutvaṃ manasaś ca te; a recension variant.

Verse 13 (14.39.13)

ऊर्ध्वस्रोतस इत्येते देवा वैकारिकाः स्मृताः । विकुर्वन्तः प्रकृत्या वै दिवं प्राप्तास्ततस्ततः ॥

ūrdhvasrotasa ityete devā vaikārikāḥ smṛtāḥ | vikurvantaḥ prakṛtyā vai divaṃ prāptāstatastataḥ

These are called the upward-streaming, the gods of the modified kind. By their nature they change their forms, having reached heaven from place to place.

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Lines = CE 14.38.13a, 13c.

Verse 14 (14.39.14)

यद्यदिच्छन्ति तत्सर्वं भजन्ते विभजन्ति च । इत्येतत्सात्विकं वृत्तं कथितं वो द्विजर्षभाः । एतद्विज्ञाय लभते विधिवद्यद्यदिच्छति ॥

yadyadicchanti tatsarvaṃ bhajante vibhajanti ca | ityetatsātvikaṃ vṛttaṃ kathitaṃ vo dvijarṣabhāḥ | etadvijñāya labhate vidhivadyadyadicchati

Whatever they wish for, they enjoy and share out. This sattvic conduct, O best of Brahmins, has been told to you; knowing it, one gains in due order whatever one wishes.

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Lines = CE 14.38.13e, 14a, 14c.

Verse 15 (14.39.15)

प्रकीर्तिताः सत्त्वगुणा विशेषतो । यथावदुक्तं गुणवृत्तमेव च । नरस्तु यो वेद गुणानिमान्सदा । गुणान्स भुङ्क्ते न गुणैः स युज्यते ॥

prakīrtitāḥ sattvaguṇā viśeṣato | yathāvaduktaṃ guṇavṛttameva ca | narastu yo veda guṇānimānsadā | guṇānsa bhuṅkte na guṇaiḥ sa yujyate

The qualities of sattva have been declared in particular, and the working of the qualities has been told as it is. The man who always knows these qualities enjoys the qualities and is not bound by them.