The Great Self and the Sense of Self

Verse 1 (14.41.1)

अव्यक्तात्पूर्वमुत्पन्नो महानात्मा महामतिः । आदिर्गुणानां सर्वेषां प्रथमः सर्ग उच्यते ॥

avyaktātpūrvamutpanno mahānātmā mahāmatiḥ | ādirguṇānāṃ sarveṣāṃ prathamaḥ sarga ucyate

Earlier, from the unmanifest, arose the Great Self, of great understanding. It is the first of all the qualities, and is called the first creation.

Verse 2 (14.41.2)

महानात्मा मतिर्विष्णुर्जिष्णुः शंभुश्च वीर्यवान् । बुद्धिः प्रज्ञोपलब्धिश्च तथा ख्यातिर्धृतिःस्मृतिः ॥

mahānātmā matirviṣṇurjiṣṇuḥ śaṃbhuśca vīryavān | buddhiḥ prajñopalabdhiśca tathā khyātirdhṛtiḥsmṛtiḥ

The Great Self, Mati, Vishnu, Jishnu, and the mighty Shambhu; Buddhi, Prajna, Upalabdhi, and likewise Khyati, Dhriti and Smriti.

Note on the text: Corrected तता → तथा (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tathā). Wikisource reads विष्णुर्जिष्णुः where the critical edition has viṣṇur viśvaḥ; जिष्णुः is good Sanskrit (recension variant), kept.

Verse 3 (14.41.3)

पर्यायवाचकैः शब्दैर्महानात्मा विभाव्यते । तं जानन्ब्राह्मणो विद्वान्प्रमोहं नाधिगच्छति ॥

paryāyavācakaiḥ śabdairmahānātmā vibhāvyate | taṃ jānanbrāhmaṇo vidvānpramohaṃ nādhigacchati

By these synonymous words the Great Self is described. The learned Brahmin who knows him does not fall into delusion.

Verse 4 (14.41.4)

सर्वतःपाणिपादं च सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतःश्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वं व्याप्यवतिष्ठति ॥

sarvataḥpāṇipādaṃ ca sarvatokṣiśiromukham | sarvataḥśrutimalloke sarvaṃ vyāpyavatiṣṭhati

With hands and feet on every side, with eyes, heads and faces on every side, with hearing on every side, he stands in the world, pervading all.

Verse 5 (14.41.5)

महाप्रभावः पुरुषः सर्वस्य हृदि निष्ठितः । अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिरीशानो ज्योतिरव्ययः ॥

mahāprabhāvaḥ puruṣaḥ sarvasya hṛdi niṣṭhitaḥ | aṇimā laghimā prāptirīśāno jyotiravyayaḥ

The Person of great power abides in the heart of every being: he is Anima, Laghima and Prapti, the Lord, the imperishable light.

Verse 6 (14.41.6)

तत्र बुद्धिमतां लोके सद्भावनिरताश्च ये । ध्यानिनो नित्ययोगाश्च सत्यसन्धा जितेन्द्रियाः ॥

tatra buddhimatāṃ loke sadbhāvaniratāśca ye | dhyānino nityayogāśca satyasandhā jitendriyāḥ

There, among the wise of the world, are those devoted to true being, the meditators, those ever steady in yoga, faithful to their word, with senses subdued,

Verse 7 (14.41.7)

ज्ञानवन्तश्च ये केचिदलुब्धा जितमन्यवः । प्रसन्नमनसो धीरा निर्ममा निरहंक्रियाः ॥

jñānavantaśca ye kecidalubdhā jitamanyavaḥ | prasannamanaso dhīrā nirmamā nirahaṃkriyāḥ

those who have knowledge, free from greed and anger, serene in mind, steadfast, without possessiveness and without egoism.

Verse 8 (14.41.8)

विमुक्ताः सर्व एवैते महत्त्वमुपयान्त्युत । आत्मनो महतो वेद यः पुण्यां गतिमुत्तमाम् ॥

vimuktāḥ sarva evaite mahattvamupayāntyuta | ātmano mahato veda yaḥ puṇyāṃ gatimuttamām

All these, liberated, attain greatness. He who knows the sacred, supreme destination of the Great Self—

Note on the text: First line = CE 14.40.7e (the third line of the critical edition's verse 7); second line = CE 14.40.8a.

Verse 9 (14.41.9)

अहङ्कारात्प्रसूतानि महाभूतानि पञ्च वै । पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम् ॥

ahaṅkārātprasūtāni mahābhūtāni pañca vai | pṛthivī vāyurākāśamāpo jyotiśca pañcamam

From the sense of self (ahamkara) are born the five great elements: earth, air, space, water, and fire as the fifth.

Note on the text: These three verses (WS 41.9-11) are printed again, with small variant readings, as the opening verses of Wikisource adhyaya 42, where they belong (CE 14.42.1-3). Here they interrupt the sentence that runs from WS 41.8 to 41.12 (the critical edition's 14.40.8 reads straight on). Kept as the base text; not in the critical edition at this place (vulgate only).

Verse 10 (14.41.10)

तेषु भूतानि युज्यन्ते महाभूतेषु पञ्चसु । ते शब्दस्पर्शरूपेषु रसगन्धक्रियासु च ॥

teṣu bhūtāni yujyante mahābhūteṣu pañcasu | te śabdasparśarūpeṣu rasagandhakriyāsu ca

Beings are engaged in these five great elements; they are engaged in sound, touch and form, in taste, smell and action.

Note on the text: These three verses (WS 41.9-11) are printed again, with small variant readings, as the opening verses of Wikisource adhyaya 42, where they belong (CE 14.42.1-3). Here they interrupt the sentence that runs from WS 41.8 to 41.12 (the critical edition's 14.40.8 reads straight on). Kept as the base text; not in the critical edition at this place (vulgate only). Wikisource reads युज्यन्ते / ते शब्दस्पर्शरूपेषु where its adhyaya 42 and the critical edition read मुह्यन्ति / शब्दस्पर्शनरूपेषु.

Verse 11 (14.41.11)

महाभूतविनाशान्ते प्रलये प्रत्युपस्थिते । सर्वप्राणभृतां धीरा महदुत्पद्यते भयम् ॥

mahābhūtavināśānte pralaye pratyupasthite | sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ dhīrā mahadutpadyate bhayam

When the dissolution of the great elements has come, at the onset of the final dissolution, a great fear arises for all living beings, O steadfast ones.

Note on the text: These three verses (WS 41.9-11) are printed again, with small variant readings, as the opening verses of Wikisource adhyaya 42, where they belong (CE 14.42.1-3). Here they interrupt the sentence that runs from WS 41.8 to 41.12 (the critical edition's 14.40.8 reads straight on). Kept as the base text; not in the critical edition at this place (vulgate only).

Verse 12 (14.41.12)

स धीरः सर्वलोकेषु न मोहमधिगच्छति । विष्णुरेवादिसर्गेषु स्वयंभूर्भवति प्रभुः ॥

sa dhīraḥ sarvalokeṣu na mohamadhigacchati | viṣṇurevādisargeṣu svayaṃbhūrbhavati prabhuḥ

that steadfast one is not deluded in any of the worlds; Vishnu, in the earliest creations, becomes the self-existent lord.

Note on the text: Continues WS 41.8 (CE 14.40.8a): the two lines are CE 14.40.8c and 8e.

Verse 13 (14.41.13)

एवं हि यो वेद गुहाशयं प्रभुं । परं पुराणं पुरुषं विश्वरूपम् । हिरण्मयं बुद्धिमतां परां गतिं । स बुद्धिमान्बुद्धिमतीत्य तिष्ठति ॥

evaṃ hi yo veda guhāśayaṃ prabhuṃ | paraṃ purāṇaṃ puruṣaṃ viśvarūpam | hiraṇmayaṃ buddhimatāṃ parāṃ gatiṃ | sa buddhimānbuddhimatītya tiṣṭhati

He who thus knows the Lord who dwells in the cave of the heart, the ancient Person of universal form, golden, the supreme goal of the wise—that wise man, passing beyond intellect, abides.

Verse 14 (14.41.14)

य उत्पन्नो महान्पूर्वमहङ्कारः स उच्यते । अहमित्येव सम्भूतो द्वितीयः सर्ग उच्यते ॥

ya utpanno mahānpūrvamahaṅkāraḥ sa ucyate | ahamityeva sambhūto dvitīyaḥ sarga ucyate

The Great One who arose first is called the sense of self (ahamkara). Born as “I am,” it is called the second creation.

Verse 15 (14.41.15)

अहङ्कारश्च भूतादिर्वैकारिक इति स्मृतः । तेजसश्चेतना धातुः प्रजासर्गः प्रजापतिः ॥

ahaṅkāraśca bhūtādirvaikārika iti smṛtaḥ | tejasaścetanā dhātuḥ prajāsargaḥ prajāpatiḥ

Ahamkara is also known as the origin of beings and as the modified (vaikarika). It is the radiant principle, consciousness, the sustainer, the creation of creatures, Prajapati.

Verse 16 (14.41.16)

देवानां प्रभवो देवो मनसश्च त्रिलोककृत् । अहमित्येव तत्सर्वमभिमानः स उच्यते ॥

devānāṃ prabhavo devo manasaśca trilokakṛt | ahamityeva tatsarvamabhimānaḥ sa ucyate

The source of the gods, himself a god, and the maker of the three worlds out of the mind: all of that is “I am” alone, and he is called self-conceit.

Verse 17 (14.41.17)

अध्यात्मज्ञानतृप्तानां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । स्वाध्यायक्रतुसिद्धानामेष लोकः सनातनः ॥

adhyātmajñānatṛptānāṃ munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām | svādhyāyakratusiddhānāmeṣa lokaḥ sanātanaḥ

For the sages whose selves are purified, who find contentment in knowledge of the Self and are perfected by study and sacrifice, this is the eternal world.

Verse 18 (14.41.18)

अहङ्कारेणाहरतो गुणानिमान् । भूतादिरेवं सृजते स भूतकृत् । वैकारिकः सर्वमिदं विचेष्टते । स्वतेजसा रञ्जयते जगत्तथा ॥

ahaṅkāreṇāharato guṇānimān | bhūtādirevaṃ sṛjate sa bhūtakṛt | vaikārikaḥ sarvamidaṃ viceṣṭate | svatejasā rañjayate jagattathā

By the sense of self, the origin of beings draws in these qualities and so creates; he is the maker of beings. The modified (vaikarika) sets all this in motion, and with his own radiance he colours the world.

Note on the text: The page breaks the word गुणानिमान् across two lines with a line-wrap hyphen (गुणानिमा- / न्भूतादि…); rejoined and the stray ' ।' after the hyphen dropped.