The Sages Ask Which Dharma Is Highest

Verse 1 (14.49.1)

को वा स्विदिह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमो मतः । व्याहतामिव पश्यामो धर्मस्य विविधां गतिम् ॥

ko vā svidiha dharmāṇāmanuṣṭheyatamo mataḥ | vyāhatāmiva paśyāmo dharmasya vividhāṃ gatim

What, then, is held to be the dharma most to be practised here? We see the many paths of dharma as if they contradict one another.

Verse 2 (14.49.2)

ऊर्द्ध्वं देहाद्वदन्त्येके नैतदस्तीति चापरे । केचित्संशयितं सर्वं निःसंशयमथापरे ॥

ūrddhvaṃ dehādvadantyeke naitadastīti cāpare | kecitsaṃśayitaṃ sarvaṃ niḥsaṃśayamathāpare

Some say there is something beyond the body, others say this is not so; some hold everything to be doubtful, others hold it to be free of doubt.

Verse 3 (14.49.3)

अनित्यं नित्यमित्येके नास्त्यस्तीत्यपि चापरे । त्रिधेत्येके द्विधेत्येके व्याकीर्णमिति चापरे ॥

anityaṃ nityamityeke nāstyastītyapi cāpare | tridhetyeke dvidhetyeke vyākīrṇamiti cāpare

Some say it is impermanent, some that it is eternal; others say 'it is not' and 'it is'; some say threefold, some twofold, others that it is mixed.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.48.16ab; line 2 is a variant of CE 14.48.16cd (Wikisource त्रिधेत्येके द्विधेत्येके for ekarūpaṃ dvidhety eke).

Verse 4 (14.49.4)

मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा एव ब्रह्मज्ञास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः । एकमेके पृथक्चान्ये बहुत्वमिति चापरे ॥

manyante brāhmaṇā eva brahmajñāstattvadarśinaḥ | ekameke pṛthakcānye bahutvamiti cāpare

Brahmins themselves, knowers of Brahman and seers of the truth, hold such views: some that it is one, others that it is separate, others that it is many.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is a variant of CE 14.48.17ab (Wikisource ब्राह्मणा एव ब्रह्मज्ञाः for brāhmaṇā evaṃ prājñāḥ); line 2 = CE 14.48.16e.

Verse 5 (14.49.5)

देशकालावुभौ केचिन्नैतदस्तीति चापरे । जटाजिनधराश्चान्ये मुण्डाः केचिदसंवृताः ॥

deśakālāvubhau kecinnaitadastīti cāpare | jaṭājinadharāścānye muṇḍāḥ kecidasaṃvṛtāḥ

Some say both place and time exist, others say this is not so; some wear matted hair and deerskin, some are shaven, some go uncovered.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.48.19cd; line 2 = CE 14.48.17cd.

Verse 6 (14.49.6)

अस्नानं केचिदिच्छन्ति स्नानमप्यपरे जनाः । मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा देवा ब्रह्मज्ञास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥

asnānaṃ kecidicchanti snānamapyapare janāḥ | manyante brāhmaṇā devā brahmajñāstattvadarśinaḥ

Some want not to bathe, others want bathing; so the Brahmins and the gods, knowers of Brahman and seers of the truth, hold their views.

Note on the text: Corrected अश्नानं → अस्नानं (misprint in Wikisource; श for स — 'not bathing', as the page's own footnote glosses it; CE 14.48.18a asnānam). Not matched by the alignment: line 1 is a variant of CE 14.48.18ab (Wikisource स्नानमप्यपरे जनाः for snānam ity api cāpare); line 2 repeats the sense of CE 14.48.17ab (Wikisource मन्यन्ते ब्राह्मणा देवा ब्रह्मज्ञास्तत्त्वदर्शिनः) and has no counterpart of its own in the CE.

Verse 7 (14.49.7)

आहारं केचिदिच्छन्ति केचिच्चानशने रताः । कर्म केचित्प्रशंसन्ति प्रशान्तिं चापरे जनाः ॥

āhāraṃ kecidicchanti keciccānaśane ratāḥ | karma kecitpraśaṃsanti praśāntiṃ cāpare janāḥ

Some want food, others delight in fasting; some praise action, others tranquillity.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रशान्ति → प्रशान्तिं (misprint in Wikisource; the anusvara of the accusative is dropped; CE 14.48.19b praśāntim). Not matched by the alignment: line 1 = CE 14.48.18cd; line 2 = CE 14.48.19ab.

Verse 8 (14.49.8)

केचिन्मोक्षं प्रशंसन्ति केचिद्भोगान्पृथग्विधान् । धनानि केचिदिच्छन्ति निर्धनत्वमथापरे । उपास्य साधनं त्वेके नैतदस्तीति चापरे ॥

kecinmokṣaṃ praśaṃsanti kecidbhogānpṛthagvidhān | dhanāni kecidicchanti nirdhanatvamathāpare | upāsya sādhanaṃ tveke naitadastīti cāpare

Some praise liberation, others varied enjoyments; some want wealth, others poverty; some take up worship as a means, while others say there is nothing in it.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.48.19e; line 2 = CE 14.48.20ab; line 3 = CE 14.48.20cd. A three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 14-49-8a/b/c).

Verse 9 (14.49.9)

अहिंसानिरताश्चान्ये केचिद्धिंसापरायणाः । पुण्येन यशसा चान्ये नैतदस्तीति चापरे ॥

ahiṃsāniratāścānye keciddhiṃsāparāyaṇāḥ | puṇyena yaśasā cānye naitadastīti cāpare

Some are devoted to non-violence, others intent on violence; some strive for merit and fame, others say these are nothing.

Verse 10 (14.49.10)

सद्भावनिरताश्चान्ये केचित्संशयिते स्थिताः । दुःखादन्ये सुखादन्ये ध्यानमित्यपरे जनाः ॥

sadbhāvaniratāścānye kecitsaṃśayite sthitāḥ | duḥkhādanye sukhādanye dhyānamityapare janāḥ

Others are devoted to goodwill, some stand in doubt; some act out of sorrow, some out of pleasure, others say it is meditation.

Verse 11 (14.49.11)

यज्ञ इत्यपरे विप्राः प्रदानमिति चापरे । तपस्त्वन्ये प्रशंसन्ति स्वाध्यायमपरे जनाः ॥

yajña ityapare viprāḥ pradānamiti cāpare | tapastvanye praśaṃsanti svādhyāyamapare janāḥ

Some Brahmins say sacrifice, others say giving; others praise austerity, others study of the Veda.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is a variant of CE 14.48.23ab (Wikisource विप्राः for dhīrāḥ); line 2 = CE 14.48.24ab.

Verse 12 (14.49.12)

ज्ञानं संन्यासमित्येके स्वभावं भूतचिन्तकाः । सर्वमेके प्रशंसन्ति न सर्वमिति चापरे ॥

jñānaṃ saṃnyāsamityeke svabhāvaṃ bhūtacintakāḥ | sarvameke praśaṃsanti na sarvamiti cāpare

Some say knowledge, some renunciation, and thinkers on the nature of beings say own-nature; some praise everything, others say not everything.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.48.24cd; line 2 = CE 14.48.23cd.

Verse 13 (14.49.13)

एवं व्युत्थापिते धर्मे बहुधा विप्रबोधिते । निश्चयं नाधिगच्छामः श्रेयः किमिति सत्तम ॥

evaṃ vyutthāpite dharme bahudhā viprabodhite | niścayaṃ nādhigacchāmaḥ śreyaḥ kimiti sattama

With dharma thus set in motion and contested in so many ways, we cannot arrive at certainty, O best of men, about what the highest good is.

Verse 14 (14.49.14)

इदं श्रेय इदं श्रेय इत्येवं व्यवस्थितो जनः । यो हि यस्मिन्रतो धर्मे स तं पूजयते सदा ॥

idaṃ śreya idaṃ śreya ityevaṃ vyavasthito janaḥ | yo hi yasminrato dharme sa taṃ pūjayate sadā

"This is the highest good, this is the highest good" — so people are set in their different ways. Whoever delights in a particular dharma always honours that one.

Note on the text: Corrected व्युस्थितो → व्यवस्थितो (misprint in Wikisource; व्युस्थित is not a valid form, and the sense is 'set in his own way'; CE 14.48.26a prasthito) and धर्म स तं → धर्मे स तं (misprint; the locative ending of धर्मे is dropped; CE dharme).

Verse 15 (14.49.15)

तेन नोऽविहिता प्रज्ञा मनश्च बहुलीकृतम् । एतदाख्यातमिच्छामः श्रेयः किमिति सत्तम ॥

tena no'vihitā prajñā manaśca bahulīkṛtam | etadākhyātamicchāmaḥ śreyaḥ kimiti sattama

So our understanding has been left untaught and our minds have become many. We wish to hear this from you, O best of men: what is the highest good?

Verse 16 (14.49.16)

अतः परं तु यद्गुह्यं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति । सत्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोश्चापि सम्बन्धः केन हेतुना ॥

ataḥ paraṃ tu yadguhyaṃ tadbhavānvaktumarhati | satvakṣetrajñayoścāpi sambandhaḥ kena hetunā

And beyond this, whatever is secret, that you should tell us: by what cause is there a relation between sattva and the Knower of the Field?

Verse 17 (14.49.17)

एवमुक्तः स तैर्विप्रैर्भगवाँल्लोकभावनः । तेभ्यः शशंस धर्मात्मा याथातथ्येन बुद्धिमान् ॥

evamuktaḥ sa tairviprairbhagavām̐llokabhāvanaḥ | tebhyaḥ śaśaṃsa dharmātmā yāthātathyena buddhimān

Thus addressed by those Brahmins, the Blessed One, maker of the worlds, righteous in soul and wise, explained it to them just as it is.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected: the input carried over the sages' heading (ऋषय). The verse has no heading of its own and is the Teacher's narration of Brahma's reply (the Teacher's heading गुरुरुवाच stands before 14-48-13); speaker_line given as गुरुरुवाच. CE 14.48.29 likewise stands under the Teacher's narration. The page's commentary glosses printed after the colophon are not added.