Brahmacharya and the Nature of the Body

Verse 1 (12.216.1)

अत्रोपायं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथावच्छास्त्रचक्षुषा । तत्त्वज्ञानाच्चरन्राजन्प्राप्नुयात्परमां गतिम् ॥

atropāyaṃ pravakṣyāmi yathāvacchāstracakṣuṣā | tattvajñānāccaranrājanprāpnuyātparamāṃ gatim

Here I shall tell you the means, with the eye of the scriptures, as it truly is: by acting in accord with true knowledge, O king, one may reach the highest goal.

Verse 2 (12.216.2)

सर्वेषामेव भूतानां पुरुषः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते । पुरुषेभ्यो द्विजानाहुर्द्विजेभ्यो मन्त्रदर्शिनः ॥

sarveṣāmeva bhūtānāṃ puruṣaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate | puruṣebhyo dvijānāhurdvijebhyo mantradarśinaḥ

Of all beings, man is said to be the best; of men, they say, the twice-born; and of the twice-born, the seers of mantras.

Verse 3 (12.216.3)

सर्वभूतात्मभूतास्ते सर्वज्ञाः सर्वदर्शिनः । ब्राह्मणा वेदशास्त्रज्ञास्तत्त्वार्थगतनिश्चयाः ॥

sarvabhūtātmabhūtāste sarvajñāḥ sarvadarśinaḥ | brāhmaṇā vedaśāstrajñāstattvārthagataniścayāḥ

They are the self of all beings, all-knowing, all-seeing: the brahmins, who know the Veda and the treatises and are settled in their conviction about the meaning of truth.

Verse 4 (12.216.4)

नेत्रहीनो यथा ह्येकः कृच्छ्राणि लभतेऽध्वनि । ज्ञानहीनस्तथा लोके तस्माज्ज्ञानविदोऽधिकाः ॥

netrahīno yathā hyekaḥ kṛcchrāṇi labhate'dhvani | jñānahīnastathā loke tasmājjñānavido'dhikāḥ

As a blind man alone meets hardships on the road, so does one without knowledge in the world; therefore those who know are superior.

Verse 5 (12.216.5)

तांस्तानुपासते धर्मान्धर्मकामा यथागमम् । न त्वेषामर्थसामान्यमन्तरेण गुणानिमान् ॥

tāṃstānupāsate dharmāndharmakāmā yathāgamam | na tveṣāmarthasāmānyamantareṇa guṇānimān

In seeking dharma, men follow this or that rule according to the scriptures; yet these rules have no common purpose apart from these qualities.

Verse 6 (12.216.6)

वाग्देहमनसां शौचं क्षमा सत्यं धृतिः स्मृतिः । सर्वधर्मेषु धर्मज्ञा ज्ञापयन्ति गुणाञ्छुभान् ॥

vāgdehamanasāṃ śaucaṃ kṣamā satyaṃ dhṛtiḥ smṛtiḥ | sarvadharmeṣu dharmajñā jñāpayanti guṇāñchubhān

Purity of speech, body and mind, patience, truth, steadiness and memory: those who know dharma point to these as the good qualities in all the dharmas.

Verse 7 (12.216.7)

यदिदं ब्रह्मणो रूपं ब्रह्मचर्यमिति स्मृतम् । परं तत्सर्वधर्मेभ्यस्तेन यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥

yadidaṃ brahmaṇo rūpaṃ brahmacaryamiti smṛtam | paraṃ tatsarvadharmebhyastena yānti parāṃ gatim

What is called brahmacharya is the very form of Brahman; it is higher than all the dharmas, and by it people reach the highest goal.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मंचर्यमिति → ब्रह्मचर्यमिति (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara; CE brahmacaryam).

Verse 8 (12.216.8)

लिङ्गसंयोगहीनं यच्छब्दस्पर्शविवर्जितम् । श्रोत्रेण श्रवणं चैव चक्षुषा चैव दर्शनम् ॥

liṅgasaṃyogahīnaṃ yacchabdasparśavivarjitam | śrotreṇa śravaṇaṃ caiva cakṣuṣā caiva darśanam

That which is free of any union of the organs of sex and free of sound and touch, with hearing by the ear and seeing by the eye,

Note on the text: Wikisource reads यच्छब्दस्पर्शविवर्जितम् where the CE has यच्छरीरस्पर्शवर्जितम् (the CE adds star line 593_01, 12.207.008d*0593_01, after this verse, which Wikisource lacks; nothing is added).

Verse 9 (12.216.9)

वाक्संभाषाप्रवृत्तं यत्तन्मनः परिवर्जितम् । बुद्ध्या चाध्यवसीयीत ब्रह्मचर्यमकल्मषम् ॥

vāksaṃbhāṣāpravṛttaṃ yattanmanaḥ parivarjitam | buddhyā cādhyavasīyīta brahmacaryamakalmaṣam

that which goes on through speech and conversation, with the mind held back from it — let one resolve by the intellect upon this as spotless brahmacharya.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a different reading from CE 12.207.9a (jihvayā rasanaṃ yac ca tad eva parivarjitam); line 2 is CE 12.207.9c (Wikisource reads बुद्ध्या चाध्यवसीयीत where the CE has बुद्ध्या च व्यवसायेन).

Verse 10 (12.216.10)

सम्यग्वृत्तिर्ब्रह्मलोकं प्राप्नुयान्मध्यमः सुरान् । द्विजाग्र्यो जायते विद्वान्कन्यसीं वृत्तिमास्थितः ॥

samyagvṛttirbrahmalokaṃ prāpnuyānmadhyamaḥ surān | dvijāgryo jāyate vidvānkanyasīṃ vṛttimāsthitaḥ

He of right conduct reaches the world of Brahma; the middling one reaches the gods; and he who keeps to the lowest conduct is born a learned man, foremost among the twice-born.

Verse 11 (12.216.11)

सुदुष्करं ब्रह्मचर्यमुपायं तत्र मे शृणु । संप्रदीप्तमुदीर्णं च निगृह्णीयाद्द्विजो मनः ॥

suduṣkaraṃ brahmacaryamupāyaṃ tatra me śṛṇu | saṃpradīptamudīrṇaṃ ca nigṛhṇīyāddvijo manaḥ

Brahmacharya is very hard to keep; hear from me the means for it. A twice-born should restrain the mind when it is blazing up and surging.

Verse 12 (12.216.12)

योषितां न कथा श्राव्या न निरीक्ष्या निरम्बराः । कथंचिद्दर्शनादासां दुर्बलानां विशेद्रजः ॥

yoṣitāṃ na kathā śrāvyā na nirīkṣyā nirambarāḥ | kathaṃciddarśanādāsāṃ durbalānāṃ viśedrajaḥ

Talk of women should not be heard, and they should not be looked at unclothed. If somehow one sees them, passion enters the weaker men.

Verse 13 (12.216.13)

रागोत्पन्नश्चरेत्कृच्छ्रमह्नस्त्रिः प्रविशेदपः । मग्नस्त्वप्स्वेव मनसा त्रिर्जपेदघमर्षणम् ॥

rāgotpannaścaretkṛcchramahnastriḥ praviśedapaḥ | magnastvapsveva manasā trirjapedaghamarṣaṇam

When passion has arisen, he should do penance, entering the water three times a day; and plunged in the water, he should recite the Aghamarshana three times in his mind.

Note on the text: Corrected चेरत्कृच्छ्रमह्न → चरेत्कृच्छ्रमह्न (misprint in Wikisource; चेरत् is not a form; the CE has caret kṛcchram).

Verse 14 (12.216.14)

पाप्मानं निर्दहेदेवमन्तर्भूतरजोमयम् । ज्ञानयुक्तेन मनसा संततेन विचक्षणः ॥

pāpmānaṃ nirdahedevamantarbhūtarajomayam | jñānayuktena manasā saṃtatena vicakṣaṇaḥ

In this way the wise man should burn up the sin, the passion that lies within him, with an unbroken mind joined with knowledge.

Verse 15 (12.216.15)

कुणपामेध्यसंयुक्तं यद्वदच्छिद्रबन्धनम् । तद्वद्देहगतं विद्यादात्मानं देहबन्धनम् ॥

kuṇapāmedhyasaṃyuktaṃ yadvadacchidrabandhanam | tadvaddehagataṃ vidyādātmānaṃ dehabandhanam

As a tightly sealed sack holds a corpse and filth, so one should know the self lodged in the body to be bound by the body.

Verse 16 (12.216.16)

अमेध्यपूर्णं यद्भाण्डं श्लेष्मान्तकलिलावृतम् । नेच्छते वीक्षितुं भाण्डं कुतः स्प्रष्टुं प्रवर्तते ॥

amedhyapūrṇaṃ yadbhāṇḍaṃ śleṣmāntakalilāvṛtam | necchate vīkṣituṃ bhāṇḍaṃ kutaḥ spraṣṭuṃ pravartate

A pot full of filth, wrapped in phlegm and muck — one does not wish even to look at that pot; how then does one come to touch it?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 594, lines 01–02 (12.207.015d*0594_01–02), printed after 12.207.15. Removed the stray backtick Wikisource prints around this interpolated passage.

Verse 17 (12.216.17)

देहभाण्डं मलैः पूर्णं बहिः स्वेदजलावृतम् । बीभत्सं नरनारीणां ज्ञानिनां नरकं मतम् ॥

dehabhāṇḍaṃ malaiḥ pūrṇaṃ bahiḥ svedajalāvṛtam | bībhatsaṃ naranārīṇāṃ jñānināṃ narakaṃ matam

The body-vessel is full of impurities and wrapped outside in sweat and water; it is loathsome to men and women, and the wise regard it as hell.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 594, lines 03–04 (12.207.015d*0594_03–04), printed after 12.207.15.

Verse 18 (12.216.18)

छिद्रकुम्भो यथा स्रावं सृजते तद्गतं दृढम् । अन्तःस्थं स्रंसते तद्वज्जलं देहेषु देहिनाम् ॥

chidrakumbho yathā srāvaṃ sṛjate tadgataṃ dṛḍham | antaḥsthaṃ sraṃsate tadvajjalaṃ deheṣu dehinām

As a pot with a hole lets flow what is in it, steadily, so the fluid lodged within slips out in the bodies of embodied beings.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 594, lines 05–06 (12.207.015d*0594_05–06), printed after 12.207.15. Corrected अन्तस्यं → अन्तःस्थं (misprint in Wikisource; अन्तस्य is not a word; CE antaḥsthaṃ).

Verse 19 (12.216.19)

श्लेष्माश्रुमूत्रकलिलं पुरीषं शुक्लमेव च । कफजालविनिर्यासः सरसश्चित्त मुञ्चय ॥

śleṣmāśrumūtrakalilaṃ purīṣaṃ śuklameva ca | kaphajālaviniryāsaḥ sarasaścitta muñcaya

Phlegm, tears, the muck of urine, excrement and semen too, the discharge of webs of mucus, all full of fluid — O mind, let go of it.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 594, lines 07–08 (12.207.015d*0594_07–08), printed after 12.207.15. Removed the stray quote mark Wikisource prints around this interpolated passage and the doubled daṇḍa inside the verse-end.

Verse 20 (12.216.20)

वातपित्तकफान्रक्तं त्वङ्मांसं स्नायुमस्थि च । मज्जां देहं सिराजालैस्तर्पयन्ति रसा नृणाम् ॥

vātapittakaphānraktaṃ tvaṅmāṃsaṃ snāyumasthi ca | majjāṃ dehaṃ sirājālaistarpayanti rasā nṛṇām

The juices feed wind, bile, phlegm, blood, skin, flesh, sinew, bone, marrow and the body of men through the network of vessels.

Note on the text: Corrected त्वङ्भांसं → त्वङ्मांसं (misprint in Wikisource; भांस is not a word; CE tvaṅmāṃsaṃ).

Verse 21 (12.216.21)

दश विद्याद्धमन्योऽत्र पञ्चेन्द्रियगुणावहाः । याभिः सूक्ष्माः प्रजायन्ते धमन्योऽन्याः सहस्रशः ॥

daśa vidyāddhamanyo'tra pañcendriyaguṇāvahāḥ | yābhiḥ sūkṣmāḥ prajāyante dhamanyo'nyāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Know that there are ten channels here, bearing the qualities of the five senses; from them spring a thousand other fine channels.

Verse 22 (12.216.22)

एवमेताः सिरा नद्यो रसोदा देहसागरम् । तर्पयन्ति यथाकालमापगा इव सागरम् ॥

evametāḥ sirā nadyo rasodā dehasāgaram | tarpayanti yathākālamāpagā iva sāgaram

So these vessels are like rivers carrying the juices to the ocean of the body, and they feed it in due time as rivers feed the sea.

Verse 23 (12.216.23)

मध्ये च हृदयस्यैका सिरा तत्र मनोवहा । शुक्रं संकल्पजं नॄणां सर्वगात्रैर्विमुञ्चति ॥

madhye ca hṛdayasyaikā sirā tatra manovahā | śukraṃ saṃkalpajaṃ nṝṇāṃ sarvagātrairvimuñcati

In the middle of the heart there is one vein, the carrier of the mind; it releases from all the limbs of men the semen born of intention.

Verse 24 (12.216.24)

सर्वगात्रप्रतायिन्यस्तस्या ह्यनुगताः सिराः । नेत्रयोः प्रतिपद्यन्ते वहन्त्यस्तैजसं गुणम् ॥

sarvagātrapratāyinyastasyā hyanugatāḥ sirāḥ | netrayoḥ pratipadyante vahantyastaijasaṃ guṇam

Vessels follow it, spreading through all the limbs; they reach the eyes, carrying the quality of light.

Verse 25 (12.216.25)

पयस्यन्तर्हितं सर्पिर्यद्वन्निर्मथ्यते खजैः । शुक्रं निर्मथ्यते तद्वद्देहसंकल्पजैः खजैः ॥

payasyantarhitaṃ sarpiryadvannirmathyate khajaiḥ | śukraṃ nirmathyate tadvaddehasaṃkalpajaiḥ khajaiḥ

As ghee hidden in milk is drawn out by churning with the churning-sticks, so semen is churned out by the stirrings that arise from the body's intention.

Verse 26 (12.216.26)

स्वप्नेऽप्येवं यथाऽभ्येति मनः संकल्पजं रजः । शुक्रमस्पर्शजं देहात्सृजन्त्यस्य मनोवहाः ॥

svapne'pyevaṃ yathā'bhyeti manaḥ saṃkalpajaṃ rajaḥ | śukramasparśajaṃ dehātsṛjantyasya manovahāḥ

So too in a dream, when passion born of the mind's intention arises, the mind-carrying vessels send semen out of the body without any touch.

Verse 27 (12.216.27)

महर्षिर्भगवानत्रिर्वेद तच्छुक्रसंभवम् । नृबीजमिन्द्रदैवत्यं तस्मादिन्द्रियमुच्यते ॥

maharṣirbhagavānatrirveda tacchukrasaṃbhavam | nṛbījamindradaivatyaṃ tasmādindriyamucyate

The great seer, the blessed Atri, knew the origin of semen: the seed of man, having Indra as its deity; hence the senses are so called.

Note on the text: Corrected तच्छ्रुक्रसंभवम् → तच्छुक्रसंभवम् (misprint in Wikisource; श्रुक्र is not a word; CE tac chukrasaṃbhavam).

Verse 28 (12.216.28)

ये वै शुक्रगतिं विद्युर्भूतसंकरकारिकाम् । विरागा दग्धदोषास्ते नाप्नुयुर्देहसंभवम् ॥

ye vai śukragatiṃ vidyurbhūtasaṃkarakārikām | virāgā dagdhadoṣāste nāpnuyurdehasaṃbhavam

Those who know the course of semen, which causes the mingling of beings, become free of passion with their faults burnt away, and do not take birth in a body.

Verse 29 (12.216.29)

गुणानां साम्यमागम्य मनसैव मनोवहम् । देहकर्म नुदन्प्राणानन्तकाले विमुच्यते ॥

guṇānāṃ sāmyamāgamya manasaiva manovaham | dehakarma nudanprāṇānantakāle vimucyate

Reaching the equilibrium of the qualities, by mind alone mastering the carrier of the mind, and driving out the body's action and the breaths, he is freed at the time of death.

Verse 30 (12.216.30)

भविता मनसो ज्ञानं मन एव प्रजायते । ज्योतिष्मद्विरजो नित्यं मन्त्रसिद्धं महात्मनाम् ॥

bhavitā manaso jñānaṃ mana eva prajāyate | jyotiṣmadvirajo nityaṃ mantrasiddhaṃ mahātmanām

There will be knowledge of the mind, and the mind itself is born from it: luminous, free of dust, constant, perfected by mantra in the great-souled.

Verse 31 (12.216.31)

तस्मात्तदभिघाताय कर्म कुर्यादकल्मषम् । देहबीजं समुत्पन्नमस्मिन्कर्मणि विद्यते ॥

tasmāttadabhighātāya karma kuryādakalmaṣam | dehabījaṃ samutpannamasminkarmaṇi vidyate

Therefore, to strike it down, one should do action that is without stain. The seed of the body, once arisen, is present in this action.

Note on the text: Line 1 is CE 12.207.27a (Wikisource reads तदभिघाताय where the CE has तदविघाताय); line 2 is not in the critical edition (vulgate recension only). Corrected समुत्पन्नमस्मित्कर्मणि → समुत्पन्नमस्मिन्कर्मणि (misprint in Wikisource; अस्मित् is not a word; the locative of इदम् before क is अस्मिन्).

Verse 32 (12.216.32)

न स्मरेन्न प्रयुञ्जीत ज्ञानी तत्कर्म बुद्धिमान् । रजस्तमश्च हित्वेह न तिर्यग्गतिमाप्नुयात् ॥

na smarenna prayuñjīta jñānī tatkarma buddhimān | rajastamaśca hitveha na tiryaggatimāpnuyāt

The wise knower should neither recall nor employ that action; giving up rajas and tamas here, he would not attain a rebirth among animals.

Note on the text: Line 1 is not in the critical edition (vulgate recension only); line 2 is CE 12.207.27c.

Verse 33 (12.216.33)

तरुणाधिगतं ज्ञानं जरादुर्बलतां गतम् । विपक्वबुद्धिः कालेन आदत्ते मानसं बलम् ॥

taruṇādhigataṃ jñānaṃ jarādurbalatāṃ gatam | vipakvabuddhiḥ kālena ādatte mānasaṃ balam

Knowledge gained in youth, once it has come to the weakness of old age, and the man of ripened understanding, in time, takes up the strength of the mind.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads विपक्वबुद्धिः where the CE has परिपक्वबुद्धिः.

Verse 34 (12.216.34)

एवं पुत्रकलत्रेषु ज्ञातिसंबन्धिबन्धुषु । आदत्ते हृदये कामं व्याध्यादिभिरभिप्लुतः ॥

evaṃ putrakalatreṣu jñātisaṃbandhibandhuṣu | ādatte hṛdaye kāmaṃ vyādhyādibhirabhiplutaḥ

In the same way, in sons and wives, kinsmen, relatives and friends, afflicted by sickness and the like, he takes desire into his heart,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 595, lines 01–02 (12.207.028d*0595_01–02), printed after 12.207.28. Corrected एव पुत्रकलत्रेषु → एवं पुत्रकलत्रेषु (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara dropped; the line is a syllable short and the CE star passage reads evaṃ putrakalatreṣu). Removed the stray backtick Wikisource prints around this interpolated passage.

Verse 35 (12.216.35)

यतस्ततः परिपतन्नविन्दन्सुखमण्वपि । बहुदुःखसमापन्नः पश्चान्निर्वेदमास्थितः । ज्ञानवृक्षं समाश्रित्य पश्चान्निर्वृतिमश्नुते ॥

yatastataḥ paripatannavindansukhamaṇvapi | bahuduḥkhasamāpannaḥ paścānnirvedamāsthitaḥ | jñānavṛkṣaṃ samāśritya paścānnirvṛtimaśnute

falling this way and that, finding not even a trace of happiness; beset by much sorrow, only later does he turn to disgust with the world, and taking refuge in the tree of knowledge, at last he gains peace.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only as star passage 595, lines 03–05 (12.207.028d*0595_03–05), printed after 12.207.28. Removed the stray quote mark Wikisource prints around this interpolated passage and the doubled daṇḍa inside the verse-end.

Verse 36 (12.216.36)

सुदुर्गमिव पन्थानमतीत्य गुणबन्धनम् । यथा पश्येत्तथा दोषानतीत्यामृतमश्नुते ॥

sudurgamiva panthānamatītya guṇabandhanam | yathā paśyettathā doṣānatītyāmṛtamaśnute

Having crossed beyond the bond of the qualities as one crosses a very difficult road, and seeing the faults as they are, he passes over them and gains immortality.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads यथा पश्येत्तथा where the CE has यदा पश्येत्तदा.