The Elements, the Senses and the Three Qualities

Verse 1 (12.253.1)

अध्यात्मं विस्तरेणेह पुनरेव वदस्व मे । यदध्यात्मं यथा वेद भगवन्नृषिसत्तम ॥

adhyātmaṃ vistareṇeha punareva vadasva me | yadadhyātmaṃ yathā veda bhagavannṛṣisattama

Explain to me once more, at length, the knowledge of the Self: what it is, and how it is to be known, O revered one, best of sages.

Verse 2 (12.253.2)

अध्यात्मं यदिदं तात पुरुषस्येह विद्यते । तत्तेऽहं वर्तयिष्यामि तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु ॥

adhyātmaṃ yadidaṃ tāta puruṣasyeha vidyate | tatte'haṃ vartayiṣyāmi tasya vyākhyāmimāṃ śṛṇu

My child, this knowledge of the Self which exists in a human being, I shall explain it to you; hear this account of it.

Verse 3 (12.253.3)

भूमिरापस्तथा ज्योतिर्वायुराकाश एव च । महाभूतानि भूतानां सागरस्योर्मयो यथा ॥

bhūmirāpastathā jyotirvāyurākāśa eva ca | mahābhūtāni bhūtānāṃ sāgarasyormayo yathā

Earth, water, fire, air and space are the great elements of beings, as the waves are of the sea.

Verse 4 (12.253.4)

प्रसार्येह यथाऽङ्गानि कूर्मः संहरते पुनः । तद्वन्महान्ति भूतानि यवीयःसु विकुर्वते ॥

prasāryeha yathā'ṅgāni kūrmaḥ saṃharate punaḥ | tadvanmahānti bhūtāni yavīyaḥsu vikurvate

As a tortoise stretches out its limbs and draws them in again, so the great elements take on changed forms within the lesser beings.

Verse 5 (12.253.5)

इति तन्मयमेवेदं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । सर्गे च प्रलये चैव तस्मिन्निर्दिश्यते तथा ॥

iti tanmayamevedaṃ sarvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam | sarge ca pralaye caiva tasminnirdiśyate tathā

Thus all this, moving and unmoving, is made of them; and at creation and at dissolution it is described in just those terms.

Verse 6 (12.253.6)

महाभूतानि पञ्चैव सर्वभूतेषु भूतकृत् । अकरोत्तात वैषम्यं यस्मिन्यदनुपश्यति ॥

mahābhūtāni pañcaiva sarvabhūteṣu bhūtakṛt | akarottāta vaiṣamyaṃ yasminyadanupaśyati

The Maker of beings made the five great elements unequal in all creatures, my child, according to what he sees fit in each.

Verse 7 (12.253.7)

अकरोद्यच्छरीरेषु कथं तदुपलक्षयेत् । इन्द्रियाणि गुणाः केचित्कथं तानुपलक्षयेत् ॥

akarodyaccharīreṣu kathaṃ tadupalakṣayet | indriyāṇi guṇāḥ kecitkathaṃ tānupalakṣayet

What he has made in bodies, how is that to be recognised? And how are the senses and the various qualities to be recognised?

Verse 8 (12.253.8)

एतत्ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथावदनुपूर्वकः । शृणु तत्त्वमिहैकाग्रो यथा तत्त्वं यथा च तत् ॥

etatte vartayiṣyāmi yathāvadanupūrvakaḥ | śṛṇu tattvamihaikāgro yathā tattvaṃ yathā ca tat

I shall explain this to you in due order, as it is. Listen here with a concentrated mind to the truth, just as it is and in the manner it is.

Verse 9 (12.253.9)

शब्दः श्रोत्रं तथा खानि त्रयमाकाशसंभवम् । प्राणश्चेष्टा तथा स्पर्श एते वायुगुणास्त्रयः ॥

śabdaḥ śrotraṃ tathā khāni trayamākāśasaṃbhavam | prāṇaśceṣṭā tathā sparśa ete vāyuguṇāstrayaḥ

Sound, the ear, and the bodily openings: these three arise from space. Breath, movement and touch: these three are the qualities of air.

Note on the text: Corrected प्राणश्रेष्टा → प्राणश्चेष्टा (misprint in Wikisource; श्र for श्च, CE 12.239.9 prāṇaś ceṣṭā: breath and bodily movement).

Verse 10 (12.253.10)

रूपं चक्षुर्विपाकश्च त्रिधा ज्योतिर्विधीयते । रसोऽथ रसनं स्नेहो गुणास्त्वेते त्रयोऽम्भसः ॥

rūpaṃ cakṣurvipākaśca tridhā jyotirvidhīyate | raso'tha rasanaṃ sneho guṇāstvete trayo'mbhasaḥ

Form, the eye and digestion: fire is ordained as threefold. Taste, the tongue and moisture: these are the three qualities of water.

Verse 11 (12.253.11)

घ्रेयं घ्राणं शरीरं च भूमेरेते गुणास्त्रयः । श्रोत्रं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्वा नासिका चैव पञ्चमी ॥

ghreyaṃ ghrāṇaṃ śarīraṃ ca bhūmerete guṇāstrayaḥ | śrotraṃ tvakcakṣuṣī jihvā nāsikā caiva pañcamī

The thing smelled, the nose and the body: these are the three qualities of earth. The ear, the skin, the eyes, the tongue, and the nose as the fifth.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick opening line 2. Line 1 = CE 12.239.11a; line 2 is the CE star passage 12.239.11b*0688_01 (printed in the CE apparatus before 11c). Not in the critical edition's constituted text (star passage).

Verse 12 (12.253.12)

एतावानिन्द्रियग्रामो व्याख्यातः पाञ्चभौतिकः । वायोः स्पर्शो रसोऽद्भ्यश्च ज्योतिषो रूपमुच्यते । आकाशप्रभवः शब्दो गन्धो भूमिगुणः स्मृतः ॥

etāvānindriyagrāmo vyākhyātaḥ pāñcabhautikaḥ | vāyoḥ sparśo raso'dbhyaśca jyotiṣo rūpamucyate | ākāśaprabhavaḥ śabdo gandho bhūmiguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

This much is the whole company of the senses, composed of the five elements, as it has been explained. Touch belongs to air, taste to water, and form is said to belong to fire; sound has space for its source, and smell is called the quality of earth.

Note on the text: Corrected रुपमुच्यते → रूपमुच्यते (misprint in Wikisource; short vowel for long, CE 12.239.12a rūpam ucyate). Three-line verse as printed on the page (12-253-12a,b,c). Lines = CE 12.239.11c, 12a, 12c.

Verse 13 (12.253.13)

मनो बुद्धिः स्वभावश्च त्रय एते मनोमयाः । न गुणानतिवर्तन्ते गुणेभ्यः परमागताः ॥

mano buddhiḥ svabhāvaśca traya ete manomayāḥ | na guṇānativartante guṇebhyaḥ paramāgatāḥ

Mind, intellect and inherent nature: these three are formed of mind. They do not pass beyond the qualities, though they have risen above them.

Verse 14 (12.253.14)

यथा कूर्म इहाङ्गानि प्रसार्य विनियच्छति । एवमेवेन्द्रियग्रामं बुद्धिः सृष्ट्वा नियच्छति ॥

yathā kūrma ihāṅgāni prasārya viniyacchati | evamevendriyagrāmaṃ buddhiḥ sṛṣṭvā niyacchati

As a tortoise stretches out its limbs and then holds them in, so the intellect, having produced the whole company of senses, holds it in check.

Note on the text: Position differs from the CE: Wikisource verses 14-16 are CE 12.239.17-19, and Wikisource verses 17-19 are CE 12.239.14-16.

Verse 15 (12.253.15)

यदूर्ध्वं पादतलयोरवाङ्मूर्ध्नश्च पश्यति । एतस्मिन्नेव कृत्ये तु वर्तते बुद्धिरुत्तमा ॥

yadūrdhvaṃ pādatalayoravāṅmūrdhnaśca paśyati | etasminneva kṛtye tu vartate buddhiruttamā

In all that it sees above the soles of the feet and below the head, in just this work the intellect, the highest, is engaged.

Note on the text: Corrected अवाङ्भूर्ध्नश्च → अवाङ्मूर्ध्नश्च (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म, CE 12.239.18a avāṅmūrdhnaś ca). Position differs from the CE (see verse 14).

Verse 16 (12.253.16)

गुणान्नेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिरेवेन्द्रियाण्यपि । मनः षष्ठानि सर्वाणि बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गुणाः ॥

guṇānnenīyate buddhirbuddhirevendriyāṇyapi | manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi buddhyabhāve kuto guṇāḥ

It is the intellect that leads the qualities, and the intellect alone that leads the senses, all of them with the mind as sixth. Where the intellect is absent, where are the qualities?

Note on the text: Corrected बुद्ध्य भावे कृतो गुणाः → बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गुणाः (misprint in Wikisource; word wrongly split and कृतो for कुतो, CE 12.239.19c buddhyabhāve kuto guṇāḥ). Position differs from the CE (see verse 14).

Verse 17 (12.253.17)

इन्द्रियाणि नरे पञ्च षष्ठं तु मन उच्यते । सप्तमीं बुद्धिमेवाहुः क्षेत्रज्ञं पुनरष्टमम् ॥

indriyāṇi nare pañca ṣaṣṭhaṃ tu mana ucyate | saptamīṃ buddhimevāhuḥ kṣetrajñaṃ punaraṣṭamam

A man has five senses, the mind is called the sixth, they call the intellect the seventh, and the Knower of the Field the eighth.

Note on the text: Position differs from the CE (see verse 14).

Verse 18 (12.253.18)

चक्षुरालोचनायैव संशयं कुरुते मनः । बुद्धिरध्यवसानाय साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते ॥

cakṣurālocanāyaiva saṃśayaṃ kurute manaḥ | buddhiradhyavasānāya sākṣī kṣetrajña ucyate

The eye serves for seeing; the mind raises doubt; the intellect is for deciding; the Knower of the Field is called the witness.

Note on the text: Position differs from the CE (see verse 14).

Verse 19 (12.253.19)

रजस्तमश्च सत्वं च त्रय एते स्वयोनिजाः । समाः सर्वेषु भूतेषु तान्गुणानुपलक्षयेत् ॥

rajastamaśca satvaṃ ca traya ete svayonijāḥ | samāḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tānguṇānupalakṣayet

Rajas, tamas and sattva: these three are born of their own source and are present alike in all beings. One should recognise those qualities.

Note on the text: Position differs from the CE (see verse 14).

Verse 20 (12.253.20)

तत्र यत्प्रीतिसंयुक्तं किंचिदात्मनि लक्षयेत् । प्रशान्तमिव संशुद्धं सत्वं तदुपधारयेत् ॥

tatra yatprītisaṃyuktaṃ kiṃcidātmani lakṣayet | praśāntamiva saṃśuddhaṃ satvaṃ tadupadhārayet

Of these, whatever one perceives in oneself that is joined with gladness, tranquil and as it were clear, let him take that to be sattva.

Verse 21 (12.253.21)

यत्तु संतापसंयुक्तं काये मनसि वा भवेत् । प्रवृत्तं रज इत्येवं तत्र चाप्युपलक्षयेत् ॥

yattu saṃtāpasaṃyuktaṃ kāye manasi vā bhavet | pravṛttaṃ raja ityevaṃ tatra cāpyupalakṣayet

But whatever is joined with torment, in the body or in the mind, and is set in motion: let him recognise that there too as rajas.

Note on the text: Not marked in the alignment. Line 1 = CE 12.239.21a (Wikisource संताप against CE saṃtāpa is the same word); line 2 is the CE star passage 12.239.21d*0689_01 (pravṛttaṃ raja ity evaṃ tatra cāpy upalakṣayet). Not in the critical edition's constituted text (star passage).

Verse 22 (12.253.22)

यत्तु संमोहसंयुक्तमव्यक्तविषयं भवेत् । अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं तमस्तदुपधार्यताम् ॥

yattu saṃmohasaṃyuktamavyaktaviṣayaṃ bhavet | apratarkyamavijñeyaṃ tamastadupadhāryatām

And whatever is joined with delusion, whose object is unmanifest, which cannot be reasoned out or known: let that be understood as tamas.

Verse 23 (12.253.23)

प्रहर्षः प्रीतिरानन्दः साम्यं स्वस्थात्मचित्तता । अकस्माद्यदि वा कस्माद्वर्तन्ते सात्विका गुणाः ॥

praharṣaḥ prītirānandaḥ sāmyaṃ svasthātmacittatā | akasmādyadi vā kasmādvartante sātvikā guṇāḥ

Delight, gladness, bliss, evenness, a settled self and mind: when these arise, whether suddenly or from some cause, they are the qualities of sattva.

Verse 24 (12.253.24)

अभिमानो मृषावादो लोभो मोहस्तथाऽक्षमा । लिङ्गानि रजसस्तानि वर्तन्ते हेत्वहेतुतः ॥

abhimāno mṛṣāvādo lobho mohastathā'kṣamā | liṅgāni rajasastāni vartante hetvahetutaḥ

Pride, falsehood, greed, delusion and impatience: these are the marks of rajas, and they arise with a cause or without one.

Verse 25 (12.253.25)

तथा मोहः प्रमादश्च निद्रा तन्द्रा प्रबोधिता । कथंचिदभिवर्तन्ते विज्ञेयास्तामसा गुणाः ॥

tathā mohaḥ pramādaśca nidrā tandrā prabodhitā | kathaṃcidabhivartante vijñeyāstāmasā guṇāḥ

And delusion, heedlessness, sleep, drowsiness and being roused from them: these arise in one way or another, and are to be known as the qualities of tamas.