Brahma Describes the Supreme Person to Rudra

Verse 1 (12.361.1)

शृणु पुत्र यथाह्येष पुरुषः शाश्वतोऽव्ययः । अक्षयश्चाप्रमेयश्च सर्वगश्च निरुच्यते ॥

śṛṇu putra yathāhyeṣa puruṣaḥ śāśvato'vyayaḥ | akṣayaścāprameyaśca sarvagaśca nirucyate

Listen, son, to how this Person is described: eternal, imperishable, undecaying, immeasurable, all-pervading.

Verse 2 (12.361.2)

न स शक्यस्त्वया द्रष्टुं मयाऽन्यैर्वाऽपि सत्तम । सगुणैर्निर्गुणैर्विश्वो ज्ञानदृश्यो ह्यसौ स्मृतः ॥

na sa śakyastvayā draṣṭuṃ mayā'nyairvā'pi sattama | saguṇairnirguṇairviśvo jñānadṛśyo hyasau smṛtaḥ

He cannot be seen by you, nor by me, nor by others, noble one, whether with qualities or free of them; the Universal One is held to be visible only to knowledge.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads सगुणैर्निर्गुणैर्विश्वो where the CE has saguṇo nirguṇo viśvo; the page's own note records the CE reading as another version. Recension variant, kept.

Verse 3 (12.361.3)

अशरीरः शरीरेषु सर्वेषु निवसत्यसौ । वसन्नपि शरीरेषु न स लिप्यति कर्मभिः ॥

aśarīraḥ śarīreṣu sarveṣu nivasatyasau | vasannapi śarīreṣu na sa lipyati karmabhiḥ

Bodiless, he dwells in all bodies; though dwelling in bodies, he is not stained by their deeds.

Verse 4 (12.361.4)

ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहसंज्ञिताः । सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न ग्राह्यः केनचित्क्वचित् ॥

mamāntarātmā tava ca ye cānye dehasaṃjñitāḥ | sarveṣāṃ sākṣibhūto'sau na grāhyaḥ kenacitkvacit

He is the inner self of me, of you, and of the others who are called embodied; the witness of all, he cannot be grasped by anyone anywhere.

Note on the text: Corrected केनचिक्वचित् → केनचित्क्वचित् (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct (त् + क्व); CE kena cit kva cit).

Verse 5 (12.361.5)

विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः । एकश्चरति क्षेत्रेषु स्वैरचारी यथासुखम् ॥

viśvamūrdhā viśvabhujo viśvapādākṣināsikaḥ | ekaścarati kṣetreṣu svairacārī yathāsukham

With the universe for his head, arms, feet, eyes and nose, he alone moves in the fields, roaming freely as he pleases.

Verse 6 (12.361.6)

क्षेत्राणि हि शरीराणि बीजं चापि शुभाशुभम् । तानि वेत्ति स योगात्मा ततः क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते ॥

kṣetrāṇi hi śarīrāṇi bījaṃ cāpi śubhāśubham | tāni vetti sa yogātmā tataḥ kṣetrajña ucyate

The fields are the bodies, and the seeds are the good and the bad; he, the self of yoga, knows them, and therefore is called the Knower of the Field.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads बीजं चापि शुभाशुभम् where the CE has bījāni ca śubhāśubhe; recension variant, kept.

Verse 7 (12.361.7)

नागतिर्न गतिस्तस्य ज्ञेया भूतेषु केनचित् । साङ्ख्येन विधिना चैव योगेन च यथाक्रमम् ॥

nāgatirna gatistasya jñeyā bhūteṣu kenacit | sāṅkhyena vidhinā caiva yogena ca yathākramam

No being can know his non-motion or his motion, whether by the method of Sankhya or by Yoga in due order.

Verse 8 (12.361.8)

चिन्तयामि गतिं चास्य न गतिं वेद्मि चोत्तराम् । यथाज्ञानं तु वक्ष्यामि पुरुषं तु सनातनम् ॥

cintayāmi gatiṃ cāsya na gatiṃ vedmi cottarām | yathājñānaṃ tu vakṣyāmi puruṣaṃ tu sanātanam

I reflect on his course, and yet I do not know his highest course. I shall speak of the eternal Person as far as I know him.

Verse 9 (12.361.9)

तस्यैकत्वं महत्त्वं च स चैकः पुरुषः स्मृतः । महापुरुषशब्दं स बिभर्त्येकः सनातनः ॥

tasyaikatvaṃ mahattvaṃ ca sa caikaḥ puruṣaḥ smṛtaḥ | mahāpuruṣaśabdaṃ sa bibhartyekaḥ sanātanaḥ

His oneness and his greatness: for this he is called the One Person; alone and eternal, he bears the name of the Great Person.

Verse 10 (12.361.10)

एको हुताशो बहुधा समिध्यते । एकः सूर्यस्तपसां योनिरेका । एको वायुर्बहुधा वाति लोके । महोदधिश्चाम्भसां योनिरेकः । पुरुषश्चैको निर्गुणो विश्वरूप । स्तं निर्गुणं पुरुषं चाविशन्ति ॥

eko hutāśo bahudhā samidhyate | ekaḥ sūryastapasāṃ yonirekā | eko vāyurbahudhā vāti loke | mahodadhiścāmbhasāṃ yonirekaḥ | puruṣaścaiko nirguṇo viśvarūpa | staṃ nirguṇaṃ puruṣaṃ cāviśanti

One fire is kindled in many ways; one sun is the single source of the heats; one wind blows in many ways in the world; the great ocean is the single source of the waters; so too the Person is one, free of qualities and of universal form, and into that Person free of qualities they enter.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.339.10): Wikisource prints only a broken last line, 'स्तं निर्गुणं पुरुषं चाविशन्ति' (labelled 12-361-10f), the final pada of this verse. The other five padas (eko hutāśo bahudhā samidhyate / ekaḥ sūryas tapasāṃ yonir ekā / eko vāyur bahudhā vāti loke / mahodadhiś cāmbhasāṃ yonir ekaḥ / puruṣaś caiko nirguṇo viśvarūpas) are written in Devanagari from the CE, and the page's own fragment is kept with its sandhi split (विश्वरूप / स्तं). The CE gives it as three lines of two padas each.

Verse 11 (12.361.11)

हित्वा गुणमयं सर्वं कर्म हित्वा शुभाशुभम् । उभे सत्यानृते त्यक्त्वा एवं भवति निर्गुणः ॥

hitvā guṇamayaṃ sarvaṃ karma hitvā śubhāśubham | ubhe satyānṛte tyaktvā evaṃ bhavati nirguṇaḥ

Abandoning all that is made of the qualities, abandoning action, good and bad, and giving up both truth and untruth, one thus becomes free of qualities.

Note on the text: Corrected कर्मं → कर्म (misprint in Wikisource; extra anusvara on the object of हित्वा; CE karma).

Verse 12 (12.361.12)

अचिन्त्यं चापि तं ज्ञात्वा भावसूक्ष्मं चतुष्टयम् । विचरेद्योऽसमुन्नद्धः स गच्छेत्पुरुषं शुभम् ॥

acintyaṃ cāpi taṃ jñātvā bhāvasūkṣmaṃ catuṣṭayam | vicaredyo'samunnaddhaḥ sa gacchetpuruṣaṃ śubham

Having known him too as inconceivable, subtle in being, fourfold, whoever lives free of conceit reaches the auspicious Person.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads विचरेद्योऽसमुन्नद्धः स गच्छेत्पुरुषं शुभम् where the CE has vicared yo yatir yattaḥ sa gacchet puruṣaṃ prabhum; recension variant, kept.

Verse 13 (12.361.13)

एकं हि परमात्मानं केचिदिच्छन्ति पण्डिताः । एकात्मानं तथाऽऽत्मानमपरेध्यात्मचिन्तकाः ॥

ekaṃ hi paramātmānaṃ kecidicchanti paṇḍitāḥ | ekātmānaṃ tathā''tmānamaparedhyātmacintakāḥ

Some learned men hold that there is one Supreme Self; others, who ponder the Self, hold that the self itself is a single self.

Verse 14 (12.361.14)

तत्र यः परमात्मा हि स नित्यो निर्गुणः स्मृतः । स हि नारायणो ज्ञेयः सर्वात्मा पुरुषो हि सः ॥

tatra yaḥ paramātmā hi sa nityo nirguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | sa hi nārāyaṇo jñeyaḥ sarvātmā puruṣo hi saḥ

Of these, he who is the Supreme Self is eternal and is said to be free of qualities; he is to be known as Narayana, the Self of all, the Person indeed.

Verse 15 (12.361.15)

न लिप्यते फलैश्चापि पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा । कर्मात्मा त्वपरो योसौ मोक्षबन्धैः स युज्यते ॥

na lipyate phalaiścāpi padmapatramivāmbhasā | karmātmā tvaparo yosau mokṣabandhaiḥ sa yujyate

He is not touched by fruits, as a lotus leaf is not touched by water. But the other, the self of action, is joined with bondage and with liberation.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.339.14e and 15a.

Verse 16 (12.361.16)

ससप्तदशकेनापि राशिना युज्यते च सः । एवं बहुविधः प्रोक्तः पुरुषस्ते यथाक्रमम् ॥

sasaptadaśakenāpi rāśinā yujyate ca saḥ | evaṃ bahuvidhaḥ proktaḥ puruṣaste yathākramam

He is also joined with the group of seventeen. Thus the Person has been described to you in many ways, in due order.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.339.15c and 15e. Line 1 reads युज्यते च सः where the CE has yujyate hi saḥ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 17 (12.361.17)

यत्तत्कृत्स्नं लोकतन्त्रस्य धाम । वेद्यं परं बोधनीयं च वेदैः । मन्ता मन्तव्यं प्राशिता प्राशनीयं । घ्राता घ्रेयं स्पर्शिता स्पर्शनीयम् ॥

yattatkṛtsnaṃ lokatantrasya dhāma | vedyaṃ paraṃ bodhanīyaṃ ca vedaiḥ | mantā mantavyaṃ prāśitā prāśanīyaṃ | ghrātā ghreyaṃ sparśitā sparśanīyam

That which is the whole abode of the order of the world, the supreme object of knowledge, to be made known through the Vedas; the thinker and the thinkable, the taster and the tastable, the smeller and the smellable, the toucher and the touchable;

Note on the text: Line 2 reads बोधनीयं च वेदैः where the CE has bodhanīyaṃ saboddhṛ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 18 (12.361.18)

द्रष्टा द्रष्टव्यं श्राविता श्रावणीयं । ज्ञाता ज्ञेयं सगुणं निर्गुणं च । यद्वै प्रोक्तं तात सम्यक्प्रधानं । नित्यं चैतच्छाश्वतं चाव्ययं च ॥

draṣṭā draṣṭavyaṃ śrāvitā śrāvaṇīyaṃ | jñātā jñeyaṃ saguṇaṃ nirguṇaṃ ca | yadvai proktaṃ tāta samyakpradhānaṃ | nityaṃ caitacchāśvataṃ cāvyayaṃ ca

the seer and the seeable, the hearer and the audible, the knower and the knowable, with qualities and without: what has been rightly declared the Primal Principle, dear son, is eternal, everlasting and imperishable.

Note on the text: Line 3 reads सम्यक्प्रधानं where the CE has guṇasāmyaṃ pradhānaṃ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 19 (12.361.19)

यद्वै सूते धातुराद्यं विधानं । तद्वै विप्राः प्रवदन्तेऽनिरुद्धम् । यद्वै लोके वैदिकं कर्म साधु । आशीर्युक्तं तद्धि तस्योपभोग्यम् ॥

yadvai sūte dhāturādyaṃ vidhānaṃ | tadvai viprāḥ pravadante'niruddham | yadvai loke vaidikaṃ karma sādhu | āśīryuktaṃ taddhi tasyopabhogyam

That which gives rise to the Creator's primal ordinance, the learned call Aniruddha; and whatever good Vedic rite is performed in the world, joined with invocations of blessing, that is his to enjoy.

Verse 20 (12.361.20)

देवाः सर्वे मुनयः साधु दान्ता । स्तं प्राग्वंशे यज्ञभागं भजन्ते । अहं ब्रह्मा आद्य ईशः प्रजानां । तस्माज्जातस्त्वं च मत्तः प्रसूतः ॥

devāḥ sarve munayaḥ sādhu dāntā | staṃ prāgvaṃśe yajñabhāgaṃ bhajante | ahaṃ brahmā ādya īśaḥ prajānāṃ | tasmājjātastvaṃ ca mattaḥ prasūtaḥ

All the gods and the good, self-controlled sages share in the old sacrificial hall the portion of the sacrifice due to him. I am Brahma, the first lord of creatures, born from him; and you were born of him and brought forth from me.

Note on the text: Corrected मनुयः → मुनयः (misprint in Wikisource; transposed vowel signs; CE munayaḥ). Lines = CE 12.339.19a and 19c. Line 2 reads प्राग्वंशे यज्ञभागं भजन्ते where the CE has prāg yajñair yajñabhāgaṃ yajante; recension variant, kept. The initial स् of स्तं is the sandhi remainder of दान्ताः + तं, as the page prints it.

Verse 21 (12.361.21)

मत्तो जगज्जङ्गमं स्थावरं च । सर्वे वेदाः सरहस्या हि पुत्र ॥

matto jagajjaṅgamaṃ sthāvaraṃ ca | sarve vedāḥ sarahasyā hi putra

From me come the world of moving and unmoving things, and all the Vedas with their secrets, my son.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.339.19e (two lines).

Verse 22 (12.361.22)

चतुर्विभक्तः पुरुषः स क्रीडति यथेच्छति । एवं स भगवान्देवः स्वेन ज्ञानेन बोधयत् ॥

caturvibhaktaḥ puruṣaḥ sa krīḍati yathecchati | evaṃ sa bhagavāndevaḥ svena jñānena bodhayat

The Person, divided in four, plays as he wishes. Thus does the Blessed God awaken all by his own knowledge.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads स भगवान्देवः स्वेन ज्ञानेन बोधयत् where the CE has sa eva bhagavāñ jñānena pratibodhitaḥ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 23 (12.361.23)

एतत्ते कथितं पुत्र यथावदनुपृच्छतः । साङ्ख्यज्ञाने तथा योगे यथावदनुवर्णितम् ॥

etatte kathitaṃ putra yathāvadanupṛcchataḥ | sāṅkhyajñāne tathā yoge yathāvadanuvarṇitam

This I have told you, son, as you asked, faithfully; it has been set out truly, as in Sankhya knowledge and in Yoga.