The King's Question and the Nature of Ultimate Truth

Verse 1 (vishnu.2.14.1)

पराशर उवाच । निशम्य तस्येति वचः परमार्थसमन्वितम् । प्रश्रयावनतो भूत्वा तम् आह नृपतिर् द्विजम्

parāśara uvāca niśamya tasyeti vacaḥ paramārthasamanvitam praśrayāvanato bhūtvā tam āha nṛpatir dvijam

Parashara said: Having heard these words of his, full of ultimate truth, the king, bowing with humility, spoke to that brahmin.

Verse 2 (vishnu.2.14.2)

राजोवाच । भगवन् यत् त्वया प्रोक्तं परमार्थमयं वचः । श्रुते तस्मिन् भ्रमन्तीव मनसो मम वृत्तयः

rājovāca bhagavan yat tvayā proktaṁ paramārthamayaṁ vacaḥ śrute tasmin bhramantīva manaso mama vṛttayaḥ

The king said: O venerable one, on hearing this supreme-truth-laden speech spoken by you, the workings of my mind seem to whirl.

Verse 3 (vishnu.2.14.3)

एतद् विवेकविज्ञानं यद् अशेषेषु जन्तुषु । भवता दर्शितं विप्र तत् परं प्रकृतेर् महत्

etad vivekavijñānaṁ yad aśeṣeṣu jantuṣu bhavatā darśitaṁ vipra tat paraṁ prakṛter mahat

This discriminating knowledge which you, O brahmin, have shown to exist in all creatures without exception — that is the supreme, greater than material Nature.

Verse 4 (vishnu.2.14.4)

नाहं वहामि शिबिकां शिबिका न मयि स्थिता । शरीरम् अन्यद् अस्मत्तो येनेयं शिबिका धृता

nāhaṁ vahāmi śibikāṁ śibikā na mayi sthitā śarīram anyad asmatto yeneyaṁ śibikā dhṛtā

'I do not carry the palanquin, nor does the palanquin rest upon me; this palanquin is borne by some other body, apart from us' —

Verse 5 (vishnu.2.14.5)

गुणप्रवृत्त्या भूतानां प्रवृत्तिः कर्मचोदिता । प्रवर्तन्ते गुणाश् चैते किं ममेति त्वयोदितम्

guṇapravṛttyā bhūtānāṁ pravṛttiḥ karmacoditā pravartante guṇāś caite kiṁ mameti tvayoditam

'The activity of beings, driven by karma, occurs through the functioning of the gunas; these gunas alone function — what is that to me?' — thus you have said.

Verse 6 (vishnu.2.14.6)

एतस्मिन् परमार्थज्ञ मम श्रोत्रपथं गते । मनो विह्वलताम् एति परमार्थार्थितां गतम्

etasmin paramārthajña mama śrotrapathaṁ gate mano vihvalatām eti paramārthārthitāṁ gatam

O knower of the supreme truth, since this has entered the path of my ears, my mind has become bewildered, longing for the meaning of that supreme truth.

Verse 7 (vishnu.2.14.7)

पूर्वम् एव महाभागं कपिलर्षिम् अहं द्विज । प्रष्टुम् अभ्युद्यतो गत्वा श्रेयः किं न्व् इत्य् असंशयम्

pūrvam eva mahābhāgaṁ kapilarṣim ahaṁ dvija praṣṭum abhyudyato gatvā śreyaḥ kiṁ nv ity asaṁśayam

O twice-born, even before this I had set out, intending to ask the greatly fortunate sage Kapila this very question — what, without doubt, is the highest good?

Verse 8 (vishnu.2.14.8)

तदन्तरे च भवता यद् इदं वाक्यम् ईरितम् । तेनैव परमार्थार्थं त्वयि चेतः प्रधावति

tadantare ca bhavatā yad idaṁ vākyam īritam tenaiva paramārthārthaṁ tvayi cetaḥ pradhāvati

And in the meantime, by these very words spoken by you, my mind now runs eagerly toward you, for the meaning of the supreme truth.

Verse 9 (vishnu.2.14.9)

कपिलर्षिर् भगवतः सर्वभूतस्य वै किल । विष्णोर् अंशो जगन्मोहनाशायोर्वीम् उपागतः

kapilarṣir bhagavataḥ sarvabhūtasya vai kila viṣṇor aṁśo jaganmohanāśāyorvīm upāgataḥ

This sage Kapila is indeed a portion of the Lord Vishnu, the self of all beings, who has descended to this earth for the destruction of the world's delusion.

Verse 10 (vishnu.2.14.10)

स एव भगवान् नूनम् अस्माकं हितकाम्यया । प्रत्यक्षताम् अत्र गतो यथैतद् भवतोच्यते

sa eva bhagavān nūnam asmākaṁ hitakāmyayā pratyakṣatām atra gato yathaitad bhavatocyate

Surely that same Lord, out of desire for our welfare, has become manifest here, just as you yourself now declare this to be.

Verse 11 (vishnu.2.14.11)

तन् मह्यं प्रणताय त्वं यच् छ्रेयः परमं द्विज । तद् वदाखिलविज्ञानजलवीच्युदधिर् भवान्

tan mahyaṁ praṇatāya tvaṁ yac chreyaḥ paramaṁ dvija tad vadākhilavijñānajalavīcyudadhir bhavān

O twice-born, tell me, who bow at your feet, that supreme good; for you are an ocean whose waves are made of the water of all-encompassing knowledge.

Verse 12 (vishnu.2.14.12)

ब्राह्मण उवाच । भूप पृच्छसि किं श्रेयः परमार्थं नु पृच्छसि । श्रेयांस्य् अपरमार्थानि अशेषाण्य् एव भूपते

brāhmaṇa uvāca bhūpa pṛcchasi kiṁ śreyaḥ paramārthaṁ nu pṛcchasi śreyāṁsy aparamārthāni aśeṣāṇy eva bhūpate

The brahmin said: O king, do you ask what is merely good, or do you ask about the supreme truth? O king, goods that are not the supreme truth are countless indeed.

Verse 13 (vishnu.2.14.13)

देवताराधनं कृत्वा धनसंपदम् इच्छति । पुत्रान् इच्छति राज्यं च श्रेयस् तत्प्राप्तिलक्षणम्

devatārādhanaṁ kṛtvā dhanasaṁpadam icchati putrān icchati rājyaṁ ca śreyas tatprāptilakṣaṇam

Having worshipped the deities, a man desires wealth and prosperity; he desires sons and a kingdom — 'good,' in this sense, is characterized by the attainment of these.

Verse 14 (vishnu.2.14.14)

कर्म यज्ञात्मकं श्रेयः स्वर्लोकफलदायि यत् । श्रेयः प्रधानं च फले तद् एवानभिसंहिते

karma yajñātmakaṁ śreyaḥ svarlokaphaladāyi yat śreyaḥ pradhānaṁ ca phale tad evānabhisaṁhite

The good consisting of sacrificial action, which grants the fruit of heaven, is also a good — but this too is foremost only within that limited fruit.

Verse 15 (vishnu.2.14.15)

आत्मा ध्येयः सदा भूप योगयुक्तैस् तथा परम् । श्रेयस् तस्यैव संयोगः श्रेयो यः परमात्मनः

ātmā dhyeyaḥ sadā bhūpa yogayuktais tathā param śreyas tasyaiva saṁyogaḥ śreyo yaḥ paramātmanaḥ

O king, for those united in yoga, the Self alone should always be meditated upon — that is the supreme good; union with the Supreme Self alone is the true good.

Verse 16 (vishnu.2.14.16)

श्रेयांस्य् एवम् अनेकानि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः । सन्त्य् अत्र परमार्थास् तु न त्व् एते श्रूयतां च मे

śreyāṁsy evam anekāni śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ santy atra paramārthās tu na tv ete śrūyatāṁ ca me

Thus there are hundreds and thousands of such goods present here, but these are not the supreme truth; now hear from me what the true supreme truth is.

Verse 17 (vishnu.2.14.17)

धर्माय त्यज्यते किं तु परमार्थो धनं यदि । व्ययश् च क्रियते कस्मात् कामप्राप्त्युपलक्षणः

dharmāya tyajyate kiṁ tu paramārtho dhanaṁ yadi vyayaś ca kriyate kasmāt kāmaprāptyupalakṣaṇaḥ

If wealth is renounced for dharma, regarding it as the supreme purpose, then why is expenditure made — is it not, in fact, a marker of the attainment of some [other] desire?

Verse 18 (vishnu.2.14.18)

पुत्रश् चेत् परमार्थाख्यः सोऽप्य् अन्यस्य नरेश्वर । परमार्थभूतः सोऽन्यस्य परमार्थो हि तत्पिता

putraś cet paramārthākhyaḥ so'py anyasya nareśvara paramārthabhūtaḥ so'nyasya paramārtho hi tatpitā

O lord of men, if a son is called the supreme purpose, he too exists as the supreme purpose for another, and his father, in turn, is the supreme purpose for him.

Verse 19 (vishnu.2.14.19)

एवं न परमार्थोऽस्ति जगत्य् अस्मिंश् चराचरे । परमार्थो हि कार्याणि कारणानाम् अशेषतः

evaṁ na paramārtho'sti jagaty asmiṁś carācare paramārtho hi kāryāṇi kāraṇānām aśeṣataḥ

Thus, in this moving and unmoving world, there is no ultimate supreme purpose; for here, the supreme purpose too is always merely the effect of some other cause.

Verse 20 (vishnu.2.14.20)

राज्यादिप्राप्तिर् अत्रोक्ता परमार्थतया यदि । परमार्था भवन्त्य् अत्र न भवन्ति च वै ततः

rājyādiprāptir atroktā paramārthatayā yadi paramārthā bhavanty atra na bhavanti ca vai tataḥ

If the attainment of kingship and the like is here declared to be the supreme purpose, then such things are the supreme purpose in one context, and not so in another.

Verse 21 (vishnu.2.14.21)

ऋग्यजुःसामनिष्पाद्यं यज्ञकर्म मतं तव । परमार्थभूतं तत्रापि श्रूयतां गदतो मम

ṛgyajuḥsāmaniṣpādyaṁ yajñakarma mataṁ tava paramārthabhūtaṁ tatrāpi śrūyatāṁ gadato mama

You consider the sacrificial rite accomplished through the Rig, Yajus, and Sama to be the supreme truth; on this too, hear what I have to say.

Verse 22 (vishnu.2.14.22)

यत् तु निष्पाद्यते कार्यं मृदा कारणभूतया । तत् कारणानुगमनाज् ज्ञायते नृप मृण्मयम्

yat tu niṣpādyate kāryaṁ mṛdā kāraṇabhūtayā tat kāraṇānugamanāj jñāyate nṛpa mṛṇmayam

O king, that which is accomplished as an effect by clay, its material cause, is known, when its cause is traced, to be nothing but clay.

Verse 23 (vishnu.2.14.23)

एवं विनाशिभिर् द्रव्यैः समिदाज्यकुशादिभिः । निष्पाद्यते क्रिया या तु सा भवित्री विनाशिनी

evaṁ vināśibhir dravyaiḥ samidājyakuśādibhiḥ niṣpādyate kriyā yā tu sā bhavitrī vināśinī

Likewise, the rite that is accomplished by perishable substances — fuel-sticks, ghee, kusha grass, and the like — will itself be perishable.

Verse 24 (vishnu.2.14.24)

अनाशी परमार्थश् च प्राज्ञैर् अभ्युपगम्यते । तत् तु नाशि न संदेहो नाशिद्रव्योपपादितम्

anāśī paramārthaś ca prājñair abhyupagamyate tat tu nāśi na saṁdeho nāśidravyopapāditam

The imperishable alone is accepted by the wise as the supreme truth; but that sacrificial rite, being brought about by perishable materials, is without doubt itself perishable.

Verse 25 (vishnu.2.14.25)

तद् एवाफलदं कर्म परमार्थो मतस् तव । मुक्तिसाधनभूतत्वात् परमार्थो न साधनम्

tad evāphaladaṁ karma paramārtho matas tava muktisādhanabhūtatvāt paramārtho na sādhanam

That fruitless action too, you consider the supreme good, since it serves as a means to liberation; but a means is never itself the supreme truth.

Verse 26 (vishnu.2.14.26)

ध्यानं चैवात्मनो भूप परमार्थार्थशब्दितम् । भेदकारि परेभ्यस् तत् परमार्थो न भेदवान्

dhyānaṁ caivātmano bhūpa paramārthārthaśabditam bhedakāri parebhyas tat paramārtho na bhedavān

O king, meditation on the Self too is called a means to the supreme purpose; it creates distinction from other things — but the supreme truth itself is without distinction.

Verse 27 (vishnu.2.14.27)

परमात्मात्मनोर् योगः परमार्थ इतीष्यते । मिथ्यैतद् अन्यद्रव्यं हि नैति तद्द्रव्यतां यतः

paramātmātmanor yogaḥ paramārtha itīṣyate mithyaitad anyadravyaṁ hi naiti taddravyatāṁ yataḥ

The union of the individual self and the Supreme Self is regarded as the supreme truth; this notion of separateness is false, for one substance never becomes another.

Verse 28 (vishnu.2.14.28)

तस्माच् छ्रेयांस्य् अशेषाणि नृपैतानि न संशयः । परमार्थस् तु भूपाल संक्षेपाच् छ्रूयतां मम

tasmāc chreyāṁsy aśeṣāṇi nṛpaitāni na saṁśayaḥ paramārthas tu bhūpāla saṁkṣepāc chrūyatāṁ mama

Therefore, O king, all these are but relative goods, without doubt; but, O king, hear the true supreme truth from me in brief.

Verse 29 (vishnu.2.14.29)

एको व्यापी समः शुद्धो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । जन्मवृद्ध्यादिरहित आत्मा सर्वगतोऽव्ययः

eko vyāpī samaḥ śuddho nirguṇaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ janmavṛddhyādirahita ātmā sarvagato'vyayaḥ

The one, all-pervading, equal, pure, without qualities, beyond material nature, free from birth, growth, and the rest — the Self is all-pervading and imperishable.

Verse 30 (vishnu.2.14.30)

परज्ञानमयोऽसद्भिर् नामजात्यादिभिर् विभुः । न योगवान् न युक्तोऽभून् नैव पार्थिव योक्ष्यति

parajñānamayo'sadbhir nāmajātyādibhir vibhuḥ na yogavān na yukto'bhūn naiva pārthiva yokṣyati

It is of the nature of supreme knowledge, all-pervading, seemingly qualified by unreal designations such as name and species; O king, it was never united with anything, nor is it now, nor will it ever become so.

Verse 31 (vishnu.2.14.31)

तस्यात्मपरदेहेषु सतोऽप्य् एकमयं हि यत् । विज्ञानं परमार्थोऽसौ द्वैतिनोऽतत्त्वदर्शिनः

tasyātmaparadeheṣu sato'py ekamayaṁ hi yat vijñānaṁ paramārtho'sau dvaitino'tattvadarśinaḥ

That which, though present in one's own body and in other bodies, is a single consciousness — that alone is the supreme truth; those who see duality do not perceive true reality.

Verse 32 (vishnu.2.14.32)

वेणुरन्ध्रविभेदेन भेदः षड्जादिसंज्ञितः । अभेदव्यापिनो वायोस् तथा तस्य महात्मनः

veṇurandhravibhedena bhedaḥ ṣaḍjādisaṁjñitaḥ abhedavyāpino vāyos tathā tasya mahātmanaḥ

As by the differentiation of a flute's holes arise the distinctions called Shadja and the other notes, so too within that undifferentiated, all-pervading great breath, such distinctions arise, while it itself remains undivided.

Verse 33 (vishnu.2.14.33)

एकत्वं रूपभेदश् च बाह्यकर्मप्रवृत्तिजः । देवादिभेदेऽपध्वस्ते नास्त्य् एवावरणो हि सः

ekatvaṁ rūpabhedaś ca bāhyakarmapravṛttijaḥ devādibhede'padhvaste nāsty evāvaraṇo hi saḥ

Unity and diversity of form arise from the functioning of external actions; when the differentiation into gods and the rest is dissolved, no veiling distinction remains at all.