The Three Sorrows and the Path to Liberating Knowledge

Verse 1 (vishnu.6.5.1)

पराशर उवाच । आध्यात्मिकादि मैत्रेय ज्ञात्वा तापत्रयं बुधः । उत्पन्नज्ञानवैराग्यः प्राप्नोत्यात्यन्तिकं लयम्

parāśara uvāca ādhyātmikādi maitreya jñātvā tāpatrayaṁ budhaḥ utpannajñānavairāgyaḥ prāpnoty ātyantikaṁ layam

Parashara said: "Maitreya, the wise man who comes to know the threefold suffering — beginning with the adhyatmika — and in whom knowledge and dispassion thereby arise, attains the absolute dissolution.

Verse 2 (vishnu.6.5.2)

आध्यात्मिको वै द्विविधः शारीरो मानसस् तथा । शारीरो बहुभिर् भेदैर् भिद्यते श्रूयतां च सः

ādhyātmiko vai dvividhaḥ śārīro mānasas tathā śārīro bahubhir bhedair bhidyate śrūyatāṁ ca saḥ

The adhyatmika suffering is of two kinds — bodily and mental. The bodily kind divides into many distinct forms; hear of them.

Verse 3 (vishnu.6.5.3)

शिरोरोगप्रतिश्यायज्वरशूलभगंदरैः । गुल्मार्शःश्वासश्वयथुच्छर्द्यादिभिरनेकधा

śirorogapratiśyāyajvaraśūlabhagaṁdaraiḥ gulmārśaḥśvāsaśvayathucchardyādibhir anekadhā

through headache, colds, fever, colic, fistula, abdominal tumors, piles, asthma, dropsy, vomiting, and the like, in many forms —

Verse 4 (vishnu.6.5.4)

तथाक्षिरोगातीसारकुष्ठाङ्गामयसंज्ञकैः । भिद्यते देहजस् तापो मानसं श्रोतुमर्हसि

tathākṣirogātīsārakuṣṭhāṅgāmayasaṁjñakaiḥ bhidyate dehajas tāpo mānasaṁ śrotum arhasi

— and likewise through eye disease, dysentery, leprosy, and the various bodily ailments — thus the suffering born of the body is divided. Now hear of the mental.

Verse 5 (vishnu.6.5.5)

कामक्रोधभयद्वेषलोभमोहविषादजः । शोकासूयावमानेर्ष्यामात्सर्यादिभवस् तथा

kāmakrodhabhayadveṣalobhamohaviṣādajaḥ śokāsūyāvamānerṣyāmātsaryādibhavas tathā

Mental suffering is born of desire, anger, fear, hatred, greed, delusion, and despair; and it likewise arises from grief, envy, insult, jealousy, and malice, among others.

Verse 6 (vishnu.6.5.6)

मानसोऽपि द्विजश्रेष्ठ तापो भवति नैकधा । इत्येवमादिभिर् भेदैस् तापो ह्याध्यात्मिकः स्मृतः

mānaso 'pi dvijaśreṣṭha tāpo bhavati naikadhā ity evamādibhir bhedais tāpo hy ādhyātmikaḥ smṛtaḥ

O best of the twice-born, mental suffering too assumes many forms. Through such distinctions as these, the adhyatmika suffering is to be understood.

Verse 7 (vishnu.6.5.7)

मृगपक्षिमनुष्याद्यैः पिशाचोरगराक्षसैः । सरीसृपाद्यैश् च नृणां जन्यन्ते चाधिभौतिकः

mṛgapakṣimanuṣyādyaiḥ piśācoragarākṣasaiḥ sarīsṛpādyaiś ca nṛṇāṁ janyante cādhibhautikaḥ

Adhibhautika suffering, caused by other beings, is produced in men through wild beasts, birds, fellow men, spirits, serpents, demons, and reptiles, among others.

Verse 8 (vishnu.6.5.8)

शीतोष्णवातवर्षाम्बुवैद्युतादिसमुद्भवः । तापो द्विजवरश्रेष्ठ कथ्यते चाधिदैविकः

śītoṣṇavātavarṣāmbuvaidyutādisamudbhavaḥ tāpo dvijavaraśreṣṭha kathyate cādhidaivikaḥ

O foremost among the twice-born, the suffering that arises from cold, heat, wind, rain, flood, and lightning, among other things, is called adhidaivika.

Verse 9 (vishnu.6.5.9)

गर्भजन्मजराज्ञानमृत्युनारकजं तथा । दुःखं सहस्रशो भेदैर् भिद्यते मुनिसत्तम

garbhajanmajarājñānamṛtyunārakajaṁ tathā duḥkhaṁ sahasraśo bhedair bhidyate munisattama

O foremost of sages, the suffering born from the womb, from birth, from old age, from ignorance, from death, and from hell likewise divides into a thousand forms.

Verse 10 (vishnu.6.5.10)

सुकुमारतनुर् गर्भे जन्तुर् बहुमलावृते । उल्बसंवेष्टितो भुग्नपृष्ठग्रीवास्थिसंहतिः

sukumāratanur garbhe jantur bahumalāvṛte ulbasaṁveṣṭito bhugnapṛṣṭhagrīvāsthisaṁhatiḥ

The tender-bodied being, within the womb, surrounded by every kind of filth, wrapped in the amniotic caul, its spine, neck, and frame of bones bent double —

Verse 11 (vishnu.6.5.11)

अत्यम्लकटुतीक्ष्णोष्णलवणैर् मातृभोजनैः । अतितापिभिरत्यर्थं वर्धमानातिवेदनः

atyamlakaṭutīkṣṇoṣṇalavaṇair mātṛbhojanaiḥ atitāpibhir atyarthaṁ vardhamānātivedanaḥ

— growing amid the mother's food that is excessively sour, pungent, sharp, hot, or salty, causing intense heat, its suffering steadily increasing —

Verse 12 (vishnu.6.5.12)

प्रसारणाकुञ्चनादौ नाङ्गानां प्रभुरात्मनः । शकृन्मूत्रमहापङ्कशायी सर्वत्रपीडितः

prasāraṇākuñcanādau nāṅgānāṁ prabhur ātmanaḥ śakṛnmūtramahāpaṅkaśāyī sarvatrapīḍitaḥ

— powerless even to stretch or draw in its own limbs, lying in a great mire of excrement and urine, tormented on every side.

Verse 13 (vishnu.6.5.13)

निरुच्छ्वासः सचैतन्यः स्मरञ् जन्मशतान्यथ । आस्ते गर्भेऽतिदुःखेन निजकर्मनिबन्धनः

nirucchvāsaḥ sacaitanyaḥ smarañ janmaśatāny atha āste garbhe 'tiduḥkhena nijakarmanibandhanaḥ

Without breath, yet conscious, remembering its hundreds of past births, bound fast by its own former deeds, it remains in the womb amid the greatest suffering.

Verse 14 (vishnu.6.5.14)

जायमानः पुरीषासृङ्मूत्रशुक्राविलाननः । प्राजापत्येन वातेन पीड्यमानास्थिबन्धनः

jāyamānaḥ purīṣāsṛṅmūtraśukrāvilānanaḥ prājāpatyena vātena pīḍyamānāsthibandhanaḥ

As it is born, its face smeared with excrement, blood, urine, and semen, its very bones wrenched by the wind of birth —

Verse 15 (vishnu.6.5.15)

अधोमुखो वै क्रियते प्रबलैः सूतिमारुतैः । क्लेशैर् निष्क्रान्तिमाप्नोति जठरान् मातुरातुरः

adhomukho vai kriyate prabalaiḥ sūtimārutaiḥ kleśair niṣkrāntim āpnoti jaṭharān mātur āturaḥ

— it is turned head-downward by the powerful winds of childbirth, and, in great suffering and distress, it makes its exit from its mother's womb.

Verse 16 (vishnu.6.5.16)

मूर्च्छामवाप्य महतीं संस्पृष्टो बाह्यवायुना । विज्ञानभ्रंशमाप्नोति जातश् च मुनिसत्तम

mūrcchām avāpya mahatīṁ saṁspṛṣṭo bāhyavāyunā vijñānabhraṁśam āpnoti jātaś ca munisattama

O foremost of sages, on being touched by the outer air, it falls into a deep swoon, and once born, it loses that former understanding it had carried within.

Verse 17 (vishnu.6.5.17)

कण्टकैरिव तुन्नाङ्गः क्रकचैरिव दारितः । पूतिव्रणान् निपतितो धरण्यां कृमिको यथा

kaṇṭakair iva tunnāṅgaḥ krakacair iva dāritaḥ pūtivraṇān nipatito dharaṇyāṁ kṛmiko yathā

Its body as though pierced by thorns, as though torn apart by saws, it falls onto the ground like a worm dropped from a putrid wound.

Verse 18 (vishnu.6.5.18)

कण्डूयनेऽपि चाशक्तः परिवर्तेऽप्यनीश्वरः । स्नानपानादिकाहारमवाप्नोति परेच्छया

kaṇḍūyane 'pi cāśaktaḥ parivarte 'py anīśvaraḥ snānapānādikāhāram avāpnoti parecchayā

Unable even to scratch itself, powerless even to turn over, it receives bathing, drinking, food, and everything else only at the will of others.

Verse 19 (vishnu.6.5.19)

अशुचिप्रस्तरे सुप्तः कीटदंशादिभिस् तथा । भक्ष्यमाणोऽपि नैवैषां समर्थो विनिवारणे

aśuciprastare suptaḥ kīṭadaṁśādibhis tathā bhakṣyamāṇo 'pi naivaiṣāṁ samartho vinivāraṇe

Sleeping upon an unclean bed, and though bitten by insects and the like, it has no power even to drive them away.

Verse 20 (vishnu.6.5.20)

जन्मदुःखान्यनेकानि जन्मनोऽनन्तराणि च । बालभावे यदाप्नोति आधिभौतादिकानि च

janmaduḥkhāny anekāni janmano 'nantarāṇi ca bālabhāve yadāpnoti ādhibhautādikāni ca

Having thus undergone the many sufferings of birth and those that immediately follow it, when in infancy it meets with the adhibhautika sufferings and the rest —

Verse 21 (vishnu.6.5.21)

अज्ञानतमसाच्छन्नो मूढान्तःकरणो नरः । न जानाति कुतः कोऽहं क्वाहं गन्ता किमात्मकः

ajñānatamasācchanno mūḍhāntaḥkaraṇo naraḥ na jānāti kutaḥ ko 'haṁ kvāhaṁ gantā kimātmakaḥ

— enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, his understanding bewildered, a man does not know: 'Where have I come from? Who am I? Where am I going? What is my true nature?

Verse 22 (vishnu.6.5.22)

केन बन्धेन बद्धोऽहं कारणं किमकारणम् । किं कार्यं किमकार्यं वा किं वाच्यं किं च नोच्यते

kena bandhena baddho 'haṁ kāraṇaṁ kim akāraṇam kiṁ kāryaṁ kim akāryaṁ vā kiṁ vācyaṁ kiṁ ca nocyate

By what bond am I bound? What is cause, and what is not cause? What ought to be done, and what ought not? What should be spoken, and what should remain unsaid?

Verse 23 (vishnu.6.5.23)

कोऽधर्मः कश् च वै धर्मः कस्मिन् वर्तेऽथवा कथम् । किं कर्तव्यमकर्तव्यं किं वा किं गुणदोषवत्

ko 'dharmaḥ kaś ca vai dharmaḥ kasmin varte 'thavā katham kiṁ kartavyam akartavyaṁ kiṁ vā kiṁ guṇadoṣavat

What is unrighteousness, and what is righteousness? In what, and how, should I conduct myself? What must be done, and what must not? What carries merit, and what carries fault?'

Verse 24 (vishnu.6.5.24)

एवं पशुसमैर् मूढैरज्ञानप्रभवं महत् । अवाप्यते नरैर् दुःखं शिश्नोदरपरायणैः

evaṁ paśusamair mūḍhair ajñānaprabhavaṁ mahat avāpyate narair duḥkhaṁ śiśnodaraparāyaṇaiḥ

Thus, by men foolish as beasts, given over wholly to their bellies and their bodily appetites, great suffering born of ignorance comes to be gained.

Verse 25 (vishnu.6.5.25)

अज्ञानं तामसो भावः कार्यारम्भाप्रवृत्तयः । अज्ञानिनां प्रवर्तन्ते कर्मलोपास् ततो द्विज

ajñānaṁ tāmaso bhāvaḥ kāryārambhāpravṛttayaḥ ajñānināṁ pravartante karmalopās tato dvija

Ignorance is a state of tamas, from which comes a failure to undertake proper action; hence, O twice-born, the ignorant fall into neglect of their duties.

Verse 26 (vishnu.6.5.26)

नरकं कर्मणां लोपात् फलमाहुर् महर्षयः । तस्मादज्ञानिनां दुःखमिह चामुत्र चोत्तमम्

narakaṁ karmaṇāṁ lopāt phalam āhur maharṣayaḥ tasmād ajñānināṁ duḥkham iha cāmutra cottamam

The great sages declare that the neglect of one's duties bears the fruit of hell; therefore, for the ignorant, the greatest suffering is theirs, both in this world and in the next.

Verse 27 (vishnu.6.5.27)

जराजर्जरदेहश् च शिथिलावयवः पुमान् । विचलच्छीर्णदशनो वलिस्नायुशिरावृतः

jarājarjaradehaś ca śithilāvayavaḥ pumān vicalacchīrṇadaśano valisnāyuśirāvṛtaḥ

A man, his body worn and shattered by old age, his limbs grown slack, his teeth loose and decayed, his frame covered over with wrinkles, sinews, and veins —

Verse 28 (vishnu.6.5.28)

दूरप्रणष्टनयनो व्योमान्तर्गततारकः । नासाविवरनिर्यातलोमपुञ्जश् चलद्वपुः

dūrapraṇaṣṭanayano vyomāntargatatārakaḥ nāsāvivaraniryātalomapuñjaś caladvapuḥ

— his distant sight gone, his eyes' pupils seeming to have receded into the very sky, tufts of hair sprouting from his nostrils, his whole frame trembling —

Verse 29 (vishnu.6.5.29)

प्रकटीभूतसर्वास्थिर् नतपृष्ठास्थिसंहतिः । उत्सन्नजठराग्नित्वादल्पाहारोऽल्पचेष्टितः

prakaṭībhūtasarvāsthir natapṛṣṭhāsthisaṁhatiḥ utsannajaṭharāgnitvād alpāhāro 'lpaceṣṭitaḥ

— every bone of his showing plainly through the skin, his spine bent, its bones stooped low, his digestive fire nearly spent, so that he eats little and stirs little —

Verse 30 (vishnu.6.5.30)

कृच्छ्राच् चङ्क्रमणोत्थानशयनासनचेष्टितः । मन्दीभवच्छ्रोत्रनेत्रः स्रवल्लालाविलाननः

kṛcchrāc caṅkramaṇotthānaśayanāsanaceṣṭitaḥ mandībhavacchrotranetraḥ sravallālāvilānanaḥ

— walking, rising, lying down, and sitting only with the greatest difficulty, his hearing and sight grown dim, his face fouled by dribbling spittle.

Verse 31 (vishnu.6.5.31)

अनायत्तैः समस्तैश् च करणैर् मरणोन्मुखः । तत्क्षणेऽप्यनुभूतानामस्मर्ताखिलवस्तूनाम्

anāyattaiḥ samastaiś ca karaṇair maraṇonmukhaḥ tatkṣaṇe 'py anubhūtānām asmartākhilavastūnām

With all his faculties gone out of his control, facing death, unable even to recall, the very next moment, things he has just experienced —

Verse 32 (vishnu.6.5.32)

सकृदुच्चारिते वाक्ये समुद्भूतमहाश्रमः । श्वासकासमहायाससमुद्भूतप्रजागरः

sakṛd uccārite vākye samudbhūtamahāśramaḥ śvāsakāsamahāyāsasamudbhūtaprajāgaraḥ

exhausted by the effort of speaking even a single sentence, kept from sleep by the great distress of gasping and coughing —

Verse 33 (vishnu.6.5.33)

अन्येनोत्थाप्यतेऽन्येन तथा संवेश्यते जरी । भृत्यात्मपुत्रदाराणामवमानास्पदीकृतः

anyenotthāpyate 'nyena tathā saṁveśyate jarī bhṛtyātmaputradārāṇām avamānāspadīkṛtaḥ

The old man is lifted up by one person and laid down again by another; he becomes an object of contempt even to his own servants, his sons, and his wife.

Verse 34 (vishnu.6.5.34)

प्रक्षीणाखिलशौचश् च विहाराहारसस्पृहः । हास्यः परिजनस्यापि निर्विण्णाशेषबान्धवः

prakṣīṇākhilaśaucaś ca vihārāhārasaspṛhaḥ hāsyaḥ parijanasyāpi nirviṇṇāśeṣabāndhavaḥ

His personal cleanliness all but gone, yet still craving pleasure and food, he becomes a figure of ridicule even among his own household, and all his kinsfolk grow weary of him.

Verse 35 (vishnu.6.5.35)

अनुभूतमिवान्यस्मिञ् जन्मन्यात्मविचेष्टितम् । संस्मरन् यौवने दीर्घं निःश्वसित्यतितापितः

anubhūtam ivānyasmiñ janmany ātmaviceṣṭitam saṁsmaran yauvane dīrghaṁ niḥśvasity atitāpitaḥ

Remembering his own conduct in youth as though it belonged to some other lifetime altogether, he sighs long and deep, consumed with anguish.

Verse 36 (vishnu.6.5.36)

एवमादीनि दुःखानि जरायामनुभूय वै । मरणे यानि दुःखानि प्राप्नोति शृणु तान्यपि

evamādīni duḥkhāni jarāyām anubhūya vai maraṇe yāni duḥkhāni prāpnoti śṛṇu tāny api

Having endured these and other such sufferings in old age, hear now also of the sufferings a man meets with at the time of death.

Verse 37 (vishnu.6.5.37)

श्लथद्ग्रीवाङ्घ्रिहस्तोऽथ व्याप्तो वेपथुना नरः । मुहुर् ग्लानिः परवशो मुहुर् ज्ञानलवान्वितः

ślathadgrīvāṅghrihasto 'tha vyāpto vepathunā naraḥ muhur glāniḥ paravaśo muhur jñānalavānvitaḥ

A man, his neck, feet, and hands grown limp, overtaken by trembling, again and again sinking helpless into faintness, and again and again returning to a mere sliver of awareness —

Verse 38 (vishnu.6.5.38)

हिरण्यधान्यतनयभार्याभृत्यगृहादिषु । एते कथं भविष्यन्तीत्यतीवममताकुलः

hiraṇyadhānyatanayabhāryābhṛtyagṛhādiṣu ete kathaṁ bhaviṣyantīty atīvamamatākulaḥ

— overwhelmed with excessive attachment, thinking: 'What will become of my gold, my grain, my children, my wife, my servants, my house, and all the rest?'

Verse 39 (vishnu.6.5.39)

मर्मभिद्भिर् महारोगैः क्रकचैरिव दारुणैः । शरैरिवान्तकस्योग्रैश् छिद्यमानास्थिबन्धनः

marmabhidbhir mahārogaiḥ krakacair iva dāruṇaiḥ śarair ivāntakasyograiś chidyamānāsthibandhanaḥ

His very bones seeming cut through by great diseases that pierce his vital points, as though by cruel saws, as though by Death's own terrible arrows —

Verse 40 (vishnu.6.5.40)

विवर्तमानताराक्षिर् हस्तपादं मुहुः क्षिपन् । संशुष्यमाणताल्वोष्ठपुटो घुरघुरायते

vivartamānatārākṣir hastapādaṁ muhuḥ kṣipan saṁśuṣyamāṇatālvoṣṭhapuṭo ghuraghurāyate

his eyes rolling in their sockets, his hands and feet thrashing again and again, his palate and lips growing dry, he makes a rattling sound deep in his throat.

Verse 41 (vishnu.6.5.41)

निरुद्धकण्ठो दोषौघैरुदानश्वासपीडितः । तापेन महता व्याप्तस् तृषा चार्तस् तथा क्षुधा

niruddhakaṇṭho doṣaughair udānaśvāsapīḍitaḥ tāpena mahatā vyāptas tṛṣā cārtas tathā kṣudhā

His throat choked by a flood of morbid humors, tormented by the labored breath of his rising life-force, overwhelmed by a great burning, and racked by thirst and hunger —

Verse 42 (vishnu.6.5.42)

क्लेशादुत्क्रान्तिमाप्नोति याम्यकिंकरपीडितः । ततश् च यातनादेहं क्लेशेन प्रतिपद्यते

kleśād utkrāntim āpnoti yāmyakiṁkarapīḍitaḥ tataś ca yātanādehaṁ kleśena pratipadyate

— tormented by the servants of Yama, he departs from life in agony, and thereafter, in his suffering, takes on a body fit for torment.

Verse 43 (vishnu.6.5.43)

एतान्यन्यानि चोग्राणि दुःखानि मरणे नृणाम् । शृणुष्व नरके यानि प्राप्यन्ते पुरुषैर् मृतैः

etāny anyāni cogrāṇi duḥkhāni maraṇe nṛṇām śṛṇuṣva narake yāni prāpyante puruṣair mṛtaiḥ

These, and other terrible sufferings besides, come upon men at the moment of death; now hear as well of those that men, once dead, encounter in hell.

Verse 44 (vishnu.6.5.44)

याम्यकिंकरपाशादिग्रहणं दण्डताडनम् । यमस्य दर्शनं चोग्रमुग्रमार्गविलोकनम्

yāmyakiṁkarapāśādigrahaṇaṁ daṇḍatāḍanam yamasya darśanaṁ cogram ugramārgavilokanam

Being seized with nooses and the like by Yama's servants, being beaten with rods, the terrible sight of Yama himself, and the vision of that dreadful road —

Verse 45 (vishnu.6.5.45)

करम्भवालुकावह्नियन्त्रशस्त्रादिभीषणे । प्रत्येकं नरके याश् च यातना द्विज दुःसहाः

karambhavālukāvahniyantraśastrādibhīṣaṇe pratyekaṁ narake yāś ca yātanā dvija duḥsahāḥ

— and, O twice-born, in each of the several hells, terrible with boiling gruel, burning sand, fire, crushing engines, and weapons, the unbearable torments that follow —

Verse 46 (vishnu.6.5.46)

क्रकचैः पाट्यमानानां मूषायां चापि धम्यताम् । कुठारैः कृत्यमानानां भूमौ चापि निखन्यताम्

krakacaiḥ pāṭyamānānāṁ mūṣāyāṁ cāpi dhamyatām kuṭhāraiḥ kṛtyamānānāṁ bhūmau cāpi nikhanyatām

— of those sawn apart with saws, of those melted down as in a crucible, of those hacked with axes, of those buried alive in the ground,

Verse 47 (vishnu.6.5.47)

शूलेष्वारोप्यमाणानां व्याघ्रवक्त्रे प्रवेश्यताम् । गृध्रैः संभक्ष्यमाणानां द्वीपिभिश् चोपभुज्यताम्

śūleṣv āropyamāṇānāṁ vyāghravaktre praveśyatām gṛdhraiḥ saṁbhakṣyamāṇānāṁ dvīpibhiś copabhujyatām

of those impaled on stakes, of those thrust into the jaws of tigers, of those devoured by vultures, and of those preyed upon by leopards,

Verse 48 (vishnu.6.5.48)

क्वाथ्यतां तैलमध्ये च क्लिद्यतां क्षारकर्दमे । उच्चान् निपात्यमानानां क्षिप्यतां क्षेपयन्त्रकैः

kvāthyatāṁ tailamadhye ca klidyatāṁ kṣārakardame uccān nipātyamānānāṁ kṣipyatāṁ kṣepayantrakaiḥ

of those boiled in oil, of those left to fester in caustic mire, of those hurled down from great heights, of those flung by engines built for throwing —

Verse 49 (vishnu.6.5.49)

नरके यानि दुःखानि पापहेतूद्भवानि वै । प्राप्यन्ते नारकैर् विप्र तेषां संख्या न विद्यते

narake yāni duḥkhāni pāpahetūdbhavāni vai prāpyante nārakair vipra teṣāṁ saṁkhyā na vidyate

O brahmin, the sufferings that the inhabitants of hell undergo there, arising from the causes of their own sin, are beyond all counting.

Verse 50 (vishnu.6.5.50)

न केवलं द्विजश्रेष्ठ नरके दुःखपद्धतिः । स्वर्गेऽपि पातभीतस्य क्षयिष्णोर् नास्ति निर्वृतिः

na kevalaṁ dvijaśreṣṭha narake duḥkhapaddhatiḥ svarge 'pi pātabhītasya kṣayiṣṇor nāsti nirvṛtiḥ

O best of the twice-born, this train of suffering is not confined to hell alone; even in heaven, for one who fears his fall and whose merit is dwindling away, there is no true peace.

Verse 51 (vishnu.6.5.51)

पुनश् च गर्भे भवति जायते च पुनर् नरः । गर्भे विलीयते भूयो जायमानोऽस्तमेति च

punaś ca garbhe bhavati jāyate ca punar naraḥ garbhe vilīyate bhūyo jāyamāno 'stam eti ca

And again a man enters the womb, and again he is born; again he dissolves within the womb, and being born, once more passes away.

Verse 52 (vishnu.6.5.52)

जातमात्रश् च म्रियते बालभावेऽथ यौवने । मध्यमं वा वयः प्राप्य वार्द्धके वा ध्रुवा मृतिः

jātamātraś ca mriyate bālabhāve 'tha yauvane madhyamaṁ vā vayaḥ prāpya vārddhake vā dhruvā mṛtiḥ

He may die the very instant he is born, or in childhood, or in youth, or having reached middle age, or in old age — death is certain, whichever it is.

Verse 53 (vishnu.6.5.53)

यावज् जीवति तावच् च दुःखैर् नानाविधैः प्लुतः । तन्तुकारणपक्ष्मौघैरास्ते कार्पासबीजवत्

yāvaj jīvati tāvac ca duḥkhair nānāvidhaiḥ plutaḥ tantukāraṇapakṣmaughair āste kārpāsabījavat

And for as long as he lives, he remains submerged in sufferings of every kind — like a cotton seed hemmed in by the very threads and mass of fiber that spring from it.

Verse 54 (vishnu.6.5.54)

द्रव्यनाशे तथोत्पत्तौ पालने च तथा नृणाम् । भवन्त्यनेकदुःखानि तथैवेष्टविपत्तिषु

dravyanāśe tathotpattau pālane ca tathā nṛṇām bhavanty anekaduḥkhāni tathaiveṣṭavipattiṣu

In the loss of one's possessions, and equally in their acquisition and their upkeep, men meet with many sorrows; and just the same in misfortunes that befall those dear to them.

Verse 55 (vishnu.6.5.55)

यद् यत् प्रीतिकरं पुंसां वस्तु मैत्रेय जायते । तदेव दुःखवृक्षस्य बीजत्वमुपगच्छति

yad yat prītikaraṁ puṁsāṁ vastu maitreya jāyate tad eva duḥkhavṛkṣasya bījatvam upagacchati

Maitreya, whatever thing comes into being to delight a man becomes, by that very fact, the seed of the tree of sorrow.

Verse 56 (vishnu.6.5.56)

कलत्रपुत्रमित्रार्थगृहक्षेत्रधनादिकैः । क्रियते न तथा भूरि सुखं पुंसां यथासुखम्

kalatraputramitrārthagṛhakṣetradhanādikaiḥ kriyate na tathā bhūri sukhaṁ puṁsāṁ yathāsukham

From wife, children, friends, wealth, house, land, and riches, men do not gain nearly so much ease and happiness as might be supposed.

Verse 57 (vishnu.6.5.57)

इति संसारदुःखार्कतापतापितचेतसाम् । विमुक्तिपादपच्छायामृते कुत्र सुखं नृणाम्

iti saṁsāraduḥkhārkatāpatāpitacetasām vimuktipādapacchāyām ṛte kutra sukhaṁ nṛṇām

Thus, for men whose minds are scorched by the burning sun of worldly suffering, where indeed can happiness be found, save in the shade of the tree of liberation?

Verse 58 (vishnu.6.5.58)

तदस्य त्रिविधस्यापि दुःखजातस्य पण्डितैः । गर्भजन्मजराद्येषु स्थानेषु प्रभविष्यतः

tad asya trividhasyāpi duḥkhajātasya paṇḍitaiḥ garbhajanmajarādyeṣu sthāneṣu prabhaviṣyataḥ

Therefore, for this whole threefold mass of suffering, which the wise recognize will arise in just these conditions — the womb, birth, old age, and the rest —

Verse 59 (vishnu.6.5.59)

निरस्तातिशयाह्लादसुखभावैकलक्षणा । भेषजं भगवत्प्राप्तिरेकान्तात्यन्तिकी मता

nirastātiśayāhlādasukhabhāvaikalakṣaṇā bheṣajaṁ bhagavatprāptir ekāntātyantikī matā

— the wise hold that the one true remedy is the attainment of the Lord: a state marked by joy beyond all measure, and held to be final and absolute.

Verse 60 (vishnu.6.5.60)

तस्मात् तत्प्राप्तये यत्नः कर्तव्यः पण्डितैर् नरैः । तत्प्राप्तिहेतुर् ज्ञानं च कर्म चोक्तं महामुने

tasmāt tatprāptaye yatnaḥ kartavyaḥ paṇḍitair naraiḥ tatprāptihetur jñānaṁ ca karma coktaṁ mahāmune

Therefore, wise men should strive for its attainment; and, great sage, both knowledge and action are said to be the means by which it is attained.

Verse 61 (vishnu.6.5.61)

आगमोत्थं विवेकाच् च द्विधा ज्ञानं तथोच्यते । शब्दब्रह्मागममयं परं ब्रह्म विवेकजम्

āgamotthaṁ vivekāc ca dvidhā jñānaṁ tathocyate śabdabrahmāgamamayaṁ paraṁ brahma vivekajam

Knowledge, likewise, is said to be of two kinds — that arising from scripture and that arising from discrimination. The knowledge born of scripture consists of the "Word-Brahman," the Veda; the supreme Brahman is the knowledge born of discrimination.

Verse 62 (vishnu.6.5.62)

अन्धं तम इवाज्ञानं दीपवच् चेन्द्रियोद्भवम् । यथा सूर्यस् तथा ज्ञानं यद् विप्रर्षे विवेकजम्

andhaṁ tama ivājñānaṁ dīpavac cendriyodbhavam yathā sūryas tathā jñānaṁ yad viprarṣe vivekajam

Ignorance is like blinding darkness; knowledge that arises from the senses is like a lamp; but, O sage among brahmins, the knowledge born of discrimination is like the sun.

Verse 63 (vishnu.6.5.63)

मनुरप्याह वेदार्थं स्मृत्वा यन् मुनिसत्तम । तदेतच् छ्रूयतामत्र संबन्धे गदतो मम

manur apy āha vedārthaṁ smṛtvā yan munisattama tad etac chrūyatām atra saṁbandhe gadato mama

O foremost of sages, hear now, as I relate it, what Manu too has said on this very matter, recalling as he did the meaning of the Veda.

Verse 64 (vishnu.6.5.64)

द्वे ब्रह्मणी वेदितव्ये शब्दब्रह्म परं च यत् । शब्दब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति

dve brahmaṇī veditavye śabdabrahma paraṁ ca yat śabdabrahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ paraṁ brahmādhigacchati

"Two forms of Brahman are to be known: the Word-Brahman, and that which is supreme. One who has become well versed in the Word-Brahman attains to the supreme Brahman."

Verse 65 (vishnu.6.5.65)

द्वे विद्ये वेदितव्ये वै इति चाथर्वणी श्रुतिः । परया त्वक्षरप्राप्तिरृग्वेदादिमयापरा

dve vidye veditavye vai iti cātharvaṇī śrutiḥ parayā tv akṣaraprāptir ṛgvedādimayāparā

And so declares the scripture of the Atharvan: "Two kinds of knowledge are to be known; by the higher, the Imperishable is attained, while the lower consists of the Rig Veda and the rest."

Verse 66 (vishnu.6.5.66)

यत् तदव्यक्तमजरमचिन्त्यमजमव्ययम् । अनिर्देश्यमरूपं च पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्

yat tad avyaktam ajaram acintyam ajam avyayam anirdeśyam arūpaṁ ca pāṇipādādyasaṁyutam

That which is unmanifest, ageless, inconceivable, unborn, imperishable, indescribable, formless, without hands or feet or any such limbs,

Verse 67 (vishnu.6.5.67)

विभुं सर्वगतं नित्यं भूतयोनिमकारणम् । व्याप्यव्याप्तं यतः सर्वं तं वै पश्यन्ति सूरयः

vibhuṁ sarvagataṁ nityaṁ bhūtayonim akāraṇam vyāpy avyāptaṁ yataḥ sarvaṁ taṁ vai paśyanti sūrayaḥ

— all-pervading, present in all things, eternal, the source of all beings, itself without cause, pervading everything yet untouched by it — that, indeed, is what the wise perceive.

Verse 68 (vishnu.6.5.68)

तद् ब्रह्म तत् परं धाम तद् ध्येयं मोक्षकाङ्क्स्.इणाम् । श्रुतिवाक्योदितं सूक्ष्मं तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम्

tad brahma tat paraṁ dhāma tad dhyeyaṁ mokṣakāṅks.iṇām śrutivākyoditaṁ sūkṣmaṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam

That is Brahman, that is the supreme abode, that is what is to be meditated upon by those who seek liberation; that subtle reality spoken of in the words of scripture is the supreme station of Vishnu.

Verse 69 (vishnu.6.5.69)

तदेव भगवद्वाच्यं स्वरूपं परमात्मनः । वाचको भगवच्छब्दस् तस्याद्यस्याक्षयात्मनः

tad eva bhagavadvācyaṁ svarūpaṁ paramātmanaḥ vācako bhagavacchabdas tasyādyasyākṣayātmanaḥ

That very nature of the Supreme Self is what the word "Bhagavat" is meant to express; the word "Bhagavat" is the name given to that primal being of imperishable nature.

Verse 70 (vishnu.6.5.70)

एवं निगदितार्थस्य स तत्त्वं तस्य तत्त्वतः । ज्ञायते येन तज् ज्ञानं परमन्यत् त्रयीमयम्

evaṁ nigaditārthasya sa tattvaṁ tasya tattvataḥ jñāyate yena taj jñānaṁ param anyat trayīmayam

Thus, that by which the true reality of what has just been declared is known in its own true nature — that is supreme knowledge; all knowledge besides it consists merely of the ritual triad of the Vedas.

Verse 71 (vishnu.6.5.71)

अशब्दगोचरस्यापि तस्य वै ब्रह्मणो द्विज । पूजायां भगवच्छब्दः क्रियते ह्यौपचारिकः

aśabdagocarasyāpi tasya vai brahmaṇo dvija pūjāyāṁ bhagavacchabdaḥ kriyate hy aupacārikaḥ

O twice-born, though that Brahman lies utterly beyond the reach of words, the term "Bhagavat" is nonetheless used of him in worship, as a mode of respectful figure.

Verse 72 (vishnu.6.5.72)

शुद्धे महाविभूत्याख्ये परे ब्रह्मणि वर्तते । मैत्रेय भगवच्छब्दः सर्वकारणकारणे

śuddhe mahāvibhūtyākhye pare brahmaṇi vartate maitreya bhagavacchabdaḥ sarvakāraṇakāraṇe

Maitreya, the word "Bhagavat" belongs to the pure and supreme Brahman, renowned for its great glory, the cause of all causes.

Verse 73 (vishnu.6.5.73)

संभर्तेति तथा भर्ता भकारोऽर्थद्वयान्वितः । नेता गमयिता स्रष्टा गकारार्थस् तथा मुने

saṁbharteti tathā bhartā bhakāro 'rthadvayānvitaḥ netā gamayitā sraṣṭā gakārārthas tathā mune

The syllable "bha" carries two meanings — "the one who withdraws" and "the one who sustains"; and, O sage, the syllable "ga" carries the meaning "leader," "the one who leads beings to their goal," and "creator."

Verse 74 (vishnu.6.5.74)

ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशसः श्रियः । ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश् चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा

aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ jñānavairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīraṇā

Complete sovereignty, might, fame, glory, knowledge, and dispassion — these six together are what is called "bhaga."

Verse 75 (vishnu.6.5.75)

वसन्ति तत्र भूतानि भूतात्मन्यखिलात्मनि । स च भूतेष्वशेषेषु वकारार्थस् ततोऽव्ययः

vasanti tatra bhūtāni bhūtātmany akhilātmani sa ca bhūteṣv aśeṣeṣu vakārārthas tato 'vyayaḥ

All beings dwell in him, the Self of all beings, the Self of all things; and he in turn dwells in all beings without exception — that is the meaning of the syllable "va," as applied to the Imperishable One.

Verse 76 (vishnu.6.5.76)

एवमेष महाशब्दो भगवानिति सत्तम । परमब्रह्मभूतस्य वासुदेवस्य नान्यगः

evam eṣa mahāśabdo bhagavān iti sattama paramabrahmabhūtasya vāsudevasya nānyagaḥ

Thus, O most excellent one, this great word "Bhagavan" belongs to none other than Vasudeva, who is himself the supreme Brahman.

Verse 77 (vishnu.6.5.77)

तत्र पूज्यपदार्थोक्तिपरिभाषासमन्वितः । शब्दोऽयं नोपचारेण अन्यत्र ह्युपचारतः

tatra pūjyapadārthoktiparibhāṣāsamanvitaḥ śabdo 'yaṁ nopacāreṇa anyatra hy upacārataḥ

In his case, this word is used in its proper, technical sense, denoting one who is truly worthy of worship — not as a mere figure of speech; anywhere else, it is applied only figuratively.

Verse 78 (vishnu.6.5.78)

उत्पत्तिं प्रलयं चैव भूतानामागतिं गतिम् । वेत्ति विद्यामविद्यां च स वाच्यो भगवानिति

utpattiṁ pralayaṁ caiva bhūtānām āgatiṁ gatim vetti vidyām avidyāṁ ca sa vācyo bhagavān iti

He who knows the origin and the dissolution of beings, their coming and their going, and both knowledge and ignorance — he alone is rightly denoted by the word "Bhagavan."

Verse 79 (vishnu.6.5.79)

ज्ञानशक्तिबलैश्वर्यवीर्यतेजांस्यशेषतः । भगवच्छब्दवाच्यानि विना हेयैर् गुणादिभिः

jñānaśaktibalaiśvaryavīryatejāṁsy aśeṣataḥ bhagavacchabdavācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ

Knowledge, power, strength, sovereignty, might, and splendor — utterly free from all defects and objectionable qualities — these are what the word "Bhagavan" denotes.

Verse 80 (vishnu.6.5.80)

सर्वाणि तत्र भूतानि वसन्ति परमात्मनि । भूतेषु च स सर्वात्मा वासुदेवस् ततः स्मृतः

sarvāṇi tatra bhūtāni vasanti paramātmani bhūteṣu ca sa sarvātmā vāsudevas tataḥ smṛtaḥ

All beings dwell within that Supreme Self, and that Self of all dwells within all beings; and it is for this reason that he is remembered by the name Vasudeva.

Verse 81 (vishnu.6.5.81)

खाण्डिक्यजनकायाह पृष्टः केशिध्वजः पुरा । नामव्याख्यामनन्तस्य वासुदेवस्य तत्त्वतः

khāṇḍikyajanakāyāha pṛṣṭaḥ keśidhvajaḥ purā nāmavyākhyām anantasya vāsudevasya tattvataḥ

Long ago, when questioned by Khandikya-Janaka, Keshidhvaja explained, in full accordance with the truth, the meaning of the name of the infinite Vasudeva.

Verse 82 (vishnu.6.5.82)

भूतेषु वसते सोऽन्तर् वसन्त्यत्र च तानि यत् । धाता विधाता जगतां वासुदेवस् ततः प्रभुः

bhūteṣu vasate so 'ntar vasanty atra ca tāni yat dhātā vidhātā jagatāṁ vāsudevas tataḥ prabhuḥ

"He dwells within all beings, and they in turn dwell within him; he is the ordainer and disposer of the worlds — and for this he is called the Lord Vasudeva."

Verse 83 (vishnu.6.5.83)

स सर्वभूतप्रकृतिं विकारं गुणादिदोषांश् च मुने व्यतीतः । अतीतसर्वावरणोऽखिलात्मा तेनास्तृतं यद् भुवनान्तराले

sa sarvabhūtaprakṛtiṁ vikāraṁ guṇādidoṣāṁś ca mune vyatītaḥ atītasarvāvaraṇo 'khilātmā tenāstṛtaṁ yad bhuvanāntarāle

He, O sage, stands beyond the prakriti of all beings, beyond their transformations, and beyond the faults belonging to the gunas; that Self of all, beyond every covering, pervades whatever exists within the whole expanse of the worlds.

Verse 84 (vishnu.6.5.84)

समस्तकल्याणगुणात्मको हि स्वशक्तिलेशावृतभूतसर्गः । इच्छागृहीताभिमतोरुदेहः संसाधिताशेषजगद्धितोऽसौ

samastakalyāṇaguṇātmako hi svaśaktileśāvṛtabhūtasargaḥ icchāgṛhītābhimatorudehaḥ saṁsādhitāśeṣajagaddhito 'sau

He whose very being consists of every auspicious quality, whose creation of all beings is enveloped by a mere fragment of his own power, who takes on whatever vast form he wills, accomplishes the good of the entire universe.

Verse 85 (vishnu.6.5.85)

तेजोबलैश्वर्यमहावबोध स्ववीर्यशक्त्यादिगुणैकराशिः । परः पराणां सकला न यत्र क्लेशादयः सन्ति परावरेशे

tejobalaiśvaryamahāvabodha svavīryaśaktyādiguṇaikarāśiḥ paraḥ parāṇāṁ sakalā na yatra kleśādayaḥ santi parāvareśe

He, the sole repository of splendor, strength, sovereignty, supreme wisdom, and the qualities of his own might and power, supreme among the supreme — in that Lord of both the highest and the lowest, sufferings and the like have no place at all.

Verse 86 (vishnu.6.5.86)

स ईश्वरो व्यष्टिसमष्टिरूपोऽव्यक्तस्वरूपः प्रकटस्वरूपः । सर्वेश्वरः सर्वदृक् सर्ववेत्ता समस्तशक्तिः परमेश्वराख्यः

sa īśvaro vyaṣṭisamaṣṭirūpo 'vyaktasvarūpaḥ prakaṭasvarūpaḥ sarveśvaraḥ sarvadṛk sarvavettā samastaśaktiḥ parameśvarākhyaḥ

That Lord, appearing both in the form of the individual and of the collective whole, of unmanifest nature yet also of manifest nature, is the Lord of all, the seer of all, the knower of all, possessed of every power, known by the name of the Supreme Lord.

Verse 87 (vishnu.6.5.87)

संज्ञायते येन तदस्तदोषं शुद्धं परं निर्मलमेकरूपम् । संदृश्यते वाप्यवगम्यते वा तज् ज्ञानमज्ञानमतोऽन्यदुक्तम्

saṁjñāyate yena tad astadoṣaṁ śuddhaṁ paraṁ nirmalam ekarūpam saṁdṛśyate vāpy avagamyate vā taj jñānam ajñānam ato 'nyad uktam

That by which this faultless, pure, supreme, stainless, and undivided reality is recognized, or perceived, or understood — that is true knowledge; whatever differs from it is declared to be ignorance.