The Yoga of the Supreme Person

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखागुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसंततानिकर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥

adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtāstasya śākhāguṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ |adhaśca mūlānyanusaṃtatānikarmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke ||

Its branches spread below and above, fed by the gunas, with the objects of the senses as their buds. Below, its roots stretch on and on, binding people to action in the human world.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यतेनान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा ।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल-मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥

na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyatenānto na cādirna ca saṃpratiṣṭhā |aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūla-masaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||

Its true form cannot be seen here, nor its end, its beginning or what it rests on. Cutting down this firmly rooted tree with the strong axe of non-attachment,

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यंयस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्येयतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥

tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyaṃyasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ |tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadyeyataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ||

one should then seek that place from which those who reach it never return, thinking: I take refuge in that first Person from whom this ancient flow of the world came forth.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषाअध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै-र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥

nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣāadhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ |dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñai-rgacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṃ tat ||

Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the fault of attachment, always turned toward the Self, with desires gone, and released from the pairs of opposites called pleasure and pain, the wise reach that eternal state.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः ।यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥

na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ |yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||

The sun does not light it, nor the moon, nor fire. Those who go there do not come back. That is my supreme abode.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥

śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ |gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ||

When this lord of the body takes on a body, and when it leaves one, it carries these senses along with it, as the wind carries scents from flowers.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥

śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇameva ca |adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ viṣayānupasevate ||

Presiding over the ear, the eye, touch, taste and smell, and also the mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥

utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam |vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ||

The deluded do not see it as it leaves the body, stays in it, or enjoys while joined with the gunas. Those with the eye of knowledge see it.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥

yatanto yoginaścainaṃ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam |yatanto'pyakṛtātmāno nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ ||

Yogis who strive see it dwelling within themselves. But the thoughtless, whose minds are not prepared, do not see it even when they try.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥

yadādityagataṃ tejo jagadbhāsayate'khilam |yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam ||

The brilliance in the sun that lights up the whole world, the brilliance in the moon and in fire: know that brilliance to be mine.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥

gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā |puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||

Entering the earth, I hold up all beings with my strength. Becoming soma, the moon full of sap, I nourish all plants.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥

ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ |prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham ||

Becoming the fire of digestion, Vaishvanara, I live in the bodies of living beings, and joined with the in-breath and out-breath, I digest the four kinds of food.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥

dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca |kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho'kṣara ucyate ||

There are two kinds of purusha (being) in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All creatures are the perishable; the unchanging one is called the imperishable.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥

uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ |yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ||

But there is another, the highest Person, called the Supreme Self: the eternal Lord who enters the three worlds and upholds them.

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥

yasmātkṣaramatīto'hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ |ato'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||

Because I am beyond the perishable and higher even than the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Vedas as Purushottama, the Supreme Person.

यो मामेवमसंमूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥

yo māmevamasaṃmūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam |sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ sarvabhāvena bhārata ||

Whoever, free from confusion, knows me in this way as the Supreme Person knows everything, and worships me with his whole being, O Bharata.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ ।एतद्‌बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥

iti guhyatamaṃ śāstramidamuktaṃ mayānagha |etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ||

Thus, sinless one, I have told you this most secret teaching. Understanding it, a person becomes wise and has done all that there is to do, O Bharata.