Two Selves
| 3-1 |
ṛtam pibantau sukṛtasya loke guhᾱm praviṣṭau parame parᾱrdhe, chᾱyᾱ-tapau brahma-vido vadanti, pañcᾱgnayo ye ca tri-ṇᾱciketᾱḥ. |
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Yama: The two who enjoy the fruits of their good works being seated in the cavity of the seat of the Supreme, the knowers of Brahman call them shadow and light, as also the performers of the fivefold fire and those who have propitiated three times the Nachiketa fire.
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| 3-2 |
yas setur ījᾱnᾱnᾱm akṣaram brahma yat param, abhayam titīrṣatᾱm pᾱram nᾱciketaṁ śakemahi. |
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Yama: We are able to understand both, the Nachiketa fire which is the bridge of all sacrifices (to cross misery) and also the highest, indestructible Brahman, fearless and the refuge for those who wish to cross the ocean of Samsara. |
The Parable
of the Chariot
| 3-3 |
ᾱtmᾱnaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi, śarīraṁ ratham eva tu: buddhiṁ tu sᾱradhiṁ viddhi, manaḥ pragraham eva ca. |
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Yama: Know the Atman as the Lord of the chariot, the body as the chariot; know the intellect as the charioteer and the mind again as the reins.
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| 3-4 |
indriyᾱṇi hayᾱn ᾱhur viṣayᾱṁs teṣu gocarᾱn, ᾱtmendriya-mano-yuktam bhoktety ᾱhur manīṣiṇaḥ. |
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Yama: They say, the senses are the horses and their objects are the roads; the Atman, the senses and the mind united, the wise call the enjoyer.
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| 3-5 |
yas tv avijñᾱnavᾱn bhavaty ayuktena manasᾱ sadᾱ, tasyendriyᾱṇy avaśyᾱni duṣṭᾱśvᾱ iva sᾱratheḥ. |
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Yama: He who has no discrimination and whose mind is always uncontrolled, his senses are not controllable like vicious horses of a driver.
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| 3-6 |
yas tu vijñᾱnavᾱn bhavati, yuktena manasᾱ sadᾱ, tasyendriyᾱṇi vaśyᾱni sadaśvᾱ iva sᾱratheḥ. |
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Yama: But he who has understanding and whose mind is always controlled, his senses are under control like good horses of a driver.
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| 3-7 |
yas tv avijñᾱnavᾱn bhavaty amanaskas sadᾱ’śuciḥ, na sa tat padam ᾱpnoti saṁsᾱraṁ cᾱdhigacchati. |
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Yama: But he, who has no discrimination, and whose mind is not under control, and who is always impure, does not reach that goal, but enters into the round of births and deaths.
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| 3-8 |
yas tu vijñᾱnavᾱn bhavati samanaskas sadᾱ śuciḥ, sa tu tat padam ᾱpnoti yasmᾱt bhῡyo na jᾱyate. |
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Yama: But he, who has understanding, who has his mind always under control, and who is pure, reaches that goal whence he is not born again.
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| 3-9 |
vijñᾱnasᾱrathir yastu manaḥ pragrahavᾱn naraḥ, so’dhvanaḥ param ᾱpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam. |
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Yama: But he who has discerning intelligence as the driver and a well-controlled mind as the reins, reaches the end of his journey, that highest place of Vishnu. |
The Order
of Progression to the Supreme
| 3-10 |
indriyebhyaḥ parᾱ hy arthᾱ, arthebhyaś ca param manaḥ, manasaś ca parᾱ buddhir buddher ᾱtmᾱ mahᾱn paraḥ. |
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Yama: Beyond the senses are the rudiments of objects, beyond these rudiments is the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, beyond the intellect is the great Self.
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| 3-11 |
mahataḥ param avyaktam, avyaktᾱt puruṣaḥ paraḥ, puruṣᾱn na paraṁ kiñcit: sᾱ kᾱṣṭhᾱ, sᾱ parᾱ gatiḥ. |
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Yama: Beyond the great (Mahat) is the unmanifested (Avyakta). Beyond the Avyakta is the Purusha, beyond the Purusha there is nothing, that is the end, that is the highest goal. |
The Method of Yoga
| 3-12 |
eṣa sarveṣu bhῡteṣu gῡdho’tmᾱ na prakᾱśate, dṛśyate tvagryayᾱ buddhyᾱ sῡkṣmayᾱ sῡkṣma-darśibhiḥ. |
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Yama: This Atman is hidden in all beings and does not shine forth, but it is seen by subtle seers through their sharp and subtle intellect.
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| 3-13 |
yacched vᾱṅ manasī prᾱjñas tad yacchej jñᾱna-ᾱtmani, jñᾱnam ᾱtmani mahati niyacchet, tad yacchec chᾱnta-ᾱtmani. |
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Yama: Let the wise sink his speech into the mind, the mind into the intellect and the intellect into the Great Atman and the Great Atman into the Peaceful Atman.
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| 3-14 |
uttiṣṭhata jᾱgrata prᾱpya varᾱn nibodhata: kṣurasya dhᾱrᾱ niśitᾱ duratyayᾱ; durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti. |
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Yama: Arise, awake, having reached the great (teachers), learn (realise that Atman). Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, difficult to cross and hard to tread—thus the wise say.
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| 3-15 |
aśabdam asparśam arῡpam avyayam tathᾱ arasaṁ nityam agandhavac ca yat anᾱdy anantam mahataḥ paraṁ dhruvaṁ nicᾱyya tam mṛtyu-mukhᾱt pramucyate. |
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Yama: He, who has known that which is without sound, without touch, without form, without decay, without taste, eternal, without smell, without beginning, without end, beyond the Mahat (great) and unchanging, is freed from the jaws of death.
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| 3-16 |
nᾱciketam upᾱkhyᾱnam mṛtyu-proktaṁ sanᾱtanam, uktvᾱ śrutvᾱ ca medhᾱvī brahma-loka mahīyate. |
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Yama: A wise man who hears and repeats the ancient story of Nachiketas told by Yama, attains glory in the world of Brahman.
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| 3-17 |
ya imam paramaṁ guhyaṁ śrᾱvayed brahma-saṁsadi, prayataś śrᾱddha-kᾱle vᾱ tad ᾱnantyᾱya kalpate, tad ᾱnantyᾱya kalpate. |
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Yama: Whoever with devotion recites before an assembly of Brahmins or at the time of Sraddha of forefathers, this highest secret, obtains thereby immortality, obtains immortality. |
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