by Bibek Debroy
‘The illustrious one said, “The gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas concern the intelligence, not the atman. Using sattva, one should destroy the other two. Then, one should use sattva to subdue sattva. Through sattva, dharma is enhanced and a person develops the signs of devotion towards me. Sattva develops from the use of things that are sattvika in nature and dharma is furthered through this. Dharma destroys rajas and tamas and there is the excellent outcome of sattva being enhanced. When these two are destroyed, the foundation of adharma is quickly destroyed. A guna is the outcome of ten things—sacred texts, offspring, the place, time, karma, birth, meditation, mantras and samskaras. Among these, what the elders have spoken about is sattvika. What they have criticized is tamasika. What they are indifferent to is rajasika. For the enhancement of sattva, a man must cultivate things that are sattvika. That leads to dharma. That leads to jnana. That drives away loss of memory. A fire is generated from the friction of bamboos and that burns down the forest of bamboos. In that way, the body is the consequence of disequilbrium among the gunas and their interaction destroys it.”
‘Uddhava asked, “O Krishna! Mortal people generally know that gratification due to material objects is the cause of hardships. Nevertheless, like dogs, mules and goats, why do they pursue them?”
‘The illustrious one replied, “It is ahamkara that leads to this perversion of intelligence and the heart becomes distracted. Though the mind is born from sattva, terrible rajas takes over. When the mind is full of rajas, resolutions and doubts result. In evil-minded people, this leads to thinking about the qualities of desirable things and this is impossible to resist. He is not in control of his senses and overtaken by desire, he performs corresponding acts. Though he can see the hardships this will bring about, he is confounded by the force of rajas. Even if a learned person’s intelligence is agitated by rajas and tamas, with an unwavering mind, he must clearly see the taints and not get attached. Without getting distracted and distressed, he must gradually fix his mind on me, having conquered his breathing and having conquered his posture. This is the yoga that was taught to my disciples, Sanaka and the others. This is the means of withdrawing the mind and immersing it in me.”
‘Uddhava asked, “O Keshava! When, and in what form, did you instruct Sanaka and the others about this yoga? I wish to know about this.”
‘The illustrious one replied, “Sanaka and the others were born through the mental powers of Hiranyagarbha. 1099 They asked their father about the subtle yoga that leads to the supreme destination.’
‘“Sanaka and the others asked, ‘O lord! The mind gets attracted to the attributes of material objects and those attributes enter the mind. How can one give up the relationship between the two? How can a person who desires liberation transcend these?’”
‘The illustrious one continued, “The great divinity, Svayambhu, the creator of beings, was asked in this way. However, his mind was fixed on the act of creation and he could not identify the fundamental answer. The divinity wished to know the ultimate answer to the question and thought about me. I appeared before him in the form of a swan. Seeing me, with Brahma at the forefront, they approached me and worshipped my feet. They asked, ‘Who are you?’ The sages wished to know about the truth and asked me this. O Uddhava! Listen to what I told them. ‘O brahmanas! If this differentiation and multiplicity does not exist in the atman, how can such a question arise? What is the basis for me to answer? 1100 All living beings are made out of the five elements and therefore, they are essentially the same. “Who are you?” is a question whose words mean nothing. Everything perceived by the mind, spoken about in speech, seen through the eyes, or visualized by the other senses, is nothing but me. You must understand this. O offspring! The mind gets attracted to the attributes of material objects and the attributes enter the minds. In the jivatman’s body, both the attributes and the mind relate to an atman that has me as the basis. Repeatedly realizing my form, a person must give up both—the attributes of material objects that enter the mind and the material objects, which also result from the mind. Being awake, sleeping and sushupti are states of the mind caused by the gunas. As a witness, the jivatman should ascertain that he is distinct from them. Because of the functioning of the gunas, the jivatman is bound to samsara. He should immerse himself in me, the state of turiya. He should thus renounce and discard both the attributes of material objects and the mind. Ahamkara creates the bondage of the atman and leads to its hardships. Therefore, a learned person must be detached and must give up all thoughts of samsara, basing himself on the turiya state. As long as a man does not use his reasoning to free his intelligence of this notion of many kinds of diversity, he is ignorant. Even though he is awake, he is asleep, like a person who takes himself to be awake in his dreams. Any states of existence that are separate from the atman, any differences that are created by them and any such objectives and causes are not real. They are false, like things seen in a dream. In a state of wakefulness, a person who is a lord of the senses uses his senses of perception and action to experience all external objects, knowing that their nature is temporary; in a state of sleep, he does that mentally; and in a state of sushupti, he withdraws them. He alone understands the functioning of the three states and remembers himself. Having thus considered the gunas, the mind and the three states of consciousness, one must firmly arrive at the determination that these have been caused by my maya and are imposed on me. 1101 Inference and the words of the virtuous are the sharp sword of jnana that can be used to sever the sources of all doubts that are in the heart. Hence, worship me. One must see that this universe is an illusion caused by the working of the mind. It can be seen today, but it will be destroyed tomorrow. It is extremely evanescent, like the circle of fire caused by a firebrand. In vijnana, it exists as one. It appears in many forms because of maya. The three states of consciousness, sleeping and the others, are caused by the transformation of the gunas. They are nothing but perception. Therefore, one must withdraw one’s vision and refrain from all kinds of thirst. One must be silent and experience happiness in one’s own atman. For this world, one must not strive for anything. Using one’s intelligence, it can be observed that nothing in this material world is real. Until the moment of death, one must remember this and give up this illusion. A person who is a Siddha has comprehended his true nature. He does not notice whether this transient body is standing, or is seated. He does not care whether this body is destroyed by destiny, or whether he obtains a new one through destiny. 1102 This is like a person intoxicated with liquor not noticing whether he is wearing clothes or not. Karma has brought this body into being and therefore, it continues to strive, remaining alive and waiting. However, it is under the control of destiny. Established in samadhi yoga, one must transcend these illusory manifestations. Like a woken up from a dream, such a person does not serve the unreal. O brahmanas! I have spoken to you about the secret of samkhya and yoga. Know me as Yajna, 1103 who has come here with the intention of teaching you about dharma. I am the objective of samkhya, yoga, satyam, 1104 ritam, energy, prosperity, fame and self-control. O best among brahmanas! I am the ultimate refuge. All the gunas find a refuge in me. I am nirguna and am non-attached. I am the beloved friend of the atman. I exist everywhere and am without any kind of attachment. I am devoid of gunas.’ Thus, the doubts of Sanaka and the other sages were dispelled. They worshipped me with supreme devotion. They praised me and chanted about me. Those supreme rishis worshipped me and honoured me properly. While they and Parameshthi 1105 looked on, I returned to my own abode.”’
Chapter 11(14)
‘Uddhava asked, “O Krishna! Those who know about the brahman speak about many ways of ensuring benefit. Many kinds of alternatives are spoken about as being important. Is there one that is the most important? O master! You have spoken about bhakti yoga and removing all kinds of desires and attachments, whereby, the mind becomes immersed in you.”
‘The illustrious one replied, “These words of mine came to be known as the Vedas. In
the course of time, they were destroyed in the deluge. I originally spoke about it to Brahma, the dharma of devoting one’s self to me. He spoke about it to his eldest son, Manu. The seven brahmana rishis, Bhrigu and the others, learnt it from him. The offspring learnt it from these ancestors—gods, danavas, guhyakas, humans, Siddhas, gandharvas, vidyadharas, charanas, kindevas, 1106 kinnaras, nagas, rakshasas, kimpurushas and others. However, their natures were affected by different combinations of sattva, rajas and tamas. These differences contributed to differences among creatures and their leaders. It is because of these differences in nature that colourful words 1107 flowed out. In this way, because of diversity in nature, there are differences in the views of men. Some of this occurred because of the nature of transmission. There were others who came to hold heretical views. O bull among men! The minds of men were confounded by my maya. Therefore, depending on their activities and their proclivities, they spoke about many kinds of ways of ensuring benefit. Some speak only of dharma. 1108 Others speak of kama. Others speak of truthfulness, self-control and serenity. Others speak of selfish ends and prosperity. Some speak of renunciation and fasting. Others speak of sacrifices, austerities, donations, vows, niyama and yama. All the worlds obtained through karma have a beginning and an end. They inevitably give rise to misery, darkness, inferiority, wretchedness and lamentation. O noble one! Those who have immersed their atmans in me do not have desire in any form. With their atmans in me, they enjoy a happiness that cannot be obtained by those who pursue material objects. He does not possess anything. He is controlled and serene. He regards everything impartially. His mind is satisfied in me. All the directions bring him happiness. With his atman immersed in me, he desires nothing other than me—not the states of Parameshthi, the great Indra, lordship, sovereignty over the earth, sovereignty over the nether regions, the siddhis of yoga, or emancipation from samsara. I do not love the self-created one, 1109 Shankara, Samkarshana, Shri or my own self as much as I love you. 1110 Such a sage is serene, without any desires. He is without enmity and is impartial in vision. I always follow such a person, so that I can be purified by the dust of his lotus feet. With his mind devoted to me, he desires nothing. He is tranquil. He is a great soul who is compassionate towards all creatures. His intelligence is not affected by the objects of desire he has not obtained. He is devoted to me and without any desires, experiences a happiness not obtained by anyone else. A person who is devoted to me may not have conquered his senses. Therefore, he may be agitated by the objects of desire. But because his devotion is powerful, he will not be overcome by the objects of the senses. O Uddhava! The flames of a blazing fire reduce the kindling to ashes. Just like that, devotion towards me burns down all sins. O Uddhava! What is achieved by strong devotion towards me is not achieved by yoga, samkhya, dharma, studying, austerities or renunciation. My atman can only be grasped through devotion. I am dear to the virtuous. Even if a person is born as a svapacha, devotion and faith towards me purifies him. Without devotion towards me, a person cannot completely purify himself through dharma, truth, compassion, learning and austerities. Without the body hair standing up, without the heart being melted, without tears of bliss flowing from the eyes, without devotion, how can the consciousness be purified? If a person is filled with devotion towards me, he purifies the universe. His speech is choked. His heart melts. He weeps repeatedly. Sometimes, he smiles. Without any shame, he sings and dances. Heated in a fire, gold gives up all its impurities and regains its pure form. When I am worshipped through bhakti yoga, the atman is cleansed from the impurities of karma. The more one hears about my sacred accounts and chants them, the atman is cleansed. Accordingly, a person perceives the subtle truth, like the eye when it is treated with medicinal collyrium. When the mind thinks about material objects, it gets attached to material objects. When the mind remembers me, it becomes absorbed in me. Therefore, like the wishes in a dream, everything material must be given up. The mind must be fixed in me and must think about me. A person who knows about his atman must keep women, and those who associate with women, far away. Fearless, he must be seated in a solitary spot, single-mindedly thinking about me. In that state, there is no hardship and no bondage that results from other associations. This is unlike a man who associate with women or associates with those who associate with them.”
‘Uddhava asked, “O lotus-eyed one! If a person desires to meditate on you, what is the nature of your form that he should use? You should tell me about how he should meditate.”
‘The illustrious one replied, “He must be comfortably seated on a level seat. He must be upright. His palms must be gathered together on his lap. He must fix his eyes on the tip of his nose. Through puraka, kumbhaka and rechaka, he must purify the path of prana. 1111 He must gradually reverse the process and conquer all his senses. Like the thread that runs up the stem of a lotus, he must continuously raise his prana upwards to his heart, to the sound of omkara, which resounds like the sound of a bell. There, prana must be merged with the vibrations of the sound. In this way, he must practise prana being united with the sound of omkara. Thrice a day, morning, noon and evening, this must be done ten times. Within a month, he will then obtain control over prana. He must contemplate that the heart inside his body is like a lotus, with the stalk facing upwards. This lotus, with eight petals, has bloomed and the pericarp faces upwards. One after another, the sun, the moon and the fire are placed in his pericarp. He must remember my auspicious form inside the fire and meditate on it. My form is serene and symmetrical, with an excellent face. My four arms are long and beautiful. His neck is charming and beautiful. I have excellent cheeks, with a pure smile. My symmetrical ears are adorned with dazzling earrings that are shaped like makaras. My garments are golden yellow and my complexion is dark blue. The shrivatsa mark is on my chest, Shri’s abode. I am ornamented with a conch shell, a chakra, a mace, a lotus and a garland of wild flowers. My feet have shining anklets. Koustubha adds to my radiance. I wear a resplendent diadem, bracelets, armlets and a girdle. All my limbs are beautiful and charming. My supreme glance bestows favours. He must fix his mind on all my charming limbs and meditate on them. He must withdraw his mind from the senses and the objects of the senses, which distract the mind. A persevering person will use his intelligence like the driver of a chariot. He will fix everything in me. When the consciousness has spread over all of my limbs, it must then be withdrawn and fixed on only one specific limb. All the thoughts must be gathered and fixed on my smiling and handsome face. Once that state has been attained, the consciousness must be withdrawn and fixed on the sky. Having given that up next, he ascends upwards to me and thinks of nothing else. In this way, his intelligence is controlled and immersed in me. He sees my atman in his atman. He sees me in all atmans, like a blaze of light united with other lights. The yogi’s mind is thus fixed in extremely intense meditation. Perceptions and illusions about material objects and their functions quickly vanish and he achieves nirvana.”’
Chapter 11(15)
‘The illustrious one said, “If a yogi conquers his senses, conquers his breath and fixes his consciousness in me, the siddhis appear before him.”
‘Uddhava asked, “O Achyuta! What is the type of meditation and what is its form? How many siddhis are there? You are the one who bestows siddhis on yogis. Tell me about this.”
‘The illustrious one replied, “Those who are accomplished in the yoga of meditation have said that there are eighteen siddhis. Among these, eight are major and are in me. The other ten have the gunas as a cause. 1112 O amiable one! It is held that there are eight supernormal powers 1113 that have an origin in me—anima, mahima, burdening the body, laghima, using the senses for prapti, prakamya over visible and invisible things, using powers for the sake of ishita and vashita, so that one is not attached to the gunas. Through these, one can get whatever one wants. Immunity from any changes in the body; the ability to hear and see from a distance; the power to use the mind to travel; the ability to assume any form one wants; to enter someon
e else’s body; to die whenever one wills; the ability to see the gods play; the ability to play with them; the capacity to accomplish one’s resolutions; and like a king, to be unimpeded in progress. 1114 The ability to know the past, the present and the future; the power to transcend the opposite pairs of sentiments; the ablity to decipher the minds of others; the power to counter the effects of fire, sun, water and poison; the ability to remain undefeated—these have also been described as siddhis obtained through yoga and meditation. I will tell you which is obtained through what process of meditation. Listen. If a person worships me as existing in the form of the tanmatras and meditates on my subtle atman existing in the elements, he obtains the power of anima. If a person fixes his mind on my atman existing in pervasive form in the tattva of Mahat, he obtains mahima. As he separately meditates on each element, he obtains the pervasive nature of that element. If a person fixes his mind on me being attached to the paramanus of the elements and on me as the subtle form of time, that yogi obtains laghima. If a person is immersed in me and meditates on me as vaikarika ahamkara and on me existing in all the senses, he obtains prapti. If a person fixes his mind and meditates on my atman existing in the sutra of Mahat, an unmanifest form that cannot be perceived, he obtains the supreme power of prakamya. Vishnu is the lord of the three gunas, time is his personified form. If a person meditates with me in his mind in this form, he obtains ishita over all bodies and can urge their souls too. I am Narayana, known as turiya. I am addressed by the name of Bhagavan. If a yogi fixes his mind on me in this form, he obtains my attributes and the power of vashita. If a person purifies his mind and meditates on me in the form of the nirguna brahman, he obtains the supreme state of bliss, known as kamavasiyata. 1115 I am pure and the lord of Shvetadvipa. I am full of dharma. If a man fixes his mind on me and meditates on me in this form, he becomes white in complexion and is freed from the six changes. 1116 I am the atman in the sky. I am the transcendental vibrations. I am prana. If a person meditates on me in this form, such a hamsa can hear the speech of all creatures. The vision must be united with the sun and the sun must be united with the vision. If a person uses his mind to meditate on me in this form, he can see anything in the universe, even from a distance. When the mind, the body and the breath of life are immersed in me and a person meditates on me, through that power, the person can transport his body to wherever the mind wants. Whatever form the mind wants to assume, whatever form the mind thinks of, a person is able to appear in that form. This happens by resorting to the strength of my yoga. If a Siddha wants to enter another person’s body, he must meditate on himself in that other person’s body. Just as a bee moves from a flower to another flower, his prana will then leave his body, travel through the air and then enter the other person’s body. A person blocks his anus with the heel of his foot, raising the prana up from the heart to the throat, the head and the crown of the head. 1117 He propels it through the aperture in the crown of the head, leaves his body and attains the brahman. If a person wishes to amuse himself with the gods, he must meditate on me in the form of sattva. Celestial women, who are full of sattva by nature, will then arrive before him in vimanas. If a man unites his mind in me, the supreme truth, he obtains whatever resolution his intelligence has sought to achieve. I am the lord. If a man is full of me and meditates on me as the lord, how can he be frustrated in any way? His command is like my own. If a yogi has become pure because of his devotion to me and if he knows about the process of meditation, he can know about the past, the present and the future and about birth and death. If a sage’s body has been perfected with yoga, fire and other things cannot harm him, just as aquatic creatures are not harmed by water. Because of yoga towards me, his mind is serene. My opulent form is ornamented with shrivatsa, weapons, the standard, the umbrella and whisks. If a person meditates on this, he cannot be defeated. If a devoted sage uses yoga to meditate on me, he approaches me in every way and obtains the siddhis that have been described earlier. If a sage has conquered his senses, if he is controlled and if he has conquered his breath of life and his mind, if he is immersed in me and meditates on me, what siddhi will be impossible for him to obtain? But those who are engaged in supreme yoga say that these are nothing but impediments. For those who wish to obtain me, these are nothing but a waste of time. Birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can accomplish siddhis. But all these can be obtained through yoga and the destination obtained by yoga cannot be obtained through these other means. I am the cause and the master of all these siddhis. I am the lord of yoga, samkhya, dharma and those who speak about the brahman. I cannot be covered and am inside and outside all embodied beings. The elements exist inside and outside all beings and I am myself like that.”’