Site menu(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Generated from the Supersoul [alike Lord
Brahmâ] someone in
contemplation [of the Universal Form] recovers, by
thus
finding satisfaction [with the Lord], the lost remembrance of his
prior existence. Thereafter he
[the individual soul] with a cleared vision having arrived at
intelligence can rebuild his life as it was before. (2) One's [spiritual] adherence to the sounds of
the [impersonal] Absolute Truth makes the intelligence, because of the
many terms [associated with it], ponder over incoherent ideas because
of which one, without ever
finding joy, wanders around in
realities of illusion - and the
different desires belonging to them
- as if one is dreaming. (3) For
that reason an
intelligent person fixed in his attention [upon the Universal Form], in
order to find perfection must only minimally, according to the
necessity, abide by denominations [forms and other material interests]
without
ever being
mad after them. He should be of
the practical insight that he otherwise would engage himself for
[nothing but] hard work. (4)
What is the need of a bed, when one can lie
on the ground; what is the need of a pillow when one has one's arms;
why should one use utensils if one can eat with one's hands and with
the cover of trees, what is the use of clothing? (5) Are
there
not rags lying in the
street,
is there no giving in charity; do the trees not offer their alms
maintaining others; have the rivers dried up; are the caves closed; has
the Almighty Lord given up on protecting the surrendered soul? Why
would
a
learned
man
then
have
to
speak to the liking of those who are
led by wealth? (6) When one thus with
the matter of Him, the most
cherished, eternal, One Supersoul fully present in one's heart, is
detached from the world, one must be of worship for Him, the Fortunate
One, the permanent gain by which for certain the cause of one's
material bondage is put to an end.
(7) Who else but the materialists would with
neglecting the transcendental thoughts take to the non-permanent of
material denominations because of which they, who constitute the
general mass of the people that is controlled by the misery of the
reactions of its fruitive labor, see themselves as fallen into the
river of suffering?
(8) Others see in the meditation upon Him within their own
body
the Personality of Godhead residing in the region of the heart measuring eight inches, having
four
arms,
carrying
the
lotus,
the
wheel
of
the
chariot,
the
conchshell
and
the
club. (9)
With His mouth expressing happiness, His
eyes wide spread like a lotus, His clothes yellowish like a Kadamba
flower, bedecked with jewels and with golden ornaments studded with
precious stones, He wears a glowing headdress with earrings. (10) His feet are positioned on the whorl of the
lotus hearts of the great mystics. On His chest He wears the
beautifully engraved Kaustubha jewel and around His neck He has a fresh
flower garland spreading its beauty. (11)
With a decorative wrap around His waist, valuable finger rings, ringing
leglets, bangles, oiled spotless bluish, curly hair and His
beautiful, smiling face He looks very pleasing. (12) His magnanimous pastimes and the glowing
glances of His expression are indicative of the extensive benedictions
of this particular transcendental form of the Lord one should focus
upon as long as the mind can be fixed on it for the purpose of one's
meditation. (13) One
should meditate upon the limbs
one by one, starting from the
feet up, until one sees His smiling
face, and thus gradually
taking control over the mind one departs in one's meditation for higher
and higher spheres and purifies that way the intelligence. (14)
As long as the materialist has not developed devotional service for
this form of the Lord who is the seer of the mundane and transcendental
worlds, he must, when he is finished with his prescribed duties, with
proper attention remember the
Universal Form of the Original Person.
(15) Whenever one desires to give up one's body oh King, one should as a sage, without being disturbed, comfortably seated and with one's thinking unperturbed by matters of time and place, in control of the life air restrain the senses with the help of the mind. (16) Regulating the mind by the power of one's pure intelligence in relation to the original witness within [the 'knower of the field'], one should merge with this self. That self should be confined to the fully satisfied Supersoul and thus putting an end to all activities, one will attain full bliss. (17) Therein one will not find the supremacy of time that for sure controls the godly who direct the worldly creatures with their demigods, nor will one find there mundane goodness, passion or ignorance, nor any material change or causality of nature at large. (18) Knowing what and what not relates to the divine of the transcendental position, they who wish to avoid the godless completely give up the perplexities [of arguing to time and place], and place thereto in the absolute of goodwill every moment the worshipable lotus feet in their heart. (19) The sage familiar with the science of properly regulating the force [of the senses] in service of the purpose of life, should retire in the following way: he must block his arse ['air-hole'] with his heel and direct the life air upward through the six primary places [navel, plexus, heart, throat, eyebrows and top of the skull] and thus overcome the state of material inertia. (20) The soaring force the meditator should gradually direct from the navel to the plexus [the 'heart'] and from there to the chest from where he should bring it slowly into his throat. This he should intelligently figure out by meditation. (21) From between the eyebrows the seer who is of detachment in order to attain the Supreme should, by blocking the outlet of the seven centers, enter the domain of the head in order to maintain there for a while ('half an hour') independent of sense enjoyment for the sake of tirelessness and eternality.
(22) If one, however, maintains a desire oh King, to lord over what one calls the place of enjoyment of the gods in the sky, or has the desire to manage the world of the gunas [the modes of nature] with the use of the eight mystic powers [the eight siddhis or perfections], one inevitably has to count with the mind and the senses associated with such a desire. (23) One says about the course of the great transcendentalists that they, departing from the realm of the subtle body, freely move within and without the three worlds, while those who do their work based upon a material motive never attain to the progress that is achieved by those who in the austerity of their devotional service are absorbed in yoga.
(24) In the control of the divinity of fire [Vais'vânara, or with regular sacrifice and meditation] one reaches through the gracious passage of [the sushumnâ, the channel of balancing] the breath, provided one follows the movements in the sky [the cakra order], the pure spirit [Brahmaloka, the place of the Creator] that enlightens and washes away the contaminations. Directed upwards one then reaches the circle [the cakra, the wheel] oh King, called S'is'umâra [meaning: dolphin, to the form of the Milky Way, galactic time]. (25) Passing beyond that navel of the universe, the pivot, the center of spin of the Maintainer [Vishnu], by the individual living being that was purified by the realization of his smallness, the place is reached that is worshipable for those who are transcendentally situated. There the self-realized souls enjoy for the time of a kalpa [a day of Brahmâ]. (26) Thereupon he who from the bed of Vishnu [Ananta] sees how the universe is burning to ashes because of the fire from His mouth, will leave that place for the supreme abode [of Brahmâ] which lasts for two parârdhas [the two halves of the life of Brahmâ] and is the home of the purified souls of elevation. (27) There one will never find bereavement or old age, death, pain or anxieties, save that one sometimes has feelings of compassion when one sees the ignorant who are subjected to the hard to overcome misery of the repetition of birth and death.
(28) After surpassing the forms of water and fire and thus having reached that pure self free from fear, one thus having attained the effulgent atmosphere, in due course of time by the self its air reaches the ethereal self, the true greatness of one's soul. (29) By scents having the smell, by the palate having the taste, by the eye having visions, by physical contact being in touch and finally by sound vibrations experiencing the quality of the ether, the yogi by dint of the activity of the senses also attains [the more subtle sphere]. (30) After he thus at the mental level in relation to the gross and subtle has reached a neutral point of I-awareness, he in the mode of goodness surpasses that realization of himself that is subject to change [the ego]. Consequently he, completely suspending the material modes, progresses towards the reality of perfect wisdom. (31) By that purification towards the self of the Supersoul the person attains the peace, satisfaction and natural delight of being freed from all contaminations. He who attains to this destination of devotion for sure will never become attracted to this material world again, my dearest [Parîkchit].
(32) All that I described to you oh protector of man, is as your Majesty requested in proper accord with the Vedas. It is also in full agreement with the eternal truth as it before by Lord Vâsudeva was explained to Lord Brahmâ who had satisfied Him in worship. (33) For those who in this life wander in the material universe, there is for sure no way of attaining more auspicious ly than the path by which one arrives at the devotional service [bhakti-yoga] of the Supreme Personality Lord Vâsudeva. (34) The great personality [Vyâsadeva] studied the Vedas three times in total and scrutinously, with scholarly attention examining them he ascertained that one's mind is properly fixed when one is attracted to the soul. (35) The Supreme Personality can be perceived in all living beings as the actual nature of that soul, as the Lord who by the intelligence of the seer is recognized by inference from different signs and effects. (36) Therefore every human soul must oh King, wherever he is and whenever he exists, hear about, glorify and remember the Lord, the Supreme Personality. (37) They who, filling their ears with the narrations about the Supreme Lord most dear to the devotees, drink from the nectar will find their by material pleasure contaminated state of mind purified and return to the feet residing near the lotus.'
(8) Others see in the meditation upon Him within their own
body
the Personality of Godhead residing in the region of the heart measuring eight inches, having
four
arms,
carrying
the
lotus,
the
wheel
of
the
chariot,
the
conchshell
and
the
club. (9)
With His mouth expressing happiness, His
eyes wide spread like a lotus, His clothes yellowish like a Kadamba
flower, bedecked with jewels and with golden ornaments studded with
precious stones, He wears a glowing headdress with earrings. (10) His feet are positioned on the whorl of the
lotus hearts of the great mystics. On His chest He wears the
beautifully engraved Kaustubha jewel and around His neck He has a fresh
flower garland spreading its beauty. (11)
With a decorative wrap around His waist, valuable finger rings, ringing
leglets, bangles, oiled spotless bluish, curly hair and His
beautiful, smiling face He looks very pleasing. (12) His magnanimous pastimes and the glowing
glances of His expression are indicative of the extensive benedictions
of this particular transcendental form of the Lord one should focus
upon as long as the mind can be fixed on it for the purpose of one's
meditation. (13) One
should meditate upon the limbs
one by one, starting from the
feet up, until one sees His smiling
face, and thus gradually
taking control over the mind one departs in one's meditation for higher
and higher spheres and purifies that way the intelligence. (14)
As long as the materialist has not developed devotional service for
this form of the Lord who is the seer of the mundane and transcendental
worlds, he must, when he is finished with his prescribed duties, with
proper attention remember the
Universal Form of the Original Person.(15) Whenever one desires to give up one's body oh King, one should as a sage, without being disturbed, comfortably seated and with one's thinking unperturbed by matters of time and place, in control of the life air restrain the senses with the help of the mind. (16) Regulating the mind by the power of one's pure intelligence in relation to the original witness within [the 'knower of the field'], one should merge with this self. That self should be confined to the fully satisfied Supersoul and thus putting an end to all activities, one will attain full bliss. (17) Therein one will not find the supremacy of time that for sure controls the godly who direct the worldly creatures with their demigods, nor will one find there mundane goodness, passion or ignorance, nor any material change or causality of nature at large. (18) Knowing what and what not relates to the divine of the transcendental position, they who wish to avoid the godless completely give up the perplexities [of arguing to time and place], and place thereto in the absolute of goodwill every moment the worshipable lotus feet in their heart. (19) The sage familiar with the science of properly regulating the force [of the senses] in service of the purpose of life, should retire in the following way: he must block his arse ['air-hole'] with his heel and direct the life air upward through the six primary places [navel, plexus, heart, throat, eyebrows and top of the skull] and thus overcome the state of material inertia. (20) The soaring force the meditator should gradually direct from the navel to the plexus [the 'heart'] and from there to the chest from where he should bring it slowly into his throat. This he should intelligently figure out by meditation. (21) From between the eyebrows the seer who is of detachment in order to attain the Supreme should, by blocking the outlet of the seven centers, enter the domain of the head in order to maintain there for a while ('half an hour') independent of sense enjoyment for the sake of tirelessness and eternality.
(22) If one, however, maintains a desire oh King, to lord over what one calls the place of enjoyment of the gods in the sky, or has the desire to manage the world of the gunas [the modes of nature] with the use of the eight mystic powers [the eight siddhis or perfections], one inevitably has to count with the mind and the senses associated with such a desire. (23) One says about the course of the great transcendentalists that they, departing from the realm of the subtle body, freely move within and without the three worlds, while those who do their work based upon a material motive never attain to the progress that is achieved by those who in the austerity of their devotional service are absorbed in yoga.
(24) In the control of the divinity of fire [Vais'vânara, or with regular sacrifice and meditation] one reaches through the gracious passage of [the sushumnâ, the channel of balancing] the breath, provided one follows the movements in the sky [the cakra order], the pure spirit [Brahmaloka, the place of the Creator] that enlightens and washes away the contaminations. Directed upwards one then reaches the circle [the cakra, the wheel] oh King, called S'is'umâra [meaning: dolphin, to the form of the Milky Way, galactic time]. (25) Passing beyond that navel of the universe, the pivot, the center of spin of the Maintainer [Vishnu], by the individual living being that was purified by the realization of his smallness, the place is reached that is worshipable for those who are transcendentally situated. There the self-realized souls enjoy for the time of a kalpa [a day of Brahmâ]. (26) Thereupon he who from the bed of Vishnu [Ananta] sees how the universe is burning to ashes because of the fire from His mouth, will leave that place for the supreme abode [of Brahmâ] which lasts for two parârdhas [the two halves of the life of Brahmâ] and is the home of the purified souls of elevation. (27) There one will never find bereavement or old age, death, pain or anxieties, save that one sometimes has feelings of compassion when one sees the ignorant who are subjected to the hard to overcome misery of the repetition of birth and death.
(28) After surpassing the forms of water and fire and thus having reached that pure self free from fear, one thus having attained the effulgent atmosphere, in due course of time by the self its air reaches the ethereal self, the true greatness of one's soul. (29) By scents having the smell, by the palate having the taste, by the eye having visions, by physical contact being in touch and finally by sound vibrations experiencing the quality of the ether, the yogi by dint of the activity of the senses also attains [the more subtle sphere]. (30) After he thus at the mental level in relation to the gross and subtle has reached a neutral point of I-awareness, he in the mode of goodness surpasses that realization of himself that is subject to change [the ego]. Consequently he, completely suspending the material modes, progresses towards the reality of perfect wisdom. (31) By that purification towards the self of the Supersoul the person attains the peace, satisfaction and natural delight of being freed from all contaminations. He who attains to this destination of devotion for sure will never become attracted to this material world again, my dearest [Parîkchit].
(32) All that I described to you oh protector of man, is as your Majesty requested in proper accord with the Vedas. It is also in full agreement with the eternal truth as it before by Lord Vâsudeva was explained to Lord Brahmâ who had satisfied Him in worship. (33) For those who in this life wander in the material universe, there is for sure no way of attaining more auspicious ly than the path by which one arrives at the devotional service [bhakti-yoga] of the Supreme Personality Lord Vâsudeva. (34) The great personality [Vyâsadeva] studied the Vedas three times in total and scrutinously, with scholarly attention examining them he ascertained that one's mind is properly fixed when one is attracted to the soul. (35) The Supreme Personality can be perceived in all living beings as the actual nature of that soul, as the Lord who by the intelligence of the seer is recognized by inference from different signs and effects. (36) Therefore every human soul must oh King, wherever he is and whenever he exists, hear about, glorify and remember the Lord, the Supreme Personality. (37) They who, filling their ears with the narrations about the Supreme Lord most dear to the devotees, drink from the nectar will find their by material pleasure contaminated state of mind purified and return to the feet residing near the lotus.'
