Sankhya-Yog: Doctrines

Krishna Why did you grow weak? Cast off cowardice! Wake up!

Krishna

You grieve when you should not be grieving! You are lacking wisdom.

The wise in heart mourn not for those who live, nor those who die.

Everyone lives forever. Physical life is just short and mutable.

Bear with it, Arjuna, as the wise bear. The soul which is not moved, with a strong and constant calm, takes sorrow and joy indifferently. Such a soul never dies.

To see this truth of both is theirs who part essence from accident, substance from shadow.

Krishna

Learn that you are Indestructible. Life spreads life through all.. It cannot anywhere, by any means, be anywise diminished, stayed, or changed.

But for these fleeting frames which it informs with spirit deathless, endless, infinite, They perish.

He who shall say, “Lo! I have slain a man!”

He who shall think, “Lo! I am slain!” those both

Know naught! Life cannot slay. Life is not slain!

Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never; Never was time it was not; End and Beginning are dreams! Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit for ever; Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems! Who knoweth it exhaustless, self-sustained, Immortal, indestructible,–shall such Say, “I have killed a man, or caused to kill?” Nay, but as when one layeth His worn-out robes away, And taking new ones, sayeth, “These will I wear to-day!” So putteth by the spirit Lightly its garb of flesh, And passeth to inherit A residence afresh.

Krishna

Weapons cannot reach the Life.

• Flame burns it not
• Waters cannot overwhelm it
• Dry winds cannot wither it.

It is impenetrable, Unentered, unassailed, unharmed, untouched, Immortal, all-arriving, stable, sure, Invisible, ineffable, by word And thought uncompassed, ever all itself,

Thus is the Soul declared!

How wilt thou, then,– Knowing it so,–grieve when thou shouldst not grieve? How, if thou hearest that the man new-dead Is, like the man new-born, still living man– One same, existent Spirit–wilt thou weep? The end of birth is death; the end of death Is birth: this is ordained! and mournest thou, Chief of the stalwart arm! for what befalls Which could not otherwise befall? The birth Of living things comes unperceived; the death Comes unperceived; between them, beings perceive: What is there sorrowful herein, dear Prince? Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate! Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon! Strange and great for tongue to relate, Mystical hearing for every one! Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is, When seeing, and saying, and hearing are done! This Life within all living things, my Prince! Hides beyond harm; scorn thou to suffer, then, For that which cannot suffer. Do thy part! Be mindful of thy name, and tremble not! Nought better can betide a martial soul..

Than lawful war; happy the warrior to whom comes joy of battle–comes, as now, Glorious and fair, unsought; opening for him A gateway unto Heav’n. But, if thou shunn’st

Krishna

This honourable field–a Kshattriya– If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd’st Duty and task go by–that shall be sin! And those to come shall speak thee infamy From age to age; but infamy is worse For men of noble blood to bear than death!

The chiefs upon their battle-chariots Will deem ’twas fear that drove thee from the fray.

Of those who held thee mighty-souled the scorn Thou must abide, while all thine enemies Will scatter bitter speech of thee, to mock The valour which thou hadst; what fate could fall More grievously than this? Either–being killed– Thou wilt win Swarga’s safety, or–alive And victor–thou wilt reign an earthly king. Therefore, arise, thou Son of Kunti! brace Thine arm for conflict, nerve thy heart to meet– As things alike to thee–pleasure or pain, Profit or ruin, victory or defeat: So minded, gird thee to the fight, for so Thou shalt not sin! Thus far I speak to thee

Krishna

As from the “Sankhya”–unspiritually–

Hear now the deeper teaching of the Yog, Which holding, understanding, thou shalt burst Thy Karmabandh, the bondage of wrought deeds. Here shall no end be hindered, no hope marred, No loss be feared: faith–yea, a little faith– Shall save thee from the anguish of thy dread. Here, Glory of the Kurus! shines one rule– One steadfast rule–while shifting souls have laws Many and hard. Specious, but wrongful deem The speech of those ill-taught ones who extol The letter of their Vedas, saying, “This Is all we have, or need;” being weak at heart With wants, seekers of Heaven: which comes–they say– As “fruit of good deeds done;” promising men Much profit in new births for works of faith; In various rites abounding; following whereon Large merit shall accrue towards wealth and power; Albeit, who wealth and power do most desire Least fixity of soul have such, least hold On heavenly meditation. Much these teach, From Veds, concerning the “three qualities;” But thou, be free of the “three qualities,” Free of the “pairs of opposites,"[FN#2] and free from that sad righteousness which calculates; Self-ruled, Arjuna! simple, satisfied![FN#3] Look! like as when a tank pours water forth To suit all needs, so do these Brahmans draw Text for all wants from tank of Holy Writ. But thou, want not! ask not! Find full reward Of doing right in right! Let right deeds be Thy motive, not the fruit which comes from them. And live in action! Labour! Make thine acts Thy piety, casting all self aside, Contemning gain and merit; equable In good or evil: equability Is Yog, is piety!

Krishna

Yet, the right act

Is less, far less, than the right-thinking mind. Seek refuge in thy soul; have there thy heaven! Scorn them that follow virtue for her gifts! The mind of pure devotion–even here– Casts equally aside good deeds and bad, Passing above them. Unto pure devotion Devote thyself: with perfect meditation Comes perfect act, and the right-hearted rise– More certainly because they seek no gain– Forth from the bands of body, step by step, To highest seats of bliss. When thy firm soul Hath shaken off those tangled oracles Which ignorantly guide, then shall it soar To high neglect of what’s denied or said, This way or that way, in doctrinal writ. Troubled no longer by the priestly lore, Safe shall it live, and sure; steadfastly bent On meditation. This is Yog–and Peace!

Krishna

When one, O Pritha’s Son!

Abandoning desires which shake the mind– Finds in his soul full comfort for his soul, He hath attained the Yog–that man is such! In sorrows not dejected, and in joys Not overjoyed; dwelling outside the stress Of passion, fear, and anger; fixed in calms Of lofty contemplation;–such an one Is Muni, is the Sage, the true Recluse!

He who to none and nowhere overbound By ties of flesh, takes evil things and good Neither desponding nor exulting, such Bears wisdom’s plainest mark! He who shall draw As the wise tortoise draws its four feet safe Under its shield, his five frail senses back Under the spirit’s buckler from the world Which else assails them, such an one, my Prince! Hath wisdom’s mark! Things that solicit sense Hold off from the self-governed; nay, it comes, The appetites of him who lives beyond Depart,–aroused no more.

Krishna Yet may it chance, O Son of Kunti! that a governed mind Shall some time feel the sense-storms sweep, and wrest Strong self-control by the roots. Let him regain His kingdom! let him conquer this, and sit On Me intent. That man alone is wise Who keeps the mastery of himself! If one Ponders on objects of the sense, there springs Attraction; from attraction grows desire, Desire flames to fierce passion, passion breeds Recklessness; then the memory–all betrayed– Lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, Till purpose, mind, and man are all undone. But, if one deals with objects of the sense Not loving and not hating, making them Serve his free soul, which rests serenely lord, Lo! such a man comes to tranquillity; And out of that tranquillity shall rise The end and healing of his earthly pains, Since the will governed sets the soul at peace. The soul of the ungoverned is not his, Nor hath he knowledge of himself; which lacked, How grows serenity? and, wanting that, Whence shall he hope for happiness?

Krishna The mind that gives itself to follow shows of sense Seeth its helm of wisdom rent away, And, like a ship in waves of whirlwind, drives To wreck and death. Only with him, great Prince! Whose senses are not swayed by things of sense– Only with him who holds his mastery, Shows wisdom perfect. What is midnight-gloom To unenlightened souls shines wakeful day To his clear gaze; what seems as wakeful day Is known for night, thick night of ignorance, To his true-seeing eyes. Such is the Saint! And like the ocean, day by day receiving Floods from all lands, which never overflows Its boundary-line not leaping, and not leaving, Fed by the rivers, but unswelled by those;– So is the perfect one! to his soul’s ocean The world of sense pours streams of witchery; They leave him as they find, without commotion, Taking their tribute, but remaining sea. Yea! whoso, shaking off the yoke of flesh Lives lord, not servant, of his lusts; set free From pride, from passion, from the sin of “Self,” Toucheth tranquillity! O Pritha’s Son! That is the state of Brahm! There rests no dread When that last step is reached! Live where he will, Die when he may, such passeth from all ‘plaining, To blest Nirvana, with the Gods, attaining.