Prapathaka 4

4.1 Then those whose seed flowed upward, greatly astonished, drew close and said, “Blessed one, homage to you. Instruct us. You are our passage; no other is known to us. Who is the guest of this elemental self, through whom it may leave this behind and enter union with another?” He answered them:

4.2 “Elsewhere, too, it is said: ‘Its former deeds hold it back like eddies in great rivers. The coming of death is as hard to turn aside as the sea's tide. Bound like a beast in ropes woven of good and evil fruits, it is without freedom, like a captive; encompassed by fears, like one in Yama's dominion. It rejoices as one drunken, though not drunk with wine; it reels as one possessed by evil; its vision fails as though bitten by a great serpent. Passion blinds it like a vast darkness. It is fashioned of illusion, like a conjurer's show; its vision is false, like a dream. It has no heartwood, like the core of a banana stem. Its costume lasts a moment, like an actor's; its false appearance charms the mind, like a painted wall.’ And it is said: ‘Sound, touch, and the other objects stand as though they were afflictions. Bound to them, the elemental self forgets the highest place.’

4.3 “The elemental self has this remedy: the attainment of knowledge, observance of the law, and the ordered passage through one's stages of life. One's own duty bears all else as a trunk bears its branches. Through this one rises; otherwise one falls. One is bound by the duty set out in the Vedas. It is not by transgressing one's duty that one enters a stage of life; established in those stages, one is called an ascetic. This too is said: ‘Without austerity there is no attainment in meditation on the Self, nor purification of action.’ For it is said: ‘Through austerity clarity is gained; through clarity, mind; through mind, the Self. On attaining the Self, one turns back.’

4.4/15 “These verses are given here: ‘As fire, without fuel, subsides into its source, so mind, its movements spent, subsides into its source. 1 For the mind at peace in its source, moving toward truth and undeluded, sense objects are false, following the rule of action. 2 Mind itself is the round of existence: strive to cleanse it. As one's mind is, so one becomes. This is the eternal secret. 3 Through the clarity of mind one destroys action, good and evil. Clear in self, established in the Self, one tastes unfailing happiness. 4 If the mind of a creature were as fastened to Brahman as it is to the field of sense, who would remain bound? 5 Mind is declared twofold, pure and impure: impure through the conceiving of desire, pure when desire is absent. 6 Make mind utterly still, free from sinking and distraction. When it enters the condition beyond mind, that is the highest place. 7 Hold it in the heart until it ceases. This is knowledge and release; all else is the spreading out of books. 8 The happiness found when mind, cleansed of stain through absorption, rests in the Self cannot be told in words. It is grasped directly by the inward faculty. 9 Water in water, fire in fire, space in space cannot be distinguished. When mind has entered within in this way, the Person is released. 10 Mind alone is the cause of human bondage and release: attached to objects, it binds; without objects, it frees.’ 11 Then comes this praise of Kautsāyani: ‘You are Brahmā, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, you are Prajāpati. You are fire, Varuṇa, wind; you are Indra, the maker of night. 12 You are Manu and Yama; you are earth and the unfailing one. For your own purpose and the purpose native to your nature, you stand manifold in heaven. 13 Lord of all, homage to you, Self of all, maker of every work. You are the eater of all, the illusion of all, the lord delighting in the play of all. 14 Homage to you, the peaceful Self; homage to the most secret, the inconceivable, immeasurable, without beginning or end.’

“This was darkness alone. Then, impelled by the higher, it passed into the condition of an object: this is the form of passion. Passion, impelled, passed into unevenness: this is the form of darkness. Darkness, impelled, flowed forth from darkness: this is the form of clarity. Clarity itself, impelled, flowed forth from clarity. This portion, consciousness alone, is the knower of the field in every person, marked by intention, resolve, and the sense of I: Prajāpati. His foremost bodies are named Brahmā, Rudra, and Vishnu. His portion of passion is Brahmā; his portion of darkness is Rudra; his portion of clarity is Vishnu. One, he became threefold, eightfold, elevenfold, twelvefold, and measureless in his forms. Having arisen, he moves among beings, becoming the ground and lord of all. That Self is within and without—within and without.” 4.5 Here ends the fourth Prapathaka.

4.1 Those whose seed rose upward were greatly amazed. Coming close together, they said, “Sir, honor to you. Teach us. You are our way out; we know no other. Who is the guest of this elemental self through whom it can leave this behind and become united with another?” He said to them:

4.2 “Elsewhere it is also said: ‘What it has done before holds it back like eddies in great rivers. The coming of its death is as hard to stop as the sea's tide. It is tied like an animal by ropes made of good and bad results. It has no independence, like someone in prison, and is surrounded by fear, like someone in Yama's territory. It delights like someone drunk, though not drunk on wine; it wanders around like someone possessed by evil. Its sight is distorted, like someone bitten by a great serpent. Passion blinds it as if it were in deep darkness. It is made of illusion, like a magic show, and sees falsely, as in a dream. It has no substance, like the center of a banana stem. Its costume lasts only a moment, like an actor's. Its false appearance pleases the mind, like a painted wall.’ It is also said: ‘Sound, touch, and the other objects of the senses stand as if they were harms. Attached to them, the elemental self does not remember the highest place.’

4.3 “This is the remedy for the elemental self: acquiring knowledge, following the proper way, and proceeding through one's own stages of life. One's own duty supports everything else as a trunk supports its other branches. Through it one rises; otherwise one falls downward. This one is bound by the duty prescribed in the Vedas. One does not become a member of a stage of life by breaking one's own duty. Someone established in those stages is called a practitioner of discipline. This too is said: ‘Without discipline, one does not reach meditation on the Self or purification of action.’ As it is said: ‘Through discipline one reaches clarity; through clarity one reaches mind; through mind one reaches the Self. By reaching the Self, one turns back.’

4.4/15 “Here are these verses: ‘Just as a fire without fuel dies down in its own source, so the mind, when its activities stop, dies down in its own source. 1 For the mind quieted in its own source, moving toward truth and not confused, sense objects are false, following the power of action. 2 The mind itself is the cycle of rebirth. Work to purify it. Whatever a person's mind is, that is what the person becomes. This is the lasting secret. 3 Through the mind's clarity one destroys action, both good and bad. With a clear self, established in the Self, one enjoys happiness that does not end. 4 If a creature's mind were as attached to Brahman as it is to the range of sense objects, who would not be freed from bondage? 5 The mind is said to be of two kinds, clean and unclean. It is unclean when it forms desires; it is clean when free from desire. 6 Make the mind completely still, neither sinking nor distracted. When it reaches the state of no mind, that is the highest place. 7 Restrain it in the heart until it has ceased. This is knowledge and liberation. Everything else is an expansion of books. 8 The happiness one finds when the mind has been washed clean of dirt through absorption and placed in the Self cannot be described in speech. One grasps it personally through one's inner awareness. 9 One cannot distinguish water in water, fire in fire, or space in space. With the mind having entered within in this way, a person is freed. 10 The mind alone is the cause of human bondage and liberation. It is held to bring bondage when attached to objects and liberation when free from objects.’ 11 Then there is this praise of Kautsāyani: ‘You are Brahmā; you are Vishnu; you are Rudra; you are Prajāpati. You are fire, Varuṇa, and wind; you are Indra; you are the maker of night. 12 You are Manu and Yama; you are earth; you are the unfailing one. For your own purpose and for the purpose belonging to your nature, you stand in many forms in heaven. 13 Lord of everything, honor to you. You are the Self of everything and the maker of every work. You eat everything; you are the magic of everything; you are the lord who delights in playing with everything. 14 Honor to you whose Self is peaceful. Honor to the most hidden, the inconceivable, the immeasurable, without beginning or end.’

“This was darkness alone. Driven by the higher one, it afterward became an object. This is the form of passion. Passion, when driven, became uneven. This is the form of darkness. Darkness, when driven, flowed out of darkness. This is the form of clarity. Clarity, when driven, flowed out of clarity. This part is sheer consciousness, the knower of the field in each person, marked by intention, determination, and self-importance: Prajāpati. His foremost bodies are said to be Brahmā, Rudra, and Vishnu. His part belonging to passion is this Brahmā; his part belonging to darkness is this Rudra; his part belonging to clarity is Vishnu. This one has become three, eight, eleven, twelve, and countless forms. Having come into being, he moves among beings. He became the support and ruler of all beings. That is the Self, inside and outside, inside and outside.” 4.5 Here ends Prapathaka 4.