S'rîmad Bhâgavatam - Canto 11
Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda his pupils
(for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)
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Canto 11: 'General History'
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Chapter Twenty-four: The Philosophy of Sânkhya
TEXT 1
s'rî-bhagavân uvâca
atha te sampravakshyâmi
sânkhyam pûrvair vinis'citam
yad vijñâya pumân sadyo
jahyâd vaikalpikam bhramam
s'rî-bhagavân uvâca - the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; atha - now; te - unto you; sampravakshyâmi - I shall speak; sânkhyam - the knowledge of the evolution of the elements of creation; pûrvaih - by previous authorities; vinis'citam - ascertained; yat - which; vijnâya - knowing; pumân - a person; sadyah - immediately; jahyât - can give up; vaikalpikam - based on false duality; bhramam - the illusion.
TRANSLATION
Lord S'rî Krishna said - Now I shall describe to you the science of Sânkhya, which has been perfectly established by ancient authorities. By understanding this science a person can immediately give up the illusion of material duality.
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TEXT 2
âsîj jñânam atho artha
ekam evâvikalpitam
yadâ viveka-nipunâ
âdau krita-yuge 'yuge
âsît - there existed; jñânam - the seer; atha u - thus; arthah - the seen; ekam - one; eva - simply; avikalpitam - undifferentiated; yadâ - when; viveka - in discrimination; nipunâh - persons who were expert; âdau - in the beginning; krita-yuge - in the age of purity; ayuge - and before that, during the time of annihilation.
TRANSLATION
Originally, during the Krita-yuga, when all men were very expert in spiritual discrimination, and also previous to that, during the period of annihilation, the seer existed alone, nondifferent from the seen object.
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TEXT 3
tan mâyâ-phala-rûpena
kevalam nirvikalpitam
vân-mano-'gocaram satyam
dvidhâ samabhavad brihat
tat - that (Supreme); mâyâ - of the material nature; phala - and the enjoyer of its manifestations; rûpena - in the two forms; kevalam - one; nirvikalpitam - nondifferentiated; vâk - to speech; manah - and the mind; agocaram - inaccessible; satyam - true; dvidhâ - twofold; samabhavat - He became; brihat - the Absolute Truth.
TRANSLATION
That one Absolute Truth, remaining free from material dualities and inaccessible to ordinary speech and mind, divided Himself into two categories - the material nature and the living entities who are trying to enjoy the manifestations of that nature.
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TEXT 4
tayor ekataro hy arthah
prakritih sobhayâtmikâ
jñânam tv anyatamo bhâvah
purushah so 'bhidhîyate
tayoh - of the two; ekatarah - one; hi - indeed; arthah - entity; prakritih - nature; sâ - she; ubhaya-âtmikâ - consisting of both the subtle causes and their manifest products; jñânam - (who possesses) consciousness; tu - and; anyatamah - the other; bhâvah - entity; purushah - the living soul; sah - he; abhidhîyate - is called.
TRANSLATION
Of these two categories of manifestation, one is material nature, which embodies both the subtle causes and manifests products of matter. The other is the conscious living entity, designated as the enjoyer.
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TEXT 5
tamo rajah sattvam iti
prakriter abhavan gunâh
mayâ prakshobhyamânâyâh
purushânumatena ca
tamah - ignorance; rajah - passion; sattvam - goodness; iti - thus; prakriteh - from nature; abhavan - became manifest; gunâh - the modes; mayâ - by Me; prakshobhyamânâyâh - who was being agitated; purusha - of the living entity; anumatena - in order to fulfill the desires; ca - and.
TRANSLATION
When material nature was agitated by My glance, the three material modes - goodness, passion and ignorance - became manifest to fulfill the pending desires of the conditioned souls.
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TEXT 6
tebhyah samabhavat sûtram
mahân sûtrena samyutah
tato vikurvato jâto
yo 'hankâro vimohanah
tebhyah - from those modes; samabhavat - arose; sûtram - the first transformation of nature, endowed with the potency of activity; mahân - primeval nature endowed with the potency of knowledge; sûtrena - with this sûtra-tattva; samyûtah - conjoined; tatah - from the mahat; vikurvatah - transforming; jâtah - was generated; yah - which; ahankârah - false ego; vimohanah - the cause of bewilderment.
TRANSLATION
From these modes arose the primeval sûtra, along with the mahat-tattva. By the transformation of the mahat-tattva was generated the false ego, the cause of the living entities' bewilderment.
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TEXT 7
vaikârikas taijasas' ca
tâmasas' cety aham tri-vrit
tan-mâtrendriya-manasâm
kâranam cid-acin-mayah
vaikârikah - in the mode of goodness; taijasah - in the mode of passion; ca - and; tâmasah - in the mode of ignorance; ca - also; iti - thus; aham - false ego; tri-vrit - in three categories; tat-mâtra - of the subtle forms of sense objects; indriya - of the senses; manasâm - and of the mind; kâranam - the cause; cit-acit - both spirit and matter; mayah - encompassing.
TRANSLATION
False ego, which is the cause of physical sensation, the senses, and the mind, encompasses both spirit and matter and manifests, in three varieties - in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance.
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TEXT 8
arthas tan-mâtrikâj jajñe
tâmasâd indriyâni ca
taijasâd devatâ âsann
ekâdas'a ca vaikritât
arthah - the gross elements; tat-mâtrikât - from the subtle sensations (which themselves are derived from false ego in the mode of goodness); jajñe - became generated; tâmasât - from false ego in the mode of ignorance; indriyâni - the senses; ca - and; taijasât - from false ego in the mode of passion; devatâh - the demigods; âsan - arose; ekâdas'a - eleven; ca - and; vaikritât - from false ego in the mode of goodness.
TRANSLATION
From false ego in the mode of ignorance came the subtle physical perceptions, from which the gross elements were generated. From false ego in the mode of passion came the senses, and from false ego in the mode of goodness arose the eleven demigods.
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TEXT 9
mayâ sañcoditâ bhâvâh
sarve samhatya-kârinah
andam utpâdayâm âsur
mamâyatanam uttamam
mayâ - by Me; sañcoditâh - impelled; bhâvâh - elements; sarve - all; samhatya - by amalgamation; kârinah - functioning; andam - the egg of the universe; utpâdayâm âsuh - they brought into being; mama - My; âyatanam - residence; uttamam - superior.
TRANSLATION
Impelled by Me, all these elements combined to function in an orderly fashion and together gave birth to the universal egg, which is My excellent place of residence.
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TEXT 10
tasminn aham samabhavam
ande salila-samsthitau
mama nâbhyâm abhût padmam
vis'vâkhyam tatra câtma-bhûh
tasmin - within that; aham - I; samabhavam - appeared; ande - in the egg of the universe; salila - in the water of the Causal Ocean; samsthitau - which was situated; mama - My; nâbhyâm - from the navel; abhût - arose; padmam - a lotus; vis'va-âkhyam - known as universal; tatra - in that; ca - and; âtma-bhûh - self-born Brahmâ.
TRANSLATION
I Myself appeared within that egg, which was floating on the causal water, and from My navel arose the universal lotus, the birthplace of self-born Brahmâ.
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TEXT 11
so 'srijat tapasâ yukto
rajasâ mad-anugrahât
lokân sa-pâlân vis'vâtmâ
bhûr bhuvah svar iti tridhâ
sah - he, Brahmâ; asrijat - created; tapasâ - by his austerity; yuktah - endowed; rajasâ - with the potency of the mode of passion; mat - My; anugrahât - because of the mercy; lokân - the different planets; sa-pâlân - along with their presiding demigods; vis'va - of the universe; âtmâ - the soul; bhûh bhuvah svah iti - called Bhûr, Bhuvar and Svar; tridhâ - three divisions.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmâ, the soul of the universe, being endowed with the mode of passion, performed great austerities by My mercy and thus created the three planetary divisions, called Bhûr, Bhuvar and Svar, along with their presiding deities.
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TEXT 12
devânâm oka âsît svar
bhûtânâm ca bhuvah padam
martyâdînâm ca bhûr lokah
siddhânâm tritayât param
devânâm - of the demigods; okah - the home; âsît - became; svah - heaven; bhûtânâm - of ghostly spirits; ca - and; bhuvah - Bhuvar; padam - the place; martya-âdînâm - of ordinary mortal humans and other beings; ca - and; bhûh lokah - the planet called Bhûr; siddhânâm - (the place) of those striving for liberation; tritayât - these three divisions; param - beyond.
TRANSLATION
Heaven was established as the residence of the demigods, Bhuvarloka as that of the ghostly spirits, and the earth system as the place of human beings and other mortal creatures. Those mystics who strive for liberation are promoted beyond these three divisions.
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TEXT 13
adho 'surânâm nâgânâm
bhûmer oko 'srijat prabhuh
tri-lokyâm gatayah sarvâh
karmanâm tri-gunâtmanâm
adhah - below; asurânâm - of the demons; nâgânâm - of the celestial snakes; bhûmeh - from the earth; okah - the residence; asrijat - created; prabhuh - Lord Brahmâ; tri-lokyâm - of the three worlds; gatayah - the destinations; sarvâh - all; karmanâm - of fruitive activities; tri-guna-âtmanâm - partaking of the three modes.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmâ created the region below the earth for the demons and the Nâga snakes. In this way the destinations of the three worlds were arranged as the corresponding reactions for different kinds of work performed within the three modes of nature.
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TEXT 14
yogasya tapasas' caiva
nyâsasya gatayo 'malâh
mahar janas tapah satyam
bhakti-yogasya mad-gatih
yogasya - of mystic yoga; tapasah - of great austerity; ca - and; eva - certainly; nyâsasya - of the renounced order of life; gatayah - the destinations; amalâh - spotless; mahah - Mahar; janah - Janas; tapah - Tapas; satyam - Satya; bhakti-yogasya - of devotional service; mat - My; gatih - destination.
TRANSLATION
By mystic yoga, great austerities and the renounced order of life, the pure destinations of Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka are attained. But by devotional yoga, one achieves My transcendental abode.
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TEXT 15
mayâ kâlâtmanâ dhâtrâ
karma-yuktam idam jagat
guna-pravâha etasminn
unmajjati nimajjati
mayâ - by Me; kâla-âtmanâ - who contains the energy of time; dhâtrâ - the creator; karma-yuktam - full of fruitive activities; idam - this; jagat - world; guna-pravâhe - in the mighty current of the modes; etasmin - in this; unmajjati - one rises up; nimajjati - one drowns.
TRANSLATION
All results of fruitive work have been arranged within this world by Me, the supreme creator acting as the force of time. Thus one sometimes rises up toward the surface of this mighty river of the modes of nature and sometimes again submerges.
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TEXT 16
anur brihat kris'ah sthûlo
yo yo bhâvah prasidhyati
sarvo 'py ubhaya-samyuktah
prakrityâ purushena ca
anuh - small; brihat - great; kris'ah - thin; sthûlah - stout; yah yah - whatever; bhâvah - manifestation; prasidhyati - is established; sarvah - all; api - indeed; ubhaya - by both; samyuktah - conjoined; prakrityâ - by nature; purushena - by the enjoying spirit soul; ca - and.
TRANSLATION
Whatever features visibly exist within this world - small or great, thin or stout - certainly contain both the material nature and its enjoyer, the spirit soul.
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TEXT 17
yas tu yasyâdir antas' ca
sa vai madhyam ca tasya san
vikâro vyavahârârtho
yathâ taijasa-pârthivâh
yah - which (cause); tu - and; yasya - of which (product); âdih - the beginning; antah - the end; ca - and; sah - that; vai - indeed; madhyam - the middle; ca - and; tasya - of that product; san - being (real); vikârah - the transformation; vyavahâra-arthah - for ordinary purposes; yathâ - as; taijasa - things produced from gold (which is itself derived from fire); pârthivah - and things produced from earth.
TRANSLATION
Gold and earth are originally existing as ingredients. From gold one may fashion golden ornaments such as bracelets and earrings, and from earth one may fashion clay pots and saucers. The original ingredients gold and earth exist before the products made from them, and when the products are eventually destroyed, the original ingredients, gold and earth, will remain. Thus, since the ingredients are present in the beginning and at the end, they must also be present in the middle phase, taking the form of a particular product to which we assign for convenience a particular name, such as bracelet, earring, pot or saucer. We can therefore understand that since the ingredient cause exists before the creation of a product and after the product's destruction, the same ingredient cause must be present during the manifest phase, supporting the product as the basis of its reality.
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TEXT 18
yad upâdâya pûrvas tu
bhâvo vikurute 'param
âdir anto yadâ yasya
tat satyam abhidhîyate
yat - which (form); upâdâya - accepting as the ingredient cause; pûrvah - the previous cause (such as the mahat-tattva); tu - and; bhâvah - thing; vikurute - produces as transformation; aparam - the second thing (such as the element ahankâra); âdih - the beginning; antah - the end; yadâ - when; yasya - of which (product); tat - that (cause); satyam - real; abhidhîyate - is called.
TRANSLATION
A material object, itself composed of an essential ingredient, creates another material object through transformation. Thus one created object becomes the cause and basis of another created object. A particular thing may thus be called real in that it possesses the basic nature of another object that constitutes its origin and final state.
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TEXT 19
prakritir yasyopâdânam
âdhârah purushah parah
sato 'bhivyañjakah kâlo
brahma tat tritayam tv aham
prakritih - material nature; yasya - of which (produced manifestation of the universe); upâdânam - the ingredient cause; âdhârah - the foundation; purushah - the Personality of Godhead; parah - Supreme; satah - of the real (nature); abhivyañjakah - the agitating agent; kâlah - time; brahma - the Absolute Truth; tat - this; tritayam - group of three; tu - but; aham - I.
TRANSLATION
The material universe may be considered real, having nature as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Mahâ-Vishnu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Vishnu and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.
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TEXT 20
sargah pravartate tâvat
paurvâparyena nityas'ah
mahân guna-visargârthah
sthity-anto yâvad îkshanam
sargah - the creation; pravartate - continues to exist; tâvat - to that extent; paurva-aparyena - in the form of parents and children; nityas'ah - perpetually; mahân - bountiful; guna-visarga - of the variegated manifestation of the material modes; arthah - for the purpose; sthiti-antah - until the end of its maintenance; yâvat - as long as; îkshanam - the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
As long as the Supreme Personality of Godhead continues to glance upon nature, the material world continues to exist, perpetually manifesting through procreation the great and variegated flow of universal creation..
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TEXT 21
virân mayâsâdyamâno
loka-kalpa-vikalpakah
pañcatvâya vis'eshâya
kalpate bhuvanaih saha
virâth - the universal form; mayâ - by Me; âsâdyamânah - being pervaded; loka - of the planets; kalpa - of repeated creation, maintenance and destruction; vikalpakah - manifesting the variety; pañcatvâya - the elemental manifestation of creation of the five elements; vis'eshâya - in varieties; kalpate - is capable of displaying; bhuvanaih - with the different planets; saha - being endowed.
TRANSLATION
I am the basis of the universal form, which displays endless variety through the repeated creation, maintenance and destruction of the planetary systems. Originally containing within itself all planets in their dormant state, My universal form manifests the varieties of created existence by arranging the coordinated combination of the five elements.
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TEXTS 22 - 27
anne pralîyate martyam
annam dhânâsu lîyate
dhânâ bhûmau pralîyante
bhûmir gandhe pralîyate
apsu pralîyate gandha
âpas' ca sva-gune rase
lîyate jyotishi raso
jyotî rûpe pralîyate
rûpam vâyau sa ca spars'e
lîyate so 'pi câmbare
ambaram s'abda-tan-mâtra
indriyâni sva-yonishu
yonir vaikârike saumya
lîyate manasîs'vare
s'abdo bhûtâdim apyeti
bhûtâdir mahati prabhuh
sa lîyate mahân sveshu
gunesu guna-vattamah
te 'vyakte sampralîyante
tat kâle lîyate 'vyaye
kâlo mâyâ-maye jîve
jîva âtmani mayy aje
âtmâ kevala âtma-stho
vikalpâpâya-lakshanah
anne - in food; pralîyate - becomes merged; martyam - the mortal body; annam - food; dhânâsu - within the grains; lîyate - becomes merged; dhânâh - the grains; bhûmau - in the earth; pralîyante - become merged; bhûmih - the earth; gandhe - within fragrance; pralîyate - becomes merged;
apsu - in water; pralîyate - becomes merged; gandhah - fragrance; âpah - water; ca - and; sva-gune - within its own quality; rase - taste; lîyate - becomes merged; jyotishi - within fire; rasah - taste; jyotih - fire; rûpe - within form; pralîyate - becomes merged;
rûpam - form; vâyau - in air; sah - it; ca - and; spars'e - in touch; lîyate - becomes merged; sah - it; api - also; ca - and; ambare - in ether; ambaram - ether; s'abda - in sound; tat-mâtre - its corresponding subtle sensation; indriyâni - the senses; sva-yonishu - in their sources, the demigods;
yonih - the demigods; vaikârike - in false ego in the mode of goodness; saumya - My dear Uddhava; lîyate - become merged; manasi - in the mind; îs'vare - which is the controller; s'abdah - sound; bhûta-âdim - in the original false ego; apyeti - becomes merged; bhûta-âdih - false ego; mahati - in the total material nature; prabhuh - powerful;
sah - that; lîyate - becomes merged; mahân - the total material nature; sveshu - in its own; guneshu - three modes; guna-vat-tamah - being the ultimate abode of these modes; te - they; avyakte - in the unmanifest form of nature; sampralîyante - become completely merged; tat - that; kâle - in time; lîyate - become merged; avyaye - in the infallible;
kâlah - time; mâyâ-maye - who is full of transcendental knowledge; jîve - in the Supreme Lord, who activates all living beings; jîvah - that Lord; âtmani - in the Supreme Self; mayi - in Me; aje - the unborn; âtmâ - the original Self; kevalah - alone; âtma-sthah - self-situated; vikalpa - by creation; apâya - and annihilation; lakshanah - characterized.
TRANSLATION
At the time of annihilation, the mortal body of the living being becomes merged into food. Food merges into the grains, and the grains merge back into the earth. The earth merges into its subtle sensation, fragrance. Fragrance merges into water, and water further merges into its own quality, taste. That taste merges into fire, which merges into form. Form merges into touch, and touch merges into ether. Ether finally merges into the sensation of sound. The senses all merge into their own origins, the presiding demigods, and they, O gentle Uddhava, merge into the controlling mind, which itself merges into false ego in the mode of goodness. Sound becomes one with false ego in the mode of ignorance, and all-powerful false ego, the first of all the physical elements, merges into the total nature. The total material nature, the primary repository of the three basic modes, dissolves into the modes. These modes of nature then merge into the unmanifest form of nature, and that unmanifest form merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Lord, present in the form of the omniscient Mahâ-purusha, the original activator of all living beings. That origin of all life merges into Me, the unborn Supreme Soul, who remains alone, established within Himself. It is from Him that all creation and annihilation are manifested.
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TEXT 28
evam anvîkshamânasya
katham vaikalpiko bhramah
manaso hridi tisthheta
vyomnîvârkodaye tamah
evam - in this way; anvîkshamânasya - of one who is carefully examining; katham - how; vaikalpikah - based on duality; bhramah - illusion; manasah - of his mind; hridi - in the heart; tisthheta - can remain; vyomni - in the sky; iva - just as; arka - of the sun; udaye - upon the rising; tamah - darkness.
TRANSLATION
Just as the rising sun removes the darkness of the sky, similarly, this scientific knowledge of cosmic annihilation removes all illusory duality from the mind of a serious student. Even if illusion somehow enters his heart, it cannot remain there.
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TEXT 29
esha sânkhya-vidhih proktah
sams'aya-granthi-bhedanah
pratilomânulomâbhyâm
parâvara-dris'a mayâ
eshah - this; sânkhya-vidhih - method of Sânkhya (analytic philosophy); proktah - spoken; sams'aya - of doubts; granthi - the bondage; bhedanah - which breaks; pratiloma-anulomâbhyâm - in both direct and reverse order; para - the situation of the spiritual world; avara - and the inferior situation of the material world; dris'â - by Him who sees perfectly; mayâ - by Me.
TRANSLATION
Thus I, the perfect seer of everything material and spiritual, have spoken this knowledge of Sânkhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by scientific analysis of creation and annihilation.
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