Source
Texts:
The
Perfection of Spiritual Knowledge
Text
1
The Supreme
Lord said: 'One who, endowed with knowledge to the oral
tradition, self-realized is not speculating should, knowing
this universe - as well as the knowledge about it - to be
illusory in a high degree, commit his way unto
Me.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: A self-realized person
who has cultivated scriptural knowledge up to the point of
enlightenment and who is free from impersonal speculation,
understanding the material universe to be simply illusion,
should surrender unto Me both that knowledge and the means
by which he achieved it.
Text
2
For the
spiritual philosopher am I alone indeed the beloved, the
self-interest, the motive and the accord as also the elevation
and the way to heaven; indeed except for Me as the favorite he
has no other purpose.
For
learned, self-realized philosophers I am the only object of
worship, the desired goal of life, the means for achieving
that goal, and the settled conclusion of all knowledge.
Indeed, because I am the cause of their happiness and their
freedom from unhappiness, such learned souls have no
effective purpose or dear object in life except Me.
Text
3
They who are
completely perfected in knowledge and wisdom know My lotus feet
as the supreme object and thus is the learned transcendentalist
by the spiritual knowledge keeping to Me, most dear to Me
[see also B.G. 7:
17-18].
Those
who have achieved complete perfection through philosophical
and realized knowledge recognize My lotus feet to be the
supreme transcendental object. Thus the learned
transcendentalist is most dear to Me, and by his perfect
knowledge he maintains Me in happiness.
Text
4
What by
austerities, visiting holy places, doing japa, performing
charity and being of other pious deeds is awarded cannot match
with the perfection awarded by a fraction of this spiritual
knowledge [compare 10.46:
32-33].
That
perfection which is produced by a small fraction of
spiritual knowledge cannot be duplicated by performing
austerities, visiting holy places, chanting silent prayers,
giving in charity or engaging in other pious
activities.
Text
5
Therefore,
with the spiritual knowledge knowing your own soul, dear
Uddhava, worship, accomplished in the knowledge and the wisdom,
Me [sharing] in the mood of devotional
service.
Therefore,
My dear Uddhava, through knowledge you should understand
your actual self. Then, advancing by clear realization of
Vedic knowledge, you should worship Me in the mood of loving
devotion.
Text
6
By the
sacrifice of vedic knowledge and wisdom having worshiped Me,
the Supreme Soul within themselves - Me, the Lord of All
sacrifices, did the sages sure achieve the supreme
perfection.
Formerly,
great sages, through the sacrifice of Vedic knowledge and
spiritual enlightenment, worshiped Me within themselves,
knowing Me to be the Supreme Lord of all sacrifice and the
Supersoul in everyone's heart. Thus coming to Me, these
sages achieved the supreme perfection.
Text
7
O Uddhava, that
which has settled, is divided in three divisions and is
constantly transforming, is the bewildering energy apparent in
the present, but since it is not there in the beginning nor in
the end, what possible relation could, when just relating to
your material body its birth and all that, these have to
[the real of ] you? That which first was not and in the
end is there either, is there only for the time
between.'
My
dear Uddhava, the material body and mind, composed of the
three modes of material nature, attach themselves to you,
but they are actually illusion, since they appear only at
the present, having no original or ultimate existence. How
is it possible, therefore, that the various stages of the
body, namely birth, growth, reproduction, maintenance,
dwindling and death, can have any relation to your eternal
self? These phases relate only to the material body, which
previously did not exist and ultimately will not exist. The
body exists merely at the present moment.
Text
8
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'Please, o Controller of the Universe, o You in
the Form of the Universe, explain the bhakti-yoga unto You that
is also sought after by the great, including this extensive,
thoroughly settled knowledge that is as traditional as the
[original] detachment and wisdom [of
Brahmâ].
S'rî
Uddhava said - O Lord of the universe! O form of the
universe! Please explain to me that process of knowledge
which automatically brings detachment and direct perception
of the truth, which is transcendental, and which is
traditional among great spiritual philosophers. This
knowledge, sought by elevated personalities, describes
loving devotional service unto Your Lordship.
Text
9
O Lord, for the
one who, tormented on the violent material path, is overwhelmed
by the threefold miseries [see 1.17:
19], I see
no other shelter but the canopy of Your two lotus feet that
shower the nectar.
My
dear Lord, for one who is being tormented on the terrible
path of birth and death and is constantly overwhelmed by the
threefold miseries, I do not see any possible shelter other
than Your two lotus feet, which are just like a refreshing
umbrella that pours down showers of delicious nectar.
Text
10
Please uplift
this person who, bitten by the snake of time, hopelessly has
fallen in this dark hole, uplift this person so tremendously
hankering for some insignificant happiness; o Might of
Understanding, pour out your words of mercy that awaken one to
liberation!'
O
almighty Lord, please be merciful and uplift this hopeless
living entity who has fallen into the dark hole of material
existence, where the snake of time has bitten him. In spite
of such abominable conditions, this poor living entity has
tremendous desire to relish the most insignificant material
happiness. Please save me, my Lord, by pouring down the
nectar of Your instructions, which awaken one to spiritual
freedom.
Text
11
The Supreme
Lord said: 'This you ask did in the past the king who
considered no one his enemy [Yudhishthhira] ask
Bhîshma, the best of the upholders of the dharma, with
all of us carefully listening [see 1.9:
25-42].
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, just
as you are now inquiring from Me, similarly, in the past
King Yudhishthhira, who considered no one his enemy,
inquired from the greatest of the upholders of religious
principles, Bhîshma, while all of us were carefully
listening.
Text
12
When the war
between the descendants of Bharata was over, asked he,
overwhelmed by the destruction of his beloved well-wishers,
having heard about the many principles of religion at last
about the nature of liberation.
When
the great Battle of Kurukshetra had ended, King
Yudhishthhira was overwhelmed by the death of many beloved
well-wishers, and thus, after listening to instructions
about many religious principles, he finally inquired about
the path of liberation.
Text
13
I'll describe
to you the vedic knowledge consisting of detachment,
self-realization, faith and devotional service, as was heard
from the mouth of the one vowed to God [viz.
Bhîshma].
I
will now speak unto you those religious principles of Vedic
knowledge, detachment, self-realization, faith and
devotional service that were heard directly from the mouth
of Bhîshmadeva.
Text
14
With the nine,
eleven, five and three elements
in all living entities truly seeing the one element [of the
Time, the Supersoul, the Lord, see 1.2:
11] within
them, is the spiritual knowledge I approve of.
I
personally approve of that knowledge by which one sees the
combination of nine, eleven, five and three elements in all
living entities, and ultimately one element within those
twenty-eight.
Text
15
Not being of
all the elements subject to the three modes should one see it
by the One who maintains, creates and annihilates this
universe; seeing it so assuredly is the knowledge of
realization [vijñâna].
When
one no longer sees the twenty-eight separated material
elements, which arise from a single cause, but rather sees
the cause itself, the Personality of Godhead - at that time
one's direct experience is called vijñâna, or
self-realization.
Text
16
That [or
He] which from one production to the other accompanies in
the beginning, the end and the middle phase and remains with
the annihilation again of all that, is indeed the Real
Doer.
Commencement,
termination and maintenance are the stages of material
causation. That which consistently accompanies all these
material phases from one creation to another and remains
alone when all material phases are annihilated is the one
eternal.
Text
17
By the four
types of evidence - the vedic truth [s'ruti], the truth
of direct experience [pratyaksha], the truth by
tradition [aitihya or smriti], and the truth of logical
inference [anumâna] - becomes one detached from
the flickering nature of the dual reality [see
pramâna].
From
the four types of evidence - Vedic knowledge, direct
experience, traditional wisdom and logical induction - one
can understand the temporary, insubstantial situation of the
material world, by which one becomes detached from the
duality of this world.
Text
18
Because all
material activities are transient is there up to the world of
Viriñca
[brahmaloka] inauspiciousness; an intelligent person
should see that what was experienced as also what has not been
experienced as being temporary [see also
shath-ûrmi,
11.3;
20 and B.G.
8:
16].
An
intelligent person should see that any material activity is
subject to constant transformation and that even on the
planet of Lord Brahmâ there is thus simply
unhappiness. Indeed, a wise man can understand that just as
all that he has seen is temporary, similarly, all things
within the universe have a beginning and an end.
Text
19
I previously
spoke to you, who has developed the love, on bhakti-yoga, o
sinless one, let me also expound on the actual means of
elevation of the devotional service unto Me.
O
sinless Uddhava, because you love Me, I previously explained
to you the process of devotional service. Now I will again
explain the supreme process for achieving loving service
unto Me.
Text
20-24
Faith in the
nectar of the narrations about Me, always chanting My glories,
fixed in the attachment of ceremonial worship, to relate with
hymns and prayers to Me; being of a high regard for My
devotional service, with all of one's body to be offering
obeisances, to be of the first-class worship of My devotees,
being conscious of Me present in all living beings, dedicating
all one's normal activities to Me as also with words defending
My qualities, placing the mind in Me and rejecting all material
desires; for My sake giving up on money as also on sensual
pleasures, material happiness and passions, being of charity
and offering in sacrifice, chanting the names to achieve Me and
keeping to vows and austerities; thus, Uddhava, arises with
those human beings who by such dharmic activities dedicated
themselves the loving devotion unto Me - what other purpose
remains there for My devotee?
Firm
faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant
chanting of My glories, unwavering attachment to ceremonial
worship of Me, praising Me through beautiful hymns, great
respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances with
the entire body, performing first-class worship of My
devotees, consciousness of Me in all living entities,
offering of ordinary, bodily activities in My devotional
service, use of words to describe My qualities, offering the
mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up
wealth for My devotional service, renouncing material sense
gratification and happiness, and performing all desirable
activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and
austerities with the purpose of achieving Me - these
constitute actual religious principles, by which those human
beings who have actually surrendered themselves to Me
automatically develop love for Me. What other purpose or
goal could remain for My devotee?
Text
25
When peaceful
the consciousness is fixed in the soul, achieves he,
strengthened by the mode of goodness, religiosity, spiritual
knowledge, detachment and opulence.
When
one's peaceful consciousness, strengthened by the mode of
goodness, is fixed on the Personality of Godhead, one
achieves religiosity, knowledge, detachment and
opulence.
Text
26
When one to
that, fixed on the material variety, with one's senses chases
all around and one is reinforced in passion, should you know
that that [materialist] consciousness dedicated to the
impermanent is of the opposite.
When
consciousness is fixed on the material body, home and other,
similar objects of sense gratification, one spends one's
life chasing after material objects with the help of the
senses. Consciousness, thus powerfully affected by the mode
of passion, becomes dedicated to impermanent things, and in
this way irreligion, ignorance, attachment and wretchedness
arise.
Text
27
The dharma is
said to lead to My devotional service and the spiritual is
honored as the vision of the Supreme Soul being present;
detachment one calls the loss of interest in the sense-objects
and the opulence is known by the animâ and such
[perfections and powers see 11.15
& 11.16
and bhaga].'
Actual
religious principles are stated to be those that lead one to
My devotional service. Real knowledge is the awareness that
reveals My all-pervading presence. Detachment is complete
disinterest in the objects of material sense gratification,
and opulence is the eight mystic perfection, such as
animâ-siddhi.
Text
28-32
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'How many types of don'ts [yama] or does
[niyama] does one speak of, o Subduer of the Enemy,
what is equilibrium, what is self-control, dear Krishna, what
is tolerance and what is constancy, my Lord? What is penance,
what is austerity, heroism, what does one say about reality and
truth, what is renunciation and wealth, what is desirable, a
sacrifice and what is religious financial compensation? What do
you think is the strength of a person, o Fortunate One, the
opulence and gain, o Kes'vava, what is education, modesty, what
is superior, what is beauty and what is happiness and also
unhappiness? Who is learned, who is a fool, what is the real
path and what the false path, what is heaven and what is hell
and who do you say is a friend and what is home? Who is
wealthy, who is poor, who a miser and who is a controller;
please speak to me about these matters as also about the
opposite qualities, o Lord of the Truthful.
S'rî
Uddhava said - My dear Lord Krishna, O chastiser of the
enemies, please tell me how many types of disciplinary
regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also, my
Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is
self-control, and what is the actual meaning of tolerance
and steadfastness. What are charity, austerity and heroism,
and how are reality and truth to he described? What is
renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is
sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? My dear
Kes'ava, O most fortunate one, how am I to understand the
strength, opulence and profit of a particular person? What
is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is
real beauty? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is
learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false
paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is indeed a
true friend, and what is one's real home? Who is a rich man,
and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual
controller? O Lord of the devotees, kindly explain these
matters to me, along with their opposites.
Text
33-35
The Supreme
Lord said: 'Nonviolence, truthfulness, not coveting or stealing
the property of others, detachment, modesty,
non-possessiveness, belief in God, celibacy as also silence,
steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness at the one hand, and
cleanliness [internal and external], doing the rosary,
penance, sacrifice, trustfulness, hospitality, worship of Me,
visiting holy places, acting and desiring for the Supreme,
contentment and serving the spiritual master at the other hand
are the twelve remembered of yama
that together with those of niyama
by human beings are cultivated with devotion, my dearest, and
according one's desire yield results [of beatitude or
prosperity].
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said - Nonviolence,
truthfulness, not coveting or stealing the property of
others, detachment, humility, freedom from possessiveness,
trust in the principles of religion, celibacy, silence,
steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness are the twelve
primary disciplinary principles. Internal cleanliness,
external cleanliness, chanting the holy names of the Lord,
austerity, sacrifice, faith, hospitality, worship of Me,
visiting holy places, acting and desiring only for the
supreme interest, satisfaction, and service to the spiritual
master are the twelve elements of regular prescribed duties.
These twenty-four elements bestow all desired benedictions
upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them.
Text
36-39
Equilibrium
means steady absorption of the intelligence in Me [see also
11.16:
10] and
self-control is the perfect discipline of the senses; tolerance
means to endure unhappiness and constancy is the conquering of
the tongue and genitals. The highest charity is to give up the
rod [to punish others], penance is remembered as giving
up the lust, heroism is to conquer one's self-love and reality
implies to see the Lord everywhere. The other [viz.
truth] means to be of pleasing words approved by the sages,
cleanliness means to be detached in fruitive activities
[see also e.g. 1.1:
2 and B.G.
18:
6]
and renunciation is said to be the renounced order of
sannyâsa. For human beings is religiousness the wealth
desirable, am I the Most Fortunate, is religious remuneration
the gift [in return] of spiritual knowledge and is
breathcontrol the supreme strength.
Absorbing
the intelligence in Me constitutes mental equilibrium, and
complete discipline of the senses is self-control. Tolerance
means patiently enduring unhappiness, and steadfastness
occurs when one conquers the tongue and genitals. The
greatest charity is to give up all aggression toward others,
and renunciation of lust is understood to be real austerity.
Real heroism is to conquer one's natural tendency to enjoy
material life, and reality is seeing the Supreme Personality
of Godhead everywhere. Truthfulness means to speak the truth
in a pleasing way, as declared by great sages. Cleanliness
is detachment in fruitive activities, whereas renunciation
is the sannyâsa order of life. The true desirable
wealth for human beings is religiousness, and I, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, am sacrifice. Religious remuneration
is devotion to the âcârya with the purpose of
acquiring spiritual instruction, and the greatest strength
is the prânâyâma system of breath
control.
Text
40-45
Opulence is My
divine nature [see 11.16
and bhaga],
gain is My bhakti, education
is the nullifying of the dividedness of the self
[see
siddhânta
and advaita]
and modesty is the disgust with failing in prescribed duties
[with sin]; beauty is to be of good qualities like
detachment from material hopes and such, happiness means to
transcend hap and mishap, unhappiness is meditating the
happiness of lust, and a wise person is someone knowing the
liberation from bondage. A fool is the one who identifies
himself with the body and so on [the mind etc.], the
right path is leading to Me, the wrong path is to be understood
as the one leading to the perplexion of consciousness; and
heaven implies the predominance of the mode of goodness. Hell
is the predominance of the mode of darkness; the real friend is
the spiritual master that I am, my dear friend, one's home is
the human body, surely a rich person is called he who is
enriched with good qualities while a poor person is someone who
is discontented. The wretched one is the one who has not
conquered his senses, a controller is someone whose
intelligence is not attached to the material affair and of the
opposite [qualities] is the one attached to sense
gratification; these, Uddhava, are your subjects of inquiry all
properly elucidated. But what of describing elaborately the
characteristics of good and bad qualities when seeing good and
bad is still a fault relative to the true good indeed distinct
from the both of them [compare to 3.10:
28-29,
6.16:
10-11,
11.7:
8,
11.11.16
and B.G. 7:
5].
Actual
opulence is My own nature as the Personality of Godhead,
through which I exhibit the six unlimited opulences. The
supreme gain in life is devotional service to Me, and actual
education is nullifying the false perception of duality
within the soul. Real modesty is to be disgusted with
improper activities, and beauty is to possess good qualities
such as detachment. Real happiness is to transcend material
happiness and unhappiness, and real misery is to be
implicated in searching for sex pleasure. A wise man is one
who knows the process of freedom from bondage, and a fool is
one who identifies with his material body and mind. The real
path in life is that which leads to Me, and the wrong path
is sense gratification, by which consciousness is
bewildered. Actual heaven is the predominance of the mode of
goodness, whereas hell is the predominance of ignorance. I
am everyone's true friend, acting as the spiritual master of
the entire universe, and one's home is the human body. My
dear friend Uddhava, one who is enriched with good qualities
is actually said to be rich, and one who is unsatisfied in
life is actually poor. A wretched person is one who cannot
control his senses, whereas one who is not attached to sense
gratification is a real controller. One who attaches himself
to sense gratification is the opposite, a slave. Thus,
Uddhava, I have elucidated all of the matters about which
you inquired. There is no need for a more elaborate
description of these good and bad qualities, since to
constantly see good and bad is itself a bad quality. The
best quality is to transcend material good and evil.
*:
Truth means here seeing the Lord everywhere while reality
implies to speak in favorable terms. Given is here the literal
meaning of the text, while it seems to be more logical to
consider the seeing of the Lord everywhere as the reality and
to consider as truthful the proper use of words. Nevertheless
can one also very well consider it as not lying when one sees
everything to be part of Him and that so everything deserves
that esteem and that the love for the truth thus implies that
one is not of displeasing words, but always of respect for the
words of the sages. In fact are both translations equally valid
relative to the ambiguity of the text.
