The maximum duration of happiness is clearly known, O excellent sages. The misery of persons indulging in worldly pleasures, coming at the appropriate time, is known.
The misery, O Brahmins, of those individual souls that take birth among low creatures or fall into hell is known. The merits and demerits of haven, O Brahmins, are clearly
understood.
The merits and demerits of the Vedic system of rites are to be understood. The defects and merits of the path of Knowledge are to be understood. The merits and the
demerits, Brahmins, of the Saamkhya philosophy are to be understood. The seeker shall clearly understand sattva of ten qualities, rajas of nine qualities, tamas of eight
qualities, buddhi of seven qualities, and nabhas of six qualities.
Rajas of two qualities and sattva of a single quality are also to be understood. By knowing the path and seeing annihilation, the seeker, richly endowed with perfect
knowledge and wisdom, attains to salvation even as the subtle ones attain to oneness with the Brahman. Salvation is attained by pure souls.
The organ of vision is to be understood as combined with the quality of colour; the organ of smell is to be understood as combined with the quality of smell; the organ of
hearing is to be understood as combined with the quality of sound; and the tongue is to be understood as combined with the quality of taste. The quality of touch pertains to the skin. The wind that is dependent upon it can be felt and known.
(Delusion) is to be understood as combined with tamas; and covetousness is to be understood as combined with delusion. Visnu is to be understood as combined with
Kraanta (that has taken three steps); and Indra is to be understood as combined with power.
Fire-god is to be understood as attached to the belly. The goddess is to be understood as combined with water. Water is to be understood as dependent on fire element.
The fire element is to be understood as combined with gaseous element. The gaseous element is to be understood as dependent on ether. The ether is to be understood as
combined with the principle of Mahat.
The tamas is stationed in mahas (splendour); rajas is attached to sattva; and sattva is attached to the atman (soul); the atman is attached to Isa as well as Lord Narayana.
The Lord is attached to liberation and liberation is not attached to any.
The physical body with sattva should be known as surrounded by sixteen qualities; and the nature and imagination should be known as dependent on the physical body. The soul though appears to be stationed in the middle is tainted with no sin.
The karma of the persons indulging in worldly pleasures, O leading Brahmins, should be known as sinful; sense-organs and the objects of senses should be known as
stationed in the atman.
The rarity of attaining to salvation should be known by means of the Vedic literature. The (vital airs such as) prana, apana, samana, vyana and udana should be known duly.
The primordial wind element should be known, and then the resultant wind also should be known. They should be known as divided into seven. The remaining ones should
also be known as sevenfold
Prajapathis, sages, excellent creations, seven sages, royal sages who scorch the enemies, divine sages, Maruts, brahminical sages resplendent like the sun, and persons who have slipped down from their gorgeous splendour over a long period of time should be thought over.
The destruction of the groups of elements, O Brahmins, should be learnt. The splendid movement of words should be known. Those who deserve the worship of persons of
sinful actions should be seen.
The misery of those who have fallen into the abode of Yama, (the river) Vaitarani should be realized. The inauspicious movements of creatures in the variegated wombs
should be observed.
Their residence in the inauspicious belly should be seen and understood. The belly in the city of nine entrances (the body with nine orifices, namely, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, urethra and anus) is the receptacle of blood and water, is filled with phlegm, urine and faucal matter, has a strong obnoxious odour, is a mass of semen and blood, is fixed up by means of marrow and sinews and has a tangled web and woof of hundreds of nerves.
One shall thoroughly understand that the atman is conducive to one’s own welfare. O Brahmins! One shall completely comprehend the different kinds of yoga.
O excellent sages! One shall observe the despicable activities of creatures of tamasika quality and those of the creatures of saattvika quality with handsome but false atmans. (In the same manner), one shall observe the despicable activities of some Saamkhyas despite the fact that the Saamkhyas, in general, are persons who have comprehended the soul. One shall observe the terrible harassment of the moon (and other) luminaries, the fall of stars and revolutions of other heavenly bodies. One shall observe the miserable separation of couples, O Brahmins.
One shall observe the inauspicious tendency of various living beings to devour one another. One shall realize (people’s) delusion during childhood. In some places, even the saattvika quality depends on passion and delusion. By all these means, one among thousands resorts to salvation-consciousness. The rarity of liberation this way should be realized.
Respect for things not yet received, neutrality in regard to what has been acquired and the viciousness of objects of worldly pleasures shall be fully comprehended, O
Brahmins.
One shall comprehend the nature of stay in the families of creatures intending to die as well as the emergence of creatures that are dead breaking through their splendid
bodies.
The misery of even the saattvika creatures, O Brahmins, must be comprehended. The fate of those who had killed Brahmins and hence had a downfall must be
comprehended.
The evil fate of vicious Brahmins addicted to the drinking of liquor as well as those who indulge in illegitimate union with the wife of the preceptor shall be comprehended.
By means of perfect knowledge, O excellent Brahmins, men behave well towards their mothers. They behave in the same manner towards the people of the world including
gods. With the same knowledge, one shall comprehend the fate of persons of inauspicious activities. The fate of those beings born in the wombs of lower creatures shall be comprehended separately.
One shall comprehend the glorious arguments in the Veda, the successive orderly changes of the seasons, and the passing of the years, months, fortnights and days. One
shall comprehend the waxing and waning of the moon, the ebbing of the tides in the seas, the increase and decline of wealth, etc. One shall comprehend the coming of
unions to an end, an era replacing another, etc. One shall comprehend the feebleness and bewilderment that one experiences owing to egotism. And one shall comprehend
all the defects stationed in the soul and all the inauspicious defects arising out of one’s own body.
The sages said:
What defects arising out of Utpaatas (dangerous portents) do you see O most excellent One among the knowers of the Brahman? It behooves you to clarify this doubt of ours completely.
