Sanat-sujata said:
There is but one Brahman which is Truth’s self. It is from ignorance of that One, that god-heads have been conceived to be diverse. But who is there, O King, that has attained to Truth’s self or the Brahman?
Man regards himself wise without knowing that One Object of knowledge and, from desire of happiness, is engaged in study and the practices of charity and sacrifices. Men have deviated from Truth (the Brahman) and entertain purposes corresponding (with their state) and, relying on the truth of Vedic texts thereof, perform sacrifices. Some perform (or attain the object of) sacrifices by the mind (meditation), some by works (recitation of particular prayers or Japa) and some by acts (actual consummation of the Jatishtoma and other costly rites). The person, however, who seeks the Brahman through Truth, obtains his desired object even at home.
When, however, one’s purposes become abortive (through absence of knowledge of the Self), one should adopt vows of silence, and such-like called Dikshavrata. (Indeed, the word Diksha comes from the root Diksha, meaning the observance of vows.) As for those that have knowledge of the Self, Truth is the highest object of pursuit.
The fruits of knowledge are visible; asceticism yields fruits hereafter. A brahmana who (without knowledge and asceticism) has only read much, should only be known as a great reader. Therefore, O Kshatriya, never think that one can be a brahmana (Brahman-knowing) by only reading the scriptures. He who does not deviate from Truth, on the other hand, should be known to be possessed of the knowledge of the Brahman.
O Kshatriya! The verses that were recited by Atharvan to a conclave of great sages, in days of old, are known by the name of Chhandas. They are not to be regarded as acquainted with the Chhandas, who have only read through the Vedas, without having attained to the knowledge of Him who is known through the Vedas.
The Chhandas, O best of men, become the means of attaining the Brahman independently and without the necessity of anything foreign. They cannot be regarded as acquainted with the Chhandas, who are acquainted only with the modes of sacrifice enjoined in the Vedas. On the other hand, having waited upon those that are acquainted with the Vedas, have not the righteous attained to the Object that is knowable by the Vedas? There is none who has truly caught the sense of the Vedas, or there may be very few who have, O King, caught the sense. He that has only read the Vedas does not know the Object knowable by them. He that is, however, established in Truth, knows the Object knowable by the Vedas.
Amongst those faculties which lead to perception of the body as the acting agent, there is none by which true Knowledge may be acquired. By the mind alone one cannot acquire the knowledge of the Self and Not-Self. Indeed, he that knows the Self also knows what is Not-self. On the other hand, he that knows only what is Not-self, does not know Truth. Again, he that knows the ‘proofs’ knows also that which is sought to be proved. But what that Object in its nature is (which is sought to be proved) is not known to either the Vedas or those that are acquainted with the Vedas.
For all that, however, those brahmanas that are (truly) acquainted with the Vedas succeed in obtaining knowledge of the Object knowable (by) through the Vedas. As the small digit of the moon, which cannot be perceived by itself, is pointed out as being at the tip of a branch of a tree pointing towards the moon, so the Vedas are of use as pointing towards the Brahman, though inaccurately and imperfectly. (This is called sakhakandra-nyaya).
Know him to be a brahmana (possessing knowledge of the Brahman) who clears the doubts of others, having himself mastered all his own doubts, and who is possessed of the knowledge of the Self.
One cannot find what the Soul is by seeking in the East, the South, the West, the North, or in the subsidiary directions or horizontally. Very rarely can It be found in him who regards this body to be the Self. Beyond the conception of even the Vedas, the man of Yoga-meditation alone can behold the Supreme Self. Completely restraining all
your senses and mind, you see that the Brahman resides in your own soul.
He is not Muni who lives only in the woods (having retired from the world). He is, however, a Muni, who knows his true nature, and is self-restrained. In consequence of one’s being able to expand (analyse) every object (Vyakarana), one is said to be endued with the highest knowledge (Vaiyakarana); and, indeed, the science itself is called Vyakarana owing to its being able to expound every object to its very root (which is the Brahman).
He that stays in Truth and knows the Brahman is said to be brahmana, and a brahmana possesses omniscience (universal knowledge). A Kshatriya that practises such virtues may also behold the Brahman. He may also attain to that high state by ascending step by step, according to what is indicated in the Vedas. Knowing it for certain, I tell you this.
Dhritarashtra said:
Excellent, O Sanat-sujata, as this your discourse is, treating of the attainment of the Brahman and the origin of the universe! I pray to you, O celebrated Rishi, to go on telling me words such as these that are unconnected with the objects of worldly desire and are, therefore, rare among men.
Sanat-sujata said:
That Brahman about which you asked me with such joy is not to be attained easily. After (the senses have been restrained and) the mind (withdrawn from worldly objects) has been merged in the pure intellect, the state that succeeds is one of utter absence of worldly thought. Even that is knowledge (leading to the attainment of the Brahman).
It is attainable only by those that have been brought up under preceptors (in the state of brahmacharya).
Dhritarashtra said:
You say that the knowledge of the Brahman dwells of itself in the mind (soul), being discovered only in brahmacharya; that is, dwelling in the mind, it requires for its manifestation no efforts (such as are necessary for work) during the seeking (by means of brahmacharya). How then is the immortality associated with the attainment of the Brahman?
Sanat-sujata said:
Though residing in and inherent to the mind (soul), the knowledge of the Brahman is still un-manifest. It is by the aid of the pure intellect and brahmacharya that that knowledge is made manifest. Indeed having attained to that knowledge, Yogis forsake this world. It is always to be found among eminent preceptors.
Dhritarashtra said:
What should be the nature of that brahmacharya by which the knowledge of the Brahman might be attained without much difficulty? O regenerate one! Tell me this.
Sanat-sujata said:
They who, residing in the abodes of their preceptors and winning their good will and friendship, practise brahmacharya austerities and become, even in this world, the embodiments of the Brahman. When they cast off their bodies, they are united with the Supreme Soul.
They that, in this world, desirous of obtaining the state of the Brahman, subdue all desires, and endued as they are with righteousness, succeed in dissociating the soul from the body like a blade projected from a clump of heath.
The body, O Bharata, is created by the father and the mother. The new birth, however, that is due to the preceptor’s instruction is sacred, free from decrepitude, and immortal. (The consciousness of being one with the Brahman is the new birth. That birth is not merely delusive, and does not result in death).
He who discourses upon the Brahman and grants immortality, and he who wraps all persons with the mantle of truth should be regarded as father and mother. Bearing in mind the good he does, he should never be done any injury. (Immortality or final emancipation is not to be achieved without knowledge, which can only be got from a
preceptor. And one is not perfect without that immortality; one is limited by the conditions of human existence.)
A disciple must habitually pay obeisance to his preceptor with respect, purity of body and mind and well-directed attention. (The necessity of having a guru is often insisted even in the Upanisads). He must take to study seriously under his guidance. He must not consider any service as mean. He must not harbour any anger. This is indeed the first step of brahmacharya. The practices of that disciple who acquires knowledge by observing the duties ordained for one of his class (category) are also regarded as the first step of brahmacharya.
A disciple should, with his very life and all his possessions, in thought, word and deed do all that is agreeable to the preceptor. This is regarded as the second step of brahmacharya. He should behave towards the wife and the son of his preceptor in the same way as he does towards him. This is part of the second step itself.
Bearing in mind what the preceptor has done to him and understanding what has been taught, the disciple should think, with a delighted heart, that ‘I have been taught and made great by him’. This is the third step of brahmacharya.
A wise disciple shall not move to the next stage of life without making an appropriate gift to his preceptor. At the same time, he shall not say or even think in his mind, ‘I make this gift’. This is the fourth step of brahmacharya.
A disciple, thus, attains a quarter of knowledge of the Brahman, the object of brahmacharya, by aid of time, the second quarter though the preceptor’s protections, the third by the power of his own understanding, and the fourth by discussion.
The learned have said that brahmacharya is constituted by twelve virtues, namely, knowledge, truth, self-restraint, sacred learning, freedom from animosity towards living beings, modesty, endurance, freedom from censoriousness, sacrifice, gift, courage and quiescence. The yoga-practices are its angas; perseverance in yoga-meditation is its strength. A disciple is crowned with success in brahmacharya, in consequence of the preceptor’s aid and the understanding of the sense (core) of the Veda.
Whatever wealth a disciple, thus engaged, may earn should all be given to the preceptor. It is thus the preceptor obtains his highly praise-worthy livelihood. The disciple should similarly behave towards the son of the preceptor.
Thus stationed in brahmacharya, the disciple thrives by all means in this world, and obtains numerous progeny and fame. Men of all walks of life shower wealth on him.
Many people may go to his abode for practising brahmacharya.
It is through brahmacharya of this kind that the celestials attained to their divinity, and the sages, highly blessed and of great wisdom, have attained to the region of the Brahman. It is by this that the Gandharvas and the Apsaras acquired such personal beauty. It is through brahmacharya that the Sun rises to make the day. All those that
practise it derive great happiness in consequence of being able to have whatever they desire.
He, O King, who devotes to the practice of ascetic austerities, betakes himself to brahmacharya in its entirety and thereby purifies his body. He is truly wise. For, by this way, he becomes child-like, free from all evil passions and triumphs over death at last.
O Kshatriya! Men, however pure, obtain, by work, only worlds that are perishable. He that is blessed with Knowledge attains, by the aid of that Knowledge, to the everlasting Brahman. There is no way other than Knowledge leading to emancipation.
