rule


 

Canto 3

Mânasa Deho Geho

 



Chapter 29: Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila

(1-2) Devahűti said: 'Dear master, You described the specific characteristics of the material and personal nature of the complete reality, the way they in the analytical philosophy of [Sânkhya-]yoga are discussed as being the primary ones. Please elaborate now at length on the path of bhakti-yoga that one calls the ultimate purpose. (3) Dear Lord, please describe to me and for the people in general, the different stages of life and forms of material existence, for someone may by the knowledge of them become completely detached. (4) And what about the nature of Eternal Time, [the drive of nature,] the form of the Supreme Lord, of You as the ruler over all the other rulers, under the influence of whom the common people act piously? (5) You have appeared as the sun of the yoga system for the sake of the living beings attached to material actions whose intelligence is blinded by false ego and who, fatigued of having no one to turn to, for a long time slumber in darkness.'

(6) Maitreya said: 'Appreciating the words of His mother, oh best of the Kurus, the great and gentle sage, contented and being moved by compassion, said the following. (7) The Supreme Lord said: 'Devotion in the discipline of yoga so diverse in its appearance, knows many paths, oh noble lady, ways proving how people follow their own course in line with their natural qualities. (8) What one does out of love for Me in a spirit of violence, pride and envy or out of anger with a fractional view, is considered as acting in the mode of ignorance. (9) He who worships Me with idols in a sectarian way and aims at material things, fame and opulence, is in the mode of passion. (10) Someone entertaining an alternative view is in goodness when he worships Me with offering the results of his actions or when he for the sake of transcendence desires to be free from karma [profit-minded labor]. (11-12) In case of an uninterrupted flow of thoughts in the direction of Me who is present in everyone's heart - just like the water of the Ganges that continuously flows towards the ocean - and when one wishes to hear about My qualities only without losing oneself in ulterior motives, one may speak of an exhibition of pure devotional service, of bhakti unto the Supreme Person. (13) Without being of My service, pure devotees will not accept it - not even when being offered these - to live on the same planet, to have the same opulence, to be a personal associate, to have the same bodily features or to be joined in oneness [the so-called five forms of liberation of sâlokya, sârshthi, sâmîpya, sârűpya and ekatva or sâyujya]. (14) When one by means of this bhakti-yoga - which one calls the highest platform - succeeds in dealing with the three modes of nature the way I explained it, one attains My transcendental nature. (15) When one performs one's duties without attachment to the results one is stronger [in one's yoga] and when one without unnecessary violence [without eating meat e.g.] is regular in the performance of one's yoga exercises one will find happiness. (16) Being in touch [with the ritual of] seeing, offering respect, doing mantras and being of a positive approach with My benevolence and abode, and thinking of Me as being present in all living beings, one is of detachment by the mode of goodness. (17-19) By means of sense control and proper regulation [yama and niyama, the does and don'ts of yoga *], being of the greatest respect for the great souls, being compassionate with the poor and by being friendly in association with like-minded souls; by hearing about spiritual matters, chanting My holy names, being straightforward, by association with civilized people and not entertaining false ego, the consciousness of a person who with these qualities is dutiful towards Me is completely purified. No doubt he by simply hearing about My excellence will directly reach Me. (20) The way the sense of smell catches the aroma that is carried from its source by means of the air, similarly consciousness by means of yoga catches the Supreme Soul who is free from change.

(21) A mortal human of worship for the deity but with no respect for Me who, in the form of the Supersoul, is always situated in every living being, is nothing but a hanger-on. (22) Someone who in worship of the deity has no regard for Me as the Supreme Ruler and Supersoul present in all beings, is in his ignorance only offering oblations into the ashes. (23) He who offers Me his respects but is envious when others are present, lives in his campaigning against others with his opposing view in enmity and will never find peace of mind. (24) Oh sinless one, I am certainly not pleased when they who manage to worship Me in My deity form with all paraphernalia, are not of respect for other living beings. (25) One has to worship the idol of Me, the Lord, and such, for as long as one is of profit minded labor [is building up karma] and not of the realization that I reside in one's own heart and in the heart of others. (26) In the form of death I shall create fear in those who discriminate with regard to the body of themselves and that of others [who discriminate according to race and sex]. (27) One should  therefore, with charity, respect and in friendship regarding everyone as an equal, propitiate Me, the One True Self abiding in all.

(28) Living entities are better developed than inanimate objects, better than entities with life symptoms, oh blessed one, are entities with a developed consciousness and better than those are they who developed sense perception. (29) Among them, those who developed taste are better than those who [only] developed a sense of touch and better than they are those who developed a sense of smell. Even better are those creatures who developed the faculty to hear. (30)  Better than those are the ones distinguishing differences of form and those who have teeth in both their jaws are better than these. Those who have many legs are superior to them. Of them the four-legged creatures are the ones better developed while the two-legged ones [the human beings] are even better. (31) Among human beings a society with four classes is the better one and of those classes the brahmins are developed the best. Among the brahmins the better one is he who knows the  Vedas and of those the one who knows its purpose is even better [viz. to know the absolute of the truth in three phases: brahman, paramâtmâ and bhagavân]. (32) The one who puts an end to all doubts is better than he who knows what the purpose of the Vedas is and the brahmin among them who performs his duty is better than him. He who is free from worldly attachment is still better and the one who performs his righteous duty not for himself alone is the best developed of them all. (33) Therefore I know of no greater being than a person who with a dedicated mind has offered all of his actions, wealth and life without any reservation to Me and with persistence is of service without any other interest. (34) Such a one who regards the Supreme Lord, the Controller of the individual soul, as having entered all the living beings by His expansion in the form of the Supersoul [the Paramâtmâ], is therefore mindfully of respect for his fellow creatures. (35) Oh daughter of Manu, someone can attain the Original Person by following either of these two paths of bhakti and mystic yoga separately that I have described. (36) This [original] form of the Supreme Lord of Brahman [the Supreme Spirit] and Paramâtmâ [the personalized local aspect] is the transcendental, ethereal personality of the primal reality [pradhâna], the most important person, all of whose activities are spiritual.

(37) [Natural] time, known as the divine cause of the different manifestations of the living entities, constitutes the reason why all living beings who consider themselves as existing in separation, from the greatest on, live in fear. (38) He who from within enters all the living entities, constitutes the support of everyone and annihilates [them again] by  means of  other living beings, is named Vishnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices who is that time factor, the master of all masters. (39) There is no one specially favored by Him, nobody is his friend or enemy. He cares for those who are attentive and of those who are inattentive He is the destroyer. (40-45) He for whom the wind out of fear blows and this sun is shining, for whom out of fear Indra sends his rains and the heavenly bodies are shining; He because of whom out of fear the trees, creepers and herbs each in their own time bear flowers and produce their fruits; He afraid of whom the rivers flow and the oceans do not overflow, because of whom fire burns and the earth with her mountains does not submerge; He because of whom the sky provides air to those who breathe and under the control of whom the universe expands its body of the complete reality [mahat-tattva] with its seven layers [**], He for whom out of fear the gods of creation and more, in charge of the basic qualities of nature, within this world carry out their functions according to the yugas [see 3.11], He of whom afraid all the animate and inanimate beings find their control; that infinite, final operator of beginningless Time is the unchangeable Creator who creates people out of people and by means of death puts an end to the rule of death.'

    

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  Third revised edition, loaded February 11, 2024.  

 

 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1-2

Devahűti said: 'Dear master, You described the specific characteristics of the material and personal nature of the complete reality, the way they in the analytical philosophy of [Sânkhya-]yoga are discussed as being the primary ones. Please elaborate now at length on the path of bhakti-yoga that one calls the ultimate purpose.
Devahűti said: 'The complete reality of the material and the personal nature has been described. The true nature of them was explained in analytic terms. Please dear master explain to me now at length the path of bhakti-yoga, that one calls the ultimate end of it. (Vedabase)


Text 3

Dear Lord, please describe to me and for the people in general, the different stages of life and forms of material existence, for someone may by the knowledge of them become completely detached.

Dear Lord, give, for me and for the people in general, the description of the manifold repetition of birth and death, by which a person may become completely detached. (Vedabase)


Text 4

And what about the nature of Eternal Time, [the drive of nature,] the form of the Supreme Lord, of You as the ruler over all the other rulers, under the influence of whom the common people act piously?

 And oh, what about Eternal Time, that form which, representing the Supreme Ruler, of Your nature has the lead over all the other rulers and under the influence of which the people in general act piously? (Vedabase)


Text 5

You have appeared as the sun of the yoga system for the sake of the living beings attached to material actions whose intelligence is blinded by false ego and who, fatigued of having no one to turn to, for a long time slumber in darkness.'

With the intelligence to the material activities, that delude the attached living entities by false ego and leaves them - blinded for a long time - without shelter fatigued in the dark, You have indeed appeared like the sun of the yoga system.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

Maitreya said: 'Appreciating the words of His mother, oh best of the Kurus, the great and gentle sage, contented and being moved by compassion, said the following.

Maitreya said: 'Welcoming the words of His mother, o best of the Kurus, said the great and gentle sage, pleased and moved by compassion, the following. (Vedabase)

Text 7

The Supreme Lord said: 'Devotion in the discipline of yoga so diverse in its appearance, knows many paths, oh noble lady, ways proving how people follow their own course in line with their natural qualities.

The Supreme Lord said: 'Devotion in yoga, in its appearance divided, has many paths, o noble lady, proving the way in which people follow their own course according their natural qualities. (Vedabase)

   

Text 8

What one does out of love for Me in a spirit of violence, pride and envy or out of anger with a fractional view, is considered as acting in the mode of ignorance.

What out of love for Me he, who is of violence, pride and envy or in truth being angry as a separatist may do, is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 9

He who worships Me with idols in a sectarian way and aims at material things, fame and opulence, is in the mode of passion.

He in worship of Me who is out for material things, fame and opulence, may worship deities; he in his preference to go against, is in the mode of passion. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

Someone entertaining an alternative view is in goodness when he worships Me with offering the results of his actions or when he for the sake of transcendence desires to be free from karma [profit-minded labor].

When acting to the Supreme with the purpose of freeing oneself from fruitive activities or to offer the results, one may worship, as such be worshiped or be of another conviction; such a one is in goodness. (Vedabase)
 

Text 11-12

In case of an uninterrupted flow of thoughts in the direction of Me who is present in everyone's heart - just like the water of the Ganges that continuously flows towards the ocean - and when one  wishes to hear about My qualities only without losing oneself in ulterior motives, one may speak of an exhibition of pure devotional service, of bhakti unto the Supreme Person.

Just hearing about My transcendental qualities, has one towards Me, who resides in the heart of everyone, the continuing on the course of the heart, the way the water of the Ganges flows towards the sea. The manifestation of unadulterated devotional yoga verily exhibited without separation and ulterior motives, is the devotion going for the Supreme Personality. (Vedabase)


Text 13

Without being of My service, pure devotees will not accept it - not even when being offered these - to live on the same planet, to have the same opulence, to be a personal associate, to have the same bodily features or to be joined  in oneness  [the so-called five forms of liberation of sâlokya, sârshthi, sâmîpya, sârűpya and ekatva or sâyujya].

Without being of My service, will pure devotees not even when being offered these, accept to be living on the same planet, to have the same opulence, to be a personal associate, to have the same bodily features or to be in oneness [the so-called five forms of liberation of sâlokya, sârshthi, sâmîpya, sârűpya and ekatva]. (Vedabase)

  

Text 14

When one by means of this bhakti-yoga - which one calls the highest platform - succeeds in dealing with the three modes of nature the way I explained it, one attains My transcendental nature.

Truly this devotion in yoga, as I explained, is called the highest platform, by which, overcoming the three modes, one attains to My transcendental nature. (Vedabase)

 

Text 15

When one performs one's duties without attachment to the results one is stronger [in one's yoga] and when one without unnecessary violence [without eating meat e.g.] is regular in the performance of one's yoga exercises one will find happiness.

One's own duty executed without attachment to the results is glorious in the doing of yoga and auspicious being of regular performance without unnecessary violence. (Vedabase)


Text 16

Being in touch [with the ritual of] seeing, offering respect, doing mantras and being of a positive approach with My benevolence and abode, and thinking of Me as being present in all living beings, one is of detachment by the mode of goodness.

In respect of the benevolent of Me, in touch with the ritual about My form, in praise and offering obeisances and thinking of Me as present in all living beings, one lives by the mode of goodness and detachment. (Vedabase)

  

Text 17-19

By means of sense control and proper regulation [yama and niyama, the does and don'ts of yoga *], being of the greatest respect for the great souls, being compassionate with the poor and by being friendly in association with like-minded souls; by hearing about spiritual matters, chanting My holy names, being straightforward, by association with civilized people and not entertaining false ego, the consciousness of a person who with these qualities is dutiful towards Me is completely purified. No doubt he by simply hearing about My excellence will directly reach Me.

Of sense-control and proper regulation [yama and niyama, the does and don'ts of yoga] is one with the greatest respect for the great souls, compassionate with the poor and certainly as a friend to equals. (Vedabase) From hearing about spiritual matters and from chanting My holy names is one, being straightforward and of association with the civilized, thus without false ego. (Vedabase) Of a person is with these qualities of the duty towards Me the consciousness completely purified; he by simply hearing of My excellence no doubt instantly approaches Me. (Vedabase)

 

Text 20

The way the sense of smell catches the aroma that is carried from its source by means of the air, similarly consciousness by means of yoga catches the Supreme Soul who is free from change.

The way the sense of smell catches the aroma when it is carried by means of the air from its source, similarly catches the consciousness by means of yoga the Supreme Soul which is unchanging. (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

A mortal human of worship for the deity but with no respect for Me who, in the form of the Supersoul, is always situated in every living being, is nothing but a hanger-on.

A mortal man who is always in disregard of Me, the Supersoul situated in every living being, is, worshiping the deity, just imitating. (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

Someone who in worship of the deity has no regard for Me as the Supreme Ruler and Supersoul present in all beings, is in his ignorance only offering oblations into the ashes.

One who worships the deity and is disregarding Me as the Supreme Ruler and Supersoul present in all beings, is out of ignorance only offering oblations into the ashes. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

He who offers Me his respects but is envious when others are present, lives in his campaigning against others with his opposing view in enmity and will never find peace of mind.

He who offers Me his respects being envious of the presence of others, lives inimical in opposition towards others and will never attain to a mind in peace.  (Vedabase)
 

Text 24

Oh sinless one, I am certainly not pleased when they who manage to worship Me in My deity form with all paraphernalia, are not of respect for other living beings.

O sinless one, I am certainly not pleased when those, who accomplished to worship Me in My deity form with all attributes, are not of respect for other living beings. (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

One has to worship the idol of Me, the Lord, and such, for as long as one is of profit minded labor [is building up karma] and not of the realization that I reside in one's own heart and in the heart of others.

One should begin worshipping the deity of Me, the Supreme Ruler, for the time that one does not do one's prescribed duties, until one realizes that I reside in one's heart and in the hearts of all. (Vedabase)

 

Text 26

In the form of death I shall create fear in those who discriminate with regard to the body of themselves and that of others [who discriminate according to race and sex].

To the one who discriminates between himself and another, having a different outlook to his body, I, as death, will cause great fear. (Vedabase)

 

Text 27

One should  therefore, with charity, respect and in friendship regarding everyone as an equal, propitiate Me, the One True Self abiding in all.

Therefore should one, through charity and respect and in friendship, seeing one another as equals, propitiate Me as abiding in the Self of all beings. (Vedabase)

 

Text 28

Living entities are better developed than inanimate objects, better than entities with life symptoms, oh blessed one, are entities with a developed consciousness and better than those are they who developed sense perception.

Living entities verily are better than inanimate objects, better than entities with life symptoms, o blessed one, are entities with a developed consciousness and better than them are those with developed senses. (Vedabase)

 

Text 29

Among them, those who developed taste are better than those who [only] developed a sense of touch and better than they are those who developed a sense of smell. Even better are those creatures who developed the faculty to hear.

Moreover, among them are those perceptive to taste better than those who are after touching and better than them are those who are in favor of smelling; the better of whom again are the ones perceptive to sound. (Vedabase)

 

Text 30

Better than those are the ones distinguishing differences of form and those who have teeth in both their jaws are better than these. Those who have many legs are superior to them. Of them the four-legged creatures are the ones better developed while the two-legged ones [the human beings] are even better.

Better than them are the ones who are perceptive to differences of form and better than them are those who have teeth in both their jaws. The better of them are those with many legs. Of them are the four legged the better ones and better than them are the two-legged ones [the human beings]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 31

Among human beings a society with four classes is the better one and of those classes the brahmins are developed the best. Among the brahmins the better one is he who knows the Vedas and of those the one who knows its purpose is even better [viz. to know the absolute of the truth in three phases: brahman, paramâtmâ and bhagavân].

Among them is a society with four classes the better one and to those is the brahmin the best. Moreover among the brahmins is certainly the one who knows the Vedas the better one and better than him is the one who knows of its purpose [to know the absolute of the truth in three phases: brahman, paramâtmâ and bhagavân]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 32

The one who puts an end to all doubts is better than he who knows what the purpose of the Vedas is and the brahmin among them who performs his duty is better than him. He who is free from worldly attachment is still better and the one who performs his righteous duty not for himself alone is the best developed of them all.

Better than the one knowing of the purpose is the one who puts all doubts to an end and better than him is the one who does the duties set for him. Of the ones free from worldy attachment with that is the righteous one who doesn't do it for himself the best one. (Vedabase)

 

Text 33

Therefore I know of no greater being than a person who with a dedicated mind has offered all of his actions, wealth and life without any reservation to Me and with persistence is of service without any other interest.

Therefore I know of no greater being than a person who with a dedicated mind has offered all of his actions, wealth and life unreserved unto Me, working with no other interest and not separating himself. (Vedabase)

 

Text 34

Such a one who regards the Supreme Lord, the Controller of the individual soul, as having entered all the living beings by His expansion in the form of the Supersoul [the Paramâtmâ], is therefore mindfully of respect for his fellow creatures.

Mindful does such a one show respect for all these living beings, thus regarding the Supreme Lord, the Controller of the individual soul, as having entered them by His expansion as the Supersoul [the paramâtmâ]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 35

Oh daughter of Manu, someone can attain the Original Person by following either of these two paths of bhakti and mystic yoga separately that I have described.

Of the devotional service and yoga I described, o daughter of Manu, can by either one of the two alone a person achieve the Original Person. (Vedabase)

 

Text 36

This [original] form of the Supreme Lord of Brahman [the Supreme Spirit] and Paramâtmâ [the personalized local aspect] is the transcendental, ethereal personality of the primal reality [pradhâna], the most important person, all of whose activities are spiritual.

This form of the Supreme Lord of brahman [the Supreme Spirit] and paramâtmâ [the personalized local aspect] is the transcendental Original Person of the primal reality [pradhâna] whose activities are all spiritual. (Vedabase)

 

Text 37

[Natural] time, known as the divine cause of the different manifestations of the living entities, constitutes the reason why all living beings who consider themselves as existing in separation, from the greatest on, live in fear.

The divinity of time, as the cause of the transformation thus known of the forms of the living entities originating from the Supreme Spirit, is the reason because of which those who see themselves as separate live in fear. (Vedabase)


Text 38

He who from within enters all the living entities, constitutes the support of everyone and annihilates [them again] by means of  other living beings, is named Vishnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices who is that time factor, the master of all masters.

He who from within enters the living entities, annihilates by living entities and of everyone is the support; He is named Vishnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices who is that time-factor which is the master of all masters. (Vedabase)

 

Text 39

There is no one specially favored by Him, nobody is his friend or enemy. He cares for those who are attentive and of those who are inattentive He is the destroyer.

There is no one who is specially favored by Him nor is He bound or averse to anyone; He cares for those who are attentive and of persons inattentive He is the destroyer. (Vedabase)

 

Text 40-45

He for whom the wind out of fear blows and this sun is shining, for whom out of fear Indra sends his rains and the heavenly bodies are shining; He because of whom out of fear the trees, creepers and herbs each in their own time bear flowers and produce their fruits; He afraid of whom the rivers flow and the oceans do not overflow, because of whom fire burns and the earth with her mountains does not submerge; He because of whom the sky provides air to those who breathe and under the control of whom the universe expands its body of the complete reality [mahat-tattva] with its seven layers [**], He for whom out of fear the gods of creation, and more in charge of the basic qualities of nature, within this world carry out their functions according to the yugas [see 3.11], He of whom afraid all the animate and inanimate beings find their control; that infinite, final operator of beginningless Time is the unchangeable Creator who creates people out of people and by means of death puts an end to the rule of death.'

Of whom out of fear the wind blows and out of fear this sun is shining, of whom out of fear rains are sent by the Godhead and of whom out of fear the heavenly bodies are shining, because of whom the trees and the creepers do fear and the herbs each in their own time bear flowers as also fruit appears, the fearful rivers flow and the oceans do not overflow, because of whom the fire burns and the earth with its mountains doesn't sink out of fear for Him, of whom the sky gives air to the ones who breathe, under the control of whom the universe expands its body of the complete reality [mahat-tattva] with its seven layers [the seven kos'as or also dvîpas with their states of consciousness at the level of the physical, physiological, psychological, intellectual, the enjoying, the consciousness and the true self], out of fear for whom the gods in charge of the modes of nature of this world concerning the matters of the creation carry out their functions according to the yugas [see 3-11], of whom all this animated and inanimate is under control; that infinite final operator of beginningless Time is the unchangeable creator creating people out of people and ending the rule of death by means of death.' (Vedabase), (Vedabase), (Vedabase), (Vedabase), (Vedabase) & (Vedabase)


*: Next to yama, the vow of yoga about what one should not do as mentioned in 3.27: 6, the regulating discipline of what one should do in niyama consists of: inner and outer purity or cleanliness, contentment, penance, study of the sacred texts and engaging in activities for the person of God. See also Patańjali's Yoga-sűtra's II: 32.

**: The seven kos'as - five ones extended with sometimes two extra - or also seven dvîpas with their levels of consciousness in the field of the physical, vital, psychological, intellectual, blissful, self-aware and the true self.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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