Ṛṣabha

My dear sons, this human body is not meant for pursuing the troublesome sense pleasures that are the lot of dung-eating creatures. Rather, one should undertake divine austerity, by which existence is purified and from which comes boundless spiritual happiness.

They say that service to the great souls is the gateway to liberation, while association with those attached to women is the gateway to darkness. The great souls are those who are even-minded, serene, free from anger, friendly to all, and saintly.

A person's defeat, born of ignorance, persists as long as he does not inquire into the truth of the self. As long as one engages in fruitive activities, this mind remains shaped by karma, and through it comes bondage to the body.

The sages call this mutual attraction between man and woman the knot binding their two hearts. From it arise a person's illusion — the sense of 'I' and 'mine' — toward home, land, children, relatives and wealth.

When this knot of the mind and heart, firmly bound by karma, is at last loosened, a person turns away from this attachment; liberated and having cast off its cause, he attains the Supreme.

Being ever attentive, one should by this yoga, as instructed, thoroughly remove the reservoir of karma — the bondage of the heart's knot produced by ignorance — and then one may rest even from [the practice of] yoga.

When even a wise man, suddenly heedless of his own true interest, fails to see the futility of activities driven by the modes, he loses his discrimination; and, ignorant, taking to household life centered on sexual union, he there reaps only miseries.

— and by perceiving My presence everywhere, with knowledge made radiant by realization and joined with yoga, endowed with determination, diligence and spiritual strength, the expert person should cast off the subtle covering known as false ego, the sense of 'I'.

The great souls are those who have made loving friendship with Me, the Lord, their only aim; who feel no binding attachment to people absorbed merely in maintaining the body, nor to homes filled with wife, children and wealth; and who accept in this world only as much as is needed.

— by performing work for Me, by constantly hearing talk of Me, by associating with My devotees, by chanting My glories, by freedom from enmity, by equanimity and tranquility; and, O sons, by the desire to give up the identification of the self with body and home —

Surely a deluded person commits sinful deeds when he toils for the pleasure of the senses. I do not consider this right, for by it this body — though itself temporary — becomes a source of misery for the self.

By faithful devotion rendered to the spiritual master — a true swan — and to Me; by freedom from craving; by tolerance of the dualities; by perceiving the suffering of the living being everywhere; by inquiry into truth; by austerity; and by withdrawal from fruitive endeavor —

— by the yoga of self-realization, by serving in seclusion, by fully mastering the life-airs, senses and mind, by firm faith [in scripture], by unbroken celibacy, by constant vigilance, and by restraint of speech —

Thus the mind, controlled by karma, keeps engaging the self [in action] while ignorance is laid over the self. As long as one has no love for Me, Vāsudeva, one is not freed from entanglement with the material body.