Immortality

One swan, the Self, is in the midst of this world; he is the very fire that has entered into the water. Only by knowing him does one pass beyond death; there is no other path to go by.

एको हंसः भुवनस्यास्य मध्ये स एवाग्निः सलिले संनिविष्टः । तमेव विदित्वा अतिमृत्युमेति नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥ १५॥

I know this great Person, sun-colored, beyond darkness. Only by knowing him does one pass beyond death; there is no other path to go by.

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्त- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् । तमेव विदित्वातिमृत्युमेति नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥ ८॥

When all the knots of the heart here are cut, then the mortal becomes immortal. This much is the teaching.

यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः । अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्येतावद्ध्यनुशासनम् ॥ १५॥

When all the desires that dwell in the heart are let go, then the mortal becomes immortal and here attains Brahman.

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः । अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥ १४॥

One who knows that supreme Brahman becomes Brahman itself. In his family no one is born who does not know Brahman. He crosses beyond sorrow, crosses beyond evil, and, freed from the knots of the heart, becomes immortal.

स यो ह वै तत्परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति । तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥ ९॥

The embodied self within the body of every being is eternal and cannot be slain, Bharata. Therefore you should not grieve for any being.

देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत | तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||२-३०||

It cannot be cut, burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, unmoving, and everlasting.

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च | नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ||२-२४||

Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, water does not wet it, and wind does not dry it.

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः | न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ||२-२३||

It is never born, nor does it ever die; having once existed, it never ceases to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः | अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||२-२०||

Know that to be indestructible by which all this is pervaded. No one can bring about the destruction of that imperishable reality.

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् | विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ||२-१७||

The person whom these do not disturb, O best of men, who is steady in pain and pleasure alike, is fit for immortality.

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ | समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ||२-१५||

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor will any of us ever cease to exist hereafter.

न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः | न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ||२-१२||

If the slayer thinks he slays, and if the slain thinks himself slain, both fail to understand: this one neither slays nor is slain.

हन्ता चेन्मन्यते हन्तुँ हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायँ हन्ति न हन्यते ॥ १९॥

The knowing Self is neither born nor dies; it did not come from anywhere, nor did it become anyone. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient, it is not slain when the body is slain.

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चि- न्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ १८॥

The Person the size of a thumb, the inner Self, is always seated in the heart of people. One should draw him out from one's own body with firmness, like a reed stalk from its sheath. Know him as the bright one, the immortal; know him as the bright one, the immortal.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषोऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः । तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण । तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति ॥ १७॥

The ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the breath of the breath, and the eye of the eye — the wise, freeing themselves from these and departing from this world, become immortal.

श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद् वाचो ह वाचं स उ प्राणस्य प्राणः ।चक्षुषश्चक्षुरतिमुच्य धीराः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति ॥ २॥

Without parts, without action, tranquil, faultless, spotless, the supreme bridge to immortality, like a fire whose fuel has been burned up.

निष्कलं निष्क्रियं शान्तं निरवद्यं निरञ्जनम् । अमृतस्य परं सेतुं दग्धेन्दनमिवानलम् ॥ १९॥

No one has grasped him from above, or from across, or in the middle. There is no likeness of him whose name is great glory.

नैनमूर्ध्वं न तिर्यञ्चं न मध्ये न परिजग्रभत् । न तस्य प्रतिमा अस्ति यस्य नाम महद् यशः ॥ १९॥

Subtler than the subtle, like the cream that rises beyond the butter — knowing him as Śiva, hidden in all beings, the one encompasser of the universe, knowing God, one is freed from all bonds.

घृतात् परं मण्डमिवातिसूक्ष्मं ज्ञात्वा शिवं सर्वभूतेषु गूढम् । विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥ १६॥

Higher than that is Brahman, the supreme, the vast, hidden in all beings according to their bodies, the one who encompasses the whole universe — knowing him as the Lord, they become immortal.

ततः परं ब्रह्म परं बृहन्तं यथानिकायं सर्वभूतेषु गूढम् । विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितार- मीशं तं ज्ञात्वाऽमृता भवन्ति ॥ ७॥