Liberation

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॥

The eternal among the eternal, the conscious among the conscious, the one who fulfills the desires of the many — knowing him, that cause, attainable through Sāṅkhya and Yoga, one is freed from all bonds.

नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनाना- मेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् । तत्कारणं साङ्ख्ययोगाधिगम्यं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥ १३॥

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॥

On the same tree, the soul, sunk in delusion, grieves at its own helplessness. But when it sees the other, the Lord who is worshipped, and his greatness, it becomes free from sorrow.

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽ- नीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः । जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥ ७॥

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॥

As flowing rivers vanish into the sea, casting off name and form, so the knower, freed from name and form, attains the divine Person, higher than the highest.

यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रे- ऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय । तथा विद्वान् नामरूपाद्विमुक्तः परात्परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ ८॥

The knot of the heart is loosened, all doubts are cut away, and one's deeds wear out, when he is seen who is both high and low.

भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टे परावरे ॥ ८॥

Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood. By truth is laid out the path of the gods, by which the sages, their desires fulfilled, ascend to where the supreme treasure of truth is.

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं (जयति) सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः । येनाक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत्सत्यस्य परमं निधानम् ॥ ६॥

One who truly understands my divine birth and action in this way is not reborn on leaving the body, but comes to me, Arjuna.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः | त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ||४-९||

This is the state of Brahman, Partha. Having attained it, one is no longer deluded. Established in it even at the hour of death, one reaches union with Brahman.

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति | स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ||२-७२||

On this path no effort is wasted and no harm results; even a little of this dharma protects one from great fear.

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते | स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ||२-४०||

This wisdom has been declared to you according to Sankhya; now hear it as it applies to yoga. Endowed with this wisdom, Partha, you will cast off the bondage of action.

एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु | बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ||२-३९||

He who creates Brahmā in the beginning and who sends forth the Vedas to him — to that God, who reveals himself in the light of the intellect of the Self, I, seeking liberation, go for refuge.

यो ब्रह्माणं विदधाति पूर्वं यो वै वेदांश्च प्रहिणोति तस्मै । तं ह देवं आत्मबुद्धिप्रकाशं मुमुक्षुर्वै शरणमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ 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 Person alone is all this—work, austerity, Brahman, beyond death. One who knows this, hidden in the cave of the heart, cuts asunder the knot of ignorance here, my dear.

पुरुष एवेदं विश्वं कर्म तपो ब्रह्म परामृतम् । एतद्यो वेद निहितं गुहायां सोऽविद्याग्रन्थिं विकिरतीह सोम्य ॥ १०॥

The fourth is without element, beyond dealings, the cessation of the world, benign, non-dual. Thus Om is the very Self. One who knows this enters the Self by the Self.

अमात्रश्चतुर्थोऽव्यवहार्यः प्रपञ्चोपशमः शिवोऽद्वैत एवमोङ्कार आत्मैव संविशत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं य एवं वेद ॥ १२॥

Though always performing all actions, taking refuge in me, he attains by my grace the eternal, imperishable state.

सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः | मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ||१८-५६||