Spiritual Practice

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||

Making one's own body the lower fire-stick and the syllable Om the upper fire-stick, by the practice of the churning that is meditation, one should behold God, hidden within.

स्वदेहमरणिं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिम् । ध्याननिर्मथनाभ्यासादेवं पश्येन्निगूढवत् ॥ १४॥

This Self is attained by truth, by austerity, by right knowledge, by a life of chastity, constantly. Within the body, luminous and pure, it is seen by the ascetics whose faults are worn away.

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् । अन्तःशरीरे ज्योतिर्मयो हि शुभ्रो यं पश्यन्ति यतयः क्षीणदोषाः ॥ ५॥

Endowed with a purified intellect, restraining the self with firmness, giving up sound and the other objects of sense, and casting aside attraction and aversion,

बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च | शब्दादीन्विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ||१८-५१||

Now hear from me about the three kinds of happiness, best of the Bharatas — that in which one comes to delight through practice and reaches the end of suffering.

सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ | अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ||१८-३६||

Acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity should not be given up; they must indeed be performed. Sacrifice, giving, and austerity are purifiers of the wise.

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् | यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ||१८-५||

If you are incapable even of practice, be intent on working for me; even by doing actions for my sake you will attain perfection.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव | मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ||१२-१०||

But if you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me through the practice of yoga, Dhananjaya.

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् | अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ||१२-९||

he understood that food is Brahman; for from food indeed are these beings born; by food, being born, they live; into food, when departing, they enter. Having understood that, he again approached his father Varuna, saying: 'Sir, teach me Brahman.' To him he said: 'Seek to know Brahman by austerity. Austerity is Brahman.' He performed austerity. Having performed austerity,

पञ्चकोशान्तःस्थितब्रह्मनिरूपणम्अन्नं ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् । अन्नाद्ध्येव खल्विमानिभुतानि जायन्ते । अन्नेन जातानि जीवन्ति ।अन्नं प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्तीति । तद्विज्ञाय ।पुनरेव वरुणं पितरमुपससार ।अधीहि भगवो ब्रह्मेति । तहोवाच ।तपसा ब्रह्म विजिज्ञासस्व । तपो ब्रह्मेति ।स तपोऽतप्यत । स तपस्तप्त्वा ॥ १॥ इति द्वितीयोऽनुवाकः ॥

Austerity, self-restraint, and action are its foundation; the Vedas are all its limbs; truth is its abode.

तस्यै तपो दमः कर्मेति प्रतिष्ठा वेदाः सर्वाङ्गानिसत्यमायतनम् ॥ ८॥

Those who practice austerity and faith in the forest, tranquil and wise, living by begging, pass through the door of the sun, free of dust, to where the immortal Person dwells, the imperishable Self.

तपःश्रद्धे ये ह्युपवसन्त्यरण्ये शान्ता विद्वांसो भैक्ष्यचर्यां चरन्तः । सूर्यद्वारेण ते विरजाः प्रयान्ति यत्रामृतः स पुरुषो ह्यव्ययात्मा ॥ ११॥

This Self cannot be attained by the weak, nor through carelessness, nor through austerity practiced without the right marks. But for the wise one who strives by these means, this Self enters the abode of Brahman.

(आत्मा वृणुते) नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो न च प्रमादात्तपसो वाप्यलिङ्गात् । एतैरुपायैर्यतते यस्तु विद्वां- स्तस्यैष आत्मा विशते ब्रह्मधाम ॥ ४॥

Therefore, with the utterance of "Om," the acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity, as prescribed by injunction, are always begun by those who expound Brahman.

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः | प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ||१७-२४||

With the mind disciplined by the practice of yoga, not wandering to anything else, one reaches the supreme, divine Person by meditating on him, Arjuna.

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना | परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८||

Only those who find this world of Brahman through the life of sacred studentship (brahmacarya) possess this world of Brahman, and they can move about at will in all worlds.

तद्य एवैतं ब्रह्मलोकं ब्रह्मचर्येणानुविन्दन्ति तेषामेवैष ब्रह्मलोकस्तेषाꣳ सर्वेषु लोकेषु कामचारो भवति

Now, in this city of Brahman there is a small lotus, a dwelling place, and within it a small space. What is within that space should be sought out; that indeed one should desire to understand.

अथ यदिदमस्मिन्ब्रह्मपुरे दहरं पुण्डरीकं वेश्म दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाशस्तस्मिन्यदन्तस्तदन्वेष्टव्यं तद्वाव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति

One should meditate on the syllable Om as the Udgitha, for one begins the Udgitha chant with Om. Here is the explanation of it.

ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपासीतोमिति ह्युद्गायति तस्योपव्याख्यानम्