y r Book of Liberation,” Volume Three (of a l r Maha ...

Alexander Wynne is Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at Mahidol University, Bangkok.

The Clay Sanskrit Library is a unique series that, through original text and English translation, gives an international readership access to the beauty and variety of classical Sanskrit literature.

For a full list of titles, a searchable corpus of CSL texts and translations, and further information, please visit: www.claysanskritlibrary.com

In the centuries before the Common Era, ancient Indian

religious culture exploded into life with speculative

fervor and a new counter-culture based on the belief that

existence in the world is bondage. The Maha!bhárata’s

“Book of Liberation” is the invaluable only record of this

early post-Upanishadic period, and is unrivaled in scope

by any other work of Hindu philosophy.

WWW.CLAYSANSKRITLIBRARY.COM

cla

ysa

nskrit libr

ar

y

NEW YORK UNIVERSIT Y PRESS & JJC FOUNDATION

Maha!bhárataBook Twelve

PeaceVolume Three

The Book of Liberation

Translated by

ALEXANDER WYNNE

CLAY SANSKRIT LIBRARY Here is a new Clay Sanskrit Library translation of the first part of “The Book of Liberation,” Volume Three (of five) of “Peace,” Book Twelve of the Maha!bhárata.

“The Book of Liberation” is the most enigmatic philosophical text from ancient India. Presented as the teachings of Bhishma as he lays dying on the battlefield, after the epic war between the Pándavas and Káuravas, “Liberation” was composed by unknown authors in the last few centuries BCE, during the exciting early period of world-renunciation.

In this age, peripatetic sages meditated under trees, holy men practiced austerities in forest groves, and wandering sophists debated in the towns and cities. There may have been no time before or since of such freedom of thought and expression.

The freedom enjoyed by these ancient thinkers was not an end in itself. This is above all an animated work, the record of philosophers seeking liberation ( ) from a world they believed unsatisfactory. The speculation herein is but a means to an end, for its authors believed they could attain freedom from the world by knowing the truth.

jjcNEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS

Washington Square

New York, NY 10003

www.nyupress.org

maha!

bhárataxii

peaceiii

the book of liberation

wynne

CSL Mahabharata XII.indd 1 4/12/08 09:22:33

T H E C L A Y S A N S K R I T L I B R A R Y

F O U N D E D B Y J O H N & J E N N I F E R C L A Y

G E N E R A L E D I T O R

Sheldon Pollock

E D I T E D B Y

Isabelle Onians

www.claysanskritlibrary.com

www.nyupress.org

i

Artwork by Robert Beer.Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro at . : .+pt.

XML-development by Stuart Brown.Editorial input from Dániel Balogh, Adam Bowles,

Ridi Faruque, Chris Gibbons,Tomoyuki Kono & Eszter Somogyi.

Printed and bound in Great Britain byT.J. International, Cornwall, on acid-free paper.

ii

MAH Ā BH Ā R AT ABOO K TW E L V E

P E A C EVOLUME THRE E

“THE BOOK OF L IBERAT ION”

T R A N S L A T E D B Y

Alexander Wynne

N E W Y O R K U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S

J J C F O U N D A T I O N

iii

Copyright © by the CSLAll rights reserved.

First Edition

%e Clay Sanskrit Library is co-published byNew York University Pressand the JJC Foundation.

Further information about this volumeand the rest of the Clay Sanskrit Library

is available at the end of this bookand on the following websites:www.claysanskritlibrary.com

www.nyupress.org

ISBN-: ---- (cloth : alk. paper)ISBN-: ---x (cloth : alk. paper)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataMahābhārata. Śāntiparva. English & Sanskrit.Mahābhārata. Book twelve, Peace. -- st ed.

p. cm.Epic poetry.

In English and Sanskrit (romanized) on facing pages;includes translation from Sanskrit.

Description based on: v. , published in .ISBN-: ---- (cl : alk. paper)ISBN-: ---x (cl : alk. paper)

. Epic poetry, Sanskrit--Translations into English.I. Wynne, Alexander, - II. Title. III. Title: Peace.

BL..SE .'--dc

iv

CONTENT S

CSL Conventions ix

Introduction xvii

MAHA·BHÁRATA XII – PEACE III“THE BOOK OF LIBERATION”

%e Dialogue between King Sénajitand a Wandering Brahmin

%e Dialogue between a Fatherand his Son

%e Song of Shampáka %e Song of Manki %e Song of Bodhya %e Dialogue between Aja·gara and

Prahráda %e Dialogue between Káshyapa

and a Jackal Teachings on Karma – %e Dialogue between Bhrigu and

Bharad·vaja A Discourse on the Brahminic Rules

of Conduct A Discourse on the Supreme Self

v

A Discourse on the Disciplineof Meditation

– A Discourse on the Practice ofQuiet Recitation

– %e Dialogue between Manu andBrihas·pati

A Discourse on the Origin ofGods and Men

On the Patriarchs and Gods An Account of the Conflict between

Demons and Gods – %e Dialogue between a Master and

Pupil – %e Teachings of Pancha·shikha In Praise of Restraint In Praise of Fasting %e Dialogue between Indra and

Prahráda – %e Dialogue between Indra and Bali %e Dialogue between Indra and

Námuchi Another Dialogue between Indra

and Bali %e Dialogue between Indra and

Shri

vi

%e Dialogue between Jaigishávyaand Ásita

%e Dialogue between Vasudévaand Ugra·sena

Notes

Emendations to the Sanskrit Text

Technical Glossary

Proper Names and Epithets

vii

–

THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN BHRIGU

AND BHARAD·VAJA

· said:

W of the universe, this world of .animate and inanimate things? And to what does

it return during a period of cosmic dissolution? Please tellme this, grandfather. Who fashioned this world of oceans,sky, mountains, clouds, earth, fire and wind?How were the different creatures created, and how were

they divided into different classes? How did they becomepure and impure? How did the order of right and wrongcome about?What is the nature of the soul that abides within living

beings? And where do the dead go? Please explain all this tome, from this world to the world beyond.

said:On this subject people relate an ancient tradition: the in- .

struction imparted to the enquiring Bharad·vaja by Bhrigu.*%e great seer Bhrigu was seated on the peak of Mount

Kailása, glowing with great energy. Upon seeing him,Bharad·vaja asked these questions: “Who fashioned thisworld of oceans, sky, mountains, clouds, earth, fire andwind?How were the different creatures created, and how were

they divided into different classes? How did they becomepure and impure? How did the order of right and wrongcome about?What is the nature of the soul that abides within living

beings, and what happens to people when they die? Pleasetell me everything about this world and the world beyond.”

–

%us questioned on these perplexing matters by Bharad· .vaja, the blessed Bhrigu, a Brahminic seer who looked justlike the god Brahma himself, explained everything to him.

said:%e great seers used the expression “pure consciousness”

to eulogize the ancient deity, which is indivisible, withoutbeginning or end, and beyond decrepitude and death. It iseternal, unfailing and immutable, and also called the “un-manifest.” All creatures which are born and then die are itscreation.In the beginning this deity emitted a substance called

“the absolute,” and this ejaculated the utterance “I!”; thisutterance was the blessed Lord.*%e Lord, upholder of theworld, created that which is called “space”; water came intobeing from space. Fire and wind came into being from thewater, and the contact between them produced the earth.After the creation of the five elements, brahman, the self- .

existent absolute created a divine lotus of lustrous light.From that lotus emerged the lord Brahma; the Vedas are hissubstance, and he is the source of everything. He is boththe soul of all beings and their creator, and is known by thename “the utterance I!”* Brahma is brilliantly lustrous, andcomprises the five elements.%e mountains are said to be his bones, the earth is his

bone marrow and flesh, the oceans are his blood and spaceis his belly.%e wind is his breath, fire is his energy and therivers are his veins. %e sun and moon, agni and soma, aresaid, in eulogies, to be his eyes.%e sky above is his head, theearth below is his feet; the directions are his arms. Even the

–

Siddhas find it hard to perceive him, undoubtedly, becausehis essence is unthinkable.He is the blessed lord Vishnu, who is eulogized as “the .

limitless.” Incomplete men cannot perceive him, the onewho abides within as the soul of all beings.He is the one you asked me about—the source of the

universe, the one who ejaculated the utterance “I!” in orderto bring all creatures into existence.

· said:What is the extent of the sky, the cardinal directions, the

earth and the wind? Please dispel my doubts, in accordancewith the true nature of things.

said:%is space here is infinite, a realm of pleasure frequented

by Siddhas and gods. It contains dominions of all kinds, butno end to it is found. %e self-lustrous gods, resplendentand as brilliant as fire, are to be found where the sun andmoon cannot be seen, being beyond their range.Although the gods have power in abundance, even they .

cannot perceive an end to the sky. %is is because it is in-finite and impassable: understand that this is my opinion,courteous one.%is region of space cannot be measured bythe blazing, self-luminous gods, since it comes to an endbeyond them.It is held that there are oceans at the end of the earth,

and darkness after that. Beyond the darkness there is morewater, so they say, after which there is the fire of the Rasátalahell. Beyond this hell there is water, and after that the Lord

· –

evam anta .m Bhagavata .h, pramā .na .m salilasya ca,

agni|māruta|toyebhyo, dur|jñeya .m daivatair api.

agni|māruta|toyānā .m var .nā .h k.siti|talasya ca.

ākāśād avag.rhyante; bhidyante tattva|darśanāt.

pa.thanti c’ âiva munaya .h śāstre.su vividhe.su ca,

Trailokya|sāgare c’ âiva pramā .na .m vihita .m yathā.

a|d.rśyāya tv a|gamyāya ka .h pramā .nam udāharet?

siddhānā .m devatānā .m ca yadā parimitā gati .h,

tadā gau .nam an|antasya nām’ «ân|ant’» êti viśrutam

nāmadhey’|ânurūpasya mānasasya mah”|ātmana .h.

yadā tu divya .m yad rūpa .m

hrasate vardhate puna .h,

ko ’nyas tad veditu .m śakyo?

yo ’pi syāt tad|vidho ’para .h.

tata .h pu.skarata .h s.r.s.ta .h sarva|jño mūrtimān prabhu .h.

Brahmā dharma|maya .h pūrva .h prajā|patir an|uttama .h.

uvāca:

pu.skarād yadi sa .mbhūto, jye.s.tha .m bhavati pu.skaram.

Brahmā .na .m pūrva|ja .m c’ āha bhavān; sa .mdeha eva me.

–

of serpent demons has his lair. %en there is more space,after which there is water once again.And so even the gods cannot fathom the limit of the

Blessed One, and the extent of water, fire and wind.%e nature of fire, wind, water and the ground is different .

from that of space; they are distinguished from each otherwhen a person sees the truth.%e silent sages pronounce the extent of the world in var-

ious treatises, just as it has been laid down in the “Oceanof the triple world.” But who can declare the extent of thatwhich cannot be seen or traversed? Since the movement ofeven the Siddhas and gods is circumscribed, the term “in-finite,” which is pronounced of the infinite, macrocosmic“pure consciousness” which fits this description, is but afigurative designation.When the divine form of brahman contracts and expands

over and over again, who else is able to know him? Such aperson would have to be of a similar nature. It is for this .

reason that the all-knowing Lord emerged from a lotus inan embodied form. %is is the personal god Brahma, theancient, incomparable Lord of creatures whose substance isthe religious order.

· said:If Brahma was born from a lotus, then the lotus must

be older than him. I am confused, because you say thatBrahma was born first.

· –

. uvāca:mānasasy’ êha yā mūrtir brahmatva .m samupāgatā,

tasy’ āsana|vidhān’|ârtha .m p.rthivī padmam ucyate.kar .nikā tasya padmasya Merur gaganam ucchrita .h.tasya madhye sthito lokān s.rjate jagata .h prabhu .h.

uvāca:| . vividha .m katha .m sa s.rjate prabhu .h.

Meru|madhye sthito Brahmā? tad brūhi, dvija|sattama.

. uvāca:prajā|visarga .m vividha .m mānaso manas” âs.rjat.

sa .mrak.sa .n’|ârtha .m bhūtānā .m s.r.s.ta .m prathamato jalam,yat prā .nā .h sarva|bhūtānā .m, vardhante yena ca prajā .h,parityaktāś ca naśyanti—ten’ êda .m sarvam āv.rtam.p.rthivī, parvatā, meghā, mūrtimantaś ca ye pare,sarva .m tad vāru .na .m jñeyam, āpas tastambhire yata .h.

uvāca:katha .m salilam utpanna .m? katha .m c’ âiv’ âgni|mārutau?.

katha .m ca medinī s.r.s.t”? êty atra me sa .mśayo mahān.

. uvāca:brahma|kalpe purā, brahman, brahma’|r.sī .nā .m samāgame

loka|sa .mbhava|sa .mdeha .h samutpanno mah”|ātmanām.te ’ti.s.than dhyānam ālambya, maunam āsthāya niścalā .h,tyakt’|āhārā .h, pavana|pā, divya .m var.sa|śata .m dvijā .h.

–

said:%e material form of pure consciousness is endowed with

its divine essence, whereas the earth is called a lotus becauseit provides a seat for Brahma. %e pericarp of that lotustowers up into the sky asMountMeru. Abiding at its center,the Lord of the world creates all the worlds.

· said:H Brahma bring about the numerous .

emanations of different creatures while abiding at the centerof Mount Meru? Tell me that, exalted brahmin.

said:Pure consciousness created all the different creatures

through mind. First of all, in order to protect living beingsit created water, because water is the breath of all beings andthat through which creatures flourish. Water envelops theentire world—without it everything would be destroyed.%e earth, mountains, clouds and anything of a corporealnature should be understood as forms of water, for it wasthe waters themselves that became solid.

· said:How did water come into being? And what about fire .

and wind? How was the earth created? I am very confusedabout this.

said:Long ago, brahmin, in the Brahma aeon, a doubt about

the origin of the world arose during a council of holy Brah-minic seers. %ese brahmins remained in meditation for ahundred celestial years, during which they practiced silence

–

and were motionless, shunning all food and drinking thewind. And then they heard the sound of religious order,as the celestial Sarásvati river burst forth from the roof ofspace.Before that the infinity of space had been calm, and

seemingly motionless, for it was devoid of sun, moon andwind; it was as if it had been sunk in a deep sleep. But then .

water sprang forth, like another great darkness within thegloom.%e pressure within it produced wind.It is just like a pot that, if it is not cleft, is seen to be

virtually noiseless. But when it is filled with water the air init makes a noise. So it was when the interior of space, whichreally has no interior, was immersed in water: wind piercedthe surface of this foaming mass of water and rose up in athunder. %at wind, produced by the pressure within thewater, is the same wind that still blows here: when it escapedinto space, it could not be stilled.In the friction between wind and water a powerful, radi-

ant flame arose. With its crest rising up this fire lit up space,and when it came into contact with the wind it forced space .

and water together, but because of its contact with wind,some of the fire congealed. %is viscous part of fire stoodapart descended within space. In the process it was com-pressed, and so it turned into earth.%is earth should be known as the source of all tastes,

smells, fluids and sentient beings; everything is generatedwithin it.

Alexander Wynne is Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at Mahidol University, Bangkok.

The Clay Sanskrit Library is a unique series that, through original text and English translation, gives an international readership access to the beauty and variety of classical Sanskrit literature.

For a full list of titles, a searchable corpus of CSL texts and translations, and further information, please visit: www.claysanskritlibrary.com

In the centuries before the Common Era, ancient Indian

religious culture exploded into life with speculative

fervor and a new counter-culture based on the belief that

existence in the world is bondage. The Maha!bhárata’s

“Book of Liberation” is the invaluable only record of this

early post-Upanishadic period, and is unrivaled in scope

by any other work of Hindu philosophy.

WWW.CLAYSANSKRITLIBRARY.COMc

la

ysa

nskrit libr

ar

y

NEW YORK UNIVERSIT Y PRESS & JJC FOUNDATION

Maha!bhárataBook Twelve

PeaceVolume Three

The Book of Liberation

Translated by

ALEXANDER WYNNE

CLAY SANSKRIT LIBRARY Here is a new Clay Sanskrit Library translation of the first part of “The Book of Liberation,” Volume Three (of five) of “Peace,” Book Twelve of the Maha!bhárata.

“The Book of Liberation” is the most enigmatic philosophical text from ancient India. Presented as the teachings of Bhishma as he lays dying on the battlefield, after the epic war between the Pándavas and Káuravas, “Liberation” was composed by unknown authors in the last few centuries BCE, during the exciting early period of world-renunciation.

In this age, peripatetic sages meditated under trees, holy men practiced austerities in forest groves, and wandering sophists debated in the towns and cities. There may have been no time before or since of such freedom of thought and expression.

The freedom enjoyed by these ancient thinkers was not an end in itself. This is above all an animated work, the record of philosophers seeking liberation ( ) from a world they believed unsatisfactory. The speculation herein is but a means to an end, for its authors believed they could attain freedom from the world by knowing the truth.

jjcNEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS

Washington Square

New York, NY 10003

www.nyupress.org

maha!

bhárataxii

peaceiii

the book of liberation

wynne

CSL Mahabharata XII.indd 1 4/12/08 09:22:33

y r Book of Liberation,” Volume Three (of a l r Maha ...

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