Bhagavadgītā (Бхагавад-гита): Глава II - Sāṅkhyayoga (Санкхья-йога)

Йога санкхьи или различения - Только перевод

 Introduction

Arjuna was really sad and disappointed as he did not want to fight against his own people. He considered killing members of his own family to be a real sin which one should always avoid. In short, he was in the sea, completely lost and wondering how to free himself from this disgrace appearing in the form of a war against his family. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa starts teaching Arjuna the right course of thought and action he should go now. He does so by firstly teaching him Sāṅkhyayoga or Yoga of Discriminative Knowledge. Listen to His words...

This is a "pure translation" document, that is, there will be no original Sanskrit, but sometimes there will be a minimal quantity of transliterated Sanskrit in the translations themselves of the stanzas. Of course, there will not be any word for word translation. Anyway, there will be very often transliterated Sanskrit in the explanatory notes. If you are a blind person using a screen reader and do not want to read the notes, or simply if you are not blind but want to skip the notes, click on the respective "Skip the notes" link to jump directly onto the next stanza.

Important: All that is in brackets and italicized within the translation has been added by me in order to complete the sense of a particular phrase or sentence. In turn, all that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes clarifying further information also added by me. Besides, although I have not written any commentary on each stanza, I have added my own notes when a more detailed explanation is needed. In addition, note that I will use inverted commas to delimit text only when the person speaking is not Sañjaya himself (the narrator). Therefore, the words spoken by Sañjaya will not be delimited by inverted commas or quotation marks.

top

 Chapter 2: Sāṅkhyayoga (Yoga of Sāṅkhya or Discriminative Knowledge)

Sañjaya said:
Thus, the destroyer of the demon Madhu¹ spoke these words to him --i.e. Arjuna--, who was burdened with compassion, desponded (and) with (his) eyes filled with tears||1||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 Venerable Bhagavān¹ said :
"At this time of difficulty and distress, whence (did) this impurity come to you, which does not lead to heaven, causes disgrace (and) is typical of an ignoble person, oh Arjuna?"||2||
Skip the notes

¹ Lit. "The Divine or Adorable One", or also "The Fortunate One", i.e. Lord Kṛṣṇa.

 "Oh son of Pṛthā, do not surrender yourself to impotence, (because) this is not fit for you. Having abandoned (this) mean and vile weakness of heart, stand up, oh destroyer of enemies²"||3||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² Epithet for Arjuna.

 Arjuna said :
"Oh, destroyer of the demon Madhu¹, how will I fight with arrows in battle against Bhīṣma and Droṇācārya, (when) both of them deserve to be worshipped (instead), oh destroyer of foes²?"||4||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "Not to kill (these) high-minded guru-s (is) undoubtedly better, even though (one had to) ask alms in order to eat here, in this world. However, (if I) kill (these) guru-s here, (though) they are desirous of wealth, the enjoyments I would enjoy (as a consequence of that act) would be besmeared with blood"||5||

"Besides, we do not know which of these two things is worse for us, wether to conquer (them) or be conquered by them. (If we) kill them, we would not desire to live indeed. (Nevertheless,) those sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra are (now) stationed in front (of us)"||6||

"With (my) nature afflicted by the fault (known as) poorness of spirit, (and the) mind confused as to (my own) duty, I ask you (the following now:) Tell me positively what would be better. I (am) your disciple. Teach me (, please), as I have taken refuge in You"||7||

"Certainly, I do not see (how) my sorrow, which is (like) a drying of the senses, may be removed, (even) after obtaining a unrivalled prosperous kingdom on the earth as well as supremacy and sovereignty of the gods"||8||

 Sañjaya said :
Having so expressed to the Lord of the senses¹, the thick-haired one², (who is) a destroyer of enemies³, became⁴silent after he (finally) said to the Cowherd⁵ "I will not fight"||9||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Arjuna.
³ Epithet for Arjuna.
⁴ The particle "ha" is used to emphasize the action denoted by the verb here.
⁵ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 Oh descendant of Bharata¹, the Lord of the senses², smiling as it were, said these words to that dejected and desponded (Arjuna) in the middle of both armies"||10||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
² Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 Venerable Bhagavān¹ said :
"You mourned over what is not be lamented and (now) speak words of wisdom. Learned men do not mourn (either) over the quick or the dead"||11||
Skip the notes

¹ Lit. "The Divine or Adorable One", or also "The Fortunate One", i.e. Lord Kṛṣṇa.

 "However, I never ceased to exist, certainly, nor did you nor did those kings; nor will all of us cease to exist henceforth"||12||

"Just as in this body (there is) childhood, youth (and) old age to an embodied soul, so (there is) obtainment of another body (to that soul after death). An intelligent person is not bewildered by that"||13||

"Oh son of Kuntī¹, the material contacts causing pleasure (and) pain (as well as) cold (season and) hot season are not permanent (as) they come (and) go away indeed. Endure them patiently, oh descendant of Bharata³"||14||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² Winter and summer, obviously.
³ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Undoubtedly, these (material contacts) do not afflict an intelligent person who is indifferent to pain (and) pleasure, oh excellent man¹. That (person) is qualified for (attaining to) Immortality"||15||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Of the not Self --viz. nonexistence-- there is no continuance or continuity. Of the Self --viz. existence-- there is no discontinuance or discontinuity. (This) was certainly seen in them both ¹ by the Seers of Truth"||16||
Skip the notes

¹ In both the not Self and the Self.

  "However, know that 'That' by which all this is shown or displayed¹ (is) imperishable. Nobody is able to cause destruction of this which is imperishable"||17||
Skip the notes

¹ In the sense of "manifested".

 "These bodies belonging to the eternal, imperishable (and) immensurable embodied (soul) are said to have an end or term --i.e. they are perishable--. Therefore, fight, oh descendant of Bharata!¹"||18||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Both the one who considers it¹ as the killer and the one who thinks it is killed do not have right knowledge. This (embodied soul) neither kills nor is killed"||19||
Skip the notes

¹ Kṛṣṇa refers to the embodied soul.

 "It is never born or dies. This (embodied soul) has not come into being or will come into being, nor is coming into being (right now). This (embodied soul is) unborn, eternal, perpetual, ancient. (It is) not killed when the body is killed"||20||

"Oh son of Pṛthā¹, how (can) that person who knows it² as imperishable, eternal, unborn (and) undecaying kill anyone (or) cause anyone to be killed or slain?"||21||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna. Pṛthā is also known as the queen Kuntī.
² Kṛṣṇa refers to the embodied soul again.

 "Just as a man puts on other new clothes after abandoning the old (ones), so the embodied (soul) proceeds to other new bodies after leaving the old (ones)"||22||

"Weapons do not cut it (off or through)¹; fire does not burn it; waters do not wet it; (and) wind does not dry (it) up"||23||
Skip the notes

¹ The Lord continues to speak about the embodied soul, of course.

 "This (embodied soul) is impossible to be cut (and) cannot be burnt, wetted (or) dried up indeed! This (embodied soul) is eternal, omnipresent, firm, immovable (and) perpetual"||24||

 "It is said that this (soul is) invisible and not manifest, inconceivable, (and) invariable. For that reason, by knowing so, do not regret about it, please"||25||

"Moreover, (whether) you regard it as constantly being born or constantly dying, still, oh big-armed one¹, do not regret about it, please"||26||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "As far as one who has been born is concerned, death (is) certain indeed; and as far as one who has died is concerned, birth (is) certain. Therefore, do not mourn at that which is inevitable, (please)"||27||

"Oh descendant of Bharata¹, the beings are not manifest in the beginning, (but they are) manifest in the middle. (Anyway, they are) not manifest in the end (again)! Then, what is the point of mourning?"||28||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Somebody considers it --i.e. the embodied soul-- as astonishing. Likewise, another (person) talks about it as astonishing. Also, another (person) hears of it as astonishing, and somebody (else), even having heard of it, is not conscious of it"||29||

"Oh descendant of Bharata¹, this embodied (soul residing) in the body of all cannot be killed ever. For that very reason, do not mourn for all beings, (please)"||30||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Besides, by taking into consideration your own duty, do not tremble greatly, (please). Undoubtedly, for a kṣatriya¹ there is nothing else better than fighting legitimately"||31||
Skip the notes

¹ Arjuna belongs to the kṣatriya caste, viz. he is a member of the military and reigning order.

 "Oh son of Pṛthā¹, happy (are) the kṣatriya-s (who) obtain such a war (as this one), which occurred spontaneously, (because it is) an open gate to heaven"||32||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

  "Furthermore, if you are not going to carry out this legitimate war, then, having abandoned your own duty and renown, you will incur sin"||33||

"Also, the living beings will talk about your unchangeable ill fame. And for a respectable person, ill fame is more important than death"||34||

"The great warriors will think you have withdrawn from battle for fear. And you, who have been had in high esteem by them, will be considered as insignificant"||35||

"And your enemies will speak plenty of slanderous words while reviling your ability and capacity... (and) what (might be) a greater pain than that?"||36||

"Either (you are) killed (and) will go to heaven or, having been victorious, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore, stand up, oh son of Kuntī¹, resolved on fighting"||37||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "For that reason, by considering equally pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, get ready for battle. Thus, you will not incur sin"||38||

"This (type of) intelligence (which has been) explained to you (by Me is also described) in the Sāṅkhya system¹. But, listen to this (kind of intelligence that is described) in the Yoga system. (If) possessed of that intelligence, oh son of Pṛthā², you will abandon bondage of karma or action"||39||
Skip the notes

¹ One of the six traditional philosophical systems of India.
² Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Here, (i.e. in the intelligence described in Yoga), there is neither unsuccessful effort nor decrease or diminution. Even a very little quantity of this dharma protects (you) from a great danger"||40||
Skip the notes

¹ Both in the Yoga and Sāṅkhya systems, the term "dharma" means a mode of buddhi or intelligence which does not affect Puruṣa or Self.

  "Intelligence whose essence (is) strenuous effort and settled determination is only one here --i.e. in Yoga--, oh son of Kuru¹! Intelligences of people lacking strenuous effort and settled determination --viz. negligent people-- (are) certainly many-branched and endless"||41||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Oh son of Pṛthā¹, unwise people taking delight in Vedic discussions speak here these flowery words : "there is nothing else "². This is what such speakers (express)"||42||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² Keep reading the next stanza to fully understand the meaning of that affirmation.

 "(These unwise people who) indulge their desires (and) whose main goal is (attaining) heaven tread the path (leading to) pleasures¹ (and) power. (This kind of path consists of) plenty of special (religious) activities and ceremonies giving karmic --i.e. related to 'karma' or action-- rewards (such as) a (good) birth²"||43||
Skip the notes

¹ The word "bhoga" also means "wealth".
² So, all those unwise people state that "there is nothing else" besides the attainment of power, pleasures, heaven, a good birth in a future life and so on. To make sure they will receive all those rewards, they need to perform lots of particular religious activities. This is the sense.

 "For the ones who are attached to pleasures¹ (and) power, (and) whose minds have been taken away or stolen, (as it were), by that (path) --viz. by the ignorant course of action described in the previous stanza--, an intelligence whose essence (is) strenuous effort and settled determination is not produced in Samādhi or Perfect Concentration²"||44||
Skip the notes

¹ The word "bhoga" also means "wealth".
² The term "samādhi" is to be understood according to what the Yoga system postulates because Lord Kṛṣṇa is speaking from such a viewpoint. Careful here!

 "The Veda-s deal with the subject matter of the three qualities (of Prakṛti). Oh Arjuna, become one who is destitute of (those) three qualities, who is indifferent to the pairs of opposites, who always abides in purity, who is free from care or anxiety about acquisition or possession (and) who is fully conscious of his Self"||45||
Skip the notes

¹ According to Yoga, Prakṛti is the source from which matter arises, i.e. she is the origin of the material universe. Prakṛti consists of three qualities: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
² In the sense of one who is not affected by such qualities and their eternal mutations producing all pairs of opposites in this universe.

 "For a sage who knows Brahma ¹, all Veda-s (are of) as much use as (is that of) a well (in a place) flooded with water from all sides"||46||
Skip the notes

¹ "Brahma" is the name used to designate the impersonal aspect of God.

 "Your right (is) for action alone, (but) never for (its) fruits. Do not become the cause of the fruit of an action, (and let) attachment to inaction not be yours (either)!"||47||

"Established in Yoga, do actions by abandoning attachment (and) remaining equable in (the middle of) success and failure, oh winner of wealth¹. (Such an) equanimity is known as Yoga"||48||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

  "Undoubtedly, action (is) by far inferior to Yoga of intelligence, oh winner of wealth¹. (Therefore,) seek refuge in buddhi or intelligence. Miserable and pitiable (are those who) have fruits or results for their motive (to perform actions)"||49||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "The one who is devoted to buddhi or intelligence abandons here both good and bad deeds. For that reason, make ready for Yoga, (since) Yoga (is) skillfulness regarding actions"||50||

"The wise who are certainly devoted to buddhi or intelligence, by abandoning the fruit or result produced from the actions, are completely free from bondage of birth (and) move on to a condition devoid of disease"||51||

"When your intelligence will pass completely across the thicket of delusion, then you will get to a state of indifference to what must be heard and what has been heard"||52||

"When your intelligence, which is (currently) perplexed and confounded by what is heard in the Veda-s, will remain fixed (and) immovable in Samādhi or Perfect Concentration, then you will attain Yoga or Union"||53||

Arjuna said :
"Oh, long-haired One¹, what (is) the description of one who is established in wisdom, viz. of one who (constantly) remains in Samādhi or Perfect Concentration? How (does such a) steady-minded one speak? How (does) he sit? How (does) he move?"||54||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa. It is to be noted that this word might also mean alternatively: "slayer of the demon Keśī".

 Venerable Bhagavān¹ said :
"Oh son of Pṛthā², when (someone) abandons all desires residing in (his) mind, (and) remains satisfied in the Self alone by means of the Self, then he is said to be a sthitaprajña or one who is established in wisdom"||55||
Skip the notes

¹ Lit. "The Divine or Adorable One", or also "The Fortunate One", i.e. Lord Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Arjuna.

 "He is said to be a sage or steady-minded one who is devoid from attachment, fear, wrath, who is without any desire in the middle of pleasures (and) whose mind remains free from anxiety and fright in the midst of sorrows"||56||

 "Wisdom is firmly established in the one who remains dispassionate --lit. without affection-- everywhere, (and who,) having obtained this which is pleasant (and) that which is unpleasant, neither rejoices at nor shows hatred at, (respectively)"||57||

"And when this (very person) withdraws completely (his) senses from the objects of the senses, just as a tortoise (withdraws or contracts its) limbs, (then) his wisdom is firmly established"||58||

"The objects (of the senses) turn back from the embodied one who is abstinent --lit. who abstains from food--¹, with the exception of (their --i.e. of the objects--) taste². (However,) even the taste of this (food known as 'objects') departs after having seen the highest (Reality)"||59||
Skip the notes

¹ This is symbolic and not "literal". Lord Kṛṣṇa is not speaking of ordinary fasting. The meaning is that the objects are considered as a kind of food and the act of perceiving them is like feeding on them. But now that the embodied one has withdrawn his senses from those objects, they turn back, as it were. This is the sense.
² Following the same symbolism, the Lord states that once the embodied one withdraws their senses from the objects, though these turn back from him, their taste remains yet, i.e. the subtle aspect of the objects is still there within the embodied one. Oh well, Kṛṣṇa is speaking of different stages in the attainment of the final Samādhi or Perfect Concentration... a long subject matter for a mere explanatory note, no doubt about it.

 "Oh son of Kuntī¹, no doubt that the harassing and shaking senses violently carry off even the mind of a wise person who endeavors to reach (final liberation)"||60||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "Having controlled all those (senses), the one who attained Yoga or Union should remain devoted to Me, because is firmly established wisdom of the one whose senses (are) under control"||61||

"For a person who thinks of the objects, there arouses attachment to them. From attachment, desire is born; from desire, wrath is produced"||62||

"From wrath, complete delusion and bewilderment comes into existence; from complete delusion and bewilderment, confusion of memory; from loss of memory, the destruction of intelligence, (and) from the destruction of intelligence, (such a person) perishes"||63||

"However, by eating¹ the objects through senses that are completely liberated from attachment (and) aversion, and under control of Ātmā², the self-controlled one³ obtains tranquility"||64||
Skip the notes

¹ In the sense of "by perceiving". Read my notes under the 59^th stanza.
² Though Ātmā generally means "Self", the renowned sage Śrīdhara considers the term "Ātmā" as synonymous with Manas or mind. For respect to him as well as his scholar and authoritative commentary of Bhagavadgītā, I left the word in original Sanskrit, i.e. untranslated.
³ In the same way, Śrīdhara considers a "vidheyātmā" as someone whose mind is under control.

  "When there is tranquility, there appears cessation of all his pains, because intelligence of one whose mind is serene becomes firm quickly"||65||

"For one who has not attained Yoga or Union¹, there is neither intelligence nor contemplation². And for one who does not practice contemplation, there is no peace. How (might there be) happiness for someone with no peace?"||66||
Skip the notes

¹ An "ayukta" is literally one who has not attained Yoga or Union. According to Śrīdhara: "one whose senses are not under his control".
² In the sense of "meditation".

 "Because that mind which acts conformably to the wandering senses carries away his¹ wisdom just as the wind (carries away) a boat on the waters"||67||
Skip the notes

¹ That is why an "ayukta" (see previous stanza) has no wisdom or intelligence. The terms "prajñā" and "buddhi" should be considered as synonymous in this context.

 "Therefore, oh big-armed one¹, his wisdom is firmly established (whose) senses (are) thoroughly held back from (running after) the objects of the senses"||68||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 "The self-controlled one is awake during that which (is) night for all beings. (And) that during which the beings are awake, is night to the seeing sage"||69||

"Just as the waters enter into the ocean, (but the latter) stands firm (in spite of being ever) being filled, so all desires enter into that (self-controlled one, but he stands steady). He who follows the dictates of the desires does not attains to peace"||70||

"That man obtains peace who, having completely abandoned all desires, moves about free from longing, without (the notion of) "mine" (and) devoid of ego"||71||

"Oh son of Pṛthā¹, that (is) remaining in Brahma², having obtained which, (one) is not deluded (any longer). By abiding in this (state) even at the time of death, one attains extinction or dissolution in Brahma"||72||
Skip the notes

¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² Brahma is the impersonal aspect of God in this context.

top

 Further Information

Этот документ был составлен Габриэлем Pradīpaka, одним из двух основателей этого сайта, духовным гуру, экспертом в санскрите и философии Трика.

Для получения дополнительной информации о санскрите, йоге и философии, или если вы просто хотите оставить комментарий, задать вопрос или нашли ошибку, напишите нам: Это наша электронная почта.