rule


 

 

Canto 11

Guru Puja

 



Chapter 9: Detachment from All that is Material

(1) The honorable brahmin said: 'When one strives to own all the things held dear by man [a house, a wife, goods etc.], that will be a source of unhappiness. Anyone who knows this and is of detachment, achieves unlimited happiness.

(2) A large hawk [the osprey] who had a prey, was attacked by others who were very strong and without meat. The moment he gave up his [desire for] prey, he achieved happiness.

(3) I am not concerned with honor or dishonor, nor do I know the worries of people with a house and children. I wander around in the world like a child, sporting and enjoying the soul only. (4) There are two types of people free from anxiety and merged in great happiness: those who are childish and foolish, and those who reached [the Lord] beyond the natural modes.

(5) Once, at the house of a young girl all of whose relatives [that day] had gone to another place, a couple of men arrived who wanted to marry her. She received them with great hospitality. (6) Being alone she beat the rice so that her guests could eat, and doing so the conch shell bracelets on her arms made a lot of noise. (7) Shy she, filled with shame, thought about that [servant] noise and then intelligently one by one broke the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving but two on each wrist. (8) From those two there was still the noise of course as she was husking the rice, but after she further removed one from each pair of shell ornaments, only one remained and no sound could be heard anymore. (9) Oh subduer of the enemy, I, wandering around in all regions searching for the truth about the world, personally witnessed the lesson taught by this girl. (10) When there are many people in one place there will be discord; even among two people there will be arguing. Therefore one should live alone, just like the bracelet of the girl. (11) The mind should be controlled by detachment and a regulated yoga practice [vairâgya and abhyâsa], in which one conquers one's breathing in sitting postures and one carefully focusses on one point [the true self, see also B.G. 6: 10-15 and 6: 46-47]. (12) When the mind thus has been stabilized one, step by step, is freed from its contamination of karma and sees the quality of goodness increase, while passion and ignorance recede. Free from fuel [for one's karma] one attains beatitude [nirvâna, see also B.G. 6: 26 and 14: 6-8].

(13) When one is thus being fixed in the soul, one does not know anything about what is outside or inside, just like the arrow maker who absorbed in his arrow did not notice the king standing at his side [see B.G. 7: 27-28].

(14) A sage must walk alone without a fixed residence [or temple], must very alert exercise restraint and should not be recognized in his actions. Without companions he speaks only little. (15) Building a home for one's temporary self is a vain and troublesome endeavor. A serpent happily prospers having entered a home built by others [see also B.G. 4: 18].

(16) The one Self, the One Lord without a second who became the Foundation and Reservoir of All, is Nârâyana, the Godhead who by His own potency created the universe in the beginning and by His potency of Time withdraws His creation within Hi mself at the end of the kalpa. (17-18) When the material powers of sattva and so on, are balanced by the time factor that is the potency of the True Self [the Soul, the Lord], the Original Personality, the purusha is found as the Supreme Controller, the Lord of both the primary nature [pradhâna] and the person. He, the worshipable object of all conditioned and transcendental souls, has His existence in the purest experience that one describes as kaivalya [or beatitude], the fulness of the blissful state without [guna] attributes [see also B.G. 7: 5 and *]. (19) By means of the pure potency of His Self, His own bewildering energy composed of the three basic qualities, He, oh subduer of the enemies, at the onset of creation agitating [in the form of Time], manifests the plan of matter [the sűtra, the thread, the rule or direction of the mahat-tattva, see also 3.26: 19]. (20) This universe, in which the living being finds its existence [of repeated births], is strung and bound to that [thread, that plan], that manifested itself as the cause of the three modes, that [in their turn] bring about the different categories of the manifestation, so one says [see also B.G. 7: 7]. (21) The way a spider expands its thread from itself, with that thread by its mouth enjoys [its meal] and swallows that thread again, the Supreme Lord also operates.

(22) Whether a conditioned soul out of love, hate or fear, with intelligence fixes his mind on a particular form of existence, he will attain that existence [see B.G. 8: 6]. (23) Oh King, a wasp larva, meditating on the fully grown wasp that put him in the hive, reaches without leaving his previous body [by transformation] the same state of being when fully grown.

(24) This is what I know from taking instruction from all these gurus. Now please, oh King, hear from me what I have to say about the knowledge I acquired by learning from my own body. (25) With one's body one always has to suffer because of the inevitable burden of its maintenance and future destruction. I contemplate the truths of the world with it and the body is therefore, despite being there for the service of others, to me a teacher of renunciation and discrimination who convinces me to wander about in detachment. (26) Wishing to give it pleasure, one has to divide one's care over the different departments of the wife, the children, the animals, the servants, the home and the relatives. Just as in nature a tree drops the seed that was produced and dies, the body at the time of death must give up the wealth it with great struggle accumulated. (27) One moment the tongue distracts the cherished body and sometimes thirst is doing this, the other moment the genitals distract and then the sense of touch is pressing, the belly demands attention, the ears lead elsewhere, the smell points in a direction or the fickle eyes are leading astray. The operating forces of the body are thus pulled in many directions, just like the head of a household is, being led by many co-wives. (28) After He from His powers had created the many different physical forms of the crawling creatures [the insects], the mammals, birds, snakes and so on, the Lord, in His heart not satisfied with it, created the human life form that He endowed with an intelligence fit for envisioning the Absolute Truth, and that brought Him gladness. (29) After many births having attained this human form that is so difficult to attain and, though not eternal, has a great value, someone in control of himself but doomed to die, must as long as he has not ended, without delay in this world endeavor for the ultimate liberation, [the way out]; sense-gratification after all is available in all forms of life.

(30) Thus [with all these twenty-four plus one masters] without ties having awakened and with wisdom looking [at the world] from within the soul, I wander the earth free from attachment and false ego. (31) The knowledge acquired from a single teacher cannot be very solid or complete [see 11.3: 21]. The Absolute Truth without a second, is by the sages sung in many ways.'

(32) The Supreme Lord said: 'After the so very intelligent brahmin [who in fact was Lord Dattâtreya, see 2.7: 4 and **] thus had spoken to king Yadu and properly was honored by the king offering his obeisances, he thereupon bid farewell and went away, just as contented as he had come. (33) Yadu, the forefather of our forefathers, having heard the words of the avadhűta, became liberated from all his attachment in a consciousness equal toward all.'

 

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Third revised edition, loaded March 28, 2022.

 

 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

The honorable brahmin said: 'When one strives to own all the things held dear by man [a house, a wife, goods etc.], that will be a source of unhappiness. Anyone who knows this and is of detachment, achieves unlimited happiness.
The honorable brahmin said: 'Attachment to whatever of the possessions held so very dear by man [house, wife, car etc.], sure leads to misery; whoever knows that will, when he frees himself from such attachment, thereupon achieve unlimited happiness. (Vedabase)

 

Text 2

A large hawk [the osprey] who had a prey, was attacked by others who were very strong and without meat. The moment he gave up his [desire for] prey, he achieved happiness.

Having meat a large hawk [the osprey] was attacked by others who were very strong and without prey; at that time giving up the meat he achieved happiness. (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

I am not concerned with honor or dishonor, nor do I know the worries of people with a house and children. I wander around in the world like a child, sporting and enjoying the soul only.
I myself, who like a child enjoys in the soul only, wander about out here. In me one finds no honor or dishonor. Living with the true self I do not know the anxiety of the one who has a home and children. (Vedabase)


Text 4

There are two types of people free from anxiety and merged in great happiness: those who are childish and foolish, and those who reached [the Lord] beyond the natural modes.

Of the ones free from anxiety there are two types: the one retarded who ignorant as a child has merged in great happiness and the one who has achieved the One Supreme above the Modes of Nature. (Vedabase)

 

Text 5

Once, at the house of a young girl all of whose relatives [that day] had gone to another place, a couple of men arrived who wanted to marry her. She received them with great hospitality.

At the house of a young girl who wished she was a wife and of whom all the relatives were gone to another place, once arrived a couple of men whom she received with great hospitality. (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

Being alone she beat the rice so that her guests could eat, and doing so the conch shell bracelets on her arms made a lot of noise.

Being alone she beated the rice so that her guests could eat, and doing so made the conchshell bracelets on her forearms a lot of noise. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 7

Shy she, filled with shame, thought about that [servant] noise and then intelligently one by one broke the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving but two on each wrist.

In her shyness ashamed about that [servant-] noise, broke she, intelligent as she was, one by one the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving but two on each wrist. (Vedabase)

 

Text 8

From those two there was still the noise of course as she was husking the rice, but after she further removed one from each pair of shell ornaments, only one remained and no sound could be heard anymore.

Still there was of the two, as she was husking the rice, the noise of course. But after she removed one from each of the two remained only one and could no sound be heard anymore. (Vedabase)

 

Text 9

Oh subduer of the enemy, I, wandering around in all regions searching for the truth about the world, personally witnessed the lesson taught by this girl.

O subduer of the enemy, I, wandering around in all regions searching for the truth about the world, personally witnessed the lesson taught by this girl.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

When there are many people in one place there will be discord; even among two people there will be arguing. Therefore one should live alone, just like the bracelet of the girl.

In a place where many people are quarrels will rise, even among two people who converse alone. Therefore one should live like the young girl's bracelet. (Vedabase)


 Text 11

The mind should be controlled by detachment and a regulated yoga practice [vairâgya and abhyâsa], in which one conquers one's breathing in sitting postures and one carefully focusses on one point [the true self, see also B.G. 6: 10-15 and 6: 46-47].

The mind should be steadied by detachment and a regulated practice [vairâgya and abhyâsa] in which one conquers one's breathing in sitting postures and carefully concentrates on one point [the true self, see also B.G. 6: 10-15 and 6: 46-47]. (Vedabase)

  

 Text 12  

When the mind thus has been stabilized one, step by step, is freed from its contamination of karma and sees the quality of goodness increase, while passion and ignorance recede. Free from fuel [for one's karma] one attains beatitude [nirvâna, see also B.G. 6: 26 and 14: 6-8].

Having obtained permanence in that position one achieves with that very mind, step by step having given up the contamination of karma, nirvâna because one grew strong in sattva no longer fueling rajas and tamas [see also B.G. 6: 26 and 14: 6-8]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

When one is thus being fixed in the soul, one does not know anything about what is outside or inside, just like the arrow maker who absorbed in his arrow did not notice the king standing at his side [see B.G. 7: 27-28].

When one thus is anchored to the soul is one unconcerned about whatever outside or inside oneself, just as when the arrowmaker being absorbed in the arrow didn't notice the king passing nearby [see B.G. 7: 27-28].(Vedabase)

  

 Text 14

A sage must walk alone without a fixed residence [or temple], must very alert exercise restraint and should not be recognized in his actions. Without companions he speaks only little.

Moving alone without a fixed residence [or temple] and exercising restraint not being recognized in his actions a sage, being without companions, will speak only little. (Vedabase)


 Text 15  

Building a home for one's temporary self is a vain and troublesome endeavor. A serpent happily prospers having entered a home built by others [see also B.G. 4: 18].

Building a home but failing to accomplish [a spiritual life, see B.G. 4: 18] is a miserable thing; just think of the snake that lives happily occupying a hole that was built by others. (Vedabase)



Text 16

The one Self, the One Lord without a second who became the Foundation and Reservoir of All, is Nârâyana, the Godhead who by His own potency created the universe in the beginning and by His potency of Time withdraws His creation within Himself at the end of the kalpa.

The one Self, the one Supreme Controller without a second, who became the Foundation and Reservoir of All, is Nârâyana, the Godhead who in the beginning by His own potency created the universe and by His potency of Time at the end of the kalpa withdraws His creation within Himself. (Vedabase)

 

Text 17-18

When the material powers of sattva and so on, are balanced by the time factor that is the potency of the True Self [the Soul, the Lord], the Original Personality, the purusha is found as the Supreme Controller, the Lord of both the primary nature [pradhâna] and the person. He, the worshipable object of all conditioned and transcendental souls, has His existence in the purest experience that one describes as kaivalya [or beatitude], the fulness of the blissful state without [guna] attributes [see also B.G. 7: 5 and *].

When by His potency of the time factor the material powers of sattva and so on have been balanced, exists the Original Personality, the purusha of the primary nature [pradhâna], who is the worshipable Controller of the gods and normal souls, in the purest experience of revelation that one describes as kaivalya [beatitude], the fulness of the blissful state free from material association [see also B.G. 7: 5 and *]. (Vedabase)


Text 19

By means of the pure potency of His Self, His own bewildering energy composed of the three basic qualities, He, oh subduer of the enemies, at the onset of creation agitating [in the form of Time], manifests the plan of matter [the sűtra, the thread, the rule or direction of the mahat-tattva, see also 3.26: 19].

By means of the pure potency of His Self, His own energy composed of the three modes, manifests He the plan of matter [constitutes He the sűtra, the thread, provides He the rule or direction of the mahat-tattva]. He achieves that [in the form of Time] by agitation at the onset of creation [see also 3.26: 19]. (Vedabase)


Text 20

This universe, in which the living being finds its existence [of repeated births], is strung and bound to that [thread, that plan], that manifested itself as the cause of the three modes, that [in their turn] bring about the different categories of the manifestation, so one says [see also B.G. 7: 7].

To that [thread] that turns out to be the cause of the three modes that create the different categories of the manifestation, so one says, is this universe, by which the living being undergoes its existence, strung and bound [see also B.G. 7: 7].  (Vedabase)


Text 21

The way a spider expands its thread from itself, with that thread by its mouth enjoys [its meal] and swallows that thread again, the Supreme Lord also operates.

Just as the spider, expanding the thread from within himself, by his mouth with that thread enjoys [his meal] and eventually swallows that thread, the Supreme Controller operates the same way. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 22

Whether a conditioned soul out of love, hate or fear, with intelligence fixes his mind on a particular form of existence, he will attain that existence [see B.G. 8: 6].

On whatever the conditioned soul fixes his mind out of love, hate or fear, that particular state he will, because of the full concentration of his intelligence, reach thus [see B.G. 8: 6]. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 23

Oh King, a wasp larva, meditating on the fully grown wasp that put him in the hive, reaches without leaving his previous body [by transformation] the same state of being when fully grown.

O King, a wasp larva meditating on the fully grown wasp that has put him in the hive, keeping to its own body, reaches the same state of being fully grown.  (Vedabase)

 

 Text 24

This is what I know from taking instruction from all these gurus. Now please, oh King, hear from me what I have to say about the knowledge I acquired by learning from my own body.

This is what I know from taking instruction from all these gurus. Now please o King, hear from me what I have to say about the knowledge I acquired learning from my own body. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 25

With one's body one always has to suffer because of the inevitable burden of its maintenance and future destruction. I contemplate the truths of the world with it and the body is therefore, despite being there for the service of others, to me a teacher of renunciation and discrimination who convinces me to wander about in detachment.

With one's body one always has to suffer because of the inevitable burden of its maintenance and future destruction. I contemplate the truths of the world with it and thus is the body, even though it is there for the service of others, to me a teacher of renunciation and discrimination who convinces me to wander about in detachment. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 26

Wishing to give it pleasure, one has to divide one's care over the different departments of the wife, the children, the animals, the servants, the home and the relatives. Just as in nature a tree drops the seed that was produced and dies, the body at the time of death must give up the wealth it with great struggle accumulated.

The body is bound to the mission of pleasing all the categories of the wife, the children, the animals, the servants, the home and the relatives. Before it has to die it has expanded by begetting a likewise body and for that purpose it went at lengths to achieve a favorable financial position. In that sense the body is like a tree that before it dies produces its seeds. (Vedabase)


 Text 27

One moment the tongue distracts the cherished body and sometimes thirst is doing this, the other moment the genitals distract and then the sense of touch is pressing, the belly demands attention, the ears lead elsewhere, the smell points in a direction or the fickle eyes are leading astray. The operating forces of the body are thus pulled in many directions, just like the head of a household is, being led by many co-wives.

From one side the tongue distracts thirsty the cherished body at times, from the other side the genitals do so, the sense of touch acts thus, the belly demands attention, the ears lead elsewhere, the smell goes or the fickle eyes are leading elsewhere; and so all parts of the body like co-wives pull the head of the household in many directions. (Vedabase)

  

 Text 28

After He from His powers had created the many different physical forms of the crawling creatures [the insects], the mammals, birds, snakes and so on, the Lord, in His heart not satisfied with it, created the human life form that He endowed with an intelligence fit for envisioning the Absolute Truth, and that brought Him gladness.

After the Supreme Lord had created the trees, venomous insects, mammals, birds, snakes and all other sorts of material bodies by means of His bewildering potency, created the Lord, not satisfied with it, the human being He endowed with an intelligence fit for envisioning the Absolute Truth and achieved He thus happiness. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 29

After many births having attained this human form that is so difficult to attain and, though not eternal, has a great value, someone in control of himself but doomed to die, must, as long as he has not ended, without delay in this world endeavor for the ultimate liberation, [the way out]; sense-gratification after all is available in all forms of life.

After many births having attained this human form that is so difficult to attain and which, even though it is not eternal, awards great value, should a sober person as long as he, subject to death, has not fallen [in his grave], without delay in this world endeavor for the ultimate liberation that is always within reach in all conditions of sense-gratification. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 30

Thus [with all these twenty-four plus one masters] without ties having awakened and with wisdom looking [at the world] from within the soul, I wander the earth free from attachment and false ego.

Thus [from all these twenty-four plus one masters] see ing it in the Soul I wander, fully having developed renunciation and wisdom, the earth being freed from attachment and false ego. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 31

The knowledge acquired from a single teacher cannot be very solid or complete [see 11.3: 21]. The Absolute Truth without a second, is by the sages sung in many ways.'

Assuredly can the knowledge of a single teacher not be very solid or complete [see 11.3: 21]; the Absolute Truth without a second is by the sages thus defended from many perspectives.' (Vedabase)

 

 Text 32

The Supreme Lord said: 'After the so very intelligent brahmin [who in fact was Lord Dattâtreya, see 2.7: 4 and **] thus had spoken to king Yadu and properly was honored by the king offering his obeisances, he thereupon bid farewell and went away, just as contented as he had come.

The Supreme Lord said: 'The so very wise brahmin [who in fact was Lord Dattâtreya, see 2.7: 4 and **] after he thus had spoken to king Yadu and properly was honored by the king offering his obeisances, bid farewell and went away, just as contented as he had come. (Vedabase)

 

 Text 33

Yadu, the forefather of our forefathers, having heard the words of the avadhűta, became liberated from all his attachment in a consciousness equal toward all.'

Having heard the words of the avadhűta found Yadu, the forefather of our ancestors, liberation in a consciousness equal to all.' (Vedabase)

 

*: Considering verse 3.25: 34 stating that devotees seek company to associate with Krishna, the âcâryas to this verse say that that single-mindedness with the Lord without speculating as a jńânî, is the same as being alone to prevent quarrels [see pp. 11.9: 10].

**: The paramparâ [pp. 11.9: 32] confirms: 'This verse [2.7: 4] mentions that Yadu was purified by contact with the lotus feet of Dattâtreya, and similarly the present verse states, vandito sv-arcito râjńâ - King Yadu worshiped the lotus feet of the brâhmana. Thus, according to S'rîla S'rîdhara Svâmî, the avadhűta brâhmana is the Personality of Godhead Himself, and this is confirmed by S'rîla Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî Thhâkura.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

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