Jaabaal

Verse 1

ॐ बृहस्पतिरुवाच—याज्ञवल्क्यं यदनु कुरुक्षेत्रं देवानां देवयजनं सर्वेषां भूतानां ब्रह्मसदनम्। अविमुक्तं वै कुरुक्षेत्रं देवानां देवयजनं सर्वेषां भूतानां ब्रह्मसदनम्। तस्माद्यत्र क्वचन गच्छति तदेव मन्ये...

Bṛhaspati said: “O Yājñavalkya, that which is called Kurukṣetra is the gods’ place of sacrifice and the abode of Brahman for all beings. Truly, Avimukta is Kurukṣetra itself—the gods’ place of sacrifice and the abode of Brahman for all beings. Therefore, wherever one may go, one should regard that very place as Avimukta; that indeed is Avimukta. This, verily, is Kurukṣetra—the gods’ place of sacrifice and the abode of Brahman for all beings. For here, when the vital breaths of a creature are departing, Rudra expounds the ‘tāraka’ Brahman, by which that one becomes immortal and attains liberation (mokṣa). Therefore one should resort to Avimukta alone; one should not abandon Avimukta—thus spoke Yājñavalkya.”

Verse 2

अथ हैनमत्रिः पप्रच्छ याज्ञवल्क्यं—य एषोऽनन्तोऽव्यक्त आत्मा तं कथमहं विजानीयामिति॥ स होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः—सोऽविमुक्त उपास्यो य एषोऽनन्तोऽव्यक्त आत्मा सोऽविमुक्ते प्रतिष्ठित इति॥ सोऽविमुक्तः कस्मिन्प्रतिष...

Then Atri asked Yājñavalkya: “This infinite, unmanifest Self—how may I know it?” Yājñavalkya said: “Avimukta is to be meditated upon; this infinite, unmanifest Self is established in Avimukta.” (Atri asked:) “On what is Avimukta established?” (He replied:) “It is established between Varaṇā and Nāśī.” (Atri asked:) “What indeed is Varaṇā, and what is Nāśī?” (He replied:) “Because it wards off all faults produced by the senses, therefore it is Varaṇā; because it destroys all sins produced by the senses, therefore it is Nāśī.” (Atri asked:) “And what is its location?” (He replied:) “The junction between the eyebrows and the nose—this is the junction of the heavenly world and the world beyond.” This, indeed, is the ‘junction’ (sandhi), the ‘twilight-meditation’ (sandhyā), which knowers of Brahman meditate upon. Avimukta is to be meditated upon. Thus he teaches the knowledge of Avimukta: whoever knows it thus (knows).

Verse 3

अथ हैनं ब्रह्मचारिण ऊचुः—किं जप्येनामृतत्वं ब्रूहीति॥ स होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः—शतरुद्रियेण इति; एतान्येव ह वा अमृतस्य नामानि। एतैर्ह वा अमृतो भवतीति—एवमेवैतद्याज्ञवल्क्यः॥३॥

Then the brahmacārins said to him: “Tell us—by the repetition of what (japa) does one attain immortality?” Yājñavalkya replied: “By the Śatarudriya.” These, indeed, are the names of the Immortal; by these, indeed, one becomes immortal—thus spoke Yājñavalkya.

Verse 4

अथ हैनं जनको वैदेहो याज्ञवल्क्यमुपसमेत्योवाच—भगवन्, संन्यासं ब्रूहीति । स होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः—ब्रह्मचर्यं परिसमाप्य गृही भवेत् । गृही भूत्वा वनी भवेत् । वनी भूत्वा प्रव्रजेत् । यदि वेतरथा ब्रह्मचर्यादे...

Then Janaka of Videha approached Yājñavalkya and said: “Venerable sir, teach me saṃnyāsa, the life of renunciation.” Yājñavalkya replied: “Having completed brahmacarya, one may become a householder; having become a householder, one may become a forest-dweller; having become a forest-dweller, one should go forth as a wandering renunciant. Or else one may go forth directly from studentship, or from the home, or from the forest. Moreover, whether without vows or with vows, whether having taken the graduation bath or not, whether one’s sacred fires have lapsed—on the very day dispassion arises, on that very day one should go forth. Some perform only the Prajāpati-offering; but it should not be done so—one should perform the Agni-offering. For Agni indeed is prāṇa, the life-breath; thus one establishes prāṇa itself. One should perform the Traidhātavīya offering; by it the three constituents—sattva, rajas, and tamas—are symbolically addressed. With the mantra, ‘This is your womb, O priests, from which you were born; from prāṇa you shone forth. Knowing that prāṇa, O Agni, ascend, and increase for us prosperity,’ one should inhale the fragrance of the fire. Prāṇa is indeed the womb of Agni; it is as though it says, ‘Go to prāṇa, svāhā.’ Having brought fire from the village, one should make it ‘smell’ the former fire. If one does not find fire, one should offer into water; for the waters are all the deities. Having offered with, ‘To all the deities I offer, svāhā,’ taking that water one should drink it. This oblation of clarified butter is called the liberation-mantra, the triple Veda—thus one should declare. This is Brahman; this is to be meditated upon. ‘So indeed it is, venerable sir,’ said Yājñavalkya.

Verse 5

अथ हैनमत्रिः पप्रच्छ याज्ञवल्क्यं—पृच्छामि त्वा याज्ञवल्क्य, अयज्ञोपवीती कथं ब्राह्मण इति । स होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः—इदमेवास्य तद्यज्ञोपवीतं य आत्मा । अपः प्राश्याचम्य—अयं विधिः परिव्राजकानाम् । वीराध्वान...

Then Atri asked Yājñavalkya: “I ask you, Yājñavalkya—how is one a brāhmaṇa without the sacred thread (yajñopavīta)?” Yājñavalkya replied: “This itself is his sacred thread: the Self (Ātman). Having drunk water and performed ācamana (ritual sipping)—this is the rule for wandering renunciants, whether on a heroic journey, or in fasting unto death, or in entering water, or in entering fire, or in the great departure. Then the wandering mendicant, wearing faded garments, shaven-headed, without possessions, pure, non-injurious, living on alms, becomes fit for Brahmanhood. If one is ill, one should renounce by mind and speech. This path was known to Brahmā, as received in tradition; by it the saṃnyāsin goes forth as a knower of Brahman—thus spoke the venerable Yājñavalkya.

Verse 6

तत्र परमहंसानामसंवर्तक-कारुणि-श्वेतकेतु-दुर्वास-ऋभु-निदाघ-जड-भरत-दत्तात्रेय-रैवतक-प्रभृतयोऽव्यक्तलिङ्गा अव्यक्ताचारा अनुन्मत्ता उन्मत्तवदाचरन्तः त्रिदण्डं कमण्डलुं शिक्यं पात्रं जलपवित्रं शिखां यज्ञोप...

There, among the paramahaṃsas—such as Asaṃvartaka, Kāruṇi, Śvetaketu, Durvāsas, Ṛbhu, Nidāgha, Jaḍa, Bharata, Dattātreya, Raivataka, and others—they bear unmanifest signs and unmanifest conduct; not mad, yet behaving like the mad. Having cast into water, with the utterance “bhūḥ svāhā,” the triple staff, water-pot, sling-bag, bowl, water-strainer, topknot, and sacred thread—having abandoned all these—one should seek the Self. Like one who wears gold yet is free of knots, without possessions and without clinging—thus, rightly accomplished on the path to Brahman, with mind purified—released at the proper time for the maintenance of the life-breath, practicing alms, making the belly the vessel, equal in gain and non-gain, dwelling without a home in empty houses, temples, haystacks, anthills, at the roots of trees, potters’ sheds, sacrificial houses, riverbanks, mountain caves, caverns, hollows, waterfalls, and bare ground—striving, without “mine,” devoted to pure meditation, established in the inner Self, intent on uprooting inauspicious karma—he relinquishes the body through renunciation. He is called a paramahaṃsa; he is called a paramahaṃsa.