"Suka said, 'While living in the due observance of the duties of the
foremost of life, how should one, who seeks to attain to That which is
the highest object of knowledge, set one's soul on Yoga according to the
best of one's power?'

"Vyasa said, 'Having acquired (purity of conduct and body) by the
practice of the first two modes of life, viz., Brahmacharya and
domesticity, one should, after that, set one's soul on Yoga in the third
mode of life. Listen now with concentrated attention to what should be
done for attaining to the highest object of acquisition!The duties included in yama (as explained by the commentator) are universal benevolence, truthfulness, faith, Brahmacharya, and freedom from attachment. Those that are included in niyama are purity (of body and mind), contentment, study of the Vedas, meditation on the Supreme, etc. Swasastra sutra means the sutras of his own sastras--i.e., the duties laid down in respect of that Sannyasa which he has adopted; the chief of which is enquiry after the Soul or Self: Bhutimanta implies Vedic recitation and the sacred thread. He who has taken to Sannyasa should display energy in these, i.e., persistently enquire after the Soul and throw away all caste-marks, and other indications. 'The desirable end' is of course, gradual Emancipation of that obtained at once. Following the commentator, K.P. Singha gives the correct version. The Burdwan version, containing the very words of the gloss, is based upon a complete misconception of their meaning. Having
subdued all faults of the mind and of heart by easy means in the practice
of the first three modes of life (viz., pupilage, domesticity, and
seclusion) one should pass into the most excellent and the most eminent
of all the modes, viz., Sannyasa or Renunciation. Do thou then pass thy
days, having acquired that purity. Listen also to me. One should, alone
and without anybody to assist him or bear him company, practise Yoga for
attaining to success (in respect of one's highest object of acquisition).
One who practises Yoga without companionship, who beholds everything as a
repetition of his own self, and who never discards anything (in
consequence of all things being pervaded by the Universal Soul), never
falls away from Emancipation. Without keeping the sacrificial fires and
without a fixed habitation, such a person should enter a village for only
begging his food. He should provide himself for the day without storing
for the morrow. He should betake himself to penances, with heart fixed on
the Supreme.The commentator correctly explains that by the first line of this verse, Vyasa answers his son's question. The two modes referred to are the first and the second, and not the second and the third as K.P. Singha in his vernacular version wrongly states. Having answered the question, the speaker (in the second line) proceeds to indicate the simple or straight path for reaching the highest object of men's endeavour, viz., Paramartham or Brahma. Eating little and that even under proper regulations,
he should not eat more than once a day. The other indications of a
(religious) mendicant are the human skull, shelter under trees, rags for
wearing, solitude unbroken by the companionship of any one, and
indifference to all creatures.Bhava-samahitah is explained as chitta-samadhanavan. That person into whom words enter
like affrighted elephants into a well, and from whom they never come back
to the speaker, is fit to lead this mode of life which has Emancipation
for its object.The skull is to be used as a drinking vessel. Kuchela, which I render 'rags', is supposed by the commentator to signify reddish or brown cloth which has, from age, lost its colour. The mendicant (or Renouncer) should never take note
of the evil acts of any person. He should never hear what is said in
dispraise of others. Especially should he avoid speaking evil of a
Brahmana. He should always say only what is agreeable to the Brahmanas.
When anything is said in dispraise (of himself), he should (without
answering) remain perfectly silent. Such silence, indeed, is the medical
treatment prescribed for him. That person in consequence of whose single
self the place he occupies becomes like the eastern sky, and who can make
a spot teeming with thousands of men and things appear to himself
perfectly solitary or unoccupied, is regarded by the deities to be a true
Brahmana.Elephants, when hurled into a well, become utterly helpless and unable to come out. That person, therefore, into whom words enter like elephants into a well, is he who answers not the evil speeches of others. What is said here is that only a person of such forbearance should betake himself to mendicancy or Sannyasa. Him the gods know for a Brahmana who clothes himself with
whatever comes by the way, who subsists upon whatever he gets, and who
sleeps on whatever spot he finds. Him the gods know for a Brahmana who is
afraid of company as of a snake; of the full measure of gratification
(from sweet viands and drinks) as of hell; and of women as of a
corpse.I have given a closely literal version of this verse. The commentator explains that first fine refers to the person who deems himself to be everything and everything to be himself. The second line refers to the same individual who, by Yoga, can withdraw his senses and the mind and consequently make the most populous place appear as totally solitary or unoccupied. This is the Yoga process called Pratyahara and is described in section 233 ante. The Burdwan translator gives an incorrect version. K.P. Singha follows the commentator. Him the gods know for a Brahmana who is never glad when
honoured and never angry when insulted, and who has given assurances of
compassion unto all creatures. One in the observance of the last mode of
life should not view death with joy. Nor should he view life with joy. He
should only wait for his hour like a servant waiting for the behest (of
his master). He should purify his heart of all faults. He should purify
his speech of all faults. He should cleanse himself of all sins. As he
has no foes, what fear can assail him? He who fears no creature and whom
no creature fears, can have no fear from any quarter, freed as he is from
error of every kind. As the footprints of all other creatures that move
upon legs are engulfed within those of elephants, after the same manner
all ranks and conditions are absorbed within YogaSuhitya, whence sauhitya, means no satiety but the full measure of gratification from eating. The speaker wishes to lay down that a mendicant or renouncer should never take food to the full measure of gratification. He should eat without completely appeasing his hunger. . After the same
manner, every other duty and observance is supposed to be engulfed within
the one duty of abstention from injury (to all creatures).I follow the commentator in his exposition of kaunjara which he derives as kun (earth or the body which is made of earth) jaravati iti kunjarah, i.e., a Yogin in Samadhi. The sense seems to be that the fruits of Yoga include or absorb the fruits of every other act. The rank and status of Indra himself is absorbed within what is attained to by Yoga. There is no kind of felicity that is not engulfed in the felicity of Emancipation, which Yoga alone can confer. He lives
an everlasting life of felicity who avoids injuring other creatures. One
who abstains from injury, who casts an equal eye upon all creatures, who
is devoted to truth, who is endued with fortitude, who has his senses
under control, and who grants protection to all beings, attains to an end
that is beyond compare. The condition called death succeeds not in
transcending such a person who is content with self-knowledge, who is
free from fear, and who is divested of desire and expectancy. On the
other hand, such a person succeeds in transcending death. Him the gods
know for a Brahmana who is freed from attachments of every kind, who is
observant of penances, who lives like space which while holding
everything is yet unattached to any thing, who has nothing which he calls
his own, who leads a life of solitude, and whose is tranquillity of soul.
The gods know him for a Brahmana whose life is for the practice of
righteousness, whose righteousness is for the good of them that wait
dutifully upon him, and whose days and nights exist only for the
acquisition of merit.The commentator thinks that by the 'one duty of abstention from injury' is implied the fourth mode of life or Sannyasa. What is said, therefore, is that the observance of the single duty of harmlessness includes that of every other duty; or, what amounts to the same thing, the fourth mode of life is singly capable of giving merit which all the others may give together. The gods know him for a Brahmana who is freed
from desire, who never exerts himself for doing such acts as are done by
worldly men, who never bends his head unto any one, who never flatters
another, (and who is free from attachments of every kind). All creatures
are pleased with happiness and filled with fear at the prospect of grief.
The man of faith, therefore, who should feel distressed at the prospect
of filling other creatures with grief, must abstain entirely from acts of
every kind.Haryartham means 'for the sake of Hari.' i.e., one who takes away merit, implying a disciple or attendant. Some texts read Ratyrtham, meaning 'for the happiness (of others).' The gift of assurances of harmlessness unto all
creatures transcends in point of merit all other gifts. He who, at the
outset, forswears the religion of injury, succeeds in attaining to
Emancipation (in which or) whence is the assurance of harmlessness unto
all creatures.Because all acts are fraught with injury to others. Whether 'acts' betaken in its general sense or in the particular sense of 'religious acts,' their character is such. That man who does not pour into his open mouth even
the five or six mouthfuls that are laid down for the forest recluse, is
said to be the navel of the world, and the refuge of the universe. The
head and other limbs, as also the acts good and bad, become possessed by
Fire. Such a man, who sacrifices in his own self, makes a liberation of
his senses and mind into the fire that dwells within the limited space of
his own heart. In consequence again of his pouring such a libation into
such a fire within his own self, the universe with all creatures
including the very gods, becomes gratified.Both the vernacular translators have completely misunderstood the second line of this Verse. The commentator correctly explains that Tikshnam tanum means the religion of injury, i.e., the religion of sacrifices and acts. 'So' for 'sa' is arsha; as also anantyam for anantyam which, of course, implies moksham or Emancipation. The commentator correctly supplies yatah after apnoti and shows that prajabhyah is equivalent to prajanam. The last clause of the second line, therefore, means sa moksham apnoti, yatah prajabhyah (or prajanam) abhayam. The dative, not ablative as the vernacular translators take it, is not bad grammar, although the genitive is more agreeable with usage. They who apprehend the
Jiva-soul that is endued with effulgence, that is enveloped in three
cases, that has three attributes for its characteristics, to be Iswara
partaking of that which is foremost, viz., the nature of the Supreme
Soul, becomes object of great regard in all the worlds. The very gods
with all human beings speak highly of their merits. He who succeeds in
beholding in the soul that resides in his own body all the Vedas, space
and the other objects of perception, the rituals that occur in
scriptures, all those entities that are comprehensible in sound only and
the superior nature of the Supreme Soul, is sought to be worshipped by
the very deities as the foremost of all beings. He who sees in the soul
that resides within his body, that foremost of beings which is not
attached to the earth, which is immeasurable in even the (measureless)
firmament, which is made of gold, which is born of the egg and resides
within the egg, which is equipped with many feathers, and which has two
wings like a bird, and which is rendered effulgent by many rays of light,
is sought to be worshipped by the very deities as the foremost of all
beings.A tentative version is offered here, following the actual words used in the original. The very deities worship him in whose understanding is set
the wheel of Time, which is constantly resolving, which knows no decay,
which swallows up the period of existence of every creature, which has
the six seasons for its naves, which is equipped with two and ten radii
consisting of the two and ten months, which has excellent joint, and
towards whose gaping mouth proceeds this universe (ready to be
devoured).All these expressions apply to the Supreme Soul. Immeasurable in the firmament implies that the Supreme Being is vaster than the firmament. 'Made of gold' means, as the commentator explains, Chit having knowledge only for its attribute.' 'Born of the egg,' i.e., belonging to the universe. 'Within the egg' means 'capable of being apprehended in the heart.' 'Equipped with many feathers,' i.e., having many limbs each of which is presided over by a particular deity. The two wings are absence of attachment or complete dissociation from everything, and joy and gladness and aptitude for enjoyment. 'Rendered effulgent by many rays of light,' i.e., transformed into a living and active agent by means of eyes, cars, etc. The Supreme Soul is the capacious unconsciousness of
dreamless slumber. That Unconsciousness is the body of the universe. It
pervadeth all created things. Jiva, occupying a portion of that capacious
unconsciousness gratifies the deities. These last, being gratified,
gratify the open mouth of that unconsciousness.The sense is that he who understands the wheel of Time is a person worthy of universal regard. The excellent joints of that wheel are the parva days, viz., those sacred lunations on which religious rites are performed. Endued with
effulgence as also with the principle of eternity, Jiva is without a
beginning. It acquires (by following particular paths) infinite regions
of eternal happiness. He of whom no creature is afraid, has never to fear
any creature. He who never does anything censurable and who never
censures another, is said to be a truly regenerate person. Such a man
succeeds in beholding the Supreme Soul. He whose ignorance has been
dispelled and whose sins have been washed away, never enjoys either here
or hereafter the happiness that is enjoyed by others (but attains to
complete Emancipation). A person in the observance of the fourth mode of
life wanders on the earth like one unconnected with everything. Such a
one is freed from wrath and error. Such a one regards a clod of earth and
lump of gold with an equal eye. Such a man never stores anything for his
use. Such a one has no friends and foes. Such a one is utterly regardless
of praise or blame, and of the agreeable and the disagreeable.'"