Chapter Three (तृतीयोऽध्यायः॥)
शुभेन कर्मणा स्वर्गं निरयं च विकर्मणा। मिथ्याज्ञानेन च तमो ज्ञानेनैव परं पदम् ॥१॥
śubhēna karmaṇā svargaṁ nirayaṁ ca vikarmaṇā। mithyājñānēna ca tamō jñānēnaiva paraṁ padam ॥1॥
[शुभेन (śubhēna) - through good; कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - action; स्वर्गम् (svargam) - to heaven; निरयम् (nirayam) - to hell; च (ca) - and; विकर्मणा (vikarmaṇā) - through wrongful action; मिथ्याज्ञानेन (mithyājñānēna) - through false knowledge; च (ca) - and; तमः (tamaḥ) - to darkness; ज्ञानेन + एव (jñānēna + ēva) - through knowledge alone; परम् (param) - supreme; पदम् (padam) - to the abode;]
याति तस्माद्विरक्तः सन् ज्ञानमेव समाश्रयेत्। सर्वावस्थाप्रेरकश्च सर्वरूपेष्वभेदवान् ॥२॥
yāti tasmādviraktaḥ san jñānamēva samāśrayēt। sarvāvasthāprērakaśca sarvarūpēṣvabhēdavān ॥2॥
[याति (yāti) - attains it; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; विरक्तः (viraktaḥ) - detached; सन् (san) - being; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; एव (ēva) - alone; समाश्रयेत् (samāśrayēt) - should resort to; सर्व-अवस्था-प्रेरकः (sarva-avasthā-prērakaḥ) - the impeller in every state; च (ca) - and; सर्व-रूपेषु (sarva-rūpēṣu) - in all forms; अभेदवान् (abhēdavān) - possessing non-difference;]
सर्वदेशेषु कालेषु स एकः परमेश्वरः। तद्भक्तितारतम्येन तारतम्यं विमुक्तिगम्॥३॥
sarvadēśēṣu kālēṣu sa ēkaḥ paramēśvaraḥ। tadbhaktitāratamyēna tāratamyaṁ vimuktigam॥3॥
[सर्व + देशेषु (sarva + dēśēṣu) - in all places; कालेषु (kālēṣu) - at all times; सः (saḥ) - he; एकः (ēkaḥ) - one; परमेश्वरः (paramēśvaraḥ) - the Supreme Lord; तद् + भक्ति + तारतम्येन (tad + bhakti + tāratamyēna) - in accordance with the gradation of devotion to him; तारतम्यम् (tāratamyam) - gradation; विमुक्तिगम् (vimuktigam) - extending into liberation;]
One attains heaven through good action, hell through wrongful action, darkness through false knowledge, and the supreme abode through knowledge alone. Therefore, being detached, one should resort to knowledge alone. The impeller in every state, possessing non-difference in all forms, is the one Supreme Lord in all places and at all times. In accordance with the gradation of devotion to him, there is a gradation extending into liberation.(1-3)
सच्चिदानन्द आत्मेति मानुषैस्तु सुरेश्वरैः। यथाक्रमं बहुगुणैर्ब्रह्मणा त्वखिलैर्गुणैः ॥४॥
saccidānanda ātmēti mānuṣaistu surēśvaraiḥ। yathākramaṁ bahuguṇairbrahmaṇā tvakhilairguṇaiḥ ॥4॥
[सत् + चित् + आनन्दः (sat + cit + ānandaḥ) - existence, consciousness, and bliss; आत्मा + इति (ātmā + iti) - as the Self; मानुषैः (mānuṣaiḥ) - by human beings; तु (tu) - however; सुरेश्वरैः (surēśvaraiḥ) - by the lords of the gods; यथाक्रमम् (yathākramam) - in due gradation; बहु + गुणैः (bahu + guṇaiḥ) - with many attributes; ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by Brahmā; तु (tu) - but; अखिलैः + गुणैः (akhilaiḥ + guṇaiḥ) - with all attributes;]
उपास्यः सर्वदेवैश्च सर्वैरपि यथा बलम्। ज्ञेयो विष्णुर्विशेषस्तु ज्ञाने स्यादुत्तरोत्तरम् ॥५॥
upāsyaḥ sarvadēvaiśca sarvairapi yathā balam। jñēyō viṣṇurviśēṣastu jñānē syāduttarōttaram ॥5॥
[उपास्यः (upāsyaḥ) - to be worshipped; सर्वदेवैः (sarvadēvaiḥ) - by all the gods; च (ca) - and; सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ) - by everyone; अपि (api) - indeed; यथा बलम् (yathā balam) - according to capacity; ज्ञेयः (jñēyaḥ) - to be known; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; विशेषः (viśēṣaḥ) - degree of distinction; तु (tu) - but; ज्ञाने (jñānē) - in knowledge; स्यात् (syāt) - should be; उत्तरोत्तरम् (uttarōttaram) - successively greater;]
Viṣṇu is to be worshipped by human beings as the Self that is existence, consciousness, and bliss; by the lords of the gods, with many attributes in due gradation; by Brahmā, with all attributes; and by all the gods—and indeed by everyone—according to their capacity. He is to be known, but the degree of distinction in knowledge should be successively greater. (4-5)
सर्वेऽपि पुरुषार्थास्युः ज्ञानादेव न संशयः। न लिप्यते ज्ञानावांश्च सर्वदोषैरपि क्वचित् ॥६॥
sarvē’pi puruṣārthāsyuḥ jñānādēva na saṁśayaḥ। na lipyatē jñānāvāṁśca sarvadōṣairapi kvacit ॥6॥
[सर्वे + अपि (sarvē + api) - all indeed; पुरुषार्थाः (puruṣārthāḥ) - goals of human life; स्युः (syuḥ) - would arise; ज्ञानात् + एव (jñānāt + ēva) - from knowledge alone; न (na) - no; संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - doubt; न (na) - not; लिप्यते (lipyatē) - is tainted; ज्ञानवान् + च (jñānavān + ca) - and one possessed of knowledge; सर्व-दोषैः + अपि (sarva-dōṣaiḥ + api) - even by all faults; क्वचित् (kvacit) - ever;]
All the goals of human life arise from knowledge alone—there is no doubt. And one possessed of knowledge is never tainted even by all faults. (6)
गुणदोषैः सुखस्यापि वृद्धिह्रासौ विमुक्तिगौ। नृणां सुराणां मुक्तौ तु सुखं क्लृप्तं यथाक्रमम् ॥७॥
guṇadōṣaiḥ sukhasyāpi vr̥ddhihrāsau vimuktigau। nr̥ṇāṁ surāṇāṁ muktau tu sukhaṁ klr̥ptaṁ yathākramam ॥7॥
[गुण + दोषैः (guṇa + dōṣaiḥ) - by good qualities and defects; सुखस्य (sukhasya) - of happiness; अपि (api) - even; वृद्धि + ह्रासौ (vr̥ddhi + hrāsau) - increase and diminution; विमुक्ति + गौ (vimukti + gau) - occurring in liberation; नृणाम् (nr̥ṇām) - of human beings; सुराणाम् (surāṇām) - of gods; मुक्तौ (muktau) - in liberation; तु (tu) - however; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; क्लृप्तम् (klr̥ptam) - allotted; यथाक्रमम् (yathākramam) - according to rank;]
In liberation, even happiness increases or diminishes according to good qualities and defects; the happiness of human beings and gods is allotted according to rank. (7)
॥इति तृतीयोऽध्यायः॥
॥iti tr̥tīyō’dhyāyaḥ॥
[इति (iti) - thus ends; तृतीयः अध्यायः (tr̥tīyaḥ adhyāyaḥ) - the third chapter;]
Thus ends the third chapter.
