|
Page 1
Arguna said :
Of the worshippers, who thus, constantly devoted, meditate on you, and those who (meditate) on the unperceived and indestructible, which best know devotion?
The Deity said :
Those who being constantly devoted, and possessed of the highest faith, worship me with a mind fixed on me, are deemed by me to be the most devoted. But those, who, restraining the (whole) group of the senses, and with a mind at all times equable, meditate on the indescribable, indestructible, unperceived (principle) which is all-pervading, unthinkable, indifferent 1, immovable, and constant, they, intent on the good of all beings, necessarily attain to me. For those whose minds are attached to the unperceived, the trouble is much greater. Because the unperceived goal 2 is obtained by embodied (beings) with difficulty. As to those, however, O son of Prithâ! who, dedicating all their actions to me, and (holding) me as their highest (goal), worship me, meditating on me with a devotion towards none besides me, and whose minds are fixed on me, I, Without delay, come forward as their deliverer from the ocean of this world of death. Place your mind on me only; fix your understanding on me. In me you will dwell 3 hereafter, (there is) no doubt. But if you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me, then, O Dhanañgaya! endeavour 4 to obtain me by the abstraction of mind (resulting) from continuous meditation 5. If you are unequal even to continuous meditation, then let acts for (propitiating) me be your highest (aim). Even performing actions for (propitiating) me, you will attain perfection. If you are unable to do even this, then resort to devotion 6 to me, and, with self-restraint, abandon all fruit of action. For knowledge is better than continuous meditation; concentration 7 is esteemed higher than knowledge; and the abandonment of fruit of action than concentration; from (that) abandonment, tranquillity soon (results).
Foot Notes :
1. Passively looking on what occurs on earth; immovable = changeless; constant = eternal.
2.. Viz. the indestructible.
3. I. e. assimilated with me, as expressed before.
4. Literally, 'wish.'
5. Cf. supra.
6. Performing actions, but dedicating them to me.
7. Fixing the mind with effort on the object of contemplation. Cf. Maitrî-upanishad.
|
