Chapter XIV: Religion by Separation from the Qualities (Gunatrayavibhagayog)
Yet farther will I open unto theeThis wisdom of all wisdoms, uttermost,The which possessing, all My saints have passedTo perfectness. On such high veritiesReliant, rising into fellowshipWith Me, they are not born again at birthOf Kalpas, nor at Pralyas suffer change!
This Universe the womb is where I plantSeed of all lives! Thence, Prince of India, comesBirth to all beings! Whoso, Kunti's Son!Mothers each mortal form, Brahma conceives,And I am He that fathers, sending seed!
Sattwan, Rajas, and Tamas, so are namedThe qualities of Nature, "Soothfastness,""Passion," and "Ignorance." These three bind downThe changeless Spirit in the changeful flesh.Whereof sweet "Soothfastness," by purityLiving unsullied and enlightened, bindsThe sinless Soul to happiness and truth;And Passion, being kin to appetite,And breeding impulse and propensity,Binds the embodied Soul, O Kunti's Son!By tie of works. But Ignorance, begotOf Darkness, blinding mortal men, binds downTheir souls to stupor, sloth, and drowsiness.Yea, Prince of India! Soothfastness binds soulsIn pleasant wise to flesh; and Passion bindsBy toilsome strain; but Ignorance, which blotsThe beams of wisdom, binds the soul to sloth.Passion and Ignorance, once overcome,Leave Soothfastness, O Bharata! Where thisWith Ignorance are absent, Passion rules;And Ignorance in hearts not good nor quick.When at all gateways of the Body shinesThe Lamp of Knowledge, then may one see wellSoothfastness settled in that city reigns;Where longing is, and ardour, and unrest,Impulse to strive and gain, and avarice,Those spring from Passion--Prince!--engrained; and whereDarkness and dulness, sloth and stupor are,'Tis Ignorance hath caused them, Kuru Chief!
Moreover, when a soul departeth, fixedIn Soothfastness, it goeth to the place--Perfect and pure--of those that know all Truth.If it departeth in set habitudeOf Impulse, it shall pass into the worldOf spirits tied to works; and, if it diesIn hardened Ignorance, that blinded soulIs born anew in some unlighted womb.
The fruit of Soothfastness is true and sweet;The fruit of lusts is pain and toil; the fruitOf Ignorance is deeper darkness. Yea!For Light brings light, and Passion ache to have;And gloom, bewilderments, and ignoranceGrow forth from Ignorance. Those of the firstRise ever higher; those of the second modeTake a mid place; the darkened souls sink backTo lower deeps, loaded with witlessness!
When, watching life, the living man perceivesThe only actors are the Qualities,And knows what rules beyond the Qualities,Then is he come nigh unto Me!
The Soul,Thus passing forth from the Three Qualities--Whereby arise all bodies--overcomesBirth, Death, Sorrow, and Age; and drinketh deepThe undying wine of Amrit.
Oh, my Lord!Which be the signs to know him that hath gonePast the Three Modes? How liveth he? What wayLeadeth him safe beyond the threefold Modes?
He who with equanimity surveysLustre of goodness, strife of passion, slothOf ignorance, not angry if they are,Not wishful when they are not: he who sitsA sojourner and stranger in their midstUnruffled, standing off, saying--serene--When troubles break, "These be the Qualities!"He unto whom--self-centred--grief and joySound as one word; to whose deep-seeing eyesThe clod, the marble, and the gold are one;Whose equal heart holds the same gentlenessFor lovely and unlovely things, firm-set,Well-pleased in praise and dispraise; satisfiedWith honour or dishonour; unto friendsAnd unto foes alike in tolerance;Detached from undertakings,--he is namedSurmounter of the Qualities!
And such--With single, fervent faith adoring Me,Passing beyond the Qualities, conformsTo Brahma, and attains Me!
For I amThat whereof Brahma is the likeness! MineThe Amrit is; and ImmortalityIs mine; and mine perfect Felicity!
Cite this text
Vyāsa (traditional). The Song Celestial. Translated by Edwin Arnold. 1885. Chapter XIV: Religion by Separation from the Qualities. The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society. https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/texts/song-celestial-arnold/chapter-14.
Vyāsa (traditional), The Song Celestial, trans. Edwin Arnold (1885), chapter XIV: Religion by Separation from the Qualities, The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/texts/song-celestial-arnold/chapter-14.
Vyāsa (traditional). The Song Celestial. Translated by Edwin Arnold, 1885. Chapter XIV: Religion by Separation from the Qualities. The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/texts/song-celestial-arnold/chapter-14.
@book{song-celestial-arnold-chapter-14, author = {Vyāsa (traditional)}, title = {{The Song Celestial}}, translator = {Edwin Arnold}, year = {1885}, note = {Chapter XIV: Religion by Separation from the Qualities}, howpublished = {The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society}, url = {https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/texts/song-celestial-arnold/chapter-14} }