ON ABANDONMENT OF DESIRE AND ITS RESULT OF TRANQUILLITY.
Argument:--The final lecture to Arjuna on the Peace of mind resulting
from its want of desire.
The Lord said:--Look here, O Arjuna! The great wonder which is manifest
in this subject; it is the appearance of the picture, prior to that
of the plane of the plan upon which it is drawn. (The appearance of
the mind or painting, before that of Viráj or the spirit of God which
exhibits the painting. Gloss).
2. The prominence of the painting and the non-appearance of its basis,
must be as wonderous as the buoyancy of a block of stone, and the
sinking down of gourd shell as is shown in a magic play.
3. The Universe resting in the vacuity of the Divine spirit, appears
as a picture on the tablet of the mind; say then how does this egoism
or self knowledge of your substantiality, arise from the bosom of
the vacuous nullity. (_i.e._ How can substantial spring from the
unsubstantial, or some thing come out of nothing).
4. All these being the vacant production of vacuum, are swallowed up
likewise in the vacuous womb of an infinite vacuity; they are no more
than hollow shadows of emptiness, and stretched out in empty air.
5. This empty air is spread over with the snare of our desires,
stretching as wide as the sphere of these outstretched worlds; it is
the band of our desire that encircles the worlds as their great belt.
6. The world is situated in Brahmá as a reflexion in the mirror, and is
not subject to partition or obliteration; owing to its inherence in its
receptacle, and its identity with the same.
7. The indissoluble vacuum being the nature of Brahma, is inseparable
from his essence; for nobody is ever able to divide the empty air in
twain or remove it from its place.
8. It is owing to your ignorance of this, that your concupiscence has
become congenial with your nature; which it is hard for it to get rid
of, notwithstanding its being fraught with every virtue.
9. He who has sown the smallest seed of desire in the soul of his
heart, is confined as a lion in the cage, though he may be very wise
and learned in all things.
10. The desire which is habitual to one, grows as rank as a thick wood
in his breast; unless it is burnt away in the seed by the knowledge of
truth, when it cannot vegetate any more.
11. This mind is no more inclined to any thing, who has burnt away the
seed of his desire at once; he remains untouched by pleasure and pain,
like the lotus-leaf amidst the water.
12. Now therefore, O Arjuna! do you remain calm and quiet in your
spirit, be undaunted and devoid of all desire in your mind; melt
down the mist of your mental delusion by the heat of your _nirvána_
devotion, and from all that you have learnt from my holy lecture to
you, remain in perfect tranquillity with your reliance in the Supreme
spirit.