"'Bhishma said, "In this connection is cited the old narrative of the
discourse that took place between Narada and Asita-Devala. Once on a time
Narada, beholding that foremost of intelligent men, viz., Devala of
venerable years, seated at his ease, questioned him about the origin and
the destruction of all creatures."
"'"Narada said, 'Whence, O Brahmana, hath this universe, consisting of
mobile and immobile objects, been created? When again doth the
all-embracing destruction come, into whom doth it merge? Let thy learned
self discourse to me on this.'
"'"Asita said, 'Those from which the Supreme Soul, when the time comes,
moved by the desire of existence in manifold forms, creates all
creatures, are said by persons conversant with objects to be the five
great essences.[1309] (After this) Time, impelled by the Understanding
creates other objects from those (five primal essences).[1310] He that
says that there is anything else besides these (i.e., the five primal
essences, Kala, and the Understanding), says what is not true. Know, O
Narada, that these five are eternal, indestructible, and without
beginning and without end. With Kala as their sixth, these five primal
essences are naturally possessed of mighty energy. Water, Space, Earth,
Wind, and Heat,--these are those five essences. Without doubt, there is
nothing higher or superior to these (in point of puissance or energy).
The existence of nothing else (than five) can be affirmed by any one
agreeably to the conclusions derivable from the Srutis or arguments drawn
from reason. If any one does assert the existence of anything else, then
his assertion would verily be idle or vain. Know that these six enter
into the production of all effects. That of which are all these (which
thou perceivest) is called Asat.[1311] These five, and Kala (or Jiva),
the potencies of past acts, and ignorance,--these eight eternal essences
are the causes of the birth and destruction of all creatures.[1312] When
creatures are destroyed it is into these that they enter; and when they
take birth, it is again from them they do so. Indeed, after destruction,
a creature resolves itself into those five primal essences. His body is
made of earth; his ear has its origin in space; his eye hath light for
its cause; his life (motion) is of wind, and his blood is of water,
without doubt. The two eyes, the nose, the two ears, the skin, and the
tongue (constituting the fifth), are the senses. These, the learned know,
exist for perception of their respective objects.[1313] Vision, hearing,
smelling, touching, and tasting are the functions of the senses. The five
senses are concerned with five objects in five ways. Know, by the
inference of reason, their similitude of attributes.[1314] Form, scent,
taste, touch, and sound, are the five properties that are (respectively)
apprehended by the five senses in five different ways. These five
properties, viz., form, scent, taste, touch, and sound, are not really
apprehended by the _senses_ (for these are inert), but it is the Soul
that apprehends them _through_ the senses. That which is called Chitta is
superior to the multitude of senses. Superior to Chitta is Manas.
Superior to Manas is Buddhi, and superior to Buddhi is Kshetrajna.[1315]
At first a living creature perceives different objects through the
senses. With Manas he reflects over them, and then with the aid of Buddhi
he arrives at certitude of knowledge. Possessed of Buddhi, one arrives at
certainty of conclusions in respect of objects perceived through the
senses. The five senses, Chitta, Mind and Understanding (which is the
eighth in the tale),--these are regarded as organs of knowledge by those
conversant with the science of Adhyatma. The hands, the feet, the anal
duct, the membrum virile, the mouth (forming the fifth in the tale),
constitute the five organs of action. The mouth is spoken of as an organ
of action because it contains the apparatus of speech, and that of
eating. The feet are organs of locomotion and the hands for doing various
kinds of work. The anal duct and the membrum virile are two organs that
exist for a similar purpose, viz., for evacuation. The first is for
evacuation of stools, the second for that of urine as also of the vital
seed when one feels the influence of desire. Besides these, there is a
sixth organ of action. It is called muscular power. These then are the
names of the six organs of action according to the (approved) treatises
bearing on the subject. I have now mentioned to thee the names of all the
organs of knowledge and of action, and all the attributes of the five
(primal) essences.[1316] When in consequence of the organs being
fatigued, they cease to perform their respective functions, the owner of
those organs, because of their suspension, is said to sleep. If, when the
functions of these organs are suspended, the functions of the mind do not
cease, but on the other hand the mind continues to concern itself with
its objects, the condition of consciousness is called Dream. During
wakefulness there are three states of the mind, viz., that connected with
Goodness, that with Passion, and that with Darkness. In dream also the
mind becomes concerned with the same three states. Those very states,
when they appear in dreams, connected with pleasurable actions, come to
be regarded with applause. Happiness, success, knowledge, and absence of
attachment are the indications of (the wakeful man in whom is present)
the attribute of Goodness. Whatever states (of Goodness, Passion, or
Darkness) are experienced by living creatures, as exhibited in acts,
during their hours of Wakefulness, reappear in memory during their hours
of sleep when they dream. The passage of our notions as they exist during
wakefulness into those of dreams, and that of notions as they exist in
dreams into those of wakefulness, become directly apprehensible in that
state of consciousness which is called dreamless slumber. That is
eternal, and that is desirable.[1317] There are five organs of knowledge,
and five of actions; with muscular power, mind, understanding, and
Chitta, and with also the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas,
the tale, it has been said, comes up to seventeen. The eighteenth in the
enumeration is he who owneth the body, Indeed, he who lives in this body
is eternal. All those seventeen (with Avidya or Ignorance making
eighteen), dwelling in the body, exist attached to him who owns the body.
When the owner disappears from the body, those eighteen (counting Avidya)
cease to dwell together in the body. Or, this body made up of the five
(primal) essences is only a combination (that must dissolve away). The
eighteen attributes (including Avidya), with him that owneth the body,
and counting stomachic heat numbering twentieth in the tale, form that
which is known as the Combination of the Five. There is a Being called
Mahat, which, with the aid of the wind (called Prana), upholds this
combination containing the twenty things that have been named, and in the
matter of the destruction of that body the wind (which is generally
spoken of as the cause) is only the instrument in the hands of that same
Mahat. Whatever creature is born is resolved once more into the five
constituent elements upon the exhaustion of his merits and demerits; and
urged again by the merits and demerits won in that life enters into
another body resulting from his acts.[1318] His abodes always resulting
from Avidya, desire, and acts, he migrates from body to body, abandoning
one after another repeatedly, urged on by Time, like a person abandoning
house after house in succession. They that are wise, and endued with
certainty of knowledge, do not give way to grief upon beholding this
(migration). Only they that are foolish, erroneously supposing
relationships (where relationship in reality there is none) indulge in
grief at sight of such changes of abode. This Jiva is no one's relation;
there is none again that may be said to belong to him. He is always
alone, and he himself creates his own body and his own happiness and
misery. This Jiva is never born, nor doth he ever die. Freed from the
bond of body, he succeeds sometimes in attaining to the highest end.
Deprived of body, because freed through the exhaustion of acts from
bodies that are the results of merits and demerits, Jiva at last attains
to Brahma. For the exhaustion of both merits and demerits, Knowledge has
been ordained as the cause in the Sankhya school. Upon the exhaustion of
merit and demerit, when Jiva attains to the status of Brahma,[1319] (they
that are learned in the scriptures) behold (with the eye of the
scriptures) the attainment of Jiva to the highest end.'"'"