Chapter 5 of 19

Chapter IV: The Religion of Knowledge

第四章　知識の宗教

Krishna. This deathless Yoga, this deep union, I taught Vivaswata,[FN#6] the Lord of Light; Vivaswata to Manu gave it; he To Ikshwaku; so passed it down the line Of all my royal Rishis. Then, with years, The truth grew dim and perished, noble Prince! Now once again to thee it is declared-- This ancient lore, this mystery supreme-- Seeing I find thee votary and friend.

クリシュナ：この不死のヨーガ、この深き合一を、私はヴィヴァスヴァット、光の主に教えました。ヴィヴァスヴァットはマヌに伝え、マヌはイクシュヴァークに語りました。かくて代々の王たちはこれを受け継いで知りました。されど長き時を経てこのヨーガはこの世から失われたのです、敵を焼く者よ！今日ふたたび私が汝に告げるのはその古き道、この至高の秘密なのです。汝は私の信奉者であり、わが友であるがゆえに。

Arjuna. Thy birth, dear Lord, was in these later days, And bright Vivaswata's preceded time! How shall I comprehend this thing thou sayest, "From the beginning it was I who taught?"

アルジュナ：親しき主よ、あなたの誕生はこれらの後の時代のことですが、輝くヴィヴァスヴァットの時代ははるか太古のこと！いかにして理解すればよいのですか、あなたが初めにこの教えを説いたということを？

Krishna. Manifold the renewals of my birth Have been, Arjuna! and of thy births, too! But mine I know, and thine thou knowest not, O Slayer of thy Foes! Albeit I be Unborn, undying, indestructible, The Lord of all things living; not the less-- By Maya, by my magic which I stamp On floating Nature-forms, the primal vast-- I come, and go, and come. When Righteousness Declines, O Bharata! when Wickedness Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take Visible shape, and move a man with men, Succouring the good, thrusting the evil back, And setting Virtue on her seat again. Who knows the truth touching my births on earth And my divine work, when he quits the flesh Puts on its load no more, falls no more down To earthly birth: to Me he comes, dear Prince! Many there be who come! from fear set free, From anger, from desire; keeping their hearts Fixed upon me--my Faithful--purified By sacred flame of Knowledge. Such as these Mix with my being. Whoso worship me, Them I exalt; but all men everywhere Shall fall into my path; albeit, those souls Which seek reward for works, make sacrifice Now, to the lower gods. I say to thee Here have they their reward. But I am He Made the Four Castes, and portioned them a place After their qualities and gifts. Yea, I Created, the Reposeful; I that live Immortally, made all those mortal births: For works soil not my essence, being works Wrought uninvolved.[FN#7] Who knows me acting thus Unchained by action, action binds not him; And, so perceiving, all those saints of old Worked, seeking for deliverance. Work thou As, in the days gone by, thy fathers did.

クリシュナ：幾度となく繰り返されてきたのだ、わが誕生は、アルジュナよ！そして汝の誕生も！だが私のものは私が知り、汝のものは汝が知らぬ。生まれることなく、不滅の魂なる私が、これらすべての被造物の主なる私が、わが自然を統べてなおここに顕現するのはわが不思議な力による。まことに、法が衰え不法がはびこるとき、アルジュナよ！そのつど私は己を顕す。善き者を守り、悪しき者を滅ぼし、法を確立するために、時代から時代へと私は生まれ来る。この私の神聖なる生と行いの真理を知る者は、肉体を離れるとき、ふたたび生まれることはなく、私のもとに来る、アルジュナよ！情念から、恐怖から、怒りから解き放たれ、思いを私に満たし、私に依り頼み、知恵の炎の苦行によって清められ、多くの者が私の存在のうちに入ったのです。人々がいかなる道で私のもとに来ようとも、その道のすべてにおいて私は彼らを迎える。どこを歩もうとも、プリターの子よ！それは私の道なのだ。

Thou sayst, perplexed, It hath been asked before By singers and by sages, "What is act, And what inaction? "I will teach thee this, And, knowing, thou shalt learn which work doth save Needs must one rightly meditate those three-- Doing,--not doing,--and undoing. Here Thorny and dark the path is! He who sees How action may be rest, rest action--he Is wisest 'mid his kind; he hath the truth! He doeth well, acting or resting. Freed In all his works from prickings of desire, Burned clean in act by the white fire of truth, The wise call that man wise; and such an one, Renouncing fruit of deeds, always content. Always self-satisfying, if he works, Doth nothing that shall stain his separate soul, Which--quit of fear and hope--subduing self-- Rejecting outward impulse--yielding up To body's need nothing save body, dwells Sinless amid all sin, with equal calm Taking what may befall, by grief unmoved, Unmoved by joy, unenvyingly; the same In good and evil fortunes; nowise bound By bond of deeds. Nay, but of such an one, Whose crave is gone, whose soul is liberate, Whose heart is set on truth--of such an one What work he does is work of sacrifice, Which passeth purely into ash and smoke Consumed upon the altar! All's then God! The sacrifice is Brahm, the ghee and grain Are Brahm, the fire is Brahm, the flesh it eats Is Brahm, and unto Brahm attaineth he Who, in such office, meditates on Brahm. Some votaries there be who serve the gods With flesh and altar-smoke; but other some Who, lighting subtler fires, make purer rite With will of worship. Of the which be they Who, in white flame of continence, consume Joys of the sense, delights of eye and ear, Forgoing tender speech and sound of song: And they who, kindling fires with torch of Truth, Burn on a hidden altar-stone the bliss Of youth and love, renouncing happiness: And they who lay for offering there their wealth, Their penance, meditation, piety, Their steadfast reading of the scrolls, their lore Painfully gained with long austerities: And they who, making silent sacrifice, Draw in their breath to feed the flame of thought, And breathe it forth to waft the heart on high, Governing the ventage of each entering air Lest one sigh pass which helpeth not the soul: And they who, day by day denying needs, Lay life itself upon the altar-flame, Burning the body wan. Lo! all these keep The rite of offering, as if they slew Victims; and all thereby efface much sin. Yea! and who feed on the immortal food Left of such sacrifice, to Brahma pass, To The Unending. But for him that makes No sacrifice, he hath nor part nor lot Even in the present world. How should he share Another, O thou Glory of thy Line?

汝は困惑して問う。古の歌い手や聖者たちも問うた、「行為とは何か、無為とは何か？」と。今こそ汝に行為の何たるかを告げよう。それを知らば、汝は一切の悪より解き放たれる。行為の道は深い。まことの行為、誤りの行為、そして無為を正しく理解すべきである！行為の中に無為を見、無為の中に行為を見る者―― その者は人の中の賢者であり、すべての行いにおいてヨーガに適い、真に行為する者である。一切の企図から欲望の扇動が消え去り、知恵の炎に行為が焼かれた者を達人たちは賢者と呼ぶ。行為の果実への執着を手放し、常に満ち足りて何にも依らぬ者、行為の中にあってなおまったく行為しないのである。期待を捨て、思考を治め、所有を退け、肉体のみによって行為する者は罪に汚されない。来たるものに満ち足りて、苦楽の彼岸に在り、妬みなく、成功にも失敗にも平静なる者は、行為しつつも束縛されない。

In sight of Brahma all these offerings Are spread and are accepted! Comprehend That all proceed by act; for knowing this, Thou shalt be quit of doubt. The sacrifice Which Knowledge pays is better than great gifts Offered by wealth, since gifts' worth--O my Prince! Lies in the mind which gives, the will that serves: And these are gained by reverence, by strong search, By humble heed of those who see the Truth And teach it. Knowing Truth, thy heart no more Will ache with error, for the Truth shall show All things subdued to thee, as thou to Me. Moreover, Son of Pandu! wert thou worst Of all wrong-doers, this fair ship of Truth Should bear thee safe and dry across the sea Of thy transgressions. As the kindled flame Feeds on the fuel till it sinks to ash, So unto ash, Arjuna! unto nought The flame of Knowledge wastes works' dross away! There is no purifier like thereto In all this world, and he who seeketh it Shall find it--being grown perfect--in himself. Believing, he receives it when the soul Masters itself, and cleaves to Truth, and comes-- Possessing knowledge--to the higher peace, The uttermost repose. But those untaught, And those without full faith, and those who fear Are shent; no peace is here or other where, No hope, nor happiness for whoso doubts. He that, being self-contained, hath vanquished doubt, Disparting self from service, soul from works, Enlightened and emancipate, my Prince! Works fetter him no more! Cut then atwain With sword of wisdom, Son of Bharata! This doubt that binds thy heart-beats! cleave the bond Born of thy ignorance! Be bold and wise! Give thyself to the field with me! Arise!

ブラフマーの視座において、これらの供犠はすべて捧げられ、受け入れられる！理解せよ、すべてはブラフマーの行為より生じ、ブラフマーは不滅のものより生ずると。されば永遠に遍在するブラフマーは常に祭祀のうちにある。多くの祭祀がある。ある者は天の神々への供犠として供物を捧げ、ある者はブラフマーの炎に祭祀そのものを祭祀として献ずる。ある者は自制という祭祀を行い、感覚の門を閉ざして聴覚その他を犠牲とする。またある者は感覚の対象をその犠牲とし、ヨーガの炎によって灯す。またある者は財を、あるいは苦行を、瞑想を、聖典の学習を供犠とする。厳格な誓いの者は呼吸の制御を行い、吸う息を吐く息に、吐く息を吸う息に注ぎ込む。これらすべての供犠は祭祀の意味を知る者であり、その罪は祭祀によって浄められる。祭祀の残りの甘露を食す者は永遠のブラフマーに至る。この世さえ祭祀なくしては得られない。まして彼方の世界は。かくの如く種々の祭祀がブラフマーの口に広がっている。それらすべてが行為より生ずると知れ。かく知れば汝は解き放たれるだろう。物質の供犠よりも知識の祭祀が勝る。すべての行為は残らず知識に帰結するのだ、プリターの子よ！師に身を屈め、問いを発し、仕えることによってそれを学ぶがよい。真理を見たる者、賢者たちが汝に知識を教えるだろう。それを知れば、パーンダヴァよ！もはや汝がかかる惑いに陥ることはない。すべての存在を余すところなく己の中に、そして我が中に見るゆえに。たとえ汝がすべての罪人の中の最も罪深き者であっても、知恵の舟によって一切の罪の海を渡るだろう。燃えさかる炎が薪を灰に帰すように、アルジュナよ！知恵の炎はすべての行為を灰に帰す。まことに、この世に知恵に等しき浄化の力はない。ヨーガに熟達した者は時至ればおのずと己の中にそれを見出す。信あり、精進し、感覚を治めたる者は知恵を得る。知恵を得た者はたちまちにして至上の平安に至る。だが信なき者、疑う者は滅びる。疑う魂にはこの世もなく、彼方の世もなく、幸もない。行為をヨーガによって手放し、疑いを知恵によって断ち切った自在なる者は、行為に束縛されない、ダナンジャヤよ！されば、無知より心に生じたこの疑いを、知恵の剣をもって断ち切れ。ヨーガに依れ、アルジュナよ！立て！