॥ अष्टमोऽध्यायः ॥
अथ यदिदमस्मिन्ब्रह्मपुरे दहरं पुण्डरीकं वेश्म दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाशस्तस्मिन्यदन्तस्तदन्वेष्टव्यं तद्वाव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति ॥ ८.१.१ ॥

|| aṣṭamo’dhyāyaḥ ||
atha yadidamasminbrahmapure daharaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ veśma daharo’sminnantarākāśastasminyadantastadanveṣṭavyaṃ tadvāva vijijñāsitavyamiti || 8.1.1 ||

1. Om. This body is the city of Brahman. Within it is an abode in the shape of a lotus [i.e., the heart], and within that there is a small space. One must search within this space and earnestly desire to know what is there.

तं चेद्ब्रूयुर्यदिदमस्मिन्ब्रह्मपुरे दहरं पुण्डरीकं वेश्म दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाशः किं तदत्र विद्यते यदन्वेष्टव्यं यद्वाव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति स ब्रूयात् ॥ ८.१.२ ॥

taṃ cedbrūyuryadidamasminbrahmapure daharaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ veśma daharo’sminnantarākāśaḥ kiṃ tadatra vidyate yadanveṣṭavyaṃ yadvāva vijijñāsitavyamiti sa brūyāt || 8.1.2 ||

2. If the disciples ask, ‘This body is the city of Brahman; within it is an abode in the shape of a lotus [i.e., the heart], and within that there is a small space; what is it that one must search for within this space, and what should one earnestly desire to know?’—the teacher should reply:

यावान्वा अयमाकाशस्तावानेषोऽन्तर्हृदय अकाश उभे अस्मिन्द्यावापृथिवी अन्तरेव समाहिते उभावग्निश्च वायुश्च सूर्याचन्द्रमसावुभौ विद्युन्नक्षत्राणि यच्चास्येहास्ति यच्च नास्ति सर्वं तदस्मिन्समाहितमिति ॥ ८.१.३ ॥

yāvānvā ayamākāśastāvāneṣo’ntarhṛdaya akāśa ubhe asmindyāvāpṛthivī antareva samāhite ubhāvagniśca vāyuśca sūryācandramasāvubhau vidyunnakṣatrāṇi yaccāsyehāsti yacca nāsti sarvaṃ tadasminsamāhitamiti || 8.1.3 ||

3. [The teacher replies:] ‘The space in the heart is as big as the space outside. Heaven and earth are both within it, so also fire and air, the sun and the moon, lightning and the stars. Everything exists within that space in the embodied self—whatever it has or does not have’.

तं चेद्ब्रूयुरस्मिंश्चेदिदं ब्रह्मपुरे सर्वं समाहितं सर्वाणि च भूतानि सर्वे च कामा यदैतज्जरा वाप्नोति प्रध्वंसते वा किं ततोऽतिशिष्यत इति ॥ ८.१.४ ॥

taṃ cedbrūyurasmiṃścedidaṃ brahmapure sarvaṃ samāhitaṃ sarvāṇi ca bhūtāni sarve ca kāmā yadaitajjarā vāpnoti pradhvaṃsate vā kiṃ tato’tiśiṣyata iti || 8.1.4 ||

4. If the disciples ask the teacher, ‘If in this body [brahmapura] are all this, all things, and all desires, is there anything left behind when the body gets old or perishes?’—

स ब्रूयात्नास्य जरयैतज्जीर्यति न वधेनास्य हन्यत एतत्सत्यं ब्रह्मपुरमस्मिकामाः समाहिताः एष आत्मापहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युर्विशोको विजिघत्सोऽपिपासः सत्यकामः सत्यसंकल्पो यथा ह्येवेह प्रजा अन्वाविशन्ति यथानुशासनम् यं यमन्तमभिकामा भवन्ति यं जनपदं यं क्षेत्रभागं तं तमेवोपजीवन्ति ॥ ८.१.५ ॥

sa brūyātnāsya jarayaitajjīryati na vadhenāsya hanyata etatsatyaṃ brahmapuramasmikāmāḥ samāhitāḥ eṣa ātmāpahatapāpmā vijaro vimṛtyurviśoko vijighatso’pipāsaḥ satyakāmaḥ satyasaṃkalpo yathā hyeveha prajā anvāviśanti yathānuśāsanam yaṃ yamantamabhikāmā bhavanti yaṃ janapadaṃ yaṃ kṣetrabhāgaṃ taṃ tamevopajīvanti || 8.1.5 ||

5.—in reply the teacher will say: ‘The body may decay due to old age, but the space within [i.e., brahmapura] never decays. Nor does it perish with the death of the body. This is the real abode of Brahman. All our desires are concentrated in it. It is the Self—free from all sins as well as from old age, death, bereavement, hunger, and thirst. It is the cause of love of Truth and the cause of dedication to Truth. If a person strictly follows whatever the ruler of the country commands, he may then get as a reward some land, or even an estate’.

तद्यथेह कर्मजितो लोकः क्षीयत एवमेवामुत्र पुण्यजितो लोकः क्षीयते तद्य इहात्मानमनुविद्य व्रजन्त्येतांश्च सत्यान्कामांस्तेषां सर्वेषु लोकेष्वकामचारो भवत्यथ य इहात्मानमनिवुद्य व्रजन्त्येतंश्च सत्यान्कामांस्तेषां सर्वेषु लोकेषु कामचारो भवति ॥ ८.१.६ ॥
॥ इति प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

tadyatheha karmajito lokaḥ kṣīyata evamevāmutra puṇyajito lokaḥ kṣīyate tadya ihātmānamanuvidya vrajantyetāṃśca satyānkāmāṃsteṣāṃ sarveṣu lokeṣvakāmacāro bhavatyatha ya ihātmānamanivudya vrajantyetaṃśca satyānkāmāṃsteṣāṃ sarveṣu lokeṣu kāmacāro bhavati || 8.1.6 ||
|| iti prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||

6. Everything perishes, whether it is something you have acquired through hard work in this world or it is a place in the other world which you have acquired through meritorious deeds. Those who leave this world without knowing the Self and the Truths which they should know are not free, no matter where they go. But those who leave this world after knowing the Self and the Truths which they should know are free, no matter where they are.

स यदि पितृलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य पितरः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन पितृलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.१ ॥

sa yadi pitṛlokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya pitaraḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena pitṛlokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.1 ||

1. If that person wishes to be in the company of his forefathers, they appear before him as he wishes. Joining his forefathers in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि मातृलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य मातरः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन मातृलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.२ ॥

atha yadi mātṛlokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya mātaraḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena mātṛlokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.2 ||

2. Then if he wishes to be in the company of mothers, they appear before him as he wishes. Joining the mothers in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि भ्रातृलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य भ्रातरः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन भ्रातृलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.३ ॥

atha yadi bhrātṛlokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya bhrātaraḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena bhrātṛlokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.3 ||

3. Then if he wishes to be in the company of brothers, they appear before him as he wishes. Joining the brothers in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि स्वसृलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य स्वसारः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन स्वसृलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.४ ॥

atha yadi svasṛlokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya svasāraḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena svasṛlokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.4 ||

4. Then if he wishes to be in the company of sisters, they appear before him as he wishes. Joining the sisters in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि सखिलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य सखायः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन सखिलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.५ ॥

atha yadi sakhilokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya sakhāyaḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena sakhilokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.5 ||

5. Then if he wishes to be in the company of friends, they appear before him as he wishes. Joining friends in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि गन्धमाल्यलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य गन्धमाल्ये समुत्तिष्ठतस्तेन गन्धमाल्यलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.६ ॥

atha yadi gandhamālyalokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya gandhamālye samuttiṣṭhatastena gandhamālyalokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.6 ||

6. Then if he wishes for a world of fragrant flower garlands, they appear before him as he wishes. By having fragrant flower garlands in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यद्यन्नपानलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्यान्नपाने समुत्तिष्ठतस्तेनान्नपानलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.७ ॥

atha yadyannapānalokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsyānnapāne samuttiṣṭhatastenānnapānalokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.7 ||

7. Then if he wishes for a world of food and drink, they appear before him as he wishes. By having food and drink in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि गीतवादित्रलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य गीतवादित्रे समुत्तिष्ठतस्तेन गीतवादित्रलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.८ ॥

atha yadi gītavāditralokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya gītavāditre samuttiṣṭhatastena gītavāditralokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.8 ||

8. Then if he wishes for a world of music, that world appears to him as he wishes. By enjoying music in that world, he becomes great.

अथ यदि स्त्रीलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य स्त्रियः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन स्त्रीलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.९ ॥

atha yadi strīlokakāmo bhavati saṃkalpādevāsya striyaḥ samuttiṣṭhanti tena strīlokena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.9 ||

9. Then if he wishes for the company of women, they appear before him as he wishes. Being with women in that world, he becomes great.

यं यमन्तमभिकामो भवति यं कामं कामयते सोऽस्य संकल्पादेव समुत्तिष्ठति तेन सम्पन्नो महीयते ॥ ८.२.१० ॥
॥ इति द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

yaṃ yamantamabhikāmo bhavati yaṃ kāmaṃ kāmayate so’sya saṃkalpādeva samuttiṣṭhati tena sampanno mahīyate || 8.2.10 ||
|| iti dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||

10. Whatever province he wishes for, whatever good thing he wishes to have, it appears before him just as he wishes. By acquiring it, he becomes great.

त इमे सत्याः कामा अनृतापिधानास्तेषां सत्यानां सतामनृतमपिधानं यो यो ह्यस्येतः प्रैति न तमिह दर्शनाय लभते ॥ ८.३.१ ॥

ta ime satyāḥ kāmā anṛtāpidhānāsteṣāṃ satyānāṃ satāmanṛtamapidhānaṃ yo yo hyasyetaḥ praiti na tamiha darśanāya labhate || 8.3.1 ||

1. But all these true desires are under a false cover. Though they rest on the Self, they are all false. This is why if a relative dies, one does not see him again in this world.

अथ ये चास्येह जीवा ये च प्रेता यच्चान्यदिच्छन्न लभते सर्वं तदत्र गत्वा विन्दतेऽत्र ह्यस्यैते सत्याः कामा अनृतापिधानास्तद्यथापि हिरण्यनिधिं निहितमक्षेत्रज्ञा उपर्युपरि सञ्चरन्तो न विन्देयुरेवमेवेमाः सर्वाः प्रजा अहरहर्गच्छन्त्य एतं ब्रह्मलोकं न विन्दन्त्यनृतेन हि प्रत्यूढाः ॥ ८.३.२ ॥

atha ye cāsyeha jīvā ye ca pretā yaccānyadicchanna labhate sarvaṃ tadatra gatvā vindate’tra hyasyaite satyāḥ kāmā anṛtāpidhānāstadyathāpi hiraṇyanidhiṃ nihitamakṣetrajñā uparyupari sañcaranto na vindeyurevamevemāḥ sarvāḥ prajā aharahargacchantya etaṃ brahmalokaṃ na vindantyanṛtena hi pratyūḍhāḥ || 8.3.2 ||

2. Further, those of his relatives who are still alive and those who are dead, and also those things a person cannot get even if he wishes for them—all these he gets by going within his heart. All true desires of a person are in his heart, though they are hidden. It is like when there is gold hidden someplace underground and people who are ignorant of it walk over that spot again and again, knowing nothing about it. Similarly, all these beings go to Brahmaloka every day, and yet they know nothing about it because they are covered by ignorance.

स वा एष आत्मा हृदि तस्यैतदेव निरुक्तं हृद्ययमिति तस्माद्धृदयमहरहर्वा एवंवित्स्वर्गं लोकमेति ॥ ८.३.३ ॥

sa vā eṣa ātmā hṛdi tasyaitadeva niruktaṃ hṛdyayamiti tasmāddhṛdayamaharaharvā evaṃvitsvargaṃ lokameti || 8.3.3 ||

3. The Self resides in the heart. The word hṛdayam is derived thus: hṛdi + ayam—‘it is in the heart.’ Therefore the heart is called hṛdayam. One who knows thus goes daily to the heavenly world [i.e., in his dreamless sleep he is one with Brahman].