Passage 1
आत्रेय उवाच— यदिदं ज्ञानमाख्यातं भवता रघुपुङ्गव। उपयोगी न बालानां क्षुद्राणामल्पचेतसाम्॥१॥
The sage of Atri's line said: This knowledge you have taught, foremost of the Raghus, is not suited to beginners of small and limited understanding.
Passage 2
ये क्षुद्रा निस्तितीर्षन्ति भवसागरजं भयम्। तेषां करुणया राम वद गुह्यतरं वचः॥२॥
Out of compassion, Rāma, speak a more accessible secret teaching for those limited people who nevertheless wish to cross the fear born from the ocean of becoming.
Passage 3
श्रीराम उवाच— बालाः सुमन्दमतयो भवाब्धिं निस्तितीर्षवः। सगुणं समुपासीरन् ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च यत्पदम्॥३॥
Śrī Rāma said: Beginners of very slow understanding who wish to cross the ocean of becoming should worship the Lord with qualities—the knowable station approached through knowledge.
Passage 4
गुरोरधीत्य छन्दांसि सरहस्यानि सर्वतः। अनुत्कटे तु वैराग्ये गृहमेधीयमाचरेत्॥४॥
Having learned the Vedic texts with all their secrets from a guru, one whose dispassion is not yet intense should follow the discipline of the householder.
Passage 5
अग्निहोत्रमुपासीत विधिवत्पूतमानसः। दर्शं च पौर्णमासं च पशुबन्धक्रतुं तथा॥५॥
With a purified mind, one should duly maintain the Agnihotra, the new- and full-moon rites, and the sacrificial rite involving the animal offering.
Passage 6
चातुर्मास्यानि सत्कृत्य पिबेत् सोमं महामखे। रामार्पणधिया सर्वं कर्म कुर्यादतन्द्रितः॥६॥
One should properly perform the Cāturmāsya rites and drink Soma in the great sacrifice, carrying out every act tirelessly with the thought that it is offered to Rāma.
Passage 7
फलभोगेच्छुना कर्म कृतं फलसमर्पकम्। तत्फलं नश्वरं विद्यादैहिकामुत्रिकं तथा॥७॥
Action performed from desire to enjoy its result produces that result. Know that every such fruit, whether here or hereafter, is perishable.
Passage 8
फलं हि परमानन्द ऐहिकः पारलौकिकः। पूर्णानन्दसमुद्रस्य मम मात्रास्तु ताः किल॥८॥
Worldly and otherworldly rewards are indeed forms of supreme delight, but they are only small measures of me, the ocean of perfect bliss.
Passage 9
न मां लोकाः कामयन्ते पूर्णानन्दपयोनिधिम्। मम मात्राः कामयानाः क्षुद्रास्ते क्षुद्रचेतसः॥९॥
People do not desire me, the ocean of complete bliss. Desiring only my fragments, those limited people reveal their limited understanding.
Passage 10
मां प्राप्य नान्यकामेषु सज्जन्ते भूरिबुद्धयः। उदाराः सर्वतः कामा निष्कामा भवसागरे॥१०॥
Those of great understanding attain me and no longer cling to other desires. Noble and fulfilled in every respect, they remain desireless within the ocean of becoming.
Passage 11
मोक्षकामाः कृतधियो गुरूपास्तिफलोत्सुकाः। छर्दितान्नसमं सर्वं पश्यन्तो ब्रह्मणोऽप्युत॥११॥
Those intent upon liberation, resolute and eager for the fruit of serving the guru, regard everything—even Brahmā's realm—as no more desirable than vomited food.
Passage 12
कष्टं कर्मापि कुर्वन्तो विनाशायाल्पमेधसः। विना मदर्पणधियं कर्मदोषापहारिणीम्॥१२॥
People of small understanding undertake even arduous acts only for perishable ends when they lack the thought of offering to me, which removes the defect inherent in action.
Passage 13
प्रयाजाद्यखिलाङ्गानि साधनानि च सर्वशः। स्रुगादीनि समेतानि दध्याज्यादीनि वै तथा॥१३॥
All subsidiary rites beginning with the Prayājas, all instruments such as sacrificial ladles, and substances such as curds and ghee—
Passage 14
मद्रूपाणि समस्तानि भावयेत् सुविचक्षणः। तथा यज्ञं मत्स्वरूपं भावयेत् कर्मदीक्षितः॥१४॥
—the discerning practitioner should contemplate all of them as my forms. Consecrated for the rite, one should likewise contemplate the sacrifice itself as my own form.
Passage 15
नित्यं नैमित्तिकं काम्यमेवं कुर्यादतन्द्रितः। कर्मरूपस्य च मम पदाभिव्यक्तिरुद्भवेत्॥१५॥
One should tirelessly perform obligatory, occasional, and desire-motivated rites in this way. Then my presence as the very form of action becomes manifest.
Passage 16
परापरविभेदेन सुखं तद्द्विविधं मतम्। तदा कर्तुर्ज्ञानवतो मुक्तिः सा क्रमतो भवेत्॥१६॥
That happiness is understood in two ways, higher and lower. For the knowledgeable performer, liberation then unfolds progressively.
Passage 17
ज्ञानाभावे स्वर्गसुखं लभते मूढमानसः। परं नियतलोकास्यं वाक्यशेषेण गद्यते॥१७॥
Without knowledge, the deluded mind attains only heavenly pleasure. The further, fixed destiny of such a person is indicated by the remainder of the scriptural statement.
Passage 18
श्रद्धा चैव तथासूया दुःखानि विविधानि च। स्वर्गिणामपि जायन्ते तथान्यैश्च पराभवः॥१८॥
Even among the inhabitants of heaven arise faith and envy, various sorrows, and defeat at the hands of others.
Passage 19
प्रवृत्तिमार्गनिष्ठा हि ध्रुवादधस्तात् स्थिताः अमी। न ध्रुवोपरि वै तेषां स्वर्गिणां गतिरिष्यते॥१९॥
Those established in the path of outward action remain below Dhruva; the heavenly dwellers do not attain a course beyond Dhruva.
Passage 20
न च स्वर्गेषु लोकेषु वाक्यशेषोदितं सुखम्। नित्यमात्मसुखं तद्धि सत्त्ववृद्ध्या प्रजायते॥२०॥
The happiness indicated by the completed scriptural teaching does not lie in the heavenly worlds. That eternal happiness of the Self arises through the increase of sattva.
Passage 21
शुद्धे सत्त्वगुणे चैव स्वर्गः सत्त्वभवो भवेत्। कामाभावेऽपि तन्मुख्यं फलमुक्तं न संशयः॥२१॥
When sattva is pure, a heaven born of sattva appears. Yet in the absence of desire, the principal fruit is that higher realization—of this there is no doubt.
Passage 22
सार्वकामिकमेतद्धि फलं वेदे निगद्यते। यागस्य मत्स्वरूपत्वान्मुक्तिरेव फलं भवेत्॥२२॥
The Veda describes the fruit as granting every desire; but because sacrifice is my own form, its true fruit is liberation alone.
Passage 23
परोक्षकथनद्वारा तदेवाह गिरां पतिः। अलसा अनुशास्यन्ते प्ररोचनगिरा मुहुः॥२३॥
Through indirect language, the Lord of speech teaches that very truth. The indolent are repeatedly instructed through words that first entice them.
Passage 24
यजेत पशुबन्धेन स्वर्गलोकफलाप्तये। अक्षय्यं सुकृतं लब्धुं चातुर्मास्यैर्यजेच्चरः॥२४॥
One is told to sacrifice with the animal rite to attain the heavenly world, and to perform the Cāturmāsyas in order to gain imperishable merit.
Passage 25
आत्मानन्दस्वरूपं तदक्षयं समुदीर्यते। तदेव सर्वलोकाख्यं वेदेषु च निगद्यते॥२५॥
What is called imperishable is in truth the bliss-nature of the Self; that alone is described in the Vedas under the names of all the worlds.
Passage 26
सर्वे लोकाः स्वयं ह्यात्मा सच्चिदानन्दलक्षणः। आदित्यानां च विश्वेषां वसूनां वरुणस्य च॥२६॥
All worlds are the Self itself, marked by being, consciousness, and bliss—the worlds of the Ādityas, Viśvedevas, Vasus, and Varuṇa;
Passage 27
अग्नीनां तु चितानां च भास्वराणां दिवौकसाम्। मरुतां चैव साध्यानां रुद्राणां गणपां तथा॥२७॥
the worlds of the Fires, the radiant dwellers in heaven, the Maruts, Sādhyas, Rudras, and the lords of hosts;
Passage 28
कुबेरस्य ब्रह्मणश्च तथैवानन्तसंज्ञिनः। सर्पाणां देवजनानां देवानां च विशेषतः॥२८॥
the worlds of Kubera, Brahmā, the one called Ananta, serpents, celestial beings, and the gods in particular.
Passage 29
देवानां कर्मदेवानां ये ये लोकाः सनातनाः। सच्चिदानन्दरूपाश्च तत्तद्भोगमयास्तथा। सर्वे परिसमाप्यन्त आत्मन्येव न संशयः॥२९॥
Whatever eternal worlds belong to the gods and the gods attained through ritual action—though appearing as being-consciousness-bliss and as their respective enjoyments—all terminate in the Self alone, without doubt.
Passage 30
आत्मा स्वयं ज्योतिरजः सनातनः सच्चित्सदानन्दमयः स्वयं प्रभुः। अनन्यतन्त्रः कुशलैकभाजनं स्वभासकः सन् परभासकश्च सः॥३०॥
The Self is self-luminous, unborn, eternal, made of being, consciousness, and perpetual bliss, itself the Lord. Independent of all else and sole repository of the good, it illumines itself and illuminates everything beyond it.
Passage 31
स्वर्ग एव फलं नित्यं नान्यत्वचापि श्रुतेर्मतम्। पश्वादिकं तु विकृतौ फलमुक्तं मदात्मकम्॥३१॥
The eternal fruit taught by revelation is heaven in this deeper sense, not something separate. Animals and other ritual particulars are called fruits only within modified rites whose essence is me.
Passage 32
मदात्मकं तद्धि तथा मद्रूपं नियतं श्रुतौ। नित्यकर्माणि पोष्यन्ते काम्यकर्माभ्युदीरणात्॥३२॥
Revelation firmly teaches that reality as consisting of me and as my form. Obligatory rites are supported through its discussion of desire-motivated rites.
Passage 33
अभावे पशुपुत्रादिबहुवित्तस्य संसृतौ। नित्यकर्म कथं सिद्धेद्बहुवित्तव्ययोजितम्॥३३॥
If one lacks animals, children, and abundant wealth in worldly life, how could an obligatory rite requiring the expenditure of great wealth be accomplished?
Passage 34
सर्वोपायगिरा वेदो नित्यमेव प्रसाध्यते। नित्यं कर्म सदा कार्यमनित्यं न कथञ्चन। एतद्धि नियतं लोके मत्स्वरूपं विभावयेत्॥३४॥
Through language providing every means, the Veda continually establishes the obligatory. Obligatory action must always be done, never treated as non-obligatory; within it one should contemplate my own form as permanently present in the world.
Passage 35
ध्यानेन धारणाभिश्च समाधिभिरथापि च। परमात्मा यथा नृणामभिव्यक्तो भवेद्ध्रुवम्॥३५॥
Just as the supreme Self becomes surely manifest to people through meditation, concentration, and samādhi—
Passage 36
एवमाधानप्रमुखैः कर्मभिर्वेदबोधितैः। यज्ञरूपश्च भगवानभिव्यक्तो भवेद्ध्रुवम्॥
—so through Veda-taught acts beginning with the establishment of the sacred fires, the blessed Lord surely becomes manifest in the form of sacrifice. Source note: This complete passage follows printed verse 35 but carries only an editorial footnote sign, not a verse number. It is preserved as canonical passage 36; printed numbering resumes with 36 in the next passage.
Passage 37
अहं यज्ञस्वरूपात्मा यज्ञकर्ताहमच्युतः। यज्ञभोक्ता यज्ञकर्ता यज्ञसाधनमप्यहम्॥३६॥
I am the Self whose form is sacrifice; I, the imperishable one, am the performer of sacrifice. I am the enjoyer, the maker, and also every means of sacrifice.
Passage 38
अहं यज्ञे सम्प्रदानमपादानमहं मुने। अहं च यज्ञशेषोऽपि शेषी यज्ञोऽहमुत्तमः॥३७॥
Within sacrifice I am the recipient and I am the source, sage. I am the sacrificial remainder, the one to whom the remainder belongs, and the supreme sacrifice itself.
Passage 39
यज्ञाधारोऽहमतुलो यज्ञो वै मामकी तनुः। इति ज्ञात्वा यज्ञपरो भवेदस्मिन् बुधोऽपि सन्॥३८॥ I am the incomparable foundation of sacrifice; sacrifice is truly my body. Knowing this, the wise person should become wholly devoted to sacrifice in this world. **इति श्रीमदादिरामायणे ब्रह्मभुशुण्डसंवादे उत्तरखण्डे श्रीरामात्रेयसंवादे आत्रेयबोधितश्रीरामगीतायां नवमोऽध्यायः॥९॥
** Thus ends Chapter Nine of the Śrī Rāma Gītā taught in response to Ātreya, within the dialogue of Śrī Rāma and the sage of Atri's line in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa, in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa.