21. Conférence 4, Leçon 4

1One should mortify (one’s flesh) in a low, high, and highest degree, quitting one’s former connections, and entering tranquillity. Therefore a hero is careful, a person of pith[1], guarded, endowed (with knowledge, &c.), and always restrained. Difficult to go is the road of the heroes, who go whence there is no return (final liberation). Subdue blood and flesh. (1)

2That man is called a worthy one, a hero, one to be followed, who living in chastity [guarding his eyes] shakes off the aggregate[2].

3He who desires the current of karman, is a fool who has not cut off the fetters of, nor conquered the connection with, (the world.) For such as dwell in darkness, and are without knowledge, there is no success in faith. Thus I say. (2)

4‘Whence should he have it[3], who does not get it early, late, or in the middle of life?’ But the discerning one is awakened, and ceases to act. See that it is good to be so! Cutting off that ‘whence bondage, cruel death, and dreadful pain,’ ‘and the (desire for) external (objects) flow, he who among mortals knows freedom from acts,’ ‘seeing that acts will bear fruit, the knower of the sacred lore, parts from (karman).’ (3)

5There are those who have established themselves in the truth, who (were, are, or will be) heroes, endowed (with knowledge), always exerting themselves, full of equanimity[4], valuing the world (as it deserves) in the east, west, south, north. We shall tell the knowledge of them who (were, &c.) heroes, endowed (with knowledge), always exerting themselves, full of equanimity, valuing the world (as it deserves).

6Is there any worldly weakness in the Seer? There exists none, there is none. Thus I say. (4)

7End of the Fourth Lecture, called Righteousness.

8Sārae. The commentators translate it with svārata = su + ā (ā jīvanamaryādāyā) + rata (saṃyamānuṣṭhāne), for ever delighting in the exercise of control. I think the Sanskrit prototype of sārae is sāraka.

9These words seem to have formed a śloka, which could easily be restored if we read: purise davie vīre āyāṇijje viyāhie | vāsittā baṃbhaceraṃsi je dhuṇāi samussayaṃ || The aggregate is either that of the constituent parts of the body, i, e. the body itself, or that of karman, i.e. the sum of karman.

10Saṃghaḍadaṃsiṇo: nirantaradarśinahsubhāśubhasya.