after the
manner I myself had heard, O chastiser of all foes. 'As one placing some
precious object in one's store-room should keep one's mind on it, so,
placing the mind within one's own body, one should then, restraining all
the senses, seek after the Soul, avoiding all heedlessness. One would,
becoming always assiduous in this way and gratified with one's own self,
within a very short time attain to that Brahma by beholding which one
would become conversant with Pradhana.[39] He is not capable of being
seized by the eye; nor even by all the senses.[40] It is only with the
lamp of the mind that great Soul can be seen. He has hands and feet on
all sides; he has ears on all sides; he dwells, pervading all things in
the world.[41] Jiva beholds the Soul as extracted from the body (like the
stalk from a blade of Saccharum Munja, when knowledge comes). Then
casting off Brahma as invested with form, by holding the mind in the
body, he beholds Brahma as freed from all attributes.[42] He sees the
Soul with his mind, smiling as it were at the time. Depending upon that
Brahma, he then attains to Emancipation in me.[43] O foremost of
regenerate ones, all this mystery has now been declared by me. I ask thy
permission, for I shall leave this spot. Do thou (also) go withersoever
thou pleasest.' Thus addressed by me, O Krishna, on that occasion, that
disciple of mine, endued with austere penances, that Brahmana of rigid
vows, went away according to his pleasure."

"'Vasudeva continued, "That best of Brahmanas, O son of Pritha, having
said these words unto me, on that occasion, properly relating to the
religion of Emancipation, disappeared then and there. Has this discourse
been heard by thee, O son of Pritha, with mind directed solely towards
it? Even this was what thou didst hear on that occasion while thou wert
on thy car. It is my opinion, O son of Pritha, that this is difficult of
being comprehended by one whose understanding is confused, or who has
acquired no wisdom by study, or who eats food incompatible with his body,
or whose Soul is not purified.[44] O chief of Bharata's race, this is a
great mystery among the deities that has been declared (to thee). At no
time or place, O son of Pritha, has this been heard by man in this world.
O sinless one, no other man than thyself is deserving of hearing it. It
is not, at this time, capable of being easily understood by one whose
inner soul is confused. The world of the deities is fill