Listen to me with undivided attention. The senses that are
maddening should carefully be restrained by the understanding like a sire
restraining his own inexperienced children liable to fall into diverse
evil habits. The withdrawal of the mind and the senses from all unworthy
objects and their due concentration (upon worthy objects) is the highest
penance. That is the foremost of all duties. Indeed, that is said to be
the highest duty. Directing, by the aid of the understanding, the senses
having the mind for their sixth, and without, indeed, thinking of worldly
objects which have the virtue of inspiring innumerable kinds of thought,
one should live contented with one's own self. When the senses and the
mind, withdrawn from the pastures among which they usually run loose,
come back for residing in their proper abode, it is then that thou wilt
behold in thy own self the Eternal and Supreme Soul.[1064] Those
high-souled Brahmanas that are possessed of wisdom succeed in beholding
that Supreme and Universal Soul which is like unto a blazing fire in
effulgence. As a large tree endued with numerous branches and possessed
of many flowers and fruits does not know in which part it has flowers and
in which it has fruits, after the same manner the Soul as modified by
birth and other attributes, does not know whence it has come and whither
it is to go. There is, however, an inner Soul, which beholds (knows)
everything.[1065] One sees the Soul oneself with the aid of the lighted
lamp of knowledge.
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