यतः सर्वाः प्रवर्तन्ते सर्गप्रलयविक्रियाः एवं शंसन्ति शास्त्रेषु प्रवक्तारो महर्षयः
From that, all evolutions, creations, dissolutions, and transformations proceed; thus declare the great sages, the teachers, in the scriptures.
सर्वे विप्राश् च वेदाश् च तथा सामविदो जनाः ब्रह्मण्यं परमं देवम् अनन्तं परमाच्युतम्
All the Brahmins and the Vedas, and those who know the Sāman, proclaim the supreme, infinite, and highest imperishable Deity as Brahman.
प्रार्थयन्तश् च तं विप्रा वदन्ति गुणबुद्धयः सम्यग् उक्तास् तथा योगाः सांख्याश् चामितदर्शनाः
Desiring Him, the Brahmins speak, endowed with discernment of qualities; and so too the Yogas and the Sāṃkhyas, of boundless vision, speak rightly.
अमूर्तिस् तस्य विप्रेन्द्राः सांख्यं मूर्तिर् इति श्रुतिः अभिज्ञानानि तस्याहुर् महान्ति मुनिसत्तमाः
His form is formless, O best of Brahmins; Sāṃkhya is said to be His form, so the scripture declares. The foremost sages say His recognitions are great.
द्विविधानि हि भूतानि पृथिव्यां द्विजसत्तमाः अगम्यगम्यसंज्ञानि गम्यं तत्र विशिष्यते
There are two kinds of beings on earth, O best of twice-born: those called 'approachable' and 'unapproachable'; among them, the 'approachable' is considered superior.
ज्ञानं महद् वै महतश् च विप्रा वेदेषु सांख्येषु तथैव योगे यच् चापि दृष्टं विधिवत् पुराणे सांख्यागतं तन् निखिलं मुनीन्द्राः
The great knowledge, O Brahmins, that is found in the Vedas, in Sāṃkhya, and likewise in Yoga, and whatever is seen in the Purāṇa according to rule, all that pertains to Sāṃkhya, O best of sages.
यच् चेतिहासेषु महत्सु दृष्टं यथार्थशास्त्रेषु विशिष्टदृष्टम् ज्ञानं च लोके यद् इहास्ति किंचित् सांख्यागतं तच् च महामुनीन्द्राः
Whatever is seen in the great Itihāsas, in the treatises on right conduct, and whatever knowledge exists in the world here, all that pertains to Sāṃkhya, O great sages.
समस्तदृष्टं परमं बलं च ज्ञानं च मोक्षश् च यथावद् उक्तम् तपांसि सूक्ष्माणि च यानि चैव सांख्ये यथावद् विहितानि विप्राः
All the supreme knowledge, power, and liberation that is rightly declared, and the subtle austerities prescribed in Sāṃkhya, O Brahmins, all that is as it should be.
विपर्ययं तस्य हितं सदैव गच्छन्ति सांख्याः सततं सुखेन तांश् चापि संधार्य ततः कृतार्थाः पतन्ति विप्रायतनेषु भूयः
The Sāṃkhyas always follow what is truly beneficial for him, and with ease they maintain that; thus, having fulfilled their purpose, they again fall into the abodes of the twice-born.
हित्वा च देहं प्रविशन्ति मोक्षं दिवौकसश् चापि च योगसांख्याः अतो ऽधिकं ते ऽभिरता महार्हे सांख्ये द्विजा भो इह शिष्टजुष्टे
Abandoning the body, the Yogas and Sāṃkhyas enter liberation, and even the gods do so; therefore, they are especially devoted to the noble Sāṃkhya here, cherished by the worthy, O twice-born.
तेषां तु तिर्यग्गमनं हि दृष्टं नाधो गतिः पापकृतां निवासः न वा प्रधाना अपि ते द्विजातयो ये ज्ञानम् एतन् मुनयो न सक्ताः
For them, passage into lower forms has not been seen, nor a downward course, nor dwelling among the sinful; nor are those twice-born, even the chief ones, who are not attached to this knowledge, considered among the sages.
सांख्यं विशालं परमं पुराणं महार्णवं विमलम् उदारकान्तम् कृत्स्नं हि सांख्या मुनयो महात्म नारायणे धारयताप्रमेयम्
The Sāṃkhya is vast, supreme, ancient, a great ocean, pure, and of noble beauty; the sages of great soul uphold the entire, immeasurable Sāṃkhya in Nārāyaṇa.
एतन् मयोक्तं परमं हि तत्त्वं नारायणाद् विश्वम् इदं पुराणम् स सर्गकाले च करोति सर्गं संहारकाले च हरेत भूयः
This highest truth has been declared by me: from Nārāyaṇa, this entire ancient universe arises; at the time of creation, he creates, and at the time of dissolution, he withdraws it again.
किं तद् अक्षरम् इत्य् उक्तं यस्मान् नावर्तते पुनः किंस्वित् तत् क्षरम् इत्य् उक्तं यस्माद् आवर्तते पुनः
What is called the imperishable is that from which there is no return; what is called the perishable is that from which there is return again.
अक्षराक्षरयोर् व्यक्तिं पृच्छामस् त्वां महामुने उपलब्धुं मुनिश्रेष्ठ तत्त्वेन मुनिपुंगव
We ask you, O great sage, to explain the distinction between the perishable and the imperishable, so that we may truly understand, O best of sages.
त्वं हि ज्ञानविदां श्रेष्ठः प्रोच्यसे वेदपारगैः ऋषिभिश् च महाभागैर् यतिभिश् च महात्मभिः
You are regarded as the foremost among those who know knowledge, by those who have mastered the Vedas, by the great and fortunate seers, and by the noble ascetics.
तद् एतच् छ्रोतुम् इच्छामस् त्वत्तः सर्वं महामते न तृप्तिम् अधिगच्छामः शृण्वन्तो ऽमृतम् उत्तमम्
Therefore, O great-minded one, we wish to hear all this from you; listening to this highest nectar, we do not attain satisfaction.
अत्र वो वर्णयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् वसिष्ठस्य च संवादं करालजनकस्य च
Here I shall recount to you an ancient history, the dialogue between Vasiṣṭha and Karāla Janaka.
वसिष्ठं श्रेष्ठम् आसीनम् ऋषीणां भास्करद्युतिम् पप्रच्छ जनको राजा ज्ञानं नैःश्रेयसं परम्
Janaka, the king, once asked Vasiṣṭha, the best among seers, radiant as the sun, about the supreme knowledge that leads to the highest good.
परमात्मनि कुशलम् अध्यात्मगतिनिश्चयम् मैत्रावरुणिम् आसीनम् अभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः
Having greeted the noble son of Mitra and Varuṇa, who was seated and versed in the knowledge of the supreme Self and the certainty of the spiritual path, he asked him.
स्वच्छन्दं सुकृतं चैव मधुरं चाप्य् अनुल्बणम् पप्रच्छर्षिवरं राजा करालजनकः पुरा
Long ago, King Karāla Janaka, with joined palms, respectfully asked the best of sages in a manner that was spontaneous, virtuous, sweet, and gentle.
भगवञ् श्रोतुम् इच्छामि परं ब्रह्म सनातनम् यस्मिन् न पुनरावृत्तिं प्राप्नुवन्ति मनीषिणः
O venerable one, I wish to hear about the supreme, eternal Brahman, from which the wise do not return again.
यच् च तत् क्षरम् इत्य् उक्तं यत्रेदं क्षरते जगत् यच् चाक्षरम् इति प्रोक्तं शिवं क्षेमम् अनामयम्
And what is called the perishable, in which this world perishes, and what is called the imperishable, which is auspicious, secure, and free from affliction?
श्रूयतां पृथिवीपाल क्षरतीदं यथा जगत् यत्र क्षरति पूर्वेण यावत्कालेन चाप्य् अथ
Listen, O protector of the earth, to how this world perishes, and for how long it continues before perishing.
युगं द्वादशसाहस्र्यं कल्पं विद्धि चतुर्युगम् दशकल्पशतावर्तम् अहस् तद् ब्राह्मम् उच्यते
Know that a yuga is twelve thousand years, and a kalpa is four yugas; a day of Brahmā is said to be a hundred cycles of ten kalpas.
रात्रिश् चैतावती राजन् यस्यान्ते प्रतिबुध्यते सृजत्य् अनन्तकर्माणि महान्तं भूतम् अग्रजम्
O king, his night is of equal length, at the end of which he awakens and creates countless deeds, bringing forth the great, primeval being.
मूर्तिमन्तम् अमूर्तात्मा विश्वं शंभुः स्वयंभुवः यत्रोत्पत्तिं प्रवक्ष्यामि मूलतो नृपसत्तम
The embodied and formless Self, Śaṃbhu, the self-born, who is the universe—I shall declare to you, O foremost of kings, the origin from its root.
अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिर् ईशानं ज्योतिर् अव्ययम् सर्वतःपाणिपादान्तं सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखम्
Aṇimā, Laghimā, Prāpti, Īśāna, the imperishable light, whose hands and feet extend everywhere, whose eyes, heads, and faces are everywhere.
सर्वतःश्रुतिमल् लोके सर्वम् आवृत्य तिष्ठति हिरण्यगर्भो भगवान् एष बुद्धिर् इति स्मृतिः
Whose hearing is everywhere in the world, who pervades all and abides, this is the blessed Hiraṇyagarbha; this is called intellect and memory.
महान् इति च योगेषु विरिञ्चिर् इति चाप्य् अथ सांख्ये च पठ्यते शास्त्रे नामभिर् बहुधात्मकः
He is called Mahān in yoga, Viriñci in other contexts, and in Sāṃkhya scripture he is described by many names, possessing manifold forms.