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.
विचित्ररूपो विश्वात्मा एकाक्षर इति स्मृतः धृतम् एकात्मकं येन कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यम् आत्मना
Of wondrous form, the soul of the universe, remembered as the single syllable, by whom the entire three worlds are held together by his own Self.
तथैव बहुरूपत्वाद् विश्वरूप इति श्रुतः एष वै विक्रियापन्नः सृजत्य् आत्मानम् आत्मना
Likewise, because of his manifold forms, he is called the Universal Form; this one, indeed, undergoes transformation and creates himself by himself.
प्रधानं तस्य संयोगाद् उत्पन्नं सुमहत् पुरम् अहंकारं महातेजाः प्रजापतिनमस्कृतम्
From the union with Pradhāna, a vast city arises, the great radiance of ego, honored by the Lord of creatures.
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तिम् आपन्नं विद्यासर्गं वदन्ति तम् महान्तं चाप्य् अहंकारम् अविद्यासर्ग एव च
From the unmanifest, the manifest arises; this is called the creation of knowledge. The great ego and the creation of ignorance are also spoken of.
अचरश् च चरश् चैव समुत्पन्नौ तथैकतः विद्याविद्येति विख्याते श्रुतिशास्त्रानुचिन्तकैः
Both the moving and unmoving are thus produced together; known as knowledge and ignorance, as considered in the scriptures and by reflection.
भूतसर्गम् अहंकारात् तृतीयं विद्धि पार्थिव अहंकारेषु नृपते चतुर्थं विद्धि वैकृतम्
From ego arises the creation of beings, know this as the third, O prince. In the egos, O king, know the fourth as the modified creation.
वायुर् ज्योतिर् अथाकाशम् आपो ऽथ पृथिवी तथा शब्दस्पर्शौ च रूपं च रसो गन्धस् तथैव च
Wind, light, space, water, and earth likewise; sound and touch, form, taste, and smell as well.
एवं युगपद् उत्पन्नं दशवर्गम् असंशयम् पञ्चमं विद्धि राजेन्द्र भौतिकं सर्गम् अर्थकृत्
Thus, ten categories arise simultaneously, without doubt. Know the fifth, O king, as the elemental creation, producing objects.
श्रोत्रं त्वक् चक्षुषी जिह्वा घ्राणम् एव च पञ्चमम् वाग् हस्तौ चैव पादौ च पायुर् मेढ्रं तथैव च
The ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose as the fifth; speech, hands, feet, anus, and genitals likewise.
बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि चैतानि तथा कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च संभूतानीह युगपन् मनसा सह पार्थिव
These are the sense organs and also the organs of action, which arise here together with the mind, O prince.
एषा तत्त्वचतुर्विंशा सर्वाकृतिः प्रवर्तते यां ज्ञात्वा नाभिशोचन्ति ब्राह्मणास् तत्त्वदर्शिनः
This is the twenty-fourfold principle, which operates in all forms. Knowing this, the Brahmins who see the truth do not grieve.
एवम् एतत् समुत्पन्नं त्रैलोक्यम् इदम् उत्तमम् वेदितव्यं नरश्रेष्ठ सदैव नरकार्णवे
Thus, this excellent threefold world has arisen; it must always be understood, O best of men, in the ocean of hell.
सयक्षभूतगन्धर्वे सकिंनरमहोरगे सचारणपिशाचे वै सदेवर्षिनिशाचरे
With yakṣas, bhūtas, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, great serpents, with cāraṇas, piśācas, and with devas, ṛṣis, and night-wanderers.
सदंशकीटमशके सपूतिकृमिमूषके शुनि श्वपाके चैणेये सचाण्डाले सपुल्कसे
With ants, insects, mosquitoes, putrid worms, mice, dogs, dog-eaters, birds, caṇḍālas, and Pulkasas.
हस्त्यश्वखरशार्दूले सवृके गवि चैव ह या च मूर्तिश् च यत् किंचित् सर्वत्रैतन् निदर्शनम्
In the elephant, horse, boar, tiger, wolf, and cow, and in whatever form there may be—everywhere, this is the manifestation.
जले भुवि तथाकाशे नान्यत्रेति विनिश्चयः स्थानं देहवताम् आसीद् इत्य् एवम् अनुशुश्रुम
In water, on earth, and in the sky—nowhere else, this is certain—was the abode of embodied beings; thus have we heard.
कृत्स्नम् एतावतस् तात क्षरते व्यक्तसंज्ञकः अहन्य् अहनि भूतात्मा यच् चाक्षर इति स्मृतम्
All of this, O dear one, which is called manifest, perishes day by day; and that which is called imperishable is the essence of beings.
ततस् तत् क्षरम् इत्य् उक्तं क्षरतीदं यथा जगत् जगन् मोहात्मकं चाहुर् अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तसंज्ञकम्
Therefore, it is called perishable, for this world perishes; the world, composed of delusion, is said to be the manifest arising from the unmanifest.
महांश् चैवाक्षरो नित्यम् एतत् क्षरविवर्जनम् कथितं ते महाराज यस्मान् नावर्तते पुनः
And the great imperishable is eternal, free from perishing—this has been told to you, O great king—because from it there is no return.
पञ्चविंशतिको ऽमूर्तः स नित्यस् तत्त्वसंज्ञकः सत्त्वसंश्रयणात् तत्त्वं सत्त्वम् आहुर् मनीषिणः
The twenty-fifth is formless, eternal, known as the principle; because it is based in sattva, the wise call it sattva.