यदि तावद् अयं सूर्यश् चादिदेवः सनातनः ततः कस्मात् तपस् तेपे वरेप्सुः प्राकृतो यथा
If this Sun is the original, eternal god, then why did he perform austerities, desiring boons, like an ordinary being?
एतद् वः संप्रवक्ष्यामि परं गुह्यं विभावसोः पृष्टं मित्रेण यत् पूर्वं नारदाय महात्मने
I shall now tell you this supreme secret regarding the radiant one, which was formerly asked by Mitra and narrated to the great Nārada.
प्राङ् मयोक्तास् तु युष्मभ्यं रवेर् द्वादश मूर्तयः मित्रश् च वरुणश् चोभौ तासां तपसि संस्थितौ
Previously, I have told you about the twelve forms of the Sun; among them, both Mitra and Varuṇa engaged in austerities.
अब्भक्षो वरुणस् तासां तस्थौ पश्चिमसागरे मित्रो मित्रवने चास्मिन् वायुभक्षो ऽभवत् तदा
Of them, Varuṇa, subsisting on water, remained at the western ocean, while Mitra, subsisting on air, was then in this Mitravana.
अथ मेरुगिरेः शृङ्गात् प्रच्युतो गन्धमादनात् नारदस् तु महायोगी सर्वांल् लोकांश् चरन् वशी
Then, from the peak of Mount Meru, from Gandhamādana, the great yogi Nārada, self-controlled, wandered through all the worlds.
आजगामाथ तत्रैव यत्र मित्रो ऽचरत् तपः तं दृष्ट्वा तु तपस्यन्तं तस्य कौतूहलं ह्य् अभूत्
He arrived there, where Mitra was practicing austerity; seeing him engaged in penance, curiosity arose in him.
यो ऽक्षयश् चाव्ययश् चैव व्यक्ताव्यक्तः सनातनः धृतम् एकात्मकं येन त्रैलोक्यं सुमहात्मना
He who is imperishable and undecaying, manifest and unmanifest, eternal, by whom the three worlds are upheld as one essence, the great-souled one.
यः पिता सर्वदेवानां पराणाम् अपि यः परः अयजद् देवताः कास् तु पितॄन् वा कान् असौ यजेत् इति संचिन्त्य मनसा तं देवं नारदो ऽब्रवीत्
He who is the father of all the gods, and beyond even the highest, Nārada, pondering in his mind, wondered: 'Which gods or ancestors should he worship?' and spoke to that god.
वेदेषु सपुराणेषु साङ्गोपाङ्गेषु गीयसे त्वम् अजः शाश्वतो धाता त्वं निधानम् अनुत्तमम्
In the Vedas and Purāṇas, with their limbs and sub-limbs, you are praised as the unborn, eternal creator, the unsurpassed foundation.
भूतं भव्यं भवच् चैव त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् चत्वारश् चाश्रमा देव गृहस्थाद्यास् तथैव हि
All that was, is, and will be abides in you; and the four āśramas, beginning with householder, O god, are likewise established in you.
यजन्ति त्वाम् अहरहस् त्वां मूर्तित्वं समाश्रितम् पिता माता च सर्वस्य दैवतं त्वं हि शाश्वतम्
They worship you day and night, taking refuge in your forms; you are the eternal divinity, the father and mother of all.
यजसे पितरं कं त्वं देवं वापि न विद्महे
Which ancestor or god should you worship? We do not know.
अवाच्यम् एतद् वक्तव्यं परं गुह्यं सनातनम् त्वयि भक्तिमति ब्रह्मन् प्रवक्ष्यामि यथातथम्
This is not to be spoken, yet it must be told; it is the supreme, eternal secret. Because you are devoted, O Brahmin, I will declare it to you just as it is.
यत् तत् सूक्ष्मम् अविज्ञेयम् अव्यक्तम् अचलं ध्रुवम् इन्द्रियैर् इन्द्रियार्थैश् च सर्वभूतैर् विवर्जितम्
That which is subtle, unknowable, unmanifest, unmoving, and constant—devoid of the senses, sense-objects, and all beings—
स ह्य् अन्तरात्मा भूतानां क्षेत्रज्ञश् चैव कथ्यते त्रिगुणाद् व्यतिरिक्तो ऽसौ पुरुषश् चैव कल्पितः
He is indeed called the inner self of beings, and also the knower of the field; distinct from the three qualities, he is also conceived as the Person.
हिरण्यगर्भो भगवान् सैव बुद्धिर् इति स्मृतः महान् इति च योगेषु प्रधानम् इति कथ्यते
He is known as the blessed Hiraṇyagarbha, as intellect, as the great principle in yoga, and as the primordial matter.
सांख्ये च कथ्यते योगे नामभिर् बहुधात्मकः स च त्रिरूपो विश्वात्मा शर्वो ऽक्षर इति स्मृतः
In Sāṃkhya he is described, in yoga by many names and forms; he is threefold, the soul of the universe, remembered as Śarva and the imperishable.
धृतम् एकात्मकं तेन त्रैलोक्यम् इदम् आत्मना अशरीरः शरीरेषु सर्वेषु निवसत्य् असौ
By him, who is of single essence, this threefold world is sustained; bodiless, he dwells within all bodies.
वसन्न् अपि शरीरेषु न स लिप्येत कर्मभिः ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहसंस्थिताः
Though residing in bodies, he is not tainted by actions; he is the inner self of mine, of yours, and of all others who dwell in bodies.
सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतो ऽसौ न ग्राह्यः केनचित् क्वचित् सगुणो निर्गुणो विश्वो ज्ञानगम्यो ह्य् असौ स्मृतः
He is the witness of all, yet cannot be grasped by anyone anywhere; possessed of qualities and without qualities, universal, he is known as attainable through knowledge.
सर्वतःपाणिपादान्तः सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखः सर्वतःश्रुतिमांल् लोके सर्वम् आवृत्य तिष्ठति
With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, with ears everywhere in the world, he stands pervading all.
विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः एकश् चरति वै क्षेत्रे स्वैरचारी यथासुखम्
With the universe as his head, arms, feet, eyes, and nose, he alone moves in the field, freely, as he pleases.
क्षेत्राणीह शरीराणि तेषां चैव यथासुखम् तानि वेत्ति स योगात्मा ततः क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते
Here, the bodies are the fields; he, the soul of yoga, knows them as he wishes, and thus is called the knower of the field.
अव्यक्ते च पुरे शेते पुरुषस् तेन चोच्यते विश्वं बहुविधं ज्ञेयं स च सर्वत्र उच्यते
He lies in the unmanifest city, and thus is called the Person; the universe, manifold and knowable, is said to be him everywhere.
तस्मात् स बहुरूपत्वाद् विश्वरूप इति स्मृतः तस्यैकस्य महत्त्वं हि स चैकः पुरुषः स्मृतः
Therefore, because of his manifold forms, he is remembered as the Universal Form; yet his greatness is one, and he is remembered as the One Person.
महापुरुषशब्दं हि बिभर्त्य् एकः सनातनः स तु विधिक्रियायत्तः सृजत्य् आत्मानम् आत्मना
He alone, eternal, bears the name 'Great Person'; subject to the order of creation, he brings forth himself by himself.
शतधा सहस्रधा चैव तथा शतसहस्रधा कोटिशश् च करोत्य् एष प्रत्यगात्मानम् आत्मना
He, the inner self, creates himself a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a hundred thousandfold, and by the millions.
आकाशात् पतितं तोयं याति स्वाद्वन्तरं यथा भूमे रसविशेषेण तथा गुणरसात् तु सः
Just as water fallen from the sky enters the earth, each according to its own quality, so does he enter the essence of qualities.
एक एव यथा वायुर् देहेष्व् एव हि पञ्चधा एकत्वं च पृथक्त्वं च तथा तस्य न संशयः
As the single wind, though one, becomes fivefold in bodies, so too is his unity and diversity—of this there is no doubt.
स्थानान्तरविशेषाच् च यथाग्निर् लभते पराम् संज्ञां तथा मुने सो ऽयं ब्रह्मादिषु तथाप्नुयात्
Just as fire, by differences of place, attains distinct names, so, O sage, does he attain such designations among Brahmā and the others.