तीव्रतेजोहृतरसाज्योतिष्ट्वं प्राप्नुवन्त्युत
Losing their essence to the intense fire, they indeed attain the state of fire.
अथाग्निः सर्वतो व्याप्त आदत्ते तज्जलं तदा
Then fire, pervading everywhere, consumes that water.
अर्चिर्भिः संतते तस्मिंस्तर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्ततः
With its flames extended in all directions—across, above, and below—
प्रलीयते तदा तस्मिन्दीपार्चिरिव मारुते
Then, in that fire, it is dissolved like a lamp's flame in the wind.
उपशाम्यति तेजो हिवायुराधूयते महान्
Then the fire is extinguished, and the great wind carries it away.
ततस्तु मूलमासाद्य वायुः संबन्धमात्मनः
Then, reaching its source, the wind merges with its own essence.
वायोरपि गुणं स्पर्शमाकाशं ग्रसते च तत्
Even the quality of air, which is touch, is absorbed by space.
अरूपमरसस्पर्शमगन्धं न च मूर्तिमत्
It is without form, taste, touch, or scent, and does not possess any tangible shape.
तस्मिंल्लीने तदा शिष्टमाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम्
When it is dissolved, then what remains is space, characterized by sound.
तत्र शब्दं गुमं तस्य भूतदिर्ग्रसते पुनः
There, the quality of sound is again absorbed by the elemental principle.
अभिमानात्मको ह्येष भूतादिस्तामसः स्मृतः
This elemental principle is said to be of the nature of ego and is remembered as tamasic.
महानात्मा तु विज्ञेयः संकल्पो व्यवसायकः
The great self should be understood as the faculty of determination and resolve.
पर्यायवाचकैः शब्दैस्तमाहुस्तत्त्व चिन्तकाः
Those who contemplate the principles call it by various synonymous words.
लीयन्ते गुणसाम्यं तु स्वात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते
The equilibrium of qualities merges and remains established in its own self.
इत्येष संयमश्चैव तत्त्वानां कारणैः सह
Thus, this restraint of the principles occurs together with their causes.
धर्माधर्मौं तपो ज्ञानं शुभं सत्यानृते तथा
Righteousness and unrighteousness, austerity, knowledge, auspiciousness, truth and untruth likewise,
सर्वमेतत्प्रपञ्चस्थं गुणमात्रात्मकं स्मृतम्
All this, existing in the manifest world, is remembered as being of the nature of qualities alone.
प्रकृत्यां चैव तत्सर्वं पुण्यं पापं प्रतिष्ठति
And in primordial nature, all this—merit and sin—finds its foundation.
जन्तूनां पापपुण्यं तु प्रकृतौ यत्प्रतिष्ठितम्
The merit and sin of creatures, whatever is established in nature,
योजयन्ते पुनर्देहान्परत्वेन तथैव च
They again join bodies, and likewise, in a transcendent manner.
कारणैः स्वैः प्रचीयेते कायत्वेनेह जन्तुभिः
By their own causes, they accumulate and take bodily form here among creatures.
सर्गे च प्रतिसर्गे च संसारे चैव जन्तवः
In creation, in dissolution, and in the cycle of existence, creatures
राजसी तामसी चैव सात्त्विकी चैव वृत्तयः
There are indeed activities of the nature of rajas, tamas, and sattva.
उर्द्ध्वदेशात्मकं सत्त्वमधोभागात्मकं तमः
Sattva is of the nature of the upper regions, tamas is of the lower regions.
इत्येवं परिवर्तन्तेत्रयश्चेतोगुणात्मकाः
Thus, these three, composed of the qualities of the mind, revolve in succession.
अविद्याप्रत्ययारंभा आरभ्यन्ते हि मानवैः
Undertakings prompted by ignorance are indeed begun by human beings.
तमसो ऽभिभवाज्जन्तुर्याथातथ्यं न विन्दति
Because of the overpowering of darkness, a being does not perceive reality as it is.
प्राकृतेन च बन्धेन तथ्यावैकारिकेण च
By the natural bond and also by the factual and the modified one,
इत्येते वै त्रयः प्रोक्ता बन्धा ह्यज्ञानहेतुकाः
Thus, these three bonds are declared, indeed caused by ignorance.
अस्वे स्वमिति च ज्ञानमशुचौ शुचिनिश्चयः
The knowledge of 'this is mine' in what is not one's own, and certainty of purity in what is impure—