पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिधरं सर्वाङ्गकोमलम् । करुणापूर्णनयनं मन्दस्मितमुखाम्बुजम्
She held a noose, goad, boon, and gesture of fearlessness, her entire body soft, her eyes full of compassion, her lotus face adorned with a gentle smile.
दृष्ट्वा तत्सुन्दरं रूपं तदा भीतिविवर्जिताः । शान्तचित्ताः प्रणेमुस्ते हर्षगद्गदनिःस्वनाः
Beholding that beautiful form, they were freed from fear, their minds became peaceful, and they bowed down, their voices trembling with joy.
श्रीदेवीविराड्रूपदर्शनसहितं देवकृततत्स्तववर्णनम् श्री देव्युवाच क्व यूयं मन्दभाग्या वै क्वेदं रूपं महाद्भुतम् । तथापि भक्तवात्सल्यादीदृशं दर्शितं मया
The vision of the Divine Mother's cosmic form and the praise sung by the gods.
न वेदाध्ययनैर्योगैर्न दानैस्तपसेज्यया । रूपं द्रष्टुमिदं शक्यं केवलं मत्कृपां विना
Śrī Devī said: Where are you, so unfortunate, and where is this wondrous form? Yet, out of affection for my devotees, I have shown you this form.
प्रकृतं शृणु राजेन्द्र परमात्मात्र जीवताम् । उपाधियोगात्सम्प्राप्तः कर्तृत्वादिकमप्युत
O King, listen: the Supreme Self alone exists in all beings; due to association with limiting adjuncts, it appears as doer and so forth.
क्रियाः करोति विविधा धर्माधर्मैकहेतवः । नाना योनीस्ततः प्राप्य सुखदुःखैश्च युज्यते
It performs various actions, which are the sole causes of righteousness and unrighteousness; then, attaining various wombs, it experiences pleasure and pain.
पुनस्तत्संस्कृतिवशान्नानाकर्मरतः सदा । नानादेहान्समाप्नोति सुखदुःखैश्च युज्यते
Again, under the influence of those impressions, it is always engaged in various actions, attains different bodies, and is joined with pleasure and pain.
घटीयन्त्रवदेतस्य न विरामः कदापि हि । अज्ञानमेव मूलं स्यात्ततः कामः क्रियास्ततः
Like a water-clock mechanism, there is never any cessation for it; ignorance alone is the root, from which desire arises, and from that, action.
तस्मादज्ञाननाशाय यतेत नियतं नरः । एतद्धि जन्मसाफल्यं यदज्ञानस्य नाशनम्
Therefore, a person should constantly strive for the destruction of ignorance; for the true fulfillment of birth is the eradication of ignorance.
पुरुषार्थसमाप्तिश्च जीवन्मुक्तदशापि च । अज्ञाननाशने शक्ता विद्यैव तु पटीयसी
The attainment of all human goals and the state of liberation while living are possible only through the destruction of ignorance, and knowledge alone is truly powerful for this.
न कर्म तज्जं नोपास्तिर्विरोधाभावतो गिरे । प्रत्युताशाज्ञाननाशे कर्मणा नैव भाव्यताम्
Neither action nor worship, being products of ignorance, can remove it, for there is no opposition between them; indeed, action cannot bring about the destruction of hope and ignorance.
अनर्थदानि कर्माणि पुनः पुनरुशन्ति हि । ततो रागस्ततो दोषस्ततोऽनर्थो महान्भवेत्
Actions that bring misfortune repeatedly arise; from them comes attachment, from attachment comes fault, and from that, great harm results.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ज्ञानं सम्पादयेन्नरः । कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणीत्यतः कर्माप्यवश्यकम्
Therefore, by every effort, a person should acquire knowledge, yet performing actions here is also necessary.
ज्ञानादेव हि कैवल्यमतः स्यात्तत्समुच्चयः । सहायतां व्रजेत्कर्म ज्ञानस्य हितकारि च
For liberation comes only from knowledge; therefore, their combination is proper—action serves as an aid to knowledge and is beneficial to it.
इति केचिद्वदन्त्यत्र तद्विरोधान्न सम्भवेत् । ज्ञानाधृद्ग्रन्थिभेदः स्याद्धृद्ग्रन्थौ कर्मसम्भवः
Some say here that this is not possible due to their opposition; the cutting of the heart-knot comes from knowledge, while the heart-knot itself arises from action.
यौगपद्यं न सम्भाव्यं विरोधात्तु ततस्तयोः । तमः प्रकाशयोर्यद्वद्यौगपद्यं न सम्भवि
Simultaneity between them is not possible because of their opposition, just as darkness and light cannot exist together.
तस्मात् सर्वाणि कर्माणि वैदिकानि महामते । चित्तशुद्ध्यन्तमेव स्युस्तानि कुर्यात्प्रयत्नतः
Therefore, O wise one, all Vedic actions should be performed only for the sake of purification of the mind, and one should do them diligently.
शमो दमस्तितिक्षा च वैराग्यं सत्त्वसम्भवः । तावत्पर्यन्तमेव स्युः कर्माणि न ततः परम्
Calmness, self-control, forbearance, dispassion, and the rise of purity—actions are only up to that point, not beyond.
तदन्ते चैव संन्यस्य संश्रयेद् गुरुमात्मवान् । श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठं च भक्त्या निर्व्याजया पुनः
After that, having renounced, one should seek out a teacher, self-possessed, learned in the scriptures and established in Brahman, and serve him again with sincere devotion.
वेदान्तश्रवणं कुर्यान्नित्यमेवमतन्द्रितः । तत्त्वमस्यादिवाक्यस्य नित्यमर्थं विचारयेत्
One should always listen attentively to Vedanta, and constantly reflect on the meaning of statements such as 'That Thou Art.'
तत्त्वमस्यादि वाक्यं तु जीवब्रह्मैक्यबोधकम् । ऐक्ये ज्ञाते निर्भयस्तु मद्रूपो हि प्रजायते
The statement 'That Thou Art' and others reveal the unity of the individual and Brahman; knowing this unity, one becomes fearless and attains my own form.
पदार्थावगतिः पूर्वं वाक्यार्थावगतिस्ततः । तत्पदस्य च वाक्यार्थो गिरेऽहं परिकीर्तितः
First comes the understanding of the meaning of the words, then the comprehension of the sentence; the meaning of the word 'That' in the sentence, O mountain, is declared by me.
त्वं पदस्य च वाच्यार्थो जीव एव न संशयः । उभयोरैक्यमसिना पदेन प्रोच्यते बुधैः
You are indeed the direct meaning of the word, the living being—of this there is no doubt; the unity of both is declared by the word 'asi' by the wise.
वाच्यार्थयोर्विरुद्धत्वादैक्यं नैव घटेत ह । लक्षणातः प्रकर्तव्या तत्त्वमोः श्रुतिसंस्थयोः
Because the direct meanings of the two are opposed, their unity cannot occur; it must be made through implication, as taught in the scriptures regarding 'That Thou Art.'
चिन्मात्रं तु तयोर्लक्ष्यं तयोरैक्यस्य सम्भवः । तयोरैक्यं तथा ज्ञात्वा स्वाभेदेनाद्वयो भवेत्
Pure consciousness is the intended meaning of both, and the unity of the two is possible; knowing their unity thus, one becomes non-dual, free from distinction.
देवदत्तः स एवायमितिवल्लक्षणा स्मृता । स्थूलादि देहरहितो ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते नरः
The implication, as in 'this is that Devadatta,' is remembered; when freed from the gross body and such, a person attains Brahman.
पञ्चीकृतमहाभूतसम्भूतः स्थूलदेहकः । भोगालयो जराव्याधिसंयुतः सर्वकर्मणाम्
The gross body is formed from the fivefold compounded great elements; it is the abode of experience, subject to old age and disease, and the field of all actions.
मिथ्याभूतोऽयमाभाति स्फुटं मायामयत्वतः । सोऽयं स्थूल उपाधिः स्यादात्मनो मे नगेश्वर
This appears as real but is in fact false, being made of māyā; this gross body is the limiting adjunct of the self, O Lord of Mountains.
ज्ञानकर्मेन्द्रिययुतं प्राणपञ्चकसंयुतम् । मनोबुद्धियुतं चैतत्सूक्ष्मं तत्कवयो विदुः
Endowed with the organs of knowledge and action, joined with the five vital airs, and with mind and intellect—this is called the subtle body by the wise.
अपञ्चीकृतभूतोत्थं सूक्ष्मदेहोऽयमात्मनः । द्वितीयोऽयमुपाधिः स्यात्सुखादेरवबोधकः
This subtle body of the self arises from the uncompounded elements; this is the second limiting adjunct, the experiencer of pleasure and so on.