अनाद्यनिर्वाच्यमिदमज्ञानं तु तृतीयकः । देहोऽयमात्मनो भाति कारणात्मा नगेश्वर
This beginningless, indescribable ignorance is the third; this causal body of the self appears, O Lord of Mountains.
उपाधिविलये जाते केवलात्मावशिष्यते । देहत्रये पञ्चकोशा अन्तःस्थाः सन्ति सर्वदा
When the limiting adjuncts are dissolved, the pure self alone remains; within the three bodies, the five sheaths always exist inside.
पञ्चकोशपरित्यागे ब्रह्म पुच्छं हि लभ्यते । नेतिनेतीत्यादिवाक्यैर्मम रूपं यदुच्यते
By renouncing the five sheaths, Brahman, the support, is attained; by statements such as 'not this, not this,' my true form is described.
न जायते म्रियते तत्कदाचि- न्नायं भूत्वा न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे
It is never born, nor does it ever die; having once come into being, it never ceases to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient—it is not slain when the body is slain.
हतं चेन्मन्यते हन्तुं हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतौ नायं हन्ति न हन्यते
If one thinks it is the slayer, or thinks it is slain, both do not understand; it neither kills nor is killed.
अणोरणीयान्महतो महीया- नात्मास्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायाम् । तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुः प्रसादान्महिमानमस्य
Subtler than the subtle, greater than the great, the self is hidden in the cave of the living being; one who is free from desire and sorrow sees its glory through the grace of the Creator.
आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च
Know the self as the rider in the chariot, the body as the chariot itself; know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins.
इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः
The senses are called the horses, and the objects their paths; the wise say that the self, joined with mind and senses, is the experiencer.
यस्त्वविद्वान्भवति चामनस्कश्च सदाशुचिः । न तत्पदमवाप्नोति संसारं चाधिगच्छति
But one who is ignorant, whose mind is unrestrained and always impure, does not attain that state and enters into the cycle of birth and death.
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः । स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते
But one who possesses knowledge, whose mind is controlled and always pure, attains that state from which there is no further birth.
विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः । सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति मदीयं यत्परं पदम्
He whose charioteer is discernment and who holds the reins of the mind—such a person reaches the far shore of the path, which is my supreme abode.
इत्थं श्रुत्या च मत्या च निश्चित्यात्मानमात्मना । भावयेन्मामात्मरूपां निदिध्यासनतोऽपि
Thus, having determined the Self by means of scripture and reasoning, one should contemplate me as the Self, even more than through meditation.
योगवृत्तेः पुरा स्वस्मिन्भावयेदक्षरत्रयम् । देवीप्रणवसञ्ज्ञस्य ध्यानार्थं मन्त्रवाच्ययोः
Before engaging in yogic practice, one should contemplate the three imperishable syllables—known as the Goddess-pranava—for the purpose of meditation, both as mantra and as what is denoted by the mantra.
हकारः स्थूलदेहः स्याद्रकारः सूक्ष्मदेहकः । ईकारः कारणात्मासौ ह्रीङ्कारोऽहं तुरीयकम्
The syllable 'ha' is the gross body, 'ra' is the subtle body, 'ī' is the causal self, and 'hrīṃ'—I am that, the fourth state.
एवं समष्टिदेहेऽपि ज्ञात्वा बीजत्रयं क्रमात् । समष्टिव्यष्ट्योरेकत्वं भावयेन्मतिमान्नरः
In this way, having understood the three seeds in the collective body in order, a wise person should contemplate the unity of the collective and the individual.
समाधिकालात्पूर्वं तु भावयित्वैवमादृतः । ततो ध्यायेन्निलीनाक्षो देवीं मां जगदीश्वरीम्
Before the time of samadhi, having thus contemplated with reverence, one should then meditate, with the senses withdrawn, on me, the Goddess, the Ruler of the Universe.
प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ । निवृत्तविषयाकाङ्क्षो वीतदोषो विमत्सरः
Making the in-breath and out-breath equal, moving within the nostrils, desiring no sense-objects, free from faults and envy—
भक्त्या निर्व्याजया युक्तो गुहायां निःस्वने स्थले । हकारम् विश्वमात्मानं रकारे प्रविलापयेत्
Engaged with sincere devotion, in the silent space of the cave (of the heart), one should dissolve the universal self, represented by 'ha', into 'ra'.
रकारं तैजसं देवमीकारे प्रविलापयेत् । ईकारं प्राज्ञमात्मानं ह्रीङ्कारे प्रविलापयेत्
One should dissolve 'ra', the taijasa deity, into 'ī'; and 'ī', the prājña self, into 'hrīṃ'.
वाच्यवाचकताहीनं द्वैतभावविवर्जितम् । अखण्डं सच्चिदानन्दं भावयेत्तच्छिखान्तरे
One should contemplate, within the crown, that which is free from the relation of word and meaning, devoid of duality, indivisible, and of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss.
इति ध्यानेन मां राजन् साक्षात्कृत्य नरोत्तमः । मद्रूप एव भवति द्वयोरप्येकता यतः
Thus, by this meditation, O King, the best of men realizes me directly and becomes of my very form, because of the unity of both.
योगयुक्त्यानया दृष्ट्वा मामात्मानं परात्परम् । अज्ञानस्य सकार्यस्य तत्क्षणे नाशको भवेत्
By seeing me, the Supreme of the supreme, through this yogic method, one can instantly destroy ignorance along with its effects.
श्रीदेवीविराड्रूपदर्शनसहितं देवकृततत्स्तववर्णनम् हिमालय उवाच योगं वद महेशानि साङ्गं संवित्प्रदायकम् । कृतेन येन योग्योऽहं भवेयं तत्त्वदर्शने
Himalaya said: O Great Goddess, teach me the yoga in its entirety, which bestows true knowledge, by which I may become fit for the vision of reality.
श्रीदेव्युवाच न योगो नभसः पृष्ठे न भूमौ न रसातले । ऐक्यं जीवात्मनोराहुर्योगं योगविशारदाः
The Blessed Goddess said: Yoga is not on the surface of the sky, nor on the earth, nor in the netherworld; the unity of the individual and supreme self is called yoga by those skilled in yoga.
तत्प्रत्यूहाः षडाख्याता योगविघ्नकरानघ । कामक्रोधौ लोभमोहौ मदमात्सर्यसञ्ज्ञकौ
Six obstacles to that are declared, O sinless one, as hindrances to yoga: desire and anger, greed and delusion, pride and envy.
योगाङ्गैरेव भित्त्वा तान्योगिनो योगमाप्नुयुः । यमं नियममासनप्राणायामौ ततः परम्
By breaking through these with the limbs of yoga, yogis attain yoga: yama, niyama, posture, and breath-control, and then further—
प्रत्याहारं धारणाख्यं ध्यानं सार्धं समाधिना । अष्टाङ्गान्याहुरेतानि योगिनां योगसाधने
Withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation together with samadhi—these eight are called the limbs of yoga for the accomplishment of yoga by yogis.
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यं दयाऽऽर्जवम् । क्षमा धृतिर्मिताहारः शौचं चेति यमा दश
Non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, compassion, straightforwardness, forgiveness, fortitude, moderation in food, and purity—these are the ten yamas.
तपः सन्तोष आस्तिक्यं दानं देवस्य पूजनम् । सिद्धान्तश्रवणं चैव ह्रीर्मतिश्च जपो हुतम्
Austerity, contentment, faith, charity, worship of the deity, attentive listening to doctrine, modesty, discernment, recitation, and offering—
दशैते नियमाः प्रोक्ता मया पर्वतनायक । पद्मासनं स्वस्तिकं च भद्रं वज्रासनं तथा
These ten observances are declared by me, O lord of the mountains; padmasana, svastika, bhadra, and vajrasana—