प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत्
Om is the bow, the self is the arrow, Brahman is said to be the target; it must be pierced with vigilance, and one should become united with it like an arrow.
यस्मिन् द्यौश्च पृथिवी चान्तरिक्ष- मोतं मनः सह प्राणैश्च सर्वैः । तमेवैकं जानथात्मानं अन्या वाचो विमुञ्चथामृतस्यैष सेतुः
In whom heaven, earth, and the intermediate space, the mind woven together with all the life-forces, exist; know that one alone as the self, and abandon other words, for this is the bridge to immortality.
अरा इव रथनाभौ संहता यत्र नाड्यः । स एषोऽन्तश्चरते बहुधा जायमानः
As the spokes are joined in the hub of a wheel, so are the channels united; this one moves within, manifesting in many ways.
ओमित्येवं ध्यायथात्मानं स्वस्ति वः पाराय तमसः परस्तात् । दिव्ये ब्रह्मपुरे व्योम्नि आत्मा सम्प्रतिष्ठितः
Meditate upon the self with 'Om' thus; may you cross beyond darkness to auspiciousness; in the divine city of Brahman, in the space, the self is established.
मनोमयः प्राणशरीरनेता प्रतिष्ठितोऽन्ने हृदयं सन्निधाय । तद्विज्ञानेन परिपश्यन्ति धीरा आनन्दरूपममृतं यद्विभाति
Made of mind, leader of the body of breath, established in food, abiding in the heart; by knowing that, the wise perceive the form of bliss, the immortal which shines forth.
भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टे परावरे
The knot of the heart is broken, all doubts are cut asunder, and his actions are exhausted, upon seeing the Supreme and the lower.
हिरण्मये परे कोशे विराजं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् । तच्छुभ्रं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिस्तद्यदात्मविदो विदुः
In the supreme golden sheath, the radiant Brahman, without parts, resides; that pure light, the light of lights, which the knowers of the self know.
न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति
There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; these lightning flashes do not shine, how then could fire? By its shining, everything shines; by its light, all this is illuminated.
ब्रह्मैवेदममृतं पुरस्ताद्ब्रह्म पश्चाद्ब्रह्म दक्षिणतश्चोत्तरेण । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च प्रसृतं ब्रह्मैवेदं विश्वं वरिष्ठम्
Brahman alone is this immortal before, Brahman behind, Brahman to the south and north; above and below, Brahman alone is spread out, this entire world is supreme Brahman.
एतादृगनुभवो यस्य स कृतार्थो नरोत्तमः । ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति
He whose experience is thus, O best of men, is fulfilled; having become Brahman, with a serene mind, he neither grieves nor desires.
द्वितीयाद्वै भयं राजंस्तदभावाद् बिभेति न । न तद्वियोगो मेऽप्यस्ति मद्वियोगोऽपि तस्य न
Fear arises from duality, O King; in its absence, there is no fear. Neither do I experience separation from him, nor does he from me.
अहमेव स सोऽहं वै निश्चितं विद्धि पर्वत । मद्दर्शनं तु तत्र स्याद्यत्र ज्ञानी स्थितो मम
I am indeed he, and he is truly me; know this with certainty, O Parvata. My presence is found wherever a knower of me abides.
नाहं तीर्थे न कैलासे वैकुण्ठे वा न कर्हिचित् । वसामि किन्तु मज्ज्ञानिहृदयाम्भोजमध्यमे
I do not dwell in holy places, nor on Kailāsa, nor in Vaikuṇṭha, nor anywhere else; rather, I reside in the lotus at the center of the heart of my knower.
मत्पूजाकोटिफलदं सकृन्मज्ज्ञानिनोऽर्चनम् । कुलं पवित्रं तस्यास्ति जननी कृतकृत्यका
The worship offered once by my knower yields the fruit of millions of my rituals; his lineage is purified, and his mother has fulfilled her purpose.
विश्वम्भरा पुण्यवती चिल्लयो यस्य चेतसः । ब्रह्मज्ञानं तु यत्पृष्टं त्वया पर्वतसत्तम
The earth is blessed and sacred where the mind of such a one dwells; you have asked about the knowledge of Brahman, O best of mountains.
कथितं तन्मया सर्वं नातो वक्तव्यमस्ति हि । इदं ज्येष्ठाय पुत्राय भक्तियुक्ताय शीलिने
All this has been spoken by me; nothing further need be said. This is to be told to the eldest son, who is devoted and virtuous.
शिष्याय च यथोक्ताय वक्तव्यं नान्यथा क्वचित् । यस्य देवे परा भक्तिर्यथा देवे तथा गुरौ
It should be spoken to the disciple who acts as instructed, and never otherwise; one whose supreme devotion to the deity equals that to the guru.
तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः । येनोपदिष्टा विद्येयं स एव परमेश्वरः
To such a great soul, these meanings shine forth; the one who has imparted this knowledge is himself the Supreme Lord.
यस्यायं सुकृतं कर्तुमसमर्थस्ततो ऋणी । पित्रोरप्यधिकः प्रोक्तो ब्रह्मजन्मप्रदायकः
He who is unable to perform this meritorious act becomes indebted; he is said to be greater than one's parents, for he grants the birth of Brahman.
पितृजातं जन्म नष्टं नेत्थं जातं कदाचन । तस्मै न द्रुह्येदित्यादि निगमोऽप्यवदन्नग
The birth from one's parents is lost; such a birth never occurs again. Therefore, one should not harm him; thus declares the scripture, O mountain.
तस्माच्छास्त्रस्य सिद्धान्तो ब्रह्मदाता गुरुः परः । शिवे रुष्टे गुरुस्त्राता गुरौ रुष्टे न शङ्करः
Therefore, the conclusion of scripture is that the guru who bestows Brahman is supreme; when Śiva is displeased, the guru protects, but when the guru is displeased, Śaṅkara does not.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्रीगुरुं तोषयेन्नग । कायेन मनसा वाचा सर्वदा तत्परो भवेत्
Therefore, with all effort, one should please the revered guru, O mountain; by body, mind, and speech, one should always be devoted to him.
अन्यथा तु कृतघ्नः स्यात्कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः । इन्द्रेणाथर्वणायोक्ता शिरश्छेदप्रतिज्ञया
Otherwise, one becomes ungrateful, and for the ungrateful there is no atonement; Indra declared to Atharvan with the vow of beheading.
अश्विभ्यां कथने तस्य शिरश्छिन्नं च वज्रिणा । अश्वीयं तच्छिरो नष्टं दृष्ट्वा वैद्यौ सुरोत्तमौ
When he spoke to the Aśvins, his head was cut off by the wielder of the thunderbolt; seeing that the Aśvins' head was lost, the two divine physicians.
पुनः संयोजितं स्वीयं ताभ्यां मुनिशिरस्तदा । इति सङ्कटसम्पाद्या ब्रह्मविद्या नगाधिप । लब्धा येन स धन्यः स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भूधर
Then, by those two, the sage's own head was rejoined; thus, after overcoming adversity, the knowledge of Brahman was obtained, O lord of mountains. He who attains it is blessed and has fulfilled his purpose, O Bhūdhara.
इति श्रीदेवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां सप्तमस्कन्धे देवीगीतायां ब्रह्मविद्योपदेशवर्णनं नाम षट्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, entitled 'The Teaching of Brahman Knowledge,' in the Devī Gītā of the Seventh Book of the glorious Devī Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, comprising eighteen thousand verses.
देवीगीतायां भक्तिमहिमावर्णनम् हिमालय उवाच स्वीयां भक्तिं वदस्वाम्ब येन ज्ञानं सुखेन हि । जायेत मनुजस्यास्य मध्यमस्याविरागिणः
Himalaya said: Mother, please describe your devotion, by which knowledge arises easily in a person of middling nature, who is free from passion.
देव्युवाच मार्गास्त्रयो मे विख्याता मोक्षप्राप्तौ नगाधिप । कर्मयोगो ज्ञानयोगो भक्तियोगश्च सत्तम
The Goddess said: Three paths are renowned for attaining liberation, O lord of mountains: the path of action, the path of knowledge, and the path of devotion, O noble one.
त्रयाणामप्ययं योग्यः कर्तुं शक्योऽस्ति सर्वथा । सुलभत्वान्मानसत्वात्कायचित्ताद्यपीडनात्
This practice is suitable for all three and can always be performed, because it is easy, mental in nature, and does not cause suffering to the body, mind, or anything else.
गुणभेदान्मनुष्याणां सा भक्तिस्त्रिविधा मता । परपीडां समुद्दिश्य दम्भं कृत्वा पुरःसरम्
Because of the differences in qualities among people, devotion is considered to be of three kinds: when someone, with the intention of harming others, acts with hypocrisy at the forefront—