महत्तत्त्वं हि कार्यं स्यादहङ्कारो हि कारणम् । तन्मात्राणि त्वहङ्कारादुत्पद्यन्ते सदैव हि
The great principle is indeed the effect, and ego is the cause; from ego, the subtle elements are always produced.
कारणं पञ्चभूतानां तानि सर्वसमुद्भवे । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि पंचैव पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि च
It is the cause of the five elements, from which all arise; and the five organs of action and the five organs of knowledge.
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव मनः षोडशमेव च । कार्यञ्च कारणञ्चैव गणोऽयं षोडशात्मकः
The five great elements and the mind as the sixteenth; this group of sixteen is both effect and cause.
परमात्मा पुमानाद्यो न कार्यं न च कारणम् । एवं समुद्भवः शम्भो सर्वेषामादिसम्भवे
The Supreme Self, the original Person, is neither effect nor cause; thus is the origin of all at the beginning, O Śambhu.
संक्षेपेण मया प्रोक्तस्तव तत्र समुद्भवः । व्रजन्त्वद्य विमानेन कार्यार्थं मम सत्तमाः
In brief, I have explained to you the origin there; now, O best ones, go by the chariot for my purpose.
स्मरणाद्दर्शनं तुभ्यं दास्येऽहं विषमे स्थिते । स्मर्तव्याहं सदा देवाः परमात्मा सनातनः
By remembrance, I will grant you a vision when you are in difficulty; always remember me, O gods, as the eternal Supreme Self.
उभयोः स्मरणादेव कार्यसिद्धिरसंशयम् । ब्रह्मोवाच इत्युक्त्वा विससर्जास्मान्दत्त्वा शक्तीः सुसंस्कृताः
By remembrance from both sides, success in action is certain; Brahmā said: Having thus spoken, she dismissed us, having given us well-prepared powers.
विष्णवेऽथ महालक्ष्मीं महाकालीं शिवाय च । महासरस्वतीं मह्यं स्थानात्तस्माद्विसर्जिताः
To Viṣṇu, Mahālakṣmī; to Śiva, Mahākālī; to me, Mahāsarasvatī; thus, from her place, she sent them forth.
स्थलान्तरं समासाद्य ते जाताः पुरुषा वयम् । चिन्तयन्तः स्वरूपं तत्प्रभावं परमाद्भुतम्
Having reached another place, we became persons; reflecting on that form and its supremely wondrous power.
विमानं तत्समासाद्य संरूढास्तत्र वै त्रयः । न द्वीपोऽसौ न सा देवी सुधासिन्धुस्तथैव च
Having reached that chariot, the three of us were established there; that was not an island, nor was that goddess there, nor the ocean of nectar.
आसाद्य तस्मिन्वितते विमाने प्राप्ता वयं पङ्कजसन्निधौ च । महार्णवे यत्र हतौ दुरत्ययौ मुरारिणा तौ मधुकैटभाख्यौ
Having arrived at that vast chariot, we reached the presence of the lotus; in the great ocean where those two, named Madhu and Kaiṭabha, were slain by the enemy of Mura, difficult to overcome.
तत्त्वनिरूपणवर्णनम् ब्रह्मोवाच एवंप्रभावा सा देवी मया दृष्टाथ विष्णुना । शिवेनापि महाभाग तास्ता देव्यः पृथक्पृथक्
Description of the discernment of reality. Brahmā said: Thus, I saw that goddess of such power, and so did Viṣṇu; and also Śiva, O greatly fortunate one, each saw those goddesses separately.
व्यास उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य पितुर्वाक्यं नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । पप्रच्छ परमप्रीतः प्रजापतिमिदं वचः
Vyāsa said: Having heard his father's words, the eminent sage Nārada, greatly pleased, asked Prajāpati this question:
नारद उवाच पुमानाद्योऽविनाशी यो निर्गुणोऽच्युतिरव्ययः । दृष्टश्चैवानुभूतश्च तद्वदस्व पितामह
Nārada said: O Grandfather, tell me about that primal, imperishable, qualityless, unchanging, and unfailing Person who is both seen and experienced.
त्रिगुणा वीक्षिता शक्तिर्निर्गुणा कीदृशी पितः । तस्याः स्वरूपं मे ब्रूहि पुरुषस्य च पद्मज
O Lotus-born, what is the nature of the qualityless power that is observed as threefold? Tell me the true form of that power and of the Person as well.
यदर्थञ्च मया तप्तं श्वेतद्वीपे महातपः । दृष्टाः सिद्धा महात्मानस्तापसा गतमन्यवः
For what purpose did I perform severe austerity on Śvetadvīpa? There, I saw accomplished great souls, ascetics free from anger.
परमात्मा न सम्प्राप्तो मयाऽसौ दृष्टिगोचरः । पुनः पुनस्तपस्तीव्रं कृतं तत्र प्रजापते
O Prajāpati, the Supreme Self did not appear within the range of my vision; again and again I performed intense austerity there.
भवता सगुणा शक्तिर्दृष्टा तात मनोरमा । निर्गुणा निर्गुणश्चैव कीदृशौ तौ वदस्व मे
Father, you have seen the delightful power with qualities; tell me, what are the qualityless power and the qualityless Person like?
व्यास उवाच इति पृष्ठः पिता तेन नारदेन प्रजापतिः । उवाच वचनं तथ्यं स्मितपूर्वं पितामहः
Vyāsa said: Thus questioned by Nārada, Prajāpati, the Grandfather, replied truthfully, first with a smile.
ब्रह्मोवाच निर्गुणस्य मुने रूपं न भवेद्दृष्टिगोचरम् । दृश्यञ्च नश्वरं यस्मादरूपं दृश्यते कथम्
Brahmā said: O sage, the form of the qualityless cannot be an object of sight; for whatever is seen is perishable—how can the formless be seen?
निर्गुणा दुर्गमा शक्तिर्निर्गुणश्च तथा पुमान् । ज्ञानगम्यौ मुनीनां तु भावनीयौ तथा पुनः
The qualityless power and the qualityless Person are both difficult to reach; they are to be known by knowledge and contemplated by sages.
अनादिनिधनौ विद्धि सदा प्रकृतिपूरुषौ । विश्वासेनाभिगम्यौ तौ नाविश्वासेन कर्हिचित्
Know that Prakṛti and Puruṣa are both without beginning or end, always; they are attained through faith, never through lack of faith.
चैतन्यं सर्वभूतेषु यत्तद्विद्धि परात्मकम् । तेजः सर्वत्रगं नित्यं नानाभावेषु नारद
Know that the consciousness present in all beings is the Supreme Self, O Nārada; it is the eternal light, pervading everywhere, manifesting in various forms.
तञ्च ताञ्च महाभाग व्यापकौ विद्धि सर्वगौ । ताभ्यां विहीनं संसारे न किञ्चिद्वस्तु विद्यते
O highly fortunate one, know that both of them are all-pervading and omnipresent; in this world, nothing exists apart from them.
तौ विचिन्त्यौ सदा देहे मिश्रीभूतौ सदाव्ययौ । एकरूपौ चिदात्मानौ निगुणौ निर्मलावुभौ
They are always to be contemplated in the body, always united and imperishable; both are of one form, conscious selves, qualityless, and pure.
या शक्तिः परमात्माऽसौ सा योऽसौ सा परमा मता । अन्तरं नैतयोः कोऽपि सूक्ष्मं वेद च नारद
That power is the Supreme Self, and that Supreme Self is considered that power; O Nārada, no one knows any subtle distinction between them.
अधीत्य सर्वशास्त्राणि वेदान्साङ्गांश्च नारद । न जानाति तयोः सूक्ष्ममन्तरं विरतिं विना
O Nārada, even after studying all the scriptures and the Vedas with their branches, one does not know the subtle difference between them without detachment.
अहङ्कारकृतं सर्वं विश्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । कथं तद्रहितं पुत्र भवेत्कल्पशतैरपि
All this world, moving and unmoving, is produced by ego; O son, how could it exist without that, even after hundreds of aeons?
निर्गुणं सगुणः पुत्र कथं पश्यति चक्षुषा । सगुणं च महाबुद्धे चेतसा संविचारय
O son, how can one with qualities see the qualityless with the eyes? O wise one, reflect with your mind on the one with qualities.
पित्तेनाच्छादिता जिह्वा चक्षुश्च मुनिसत्तम । कटु पित्तं विजानाति रसं रूपं न तत्तथा
O eminent sage, when the tongue is covered by bile, it perceives only the bitter taste, not the true flavor; so too with the eyes and form.