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.
गुणैः समावृतं चेतः कथं जानाति निर्गुणम् । अहङ्कारोद्भवं तच्च तद्विहीनं कथं भवेत्
How can a mind enveloped by qualities know the qualityless? That arises from ego; how can it be without that?
यावन्न गुणविच्छेदस्तावत्तद्दर्शनं कुतः । तं पश्यति तदा चित्ते यदाऽहङ्कारवर्जितः
As long as the separation from qualities does not occur, how can that vision arise? One sees it in the mind only when ego is absent.
नारद उवाच स्वरूपं देवदेवेश त्रयाणामेव विस्तरात् । गुणानां यत्स्वरूपोऽस्ति ह्यहङ्कारस्त्रिरूपकः
Nārada said: O Lord of gods, describe in detail the nature of the three qualities, and the nature of ego, which has three forms.
सात्त्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च तथापरः । विभेदेन स्वरूपाणि वदस्व पुरुषोत्तम
Sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic—these are the three, O Supreme Person; explain their distinct natures.
यज्ज्ञात्वा विप्रमुच्येऽहं ज्ञानं तद्वद मे प्रभो । गुणानां लक्षणान्येव विततानि विभागशः
By knowing which I may be freed, tell me that knowledge, O Lord. Explain to me the characteristics of the qualities, set forth distinctly.
ब्रह्मोवाच त्रयाणां शक्तयस्तिस्त्रस्तद्ब्रवीमि तवानघ । ज्ञानशक्तिः क्रियाशक्तिरर्थशक्तिस्तथापरा
Brahmā said: The powers of the three are also three; I will tell you, O sinless one: the power of knowledge, the power of action, and the power of substance.
सात्त्विकस्य ज्ञानशक्ती राजसस्य क्रियात्मिका । द्रव्यशक्तिस्तामसस्य तिस्रश्च कथितास्तव
The sattvic is associated with the power of knowledge; the rajasic with the power of action; the tamasic with the power of substance—these three are explained to you.
तेषां कार्याणि वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद तत्त्वतः । तामस्या द्रव्यशक्तेश्च शब्दस्पर्शसमुद्भवः
I will tell you their functions, listen, Nārada, in truth: From the power of substance belonging to tamas arise sound and touch.
रूपं रसश्च गन्धश्च तन्मात्राणि प्रचक्षते । शब्दैकगुणमाकाशं वायुः स्पर्शगुणस्तथा
Form, taste, and smell are called subtle elements; ether has sound as its single quality, and air has touch as its quality.
सुरूपैकगुणोऽग्निश्च जलं रसगुणात्मकम् । पृथ्वी गन्धगुणा ज्ञेया सूक्ष्माण्येतानि नारद
Fire has form as its single quality; water is characterized by taste; earth is known by the quality of smell. These are subtle, Nārada.