ततस्त्वमात्मनात्मानं मुनीन्द्रेभ्यः प्रदर्शय
Therefore, reveal yourself by your own self to the foremost sages.
प्रदर्शयन् योगसिद्धिं निरीक्ष्य वृषभध्वजम्
Displaying yogic perfection, having beheld the Bull-bannered One,
कृतार्थं स्वयमात्मानं ज्ञातुमर्हथ तत्त्वतः
Having fulfilled your purpose, you should know yourself truly.
ममैव सन्निधावेष यथावद् वक्तुमीश्वरः
It is indeed in my presence that the Lord should speak properly.
सनत्कुमारप्रमुखाः पृच्छन्ति स्म महेश्वरम्
Sanatkumara and the others questioned Maheshvara.
किमप्यचिन्त्यं गगनादीश्वरार्हं समुद्बभौ
Something inconceivable, worthy of the Lord, arose from the sky.
तेजसा पूरयन् विश्वं भाति देवो महेश्वरः
Filling the universe with radiance, the god Maheshvara shines.
विभ्राजमानं विमले तस्मिन् ददृशुरासने
They saw him, brilliant and pure, seated upon that throne.
अनन्यतेजसं शान्तं शिवं ददृशिरे किल
They beheld Shiva, tranquil, unique in splendor.
तमासनस्थं भूतानामीशं ददृशिरे किल
They saw him seated, the Lord of beings.
स वासुदेवमासीनं तमीशं ददृशुः किल
They saw that Lord, Vasudeva, seated there.
निरीक्ष्य पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्वात्मयोगमनुत्तमम्
Beholding Lotus-eyed One, his supreme self-yoga,
प्रशान्तमानसाः सर्वे ज्ञानमीश्वरभाषितम्
With minds at peace, all listened to the knowledge spoken by the Lord.
यन्न देवा विजानन्ति यतन्तो ऽपि द्विजातयः
That which even the gods do not know, nor do the twice-born despite their efforts,
न संसारं प्रपद्यन्ते पूर्वे ऽपि ब्रह्मवादिनः
Nor do the earlier teachers of Brahman enter into worldly existence,
वक्ष्ये भक्तिमतामद्य युष्माकं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्
I shall declare today to you, devoted Brahman-knowers.
अस्ति सर्वान्तरः साक्षाच्चिन्मात्रस्तमसः परः
There exists the innermost, direct witness, pure consciousness, beyond darkness.
स कालो ऽग्निस्तदव्यक्तं स एवेदमिति श्रुतिः
He is time, fire, the unmanifest; he alone is this—all this, so declares the scripture.
स मायी मायया बद्धः करोति विविधास्तनूः
He, the wielder of māyā, bound by māyā, creates various bodies.
नायं पृथ्वी न सलिलं न तेजः पवनो नभः
He is not earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind, nor space.
न रूपरसगन्धाश्च नाहं कर्ता न वागपि
He is not form, taste, or smell; I am not the doer, nor even speech.
न माया नैव च प्राश्चैतन्यं परमार्थतः
He is not māyā, nor the fruits of action; in truth, he is pure consciousness.
तद्वदैक्यं न संबन्धः प्रपञ्चपरमात्मनोः
Likewise, there is no unity or connection between the world and the Supreme Self.
तद्वत् प्रपञ्चपुरुषौ विभिन्नौ परमार्थतः
In the same way, the world and the person are truly distinct.
नहि तस्य भवेन्मुक्तिर्जन्मान्तरशतैरपि
For him, there is no liberation, even after hundreds of births.
विकारहीनं निर्दुः खमानन्दात्मानमव्ययम्
The imperishable Self is changeless, free from suffering, space-like, and of the nature of bliss.
सा चाहङ्कारकर्तृत्वादात्मन्यारोप्यते जनैः
But this is falsely attributed to the self by people, due to ego and the sense of doership.
भोक्तारमक्षरं शुद्धं सर्वत्र समवस्थितम्
The imperishable, pure enjoyer is present everywhere.
अज्ञानादन्यथा ज्ञानं तच्च प्रकृतिसंगतम्
Due to ignorance, knowledge appears otherwise, and that is joined with nature.
अहङ्काराविवेकेन कर्ताहमिति मन्यते
Because of non-discrimination with ego, one thinks, 'I am the doer.'