समाराध्यः स एवात्र सर्वैः सर्वार्थकाङ्क्षिभिः
He alone is to be worshipped here by all who desire every object.
के देवाः पूजनीयाश्च विष्णुपादपरायणैः
Which gods are to be worshipped by those devoted to the feet of Viṣṇu?
दीक्षणं प्रातराद्यं च कृत्यं स्याद्यत्तदुच्यताम्
Let the morning initiation and the prescribed rite be declared, whatever it may be.
प्रीयेत परमात्मा वै तद्ब्रूत मम मानदाः
May the Supreme Self be pleased; tell me that, O givers of honor.
सनत्कुमारो भगवानुवाचार्कसमद्युतिः
The venerable Sanatkumara, radiant like the sun, spoke.
यज्ज्ञात्वामलया भक्त्या साधयेद्विष्णुमव्ययम्
By knowing this, with pure devotion, one attains the imperishable Vishnu.
भोगमोक्षक्रियाचर्याह्वया पादाः प्रकीर्तिताः
The stages called enjoyment, liberation, action, and conduct are enumerated.
पतिस्तत्र शिवोह्येको जीवास्तु पशवः स्मृताः
There, Shiva alone is the master; the living beings are remembered as the cattle.
तावत्पशुत्वमेतेषां द्वैतवत्पश्य नारद
So long as duality exists, O Narada, these beings remain in the state of cattle.
पशवस्त्रिविधाश्चापि विज्ञाताः कलसंज्ञिकाः
The cattle are also known to be threefold, bearing the designation 'kala.'
तत्राद्यो मलसंयुक्तो मलकर्मयुतः परः
Among them, the first is joined with impurity, the second with impurity and action.
आद्यस्तु द्विविधस्तत्र समासकलुषस्तथा
The first is again twofold: grossly impure and subtly impure.
पक्वापक्वमलेनैव द्विविधः परिकीर्तितः
It is said that the second is of two kinds, with ripe and unripe impurity.
कलादितत्त्वनियतः सकलः पर्यटत्ययम्
Bound by the principle beginning with kala, this 'sakala' wanders.
पाशाः पञ्च तथा तत्र प्रथमौ मलकर्मजौ
There are five bonds; among them, the first two arise from impurity and action.
एको ऽप्यनेकशक्तिर्दृक्क्रियाच्छादनकोमलः
Though one, it possesses manifold powers; it is subtle, veiling perception and action.
धर्माधर्मात्मकं कर्म विचित्रफलभोगदम्
Action, consisting of virtue and vice, yields enjoyment of various fruits.
इत्येतौ प्रथमौ चाथ मायेयाद्यान् शृणुद्विज
These two are the first; now hear, O twice-born, those arising from maya and others.
पतिर्जयति सर्वेषामेको बीजं विभुः परम्
The master, supreme and all-pervading, is victorious over all; he alone is the seed.
वर्वर्ति दृक्क्रियारूपं तत्तेजः शांभवं परम्
He abides as perception and action; that supreme energy is of Shambhu.
तच्छक्तिमाद्यामेकान्तां विद्रूपाख्यां वदन्ति हि
They indeed call that primal, unique power by the name Vidrūpā.
अशेषतत्त्वजातस्य कारणं विभुरव्ययम्
She is the all-pervading, imperishable cause of the entire multitude of principles.
कृत्यं कुर्वन्ति तेनेदं सर्वानुग्राहकं मुने
By her, all actions are performed, O sage, and she is the universal bestower of grace.
आद्योन्मेषो ऽस्य नादात्मा शान्त्यादिभुवनात्मकः
The first emergence of this is sound, whose essence is the worlds of peace and the like.
ततो ज्ञानक्रियाशक्त्योस्तथोत्कर्षापकर्षयोः
Then, of the powers of knowledge and action, there are gradations of superiority and inferiority.
दृक्शक्तिर्यत्र न्यग्भूता क्रियाशक्तिर्विशिष्यते
Where the power of knowledge is subdued, the power of action prevails.
यत्र क्रिया हि न्यग्भूता ज्ञानाख्योद्रेकमश्नुते
Where the power of action is subdued, the surge called knowledge is attained.
नादो बिन्दुश्च सकलः सदाख्यं तत्त्वमाश्रितौ
Sound and bindu, together with the manifest, are established in the principle called Sadākhya.
इमानि चैव तत्त्वानि शुद्धाध्वेति प्रकीर्तितम्
These very principles are indeed proclaimed as the pure path.
पञ्चानां कालराहित्याक्रमो नास्तीति निश्चितम्
For these five, there is certainly no sequence of time.