द्वयोपदेशपूर्वं तु सर्वकर्मसमाचरेत् । द्वयाधिकारी न भवेत्सर्वकर्मसु नार्हति
One should perform all actions only after receiving instruction in both; one who is not qualified in both is not fit for all actions.
तस्माद्वयमधीत्येव पश्चान्मंत्रमनुत्तमम् । श्रीमदष्टाक्षरं सम्यगभ्यसेद्दिवजसत्तमः
Therefore, having studied both, afterwards the best among the twice-born should properly practice the supreme mantra, the glorious eight-syllabled one.
मंत्रमष्टाक्षरं प्रोक्तं प्रणवस्यैव संग्रहात् । नैसर्गप्रणवाद्यन्तु मंत्रमित्युच्यतेबुधैः
The eight-syllabled mantra is said to be composed from the praṇava; the mantra is called such by the wise, beginning with the natural praṇava.
नान्यत्र सर्वमंत्रेषु प्रणवस्वस्वभावतः । पूर्वं तु सर्वमंत्राणां योजयेत्प्रणवं शुभम्
In all mantras, the praṇava is inherently present; but first, one should join the auspicious praṇava to all mantras.
ॐकारः प्रणवं ब्रह्म सर्वमंत्रेषु नायकः । आदौ सर्वत्र युंजीत मंत्राणां तु शुभानने
The syllable Oṃ is the praṇava, Brahman, and the leader among all mantras; at the beginning, O beautiful-faced one, one should apply it to all auspicious mantras.
स्वभावात्प्रणवन्तस्मिन्मूलमंत्रे प्रतिष्ठितम् । ओमित्येकाक्षरं पूर्वं द्व्यक्षरं नम इत्यथ
By its nature, the praṇava is established in that root mantra; first is the single syllable 'om', then the two syllables 'namaḥ'.
ततो नारायणायेति पंचार्णानि यथाक्रमम् । एवमष्टाक्षरो मंत्रो ज्ञेयः सर्वार्थसाधकः
Then, 'nārāyaṇāya'—these five syllables in order; thus, the eight-syllabled mantra is to be known as accomplishing all aims.
सर्वदुःखहरः श्रीमान्सर्वमंत्रात्मकः शुभः । ऋषिर्नारायणस्तस्य देवता श्रीश एव च
It removes all suffering, is glorious, the essence of all mantras, and auspicious; Nārāyaṇa is its seer, and the Lord of Śrī is its deity.
छंदस्तु देवी गायत्री प्रणवो बीजमुच्यते । नित्यानपायिनी देवी शक्तिः श्रीरुच्यते मनोः
The meter is the goddess Gāyatrī, the praṇava is called its seed; the ever-inseparable goddess is said to be its power, and Śrī is its mind.
प्रथमं पदमोङ्कार द्वितीयं नम उच्यते । तृतीयं नारायणायेति पदत्रयमुदाहृतम्
The first word is 'oṃkāra', the second is 'namaḥ', and the third is 'nārāyaṇāya'; thus, the three words are described.
अकारश्चाप्युकारश्च मकारश्च ततः परम् । वेदत्रयात्मकं प्रोक्तं प्रणवं ब्रह्मणः पदम्
The letter 'a', the letter 'u', and then the letter 'm'—thus, the praṇava, the word of Brahman, is said to be the essence of the three Vedas.
अकारेणोच्यते विष्णुः श्रीरुकारेण चोच्यते । मकारस्त्वनयोर्दासः पंचविंशः प्रकीर्तितः
By the letter 'a', Viṣṇu is indicated; by the letter 'u', Śrī is indicated; the letter 'm' is said to be their servant, the twenty-fifth.
वासुदेवस्वरूपं तदकारेणोच्यतै बुधैः । उकारेण श्रियो देव्या रूपं मुनिभिरुच्यते
By the letter 'a', the form of Vāsudeva is declared by the wise; by the letter 'u', the form of the goddess Śrī is declared by the sages.
मकारेणोच्यते जीवः पंचविंशोदितः पुमान् । भूतानि च कवर्गेण चवर्गणेन्द्रियाणि च
By the letter 'm', the living being is indicated, called the twenty-fifth man; the elements by the group 'ka', and the senses by the group 'ca'.
ट वर्गेण तवर्गेण ज्ञानं धादयस्तथा । मनः पकारेणैवोक्तं फकारेण त्वहंकृतिः
By the group 'ṭa' and the group 'ta', knowledge and the hearts are indicated; the mind is said to be by the letter 'pa', and ego by the letter 'pha'.
बकारेण भकारेण महान्प्रकृतिरुच्यते । आत्मा तु स मकारः स्यात्पंचविंशः प्रकीर्तितः
By the letter 'ba' and the letter 'bha', the great principle, prakṛti, is indicated; but the self is that letter 'm', called the twenty-fifth.
देहेंद्रियमनः प्राणादिभ्योन्योऽनन्यसाधनः । भगवच्छेषभूतोऽसौ मकाराख्यः स चेतनः
Distinct from body, senses, mind, and vital airs, without any other means, that entity called 'ma' is conscious and exists as a remainder of the Divine.
अवधारणवाच्येवमुकारः कैश्चिदुच्यते । श्रीतत्वमपि तत्पक्षे वकारेणैव चोच्यते
Thus, some say the syllable 'u' signifies determination; in that view, the essence of Śrī is also expressed by the syllable 'va'.
भास्करस्य प्रभा यद्वत्तस्य नित्यानपायिनी । आकारेणोच्यते विष्णुः कल्याणगुणसागरः
Just as the radiance of the sun is inseparable from it, so Viṣṇu, the ocean of auspicious qualities, is denoted by the syllable 'a'.
श्रीशः सर्वात्मनां शेषो जगद्बीजं परः पुमान् । जगत्कर्त्ता जगद्भर्त्ता ईश्वरो लोकबांधवः
The Lord of Śrī, the universal Self, the supreme seed of the world, the highest Person, creator and sustainer of the universe, ruler, and friend of all beings.
जगतामीश्वरी नित्या विष्णोरनपगामिनी । माता सर्वस्य जगतः पत्नी विष्णोर्मनोरमा
The eternal Lady of the worlds, inseparable from Viṣṇu, mother of all creation, beloved wife of Viṣṇu.
जगदाधारभूता श्रीरुकारेणात्र चोच्यते । मकारेण तयोर्दासः क्षेत्रज्ञः प्रोच्यते बुधैः
Śrī, the foundation of the universe, is here indicated by the syllable 'ru'; by the syllable 'ma', the servant of both, the knower of the field, is described by the wise.
ज्ञानाश्रमो ज्ञानगुणश्चेतनः प्रकृतेः परः । न जडो निर्विकारश्च एकरूप स्वरूपभाक्
The abode of knowledge, the quality of knowledge, consciousness beyond nature, not inert, changeless, of one form, possessing its own essence.
अणुर्नित्यो व्याप्तिशीलश्चिदानंदात्मकस्तथा । अहमर्थोऽव्ययः क्षेत्री भिन्नरूपं सनातनः
Minute, eternal, pervading, of the nature of consciousness and bliss, the sense of 'I', imperishable, the field-knower, of diverse forms, ancient.
अदाह्योच्छेद्यो ह्यक्लैद्यस्त्वशोष्योक्षर एव च । एवमादिगुणोपेतश्शेषभूतः परस्य वै
Not subject to burning, destruction, drying, or dissolution; imperishable, endowed with such qualities from the beginning, existing as the remainder of the Supreme.
मकारेणोच्यते जीवः क्षेत्रज्ञः परवान्सदा । दासभूतो हरेरेव नान्यस्य तु कदाचन
By the syllable 'ma', the living being, the knower of the field, is always described as subordinate, a servant of Hari alone, never of any other.
एवं दासत्वमेवास्य मध्यमेवावधार्यते । इत्येवं प्रणवस्यार्थो ज्ञातव्योक्तो मयानघे
Thus, only servitude is established for him in the middle; so, the meaning of the praṇava has been explained by me for you, O sinless one.
विवृतिः प्रणवस्यार्थ मन्त्रशेषेण वै शुभे । परस्य दासभूतस्य स्वातन्त्र्यं नेह विद्यते
The explanation of the meaning of praṇava, together with the rest of the mantra, O auspicious one, is that the servant of the Supreme has no independence here.
तस्मान्महदहंकारौ मनसा विनिवर्त्तयेत् । स्वोपायबुद्ध्या यत्कृत्यं तदपि प्रतिषिध्यते
Therefore, one should remove the great ego and pride by the mind; whatever is done by one's own means is also to be rejected.
अहंकृतिर्मकारः स्यान्नकारस्तन्निषेधकः । तस्मात्तु मनसैवास्य अहंकारविमोचनम्
Ego is represented by the syllable 'ma', and its negation by 'na'; thus, liberation from ego is achieved by the mind.