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.
मनसा सर्वसिद्धिः स्यादन्यथा नाशमाप्नुयात् । नमसा सहितं किंचित्तदहंकार उच्यते
By the mind, all accomplishments are attained; otherwise, one meets destruction. When accompanied by reverence, a little ego is permitted.
अहंकारेण युक्तस्य सुखं किंचिन्न विद्यते । अहंकारविमूढात्मा अंधे तमसि मज्जति
For one possessed by ego, there is no happiness at all; the self deluded by ego sinks into blind darkness.
तस्मान्न मनसा चात्र स्वातंत्र्यं प्रतिषिध्यते । भगवत्परतंत्रोऽसौ तदायत्तश्च जीवति
Therefore, independence is not permitted here by the mind; he lives dependent on the Supreme Lord.
तस्मात्साधनकर्तृत्वं चेतनस्य न विद्यते । ईश्वरस्यैव संकल्पाद्वर्त्तते स्वचराचरम्
Therefore, the conscious being has no agency in means; all movement, fixed and mobile, occurs only by the resolve of the Lord.
तस्मात्स्वसामर्थ्यविधिं त्यजेत्सर्वमशेषतः । ईश्वरस्य तु सामर्थ्यान्नालभ्यं तस्य विद्यते
Therefore, one should completely abandon all actions based on one's own ability; for by the power of the Lord, nothing is unattainable for Him.
तस्मिन्न्यस्तभरः श्रीशे तत्कर्मैव समाचरेत् । परमात्मा हरिस्स्वामी स्वमहं तस्य सर्वदा
Entrusting the burden to that glorious Lord, one should perform actions only for Him; the Supreme Self, Hari, is the master, and I am always His.
इच्छाया विनियोक्तव्यस्तस्यैवात्मेश्वरस्य हि । इत्येवं मनसा त्यक्तमहंता ममतोर्जितम्
One should dedicate desire itself to that very Lord of the self; thus, by mind alone, abandoning the sense of 'I' and 'mine' that has been acquired.
देहेष्वहं मतिर्मूलं संसृतौ कर्मबंधने । तस्मान्महदहंकारौ मनसा वर्जयेद्बुधः
The notion of 'I' in the body is the root of transmigration and bondage to action; therefore, the wise should, by mind, renounce both great ego and pride.
अथ नारायणपदं वक्ष्यामि गिरजे शुभे । नारा इत्यात्मनां संघास्तेषां गतिरसौ पुमान्
Now, O auspicious Girijā, I shall speak of the term Nārāyaṇa: 'Nārā' means the aggregates of selves, and their goal is that Supreme Person.
त एव चायनं तस्य तस्मान्नारायणः स्मृतः । सर्वं हि चिदचिद्वस्तु श्रूयते दृश्यते जगत्
Those very aggregates are His path; therefore, He is called Nārāyaṇa. For all sentient and insentient entities are heard of and seen in the world.