तद् एव युक्तिमज् ज्ञेयं रामायान्तेनिवासिने । ब्रह्मन्न् उपदिशाशु त्वं येन विश्रान्तिम् एष्यति
That very method of knowledge should be taught to Rāma, who resides here; O Brahman, instruct him swiftly, by which he will attain repose.
कदर्थना च नैवैषा रामो हि गतकिल्बिषः । निर्मले मकुरे वक्त्रम् अयत्नेनैव बिम्बति
There is no need for persuasion; Rāma is free from impurity. His face is reflected effortlessly in a spotless mirror.
तज् ज्ञानं स च शास्त्रार्थस् तद् वैदग्ध्यम् अखण्डितम् । सच्छिष्याय विरक्ताय साधो यद् उपदिश्यते
That knowledge, the meaning of scripture, and that unbroken skill—all these are to be imparted to the noble disciple who is detached.
अशिष्यायाविरक्ताय यत् किञ्चिद् उपदिश्यते । तत् प्रयात्य् अपवित्रत्वं गोक्षीरं श्वदृताव् इव
Whatever is taught to one who is not a disciple and not detached, becomes impure, like cow's milk mixed with a dog's saliva.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा निर्ममा गलितैनसः । वदन्ति त्वादृशा यत् तु तत्र विश्राम्यतीह धीः
Those who are free from passion, fear, and anger, who are without possessiveness and have shed all impurity—what such as you declare, upon that alone does the mind here find rest.
इत्य् उक्ते गाधिपुत्रेण व्यासनारदपूर्वकाः । मुनयस् ते तम् एवार्थं साधु साध्व् इत्य् अपूजयन्
When the son of Gadhi had spoken thus, the sages, led by Vyasa and Narada, praised that very statement, saying, 'Well said, well said.'
अथोवाच महातेजा राज्ञः पार्श्वे व्यवस्थितः । ब्रह्मेव ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो वसिष्ठो भगवान् मुनिः
Then the illustrious sage Vasistha, radiant with great energy and standing by the king's side like Brahma's own son, spoke.
मुने यद् आदिशसि मे तद् अविघ्नं करोम्य् अहम् । कस् समर्थस् समर्थो ऽपि सतां लङ्घयितुं वचः
O sage, whatever you instruct me, I shall carry out without obstacle; for who, even if capable, would dare to transgress the words of the virtuous?
अहं हि राजपुत्राणां रामादीनां मनस्तमः । ज्ञानेनापनयाम्य् अद्य दीपेनेव निशातमः
For I shall today dispel the darkness of mind in the royal princes, beginning with Rama, by means of knowledge, just as a lamp removes the darkness of night.
स्मराम्य् अखण्डितं सर्वं संसारभ्रमशान्तये । निषधाद्रौ पुरा प्रोक्तं यज् ज्ञानं पद्मजन्मना
I recall, without interruption, all the knowledge once spoken by the lotus-born for the pacification of the delusion of worldly existence on Mount Nishadha.
इति निगदितवान् असौ महात्मा परिकरबन्धगृहीतवन्द्यतेजाः । अकथयद् इदम् अज्ञतोपशान्त्यै परमपदैकविबोधनं वसिष्ठः
Thus spoke that great soul, whose brilliance was honored by the assembly of attendants; Vasistha narrated this supreme teaching, which brings the highest realization, for the removal of ignorance and attainment of peace.
पूर्वम् उक्तं भगवता यज् ज्ञानं पद्मजन्मना । सर्गादौ लोकशान्त्यर्थं तद् इदं कथयाम्य् अहम्
The knowledge once spoken by the blessed lotus-born at the beginning of creation for the peace of the world—this I shall now relate.
कथयिष्यसि विस्तीर्णां भगवन् मोक्षसंहितां । इमं तावत् क्षणं जातं संशयं मे निवारय
O venerable one, you will narrate the extensive scripture of liberation; for now, dispel this doubt that has arisen in me.
पिता शुकस्य सर्वज्ञो गुरुर् व्यासो महामुनिः । विदेहमुक्तो न कथं कथं मुक्तस् सुतो ऽस्य सः
The father of Śuka is the all-knowing sage Vyāsa, the great ascetic; he is liberated beyond the body, so how is it that his son is also liberated?
परमार्कप्रकाशान्तस् त्रिजगत्त्रसरेणवः । उत्पत्योत्पत्य लीना ये न सङ्ख्याम् उपयान्ति ते
Within the supreme radiance of the sun, countless particles of the three worlds arise and dissolve, yet they never reach a number that can be counted.
वर्तमाने च यास् सन्ति त्रैलोक्यगणकोटयः । शक्यन्ते नैव सङ्ख्यातुं ताश् च काश्चन केनचित्
Even now, there exist innumerable multitudes within the three worlds; they cannot be counted, nor can anyone enumerate even a few of them.
भविष्यन्ति पराम्भोधौ जगत्सर्गतरङ्गकाः । ये तांश् च परिसङ्ख्यातुं सङ्कथैव न विद्यते
In the future, waves of creation will arise in the vast ocean of the supreme; to count them all, there is simply no means.
या भूता या भविष्यन्त्यो जगत्सर्गपरम्पराः । तासां विचारणं युक्तं वर्तमानासु का कथा
Those that have existed and those yet to come in the succession of world creations—considering them is reasonable, but what can be said of those presently existing?
तिर्यक्पुरुषदेवादेर् यो यो राम विनश्यति । तस्मिन्न् एव प्रदेशे ऽसौ तदैवेदं प्रपश्यति
Whatever among animals, humans, or gods perishes, O Rāma, in that very place, it perceives this very reality.
आतिवाहिकनाम्नान्तस् स्वहृद्य् एव जगत्त्रयम् । व्योम्नि चित्तशरीरेण व्योमात्मानुभवत्य् अजः
Within the heart itself, under the name of the subtle vehicle, the three worlds exist; in the sky, with the body of mind, the unborn one experiences the essence of space.
एवं मृता म्रियन्ते च मरिष्यन्ति च कोटयः । भूतानां या जगन्त्य् आसाम् उदितानि पृथक् पृथक्
In this way, countless worlds of beings have died, are dying, and will die, each arising distinctly on its own.
दुर्वातभूकम्प इव पिशाचत्रस्तबालवत् । मुक्तालीवामले व्योम्नि नौस्पन्दतरुयानवत्
Like grass shaken by a fierce wind, or children frightened by ghosts, like a string of pearls in the clear sky, or boats drifting among trembling trees—
स्वप्नसंवित्तिपुरवत् स्मृतिजातखवृक्षवत् । जगत्संसरणं स्वान्तर् मृतो ऽनुभवति स्वयम्
Just as in the awareness of a dream, or as a tree of memories in the sky, so too does the departed one experience the movement of worlds within himself.
तत्रातिपरिणामेन तद् एव घनतां गतम् । इह लोको ऽयम् इत्य् एव जीवाकाशे विजृम्भते
There, through intense transformation, that very experience becomes dense and unfolds in the space of the living being as 'this is indeed the world.'
पुनस् तत्रैव जन्मेहामरणाद्यनुभूतिमान् । परलोकं कल्पयति मृतस् तत्र तथा पुनः
Again, in that very place, the one who has died, endowed with the experience of birth, death, and so on, imagines another world there in the same way, once more.
तदन्तर् अन्ये पुरुषास् तेषाम् अन्तस् तथा परे । संसारा इति भान्तीमे कदलीदलपीठवत्
Within that, there are other persons, and within them, yet others; these cycles of existence appear like the layers of a plantain stem.
न पृथ्व्यादिमहाभूतगणा न च जगत्क्रमाः । मृतानां सन्ति तत्रापि तथाप्य् एषां जगद्भ्रमाः
There are no groups of great elements like earth and so on, nor are there the sequences of worlds for the dead; yet, still, these illusions of worlds arise for them.
अविद्यैवम् अनन्तेयं नानाप्रसवशालिनी । जडानां सरिद् आदीर्घा जगत्सर्गतरङ्गिणी
This ignorance, endless and prolific in producing diversity, is like a long river for the dull-witted, its waves forming the creation of worlds.
परमार्थाम्बुधौ स्फारे राम सर्गतरङ्गकाः । भूयो भूयो विवर्तन्ते त एवान्ये च भूरिशः
O Rama, on the vast ocean of ultimate reality, the waves of creation rise and fall again and again—these same ones, and countless others as well.
सर्वतस् सदृशाः केचित् कुलक्रममनोगुणैः । केचिद् अर्धेन सदृशाः केचिच् चातिविलक्षणाः
Some are similar in every way, in family line and qualities of mind; some are similar in part, and some are utterly distinct.