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.
इमं व्यासमुनिं तत्र द्वात्रिंशं संस्मराम्य् अहम् । यथासम्भवया ज्ञानदृशा दर्शसमानया
There, I recall this sage Vyasa, the thirty-second, as perceived by the eye of knowledge, to the extent possible, with a vision akin to direct perception.
द्वादशान्यधियस् तत्र कुलाकारेहितैस् समाः । दश सर्वसमाकाराश् शिष्टाः कुलविलक्षणाः
Among them, twelve had minds like his, sharing the traits of the family line; ten had all the same features, and the rest were distinct from the lineage.
अद्याप्य् अन्ये भविष्यन्ति व्यासवाल्मीकयस् तथा । भृग्वङ्गिरःपुलस्त्याश् च तथैवाथान्य एव च
Even today, others like Vyasa and Valmiki will arise, as well as Bhrigu, Angiras, Pulastya, and others likewise.
नानासुरर्षिदेवानां गणास् सम्भूय भूरिशः । उत्पद्यन्ते विलीयन्ते कदाचिच् च पृथक् पृथक्
Groups of various asuras, rishis, and gods are repeatedly born and dissolved, sometimes together, sometimes separately.
ब्रह्मद्वासप्ततेस् त्रेता आसीद् अस्ति भविष्यति । स एवान्यश् च लोकश् च त्वं चाहं चेति वेद्म्य् अहम्
The seventy-two cycles of Brahma—past, present, and future—this same world, others, you, and I: all this I know.
क्रमेणास्य मुनेर् इत्थं व्यासस्याद्भुतकर्मणः । संलक्ष्यते ऽवतारो ऽयं दशमो दीर्घदर्शिनः
Thus, in due course, the descent of this sage Vyasa, the wondrous doer, is recognized as the tenth incarnation of the far-seeing one.
अभूम व्यासवाल्मीकियुक्ता वयम् अनेकशः । अभूम वयम् एवेमे नानाकारास् समाशयाः
We have been, many times, those who are called Vyasa and Valmiki; indeed, we ourselves are these, appearing in various forms and intentions.
भाव्यम् अद्याप्य् अनेनेह ननु वाराष्टकं पुनः । भूयो ऽपि भारतं नाम स्वेतिहासं करिष्यति
Even today, by this very one, the story of Vārāṣṭaka will again be composed here; and once more, a narrative called the Bhārata will be made as a new history.
कृत्वा वेदविभागं च नीत्वानेन कुलं प्रथाम् । ब्रह्मत्वं च ततो गत्वा भाव्यं वैदेहमोक्षिणा
Having arranged the divisions of the Veda and established his lineage's fame, he will then attain the state of Brahman, and afterwards, liberation as Vaideha.
वीतशोकभयश् शान्तो निर्वाणो गतकल्पनः । जीवन्मुक्तो जितमना व्यासो ऽयम् इति वर्णितः
Free from sorrow and fear, tranquil, liberated, devoid of conceptualization, liberated while living, with mind subdued—such is the one described as Vyasa.