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.
वित्तबन्धुवयःकर्मविद्याविज्ञानचेष्टितैः । समानि सन्ति भूतानि सर्गे सर्गे पुनः पुनः
With wealth, relatives, age, actions, knowledge, understanding, and activities, beings are similar in every creation, again and again.
क्वचित् सर्गशतैस् तानि भवन्ति न भवन्ति वा । कदाचिद् अपि मायेयम् इत्थम् अन्तविवर्जिता
Sometimes, over hundreds of cycles of creation, these beings exist or do not exist; at times, this illusion proceeds in this way, without any end.
गच्छतीयं विपर्यासं भूरिभूतपरम्परा । बीजराशिर् इवाजस्रम् उप्यमानः पुनः पुनः
This succession of countless beings undergoes transformation, like a heap of seeds being repeatedly sown, without ceasing.
तेनैव सन्निवेशेन तथान्येन पुनः पुनः । सर्गाकाराः प्रवर्तन्ते तरङ्गाः कालवारिधेः
With the same arrangement, or with another, again and again, forms of creation arise, like waves in the ocean of time.
आश्वस्तान्तःकरणः क्षीणविकल्पस् स्वरूपसारमयः । परमशमामृततृप्तस् तिष्ठति विद्वान् निरावरणः
With the mind calmed and free from agitation, with all doubts dissolved and established in the essence of one's true nature, the wise one, fully satisfied by the nectar of supreme peace, abides without any covering.
सौम्याम्बुत्वे तरङ्गत्वे सलिलस्याम्बुता यथा । समैवाब्धौ तथादेहसदेहत्वविमुक्तता
Just as water remains the same in its gentle form or as a wave, so also, in the ocean, the state of being with or without a body is equally free.
सदेहा वास्त्व् अदेहा वा मुक्तता विषयेन वः । अनास्वादितभोज्यस्य कुतो भोज्यानुभूतयः
Whether with a body or without, liberation does not depend on that for you; how can there be the experience of food for one who has never tasted it?
जीवन्मुक्तं मुनिश्रेष्ठ केवलं हि पदार्थवत् । पश्यामः पुरतो नास्य पुनर् विद्मो ऽन्तराशयम्
O best of sages, we see the liberated one while living, just as an object before us; but we do not know his inner intention.
सदेहादेहमुक्तानां भेदः को ऽभेदरूपिणाम् । यद् एवाम्बु तरङ्गत्वे सौम्यत्वे ऽपि तद् एव तत्
What difference is there among those liberated with or without a body, who are of the nature of non-difference? Whatever is water in the form of a wave is the same in its gentle state.
न मनाग् अपि भेदो ऽस्ति सदेहादेहमुक्तयोः । सस्पन्दो ऽस्त्व् अथ वास्पन्दो वायुर् एव किलानिलः
There is not the slightest difference between those liberated with or without a body; whether the wind moves or is still, it is indeed just air.