निर्विकल्पसमाध्यर्थं व्यवसायम् उपाददे । स्वभावं स्वच्छतां नेतुं शरत्काल इवामलः
He undertook the resolve for absorption without thought, to bring his own nature to clarity, like the pure autumn season.
स्वस्वान्तवातहरिणम् आशादिग्गणगामिनम् । चिन्तया हृदयं निन्ये दूराद् रज्ज्वेव कीलकम्
He drew the mind, which moves like a wind-driven deer through the quarters of desire, into the heart by contemplation, as a peg draws a rope from afar.
धावमानम् अधो मत्तं चित्तम् आबिलम् आकुलम् । बलात् संरोधयाम् आस सेतुर् जलम् इव द्रुतम्
He forcibly restrained the mind, wild, agitated, and rushing downward, like a dam holds back swiftly flowing water.
न्यमीमिलद् दृशाव् अर्धं परिपक्ष्मलपक्ष्मके । निस्स्पन्दतारामधुपे सन्ध्याकाल इवाम्बुजे
He half-closed his eyes, their lashes fully grown, motionless like bees at rest, as a lotus at twilight.
सोम्यताम् अनयन् मौनी प्राणापानजवं मुखे । श्वसनं श्रेयसे देशे प्रशस्तस् समयो यथा
The silent sage brought the movement of inhalation and exhalation in the mouth to gentleness, as one places the breath in an auspicious place at the proper time.
तिलेभ्य इव तैलानि पृथक् चक्रे प्रयत्नतः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः कूर्मो ऽङ्गानीव गोपयन्
Just as oil is carefully separated from sesame seeds, he withdrew the senses from their objects, protecting them like a tortoise draws in its limbs.
बाह्यान् स्पर्शान् अशेषेण जहौ दूरे शनैर् अरीन् । सहसा कुण्डकच्छन्नो मणिर् दूरं त्विषो यथा
He completely abandoned all external contacts, gradually distancing them like enemies, just as a jewel covered with cloth suddenly withdraws its radiance far away.
विलीनान् आन्तरांश् चक्रे स्पर्शान् उज्झितदर्शनान् । रसान् विटपकोशस्थान् मार्गशीर्ष इव द्रुमः
He made the inner senses merge, having renounced their outward perceptions, like the sap remaining within the sheath of a tree during the month of Mārgaśīrṣa.
रुरोध गुदसङ्कोचान् नवद्वारानिलान् अथ । मुखसंस्थगनात् कुम्भरन्ध्रकोशान् इवेतरान्
Then, by contracting the rectum, he restrained the winds of the nine gates, just as closing the mouth of a pot blocks the other openings.
आत्मरत्नप्रकाशाढ्यां स्पष्टां कुसुमलाञ्छिताम् । दधार कन्धरां धीरां मेरुश् शृङ्गशिखाम् इव
He held his steady neck, radiant with the light of the jewel of the Self and adorned with clarity like flowers, as firm as the summit of Mount Meru.
दधार हृदयाकाशे मनस् संयमम् आगतम् । विन्ध्यखात इवोन्मत्तं गजं युक्तिवशीकृतम्
He established the controlled mind in the space of the heart, like a wild elephant subdued by reason and confined in the Vindhya cave.
शरन्नभोवद् आसाद्य निर्मलाम् अतिसोम्यताम् । जहार परिपूर्णाब्धेर् मेरोश् चातरलां श्रियम्
Having attained a state of utmost clarity and gentleness, like the autumn sky, he abandoned the restless splendor of Meru and the fullness of the ocean.
दुधावाथ विकल्पौघान् प्रतिभासम् उपेयुषः । पुरःपरिस्फुरद्रूपान् मषकान् इव मारुतः
Then, as various thoughts appeared before him, he drove away the swarms of imaginations, just as the wind scatters hovering gnats.
आगच्छतो यथाकामं प्रतिभासान् पुनः पुनः । अच्छिनन् मनसा शूरः खड्गेनेव रणे शरान्
As various appearances arose again and again according to their own nature, the hero, with an undivided mind, cut them down like arrows in battle with a sword.
विकल्पौघे परालूने सो ऽपश्यद् धृदयाम्बरे । तमश् छन्नविवेकार्कं लोलकज्जलमेचकम्
When the multitude of thoughts was dispelled, he saw in the sky of the heart a darkness covering the sun of discernment, like the moving soot of a lamp.
तद् अप्य् उत्सारयाम् आस सम्यक् स्वान्तविवस्वता । सम्यग्ज्ञानोदितेनाशु पवनेनेव कज्जलम्
He completely drove that away as well, with the radiance of his inner sun, swiftly, as wind scatters soot when the true knowledge had arisen.
तमस्य् उपरते कान्तं तेजःपुञ्जं ददर्श सः । शार्वरे तिमिरे शान्ते प्रातस् सान्ध्यम् इवाम्बुदम्
When the darkness ceased, he beheld a mass of radiant light, lovely, like a morning cloud in the tranquil darkness of night.
तं लुलाव स्थलाब्जानां वनं बाल इव द्विपः । अपिबच् चाप्य् असृक्पूरं वेताल इव वेगतः
He played with that, like a young elephant with lotuses on land, and drank in the flood of blood like a goblin, swiftly.
तेजस्य् उपरते तस्य घूर्णमानं मनो मुनेः । निशाब्जवद् अगान् निद्रां लोलं क्षीववद् एव वा
When that radiance subsided, the sage’s mind, whirling, entered sleep like a night-lotus, or like a drunkard, unsteady.
मेघमालां इव मरुद् बालो नीलाब्जिनीम् इव । यामिनीम् इव तीक्ष्णांशुस् ताम् अप्य् आशु लुलाव सः
He quickly scattered that too, like the wind disperses a mass of clouds, like a boy scatters blue lotuses, or the sharp sun disperses the night.
निद्राव्युपशमे तस्य भावयाम् आस तन् मनः । व्योम श्यामलदृग् जन्तुर् नभसीव शिखण्डकम्
When sleep subsided, his mind began to contemplate, like a bird with dark eyes in the sky, or a peacock in the heavens.
पयोद इव तापिञ्छं नीहारम् इव मारुतः । तमो दीप इवाच्छात्मा तद् अप्य् आशु ममार्ज सः
Just as a cloud dispels the red glow, or wind scatters the mist, or a lamp removes darkness, so too did the pure Self swiftly wipe that away.
व्योमसंविदि भग्नायां मूढं तस्याभवन् मनः । निद्रायां प्रविलीनायां मैरेयमदवान् इव
When the awareness of space was broken, his mind became confused; as when sleep dissolves, like those intoxicated by wine.
मोहम् अप्य् एष मनसस् तं ममार्ज महाशयः । यामिनीजनितं जाड्यं भुवनाद् इव भास्करः
That great soul also cleansed the delusion of the mind, just as the sun removes the dullness of night from the world.
ततस् तेजस्तमोनिद्रामोहादिपरिवर्जितम् । काम् अप्य् अवस्थाम् आसाद्य विशश्राम मनः क्षणम्
Then, having reached a state free from radiance, darkness, sleep, and delusion, the mind rested for a moment.
विश्रम्याशु पपाताङ्गसंविदं चित्स्वरूपिणीम् । सेतुरुद्धं सरोवारि प्रतीपं स्वम् इवास्पदम्
After resting, it quickly fell into bodily awareness, which is of the nature of consciousness—like water held back by a dam returning to its own reservoir.
चिरानुसन्धानवशात् स्वदनाच् च स्वसंविदः । ततश् चिन्मयताम् आगाद् धेम नूपुरताम् इव
Through long contemplation and savoring its own awareness, it then attained the state of pure consciousness, like gold taking the form of anklets.
चित्तत्वम् अथ सन्त्यज्य चित्तं चित्त्वं ततं गतं । अन्यद् एव बभूवाशु पङ्कः कुम्भस्थिताव् इव
Then, abandoning the state of mind, the mind dissolved into pure consciousness; it became something entirely different, like mud left behind in a pot.
चेत्यं सन्त्यज्य चिच् छुद्धा चित्सामान्यम् अथाययौ । त्यक्तवीच्यादिभेदे ऽब्धौ वार्सामान्यम् इवैकधीः
Abandoning the knowable, pure consciousness attained the universal consciousness, just as, when the waves and other distinctions are left behind, the mind becomes one with the ocean’s undivided water.
त्यक्तभूतौघमननं ततो विश्वम्भरं बृहत् । चिदाकाशं ततं शुद्धं सो ऽभवद् बोधिम् आगतः
Having abandoned the multitude of thoughts about beings, he then became vast like the earth; pure consciousness-space spread forth, and he attained awakening.