कदाचिद् अह्ना मासेन कदाचिद् वत्सरेण च । कदाचिद् वत्सरौघेन ध्यानासक्तो व्यबुध्यत
Sometimes after a day, sometimes after a month, sometimes after a year, or even after many years, absorbed in meditation, he would awaken.
उद्दालकस् तद् आरभ्य व्यवहारपरो ऽपि सन् । सुसमाहित एवासीच् चित्तत्त्वैकत्वम् आगतः
From that point onward, Uddālaka, though engaged in worldly affairs, remained perfectly composed, having attained unity with the essence of consciousness.
चित्तत्त्वैकघनाभ्यासान् महाचित्त्वम् उपेत्य सः । दृश्ये ऽस्मिंश् चित्ररविवन् नास्तम् आयान् न चोदयम्
Through continuous practice of the dense unity of consciousness, he reached the state of the great mind; in this visible world, like a radiant sun, he neither set nor rose.
समपरपदलाभप्राप्तिसंशान्तचेता दलितजननपाशः क्षीणसन्देहदोलः । शरदि खम् इव कान्तं व्याततं चोर्जितं च स्फुटम् अमलम् अलेखं तत् वपुस् स्वं बभार
With a mind pacified by equal attainment of both the highest and lowest states, freed from the bonds of birth, and with the wavering of doubt exhausted, he bore his own form—expansive, luminous, clear, spotless, and unmarked—like the beautiful autumn sky.
आत्मज्ञानदिनैकार्क मत्संशयतृणानल । अज्ञानदाहशीतांशो सत्तासामान्यम् ईश किम्
O Lord, what is the common essence of existence, whose sun is the day of self-knowledge, whose fire consumes the grass of my doubts, and whose moon cools the burning of ignorance?
यदा सङ्क्षीयते चित्तम् अभावात्यन्तभावनात् । चित्सामान्यस्वरूपस्य सत्तासामान्यता तदा
When the mind is diminished through the contemplation of absolute non-being, then the common essence of existence is the nature of universal consciousness.
नूनं चेत्यांशरहिता चिद् यदात्मनि लीयते । असद्रूपवद् अत्यच्छं सत्तासामान्यता तदा
Indeed, when consciousness, devoid of all objects, merges into itself, then the common essence of existence is supremely transparent, like something without form.
यदा सर्वाणि दृश्यानि संशान्तान्योऽन्यवेदनम् । स्वरूपेण स्वरूपाभं भाव्यन्ते समता तदा
When all perceived objects are pacified and there is no sense of otherness, then, by their own nature, they are regarded as resembling the true nature; that is equanimity.
कूर्माङ्गानीव दृश्यानि लीयन्ते स्वात्मनात्मनि । अभावितान्य् एव यदा सत्तासामान्यता तदा
Just as a turtle's limbs withdraw into itself, so all perceived objects dissolve into the self; when they are not imagined at all, then there is the common essence of existence.
दृष्टिर् एषा हि परमा सदेहादेहयोस् सदा । मुक्तयोस् सम्भवत्य् एव तुर्यातीतपदोपमा
This vision is indeed supreme, whether with body or without body, always; it arises only in the liberated, comparable to the state beyond the fourth.
व्युत्थितस्य भवत्य् एषा समाधिस्थस्य चानघ । ज्ञस्य केवलम् अज्ञस्य न भवत्य् एव बोधजा
O sinless one, this arises in one who is active and in one established in samadhi; it occurs only in the knower, not at all in the ignorant, for it is born of awakening.
अस्यां दृशि स्थितास् सर्वे जीवन्मुक्ता महाशयाः । सिद्धा रसा इव भुवि व्योमवीथ्याम् इवानिलाः
All the great ones who are liberated while living abide in this vision, like alchemical essences on earth, like winds in the pathways of the sky.
अस्मत्प्रभृतयस् सर्वे नारदाद्याश् च राघव । ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीश्वराद्याश् च दृष्टाव् अस्यां व्यवस्थिताः
All like us, and Narada and others, O Raghava, and Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the rest, are established in this vision.
एताम् आलम्ब्य पदवीं समस्तभयनाशिनीम् । उद्दालको ऽसाव् अवसद् यावदिच्छं जगद्गृहे
Relying on this path, which destroys all fear, Uddalaka dwelt in the house of the world as long as he wished.
अथ कालेन महता बुद्धिस् तस्य बभूव ह । विदेहमुक्तस् तिष्ठामि देहं त्यक्त्वेति निश्चला
Then, after a long time, his mind became firmly resolved: 'I will remain liberated from the body, having abandoned the body.'
एवं निश्चयवान् अद्रेर् गुहायां पल्लवासने । बद्धपद्मासनस् तस्थाव् आमीलितविलोचनः
Thus determined, he sat in the cave of the mountain, on a seat of leaves, in the lotus posture, with eyes closed.
संयम्य गुदसंरोधाद् द्वाराणि नव चेतसः । मात्रास्पर्शान् अचिन्वानो भावितस्वाङ्गचिद्घनः
Restraining the nine doors of the mind by contraction of the anus, not attending to sense contacts, he remained absorbed, his body and consciousness unified.
संरुद्धप्राणपवनस् समसंस्थानकन्धरः । तालुमूलतलालग्नजिह्वामूलोल्लसन्मुखः
With the breath held and the neck steady and upright, the mouth shines with the root of the tongue pressed against the palate.
न बहिर् नान्तरे नाधो नोर्ध्वे नार्थे न शून्यके । संयोजितमनोदृष्टिर् दन्तैर् दन्तान् असंस्पृशन्
Neither outside nor inside, neither below nor above, neither in meaning nor in emptiness, with the mind joined to vision, the teeth do not touch each other.
प्राणप्रवाहसंरोधसमस् स्वच्छाननच्छविः । अङ्गचित्संविदुत्तानरोमकण्टकिताङ्गभूः
Balanced in the restraint of the breath’s flow, with a clear and radiant face, the body becomes thrilled and bristling with the rising awareness of consciousness.
अङ्गचित्संविदभ्यासाच् चित्सामान्यम् उपाददे । तदभ्यासाद् अवापान्तर् आनन्दस्यन्दम् उत्तमम्
Through repeated practice of awareness in the body, one attains the common essence of consciousness; from that practice, one reaches the highest stream of inner bliss.
तदास्वादनतो लीनचित्सामान्यदशाक्रमः । विश्वम्भरम् अनन्तात्म सत्तासामान्यम् आययौ
From tasting that, the state of merged universal consciousness gradually arises; from that, the all-pervading, infinite Self, the common essence of existence, is attained.
तत्स्थस् समसमाभोगः परां विश्रान्तिम् आगतः । अनानन्दसमानन्दमुग्धमुग्धमुखद्युतिः
Established in that, with equal enjoyment, he attains supreme repose; his face shines with the delight of bliss and non-bliss, both enchanted and enchanting.
संशान्तानन्दपुलकः पदं प्राप्याप्य् अलं गतः । चिरकालपरिक्षीणमननादिभवभ्रमः
With the thrill of tranquil bliss, having reached the ultimate state, he is fulfilled; the delusion of mind, sound, and worldly existence is exhausted after a long time.
बभूव स महासत्त्वो लिपिकर्मार्पितोपमः । समः कलावपूर्णेन शरदच्छाम्बरेन्दुना
He became a great soul, like one absorbed in the work of a scribe; equal in fullness to the autumn sky and moon, serene and radiant.
उपशशाम शनैर् दिवसैर् असौ कतिपयैस् स्वपदे विमलात्मनि । तरुरसश् शरदन्त इवामले रविकरौजसि जन्मदशातिगः
In a few days, he gradually became calm, abiding in his own pure Self, like the sap of a tree settling in its root, or the whiteness of autumn resting in the spotless rays of the sun, transcending the state of birth.
गतसकलविकल्पो निर्विकारो ऽभिरामस् सकलमलविलासोपाधिनिर्मुक्तमूर्तिः । विगलितसुखम् आद्यं तत् सुखं प्राप यस्मिंस् तृणम् इव जलराशाव् उह्यते शक्रलक्ष्मीः
Freed from all doubts and changes, delightful, his form released from all the stains and attributes of impurity, he attained that original happiness where even the splendor of Indra’s wealth is regarded as straw in the ocean.
अपरिमितनभोऽन्तर्व्यापिदिग्व्यापि पूर्णं भुवनभरणशीलं भूरिभाग्योपसेव्यम् । कथनगुणम् अतीतं सत्यम् आनन्दम् आद्यं सुखम् असुखम् अनन्तं ब्राह्मणो ऽसौ बभूव
He became the Brahman, infinite, pervading inner and outer space, full, sustaining the worlds, served by great fortune, whose qualities are beyond words, who is truth, bliss, the original happiness, unhappiness, and endlessness.
गतवति पदम् आद्यं चेतसि स्वस्वभावं द्विजतनुर् अथ मासैस् सोपविष्टा च षड्भिः । रविकरपरितप्ता वातझाङ्काररम्या तनुतरबहुतन्त्री शैलवीणा बभूव
When the original state, his own true nature, was established in his mind, the twice-born’s body, after six months, became like a mountain-vina: thin, with many delicate strings, scorched by the sun’s rays, and pleasing in the wind’s gentle sound.
अथ बहुतरकालेनैनम् अद्रेर् भुवं ताम् उपययुर् अगकन्यासंयुता मातरः खात् । अभिमतफलसिद्ध्यै संयुता एव सर्वा अनलम् इव शिखानां पङ्क्तयः पिङ्गकेश्यः
Then, after a long time, his mothers, accompanied by the sinless maidens of the mountain, descended from the sky to that spot, all together, to fulfill their cherished desire, like rows of golden-haired flames surrounding fire.