न कार्यकरणारम्भैर् न निष्क्रियतया तथा । न बन्धेन न मोक्षेण न पातालेन नो दिवा
Not by beginning actions or refraining from them, not by bondage nor by liberation, not by the netherworld nor by heaven.
यथावस्तु यदा दृष्टं जगद् एकमयात्मकम् । तदा बन्धविमोक्षार्थं न क्वचित् कृपणं मनः
When the world is seen as it truly is—of one essence—then the mind, seeking freedom from bondage, is not miserable anywhere.
सम्यग्ज्ञानाग्निना यस्य दग्धा सन्देहजालिका । निश्शङ्कम् अलम् उड्डीनस् तस्य चित्तविहङ्गमः
For one whose net of doubts has been burned away by the fire of true knowledge, the bird of the mind soars freely, utterly unafraid.
यस्य भ्रान्तिविनिर्मुक्तं मनस् समरसं स्थितम् । स नास्तम् एति नोदेति व्योमवत् सर्ववृत्तिषु
One whose mind is free from delusion and rests in perfect equanimity neither sets nor rises, but remains like the sky amid all activities.
मञ्जूषायां निषण्णस्य यथा बालस्य चेष्टते । अङ्गावल्य् अनुसन्धानवर्जिता ज्ञस्य वै तथा
Just as a child sitting in a chest moves its limbs without deliberate intent, so too does the knower act, without any chain of purposeful thought.
घूर्णन् क्षीव इवानन्दी मन्दीकृतपुनर्भवः । अनुपादेयबुद्ध्या तु न स्मरत्य् अकृतं कृतम्
Like a drunken man who staggers about, the one who has subdued rebirth moves joyfully, and with a mind that does not grasp, remembers neither what was done nor left undone.
सर्वं सर्वप्रकारेण गृह्णाति च जहाति च । अनुपादेयसर्वार्थो बालवच् च विचेष्टते
He accepts and abandons everything in every way, and, unattached to any object, acts like a child.
स तिष्ठन्न् अपि कार्येषु देशकालक्रियाक्रमैः । न कार्यसुखदुःखाभ्यां मनाग् अपि हि गृह्यते
Even while engaged in actions, following the sequence of place, time, and deed, he is not touched in the least by pleasure or pain arising from those actions.
बहिः प्रकृतसर्वार्थो ऽप्य् अन्तः पुनर् अनीहया । न सत्तां योजयत्य् अर्थे न फलान्य् अनुधावति
Though outwardly dealing with all matters, inwardly, through non-attachment, he does not bind his being to objects nor chase after their results.
नोपेक्षते दुःखदशां न सुखाशाम् अपेक्षते । कार्योदये नैति मुदं कार्यनाशे न खिद्यते
He does not disregard a state of suffering, nor does he long for a state of pleasure; when action succeeds, he does not rejoice, and when action fails, he is not distressed.
अपि शीतरुचाव् अर्के सुकृष्णे ऽपीन्दुमण्डले । अप्य् अधः प्रसरत्य् अग्नौ विस्मयो ऽस्य न जायते
Even when the sun emits cool rays, or the moon appears dark, or fire spreads downward, he does not feel astonishment.
चिदात्मन इमा इत्थं प्रस्फुरन्तीह शक्तयः । इत्य् अस्याश्चर्यजालेषु नाभ्युदेति कुतूहलम्
He sees these powers of consciousness manifesting here in such ways, yet no curiosity arises in him regarding these marvels.
न दयादैन्यम् आदत्ते न क्रौर्यम् अनुधावति । न लज्जाम् अनुसन्धत्ते नालज्जत्वं च गच्छति
He does not adopt pity or dejection, nor does he pursue cruelty; he does not cling to shame, nor does he become shameless.
न कदाचन दीनात्मा नोद्धतात्मा कदाचन । न प्रमत्तो न खिन्नात्मा नोद्विग्नो न च हर्षवान्
He is never dejected in spirit, nor ever arrogant; he is not heedless, not dispirited, not anxious, nor elated.
नास्य चेतसि सुस्फारे शरदम्बरनिर्मले । कोपादयः प्रवर्तन्ते नभसीव नवाङ्कुराः
In his mind, vast and clear as the autumn sky, emotions like anger do not arise, just as sprouts do not grow in the sky.
अनारतपतज्जातभूतायां जगतस् स्थितौ । क्व कथं किल कास्य स्यात् सुखिता दुःखिताथ वा
In this world, which is sustained by the constant flow of arising and perishing, where, how, and for whom could there truly be happiness or sorrow?
फेनाजवञ्जवीभावे जले भूतक्रमे तथा । क्व किलेह कुतः को ऽन्तः प्रसङ्गस् सुखदुःखयोः
Just as in water, which is by nature foam, bubbles, and waves, and in the sequence of elements, where here, from whom, and how could there be any real occasion for happiness or sorrow?
भावाभावैर् अपर्यन्तैर् अजस्रं जन्तुसम्भवैः । न विषीदन्ति नोद्यन्ति दृष्टसृष्टिक्रमा नराः
Men who have understood the order of creation do not grieve nor rejoice, though endless states of being and non-being arise ceaselessly through the birth of creatures.
निमेषं प्रति यामिन्या यथान्यास् स्वप्नदृष्टयः । यथोत्पन्नविनाशिन्यस् तथैता लोकदृष्टयः
Just as the visions seen in dreams during the night change with every moment and arise and perish, so too are the perceptions of the world.
अनारतसमुत्पत्ताव् अनारतविनाशिनि । कः क्रमो दग्धसंसारे कारुण्यानन्दयोर् इह
When there is unceasing arising and unceasing perishing, what sequence remains in a world burned away, for compassion or joy here?
शुभाभावात् सुखाभावे स्थितिं याते विलक्षणाः । कीदृश्यः कथम् आयाताः का वा ता दुःखसंविदः
When auspiciousness and happiness are absent and have ceased, what are these distinct states, how do they arise, and what are those experiences of suffering?
सुखम् अन्ते तदन्तोत्था स्वबीजं वितनोति या । शान्तं दुःखदशा सेयं कथम् अन्तरिते सुखे
When happiness ends and its own seed gives rise to it again, how does this tranquil state of suffering exist when happiness is absent?
क्षीणाभ्यां सुखदुःखाभ्यां हेयोपादेययोः क्षये । ईप्सितानीप्सिते क्व स्तो गलिते ऽथ शुभाशुभे
When happiness and suffering are exhausted, and what is to be rejected and accepted has ceased, where are the desired and undesired, and where are the auspicious and inauspicious when all have vanished?
रम्यारम्यदृशोर् नाशाच् छान्ते भोगाभिवाञ्छने । नैराश्यसन्ततिप्रौढे हिमवद् विगलेन् मनः
When pleasant and unpleasant perceptions are destroyed, and the longing for enjoyment is stilled, and the stream of disappointment is strong, the mind melts away like snow.
आ मूलान् मनसि क्षीणे सङ्कल्पस्य कथैव का । तिलेष्व् एवातिदग्धेषु तैलस्य कलना कुतः
When the root of thought is exhausted in the mind, how can any trace remain? When sesame seeds are thoroughly burned, how can oil be found?
भावेष्व् अभावघनभावनया महात्मा निर्मुक्तसङ्कलनम् अम्बरवत् स्थितेषु । चित्तं प्रति स्वमुदितो विदितैकरूपी ज्ञस् तिष्ठति स्वपिति जीवति नित्यतृप्तः
When the great soul, free from all conceptualization, abides among phenomena with the contemplation of their absence, like the sky, the mind, awakened to its own nature, stands, sleeps, lives, and is ever content, knowing itself as one.
यथालातपरिस्पन्दाद् अग्निचक्रं प्रवर्तते । असद् एव सदाभासं चित्तस्पन्दात् तथा जगत्
Just as a circle of fire arises from the movement of a firebrand, so too the world, though unreal, appears real due to the vibration of the mind.
यथा जलपरिस्पन्दाद् व्यतिरिक्त इवाम्भसः । दृश्यते वर्तुलावर्तश् चित्तस्पन्दात् तथा जगत्
Just as a circular whirlpool, seemingly distinct from water, is seen due to the movement of water, so too the world arises from the vibration of the mind.
यथा व्योम्नीक्षितस्पन्दात् पिञ्छमौक्तिकमण्डलम् । दृश्यते सद् इवासत्यं चित्तस्पन्दात् तथा जगत्
Just as a cluster of pearls appears in the sky from the movement of a feather, seeming real though it is not, so too the world arises from the vibration of the mind.
येन प्रस्पन्दते चित्तं येन न स्पन्दते ऽथ वा । तद् ब्रह्मन् ब्रूहि मे येन चिकित्स्येत तद् एव हि
Tell me, by what does the mind vibrate, and by what does it not vibrate? That alone is Brahman; speak to me of that, by which it may be healed.