ब्रह्मैवाज्ञातम् अज्ञत्वम् अभ्यागतम् इव स्थितम् । तथा हि दृश्यते स्वप्नचेतसात्मात्मना मृतः
Brahman itself, when not known, appears as ignorance, as if it has arrived and remains so; for thus it is perceived by the mind in dream, as the self within the self, as if dead.
अभावितं ब्रह्मतया ब्रह्माज्ञानमयं भवेत् । अभावितं हेमतया यथा हेमैव मृद् भवेत्
When not realized as Brahman, Brahman becomes a mass of ignorance; just as, when not recognized as gold, gold may be regarded as mere clay.
ज्ञातं ब्रह्मतया ब्रह्म ब्रह्मैव भवति क्षणात् । ज्ञातं हेमतया हेम हेमैव भवति क्षणात्
Known as Brahman, Brahman instantly becomes Brahman; known as gold, gold instantly becomes gold.
ब्रह्मात्मा सर्वशक्तिर् हि यद् यथा भावयत्य् अलम् । निर्हेतुकं स्वयं शक्त्या तत् तथाशु प्रपश्यति
The Self, which is Brahman, is all-powerful; whatever it conceives, by its own power, without any cause, it immediately perceives as such.
अकर्मकर्तृकरणम् अकारणम् अनामयम् । स्वयंप्रभु महात्मैतद् ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो विदुः
That Brahman, which is the great Self, is actionless, non-agent, without instruments, without cause, and free from affliction; the knowers of Brahman know it as self-governing.
अपरिज्ञातम् अज्ञानम् अज्ञानम् इति कथ्यते । परिज्ञातं भवेज् ज्ञानम् अज्ञानपरिनाशनम्
What is not known is called ignorance; when it is known, it becomes knowledge, which destroys ignorance.
बन्धुर् एवापरिज्ञातो ह्य् अबन्धुर् इति कथ्यते । परिज्ञातो भवेद् बन्धुर् अबन्धुभ्रमनाशनात्
What is not recognized as friend is called not-friend; when recognized, it becomes friend, dispelling the delusion of non-friendship.
इदं त्व् अयुक्तम् इत्य् अन्तर् ज्ञाते सोदेति भावना । तस्माद् अयुक्ताद् वैरस्याद् यया किल विरज्यते
But within, when something is known, the thought arises: 'This is not proper'; thus, from what is improper and distasteful, one indeed turns away.
द्वैतं त्व् असत्यम् इत्य् अन्तर् ज्ञाते सोदेति भावना । तस्माद् द्वैतात् सुवैरस्याद् यया किल विरज्यते
When it is inwardly known that duality is unreal, then the disposition arises by which one becomes truly disenchanted with duality.
अयं नाहम् इति ज्ञाते स्फुटं सोदेति भावना । मिथ्याहङ्कारतादात्म्याद् यया नूनं विरज्यते
When it is realized, 'This is not myself,' then the clear disposition arises by which one is certainly freed from false identification with the ego.
ब्रह्मैवाहम् इति ज्ञाते सत्यं सोदेति भावना । तस्मिन् सत्ये निजे रूपे ययान्तः परिलीयते
When it is known, 'I am truly Brahman,' then the disposition arises by which one merges inwardly into that truth, into one's own true nature.
सर्वम् एवेह ब्रह्मेति ज्ञाते ब्रह्मैव शिष्यते । पीते ऽमृते ऽमृतमयः को नाम न भवेत् किल
When it is realized that all here is indeed Brahman, then only Brahman remains; who indeed would not become immortal, having partaken of the immortal?
चेतो यद् एवाहरति तद् एवाशु भवत्य् अलम् । ब्रह्मैकाभ्यवहारेण ब्रह्मैव भवति क्षणात्
Whatever the mind truly grasps, that instantly becomes real; by perceiving only Brahman, one becomes Brahman in a moment.
यन् मिथ्या तन् मुधैवेति ज्ञाते सोदेति भावना । मिथ्याप्रतीतिर् अखिला यया नूनं प्रमार्ज्यते
When it is known, 'That which is false is truly vain,' then the disposition arises by which all false perception is surely wiped away.
सर्वं सद् एवेति तते ज्ञाते सोदेति भावना । तस्मिन् सत्ये तते स्फारे ययान्तः प्राप्यते स्थितिः
When it is realized, 'All is indeed real,' then the disposition arises by which, in that vast reality, one attains inner stability.
यथाभूते यथातत्त्वे यथारूपे यथास्थिते । भावना स्थितिम् आयाति नान्यत्राङ्ग कदाचन
The disposition abides only in what is as it is, in what is true, in what is real, and in what is established; never, O dear one, anywhere else.
समाशतोपयाते ऽपि विस्मृते ऽपि निजे जने । अबन्धुवत् स्थिते ऽप्य् अन्तस् स्निह्यत्य् एव बलान् मनः
Even after a hundred years have passed, even when one's own people are forgotten, and though one stands as if without kin, the mind, by its own force, continues to feel affection within.
जन्मान्तरशताभ्यस्ते स्थिते ऽपि हि भवभ्रमे । आत्मात्मन्य् एव विमले निर्वृतिं विन्दते परां
Even when one is caught in the cycle of worldly existence, practiced over hundreds of lifetimes, the pure self finds supreme contentment only in itself.
नित्यम् अन्तिकसंस्थे ऽपि परे बन्धाव् इवाश्रिते । बन्धुभावं गते ऽप्य् अन्तर् मनो याति न निर्वृतिम्
Even when another person, like a relative, is always nearby, and has taken refuge, if the sense of kinship is gone, the mind does not find satisfaction within.
अत्यन्तगुप्ते ऽपि विषे भोजनस्थे ननु स्मृतिः । निवृत्तापि प्रवृत्तापि स्फुरत्य् एव चकोरवत्
Even when poison is extremely well hidden in food, memory of it arises—whether suppressed or active, it flashes forth, just like a chakora bird seeking the moon.
जन्मान्तरशताभ्यस्ते ऽप्य् आगते सौहृदं परम् । अनात्मभूते दृश्ये ऽस्मिन् नायम् आत्मा प्रसीदति
Even if deep friendship, cultivated over hundreds of lifetimes, arises, the self does not find delight in this non-self, in what is merely seen.
अत्यन्तगुप्ते ऽप्य् अमृते भोजनस्थे ननु स्मृतिः । राजते रजनी मेघच्छन्ने ऽपीव निशाकरे
Even when nectar is extremely well hidden in food, memory of it shines forth, just as the moon does, even when veiled by night clouds.
नित्ये सत्ये तथाभूत आत्मात्मन्य् एव हृष्यति । नानाताचिरगुप्ते ऽपि लुप्ते ऽपि कलनामलैः
In the eternal and true self, such is its nature: it rejoices only in itself, not in the various fleeting impurities, even if they are long concealed or lost.
तावद् आत्मात्मना यत्नात् प्रक्षाल्येदं मलं मलैः । दुर्भावनमलश् शास्त्रैश् शोध्यो यावद् भवेत् सितः
As long as the impurity of wrong thinking remains, one must diligently wash away this stain from the self with the self, until it becomes pure, cleansed by the teachings of scripture.
शान्तदुर्वासने ज्ञानं पुण्यं लगति चेतसि । निष्कलङ्के सिते वस्त्रे यथा कुङ्कुमरञ्जनम्
When the mind is tranquil and free from bad tendencies, knowledge and virtue settle within it, just as saffron dye colors a spotless white cloth.
सर्वं सकलनिर्माणं कालेषु त्रिष्व् अपि स्थितम् । नित्यम् एकं समं शुद्धं ब्रह्मैवेति सुनिश्चयः
All the manifold creations, existing in the three periods of time, are in truth one, eternal, equal, and pure—Brahman alone; this is the firm conviction.
सर्वथा सर्वदा सार्वं सर्वं घटपटादिमत् । जगज्जनितविस्तारं ब्रह्मेदम् इति वेद्म्य् अहम्
In every way, at all times, and in all things—whether pots, cloth, or anything else—I know that this entire expanse of the world is Brahman.
न मे दुःखं न कर्माणि न ममेहा न वाञ्छितम् । समस् स्वस्थो विशोको ऽस्मि ब्रह्माहम् इति सत्यता
I have no suffering, no actions, no worldly desires, nor anything to wish for; I am equal, healthy, free from sorrow—truly, I am Brahman.
अहं रक्तम् अहं मांसम् अहम् अस्थीन्य् अहं वपुः । चिद् अहं चेतनं चाहं ब्रह्माहम् इति सत्यता
I am blood, I am flesh, I am bones, I am the body; I am consciousness, I am awareness—truly, I am Brahman.
अहं तृणम् अहं वल्ली गुल्मो ऽहं काननान्य् अहम् । शैलसागरसार्थो ऽहं ब्रह्मैवेत्थं किल स्थितम्
I am grass, I am the creeper, I am the bush, I am the forests; I am the multitude of mountains and oceans—thus, I am verily Brahman, established in this way.