नानास्फारसमुल्लासैर् यः पूर्वं परिवल्गितः । प्राणो ऽतीते तु मनने स एवाशु न चोपति
The vital force, which once surged with diverse lively impulses, does not swiftly return when it has departed in contemplation.
पुर्यष्टके चित् परमा स्वे मुने प्रतिबिम्बति । आदर्श एव प्रतिमा दृश्यते नोपलादिषु
O sage, the supreme consciousness is reflected in the subtle body, just as an image appears in a mirror, but is not seen in other objects.
मनः पुर्यष्टकं विद्धि सर्वकार्यैककारणम् । तद् एव भेदैः कथितम् अन्यैस् स्वाशयकल्पितैः
Know the mind as the subtle body, the sole cause of all actions; it is described by others in various ways, shaped by their own inclinations.
यस्माद् उदेति फलम् आकुलदृश्यजालं तत् तन् न वस्त्वितरद् इत्य् अनुभूतम् उच्चैः । तस्मान् मनो विपरिवर्ति हि देहदृष्ट्या सर्वं तु तत्परम् अवस्त्व् इति विद्धि तत् त्वम्
Since the fruit arises from it—the tumultuous array of perceptions—it is realized that nothing else is real; therefore, know that the mind alone, through bodily perception, turns everything into the supreme unreality, and that is your true nature.
मुने शृणु कथं कार्यकारिणी स्पन्दशालिनी । पतन्तीव चितिः पुंसाम् उपैति मरणाभिधाम्
O sage, listen to how consciousness, active and producing effects, seems to fall and attains what is called death in beings.
प्राक्तनैस् तैर् इहान्यैश् च स्वैर् मनोमननेहितैः । कर्मवातैर् विचित्रेहैः परिपीवरतां गतैः
Through actions performed here by oneself and others, by thoughts and intentions of the mind, and by the varied winds of karma that have grown strong, consciousness is affected.
मनस्त्वं या गता शक्तिस् सुजडेव मुने चितेः । सा स्फुरत्य् अनया ब्रह्मन् स्वचिता साक्षिभूतया
O sage, the power that has become the mind is merely an inert force of consciousness; by this, O Brahman, consciousness shines forth, witnessed by its own awareness.
अस्याः प्रसादाद् इह सा चित् कलङ्कवती मुने । जगद्गन्धर्वनगरं करोति न करोति च
By its grace, O sage, consciousness here becomes tainted; it creates and does not create the world, like a city of the Gandharvas.
विनात्मसत्तया जीवो मूकस् तिष्ठति कुड्यवत् । तत्सत्तया प्रस्फुरति नभस्सम्प्रेरिताश्मवत्
When the essence of the Self is absent, the living being remains mute like a wall; when that essence is present, it stirs forth like a stone propelled through the sky.
यथा स्फुरत्य् अतिजडम् अयो ऽयस्कान्तसन्निधौ । तथा स्फुरति जीवो ऽयं सति सर्वगते परे
Just as exceedingly inert iron becomes active in the presence of a magnet, so too does this living being stir when the all-pervading Supreme exists.
सर्वस्थयात्मशक्त्यैव जीव एष स्फुरत्य् अलम् । मकुरो बिम्बम् आदत्ते द्रव्यान् नान्तस्स्थिताद् अपि
It is solely by the omnipresent power of the Self that this living being becomes active, just as a mirror receives a reflection even from objects not residing within it.
सुविस्मृतस्वभावत्वाच् जीवो ऽयं जडतां गतः । मोहाद् विस्मृतभावत्वाच् छूद्रताम् इव सद्द्विजः
Because its true nature is thoroughly forgotten, this living being has fallen into inertia; through delusion and forgetting its own nature, it is like a noble twice-born who has become degraded.
प्रविस्मृतस्वभावा हि चिच् चित्तत्वम् उपागता । मोहोपहतचित्तत्वात् सुमहान् इव दीनताम्
Those who have utterly forgotten their own nature have entered into a state of consciousness that is mere mind; due to minds afflicted by delusion, they become greatly impoverished, like the wealthy fallen into misery.
जडयावशया देहो वातशक्तिसमानया । सञ्चाल्यते कलनया पत्त्रं वा वीचिमालया
The body, under the sway of inertia and compelled by the force of wind, is set in motion by calculation, just as a leaf is moved by a stream of waves.
कर्मात्मना वराकेण जीवेन मनसामुना । चाल्यन्ते देहयन्त्राणि पाषाणा इव वायुना
By means of action, the wretched living being, through its mind, causes the mechanisms of the body to move, as stones are moved by the wind.
शरीरशकटानां हि कर्षणे परमात्मना । मनःप्राणोदयौ ब्रह्मन् कृतौ कर्मकरौ दृढौ
In the drawing of the carts of the body by the Supreme Self, O Brahman, the arising of mind and breath are the two strong agents of action.
चिज् जडं तूररीकृत्य रूपं जीवत्वम् एव च । मनोरथम् उपारुह्य वहत्प्राणतुरङ्गमम्
Having made consciousness and inertness distant, and form and life as well, riding upon the chariot of imagination, it carries the horse of vital breath.
क्वचिज् जातपदार्थत्वं क्वचिन् नष्टपदार्थताम् । क्वचिद् बहुपदार्थत्वं क्वचिन् नानापदार्थतां
At times it attains the state of having objects, at times the loss of objects; sometimes it has many objects, sometimes it has various objects.
गतेव भिन्नेवास्तेच्छम् अत्यजन्ती निजं पदम् । जलतेव तरङ्गत्वं सैवासेव सदोदिता
Seeming to depart, seeming to break, yet not abandoning its own place, just as water takes the form of a wave, so it always arises in its own being.
उपजीव्यात्मनो रूपं परं स्फुरति वृत्तिषु । आलोकम् उपजीव्येमं रूपश्रीर् द्रव्यगा यथा
The form of the self, sustained by itself, shines forth in the activities; just as the radiance of form is sustained by light and enters into substance.
परमात्मनि चित्तत्त्वे स्थिते सति निरामये । जीवो जीवति सालोकं दीपे सति गृहं यथा
When the supreme self, the essence of consciousness, abides free from affliction, the living being lives with its world, just as a house exists when there is a lamp.
आधयो व्याधयश् चैव प्रयान्त्य् अस्याः प्रपीनताम् । अपाम् इव तरङ्गत्वं वीचित्वस्येव फेनता
Afflictions and diseases bring about its fullness, just as the wave-nature of water brings about the frothiness of foam.
आधिव्याधिभिर् आकीर्णश् शरीराम्भोजषट्पदः । जीवो वैवश्यम् आयाति तरङ्गत्वं यथा पयः
The living being, the bee of the lotus of the body, surrounded by afflictions and diseases, falls into helplessness, just as water becomes a wave.
चिच्छक्तिस् सर्वशक्तित्वान् नाहं चिद् इति भावनात् । स्ववशैवैति वैवश्यं सूर्यदीप्तिर् इवाम्बुदैः
Because consciousness is all-powerful, and through the notion 'I am not consciousness,' it comes under its own sway and helplessness, just as the brilliance of the sun is obscured by clouds.
वैवश्याशावती मौढ्यान् न विन्दत्य् आत्मसंविदम् । घनजाड्यपराभूतस् स्वाङ्गावदलनं यथा
The mind, overcome by ignorance and bound to hope, does not attain self-awareness, just as a limb, subdued by dense numbness, cannot move.
प्राणवाय्वनुसन्धानम् अस्या मोहाद् विनश्यति । घनमोहवतो जन्तोस् स्वकार्यस्मरणं यथा
Her practice of breath-awareness is lost due to delusion, just as one overwhelmed by deep confusion forgets his own tasks.
अथाङ्गसंविदो वातस् स्पन्दशक्तेश् च मोहतः । न करोत्य् अनुसन्धानं कुष्ठी स्पन्दैषणं यथा
Thus, because of delusion, she does not attend to the awareness of her limbs or the power of movement, just as a leper does not seek the sensation of movement.
असंवित्स्पन्दने देहे पद्मपत्त्रं हृदि स्थितम् । न स्फुरत्य् अपरामृष्टं दारुपत्त्रं यथा बहिः
When there is no awareness or movement in the body, the heart remains unmoved like a lotus leaf inside, untouched, just as a wooden leaf outside does not quiver.
निस्स्पन्दे पद्मपत्त्रे ऽन्तः प्राणाश् शान्तिं प्रयान्त्य् अमी । तालवृन्ते यथास्पन्दे बहिः पवनशक्तयः
When there is no movement in the lotus leaf, the life-forces within come to rest, just as, when there is no wind, the energies outside a palm leaf are still.
प्राणे शान्ते ऽन्तर् अस्पर्शाज् जीवो निपुणमूकताम् । याति शान्ते नभोवायाव् अदृश्यत्वं यथा रजः
When the breath is still and there is no inner contact, the living being attains profound silence, just as dust becomes invisible when the wind and sky are calm.