विरथं विगताधारं मनोमात्रं हि दृश्यते । तिष्ठत्य् आत्मन्य् अलब्धोर्वीजलादितरुबीजवत्
Deprived of support and vehicle, only the mind remains, existing in the self like a seed of a tree that has not obtained earth or water.
इति वैकल्यम् आयाते करणौघे समन्ततः । नाशं पुर्यष्टके याते देहः पतति निश्चलः
Thus, when impairment arises in all the senses and the subtle body is destroyed, the physical body falls, motionless.
चिच्चेत्यचेतनान् मोहात् स्पन्दम् आयाति वासना । उदीरिता स्मरत्य् अन्यद् अन्यद् विस्मरति स्वयम्
Through delusion, the latent impression stirs consciousness, the conscious, and the unconscious; once aroused, it recalls one thing and forgets another by itself.
हृत्पद्मयन्त्रस्फुरणात् स्फुटं पुर्यष्टकं भवेत् । हृत्पद्मयन्त्रे वहनाद् रुद्धे पुर्यष्टकं क्षयि
From the vibration of the heart-lotus mechanism, the subtle body clearly arises; when the heart-lotus mechanism ceases to function, the subtle body is restrained and perishes.
देहे पुर्यष्टकं यावद् अस्ति तावत् स जीवति । शान्ते पुर्यष्टके देहो मृत इत्य् उच्यते द्विज
As long as the subtle body remains in the physical body, so long does one live; when the subtle body is at rest, the body is said to be dead, O twice-born one.
विरुद्धमलसंरोधाच् छेदभेददशावशात् । न प्रस्फुरति हृत्पद्मयन्त्रम् अभ्यन्तरे यदा
When, due to the obstruction of opposing impurities or because of severance and disruption, the heart-lotus mechanism does not function within,
तदा पुर्यष्टकं शान्तिम् उपैति गगने शनैः । संरोधिते वातयन्त्रे यथा पवनसन्ततिः
Then the subtle body gradually attains peace in the ether, just as, when the wind mechanism is blocked, the flow of air comes to a halt.
स्वासंवित्तिवशाज् जीवो वैवश्यम् उपगच्छति । पद्मयन्त्रं शरीरस्थं न वाहयति निस्सहः
Because of the loss of awareness of breath, the living being falls into helplessness; unable, he does not move the lotus mechanism within the body.
वासना विमला येषां हृदयान् नापसर्पति । स्थिरैकरूपजीवास् ते जीवन्मुक्ताश् चिरायुषः
Those whose latent impressions do not depart from a pure heart, whose life-force is steady and of one form—they are the liberated while living, long-lived.
संरुद्धे पद्मयन्त्रे हि प्राणे शान्तिम् उपागते । देहः पतत्य् अधैर्यो ऽयं काष्ठलोष्टसमः क्षितौ
Indeed, when the lotus mechanism is restrained and the life-force has come to rest, this body, lacking support, falls to the ground like a log or a clod of earth.
यथैव व्योममरुति लीनं पुर्यष्टकं भवेत् । तथैव तत्रैव तदा लयम् एति मनो मुने
Just as the eightfold city merges into the wind and sky, so too, O sage, the mind dissolves there at that time.
सुचिराभ्यस्तभावस्थवासनानुचितं मनः । यत्र तत्र भ्रमं स्वर्गनरकादिं प्रपश्यति
The mind, shaped by long-practiced tendencies and habits, perceives wandering illusions of heaven, hell, and the like wherever it goes.
शरीरं शवताम् एति मनोमारुतवर्जितम् । गते गृहजने दूरं गृहं संशून्यताम् इव
The body becomes like a corpse when deprived of the wind of the mind; just as a house becomes empty when its inhabitants have gone far away.
सर्वगा चिच् चेतनतो जीवीभूय मनस्स्थिता । पुर्यष्टकवपुर् भूत्वैवातिवाहिकदेहिनी
The mind, pervading all as consciousness, becomes alive and abides; assuming the form of the eightfold city, it takes on the body of the traveler.
तन्मात्रपञ्चकं चित्त्वं क्रोडीकृत्य व्यवस्थिता । स्वप्नभ्रमवद् आकारं भावात् स्थूलं प्रपश्यति
Having gathered the five subtle elements into consciousness and established itself, it perceives the gross form as if it were a dream illusion.
दृढभावनया पश्चात् तत्रैव रसशालिनी । आतिवाहिकदेहत्वं विस्मरत्य् अखिलं क्षणात्
Then, through firm contemplation, the mind, full of flavor, instantly forgets its entire identity as the traveler’s body.
असत्य् एव शरीरे ऽस्मिन् कृता कृत्रिमभावना । नयत्य् असत्यं सत्यत्वं सत्यं चासत्यताम् अपि
When the body itself is unreal, an artificial notion is created; this leads the unreal to appear real, and the real to seem unreal.
सर्वगा हि चिद् अंशेन जीवीभूय भवेन् मनः । मनः पुर्यष्टकरथम् आक्रामति ततो जगत्
Indeed, the mind, pervading all with a portion of consciousness and becoming alive, enters the eightfold city-chariot and then the world.
पुर्यष्टकं वातमयं देहम् उत्थापयत्य् अलम् । हृत्स्थं हि वेताल इव जीव इत्य् उच्यते तदा
The body, composed of the eightfold city and made of air, is raised up; when the life-force abides in the heart, it is called 'jīva', like a ghost possessing a corpse.
क्षीणे पुर्यष्टके चित्तं यदा व्योमनि लीयते । तदा स्फुरति नो देहो मृत इत्य् उच्यते ऽपि च
When the eightfold city is depleted and the mind dissolves into space, then the body no longer stirs and is said to be dead.
स्वभाववशतो जीवो विस्मृत्याशक्तिम् ऋच्छति । वैरस्यात् कालवशतः पर्णं जर्जरताम् इव
By the force of its own nature, the jīva loses power through forgetfulness or disinterest, or by the influence of time, just as a leaf becomes withered.
जीवशक्त्यापरामृष्टे निरुद्धे पद्मयन्त्रके । प्राणे संरोधम् आयाते म्रियते मानवो मुने
When the mechanism of the lotus—unmoved by the power of the jīva—is restrained and the breath is obstructed, then, O sage, the person dies.
यथा जातानि जातानि तान्य् अथान्यानि कालतः । वृक्षात् पर्णानि शीर्यन्ते शरीराणि तथा नृणाम्
Just as, over time, leaves that have grown on a tree wither and fall, so too do the bodies of people perish.
जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च शरीराणि शरीरिणाम् । पादपानां च पर्णानि का तत्र परिदेवना
Bodies of embodied beings are born and die, just as leaves of trees do; what cause is there for lamentation in this?
चिदम्बुधौ स्फुरन्त्य् एता देहबुद्बुदपङ्क्तयः । इतश् चान्या इतश् चान्या एतास्व् आस्था न धीमतः
In the ocean of consciousness, these rows of body-bubbles arise—some here, some elsewhere; the wise do not place reliance on them.
सर्वगापि चिद् एतस्मिंश् चेतसि प्रतिबिम्बते । पदार्थम् अन्तर् आदत्ते नान्यो हि मकुराद् ऋते
Though consciousness is all-pervading, it is reflected only in the mind; it takes hold of objects within, for nothing else can reflect it but a mirror.
चिदमलनभसि प्रसन्नरूपाः परिवितते तदतन्मये स्फुरन्ति । कलकलमुखरास् स्फुटाभिरामा विविधशरीरविमोहतापनद्यः
In the pure radiance of consciousness, which is serene in form and all-pervading, there arise, shining forth, the various streams of delusion that captivate with their clamorous, clear, and charming forms, causing bewilderment regarding different bodies.
चन्द्रार्धशेखरधर चित्तत्त्वस्य महात्मनः । अनन्तस्यैकरूपस्य द्वित्वं कथम् इवागतम्
How has duality arisen in the supreme reality of consciousness, which is adorned with the crescent moon, which is infinite, of the nature of the Self, and ever one?
कथं च तन् महादेव रूढं सत् कालपर्ययात् । भवेद् दुःखोपघाताय प्रज्ञया विनिवारितम्
And how, O great Lord, has that which is firmly established become, through the course of time, a cause of suffering, when it is dispelled by wisdom?
सर्वशक्तिर् हि चिद् ब्रह्म सद् एकं विद्यते यदा । तदा निर्मूल एवायं द्वित्वैकत्वलयोदयः
For when all-powerful consciousness, the one true Brahman, alone exists, then the arising of duality and unity, with their cycles, is indeed baseless.