यो ऽसौ ब्रह्मादिशब्दार्थस् संविदं विद्धि केवलम् । स्वच्छम् आकाशम् अप्य् अस्यास् स्थूलं मेरुर् अणोर् इव
That which is denoted by words such as 'Brahman'—know it to be pure consciousness alone; even the clear sky is gross compared to it, like Mount Meru compared to an atom.
सा वेद्यम् अवगच्छन्ती याति चिन्नामयोग्यताम् । अप्य् अवेद्यवती नूनम् उन्मनान्तपदस्थिता
When it apprehends something to be known, it attains the nature of mind-stuff; yet, even when there is nothing to be known, it surely remains established in the state beyond thought.
क्षणाद् भावितवेद्यत्वाद् अहन्ताम् अनुगच्छति । पुरुषत्वात् पुमान् स्वप्ने नववारणताम् इव
Because of its momentary engagement with objects of knowledge, it assumes the sense of 'I'; just as a man in a dream may become a nine-tusked elephant.
अस्या अहन्तां याताया देशताकालताखताः । सम्पद्यन्ते स्वयं शून्यरूपिण्यस् सख्य एव ताः
When it has assumed this sense of 'I', the notions of space, time, and limitation arise of themselves, appearing as empty forms, like companions.
ताभिस् संवलिता साथ सत्ता जीवाभिधानका । भवति स्पन्दविज्ञाता पवनस्येव लेखिका
Enveloped by these, that existence comes to be called the 'jīva' (individual soul); it is perceived as a vibration, like a line traced by the wind.
जीवशक्तिस् तथाभूता निश्चयैकविलासिनी । बुद्धिताम् अनुयाता सा भवत्य् अज्ञपदास्थिता
This power of the jīva, thus formed, delights in certainty alone; following intellect, it comes to abide in the state of ignorance.
शब्दशक्त्या क्रियाशक्त्या ज्ञानशक्त्यानुगम्यते । प्रत्येकं प्रस्फुरत्य् अन्तर् अप्रदर्शितरूपया
It is accompanied by the powers of speech, action, and knowledge; each one shines forth within, though its form is not outwardly displayed.
मिलित्वैष गणः क्षिप्रं श्रुतिं समनुकल्पयन् । मनो भवति शून्यात्मबीजं सङ्कल्पशाखिनः
When this group quickly comes together, imitating the function of hearing, it becomes the mind—the seed of the tree of thought, whose nature is emptiness.
आतिवाहिकदेहोक्तिभाजनं तद् विदुर् बुधाः । अन्तस्स्थया ब्रह्मशक्त्या ज्ञरूपं स्वात्मनात्मदृक्
The wise know that what is called the 'ativāhika body' is a vessel; within it, by the inner power of Brahman, the perceiver of the Self abides as pure consciousness.
सम्पद्यमान एवास्मिंश् चेतसीमा हि शक्तयः । पश्चाद् इव सहैवास्य प्रोद्यन्त्य् अनुदिता अपि
As soon as this arises, the powers of the mind immediately manifest together with it, as if following after, though they had not appeared before.
वातसत्ता स्पन्दसत्ता स्पर्शसत्ता तथैव च । त्वक्सत्ता तैजसी सत्ता तथा सत्ता प्रकाशिनी
The existence of air, the existence of vibration, the existence of touch, likewise the existence of skin, the existence of fire, and the existence of light—
दृक्सत्ता जलसत्ता च स्वादसत्ता तथापि च । तथैव रससत्ता च गन्धसत्ता तथैव च
The existence of sight, the existence of water, the existence of taste, likewise the existence of flavor, and the existence of smell as well—
भूसत्ता देहसत्ता च पिण्डसत्ता च पीवरी । देशसत्ता कालसत्ता सर्वास् त्व् आकारवर्जिताः
The existence of earth, the existence of body, the existence of the physical mass, the existence of fullness, the existence of space, the existence of time—all these are without form.
एवं सत्तागणं चेतः क्रोडीकृत्य खरूपधृत् । स्फुरत्य् आश्रितपत्त्रादि बीजवज् जीवतां गतम्
Thus, the multitude of these existences, gathered into the mind, assumes the form of space; it flashes forth, having entered into beings like a seed with its supporting husk and so on.
एतत् पुर्यष्टकं विद्धि देहो ऽयं चातिवाहिकः । अपराबोधम् एतत् तत् स्फुरत्य् अंशविभागवत्
Know this as the 'puryaṣṭaka'—this body is the ativāhika; this is the state of ignorance, and it shines forth divided into its various parts.
एतद् यद् अङ्गसम्पन्नं सम्पन्नं तन् न किञ्चन । न जातं न च सद्रूपं न चिदादि न चेतरत्
That which is endowed with limbs, though it appears complete, is truly nothing; it is neither born nor real, neither consciousness nor anything else.
परे परं प्रस्फुरति केवलं केवलात्म सत् । जलपीठस्य जठरे जलद्रवविलासवत्
The Supreme shines forth from the Supreme alone, pure in its own essence, like the play of water within the belly of a water-bubble.
संवित्संवेदनैकात्म पृथग् एतद् अचेतितम् । सम्पद्यते परिज्ञातं सङ्कल्पनगरोपमम्
This unconsciousness, which is distinct, becomes known as a city of imagination, though its essence is only consciousness and awareness.
संवेदनपरिज्ञानाच् छिवताम् एव गच्छति । अजातम् एव वा यत् तत् कथं गच्छति वस्तुताम्
Through the recognition of awareness, it attains only to the state of Shiva; but that which is truly unborn—how can it ever attain to real existence?
अथैतद् विन्दते स्वान्तं सङ्कल्पाद् अणुतां स्वतः । तन्मात्रसत्तास् तस्याणोर् एताः पश्यन्ति देहकम्
Then, this (consciousness) perceives within itself, through imagination, its own minuteness; the existence of subtle elements, and these subtle elements perceive the body as minute.
अणुस्थूलत्वम् आपन्नं तद् एवाशु प्रपश्यति । तस्य तन्मात्ररन्ध्राणि यथादेशं च पश्यति
It quickly perceives that very minuteness as grossness; and it sees the channels of the subtle elements according to their respective places.
ततः पुरुषरूपैकभावनात् पुरुषाकृतिम् । काकतालीयवद् दृष्ट्वा तुष्टं पुष्टं भवत्य् अलम्
Then, through the single thought of a human form, it beholds a human shape, and, like the chance meeting of a crow and a palm fruit, it becomes satisfied and nourished.
जीव एतदवस्थो ऽथ स्थितं पश्यति देहकम् । असन्तम् एव गन्धर्वपुरं स्वप्नपुरं यथा
The jiva, being in this state, then sees the body as if it were real, though it is actually nonexistent—like a city of Gandharvas or a city seen in a dream.
गन्धर्वनगराकारम् अपि स्वप्नपुरोपमम् । जगद् दुःखाय दुःखस्य कात्र युक्तिः परिक्षये
Even if the world appears like a city of Gandharvas, akin to a dream city, what reason is there for sorrow or for the arising of suffering, when it is perishing?
वासनावशतो दुःखं विद्यमाने च सा भवेत् । अविद्यमानं च जगन् मृगतृष्णाम्बुभङ्गवत्
Suffering arises due to the force of latent tendencies; when these exist, so does suffering. When they do not, the world is like the vanishing water of a mirage.
अतः किं वास्यते केन कस्य वा वासना कुतः । कथं स्वप्ननरेणाङ्ग मृगतृष्णाम्बु पीयते
Therefore, what is bound, by whom, and whose are these tendencies, and from where? How, O dear one, can water from a mirage be drunk by a man in a dream?
सस्रष्टरि तु साहन्ते समनोमननादिके । अविद्यमाने जगति यत् सत् तत् परिशिष्यते
When the creator exists, along with mind and thought and the rest, then what remains is that which is real, even when the world does not exist.
यत्र नो वासना नैव वासकं न च वास्यता । केवलं केवलीभावस् संशान्तसकलभ्रमः
Where there is neither tendency, nor anything to be colored by it, nor any coloring at all—there is only the state of pure being, with all delusion completely stilled.
यस्य सत्यो ऽप्य् असत्यो वा शून्य एव हि यक्षकः । विलीनस् तस्य कैवल्यात् किम् अन्यद् अवशिष्यते
For one whose goblin—whether real or unreal—is only emptiness and has dissolved in aloneness, what else remains?
शून्य एव हि वेताल इवेत्थं चित्तवासना । उदितेयं जगन्नाम्नी तच्छान्तौ शान्तिर् अक्षता
Indeed, just as a phantom is only emptiness, so too are the mental tendencies; when this so-called world arises, and when it subsides, undisturbed peace remains.