पूर्णात्मकम् इदं पूर्णं पूर्णात् पूर्णं प्रपूर्यते । पूर्णेन पूरितं पूर्णं स्थिता पूर्णैव पूर्णता
This fullness is of the nature of fullness; from fullness, fullness is filled; fullness, filled by fullness, remains ever full—such is the nature of fullness.
लीलयेदं तु पृच्छामि भूयो बोधाभिवृद्धये । बालस्येव पिता ब्रह्मन् न रोषं कर्तुम् अर्हसि
Yet, I ask this again in play, for the further growth of understanding; just as a father does for a child, O Brahman, you ought not to be angry.
श्रोत्रं चक्षुस् स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणम् एव च । विद्यमानम् अपि ब्रह्मन् दृश्यमानम् अपि स्फुटम्
Hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell—even though they exist, O Brahman, and are clearly perceived—
कथं मृतस्यैव जन्तोर् विषयं स्वं न पश्यति । जीवतश् च कथं सर्वं विषयं स्वं प्रपश्यति
How is it that a creature, when dead, does not perceive its own objects, and yet, when alive, perceives all its own objects?
कथं घटादि बाह्यस्थम् इन्द्रियाणि जडान्य् अपि । शरीरे ऽनुभवन्त्य् अन्तः पुनर् नानुभवन्त्य् अपि
How do the senses, though inert and situated externally like a pot and similar objects, experience within the body, yet do not experience externally?
अयश्शलाकोपमयोर् घटादीन्द्रिययोः किल । अश्लिष्टयोर् नीरसयोः कथं सत्तोदिता मिथः
Just as two rods of iron, like a pot and the senses, when joined together and devoid of essence, how does the arising of existence occur mutually between them?
जानन्न् अपि यद् एतत् त्वां विशेषाशङ्कया पुनः । पृच्छामि तद् अशेषेण कथयाश्व् अनुकम्पया
Even though I know this, I ask you again out of particular doubt; please explain it fully, out of compassion.
इन्द्रियाण्य् अपि चित्तादि घटाद्य् अपि न किञ्चन । पृथक् सम्भवतीहाङ्ग निर्मलाच् चेतनाद् ऋते
The senses, mind, and so forth, as well as pots and similar objects, are nothing by themselves; they arise separately here, O friend, except from pure consciousness.
गगनाद् अपि याच्छा चित् तया रूपं स्वम् आत्मना । चित्त्वात् पुर्यष्टकत्वेन भाववृत्त्यैव भावितम्
Consciousness, even from space, draws its own form by itself; due to its nature as mind, as the subtle body, it is shaped only by the activity of thought.
तद् एवेदं प्रकृतितां गतं जगद् अवस्थितम् । तस्यावयवजातं तद् इन्द्रियादि घटादि च
This world, having attained its own nature, is established; its components are those born from it, such as the senses and pots and so forth.
पुर्यष्टकत्वम् आयातं यच् चित्तत्त्वं स्वभावतः । स्व एवावयवस् तस्मिन् घटादि प्रतिबिम्बति
That which is the essence of mind, by its own nature, has become the subtle body; its own parts are reflected as pots and similar objects within it.
जगत्सहस्रनिर्माणमहिम्नां दर्पणस्य मे । पुर्यष्टकस्य भगवन् रूपं कथय कीदृशम्
O revered one, describe to me the form of the subtle body, which, like a mirror, possesses the power to create thousands of worlds.
अनाद्यन्तजगद्बीजं यद् ब्रह्मास्ति निरामयम् । भारूपं शुद्धचिन्मात्रं कलाकलनवर्जितम्
That Brahman, which is the seed of the universe without beginning or end, is free from affliction, substantial, pure consciousness alone, devoid of all divisions and modifications.
कलनोन्मुखतां यातं सत् तज् जीव इति स्मृतः । स जीवः खलु देहे ऽस्मिंश् चिनोति स्पन्दते स्फुटम्
When that reality becomes inclined toward differentiation, it is called the jīva; this jīva, indeed, in this body, perceives and distinctly vibrates.
अहम्भावाद् अहङ्कारो मननान् मन उच्यते । बोधनिश्चयतो बुद्धिर् इन्द्रदृष्टेस् तथेन्द्रियम्
From the sense of 'I', arises ego; from thinking, arises mind; from discernment and determination, arises intellect; and from perception by the senses, arises the sense organs.
देहभावनया देहो घटभावनया घटः । एष एवंस्वभावात्मा जीवः पुर्यष्टकं स्मृतम्
Through the conception of the body, the body arises; through the conception of a pot, the pot arises; thus, this jīva, whose nature is as described, is known as the puryaṣṭaka.
ज्ञत्वकर्तृत्वभोक्तृत्वसाक्षित्वाद्यभिमानिनी । या संविज् जीव इत्य् उक्ता तद् धि पुर्यष्टकं विदुः
That consciousness which identifies itself as knower, doer, enjoyer, witness, and so forth, is called the jīva; this, indeed, is what the wise call the puryaṣṭaka.
काले काले स्वतो जीवस् त्व् अन्यो ऽन्यो भवति स्वतः । भाविताकारितानन्तवासनाकणिकोदयात्
At different times, the jīva becomes distinct from itself, due to the arising of countless impressions formed by past thoughts and actions.
पुर्यष्टकस्वभावेन कालेनाकारम् ऋच्छति । वासनावशतस् सेकाद् बीजं पल्लवताम् इव
By the nature of the puryaṣṭaka, over time, it acquires form; compelled by impressions, it develops, just as a seed sprouts.
आकारो ऽहं शरीरादि स्थावरादि सुरादि वा । नाहम् आद्यश् चिदात्मेति मिथ्याज्ञाने निमज्जति
Form is 'I', whether as body, or as immobile beings, or as gods; but 'I am the original consciousness-self'—this false knowledge is submerged.
भ्रमत्य् एवं जगज् जीवो वासनावेल्लितश् चिरम् । ऊर्ध्वाधोगमनैर् अब्धौ काष्ठं वीचिहतं यथा
Thus, the individual soul, driven by the waves of latent tendencies, wanders in the world for a long time, like a piece of wood tossed up and down in the ocean by the waves.
कश्चित् सात्त्विकजातित्वाद् भवबन्धाद् अनन्तरम् । बुद्ध्वात्मानं स्वम् अभ्येति पदम् आद्यन्तवर्जितम्
Some, due to a predominance of sattvic nature, after release from worldly bondage, realizing their own Self, attain the state that is free from beginning and end.
कश्चित् कालेन बहुना भुक्तयोनिगणान्तरः । आत्मज्ञानवशाद् एति परमं पदम् आत्मनः
Some, after passing through many births and various forms, by the power of Self-knowledge, reach the supreme state of their own Self.
एवम्भूतस् स सुमते जीवो यातश् शरीरताम् । नेत्रादिना घटाद्य् अन्तर् यथा वेत्ति तथा शृणु
O wise one, such a soul, having attained embodiment, perceives through the eyes and other senses what is inside a pot and so on; listen to how this occurs.
चित्त्वस्य कलनात् तस्य सम्प्रयातस्य जीवताम् । मनष्षष्ठेन्द्रियग्रामो देहो ऽग्र इव तिष्ठति
When, by the activity of mind, that soul enters into living existence, the group of mind and the six senses stands at the forefront, just as the tip of a shoot.
पदार्थदेहे देहेन स्वे पतत्य् अक्षिरूपिणा । तदा तज् जीवसंस्पर्शाज् जीवात्मैकत्वम् ऋच्छति
In the body made of elements, the embodied one falls into its own place as the form of the sense organ; then, by contact with the soul, it attains the unity of individual and universal Self.
बाह्यार्थवेदने नित्यं सम्बन्धो ऽक्षस्य कारणम् । समन्वितस्य चित्तेन न मुक्तस्य कदाचन
The connection of the sense organ with the perception of external objects is always the cause of experience; for one whose mind is joined to this, but never for one who is liberated.
यद् यद् अच्छतरे तस्मिन्न् अग्रस्थं प्रतिबिम्बति । जीवेन भवति श्लिष्टं बहिर् जीवो ऽथ जीवति
Whatever is clearer in that foremost part is reflected there; when the soul is joined to it, it lives outwardly as the embodied soul.
निघृष्टनवरत्नाभे यदा नयनतारके । तदैतयोर् बाह्यगतः पदार्थः प्रतिबिम्बति
When the pupils of the eyes are polished and resemble new gems, then the external object is reflected in them.
जीवेन भवति श्लिष्टः प्रतिबिम्बवशात् ततः । जीवज्ञेयत्वम् आयाति बाह्यं वस्त्व् इति राघव
By the power of reflection, it becomes joined with the living being; thus, O Raghava, the external object attains the status of being knowable by the living being.