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.
यत् संश्लेषम् उपायाति तद् बालो ऽपि हि विन्दते । पशुर् वा स्थावरो वापि जीवः कस्मान् न वेत्स्यति
Whatever comes into contact is indeed perceived even by a child; whether an animal or an immobile being, why would the living being not know it?
अन्यच् च नायनास् साधो रश्मयो जीववेष्टिताः । क्रोडीकुर्वन्त्य् अलं दृश्यं जीवस् तत् तेन विन्दते
Moreover, O noble one, the rays from the eyes, enveloped by the living being, gather the visible object; thus, the living being perceives it by that means.
एष एव क्रमस् स्पर्शे सम्बन्धप्रत्ययोद्भवः । रसे गन्धे च कथितो जीवसंस्पर्शसम्भवः
This same sequence applies to touch, arising from the conviction of connection; and it is explained that taste and smell also originate from the contact of the living being.
शब्दस् त्व् आकाशनिष्ठत्वात् कर्णाकाशगतः क्षणात् । जीवाकाशं विशत्य् अन्तर् एवम् इन्द्रियसंविदः
Sound, because it resides in space, instantly enters the space of the ear; it then penetrates the space of the living being within, and thus is the awareness of the senses.
दृश्यते निर्मलादर्शरत्नवार्यादिकेषु यत् । प्रतिबिम्बनम् एतन् मे ब्रूहि ब्रह्मन् किमात्मकम्
Whatever reflection is seen in a clear mirror, gem, water, or similar things—tell me, O Brahman, what is its nature?
काकतालीयवद् भातं तद् ब्रह्मव्योम्नि यच् चिरम् । किञ्चिद् आस्ते क्षणं किञ्चित् तद् एवेदं जगन्ति वः
That which appears by chance, like the meeting of a crow and a palm tree, in the expanse of Brahman, sometimes remains for a moment, sometimes for a while—this alone is your world.
स्वसत्तामात्रकं स्वप्ने इवार्थ इति भावयत् । स्थितम् एकम् अनेकात्म चिद्व्योम स्वप्नवृक्षवत्
Contemplate that, just as in a dream, the object exists only as one's own being; the one reality, with many forms, consciousness-space, stands like a dream-tree.
बाह्यार्थास्तित्वबोधो यो या ब्रह्मात्मजगन्मतिः । स च सा चेति सत् सर्वं यथासंवेदनं स्थितेः
The awareness of the existence of external objects, and the notion of the world as Brahman or as self, both truly exist as all that is, according to each one's experience of reality.
प्रथमं परमाणुत्वे बुद्धे ऽणुत्वे ततश् च खे । ता विदो वेत्ति विद्व्योम कराक्षादिकम् अद्य याः
First, in the intellect, there is the subtlety of the atom, then the subtlety of space; those who know, know this space of consciousness as what today appears as hand, eye, and so on.
सर्गादितः प्रभृत्य् एव निर्मले ऽर्थः प्रबिम्बते । विदात्तेति स्थितिस् त्व् ऐक्यात् सर्वबिम्ब्यनुबिम्बयोः
From the very beginning of creation, the pure object is reflected; the notion that 'it is known' is due to the unity of all images and their reflections.