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.
चिद्व्योम्ना कचता तद् यद् अयम् अर्थ इति स्थितम् । सर्गादौ चेतिता संस्था यासौ स्थितिम् उपागता
That which is established as 'this is the object' is the shining of consciousness-space; the awareness at the beginning of creation is the state that has now come to be.
असताम् एव भावानां चिद्व्योमकचनाबलात् । गुणार्पणं मिथो रूढं निर्मले प्रतिबिम्बनम्
By the power of the shining of consciousness-space, the qualities of unreal entities become mutually established, like reflections in a spotless surface.
अत्यन्तजडयोर् एव जीवयोर् इव यन् मिथः । सत्तार्पणं स्वभावेन प्रतिबिम्बं तद् उच्यते
When there is mutual attribution of existence by two utterly inert entities, as if between two living beings, that is called reflection by its very nature.
चिदात्मनोर् वा जडयोर् महासत्ताजडात्मनोः । आद्यस्वभावनियमाद् बिम्बसत्तार्पणं मिथः
Whether between consciousness and inertness, or between the great existence and the inert self, due to the inherent nature of the original, there is mutual attribution of the existence of the image.
प्रतिबिम्बं दृशोर् भ्रान्तिं विद्धि वेद्यविदां वर । तावन्मात्रं जगत् तेन विश्वासो मा तवास्त्व् इह
Know the reflection seen by the eyes to be an illusion, O best of those who know what is to be known; in the same way, the world is only that much—therefore, let there be no firm belief in it for you here.
अहमित्यादितरङ्गस् सर्गाद्यावर्तवान् पराम्भोधौ । नास्त्य् एव देशकालक्रियाकृतस् तन्मयैकतया
The wave of 'I am' and so on, which revolves from creation onwards, exists in the supreme ocean; there is truly no division of space, time, or action, due to the oneness with That.
नित्यम् असक्तमतिर् मुदितात्मा शान्तसुखासुखसंविदनन्तः । तिष्ठ निविष्टमतिस् समतायाम् अस्तसमस्तभवामयमायः
Always keeping the mind unattached, the self delighted, inner awareness of peace, pleasure, and pain, remaining established in equanimity, with all delusion and embodiment ceased—abide thus.
नवाद् उद्भवतः पूर्वं सम्पन्नाश् चक्षुरादयः । यथा कमलजस्यैतत् सर्वम् एव त्वया श्रुतम्
Before the emergence of the new, the senses such as sight are already complete; just as it is with the lotus-born one, all this has already been explained to you.
ब्रह्मपुर्यष्टकस्यादाव् अक्षसंविद् यथोदिता । पुर्यष्टकस्य सर्वस्य तथैवोदेति सर्वदा
At the beginning of the eightfold city of Brahman, as described, the awareness of the senses arises; in the same way, it always arises for the entire eightfold city.
विद्धि पुर्यष्टकं जीवं स गर्भस्थेन्द्रियोदयः । यद् यथा भावयत्य् आशु तत् तथा परिपश्यति
Know the eightfold city as the individual soul; it is the origin of the senses while in the womb. Whatever it quickly imagines, that it perceives accordingly.