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.
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थाख्यं विद्धि संवेदनं स्वकम् । सम्पन्नं च यथा तत् ते प्रोक्तम् आद्यमनस्स्थितौ
Know that the senses and their objects are its own awareness; and as that awareness is complete, it has been described to you as existing in the original state of mind.
शुद्धा संवित् संविदन्ती संवेदनम् अनिन्दितम् । अतो ऽहंवेदनाद् अन्तर् जीवं पुर्यष्टकं त्व् इता
Pure consciousness, being aware, is faultless awareness; from this inner knowing of 'I am,' the individual soul, the eightfold city, arises.
न त्व् एकत्वाद् अनन्तत्वाद् अवेद्यत्वाद् अनामया । अनन्यत्वाद् अनेकत्वाद् अशून्यत्वात् परा स्थितिः
But the supreme state is not characterized by oneness, by infinitude, by being unknowable, by freedom from affliction, by non-otherness, by multiplicity, nor by emptiness.
चेत्यादि बुध्यते किञ्चिन् न मनस्तां च गच्छति । न च जीवत्वम् आयाति न च पुर्यष्टकात्मिका
Something is perceived as an object of cognition, but the mind does not reach that state; nor does it attain the condition of being alive, nor is it composed of the subtle body.
नाविद्यादिविलासो ऽस्ति सो ऽस्ति नास्तीव यस् सदा । परमात्मेति कथितो मनष्षष्ठेन्द्रियातिगः
There is no play of ignorance and the like; that which always exists is neither existent nor non-existent. This is called the Supreme Self, which is beyond mind and the six senses.
तस्मात् सम्पद्यते जीवश् चिन्मूर्तिर् मननात्मकः । भ्रमः केवलम् इत्य् आद्य उपदेशाय गीयते
Therefore, the individual soul, which is of the nature of consciousness and thought, is said to arise; but this is only a delusion, taught at first for the sake of instruction.
यतः कुतश्चित् सम्पन्ने त्व् अविद्यामय आमये । उपदेश्योपदेशेन प्रविलीने विचारणात्
When, from wherever, the disease composed of ignorance arises, and by means of instruction and teaching it is dissolved through inquiry,
प्रशान्तसकलाचारं ज्ञानं तद् अवशिष्यते । यत्राकाशम् अपि स्थूलम् अणाव् इव सुराचलः
Then, knowledge alone remains, with all activity stilled; where even gross space stands as if a mountain in an atom.
यत्रोद्यदाचारम् अपि सद् अप्य् असद् अवस्थितम् । जगज् ज्ञविषयं पङ्काद् इव तिष्ठति निर्मितम्
Where even the slightest activity, though present, is as if absent; and the world, as an object of knowledge, stands as if constructed, like mud in a swamp.
असन्मयम् अविद्याया रूपम् एतावद् एव हि । यद् वीक्षिता सती नूनं नश्यत्य् एव न दृश्यते
The very form of ignorance is only this much: when it is observed, it surely perishes and is not seen.
आलोकितं नाम कथम् अवस्तु किल लभ्यते । प्रयत्नेनापि सम्प्राप्तं मृगतृष्णाम्बु केन वा
How can something unreal ever be obtained merely by seeing it? Even with effort, who has ever acquired the water of a mirage?
असद् एव सदैवासद् अज्ञानाद् अस्य सत्यता । ज्ञानाद् यथास्थितं वस्तु दृश्यते नश्यति भ्रमः
The unreal always remains unreal; only through ignorance does it appear as real. When true knowledge arises, things are seen as they truly are, and the delusion is destroyed.
अविद्याया विचाराय जीवपुर्यष्टकादिका । अप्य् अत्यन्तम् असत्यायाः कल्पना कल्पितात्मनि
For the sake of examining ignorance, concepts such as the eightfold subtle body and the individual soul are imagined, though they are utterly unreal, being mere projections upon the imagined self.
तस्मात् तदुपदेशाय सेयं जीवादिकल्पना । कृता शास्त्रैः प्रबोधाय तां त्वम् एकमनाश् शृणु
Therefore, for the purpose of instruction, this notion of the individual soul and so on has been presented in the scriptures to awaken understanding; now, listen to it with focused mind.
जीवत्वम् इव सम्प्राप्ता पुर्यष्टकपदे स्थिता । कलाकलङ्करहिता चितिर् आचेतनोन्मुखी
Consciousness, devoid of qualities and impurities, appears as if it has attained individuality and abides in the state of the eightfold subtle body, though it is inclined toward the insentient.
यद् यथा भावयत्य् आशु तत् तथानुभवत्य् अलम् । सत्यं भवत्व् असत्यं वा बालेव निशि यक्षकम्
Whatever one intensely imagines, that alone is swiftly experienced, whether real or unreal—just as a child sees a ghost at night.
पञ्चतन्मात्रकलनास् सा भावयति यत्र याः । तत्रात्मनि तथारन्ध्रास् ताः पश्यति तथोदिताः
Wherever consciousness forms the notions of the five subtle elements, there, within itself, it perceives those very channels as they arise.
ताभ्य एव समुत्पन्नं बहिस्स्थं भूतपञ्चकम् । पश्यत्य् अनन्यद् अन्याभं शाखाशतम् इवाङ्कुरः
From these alone arises the external fivefold elements, which it perceives as not different from itself, just as a hundred branches emerge from a single sprout.
इदम् अन्तर् इदं बाह्यम् इति निश्चयवांस् ततः । जीवो यथा यद् आदत्ते तत् तथा द्रढयत्य् अलम्
When the living being holds the conviction, 'this is inner, this is outer,' whatever it accepts, it firmly establishes as such.
रश्मिजालम् इवेन्दोर् यद् आत्मनः प्रतिभासनम् । बाह्यस्पर्शतया तेन तद् एवाशूररीकृतम्
Just as the moon's rays appear to arise from itself, so too, whatever manifests from the self is quickly made external through the sense of outer contact.