आधाराधेयवत् त्व् एते एकाभावे विनश्यतः । कुरुतश् च स्वनाशेन कार्यं मोक्षाख्यम् उत्तमम्
Like support and supported, these two perish in the absence of the other; and by their mutual dissolution, the supreme state called liberation is attained.
एकतत्त्वघनाभ्यासाच् छान्तं शाम्यत्य् अलं मनः । तल्लयत्वात् स्वभावस्य तेन प्राणो ऽपि शाम्यति
Through the practice of absorption in the one dense reality, the mind becomes completely still; and because of its merging into its own nature, the life-breath too becomes still.
विचार्य यद् अनन्तात्मतत्त्वं तन्मयतां नयेत् । मनस् ततस् तल्लयतस् तद् एव भवति स्थिरम्
Having thoroughly contemplated the infinite Self-reality, one should merge the mind into that; then, as the mind dissolves into That, it becomes firmly established.
यद् एवातितरां श्रेयो ऽनुपलम्भोपलम्भयोः । द्वयोर् अप्य् असतोस् तत्र शेषे वापि स्थिरो भव
Whatever is truly superior, whether in the grasping or non-grasping of experience, in both of these unreal states, or even in what remains, be steadfast there.
एकस्मिन् सुदृढे तत्त्वे तावद् भावं विभावयेत् । भावो ऽभावत्वम् आयाति स्वाभ्यासाद् यावद् आततम्
In one firmly established truth, let one contemplate the state of being; through repeated practice, that state of being expands into non-being.
प्रत्याहारवशाच् चेतस् स्वयं भोग्यक्षयाद् इव । विलीयते सह प्राणैः परम् एवावशिष्यते
By the power of withdrawal, the mind dissolves of its own accord, just as enjoyment ceases when its objects are exhausted; along with the life-breaths, only the Supreme remains.
यदेकतानं भवति चेतस् तद् भवति क्षणात् । शान्ताशेषविशेषौघं चिराभ्यासस्वभावतः
When the mind becomes wholly one-pointed, in that very instant, by the nature of long practice, all waves of distinctions are completely pacified.
अविद्येयं तु नास्तीति बुद्ध्वा युक्तियुतं धिया । ज्ञानाद् एव परावाप्तिस् तदभ्यासस् ततो वरम्
Recognizing with reason that this ignorance does not exist, through knowledge alone the highest attainment is gained; therefore, practice of that is superior.
चित्ते शान्ते शाम्यतीयं संसारमृगतृष्णिका । जराम् उपगते मेघे मिहिका महती यथा
When the mind is peaceful, this mirage of worldly existence subsides, just as a great mist vanishes when the cloud has grown old.
चित्तमात्रम् अविद्येति कुरु तेनैव तत्क्षयम् । तद्रूपनाम चित्तात्मानुभावो हि परं पदम्
Know that ignorance is nothing but mind alone; by that very understanding, bring about its cessation. The realization of the Self, whose nature and name is that mind, is the supreme state.
मुहूर्तम् एव निर्वाणं यदि चेतः परे पदे । तत् तत्परिणतं विद्धि तत्रैवास्वादम् आगतम्
If for even a moment the mind attains dissolution in the supreme state, know that it has been transformed, and there itself it experiences the highest taste.
यदि साङ्ख्येन विश्रान्तं चेतो योगेन वा पदे । क्षणं तत् सत्त्वतां यातं न भूयः परिजायते
If the mind finds rest in that state through Sāṅkhya or through Yoga, then for that instant it attains purity and does not arise again.
चेतो विगलिताविद्यं सत्त्वशब्देन कथ्यते । दग्धं संसारबीजं तन् न दद्याद् अङ्कुरं पुनः
The mind, freed from ignorance, is described by the word 'sattva'; its seed of worldly existence is burned and will not sprout again.
ज्ञश् चिद्विगलिताविद्यस् सत्त्वस्थश् शान्तवासनः । समं शून्योपमं शान्तं ज्योतिः पश्यति शाम्यति
The knower whose consciousness is freed from ignorance, established in sattva and with peaceful tendencies, sees the tranquil light, equal and like space, and becomes still.
विगलिताज्ञपदं विमलं मनस् सुभग सत्त्वम् इतीह हि कथ्यते । न पुनर् एति कलामलिनं पदं कनकताम् इव ताम्रम् उपागतम्
Here, the pure mind, free from the state of ignorance and beautiful, is called sattva; it does not return again to the impure state, just as gold does not become copper once it has been refined.
जीवो ऽजीवीभवत्य् आशु याति चित्तम् अचित्तताम् । विचाराद् इत्य् अविद्यान्तो मोक्ष इत्य् अभिधीयते
The individual soul quickly becomes non-individual, and the mind attains no-mind; through inquiry, ignorance ends—this is called liberation.
मृगतृष्णाजलम् इव सर्गो ऽहन्तादि दृश्यते । असद् एव मनाग् एव तद् विचारात् प्रलीयते
The creation, beginning with the sense of 'I', appears like the mirage-water; it is truly unreal and, even slightly examined, dissolves through inquiry.
संसृतिस्वप्नविश्रान्तौ वेतालोदाहृतान् इमान् । प्रश्नान् आकर्णय शुभान् प्रसङ्गात् स्मृतिम् आगतान्
While resting in the dream of worldly existence, listen to these auspicious questions, cited in the tales of the spirits, which have arisen in memory by way of context.
अस्ति विन्ध्यमहाटव्यां वेतालो विपुलाकृतिः । स किञ्चिन् मण्डलं गर्धाद् आजगाम जिघत्सया
In the great forest of the Vindhya mountains, there was a vetāla of immense form; driven by hunger, he approached a certain area.
स वेतालो ऽवसत् पूर्वं कस्मिंश्चित् सज्जनास्पदे । बहुबल्युपहारेण नित्यतृप्ततया सुखी
That vetāla had previously dwelled in a place frequented by virtuous people, content and happy due to abundant offerings of strength, always satisfied.
निर्निमित्तं निरागस्कं न तेनासौ पुरोगतम् । क्षुधितो ऽपि नरं हन्ति सङ्गो हि न्यायदैशिकः
He did not act without cause or attachment; even when hungry, he would not kill a man, for association is guided by the law of justice.
स कालेनाटवीगेहो जगाम नगरान्तरम् । न्याययुक्त्या जनं भोक्तुं क्षुधा समभिचोदितः
In time, the forest-dwelling vetāla entered another city, prompted by hunger to consume people according to the rule of justice.
तत्र प्राप स भूपालं रात्रिचर्याविनिर्गतम् । तम् आह घनघोरेण शब्देनोग्रनिशाचरः
There, he encountered a king who had gone out for nocturnal activity; the fierce night-dweller addressed him with a thunderous and terrifying voice.
राजंल् लब्धो ऽसि भीमेन वेतालेन मयाधुना । क्व गच्छसि विनष्टो ऽसि भवान् भोजनम् अद्य मे
O king, you have now been seized by me, the mighty vetāla; where are you going? You are lost—today you shall be my food.
भो रात्रिचर निर्न्यायं मां चेद् अत्सि बलाद् इह । तत् ते सहस्रधा मूर्धा स्फुटिष्यति न संशयः
O night-dweller, if you eat me here unjustly by force, then your head will shatter into a thousand pieces—there is no doubt.
न त्वाम् अद्म्य् अहम् अन्यायं न्यायो ऽयं तु मयोच्यते । राजासि सकलाशाश् च पूरणीयास् त्वयार्थिनाम्
I will not eat you unjustly; I am stating the law: you are a king, and you must fulfill the wishes of all those who seek from you.
ममेमाम् अर्थितां राजन् सम्भवार्थं प्रपूरय । प्रश्नान् इमान् मयोक्तांस् त्वं सम्यग् व्याख्यातुम् अर्हसि
O King, fulfill this request of mine, made for the sake of inquiry; you ought to explain properly these questions I have posed.
कस्य सूर्यस्य रश्मीनां ब्रह्माण्डान्य् अणवः कृशाः । कस्मिन् स्फुरन्ति पवने महागगनरेणवः
Whose are the rays of the sun, the subtle atoms of the universe? In what do the great cosmic dust motes shimmer, in what wind do they move?
स्वप्नात् स्वप्नान्तरं गच्छञ् शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः । त्यजन् न त्यजति स्वच्छं कस् स्वरूपं प्रभासुरम्
Passing from one dream into another by the hundreds and thousands, who is it that, abandoning yet not abandoning, remains pure—whose radiant true nature is this?
रम्भास्तम्भो यथा पत्त्रमात्रम् एव पुनः पुनः । अन्तर् अन्तस् तथान्तश् च तथा को ऽणुस् स एव हि
Just as the plantain trunk is nothing but layers of sheaths again and again, so too, within and within, and within again—who is that subtle essence, the very same one?