अलभ्यैव स्वपार्श्वस्थस्वप्नयुद्धविराववत् । शान्तसङ्कल्पमत्ताभ्रभीषणाशनिशब्दवत्
It is unattainable, though seemingly near, like the clamor of a battle in a dream; like the terrifying sound of thunder to one whose mind is absorbed in tranquility, it cannot be grasped.
विस्मृतस्वप्नसङ्कल्पनिर्माणनगरोपमा । भविष्यन्नगरोद्यानसोत्सवश्यामलाङ्गिका
It is like a city constructed by the imagination in a forgotten dream, or like the darkened limbs of a festival garden in a city yet to be built.
नश्यज्जिह्वोच्यमानोग्रकथार्थानुभवोपमा । अनुल्लिखितचित्तस्थचित्रव्याप्तेव भित्तिभूः
It is like the experience of intense stories spoken by a vanishing tongue, or like a wall that appears filled with pictures not actually drawn upon it, existing only in the mind.
परिविस्मर्यमाणाच्छकल्पनानगरीनिभा । सर्वर्तुमदनुत्पन्नवरमर्दास्फुटाकृतिः
It resembles a city of imagination gradually being forgotten, or the clear form of a beloved who has not arisen in any season.
भाविपुष्पवराकारवसन्तरसरञ्जना । अन्तर्लीनतरङ्गौघसौम्यवारिसरित्समा
It is like the delight of spring coloring the form of future flowers, or like a gentle river whose waves have merged within.
निर्वाणाख्यं प्रकरणं ततष् षष्ठम् उदाहृतम् । शिष्टो ग्रन्थः परीमाणं तस्य ज्ञेयं महार्थदम्
The section called 'Liberation' is then presented as the sixth; the remaining text should be understood as imparting great meaning.
बुद्धे तस्मिन् भवेच् छ्रोता निर्वाणश् शान्तकल्पनः । अचेत्यचित्प्रकाशात्मा विज्ञानात्मा निरामयः
In that intellect abides the listener, whose nature is peace and the conception of nirvana; whose essence is the illumination of both the sentient and the insentient, who is knowledge itself, free from affliction.
परमाकाशकोशाच्छश् शान्तसर्वभवभ्रमः । निर्वाहितजगद्यात्रः कृतकर्तव्यसुस्थितः
He is freed from all delusion regarding the existence of things, having emerged from the supreme space-like sheath; the journey of the world has been brought to cessation, and he stands firm, having fulfilled all duties.
समस्तविततारम्भवज्रस्तम्भो नभोनिभः । विनिगीर्णयथासंस्थजगज्जालातितृप्तिमान्
He is like the sky, a pillar of adamant that withstands all the expansions and beginnings; having swallowed the entire network of the world as it stands, he is fully satisfied.
आकाशीभूतनिश्शेषरूपालोकमनस्कृतिः । कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वहेयादेयदशोज्झितः
His mind and disposition have become entirely sky-like, devoid of all forms; he has abandoned the ten states of agency, effect, cause, and the rest.
सदेह एव निर्देहस् ससंसारो ऽप्य् असंसृतिः । चिन्मयो घनपाषाणजठराजठरोपमः
Though still embodied, he is as if disembodied; though in samsara, he is untouched by transmigration; he is made of consciousness, like the interior of a solid rock.
चिदादित्यस् तपंल् लोके ऽप्य् अन्धकारोदरोपमः । परप्रकाशरूपो ऽपि परम् आन्ध्यम् इवागतः
Though his consciousness is like the sun, shining in the world, he appears as if in the darkness of a cave; though his form is supreme illumination, he seems to have attained utter blindness.
रुद्धसंसृतिदुर्लीलः प्रक्षीणाशाविषूचिकः । नष्टाहङ्कारवेतालो देहवान् अकलेवरः
His play in the world is restrained, the fever of desire has been exhausted; the goblin of ego is destroyed—he has a body, yet is as if bodiless.
कस्मिंश्चिद् रोमकोट्यग्रे तस्येयम् अवतिष्ठते । जगल्लक्ष्मीर् महामेरोः पुष्पे क्वचिद् इवालिनी
In some pore at the tip of his hair, this glory of the world abides, just as a bee might dwell in a flower of the great Meru mountain.
परमाणौ परमाणौ चिदाकाशस्य कोटरे । जगल्लक्ष्मीसहस्राणि धत्ते कृत्वा च पश्यति
Within the recess of the consciousness-space, in each atom, countless worlds of creation are held and observed.
प्रवितता हृदयस्य महामते हरिहराब्जजलक्षशतैर् अपि । तुलनम् एति न मुक्तिमतो बत प्रविततास्ति न नूनम् अवस्तुनः
O wise one, even if the heart is expanded by hundreds of waters from the lotus of Hari and Hara, it cannot be compared to the expansion of one who is liberated; indeed, there is no true expansion in what is unreal.
अस्यां वा चितिमात्रायां परो बोधः प्रवर्तते । बीजाद् इव यतो व्युप्ताद् अवश्यम्भावि सत्फलम्
In this pure awareness alone, supreme knowledge arises, just as a good fruit inevitably comes forth from a seed that has been sown.
अपि पौरुषम् आदेयं शास्त्रं चेद् युक्तिबोधकम् । अन्यत्रार्षम् अपि त्याज्यं भाव्यं न्यायैकसेविना
Even if it is authored by a human, a scripture should be accepted if it conveys reasoning; otherwise, even if it is from a sage, it should be rejected by one devoted solely to logic.
युक्तियुक्तम् उपादेयं वचनं बालकाद् अपि । अन्यत् तृणम् इव त्याज्यम् अप्य् उक्तं पद्मजन्मना
A statement grounded in reasoning should be accepted, even if spoken by a child; anything else, even if uttered by the lotus-born, should be discarded like straw.
यो ऽम्भस् तातस्य कूपो ऽयम् इति कौपं पिबेत् कटु । त्यक्त्वा गाङ्गं पुरस्स्थं तं को ऽनुशासति रागिणम्
Who can instruct the one attached, who drinks from a bitter well saying, 'This is my father's well,' while rejecting the Ganges flowing before him?
यथोषसि प्रवृत्तायाम् आलोको ऽवश्यम् एष्यति । अस्यां वा चितिमात्रायां स्वविवेकस् तथैष्यति
Just as light inevitably appears when a lamp is lit, so too, in this pure awareness, one's own discernment will surely arise.
श्रुतायां प्राज्ञवदनाद् बुद्धायां स्वयम् एव वा । शनैश् शनैर् विचारेण बुद्धौ संस्कार आगते
Whether from hearing wise words or from one's own understanding, gradually, through inquiry, impressions are established in the intellect.
पूर्वं तावद् उदेत्य् अन्तर् भृशं संस्कृतवाक्यता । शुद्धा मुक्तालतेवोच्चैर् या सभास्थानभूषणम्
First, there arises within a strong command of refined speech, pure and lofty like a string of pearls, which becomes the ornament of the assembly hall.
परा विरागतोदेति महत्त्वगुणशालिनी । सा यया स्नेहम् आयान्ति राजानो ऽजगरा अपि
Then, supreme dispassion arises, endowed with the quality of greatness, by which even kings, though as formidable as serpents, are drawn into friendship.
पूर्वापरज्ञस् सर्वत्र नरो भवति बुद्धिमान् । पदार्थानां यथा दीपहस्तो निशि सुलोचनः
A person who knows both past and future becomes wise in all matters, like one holding a lamp in the night who sees objects clearly.
लोभमोहादयो दोषास् तानवं यान्त्य् अलं शनैः । धियो दिशस् समासन्नशरदो मिहिका यथा
Defects such as greed and delusion gradually diminish, just as autumn mists recede from the directions as the season advances.
केवलं समपेक्षन्ते विवेकाभ्यसनं धियः । न काचन फलं धत्ते स्वभ्यासेन विना क्रिया
The intellect depends solely on the practice of discernment; no action yields fruit without its own repeated exercise.
मनः प्रसादम् आयाति शरदीव महत् सरः । परं साम्यम् उपादत्ते निर्मन्दर इवार्णवः
The mind attains clarity, like a great lake in autumn, and reaches supreme tranquility, like the ocean when its waves are stilled.
निरन्तःकालिमा वज्रशिखेवास्ततमःपटा । परिज्वलत्य् अलं प्रज्ञा पदार्थप्रविभागिनी
All inner darkness is dispelled, like a thunderbolt shattering a mass of clouds, as discernment blazes forth, illuminating the distinctions among things.
दैन्यदारिद्र्यदुःखाद्या दृष्टयो दर्शितान्तराः । न निकृन्तन्ति मर्माणि ससन्नाहम् इवेषवः
Views of misery, poverty, and suffering are seen as mere appearances; they do not pierce the core, just as blunted arrows do not wound the vital parts.