यथाक्षणं यथादेशं प्रविचारयता सुखम् । यथासम्भवसत्सङ्गम् इदं शास्त्रम् अथेतरत्
By examining happiness according to time and place, and by associating as is fitting, one discerns this scripture and others.
आसाद्यते महाज्ञानबोधस् संसारशान्तिदः । स भूयो येन नायाति योनियन्त्रप्रपीडनम्
The knowledge that brings great wisdom and peace to the world is attained; by that, one does not again fall into the suffering of the cycle of birth.
एतावत्य् एव ये भूता भोगान् प्राप्य रसे स्थिताः । स्वमातृविष्ठाक्रिमयः कीर्तनीया न ते ऽधमाः
Those beings who, having attained enjoyments, remain absorbed in pleasure, and are composed of their own mother's essence, are not to be regarded as base.
शृणु तावद् इदानीं त्वं कथ्यमानम् इमं मया । राघव ज्ञानविस्तारं बुद्धिसारतरान्तरम्
Now listen as I explain to you, Raghava, the expansion of knowledge and the subtler distinctions of intellect.
ययेदं श्रूयते शास्त्रं तां तु विस्तरतश् शृणु । विचार्यते यथार्थो ऽयं यया च परिभाषया
Hear in detail the scripture that is being recited; consider how its meaning is examined and by which explanation it is clarified.
येनेहाननुभूते ऽर्थे दृष्टेनार्थावबोधनम् । बोधोपकारफलदं तं दृष्टान्तं विदुर् बुधाः
That by which understanding of an unseen matter is gained through a seen example, and which yields the fruit of aiding comprehension, is known as an illustration by the wise.
दृष्टान्तेन विना राम नापूर्वो ऽर्थो ऽवबुध्यते । यथा दीपं विना रात्रौ भाण्डोपस्करणं गृहे
Without an illustration, Rama, a previously unknown matter cannot be understood, just as household objects cannot be seen at night without a lamp.
यैर् यैः काकुत्स्थ दृष्टान्तैस् त्वं मयेहावबोध्यसे । सर्वे सकारणास् ते हि प्राप्यं तु सद् अकारणम्
All the illustrations by which, O Kakutstha, you are made to understand by me, are purposeful; what is to be attained is always with cause, never without.
उपमानोपमेयानां कार्यकारणतोदिता । वर्जयित्वा परं ब्रह्म सर्वेषाम् एव विद्यते
The relationship of analogy and what is analogized is established by cause and effect, except for the supreme Brahman, which is present in all.
ब्रह्मोपदेशदृष्टान्तो यस्य वेह हि कथ्यते । एकदेशसधर्मत्वं तत्रातः परिगृह्यते
When an illustration regarding Brahman is given here, only a partial similarity is accepted in that context.
यो यो नामेह दृष्टान्तो ब्रह्मतत्त्वावबोधने । दीयते स स बोद्धव्यस् स्वप्नदृष्टजगद्गतः
Whatever example is given here for understanding the truth of Brahman, that should be understood as pertaining to the world seen in a dream.
एवं सति निराकारे ब्रह्मण्य् आकारवान् कथम् । दृष्टान्त इति नोद्यन्ति मूर्खवैकल्पिकोक्तयः
Since Brahman is formless, how can it possess form? Therefore, the statements of the ignorant, which raise objections to the use of examples, are not to be considered.
अन्या सिद्धविरुद्धादिदृग् दृष्टान्तप्रदूषणे । स्वप्नोपमत्वाज् जगतस् समुदेति न काचन
Other objections, such as those based on contradiction with established truths, do not arise regarding the analogy of the world to a dream, because the world is indeed like a dream.
अवस्तु पूर्वापरयोर् वर्तमानविचारितम् । यथा जाग्रत् तथा स्वप्नस् सिद्ध आबालम् अक्षतम्
The investigation of the present, as well as the past and future, reveals that, just as in waking, so in dream, the reality remains unbroken from beginning to end.
स्वप्नसङ्कल्पनध्यानवरशापौषधादिभिः । ये ऽर्थास् त इह दृष्टान्तास् तद्रूपत्वाज् जगत्स्थितेः
The objects that appear here through dream, imagination, meditation, boon, curse, medicine, and so on, are the very examples; for the existence of the world is of that same nature.
मोक्षोपायकृता ग्रन्थकारेणान्ये ऽपि ये कृताः । ग्रन्थास् तेष्व् इयम् एवैका व्यवस्था बोध्यबोधने
Other treatises composed by authors as means to liberation also contain such examples; but in all these texts, this alone is the established method for imparting and receiving understanding.
स्वप्नाभत्वं च जगतश् श्रुते शास्त्रे ऽवभोत्स्यते । शीघ्रं न पार्यते वक्तुं वाक् किल क्रमवर्तिनी
The scriptural teaching that the world is like a dream will soon be explained; speech, indeed, proceeds in sequence and cannot express everything at once.
स्वप्नसङ्कल्पसुध्याननगराद्युपमं जगत् । यतस् त एव दृष्टान्तास् तस्माद् भान्तीह नेतरे
Because the world is comparable to dream, imagination, city of the mind, and so on, these alone are the examples here, and not others.
अकारणं कारणिना यद् बोधायोपमीयते । न तत्र सर्वसाधर्म्यं सम्भवत्य् उपमाभ्रमैः
When something is compared to another for the sake of understanding, though they have no real causal connection, complete identity between them is not possible due to the inherent limitations of analogy.
उपमेयस्योपमानाद् एकांशेन सधर्मता । अङ्गीकार्यावबोधाय धीमता निर्विवादिना
For the sake of comprehension, the wise and discerning accept only a partial similarity between the thing compared and its analogue, not a total equivalence.
अर्थावलोकने दीपाद् आभामात्राद् ऋते किल । न स्थालतैलवर्त्यादि किञ्चिद् एवोपयुज्यते
In perceiving an object by the light of a lamp, only the illumination is useful; the oil, the wick, and the vessel are not directly involved in the act of seeing.
एकदेशसधर्मत्वाद् उपमेयावबोधनम् । उपमानं करोत्य् अङ्ग दीपो ऽर्थं प्रभया यथा
Because of partial similarity, the analogy serves to reveal the thing to be understood, just as a lamp reveals an object by its light.
दृष्टान्तस्यांशमात्रेण बोध्यबोधोदये सति । उपादेयतया ग्राह्यो महावाक्यार्थनिश्चयः
When understanding arises from a single aspect of an example, that aspect alone should be accepted for grasping the intended meaning of the main statement.
न कुतार्किकताम् एत्य नाशनीया प्रबुद्धता । अनुभूत्यपलापात्तैर् अपवित्रैर् विकल्पितैः
Awakened understanding should not be destroyed by adopting false reasoning, which is impure and fabricated by those who deny direct experience.
विचारणाद् अनुभवकारि वाङ्मयप्रसङ्गताम् उपगतम् अस्मदादिषु । स्त्रियोक्तम् अप्य् अपरम् अथापि वैदिकं वचो वचःप्रलपनम् एव नागमः
Even if a statement comes from a woman or from the Vedas, if it arises merely from verbal disputation without experiential inquiry, it is mere talk and not authoritative knowledge for us.
अस्माकम् अस्ति मतिर् अङ्ग तयेति सर्वशास्त्रैकवाक्यकरणं फलितं यतो ऽतः । प्रातीतिकार्थमयशास्त्रनिजाङ्गपुष्टात् संवेदनाद् इतरद् अस्ति न नः प्रमाणम्
Therefore, my friend, our conviction is established by integrating the essential meaning of all scriptures; for us, only that knowledge which is nourished by direct experience and the true intent of scripture is valid, and nothing else is authoritative.
विशिष्टांशसधर्मत्वम् उपमानेषु गृह्यते । को भेदस् सर्वसादृश्ये तूपमानोपमेययोः
Similarity in particular qualities is taken as the basis for comparison; what distinction remains when there is complete resemblance between the compared and the subject?
दृष्टान्तबुद्धाद् एकात्मज्ञानशास्त्रार्थवेदनात् । महावाक्यार्थसंवित्त्या शान्तिर् निर्वाणम् उच्यते
From the understanding of examples and the knowledge of the essence of the teachings on the unity of the Self, tranquility and liberation are said to arise through awareness of the meaning of the great sayings.
तस्माद् दृष्टान्तदार्ष्टान्तविकल्पोल्लसितैर् अलम् । यया कयाचिद् युक्त्याशु महावाक्यार्थम् आश्रयेत्
Therefore, it is sufficient to use any reasoning, whether by analogy or counter-analogy, by which one quickly attains the meaning of the great sayings.
शान्तिश् श्रेयः परं विद्धि तत्प्राप्तौ यत्नवान् भवेत् । भोक्तव्य ओदनः प्राप्तः किं तत्सिद्धिविकल्पितैः
Know that tranquility is the highest good; one should strive to attain it. Once the food is obtained, what is the point of speculating about its preparation?