कटकत्वं यथा हेम्नि तथाहन्त्वं चिदात्मनि । जडं त्व् असद्रूपतया तेन तन् नास्मि हे मुने
Just as the quality of hardness belongs to gold, so the sense of 'I' belongs to the consciousness-self; but inertness is of the nature of non-existence, therefore, O sage, I am not that.
सन्निवेशविशेषात्मशब्दार्थादि परे पदे । विद्यते नात्यनन्तत्वान् नभसीव महाद्रुमः
In the supreme state, due to the absence of specific arrangement, there is neither the word 'self' nor its meaning; because of its infinite nature, like a great tree in the sky, it does not exist.
जानन्न् अपीति भगवन्न् अहन्त्वमलमार्जनम् । अन्तर् यदा न जानामि तेन तप्ये महामुने
O Lord, even knowing this, the cleansing of the impurity of 'I'-ness—when I do not know it within, I am afflicted by it, O great sage.
एतावन्मात्रकं वृन्दं यदि न त्वं महीपते । जडत्वात् तन् महाबुद्धे यो ऽसि तं वद मे नवम्
If you are not merely this small group, O king, then due to inertness, O great intellect, tell me anew what you truly are.
चिन्मात्रम् अहम् अच्छात्मवेदनं विदुषां वर । यत्र भावास् स्वदन्त्य् एते निर्मीयन्ते च येन वा
I am pure consciousness, the clear experience of the self, O best of the wise; where these states delight themselves and by which they are created.
एवंरूपस्य मे लग्नं नूनं मलम् अकारणम् । सकारणं चाहम् इति यत् तत् त्यक्तुं न वेद्म्य् अहम्
The impurity attached to me of this kind is certainly without cause; but the sense of 'I' with cause—I do not know how to abandon that.
असद् एतद् अनात्मीयं प्रमार्ष्टुं मलम् आत्मनः । मुने यदा न शक्तो ऽस्मि तेन तप्ये सुदारुणम्
This impurity, which is unreal and not my true self, I am unable to wipe away from myself, O sage; because of this, I suffer greatly.
ब्रूहि किं तन् महाबाहो लग्नं तव मलं महत् । स्थितो ऽसि येन संसारी सता वाप्य् असताथ वा
Tell me, O mighty-armed one, what is that great impurity clinging to you, by which you remain in the cycle of existence, whether real or unreal.
चित्तद्रुमस्य यद् बीजम् अहम्भावस् स मे मलम् । तच् च त्यक्तुं न जानामि त्यक्तं त्यक्तम् उपैति माम्
The sense of 'I' is the seed of the tree of mind—this is my impurity; and I do not know how to abandon it, for even when abandoned, it returns to me.
कारणाज् जायते कार्यं यत् तत् सर्वत्र सद् भवेत् । अन्यत् त्व् असद् द्विचन्द्राभं दृष्टम् एव न विद्यते
An effect arises from a cause, and whatever arises thus is always real; but anything else, like the illusion of two moons, is only seen and does not truly exist.
कारणाज् जायते कार्यम् अहम्भावात्मकं ततः । इतिकारणम् अन्विष्य कथयाशु ममात्मना
From a cause arises an effect, and from that comes the sense of 'I'; therefore, seek out this cause and quickly tell me about it, O sage.
मुने ऽहम् इति दोषस्य वेदनं वेद्मि कारणम् । तद् यथोपशमं याति तन् मे वद मुनीश्वर
O sage, I know the cause of the fault called 'I am'; tell me, O best of sages, how it comes to rest and subsides.
चितश् चेत्योन्मुखत्वेन दुःखायाहम् इति स्थितः । चेत्योपशमनं ब्रूहि मुने तदुपशान्तये
Because consciousness is oriented toward its objects, the notion 'I am' stands as a source of suffering; tell me, O sage, how the objects may be pacified, for the sake of that tranquility.
कारणं कारणज्ञो ऽसि वेदनस्य वदाशु मे । ततस् त्वां बोधयिष्यामि कारणाकारणक्रमम्
You know the cause, so quickly tell me the cause of this awareness; then I will instruct you in the sequence of cause and non-cause.
वेद्यवेदनरूपस्य चेत्यसञ्चेतनस्य च । अकारणं कारणतां यद् गतं तव तद् वद
Tell me, how has that which is of the nature of the known and knowing, and of the sentient and insentient, become a cause without itself having a cause?
चेत्यचेतनरूपस्य वेद्यसंवेदनाकृतेः । इयं पदार्थसत्तेह देहाद्या कारणं मुने
O sage, in this inquiry into the existence of objects, such as the body and so on, the cause is said to be the form of the sentient and insentient, of the known and the knowing.
शरीरादितयोदेति वेदनं वस्तुसत्तया । असत्याभासया स्पन्दो यथा पवनलेखया
Perception arises as the body and so forth, by the reality of the object; but this vibration is an unreal appearance, like a line drawn by the wind.
असत्तां वस्तुसत्ताया नावगच्छाम्य् अहं यया । अहन्त्ववेदनं चित्तबीजं समुपशाम्यति
I do not perceive by what unreality the reality of the object exists; the sense of 'I am' and perception subside when the seed of mind is stilled.
विद्यते यदि देहादिवस्तुसत्ता तद् अस्ति ते । अभावाद् देहसत्तादेः किंनिष्ठं तव वेदनम्
If the reality of objects like the body exists, then you have it; but if the existence of the body and such is absent, on what basis does your perception rest?
यस्योपलभ्यते किञ्चित् स्वरूपं कलनात्मकम् । असद्रूपं कथं तत् स्यात् प्रकाशस् स्यात् कथं तमः
For anything whose own form is apprehended as a product of thought, how can that be unreal? How can there be darkness where there is light?
हस्तपादादिसंयुक्तः क्रियाफलविलासवान् । सदानुभूयमानो ऽपि देहो नास्ति कथं मुने
How is it, O sage, that the body, endowed with hands, feet, and so on, displaying the play of actions and their results, and constantly experienced, does not exist?
कारणं यस्य कार्यस्य भूमिपाल न विद्यते । विद्यते नेह तत् कार्यं तत्संवित्तिस् तु विभ्रमः
O king, where there is no cause for an effect, that effect does not exist here; but the awareness of it is merely a delusion.
कारणेन विना कार्यं विद्यते न कदाचन । विद्यते यस्य नो बीजं तद् द्रव्यं क्वेव जायते
Never does an effect exist without a cause; if a thing has no seed, where indeed could it arise?
अकारनं तु यत् कार्यं सद् इवाग्रे ऽनुभूयते । तद् द्रष्टुर् विभ्रमं विद्धि मृगतृष्णाजलोपमम्
If an effect appears to be experienced at first without a cause, know that to be a delusion of the perceiver, like water in a mirage.
अविद्यमानम् एव त्वं विद्धि मिथ्याभ्रमोदितम् । नातियत्नवताप्य् एतन् मृगतृष्णाम्बु लभ्यते
Understand that what arises from error is truly nonexistent; even with great effort, water from a mirage cannot be obtained.
असतो द्वीन्दुबिम्बादेर् न युक्तं कारणेक्षणम् । वन्ध्यातनयसर्वाङ्गमण्डनं कस्य राजते
It is not reasonable to seek a cause for the non-existent, such as the reflection of the moon; whose adornment would the limbs of a barren woman's son beautify?
कारणेन विना कार्यं शरीराद्य् अस्थिपञ्जरम् । अविद्यमानम् एवेदं विद्ध्य् असम्भवतो नृप
The body and its framework of bones, O king, are effects without a cause; know this as truly nonexistent and impossible.
हस्तपादादियुक्तस्य शरीरस्य मुनीश्वर । नित्यम् आलक्ष्यमाणस्य पिता कस्मान् न कारणम्
O great sage, for the body endowed with hands, feet, and so on, which is always observed—why is the father not considered its cause?
कारणाभावतो राजन् पिता नाम न विद्यते । असतो यत् तु सञ्जातम् असद् एव तद् उच्यते
Because there is no cause, O king, there is no such thing as a father; whatever arises from the unreal is itself called unreal.
पदार्थानां च कार्याणां कारणं बीजम् उच्यते । सम्भवत्य् अङ्ग जगति न बीजेन विनाङ्कुरः
The seed is said to be the cause of objects and effects; in this world, a sprout does not arise without a seed.