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.
तस्मान् न कारणं यस्य कार्यस्येहोपपद्यते । बीजाभावे हि तन् नास्ति तत्संवित्तिस् तु विभ्रमः
Therefore, for that which has no cause, no effect can arise here; for when there is no seed, that thing does not exist, and the awareness of it is mere delusion.
अवश्यम् एव यन् नास्ति निर्बीजं तन् मतिभ्रमः । द्वीन्दुत्वमरुभूम्यम्बुवन्ध्यापुत्रदृशा समः
Whatever certainly does not exist and is without a seed is a confusion of the mind, like the idea of two moons, water in a desert, or a barren woman’s son.
पितामहानां पुत्राणां पितॄणां च जगत्त्रये । आद्यः पितामहः कस्मात् पूर्वोत्पन्नो न कारणम्
Among the grandfathers, sons, and ancestors of the three worlds, why is the first grandfather, who is said to have arisen before, not the cause?
आद्यः पितामहो यस् स्यात् सो ऽपि नास्त्य् एव भूपते । कारणाभावतो नित्यं यदा कार्यं न कस्यचित्
O King, even the so-called first grandfather does not truly exist, for when there is eternally no cause, there is no effect for anyone.
कारणस्य स्वबीजस्य नित्याभावात् पितामहः । आद्यस् सन् दृश्यमानो ऽपि भ्रमाद् अन्यो न विद्यते
Because the cause, its own seed, is eternally absent, the first grandfather, though seemingly perceived, does not exist apart from delusion.
मृगतृष्णाम्बुवद् भ्रान्तिरूप एवावभासते । पितामहो ऽर्थकारित्वम् अपि त्व् अस्य भ्रमात्मकम्
Like the illusion of water in a mirage, only a delusive appearance is seen; even the creative function attributed to the grandfather is of the nature of delusion.
पितामहादेर् एतस्य मिथ्याप्रत्ययतस् त्व् इति । घनता तु निवृत्तैव मार्जयिष्याम्य् अथेतरत्
Thus, because of the false conception regarding the grandfather and others, their substantiality is negated; I will now dispel the remaining doubts.
तस्माच् चिदात्मकतयात्मनि चिन्नभो यन् नित्यं स्वयं कचति चारु तद् एष देवः । तेनैव पद्मज इति स्वयम् आत्मनात्मा प्रोक्तः खरूप इति शान्तम् इदं समस्तम्
Therefore, that which shines eternally and beautifully in the space of consciousness as the very Self is this divine reality; thus, the lotus-born is declared to be the Self itself, and all this is peaceful, of the nature of space.
आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तं यद्य् अयं भासते भ्रमः । अर्थक्रियासमर्थश् च तत् स्थितं दुःखकारणम्
If this delusion appears, from the highest Brahma down to a blade of grass, and is capable of producing effects, then it stands as the cause of suffering.
एवं जगद्भ्रमस्यास्य तानवं तावद् आगतम् । शिलीभूतस्य शीतेन सलिलस्येव सूष्मणा
In this way, the intensity of this world-delusion has diminished, just as water solidified by cold is thinned by warmth.