अज्ञानं शिथिलीभूतम् एव नष्टं विदुर् बुधाः । न नाशेन विनोदेति पूर्वसंस्थानविच्युतिः
The wise know that ignorance, when loosened, is as good as destroyed; for the previous state does not return merely by its absence.
तनुत्वं सर्गबोधस्य यत् तद् एव हि कारणम् । सर्गोपशमसम्पत्तेः प्रतिपत्तेः परे पदे
The thinning of the sense of creation is indeed the cause for attaining the cessation of creation and realization of the supreme state.
तानवं दृश्यते यस्य तस्यानुक्रमतस् स्वयम् । पूर्वसंस्थानविगमात् प्रशमो ऽप्य् उपपद्यते
For one in whom this thinning is seen, tranquility arises naturally, step by step, as the previous condition fades away.
अनेनैव क्रमेणैनं त्वम् आदिपुरुषं नृप । भ्रमाकारोदयं विद्धि मृगतृष्णाम्ब्व् इवोदितम्
By this very process, O King, know this primal person—whose form is delusion and whose appearance is like the water in a mirage.
एषा पितामहाभावे ऽप्य् असती भूतसन्ततिः । न कदाचन तत् सिद्धं यद् असिद्धेन साध्यते
Even in the state of the grandsire, this succession of beings is unreal; that which is accomplished by the unreal is never truly established.
अयं भूतोपलम्भो हि मृगतृष्णाम्ब्व् इवोदितः । विचाराद् विलयं याति शुक्तौ रजतधीर् इव
This perception of beings arises like water in a mirage; through inquiry, it dissolves, like the notion of silver in mother-of-pearl.
कारणाभावतः कार्यम् अभूत्वा भवतीति यत् । मिथ्याज्ञानाद् ऋते तस्य न रूपम् उपपद्यते
An effect, arising without a cause, comes into being without truly existing; apart from false knowledge, it has no real nature.
मिथ्यादृष्टिः प्रेक्षिता च न कदाचन विद्यते । मृगतृष्णाम्भसा केन घटकाः परिपूरिताः
A false perception, even when observed, never truly exists; by what means are pots ever filled with the water of a mirage?
स्रष्टुर् आद्यस्य परमं ब्रह्म कस्मान् न कारणम् । अनन्तम् अजम् अव्यक्तम् ईश्वरं शान्तम् अच्युतम्
Why is the supreme Brahman, the primal creator—endless, unborn, unmanifest, lordly, peaceful, unchanging—not considered the cause?
हेतुत्वाभावतो ब्रह्म कार्यत्वाभावतस् ततः । अद्वैतैक्याविकारात्म न कार्यं न च कारणम्
Because Brahman lacks causality and is not an effect, and due to its nondual, changeless nature, it is neither an effect nor a cause.
अकर्तृकर्मकरणम् अकारणम् अबीजकम् । अप्रतर्क्यम् अविज्ञेयं ब्रह्म कर्तृ कथं भवेत्
Brahman is without agent, action, instrument, cause, or seed; it is beyond reasoning and unknowable—how can it be an agent?
अकारणत्वात् कार्यत्वरहितं तद् यदा भवेत् । अद्वैतैक्यम् अनाद्यन्तं तदा तदुपलम्भनम्
When that which is without cause and devoid of effect is realized, then the nondual unity, without beginning or end, is directly experienced.
अप्रतर्क्यम् अविज्ञेयं यच् छिवं शान्तम् अव्ययम् । तत् कथं कस्य केनेव कर्तृ भोक्तृ कदा भवेत्
That which is beyond reasoning and unknowable, auspicious, peaceful, and imperishable—how, for whom, by whom, and when could it be an agent or enjoyer?
अतो नेदं कृतं किञ्चिज् जगदादि न विद्यते । न कर्तास्ति न भोक्तास्ति सर्वं शान्तम् अजं शिवम्
Therefore, nothing here has been made; the world and its beginning do not exist. There is no doer, no enjoyer—everything is peaceful, unborn, and auspicious.
कारणाभावतः कार्यं न कस्यचिद् इदं जगत् । अकार्यत्वाच् च नास्त्य् एतत् सर्ग इत्थं न विद्यते
Because there is no cause, there is no effect; this world does not belong to anyone. And since it is not an effect, this creation does not truly exist in this way.
यदा न कस्यचित् कार्यं कारणस्य जगत् तदा । पदार्थाभावसंसिद्धिस् तत्सिद्धौ कस्य वेदनम्
When the world is not the effect of any cause, then the existence of objects is established as absent; and when that is established, for whom could there be perception?
एवं तु वेदनाभावे नास्त्य् अहन्त्वस्य कारणम् । अतश् शुद्धो ऽसि मुक्तो ऽसि केवोक्तिर् बन्धमोक्षयोः
Thus, when there is no perception, there is no cause for the sense of 'I'; therefore, you are pure, you are liberated—these are merely words regarding bondage and liberation.
आं प्रबुद्धो ऽस्मि भगवन् युक्तम् उक्तं त्वयोत्तमम् । कारणाभावतः कर्तृ नेह ब्रह्मेति वेद्म्य् अहम्
Yes, I am awakened, O venerable one; what you have said is most fitting. Because there is no cause, there is no doer here—I know this as Brahman.
कर्त्रभावाज् जगन् नास्ति तेन नास्ति पदार्थदृक् । नातश् चित्तादि तद्बीजं नातो ऽहन्तादि किञ्चन
Because the sense of doership does not exist, the world does not exist; therefore, there is no perception of objects. Thus, there is no mind or its seed, and nothing like the sense of 'I' and so on.
एवं स्थिते विशुद्धो ऽस्मि विबुद्धो ऽस्मि न चास्मि च । नमो मह्यं परं नौमि नकिञ्चिद् अपि बोधतः
With things thus, I am pure, I am awakened, and yet I am not; I bow to myself, I salute the Supreme—there is truly nothing at all in awareness.
पदार्थवेदनं मिथ्यैवासद् एवावभासते । अहमाद्य् अलम् एतेन शान्तम् आसे खकोशवत्
The perception of objects is false; it merely appears as if real. By this alone, the sense of 'I' and so on is quieted—I remain at peace, like the sky within a pot.
जगत्पदार्थप्रविभागदृष्टिस् सदेशदिक्कालकलाक्रियौघा । अहो नु कालेन चिरेण शान्ता ब्रह्मैव वा नूनम् अवस्थितेति
The vision of the world's objects as divided, along with the streams of space, direction, time, and action—indeed, after a long time, all has become peaceful, or truly, only Brahman remains.
शाम्यामि निर्वामि परं स्थितो ऽस्मि न यामि नोदेमि न चास्तम् एमि । तिष्ठाम्य् अनिष्ठं च यथास्थितात्मा शिवं शुभं पावनमौनम् अस्मि
I am at peace, extinguished, established in the highest; I neither go nor rise nor set. I remain unmoved, as my nature abides, auspicious, pure, and sacred silence am I.
इति ब्रह्मणि विश्रान्तिम् अवाप्य स शिखिध्वजः । मुहूर्तम् आसीत् संशान्तमना निर्वाणदीपवत्
Thus, having attained repose in Brahman, King Shikhidhvaja sat for a moment with his mind completely tranquil, like a lamp in nirvana.
निर्विकल्पसमाधानपरिणत्यास्तम् ईयिवान् । स्वलीलयेति कुम्भेन स झगित्य् एव बोधितः
Through the culmination of absorption in the non-dual state, he entered dissolution by his own play, and was suddenly awakened by Kumbha.
राजन्न् अज्ञाननिद्रातः प्रबुद्धो ऽसि शिवस् स्थितः । कार्यं नास्तमयेनेतो न चानस्तमयेन ते
O King, you have awakened from the sleep of ignorance and stand established in auspiciousness; for you, there is nothing to be gained or lost by the setting or not setting of anything.
सकृद् एव विभातात्मा तिष्ठानिष्ठपदात्मकः । कलाकलननिर्मुक्तो जीवन्मुक्तो ऽङ्ग साम्प्रतम्
Once the self has become manifest, it remains as the state beyond steadiness or unsteadiness, free from all calculation and imagination; O dear one, you are now liberated while living.
कुम्भेन बोधितस् त्व् एवं स बभूव प्रबोधवान् । विनिर्गतो रराजोच्चैर् महामोहसमुद्गकात्
Thus awakened by Kumbha, he became fully conscious, having emerged from the great cave of delusion, and shone forth brilliantly.
विश्रान्तधीः क्षणेनैव पश्यन् दृश्यस्य वस्तुनः । असत्ताम् एव मुक्तात्मा लीलया समुवाच ह
His mind instantly at rest, seeing the unreality of the visible world, the liberated one spoke playfully.
ज्ञातप्रायम् अपीदं तु यत् पृच्छामि तद् उच्यताम् । भूयो निपुणबोधाय मम मानद मोहहन्
Though I have understood nearly everything, tell me what I now ask, O honor-giver, destroyer of delusion, for the sake of deeper understanding.