कथम् ऐक्यविधिं यातस् स्पन्दास्पन्दाव् इमौ विभो । सर्वसंशयविच्छेदकारिन्न् एतद् वदाशु मे
How does one attain the method of unity, O master, so that these two—motion and stillness—become one? You who cut off all doubts, quickly tell me this.
एकं वस्तु जगत् सर्वं चिन्मात्रं वार् इवाम्बुधिः । तद् एव स्पन्दते नो वा शुद्धं वारीव वीचिभिः
The entire world is one substance, pure consciousness, like water in the ocean; it alone moves or does not move, pure like water with or without waves.
ब्रह्म चिन्मात्रम् अमलं सत्यम् इत्यादिनामभिः । यद् गीतं तद् इदं मूढः पश्यत्य् अङ्ग जगत्तया
That which is sung as Brahman, pure consciousness, stainless, truth, and so on by these names—this, O friend, the ignorant see as the world.
निस्स्पन्द एव सर्वस्मिन् सर्गे तस्माद् धि संसृतिः । परिस्पन्दो हि वीच्यादिस् तद् अस्पन्दं समं परम्
Indeed, only stillness is present in all creation; therefore, worldly existence arises from movement. Movement is like waves and such, but stillness is the supreme, equal state.
चितस् स एव चेत् स्पन्दस् तथास्पन्दश् च भावितः । एकरूपतया नाम तत् तद् अप्य् अचलं शिवम्
Consciousness itself is that; the movement of consciousness and its absence are both conceived as one and the same in essence, and that too is the unchanging, auspicious reality.
सर्गश् चित्स्पन्दमात्रात्मा सम्यग्दृष्टो विलीयते । उदेत्य् असम्यग्दृष्टात्मा रज्ज्वां सर्पभ्रमो यथा
Creation, whose nature is merely the vibration of consciousness, when rightly understood, dissolves; but when misunderstood, it arises, just as the illusion of a snake appears on a rope.
सस्पन्दा चिच् चिदभिधा निस्स्पन्दा त्व् इयम् आतता । तुर्यातीतपदारूढा वाचा वक्तुं न पार्यते
Consciousness with movement is called 'cit', but this unmoving consciousness is all-pervading; having attained the state beyond the fourth, it cannot be expressed in words.
शास्त्रसज्जनसम्पर्कसन्तताभ्यासयोगतः । कालेनामलतां याते चेतसीन्दाव् इवोदिते
Through constant practice, association with scriptures and noble people, and the passage of time, the mind becomes pure, like the full moon rising.
एतत् केवलम् आभातं स्वानुभूतिगिराततम् । कथ्यते स्वानुभूतेस् तु स्वयं स्वं रूपम् आत्मना
This alone is revealed, spoken in the words of one's own experience; but in direct realization, one knows one's own true nature by oneself.
प्राप्तो ऽसि भावं स्वम् अनादिमध्यम् अत्रैव तिष्ठेष्टपदे निविष्टः । नीरूपनिर्भेदमहाचिदात्मा जातो ऽसि साधो खलु वीतशोकः
You have attained your own state, without beginning or middle; remain established in this desired abode, O noble one, for you have become the great consciousness, free from distinctions and sorrow.
इति ते कथितं सर्वं शिखिध्वज महीपते । यथेदम् उत्थितं सर्वं यथा च प्रविलीयते
Thus, O king Śikhidhvaja, all has been told to you—how all this arises and how it dissolves.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा च बुद्ध्वा च मत्वा च मुनिनायक । यथेच्छसि तथा तिष्ठ दृष्टस्पष्टपदः पदे
Having heard, understood, and considered this, O chief of sages, remain as you wish, established in the clearly seen state.
स्वर्गं गच्छाम्य् अहं तत्र काले ऽस्मिन् नारदो मुनिः । ब्रह्मलोकात् समायातो भवत्य् अमरसंसदम्
I am going to heaven; at this time, the sage Narada, having come from the world of Brahma, will be present in the assembly of the immortals.
न मां पश्यति चेत् तत्र तत् कोपम् उपगच्छति । नोद्वेजनीया भव्येन गुरवो हि कदाचन
If he does not see me there, he becomes angry; but noble teachers are never to be disturbed by such things.
त्यक्तसङ्कल्पलेखेन न किञ्चिद् अभिवाञ्छता । त्वयात्मन्य् एव वस्तव्यं दृष्टिर् एषैव पावनी
With all intentions abandoned and desiring nothing, you should remain established in your own self; this vision alone is purifying.
इति यावत् प्रतिवचः पुष्पहस्तश् शिखिध्वजः । प्रणामाय ददात्य् एष तावद् अन्तर्धिम् आययौ
As long as King Shikhidhvaja, holding flowers in his hand, was offering his reply and preparing to bow, at that very moment he vanished from sight.
प्रतिभासगतं वस्तु यथैवाग्रे न दृश्यते । न दृष्टवांस् तथा कुम्भम् अग्रे राजा शिखिध्वजः
Just as an object appearing in a vision is not seen afterwards, in the same way King Shikhidhvaja did not see Kumbha before him.
गते कुम्भे महीपालः परं विस्मयम् आययौ । तद् एव चिन्तयंश् चित्रं चित्रार्पित इवाभवत्
When Kumbha was gone, the king was filled with great wonder; pondering that marvel, he became as if absorbed in a picture painted with many colors.
इति सञ्चिन्तयाम् आस चित्रं विलसितं विधेः । यत् कुम्भव्यपदेशेन बोधितो ऽस्मि चिराद् अयम्
He began to reflect: 'How marvelous is the play of fate, that I have been instructed after so long by one known as Kumbha.'
क्व नारदसुतः कुम्भः क्वाहं नाम शिखिध्वजः । केवलं कालयुक्त्यैवम् अहं सम्प्रतिबोधितः
'Where is Kumbha, the son of Narada? Where am I, Shikhidhvaja by name? It is solely by the arrangement of time that I have been awakened in this way.'
अहो नु सम्यक् कथितं देवपुत्रेण युक्तिमत् । अहो नु सम्प्रबुद्धो ऽस्मि मोहनिद्राकुलश् चिरात्
Ah, indeed, the son of the gods has spoken rightly and wisely; ah, at last I have awakened from the long confusion of the sleep of delusion.
क्वाहम् आसं विनिर्मग्नः क्रियाजालकुकर्दमे । इदं कार्यम् इदं नेति मिथ्याविभ्रमम् आचरन्
Where was I, submerged in the muddy mesh of actions, acting out false confusion—this should be done, this should not be done?
अहो नु शीतला शुद्धा शान्तेयं पदवी निजा । रसायनद्रवाकारा सत्त्वं शीतयतीव मे
Ah, truly, this path of mine is cool, pure, and peaceful; like the essence of an elixir, it seems to cool my being.
शाम्यामि परिनिर्वामि सुखम् आसे च केवलम् । चिन्मात्रम् अपि नेच्छामि संस्थितो ऽस्मि यथास्थितम्
I become calm, I dissolve completely, and I rest in happiness alone; I do not even desire pure consciousness, I remain as I am.
एवं सञ्चिन्तयन् राजा एवंनिर्वासनाशयः । शैलाद् इव समुत्कीर्णो मौनम् एवाथ तस्थिवान्
Thinking thus, the king, whose mind was free from all impressions, stood in silence, as if he had emerged from a mountain.
तस्मिन्न् एव ततो मौनी निस्सङ्कल्पे निरामये । प्रतिष्ठां निश्चलां प्राप्य स तस्थौ गिरिशृङ्गवत्
There, remaining silent, free from thought and affliction, he attained unwavering stability and stood like a mountain peak.
स तत्र संशान्तभयो महात्मा चिरेण विश्रान्तिम् इतस् समात्मा । चिरेण सम्प्राप्तनिजामलात्मा योगेन सुष्वाप तदा चिदात्मा
There, the great soul, with all fears pacified, rested for a long time, united with himself; after a long time, having attained his own pure self, his consciousness slept peacefully through yoga.
निर्विकल्पसमाधानात् काष्ठकुड्योपमस् स्थितः । एवं शिखिध्वजो राम चूडालाम् अधुना शृणु
By the absorption without distinctions, he stood like a log or a wall; thus, O Rama, listen now to the story of Chudala and Shikhidhvaja.
शिखिध्वजं तं भर्तारं कुम्भवेषेन तेन सा । प्रबोध्यान्तर्धिम् आगत्य ततार तरसा नभः
She awakened her husband Śikhidhvaja, who was in the form of Kumbha, and after entering into deep meditation, swiftly traversed the sky.
देवपुत्राकृतिं व्योम्नि जहौ मायाविनिर्मिताम् । विदग्धमुग्धम् आकारं स्त्रैणं जग्राह सुन्दरम्
In the sky, she abandoned the illusory form of a divine youth and assumed a beautiful, clever, and innocent feminine appearance.