विचारयाचार्यपरम्पराणां मतेन सत्येन सितेन तावत् । यावद् विशुद्धां स्वयम् एव बुद्धाम् अनन्तरूपां परताम् उपैषि
By examining the views of the succession of teachers, and by the truth and clarity of their opinions, you yourself will reach the pure, formless, supreme state of awakened intelligence.
आर्यसङ्गमयुक्त्यादौ प्रज्ञां वृद्धिं नयेद् बलात् । ततो महापुरुषता महापुरुषलक्षणैः
Through association with the noble and the application of reasoning, one forcibly increases wisdom; then comes the state of the great person, marked by the qualities of the great.
यो यो येन गुणेनेह पुरुषः प्रविराजते । शिक्षेत तं तम् एवाशु तस्माद् बुद्धिविवृद्धये
Whatever quality a person shines with here, one should quickly learn that very quality from him, for the growth of intelligence.
महापुरुषता त्व् एषा शमादिगुणशालिनी । सम्यग्ज्ञानं विना राम सिद्धिम् एति न कस्यचित्
This greatness of soul is adorned with qualities like tranquility; but, O Rama, without true knowledge, no one attains perfection.
ज्ञानाच् छमादयो यान्ति वृद्धिं सत्पुरुषक्रमात् । श्लाघनीयाः फलेनान्तर् वृष्टेर् इव नवाङ्कुराः
From knowledge, tranquility and other virtues grow, in the order of noble persons; they are praiseworthy for their inner fruit, like new sprouts from rain.
शमादिभ्यो गुणेभ्यश् च वर्धते ज्ञानम् उत्तमम् । अन्नात्मकेभ्यो यज्ञेभ्यश् शालिवृष्टिर् इवोत्तमा
From virtues like tranquility, supreme knowledge increases, just as the best rice harvest grows from sacrifices involving food.
गुणाश् शमादयो ज्ञानाच् छमादिभ्यस् तथा ज्ञता । परस्परं विवर्धेते एते ऽब्दसरसी यथा
Qualities such as tranquility arise from knowledge, and likewise, knowledge arises from tranquility and the other virtues; these mutually increase each other, just as a river and the sea.
ज्ञानं सत्पुरुषाचाराज् ज्ञानात् सत्पुरुषक्रमः । परस्परं गतौ वृद्धिं ज्ञानसत्पुरुषक्रमौ । एको ऽपि नैतयोस् तावत् पुरुषस्येह सिध्यति
Knowledge comes from the conduct of noble persons, and from knowledge arises the path of noble persons; these two, knowledge and the path of noble persons, grow together in their progress, and neither alone brings fulfillment to a person here.
यथा कलमरक्षिण्या गीत्या वितततारया । खगोत्सादेन सहितो गीतानन्दः प्रसाध्यते
Just as the joy of song is perfected by the accompaniment of a bird’s uplifting cry, together with the melody of a skilled singer, so too—
ज्ञानसत्पुरुषेहाभ्याम् अकर्त्रा कर्तृरूपिणा । तथा पुंसा निरिच्छेन समम् आसाद्यते पदम्
In the same way, through knowledge and association with noble persons, a person who is free from desire and non-doership attains the supreme state.
सदाचारक्रमः प्रोक्तो मयैष रघुनन्दन । तथोपवेश्यते सम्यग् अयं ज्ञानक्रमो ऽधुना
O delight of the Raghu lineage, I have thus explained the sequence of right conduct; now, I shall properly expound the sequence of knowledge.
इदं यशस्यम् आयुष्यं पुरुषार्थफलप्रदम् । तज्ज्ञाद् आप्तात्मशास्त्रार्थाच् छ्रोतव्यं किल धीमता
This is renowned, life-giving, and bestows the fruits of human purpose; therefore, one who is wise should indeed listen to it from one who knows, who has attained the meaning of the scriptures, and who is trustworthy.
श्रुत्वा तु बुद्धिनैर्मल्याद् बलाद् यास्यसि सत्पदम् । यथा कतकसंश्लेषात् प्रसादम् अवशं पयः
Having listened, through the purity of your intellect, you will certainly attain the true state, just as water is inevitably clarified by the contact of kataka nuts.
विदितवेद्यम् इदं हि मनो मुने विवशम् एव हि याति परं पदम् । यद् अवबुद्धम् अखण्डितम् उत्तमं तदवबोधदशां न जहाति हि
O sage, when the mind has known what is to be known, it helplessly attains the supreme state; and having realized the highest, undivided awareness, it does not abandon that state of understanding.
वाग्भाभिर् ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्म भाति स्वप्न इवात्मनि । यद् इदं तत् स्वशब्दार्थैर् यो यद् वेत्ति स वेत्तु तत्
The knower of Brahman appears as Brahman through words, just as in a dream one appears within oneself; whatever this is, it is known by the meaning of its own word—whoever knows what, let him know that.
न्यायेनानेन सर्वस्मिन् सर्गे ब्रह्माम्बरे सति । किम् इदं कस्य वक्षीति चोद्यचञ्चुर् निराकृतः
By this reasoning, in all creation, while Brahman-space exists, the question 'What is this, and whose is it?'—such inquiry is rendered void.
अहं तावद् यथाज्ञानं यथावस्तु यथाक्रमम् । यथास्वभावं वच्मीदं तत् सर्वं श्रूयतां बुधाः
Therefore, as I understand, according to reality, in due order, and in its own nature, I will speak all this; let the wise listen.
स्वप्नवत् पश्यति जगच् चिन्नभो देहविन्मयम् । स्वप्नसंसारदृष्टान्ता इहैवान्तस् समन्विताः
Just as in a dream, one perceives the world—so does consciousness see the body-made world; here itself, the analogies of dream and worldly existence are found together.
मुमुक्षुव्यवहारोक्तिमयात् प्रकरणाद् अनु । अथोत्पत्तिप्रकरणं मयेदं परिकथ्यते
Following the section composed of statements about the conduct of the seeker of liberation, I will now thoroughly explain the section on origination.
बन्धो ऽयं दृश्यसद्भावो दृश्याभावे न बन्धनम् । न सम्भवति दृश्यं तु यथेदं तच् छृणु क्रमात्
Bondage is the existence of the seen; when the seen is absent, there is no bondage. How the seen comes to be—listen to this in order.
उत्पद्यते यो जगति स एव किल वर्धते । स एव मोक्षम् आप्नोति स्वर्गं वा नरकं च वा
Whatever arises in the world, that alone indeed grows; that alone attains liberation, or heaven, or even hell.
अतस् ते स्ववबोधार्थं तत् तावत् कथयाम्य् अहम् । उत्पत्तिं संसृताव् एति पूर्वम् एव हि यो यथा
Therefore, for your own understanding, I will now tell you: in the cycle of existence, origination comes first, just as it always has.
इदं प्रकरणार्थं त्वं सङ्क्षेपाच् छृणु राघव । ततः प्रकथयिष्यामि विस्तरं ते यथेप्सितम्
Now, for the purpose of this topic, listen briefly, O Raghava; afterwards, I will explain to you in detail as you desire.
यद् इदं दृश्यते सर्वं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् । तत् सुषुप्त इव स्वप्नः कल्पान्ते प्रविनश्यति
All this world that is seen, both moving and unmoving, perishes at the end of the cosmic cycle, like a dream dissolves in deep sleep.
ततस् स्तिमितगम्भीरं न तेजो न तमस् ततम् । अनाख्यम् अनभिव्यक्तं यत् किञ्चिद् अवशिष्यते
Then, what remains is tranquil and profound, pervaded by neither light nor darkness—something unnameable, unmanifest, whatever it may be.
ऋतम् आत्मा परं ब्रह्म सत्यम् इत्यादिका बुधैः । कल्पिता व्यवहारार्थं यस्य सञ्ज्ञा महात्मनः
Truth, Self, Supreme Brahman, Reality—such terms have been conceived by the wise for practical purposes, as names for That Great One.
स तथाभूत एवात्मा स्वयम् अन्य इवोल्लसन् । जीवताम् उपयातीव भाविनामकदर्थनाम्
That very Self, existing thus, appears as if it were another, shining forth, and seems to enter into the living beings subject to future experiences.
ततस् स जीवशब्दार्थकलनाकुलतां गतः । मनो भवति मौनात्मा मननान् मन्थरीभवत्
Then, coming into the confusion of being called 'jiva,' it becomes mind; the silent Self, through thought, becomes sluggish.
मनस् सम्पद्यते तेन महतः परमात्मनः । सुस्थिराद् अस्थिराकारस् तरङ्ग इव वारिधेः
Thus, from the Supreme Self, the mind arises; from the stable comes the unstable, like a wave from the ocean.
तत् स्वयं स्वैरम् एवाशु सङ्कल्पयति नित्यशः । तेनेयम् इन्द्रजालश्रीर् विततेव वितन्यते
That mind, by its own freedom, quickly imagines endlessly; by it, this splendid illusion, like a magician’s display, is spread out.