अचेत्यचित्स्वरूपात्मा यत्र यत्रैष तिष्ठति । तत्र तत्रास्य दृश्यश्रीस् समुदेत्य् अप्य् अणूदरे
Wherever this essence, which is both sentient and insentient, abides, there the glory of the visible arises—even within the smallest atom.
तस्माद् अस्ति जगद् दृश्यं तत् प्रमृष्टम् इदं मया । त्यक्तं तपोध्यानजपैर् इति काञ्चिकतृप्तिवत्
Therefore, the visible world exists; yet I have cleansed it away—renounced through austerity, meditation, and recitation, just as one is satisfied after polishing a mirror.
यदि नाम जगद् दृश्यम् अस्ति तत् प्रतिबिम्बति । परमाणूदरे ऽप्य् अस्मिंश् चिदादर्शे न संशयः
Even if the visible world exists, it is reflected—without doubt—even within the smallest atom, in the mirror of consciousness.
यत्र तत्र स्थितं राम यथादर्शे प्रबिम्बति । अद्रिद्यूर्वीनदीशादि चिदादर्शे तथैव हि
Wherever it is situated, O Rama, it is reflected as in a mirror; mountains, earth, rivers, and so forth, likewise appear in the mirror of consciousness.
ततस् तत्र पुनर् दुःखं जरा मरणजन्मनी । भावाभावग्रहोत्सर्गास् स्थूलसूक्ष्मचलाचलाः
Then, there again arise sorrow, old age, death, birth, grasping and releasing of existence and non-existence, gross and subtle, moving and unmoving.
इदं प्रमार्जितं दृश्यं मया नात्राहम् आस्थितः । एतद् एवाक्षयं बीजं समाधौ संसृतिस्मृतेः
This visible world has been cleansed by me; I do not abide in it. Yet this alone is the inexhaustible seed for remembrance of transmigration in samadhi.
सति त्व् अस्मिञ् जगद्दृश्ये निर्विकल्पसमाधिना । न चाक्षयसुषुप्तत्वं तुर्यं वाप्य् उपपद्यते
When this vision of the world exists, there is no occurrence of the imperishable state of deep sleep or the fourth state, nor of absorption without thought.
व्युत्थाने हि समाधीनां सुषुप्तान्त इवाखिलम् । जगद्दुःखम् इदं भाति यथास्थितम् अखण्डितम्
Indeed, when the mind emerges from absorption, all this world appears as uninterrupted suffering, just as it is at the end of deep sleep.
प्राप्तं भवति हे राम तत् किं नाम समाधिभिः । भूयो ऽनर्थनिपाते हि क्षणसाम्ये ऽपि किं सुखम्
O Rama, when that is attained, what further use is there for absorptions? For when calamity falls again, what happiness is there, even if equality lasts but a moment?
यदि वापि समाधाने निर्विकल्पे स्थितिं व्रजेत् । तद् अक्षयसुषुप्ताभं तन् मन्ये नामलं पदम्
Or, if one should attain a state of thought-free absorption, I consider that to be the stainless state, resembling the imperishable deep sleep.
प्राप्यते सति दृश्ये ऽस्मिन् न च तन् नाम केनचित् । यत्र तत्र किलायाति चित्तभ्रान्त्या जगद्भ्रमः
When this vision is present, that state is not attained by anyone; for, due to the mind's delusion, the illusion of the world arises anywhere.
द्रष्टाथ यदि पाषाणरूपतां भावयन् बलात् । किलास्ते तत् तदन्ते ऽपि भूयो ऽस्योदेति दृश्यता
If the seer, by force, cultivates a state like that of a stone, then even at the end of that, the perception of the world arises again.
न च पाषाणतातुल्या निर्विकल्पसमाधयः । केषाञ्चित् स्थितिम् आयान्ति सर्वैर् इत्य् अनुभूयते
And absorptions without thought do not attain a state like that of a stone for some; this is experienced by all.
न च पाषाणतातुल्या रूढिं यातास् समाधयः । भवन्त्य् अग्र्यं पदं शान्तं चिद्रूपम् अजम् अव्ययम्
Nor do absorptions that have become like a stone reach maturity; they become the supreme, peaceful state—consciousness itself, unborn and undecaying.
तस्माद् यदीदं सद् दृश्यं तन् न शाम्येत् कदाचन । शाम्येत् तपोजपध्यानैर् दृढम् इत्य् अज्ञकल्पना
Therefore, if this visible reality were truly existent, it would never cease; the idea that it can be ended by austerity, recitation, or meditation is merely an ignorant assumption.
आलीनवल्लरीरूपं यथा पद्माक्षकोटरे । आस्ते कमलिनीबीजं तथा द्रष्टरि दृश्यधीः
Just as a lotus seed rests within the hollow of a closed lotus stalk, so too does the perception of the seen reside within the perceiver.
यथा रसः पदार्थेषु यथा तैलं तिलादिषु । कुसुमेषु यथामोदस् तथा द्रष्टरि दृश्यधीः
As taste exists in substances, as oil is present in sesame and other seeds, and as fragrance is in flowers, so too does the perception of the seen exist in the perceiver.
यत्र यत्र स्थितस्यापि कर्पूरादेस् सुगन्धता । यथोदेति तथा दृश्यं चिद्धातोर् उदरे जगत्
Wherever camphor or similar substances are kept, their fragrance arises accordingly; in the same way, the world appears within the core of consciousness.
यथा चात्र तव स्वप्नसङ्कल्पश् चित्तराज्यधीः । स्वानुभूत्यैव दृष्टान्तस् तस्माद् धृद्य् अस्ति दृश्यभूः
Just as in this case your dream, imagination, and the notion of a mental kingdom are known only through your own experience, so too is the realm of the seen present in the heart.
तस्माच् चित्तविकल्पस्थः पिशाचो बालकं यथा । विनिहन्त्य् एवम् एषान्तर् द्रष्टारं दृश्यरूपिका
Therefore, just as a demon dwelling in the imagination can destroy a child, so too does this form of the seen within destroy the perceiver.
यथाङ्कुरो ऽन्तर् बीजस्य संस्थितो देशकालतः । करोति भासुरं देहं तनोत्य् एवं हि दृश्यधीः
Just as a sprout, remaining within the seed, produces a radiant body at the proper place and time, so too does the perception of the seen unfold.
द्रव्यस्य हृद्य् एव चमत्कृतिर् यथा सदोदितास्त्य् अस्तमयोज्झितोदरे । द्रव्यस्य चिन्मात्रशरीरिणस् तथा स्वभावभूतास्त्य् उदरे जगत्स्थितिः
Just as the wonder of a substance always arises in the heart, unceasing within its core, so too does the existence of the world naturally abide within the core of one whose body is pure consciousness.
इदम् आकाशजाख्यानं शृणु श्रवणभूषणम् । उत्पत्त्याख्यं प्रकरणं येन राघव बुध्यसे
Listen to this story of Akashaja, an ornament to the ears; it is the section called 'Origin,' by which, O Raghava, you will come to understand.
अस्तीहाकाशजो नाम द्विजः परमधार्मिकः । ध्यानैकनिष्ठस् सततं प्रजानां च हिते रतः
There was a twice-born named Akashaja, supremely righteous, ever devoted to meditation, and always intent on the welfare of all beings.
स चिरं जीवति यदा तदा मृत्युर् अचिन्तयत् । सर्वाण्य् एव क्रमेणाहं भूतान्य् अद्मि किलाक्षयः
When he had lived for a long time, Death began to ponder: 'Indeed, I consume all beings in due course, for I am inexhaustible.'
एवम् आकाशजं विप्रं न कस्माद् भक्षयाम्य् अहम् । अत्र मे कुण्ठिता शक्तिः खड्गधारा यथोपले
Yet why do I not devour this Brahmin Akashaja? In this matter, my power is blunted, like the edge of a sword against a stone.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य तं हन्तुम् अगच्छत् तत्पुरं तदा । त्यजन्त्य् उद्यमम् उद्युक्ता न कदाचन केचन
Thinking thus, Death went to that city to slay him; but those who are truly resolute never abandon their effort.
ततस् तत्सदनं यावन् मृत्युः प्रविशति स्वयम् । तावद् एनं दहत्य् अग्निः कल्पान्तज्वलनोपमः
As Death himself entered that dwelling, at that very moment, a fire, blazing like the fire at the end of an age, burned him.
अग्निज्वालामहाजालं विदार्यान्तर्गतो ऽप्य् असौ । द्विजं दृष्ट्वा समादातुं हस्तेनैच्छत् प्रयत्नतः
Even after breaking through that great network of flames and entering within, he tried with all his might to seize the Brahmin with his hand.
न चाशकत् पुरो दृष्टम् अपि हस्तशतैर् द्विजम् । बलवान् अप्य् अवष्टब्धुं सङ्कल्पपुरुषं यथा
But even though he saw the Brahmin right before him, Death could not grasp him with a hundred hands, just as even the strong cannot restrain a person of firm resolve.