कुतस् सर्गो ऽयम् आयातẖ किंस्वरूपश् च कथ्यते । कथं केष्व् अवतिष्ठन्ते जरार्तिमरणापदः
From where has this creation arisen, and what is its true nature? How do the calamities of old age, disease, and death persist in it?
अहं कथं वा विषमाद् अस्मात् संसृतिविभ्रमात् । विमुच्येय घनास्तीर्णाज् जालाद् इव विहङ्गमः
How may I be freed from this perilous confusion of worldly existence, as a bird escapes from a net thickly spread?
त्वम् एवास्य प्रपञ्चस्य जानासि सकला गतीः । गम्भीरस्यातिलोलस्य वरुणो ऽम्बुनिधेर् इव
You alone know all the courses of this universe, as Varuna knows the depths of the ever-restless ocean.
सन्देहवृक्षपरशुर् हार्दध्वान्तदिवाकरः । परमामृतशीतांशुस् त्वम् एकḫ परमेश्वरः
You are the axe that fells the tree of doubt, the sun that dispels the darkness of the heart, the moon of supreme nectar—You alone are the Supreme Lord.
अहो नु चिरकालेन विवेके प्रविकासिनि । विततानर्थविच्छेत्ता सारḫ प्रश्नस् त्वया कृतः
Ah, after such a long time, as discernment has blossomed, you have asked a question that truly severs the web of false values.
संसाराम्भोधितरणं परं विश्रमणं धियः । दृश्यतृण्यामहावातं यथापृष्टम् इदं शृणु
This is the means to cross the ocean of worldly existence, the supreme rest for the mind, the great wind that scatters the mirage of perception—listen as you have asked.
यद् इदं दृश्यते किञ्चित् तन् नास्ति नृप किञ्चन । रज्ज्वाम् इव भुजङ्गत्वम् असद् एवेदम् उत्थितम्
Whatever is seen here, O King, is in truth nothing at all; like the appearance of a snake in a rope, this arises as an unreality.
यथा गन्धर्वनगरं यथा वारिमतिर् मरौ । यथा शुक्तौ रजतता यथा द्वित्वं सुधानिधौ
Just as a city of the Gandharvas, or water in a mirage, or silver in a shell, or duality in the moon—
सर्वं मिथ्यावभासात्म स्फुरतीदम् असन्मयम् । प्रविलोलोज्ज्वलालातलोचनभ्रमचक्रवत्
All this shines forth as if real, but is composed of unreality, like the whirling circle of fire seen by the unsteady, radiant eye.
यत् तु नो दृश्यते किञ्चिद् यन् नकिञ्चिद् इति स्मृतम् । मनष्षष्ठेन्द्रियातीतं यत् खाद् अपि नकिञ्चन
But that which is not seen as anything, which is remembered as 'nothing at all,' which is beyond mind and the six senses, which is nothing even in space—
अविनाशं तद् अस्तीह तत् तद् आत्मेति कथ्यते । तत् तत् तत् परमं ब्रह्म तत् तत् सद् अमलं परम्
That which is imperishable exists here; it is called the Self in various ways. That, that, that is the supreme Brahman, that is the pure, highest reality.
अनन्तभूतपर्णाया जाताया व्योमकानने । ऋक्षजालकपुष्पायास् सर्गवल्ल्यास् तु तद् रसः
The essence of that is found in the forest of space, in the infinite-leaved creeper of creation, in the flowers of the constellation-net.
तत् तच् चिन्मात्रम् आभानं यत् परिस्फुरति स्वयम् । अक्षुब्धाम्भोधिजलवत् तज् जगज्जालतां गतम्
That is pure consciousness alone, which shines forth by itself; like undisturbed water, it has become the web of the world.
एवं परात् समायाता राजन् सर्गपरम्पराः । तस्मिन्न् एव महादर्शे प्रतिबिम्बम् उपागताः
Thus, O King, the succession of creations arises from the Supreme; all are reflected in that great mirror.
तास् स्वभावसमुत्पन्ना बह्व्यस् स्फुरणशक्तयः । पश्चात् कारणतां यान्ति मिथो जीवादिनामभिः
These many powers, arising from their own nature, later take on causal roles, and are known by names such as 'living beings' and others.
काश्चिद् ब्रह्माण्डतां यान्ति काश्चिद् गच्छन्ति भूतताम् । अन्यन् नानात्वम् इतरा भवत्य् एवं जगत्स्थितिः
Some attain the state of universes, some become elements; others become diversity, and thus the existence of the world proceeds.
गृहीतकलना ब्राह्म्यश् शक्तयस् स्वयम् एव हि । सङ्कल्प्य मितजीवत्वम् अहंज्ञानात्मिकास् स्थिताः
The powers belonging to Brahman, having assumed limitation, themselves imagine individuality, and remain as the essence of ego and knowledge.
ताẖ कोशकारक्रिमिवत् स्वयं गच्छन्ति बन्धनम् । प्राप्ताḫ परिमितं रूपं रञ्जनं स्फटिका इव
Like silkworms, they themselves enter into bondage; having attained a limited form, they become colored, like crystals.
बन्धो न सम्भवत्य् एव तास् स्वयं बन्धनं गताः । मुग्धा हि भीत्या पश्यन्ति यक्षं मातृस्तनेष्व् अपि
There is truly no bondage for those who themselves have entered bondage; out of fear, the innocent see a demon even in their mother's breast.
स्वभावतस् समुत्थाय निष्कारणम् अकारणम् । मिथẖ कारणतां यान्ति ब्राह्म्यस् स्फुरणशक्तयः
Arising naturally, without cause or reason, the powers of Brahman manifest and mutually assume the role of cause.
न बन्धो ऽस्ति न मोक्षो ऽस्ति ब्रह्मैवास्ति निरामयम् । नैक्यम् अस्ति न च द्वित्वं संविद्भानं विजृम्भते
There is no bondage, nor is there liberation; only Brahman exists, free from affliction. There is neither unity nor duality; consciousness alone shines forth.
एकं यथा स्फुरति वारि तरङ्गभङ्गैर् एवं परिस्फुरति चित्तम् अकिञ्चिद् एतत् । त्वं बन्धमोक्षकलने प्रविमुच्य दूरे स्वस्थो भवाभयतयोदयसार एव
Just as water appears as waves, so the mind stirs in countless ways; having thoroughly examined bondage and liberation, remain distant and at peace, established in the essence of fearlessness and awakening.
सङ्कल्पोन्मुखतां यातास् सत्याश् चिन्मात्रसंविदः । आपस् तरङ्गत्वम् इव यान्ति भूमिप जीवताम्
O king, those who are pure consciousness, inclined toward imagination, become like water taking the form of waves, assuming the state of living beings.
ते जीवास् संसरन्तीह संसारे पूर्वम् उत्थिते । स्वकर्मकरणाद् देहेष्व् अब्जेष्व् इव मधुव्रताः
These living beings wander here in samsara, arising from previous causes; through their own actions, they move among bodies, like bees among lotuses.
सर्वात्मापि परं ब्रह्म कुर्वद् एव करोति नो । जननिष्ठानि दिवसकर्माणीव दिवाकरः
Though the supreme Brahman is the self of all, it does not act even while acting, just as the sun does not perform the daily tasks associated with its rising.
चलत्य् अचेतनम् अयो यथायस्कान्तसन्निधौ । तथा स्फुरति सर्गो ऽयं स्वस्थिते परमात्मनि
Just as iron moves in the presence of a magnet, so this creation stirs forth when the supreme Self remains established.
स्वपरिस्पन्दजो वारि यथावर्तḫ प्रवर्तते । तथायं चिन्मये जीवे देहस् सम्पद्यते स्वयम्
Just as a whirlpool arises in water due to its own movement, so too does the body come into being of itself in the living being whose nature is consciousness.
यथालातपरिस्पन्दाद् धेमचक्रं प्रदृश्यते । एवं स्वचेतनस्पन्दाद् देहो ऽयम् अवलोक्यते
As a circle of fire appears from the rapid movement of a firebrand, in the same way, through the vibration of one's own consciousness, this body is perceived.
यथा नदनदीभेदाद् बहुत्वं कल्प्यते ऽम्भसः । एवम् आकारभेदेन नानात्वं परमात्मनः
Just as, through the distinction of rivers and streams, multiplicity is imagined in water, so, through differences of form, diversity is conceived in the Supreme Self.
सुखदुẖखदशामोहो मनस्य् एवास्ति नात्मनि । केयूरकटकादित्वं सङ्कल्पे ऽस्ति न हेमनि
States of pleasure and pain, and delusion, exist only in the mind, not in the Self; just as the notions of bracelet or armlet exist only in thought, not in the gold.