छेदादीनाम् अगम्यं खं यथैवात्मा तथैव हि । एतावन्मात्रको भेदो यच् चिन्मात्रात्मतात्मनि
Just as space cannot be cut or otherwise affected, so too is the Self; the only distinction is this: the Self is of the nature of pure consciousness.
सन्निवेशांशवैचित्र्यं यथा हेम्नो ऽङ्गदादिता । आत्मनस् तदतद्रूपं तथैव जगदादिता
Just as gold takes on various forms such as bracelets and other ornaments, so too does the Self appear as the manifold world, though its essence remains unchanged.
सरिताम् आसमुद्रान्तं यथैवाम्बु विवर्तते । उत्पन्नध्वंसिनाजस्रं तरङ्गौघेन वारिणि
Just as water, from rivers to the ocean, constantly transforms with the arising and destruction of waves, so too does the world arise and dissolve in the Self.
आत्मन्य् आत्मसमुल्लासस् तथैवायं विलोक्यते । नानापदार्थजालेन विनाशाब्धिं प्रधावता
In the Self, the play of the Self is seen, as the multitude of various objects rushes toward the ocean of dissolution.
विनाशवाडवाक्रान्तं भीमं कालमहार्णवम् । जगज्जालतरङ्गिण्यो यान्ति सर्गतरङ्गकाः
The waves of creation, which are the waves of the world, enter the dreadful great ocean of time, seized by the submarine fire of destruction.
तस्याप्य् अद्याप्य् अपूर्णस्य यḫ पाता कालवारिधेः । तम् आत्मानं महागस्त्यं राजन् भावय विन्ध्यवत्
O King, contemplate the Self as the great Agastya who, like the sage who drank the ocean, can drain even the unfathomable ocean of time, which is still unfilled.
शास्त्रसंव्यवहारार्थं संसारोच्छेदनोद्यतैः । आत्मादिकाẖ कृतास् सञ्ज्ञा वागतीतस्य वस्तुनः
For the sake of scriptural discourse and the effort to end worldly existence, terms such as 'self' and others have been established for a reality that is beyond words.
न रज्ज्वाम् अस्ति सर्पत्वं तन् मिथ्या कḫ प्रपश्यति । नात्मनो ऽस्ति क्वचिद् बन्धो मा मोहाद् भावयाङ्ग तम्
There is no snake in the rope; it is only falsely perceived by someone. Likewise, there is no bondage for the self anywhere—do not, out of delusion, imagine it, my dear.
मोहस् तद्भावनामात्रम् आहुर् मोहहरा नराः । तम् एव भावनात्यागात् त्यक्त्वा विज्वरतां व्रज
Delusion is said by those who dispel it to be nothing but such imagination; by abandoning that imagination, cast it off and attain freedom from affliction.
एष एवान्धकारो ऽसाव् एतद् एव परं मलम् । प्राग् अबद्धस्य बन्धेन सङ्कल्पो यẖ किलात्मनः
This alone is darkness; this alone is the supreme impurity. The resolve of the self, which was formerly unbound, is indeed bondage.
अनात्मन्य् आत्मताम् अस्मिन् देहादौ दृश्यजालके । त्यक्त्वा सत्त्वम् उपारूढो गूढस् तिष्ठ यथासुखम्
Attributing selfhood to what is not the self, in the body and other objects seen as a net, having abandoned this, ascend to serenity and remain concealed as you please.
कुचकोटरसंसुप्तं विस्मृत्य जननी सुतम् । यथा रोदिति पुत्रार्थं तथात्मार्थम् अयं जनः
Just as a mother, forgetting her child asleep in her bosom, cries out for her son, so do people lament for the sake of the self.
अजरामरम् आत्मानम् अबुद्ध्वा परिरोदिति । हा हतो ऽहम् अनाथो ऽहं नष्टो ऽस्मीति जनो मुधा
Not knowing the self as ageless and immortal, people cry out in vain, 'Alas, I am ruined, I am helpless, I am lost!'
देशकालक्रियाभेदे देहस्थे मरणाभिधे । लोको ऽनुशोचत्य् आत्मानम् अहो नु खलु मूढता
When the body, which is subject to differences of place, time, and action, is called 'death', people grieve for the self—how great indeed is their folly!
देशकालक्रियाभेदं यदि देहो ऽनुधावति । तद् अनादेर् अनाशस्य किम् अस्यागतम् आत्मनः
If the body pursues distinctions of place, time, and action, what has thus arrived for the beginningless and imperishable Self?
अन्यद् भुक्तं वान्तम् अन्यद् इदं तद् यज् जनव्रजैः । देहस्य नाशिनो नाशे आत्मनाशो ऽनुशोच्यते
One thing is eaten and vomited, another is this—what is mingled among crowds of people; when the perishable body perishes, why is the destruction of the Self lamented?
देहात्मनोर् महीपाल सविकाराविकारयोः । सुवर्णभस्मोपमयोस् सम्बन्धẖ क इवैतयोः
O king, what connection is there between body and Self—one subject to change, the other changeless—like gold and its ashes?
नानाकारविकाराख्यैस् स्वविलासैर् अनन्यगैः । लीलयैव स्वम् आत्मानम् आत्मायं गोपयन् स्थितः
With diverse forms and modifications, its own playful manifestations, not arising from anything else, the Self abides, concealing itself by itself, as its own sport.
सर्गनिर्माणसंहारैर् मिथẖ कारणतां गतैः । अकारणस्वभावेन वित् स्फुरत्य् आत्मनात्मनि
Through creation, maintenance, and dissolution, which mutually become causes, the Self, whose nature is causeless, shines forth in itself as itself.
क्रीडत्य् आत्मा शिशुर् इव सङ्कल्पैर् लीलयोम्भितैः । तृणैर् मणिम् इवात्मानं स्वच्छम् आच्छाद्य चञ्चलैः
The Self plays, like a child, with thoughts that arise in sport, covering its clear nature with restless fancies, as grass might cover a jewel.
स्पन्दप्रभां चिदादित्यḫ प्रसार्यालोककारिणीम् । जगद्दिनानि रचयन् न कदाचन खिद्यते
Spreading the radiance of consciousness, the sun of awareness, which brings illumination, it fashions the days of the world and is never wearied.
स्पन्दमात्रात्मचिद्धातोर् देह एव जगत्क्रमः । सन्निवेशो ऽप्य् अभिन्नात्मा पदार्थस्येव संस्थितः
From the vibration that is the essence of consciousness alone, the order of the world and the body arises; even their arrangement abides as the undivided Self, like the existence of an object.
स्पन्दमात्रात् स्वभावेन चित् करोति जगत्क्रियाम् । संहरत्य् अपरिस्पन्दाद् वार् वीचिरचनाम् इव
By mere vibration, through its own nature, consciousness performs the activity of the world; and by absence of vibration, it withdraws it, just as a wave ceases its formation.
पदार्थान् अविभागेन पश्यन् बुद्ध्यादिवर्जितः । चिन्मात्रबालो रमते सर्गक्रीडनकैस् स्वयम्
Perceiving objects without distinction, free from intellect and the like, the child of pure consciousness delights by itself in the playthings of creation.
बालẖ क्रीडनके जातरतिश् शोचति तत्क्षये । स्वरूपे विस्मृते यद्वत् तद्वद् आत्मेह संसृतौ
Just as a child grieves when its toy is destroyed, having forgotten its own nature, so here the self sorrows in worldly existence, having forgotten itself.
निस्स्पन्दास्पन्दसंवित्तेस् स्वयं सा स्मरणेन चित् । वित्त्वम् अस्या विदुस् स्पन्दं यदि वेद्योन्मुखं च तत्
In the awareness of vibration and non-vibration, by its own recollection, consciousness knows its own wealth; if it knows vibration, then that is said to be fit for knowledge.
अस्पन्दा स्पन्दविद्भ्रान्त्या चिद् विस्मृत्यैव शोचति । झगित्य् अस्पन्दनामानं मोक्षम् एत्योपशाम्यति
By the delusion of knowing vibration, consciousness grieves, having forgotten itself; but quickly attaining the state called non-vibration, it becomes tranquil in liberation.
निजम् अस्पन्दनं तुर्यं जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तकैः । आच्छाद्य शोचति मुधा तद् अकृत्वा न शोचति
Covering its own non-vibrational state, the fourth, with waking, dream, and deep sleep, it grieves in vain; not doing so, it does not grieve.
जगज्जालाय चित्स्पन्दा मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियादयः । समुद्यन्ति जलस्पन्दा इवोर्म्योघकणादयः
The movements of consciousness, such as mind, intellect, senses, and so on, arise for the net of the world, like the ripples, waves, and drops that arise from the movement of water.
सङ्कल्पनं हि चित्स्पन्दो ऽस्पन्दो ऽसङ्कल्पनं स्मृतम् । ब्रह्मासङ्कल्पनं विद्धि नकिञ्चिद् इव यच् च तत्
For indeed, conceptualization is the movement of consciousness; non-movement is known as non-conceptualization. Know that Brahman is non-conceptualization, as if it were nothing at all.