न स्वप्नस्वप्नपुरयोर् इव भेदो मनाग् अपि । सर्गवेदनयोस् तस्माद् ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मवेदनम्
Just as there is not the slightest difference between a dream and the dreamer, so too, for the knower of Brahman, there is no distinction between creation and the knowledge of Brahman.
शब्दार्थभावनेहानां वित्त्वात् सत्यावबोधतः । यद् असत्तावबोधो ऽन्तस् तद् अवेदनम् उच्यते
Because of the certainty arising from the knowledge of the meaning of words, what is recognized as unreal within is called non-cognition.
अदृषद् दृषदाभासं ज्ञम् अप्य् अज्ञम् इव स्थितम् । अशून्यं शून्यसङ्काशं हृदयं वेदनं सतः
The heart, which is awareness in the existent, appears as the unmanifest, as if it were ignorance, and though not empty, seems like emptiness, resembling a stone that is not a stone.
शास्त्रसज्जनसम्पर्कैḫ प्रज्ञाम् आदौ विवर्धयेत् । प्रथमा भूमिकैषोक्ता योगस्य नवयोगिनः
In the beginning, one should increase discernment through contact with scriptures and noble people; this is said to be the first stage of yoga for the new practitioner.
विचारणा द्वितीया स्यात् तृतीयासङ्गभावना । चतुर्थी सत्त्वतापत्तौ वासनाविलयात्मिका
Inquiry is the second stage; the third is the cultivation of detachment; the fourth, upon the rise of purity, is characterized by the dissolution of latent impressions.
शुद्धसंविन्मयानन्दरूपा भवति पञ्चमी । अर्धसुप्तप्रबुद्धाभो जीवन्मुक्तो ऽत्र तिष्ठति
The fifth stage becomes of the nature of pure consciousness and bliss; here, the liberated while living abides, resembling one half-awake from sleep.
असंवेदनरूपा च षष्ठी भवति भूमिका । आनन्दैकघनाकारा सुषुप्तसदृशस्थितिः
The sixth stage is of the form of non-cognition, a state of solidified bliss alone, resembling deep sleep.
तुर्यावस्थोपशान्ताथ मुक्तिर् एव हि केवलम् । समता स्वच्छता सोम्या सप्तमी भूमिका भवेत्
Then, the seventh stage is the tranquil state of the fourth, which is verily liberation itself; it is equality, clarity, and serenity.
तुर्यातीताथ यावस्था परिनिर्वाणरूपिणी । सप्तमी सा परिप्रौढा विषयस् सा न जीवताम्
Then, the state beyond the fourth, which is of the nature of supreme nirvana, is the seventh and fully matured stage; it is not experienced by the living.
पूर्वावस्थात्रयं तत्र जाग्रद् इत्य् एव संस्थितम् । चतुर्थी स्वप्न इत्य् उक्ता स्वप्नाभं यत्र वै जगत्
The first three states there are established as waking; the fourth is called dream, where the world appears as if in a dream.
आनन्दैकघनीभावात् सुषुप्ताख्या तु पञ्चमी । असंवेदनरूपा च षष्ठी तुर्याभिधा स्मृता
Due to the compactness of pure bliss, the fifth is known as deep sleep; the sixth, characterized by absence of awareness, is remembered as the state called 'the fourth'.
तुर्यातीतपदावस्था सप्तमी भूमिकोत्तमा । परम् अव्यपदेश्यासाव् अगम्या महताम् अपि
The seventh stage, the state beyond the fourth, is the highest level; it is utterly indescribable and inaccessible even to the great.
पदार्थस् सन्निवेशैस् स्वैर् यथानन्यैस् समन्वितः । तथा चित् सर्गशब्दार्थैर् न तु सर्गार्थरूपिभिः
Just as objects are composed of their own unique arrangements, so too is consciousness associated with the meanings of creation and words, but not with the forms of created things.
यथोर्मिकादिẖ कनके तथा सर्गḫ परे पदे । किं त्व् असौ विद्यमानो ऽपि सञ्ज्ञाशब्दार्थवर्जितः
Just as waves and other forms exist in gold, so does creation exist in the supreme state; yet, though it exists, it is devoid of name and meaning.
हाटके कटकादिश् च सर्गश् च परमे पदे । विद्यमानो ऽपि नास्त्य् एव प्रेक्षायां कल्पनार्थवत्
In the supreme state, bracelets and other ornaments, as well as creation, though present, do not exist for the purpose of conceptualization or perception.
अस्पन्दयावेदनया स्पन्दवेदनसत्तया । या संविद् अङ्कुरश्रीस् स्यात् सात्मसत्तेति कथ्यते
By the absence of movement and awareness, and by the presence of movement and awareness, that consciousness which is the glory of the sprouting seed is called the essence of the Self.
सा त्वं सा चिन् मनस् सा च न त्वं नो चिन् मनश् च नो । सत्तासत्ते न सा शान्ता ततश् चान्यन् न विद्यते
She is you, she is pure consciousness, she is also not you, nor pure consciousness, nor mind; she is neither existence nor non-existence, she is peace, and nothing else exists apart from her.
आकाशाद् इव शून्यत्वं तरङ्गत्वम् इवाम्भसः । नाकारादि ततो भिन्नं न दृक्चित्तशिलादि च
Just as emptiness arises from space, and waves from water, so form and the rest are not separate from that; nor are the qualities of perception, mind, or stone distinct from it.
द्रष्टृदर्शनदृश्यानां तस्यां दृशि वयं स्थिताः । चिच्चित्तजडतादीनां नामापि न च शिक्षिताः
In that vision, we abide among the seer, seeing, and seen; we have not even learned the names of consciousness, mind, inertness, and the like.
न सर्वापह्नवं वेद्मि न सर्वं नाप्य् अपह्नवम् । त्वत्त्वमत्त्वाद्यसम्भावात् परं शान्तं जगन्नभः
I do not know total negation, nor do I know everything, nor even negation; because the notions of you, me, and so on are impossible, the supreme peace is the sky of the world.
शान्ताशेषविशेषवस्तुविषया सत्यात्मतासत्यतायुक्ताहम्प्रकृतिẖ क्रियेति गदिता नास्तीति निश्चित्य तत् । नास्तीत्य् एतद् अपीह वान्यद् अहम् इत्य् अर्थैर् युतं नास्त्य् अलं तस्माद् अस्तजडाजडाङ्कुरसमुत्सेधासनेनास्यताम्
The peacefulness that is the object of all distinctions, the union of truth and untruth in the self, the nature of 'I am action'—having determined that this does not exist, even the idea 'it does not exist' or anything else here, or 'I am' with meanings, does not exist; therefore, let the sprouting and growth of existence and non-existence, inert and non-inert, be abandoned.
इत्य् उक्तवत्य् अथ मुनौ दिवसो जगाम सायन्तनाय विधये ऽस्तम् इनो जगाम । स्नातुं सभा कृतनमस्करणा जगाम श्यामाक्षये रविकरैश् च सहाजगाम
Having spoken thus, then, as the sage, the day moved toward evening, and the sun set; she went to bathe, performed salutations in the assembly, and departed along with the rays of the sun.
संशान्तभवसम्बन्धम् अरागद्वेशवासनम् । ज्ञस्येन्द्रियाणि स्पन्दन्ते यन्त्रेहापटचित्रवत्
The senses of the wise, whose connection with existence has become tranquil and whose tendencies of attachment and aversion are absent, move as if on their own, like figures on a cloth moved by a puppeteer.
वेष्टितोन्मुक्ततृणवत् तरङ्गवद् अवासनम् । स्पन्दन्ते व्यवहारेषु खरूपा वेद्यवेदिनः
Like grass wrapped and unwrapped, like waves without tendencies, they move in activities, rough in form, as the known and the knower.
अरागद्वेषमननम् ऊर्मिणोर्मिर् अनूर्म्यते । यथा स्वं ज्ञेन युद्धादि कर्म निर्मीयते तथा
A mind free from passion and aversion is undisturbed by the waves of agitation; just as, through knowledge, actions such as battle are undertaken according to one's own nature.
ऊर्मिणोर्माव् अनूर्मित्वं नीते तत्सारम् अक्षतम् । यथाम्ब्व् एवाम्बुसम्पन्नं युक्तं नष्टं न किञ्चन
When the waves are brought to a state of wave-lessness, their essence remains unharmed; just as water, even when united with water, is not lost or diminished in any way.
जीवेनाजीवतां जीवे नीते तत्सारम् अक्षतम् । तथात्मात्मैव सम्पन्नो युक्तं नष्टं न किञ्चन
When the living being is merged into the state of non-living, its essence remains unharmed; likewise, when the self is fully united with the Self, nothing is lost or destroyed.
चिच् चिद् अस्तु पदांशे ऽपि सचेत्या तदधश् च्युता । कदर्थप्राप्यनिर्वाणा भवत्य् अभवनिं गता
Even if consciousness exists in a fragmentary measure, when it descends into the realm of the knowable, having attained what is trivial, it reaches the state of non-being.
चिन्मात्रात्मात्मनिष्ठत्वात् सुखदुẖखे चिनोति नो । असती एव सत्यात्मा मुक्तो व्यवहरन्न् अपि
Because one abides in the pure Self of consciousness alone, one does not experience pleasure or pain; though appearing as unreal, the true Self is liberated even while engaging in worldly affairs.
जीवन्मुक्तत्वम् एतावद् यत् स्थिराभ्यासयोगतः । न सुखाय न दुẖखाय भवेच् चित् प्रतिबिम्बिता
This alone is the state of living liberation: when, through steady practice and yoga, the reflection of consciousness does not become a cause of pleasure or pain.