नकिञ्चित् किञ्चिद् अप्य् आत्मा सत्याकारो ऽप्य् असद्वपुः । आकाशाद् अप्य् अलक्ष्यो ऽसौ जगद्रूपो ऽप्य् अरूपवान्
The self is nothing, yet everything; though its form is true, its body is unreal. It is more subtle than space, imperceptible, and though it is the form of the world, it is formless.
सालम्बे ऽपि निरालम्बो निर्विकारो विकारिणि । साभासे ऽपि निराभासो नश्यत्य् अर्थे न नश्यति
Though supported, it is unsupported; changeless in the changing; though appearing, it is without appearance. It perishes in the object, yet does not perish.
ग्राह्यं च ग्राहकं चैव ग्रहणं च रघूद्वह । यत्र सत्ताम् उपगतं तत्त्वं तत्र स्थिरो भव
O descendant of Raghu, wherever the object, the subject, and the act of perception have attained reality, there establish yourself firmly in that truth.
मनसैव मनश् छिन्द्धि संसारभ्रमशान्तये । क्षालयन्ति मलेनैव मलं क्षालनकोविदाः
Sever the mind with the mind itself for the cessation of the delusion of worldly existence; just as those skilled in cleansing wash away dirt with dirt.
अमनस्त्वं प्रयातस्य न भूयस् ते भवो भवेत् । मननं हि भवं विद्धि स्वप्नाद् यत् तन् न तत्क्षयात्
For one who has attained the state beyond mind, there is no further becoming for you; know that thought itself is becoming, just as what arises in a dream does not persist when the dream ends.
सर्वं चिन्मात्रम् आत्मैव नास्त्य् अन्या कलनेति वा । बुद्ध्वा न जायसे भूयस् सति चासति चेतसि
All is pure consciousness, the Self alone; there is nothing else, not even conceptualization. Realizing this, you are not born again, whether the mind is present or absent.
सर्वं चिन्मात्रम् आत्मैव नास्त्य् अन्यद् इति या मतिः । तत्त्वं तद् विद्धि परमम् उन्मनस्त्वम् अजन्मने
The understanding that all is pure consciousness, the Self alone, and nothing else—know that as the highest truth, the supreme state beyond mind, birthless.
सति चित्ते ऽप्य् अचित्तत्वं यद् आत्मत्वैकभावनात् । तद् अचित्तत्वम् आकारे सति वासति मोक्षदम्
Even when the mind exists, the absence of mind arises from the contemplation of the Self alone; that absence of mind, even while forms remain, bestows liberation.
सर्वं चिद् इति भावेन रागद्वेषदृशोẖ क्षये । चित्ते सत्य् अप्य् अचित्तत्वे जाते भूयोभवẖ कुतः
When, through the understanding that all is consciousness, the vision of attraction and aversion ceases, then, even if the mind remains, with the arising of mindlessness, how can there be further becoming?
सुखाशयैति सङ्कल्पं जीवो दुẖखं ततो व्रजेत् । जीवो हि यतते भूत्यै सम्प्राप्नोत्य् आपदं पराम्
The living being, by the intention of seeking pleasure, enters into suffering; for the living being strives for prosperity and thereby attains the highest misfortune.
मनो विचारम् आरुह्य मननानर्थम् उज्झति । यत् करोति विमूढात्मा तेनैतन् नश्यति स्वयम्
Ascending to inquiry of the mind, it abandons fruitless pondering; whatever the deluded self does, by that it perishes of itself.
विवेकं प्राप्य चेतस् स्वान् सङ्कल्पान् नाशयत्य् अलम् । पूर्वं हि स्वजनान् हन्ति दुर्जनḫ प्राप्य सम्पदम्
Upon attaining discernment, the mind swiftly destroys its own fabrications; just as a wicked person, upon gaining wealth, first harms his own kin.
स्वजनान् एव दहति दुर्जनḫ प्रथमोत्थितः । रूक्षैश् चटचटास्फोटैर् वेणून् वेण्वनलो यथा
The wicked, rising first, burns his own kin; just as a bamboo fire consumes the bamboo with its harsh crackling bursts.
प्रसारणात् प्रदृश्यन्ते सृष्टयो ऽन्तर्गताश् चितः । कदर्ककस्य विविधा यथा वर्णकपङ्क्तयः
When expanded, the inner creations of consciousness become visible; like the various lines of color in a painter’s palette.
समस्तशक्तिकचितम् एकात्म ब्रह्म संवृतम् । विवृतं भाति नानात्वे यात्रास्व् इव कदर्ककम्
Filled with all powers, veiled by the one Self, Brahman, it appears manifest in diversity, just as a painter’s palette displays variety in its journey.
चिन्मात्रालोकितं चित्तं करोतीमां जगत्स्थितिम् । नृपेक्षितḫ प्रतीहारस् सामन्तरचनाम् इव
The mind, illuminated solely by consciousness, sustains the existence of this world; like a gatekeeper arranging the chambers of a palace.
चिद्रूषितस्य मनसẖ कर्म संसृतिनामकम् । रसासिक्तस्य बीजस्य पत्त्रपुष्पफलं यथा
The actions of a mind infused with consciousness are called transmigration; just as leaves, flowers, and fruits arise from a seed moistened with sap.
अत्युल्लसद्विविधभङ्गुरवस्तुजातैश् चिच्चक्रचञ्चलतया समुदेति विश्वम् । तस्यैव सम्प्रति निवारय चञ्चलत्वं बुद्ध्वेह सत्यम् अथ वा घनतां नयस्व
The universe arises from the restless whirling of consciousness, with its exceedingly diverse and fragile objects; now, recognize its restlessness and restrain it, or else, having understood the truth here, bring it to solidity.
जीवस्य त्रीणि रूपाणि स्थूलसूक्ष्मपराणि तु । तत्रास्य यत् परं रूपं तद् भज द्वे ऽपरे त्यज
The living being has three forms: gross, subtle, and supreme. Among these, seek the supreme form and abandon the other two.
अस्यासती तु द्वे रूपे द्विचन्द्रत्वम् इवोत्थिते । विचाराद् एव नश्येते परं रूपं न नश्यति
Of these, the two forms are unreal, like the illusion of two moons; through discernment they perish, but the supreme form does not perish.
जीवस्य यद् अनाशं तु रूपं राघव तद् भवान् । तत्रैवाचलवद् बद्धपदम् आस्स्व रमस्व च
O Raghava, the imperishable form of the living being is what you truly are; abide firmly in that, unmoving like a mountain, and rejoice there.
जीवस्य यानि भगवंस् त्रीणि रूपाणि तानि मे । यथावत् कथयानाशं रूपं वेद्मि यथास्य तत्
O venerable one, please explain to me properly these three forms of the living being, so that I may know which is the imperishable form.
पाणिपादमयो यो ऽयं देहो भोगाय वल्गति । भोगार्थम् एतज् जीवस्य रूपं स्थूलम् इह स्थितम्
This body, composed of hands and feet, moves about for the sake of enjoyment; know this as the gross form of the living being, existing here for experience.
स्वसङ्कल्पचिदाकारं यावत् संसारभावि यत् । चित्तं तद् विद्धि जीवस्य रूपं रामातिवाहिकम्
That which, shaped by its own thought and consciousness, continues as long as worldly existence lasts—know that mind as the subtle, transmigrating form of the living being, O Rama.
सति चासति देहे ऽस्मिन् प्राणवातरथस्थितम् । एतद् अस्य मनोरूपं जगद् भ्राम्यत्य् अवारितम्
Even when this body, real or unreal, exists, the mind, established on the chariot of breath and life-force, is the mental form of the living being, which wanders unrestrained in the world.
आमोदḫ पवनारूढḫ पुष्पं त्यक्त्वा यथाम्बरे । भवत्य् एवं शरीरेषु नष्टेषु प्राणगं मनः
Just as fragrance, carried by the wind, remains in the air after leaving the flower, so too, when bodies are destroyed, the mind accompanied by life-force persists.
यथा रक्षार्थसूत्रस्य ग्रन्थयो विविधास् स्थिताः । यथा वेणुलतायाश् च पर्वाण्य् अङ्गे स्थितानि वा
Just as various knots are placed for the sake of protection in a thread, and as joints are present in the body of a bamboo vine,
चित्ततन्तौ सुदीर्घे ऽस्मिञ् शरीराणि तथानघ । उत्पत्योत्पत्य नाशीनि सरिद्रयतरङ्गवत्
So, O sinless one, on this long thread of consciousness, bodies arise again and again, perishing like waves on a river.
आद्यन्तरहितं सत्यं चिन्मात्रं निर्विकल्पकम् । यत् तद् विद्धि परं रूपं जीवस्याद्यं तृतीयकम्
Know that the true essence, which is pure consciousness, free from beginning and end and devoid of distinctions, is the supreme form—the third and original state of the soul.
जगत् प्रजायते तस्मात् तस्मिन्न् एव प्रलीयते । मनाक् स्फुरित्वा तद्रूपम् ऊर्मिजालम् इवार्णवे
From that, the world arises and into that it dissolves; after briefly manifesting, it returns to its own nature, like a network of waves in the ocean.