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.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तानां भवनाशोद्भवस्थितेः । एतत् तुर्यपदं शुद्धम् अत्र बद्धपदो भव
Of the arising and ceasing of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, this is the pure fourth state; here, you should be established, O seeker.
ब्रह्मन् येयं विना निद्रां ग्राह्यग्राहकसङ्गदृक् । सा लोला जाग्रदास्थेति जानाम्य् एव न संशयः
O Brahman, that awareness which, without sleep, perceives the connection of subject and object, is restless and belongs to the waking state—I know this without doubt.
जाग्रद्वत् स्वप्नकाले या निद्रायां स्फुरति भ्रमे । ग्राह्यग्राहकसंवित्तिस् सा स्वप्नाख्येति वेद्म्य् अहम्
That awareness which, like waking, manifests during the dream state and in the confusion of sleep, perceiving subject and object, is known by me as the dream state.
भाविजाग्रत्स्वप्नदशा या दृषद्वद् विमूढता । सा सुषुप्तदशेत्य् एव जानाम्य् एव मुनीश्वर
That dullness, like a stone, which arises in the waking and dream states, is indeed known by me as the state of deep sleep, O great sage.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तेषु स्थितं त्रिष्व् अप्य् अलक्षितम् । तुर्यं तूर्याद् अतीतं च तद् विप्रेन्द्र किम् उच्यते
That which abides in waking, dream, and deep sleep, yet remains unnoticed in all three—what, O best of Brahmins, is to be said of that which is beyond even the fourth state?
अहम्भावानहम्भावौ त्यक्त्वा सदसती तथा । यद् असक्तं समं स्वच्छं स्थितं तत् तुर्यम् उच्यते
That which, having abandoned both the sense of 'I' and 'not-I', as well as existence and non-existence, remains unattached, even, and pure—this is called the fourth state.
या स्वस्था समता शान्ता जीवन्मुक्तव्यवस्थितिः । साक्ष्यवस्था व्यवहृतौ सा तुर्यकलनोच्यते
That equanimity which is self-settled, peaceful, and the state of the liberated while living, that witnessing state in the midst of activity, is said to be the contemplation of the fourth.
रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस् तु विषयान् इन्द्रियैश् चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर् विधेयात्मा तुर्यताम् उपगच्छति
He who, with senses under self-control, moves among objects free from attachment and aversion, and whose mind is disciplined, attains the state of the fourth.
समता स्वच्छता चान्तर् एकता निर्विकल्पता । शुन्यता भाविता येन तुर्यावस्थाम् असौ गतः
He by whom inner equanimity, purity, unity, non-conceptuality, and the realization of emptiness are cultivated—he has reached the state of the fourth.
सर्व एव महान्तो ऽपि ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः । नराश् च केचिज् जीवन्तो मुक्तास् तुर्ये व्यवस्थिताः
All the great ones, even Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others, and some humans too, while living, are liberated and established in the fourth state.