नैतज् जाग्रन् न च स्वप्नस् सङ्कल्पानाम् असम्भवात् । सुषुप्तभावो नाप्य् एतद् अभावाज् जडतान्तयोः
This is neither waking nor dream, since there is no possibility of mental constructions; nor is it the state of deep sleep, because of the absence of non-existence and dullness.
रज्जुसर्पभ्रमनिभं नात्र चित्तं विवल्गति । सत्तासामान्यम् एकात्म सत्त्वम् अत्र समं स्थितम्
Here, the mind does not wander like the illusion of a snake in a rope; the one essence of being, the unity of existence, remains equally established here.
आत्मारामामलानन्दा संशान्तसकलैषणा । जीवन्मुक्तदशा राम तुर्यशब्देन कथ्यते
O Rama, the state in which one delights in the Self, is stainless bliss, and all desires have completely subsided—this state of liberation while living is called 'the fourth' (turya).
यथा स्वप्ने जगद्भानम् इदं चित्कचनं त्व् इति । बोधाद् द्वेषभयोन्मुक्तं शान्तम् अप्रतिघं भवेत्
Just as, in a dream, the perception of this world is but a play of consciousness, so too, upon awakening, it becomes peaceful, free from aversion and attachment, and without obstruction.
अत्यन्तासम्भवाद् दृश्यदृशां ब्रह्मात्मतोदयात् । तथा रागादिनिर्मुक्तम् आसितं तुर्यम् उच्यते
Because of the utter impossibility of perceiving duality, and through the realization of the unity of Brahman and the Self, that state which is free from passion and the like is called 'the fourth' (turya).
शान्तं सम्यक्प्रबुद्धानां यथास्थितम् इदं जगत् । विलीनं तुर्यम् इत्य् आहुर् अबुद्धानां स्थिरं स्थितम्
For those who are fully awakened, this world appears as it truly is—peaceful and dissolved; but for the unawakened, it seems firmly established. This is what is called 'the fourth' (turya).
जीवन्मुक्तपदाद् ऊर्ध्वं वचसां यन् न गोचरे । शान्तं विदेहमुक्तत्वं तुर्यातीतं तद् उच्यते
That which is beyond the state of liberation while living, which is not accessible to words, is called the peaceful state of disembodied liberation—'the transcending of the fourth' (turyatita).
जीवन्मुक्तपदे तुर्ये कञ्चित् कालं यदृच्छया । स्थित्वा विदेहमुक्तत्वं याहि तुर्योत्तरं पदम्
Having remained for some time, by chance, in the state of liberation while living, in the fourth state, proceed to the state beyond the fourth, which is disembodied liberation.
तुर्ये बद्धपदो भूत्वा परमां समतां गतः । माकर्ता मा च कर्ता त्वं भव प्रकृतकर्मणि
Having attained supreme equanimity in the fourth state, being established in liberation, do not act as the doer nor as the non-doer; remain engaged in your natural activities.
अहङ्कारकलात्यागे शान्ततैवानुभूयताम् । विशरारौ क्षते चित्ते तुर्यावस्थोपतिष्ठते
When the fragment of ego is abandoned, only peace is experienced; when the mind is free from agitation and wounds, the state of the fourth (turya) is attained.
या कर्मस्व् इह संसृतौ व्यवहृतिस् स स्वप्नजाग्रद्भ्रमो यन् मौर्ख्यं घनम् एव मोहवलितं सासौ सुषुप्तस्थितिः । जीवन्मुक्तपदं विवासनतया यत् तुर्यम् आर्येह तत् तुर्यातीतम् अदेहमोक्ष इह नो वक्तुं गिरा पार्यते
That which is called action in this world of transmigration, and the practical dealings therein, is a delusion of waking and dream states; that dense ignorance, enveloped in delusion, is the state of deep sleep. The state of the liberated while living is the fourth, marked by the fading of impressions; and the state beyond the fourth, bodiless liberation, cannot be described here in words.
अकर्तृकर्मकरणम् असि चित्तत्त्वम् अक्षयम् । जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्ताख्यो भ्रमस् सङ्कल्पितस् त्व् असन्
You are the essence of consciousness, which acts without doership or instruments, and is imperishable; the delusion known as waking, dream, and deep sleep is merely imagined and unreal.
अत्रेमं शृणु वृत्तान्तं कथ्यमानं मयाधुना । प्रबुद्धो ऽपि यथा बोधम् उपैषि विबुधोपमः
Now listen as I recount this story: how, even when awakened, you may attain knowledge like the wise.
कस्मिंश्चित् कानने काष्ठमौनस्थितम् अरिन्दम । दृष्टद्रुतमृगं कञ्चिन् मुनिं पप्रच्छ लुब्धकः
In a certain forest, O subduer of enemies, a hunter saw a sage who was observing strict silence, seated like a log of wood, and approached him.
पश्चाद् उपगतो बाणभिन्नं मृगम् अभिद्रुतः । क्व प्रयातो मृग इति प्रत्युवाच स तं मुनिः
Having followed and caught up, the hunter, chasing a deer wounded by his arrow, asked the sage, 'Where did the deer go?'
शमशीला वयं साधो मुनयो वनवासिनः । नास्माकम् अस्त्य् अहङ्कारो व्यवहारेषु यẖ क्षमः
The sage replied to him, 'We, O good man, are ascetics dwelling in the forest, devoted to tranquility; we have no sense of ego that would function in such dealings.'
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि करोति हि सखे मनः । अहङ्कारमयं तन् मे नूनं प्रगलितं चिरम्
For, friend, it is the mind that performs all actions of the senses; as for me, that ego-sense has certainly long since dissolved.
मणिचन्द्रार्कदहनप्रकाशाẖ कारुकं यथा । औदासीन्येन तिष्ठन्तो योजयन्ति क्रियाक्रमे
Just as jewels, the moon, the sun, and fire shine by their own nature, so too, remaining indifferent, they engage in the sequence of actions.
अहङ्कारो मनोनामा स चेन्द्रियगणं नृणाम् । नियोजयति कार्येषु स्वेषु साक्षिवद् आस्थितः
The sense of 'I', called the mind, assigns the group of senses in people to their respective activities, as if it were a witness established within.
स एवाभ्युपशान्तो नश् शरदीव पयोधरः । कस् तिष्ठत्व् इन्द्रियार्थेषु मृतẖ क इव वल्गति
When that very mind is calmed, it perishes like a raincloud in autumn; who then remains engaged with sense-objects, just as the dead do not move about?
चित्तं शान्तिम् उपायातम् अस्माकं वननायक । मृतचित्ता वयम् इह स्थिता दारुमया इव
Our mind, O lord of the forest, has attained tranquility; we remain here with minds as if dead, like figures made of wood.
अस्माकं नास्त्य् अहङ्कारो रसो वा शुष्कभूरुहाम् । अहङ्कारो हि सर्वेषां कर्मणां मूलकारणम्
For us, there is no ego-sense nor any taste, like dried-up trees; for ego is indeed the root cause of all actions.
तन्तौ मुक्ताफलानीव प्रयान्ति समवायिताम् । अहङ्कृताव् इन्द्रियाणि सामन्ता इव राजनि
Just as pearls are strung together on a thread, so the senses are united in the ego, like courtiers around a king.
अहङ्कारमहातन्तौ छिन्ने त्व् इन्द्रियबालकाः । इतश् चेतश् च गच्छन्ति सामन्ता विनृपा इव
But when the great thread of ego is cut, the senses, like young courtiers without a king, wander here and there.
निरहङ्कृतिचित्तानि विशरारूणि लुब्धक । ममेन्द्रियाणि कार्येषु न लगन्त्य् अप्स्व् इवाम्बुजम्
Hunter, my senses, with minds devoid of ego, are scattered and do not attach to their activities, like lotuses in water that do not cling.
मिथस् संश्लेषम् आयान्ति न ममेन्द्रियबालकाः । विनाहङ्कारजतुना शीतलायẖकणा इव
My senses do not come together in union, for without the glue of ego, they are like cold particles that do not cohere.
न मे बुद्धीन्द्रियं कञ्चिद् वेत्ति कर्मेन्द्रियक्रमम् । चित्रस्था इव तिष्ठन्ति स्वेष्व् अर्थेष्व् ईक्षणादयः
None of my senses of knowledge perceive the sequence of actions of the organs of action; perception and the like remain fixed in their own objects, just as images remain in a painting.
साधो यद् इन्द्रियं वक्ति तेन दृष्टो न ते मृगः । यस्य वा दर्शने शक्तिर् वक्तुं जानाति तन् न नः
O noble one, whatever sense speaks, by that the deer is seen by you; or whichever has the power of seeing or speaking, that is not ours.
न कानिचिन् ममैतानि गलिताहङ्कृतेẖ किल । तद् व्याध कस् त्वां कथयत्व् आर्तिमन्मृगदर्शनम्
None of these belong to me, for the sense of 'I' has truly fallen away; therefore, O hunter, let whoever is afflicted tell you about the sighting of the deer.
सर्वेषाम् इन्द्रियाणां हि पशूनाम् इव पालकम् । चित्तं तच् च विलीनं नस् सर्वार्थरहिते पदे
For, as with animals, the mind is the keeper of all the senses; and that mind of ours has dissolved into the state devoid of all objects.