एष एवाङ्ग सिद्धान्तो यत् कालगगनाद्य् अपि । चिन्मात्रांशाद् ऋते नान्यज् जगदाद्य् अस्ति किञ्चन
This alone, dear one, is the settled conclusion: apart from a ray of pure consciousness, there is nothing else—no time, no space, nor anything else at all—that constitutes the world.
जनयत्य् अच्छम् आभासं भङ्गुरं स्फुरणात् स्वतः । जगद्रूपं निशाविद्युद् इव चित् कालखादि च
Consciousness itself, by its own spontaneous flashing, produces a clear but fleeting appearance—the form of the world, of time, space, and so on—just as lightning appears in the night sky.
यत्र स्फुरति चिद्विद्युत् तज् जगत् कालखादि च । स्थितैव यन् न स्फुरति तच् छान्तं सर्वम् अक्रमम्
Wherever the lightning of consciousness flashes, that is the world, time, space, and so forth; but where it does not flash, all is utterly peaceful and without sequence.
यावद् आलोक्यते ऽम्भोदस् तावत् सत्यैव खे तडित् । कारणं नात्र पृच्छामि चित्स्पन्दे कारणं वद
As long as lightning is seen in the sky, it is truly present; I do not ask for a cause in this matter—tell me, what is the cause of the vibration of consciousness?
वैतण्डिकाज्ञदुर्बुद्धिविलासं दूरतस् त्यजन् । शृण्व् एतद् ईदृशस्यैव वक्तव्यं नापलापिनः
Setting far aside the displays of ignorant and dull minds, like the Vaitandikas, listen: only one who speaks thus should be heard, not one who babbles aimlessly.
तिष्ठत्य् एव घने विद्युत् सा च स्फुरति भङ्गुरा । आबालम् एतत् संसिद्धं केन नामापलप्यते
Lightning remains in the cloud, yet it flashes forth and is fleeting; this is established from the very beginning—by whom, then, can it be denied?
नित्यं सत्त्वम् असत्त्वं वा विभो हेत्वनपेक्षणात् । चित्स्पन्दस्य कथं न स्यात् स्पन्दो हीह सहेतुकः
Whether it is always existent or nonexistent, O all-pervading one, since it does not depend on any cause, how can the vibration of consciousness have a cause, when vibration here always has a cause?
अवाताम्बुधिदीपादे रत्नानां कचनस्य वा । वायोर् वा शून्यसंस्थस्य स्पन्दे कस्येह हेतुता
For the movement of wind, or a jewel, or a piece of glass, or a lamp, or for the wind itself when it rests in emptiness—what cause can there be for their vibration here?
रामासर्वात्मनो ऽप्य् एवं तत्तातत्तोपपद्यते । स्वतस् सर्वात्मनो नित्यम् अतẖ किं नोपपद्यते
O Rama, even for the all-pervading Self, thus, both reality and unreality are possible; if all is always the Self by its own nature, why then should it not be possible?
चिद् अस्पन्दा स्पन्दिनीति शब्दे भेदो न वस्तुनि । ब्रह्मैकघनम् अद्वैतं विद्धि वारि यथा द्रवम्
The distinction of 'unmoving consciousness' and 'moving consciousness' is only in words, not in reality; know Brahman to be one, dense, nondual—like water is fluid.
यथा मुक्तावलीहंसदर्शनं खे स्वभावजम् । दृष्टेर् एवं चिदच्छायास् संवित्स्पन्दाज् जगद्भ्रमः
Just as the appearance of a string of pearls or a swan in the sky arises from its own nature, so too, the illusion of the world arises from the vibration of consciousness reflected in awareness.
यथा निमीलिते नेत्रे स्वप्रभावेण दृक् चलम् । ताराकारं पश्यतीयं चिच् चेत्यं दृश्यवत् तथा
Just as, with eyes closed, vision by its own power perceives moving, star-like forms, so too does consciousness, as the knowable, appear as if seen.
सङ्कल्पकलनास् त्यक्त्वा सर्वा एवात्मतां गतः । पश्य चिद्घन एवाच्छẖ कल्पान्तैकाब्धिवत् स्थितः
Having abandoned all conceptual constructions, everything attains the state of the Self; see pure, dense consciousness alone, remaining as a single ocean at the end of an age.
अस्मदादिर् जनस् साधो पारदृश्वा जगत्स्थितेः । तेनैवास्मद्वचो ग्राह्यम् ॐ इत्य् एवास्तसंशयम्
O noble one, people like us, having seen beyond, have understood the state of the world; therefore, my words alone should be accepted, without any doubt, as 'Om.'
चोद्यचञ्चुतया किञ्चिद् वदामीति त्यजन् धियम् । यदि तिष्ठसि मद्वाचि तदा यास्य् एव तत् पदम्
Abandoning the restless urge to say something with the beak of questioning, if you abide in my words, then you will surely attain that state.
नो चेत् तद् विविधानेकविकल्पकलनामलैः । शुद्धतार्किकताम् एत्य प्रयासि तृणगुल्मताम्
Otherwise, by adopting the impurity of various, manifold conceptualizations and speculations, you will attain only the dryness of mere logic, like grass and thickets.
एवं चेत् तद् इयं ब्रह्मंस् त्वत्तामत्तामयात्मिका । तत्त्वतस् त्रिजगन्नाम्नी मन्ये न कलनास्त्य् अलम्
O Brahman, if this is so, then this world, which is of the nature of your own self, composed of your own essence, truly does not exist as the so-called 'three worlds'—I consider that there is not even the slightest trace of it.
लवणैन्दवशुक्रादिवृत्तान्तवद् उपस्थितम् । भ्रान्तिमात्रं जगन् मन्ये सत्यं नास्तीह किञ्चन
Like the stories of salt, the moon, semen, and so on, the world appears only as a delusion; I consider that there is nothing real here at all.
एवं स्थिते मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वापह्नव एव वै । कृतो भवति तद् ब्रूहि युज्यते कथम् ईदृशम्
If this is the case, O best of sages, then all is indeed utterly denied; tell me, how can such a thing be appropriate?
राम सम्यक्प्रबुद्धो ऽसि जानास्य् एव यथास्थितम् । शुद्धचिद्घन एवास्ति तं च त्वम् अवबुद्धवान्
Rama, you are truly awakened and know things as they are; only the pure, solid consciousness exists, and you have realized that.
सिद्धान्तो ऽध्यात्मशास्त्राणां सर्वापह्नव एव च । नाविद्यास्तीह नो माया शान्तं ब्रह्मेदम् अक्रमम्
The settled conclusion of all spiritual teachings is complete negation; here, there is neither ignorance nor illusion—this Brahman is peaceful and without sequence.
शान्त एव चिदाभासे स्वच्छे समसमात्मनि । समग्रशक्तिकचिते ब्रह्मेति कलिताभिधे
It is peaceful, appearing as consciousness, clear, equal in the Self, filled with all powers, and is conventionally called 'Brahman.'
निर्णीय केचिच् छून्यत्वं केचिद् विज्ञानमात्रताम् । केचिद् ईश्वररूपत्वं विवदन्ते परस्परम्
Some, having deliberated, assert emptiness; others, pure consciousness alone; others, the form of God—they dispute with one another.
सङ्कल्प्य जगद् उच्छूनं नीत्वा च शतशाखताम् । चालयन्ति विचारेण केचित् साङ्ख्यमतादिकम्
Some, imagining the world to be destroyed and then branching into hundreds of divisions, move about with their reasoning, following the Sāṅkhya and other doctrines.
केचित् सर्वम् इदं शान्तं ब्रह्मेति घननिश्चयाः । शुद्धचिद्व्योमताम् एत्य सन्तो ऽसन्त इव स्थिताः
Some, firmly convinced that all this is peaceful Brahman, having attained the state of pure consciousness-space, remain as if existent or non-existent.
न ब्रह्म न जगन् नान्यद् इति निश्चित्य केचन । आकाशविशदास् स्वच्छास् संस्थितास् सौगतादयः
Some, having ascertained that there is neither Brahman, nor world, nor anything else, abide clear and pure as space, like the Buddhists and others.
केचिद् अप्य् अन्यथा कृत्वा नानासङ्कल्पकल्पनम् । स्थिताश् शाम्यन्ति जायन्ते संसरन्ति च वा न वा
Some, having formed various imaginations in different ways, remain, subside, are born, wander in transmigration, or perhaps do not.
समस्तकलनाहीनम् इति निर्णीय चिद्घनम् । समग्रशक्तिकचितं विवदन्ते हि वादिनः
Having determined that pure consciousness is devoid of all modifications, yet endowed with all powers, the disputants indeed debate.
एकत्र वस्तुनि समस्तकलाविमुक्ते सङ्कल्प्य सङ्कलनया विविधाभिधास् स्वाः । स्वं वासनाविलसितं समुदाहरन्तो विद्याविवादविभवैर् विवदन्ति वैद्याः
On the one reality, which is free from all modifications, by conceptualization and aggregation, they assign various names; expressing their own tendencies, the learned debate with the wealth of doctrinal disputes.
शरीरेन्द्रियबुद्ध्यादिचेतसां स्पन्दनस्य च । किं कस्मात् सारम् उदितं व्यापकं श्रेयसे भवेत्
What is the essence, for what reason, and how does it arise, of the body, senses, intellect, mind, and their movements, and what is the all-pervading good?