श्रुतिस्मृतिगतिर् येन भाविता वा न भाविता । भाविता चात्मसत्तासौ मुक्त एव न संशयः
Whether the mind has been shaped by scripture and memory or not, if it has been shaped by the essence of the self, he is liberated, without doubt.
यच् चित्तभूमौ पतितं बीजम् आशु मनाग् अपि । तद् अवश्यं हि कालेन फलत्य् अविकलं फलम्
Whatever seed falls, even slightly, upon the ground of the mind, will certainly, in time, yield its full and undiminished fruit.
पिण्डादिदानस्य फलानि लोके श्रुत्वा मृतस् सन् पुरुषḫ पुरस्तात् । प्राप्नोति तान्य् अन्तर् अवश्यम् एव भुङ्क्ते यथाभावितम् एव चेतः
Having heard of the results of offerings such as food and so on in this world, when a person dies, he certainly attains those results ahead and experiences them according to the disposition of his mind.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीमम् इतिहासं पुरातनम् । संवादं दैत्यनाथस्य तथा देवगुरोḫ पुरा
Here they recount this ancient story—a dialogue that once took place between the lord of the Daityas and the teacher of the gods.
अतीतषष्ठकल्पस्य पूर्वम् एकादशे मनौ । चतुर्युगे पञ्चदशे त्रेतायां वसुधातले
Long ago, in the eleventh Manu of the past sixth kalpa, during the fifteenth Treta Yuga on earth,
आसिद् दैत्यो बलो नाम साक्षाद् बलम् इवोद्धतम् । लसद्दर्पावदलितदैत्यदानवराक्षसः
There was a Daitya named Bali, who was like strength itself, fierce and proud, having subdued the arrogance of all Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas.
उत्सादिताशेषपुरो भुक्ताशेषजनव्रजः । आक्रान्ताशेषभुवनो जिताशेषसुरेश्वरः
He destroyed all enemy cities, consumed all groups of people, conquered all worlds, and subdued all the lords of the gods.
त्रैलोक्यं तेन निर्जित्य स्वीकृता वासवस्थितिः । क्षुण्णग्रामटिकेवैका देशे ऽराजनि दस्युना
Having conquered the three worlds, he assumed the position of Indra; like a lone bandit in a land without a king, he seized everything.
शक्रस् सपरिवारो ऽस्य भृत्यताम् अनुजग्मिवान् । लोकपालाप्सरस्सिद्धविद्याधरगणैस् सह
Śakra, along with his retinue, became his servant, together with the guardians of the worlds, apsarases, siddhas, and hosts of vidyādharas.
स पालयञ् जगद्राज्यं हृत्वेन्द्रत्वं शचीपतेः । यथावद् अखिलं सम्यगाचारम् अनुतस्थिवान्
Ruling the kingdom of the worlds, having taken Indra’s position from the lord of Śacī, he properly maintained all conduct in every way.
स कदाचित् सभासंस्थẖ कथाप्रस्तावतः क्वचित् । नरमृत्युकथामध्ये गुरुं पप्रच्छ वाक्पतिम्
Once, while seated in an assembly, during a discussion, he asked the eloquent teacher about the topic of human death.
भस्मीभूतस्य शान्तस्य पुनर् आगमनं कुतः । परलोकोपलम्भश् च शरीरेण विना कुतः
How can one who has become ashes and is at peace return again? And how is experience of the other world possible without a body?
मृगतृष्णाम्बुवद् देहो जीवस्य प्रतिभासते । असत्यात्मा स्वसंवित्तेḫ पयसीव तरङ्गकः
The body appears to the living being like a mirage; its essence is unreal in one's own awareness, like a wave in water.
न तत्त्वतो दह्यते ऽसौ जायते न च तत्त्वतः । न तत्त्वतश् च म्रियते दुẖखं चानुभवत्य् अति
It is not truly burned, nor is it truly born; nor does it truly die, yet it experiences intense suffering.
यादृग्भावो भवत्य् एष जीवस् तत् फलम् अश्नुते । नासत्यत्वं न सत्यत्वं किञ्चिद् अस्योपयुज्यते
Whatever disposition arises, the living being experiences its result; neither unreality nor reality is of any use to it.
यया कयाचिद् युक्त्यैव राजन् भावनभावने । विनिवृत्ते क्व जीवत्वं बन्धमोक्षदृशौ क्व च
By whatever reasoning or contemplation, O king, when imagination ceases, where is livingness, and where are the views of bondage and liberation?
सदेहो ऽहं हि जीवामि चिरम् अप्य् उपलभ्य ह । चेतत्य् अहं मृतो ऽस्मीति जीवस् स्वप्न इवावपुः
With a body, I live for a long time, perceiving thus; when dead, I think 'I am dead,' and the living being is like a form in a dream.
पिण्डदानादिना भूयो भावितेनाशु पश्यति । जातो ऽस्मीति ततẖ कर्मभोक्तास्मीति च चेतति
Through offerings like piṇḍa and other rites, quickly, by contemplation, one sees again; then thinks 'I am born,' and 'I am the enjoyer of actions.'
इयं मृतिर् अयं व्याधिर् इदं मरणम् आगतम् । इदं जीवितम् एता मे योनयस् सुखदुẖखदाः
This is death, this is disease, this is the arrival of mortality; this is life—these are the sources for me that bring pleasure and pain.
इत्य् अन्तश् चेतति पुमाञ् जलद्रवविवृत्तिवत् । अभावितं भावितं च स्वचमत्कारजं च तत्
Thus, a person reflects inwardly, as water flows and changes form; whether unformed or formed, it is all born from one's own sense of wonder.
जीवितप्रतिभासो ऽथ मरणप्रतिभासनम् । अन्यताप्रतिभासाश् च जीवस्यैव व्यवस्थिताः
The appearance of life, then the appearance of death, and the appearance of other states—all are established only in the living being.
न देहḫ परमार्थेन विद्यते न च भूतता । असद् एवेदम् आभाति सद् इव भ्रममात्रकम्
The body does not truly exist, nor does its elemental nature; this appears as unreal, yet seems real—merely a delusion.
वेदनं विद्धि संसारम् अवेदनम् असंसृतिम् । जीवो यादृक्संसृतिस् स्यात् तादृग् एव च चेतति
Know that sensation is samsara, and absence of sensation is liberation; as the living being's samsara is, so is its awareness.
एतावन्मात्रकैवेयं युक्तिर् उक्ता मनीषिभिः । अनुभूयत एवैतत् किम् एतावति विभ्रमः
Only this much reasoning has been spoken by the wise; this is directly experienced—why is there confusion about this?
जीवे ऽन्तर् अस्ति संसारस् तिले तैलम् इवाबिलम् । न संसारान्तरे जीवस् स्वप्नादाव् इति दृश्यते
Within the living being, samsara exists, like oil in a sesame seed; but in the state beyond samsara, the living being is not seen, as in dream.
कटकत्वं सुवर्णे ऽस्ति कटकत्वे न हेमता । अविचारणयास्त्य् एतत् प्रेक्षया नेह विद्यते
Bracelet-ness exists in gold, but gold-ness does not exist in the bracelet; this exists due to lack of inquiry, but with discernment, it is not found here.
अधिकप्रेक्षया कैश्चिन् न हेमाप्य् अनुभूयते । अतो न हेम नो जीवẖ कटकत्वं च नाङ्ग सत्
Due to excessive scrutiny by some, even gold is not experienced; therefore, neither gold nor the living being truly exists, nor is there any essence in the form of a bracelet.
यद् अन्तर् अस्ति तद् राजन्न् अन्तर् एवानुभूयते । मनाग् अप्य् अत्र नो बाह्यसाधनाद्य् उपयुज्यते
Whatever is within, O King, is experienced only inwardly; not even the slightest external means is employed here.
मृगतृष्णाम्बु जीवादि तत्समाश् चानुभूतयः । वेदनावेदनाद्यास् तद् यच् छिष्टं तद् अवाग्गति
The experiences of mirage-water, the living being, and similar things are alike; sensations and non-sensations, and whatever else remains, are all beyond speech.
भ्रम एवोदितो मिथ्या भ्रमो मिथ्या विलीयते । शेषं शान्तम् अवाग्योग्यं यत् तद् अस्ति न चास्ति वा
Delusion alone arises falsely, and false delusion dissolves; what remains is peaceful and beyond words, whether it exists or does not exist.