नीहारसदृशं दूराद् दृश्यमानबृहद्वपुः । नकिञ्चिन् निपुणालोके ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as a vast form, visible from afar like mist, but upon close and discerning observation, perceives nothing at all.
शरदभ्रसमं स्फारम् आमृष्टं सन् नकिञ्चन । नकार्यकारि शून्यात्म ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as dense as autumn clouds, yet when touched, as nothing at all—doing nothing, empty in essence, and without any function.
परामर्शासहानेकरागनिर्मितमण्डलम् । बर्हिबर्हसमाकारं ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as a circle fashioned by countless attachments that cannot be grasped, taking the form of a peacock’s plume.
अविद्यमानं भ्रमदं प्रेक्षितं प्रशमं गतम् । त्रस्तबालकयक्षाभं ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as non-existent, causing delusion, observed but now calmed, resembling a frightened child’s vision of a yakṣa.
विस्तीर्णम् अप्य् अनाक्रान्तदेशं पश्यति सर्गकम् । आख्यायिकारम्भम् इव चतुर्थीं भूमिकाम् इतः
He sees the creation as vast, yet not actually occupied by any being, like the fourth act in a story, merely begun and not truly established.
अस्पृष्टदेशकालांशम् असत्यम् इव सत्यवत् । महारवं मौनमयं महारम्भम् अपक्रियम्
He sees it as untouched by space, time, or parts, as if unreal yet appearing real, as a great roar made of silence, as a grand undertaking that is without result.
स्थूलं कर्मेन्द्रियालभ्यं जगत् पश्यत्य् असद्वपुः । सङ्कल्पसैन्यसङ्काशं चतुर्थीं भूमिकाम् इतः
He sees the world as gross, accessible to the organs of action, yet with an unreal form, like an army of thoughts, and as the fourth state of consciousness.
चित्तभित्तिगतं भावि चित्रतन्त्रम् इव स्थितम् । पश्यत्य् असर्गकं सर्वं चतुर्थीं भूमिकाम् इतः
He sees everything as if it were a marvelous design painted on the wall of the mind, with no real creation, as the fourth state of consciousness.
इन्द्रजालजलादर्शप्रतिबिम्बम् इवास्थितम् । सर्गं सदानुभवति चतुर्थीं भूमिकाम् इतः
He continually experiences the fourth stage, with the world appearing as if a reflection in water conjured by illusion.
द्रव्यभावक्रियेहानाम् अज्ञत्वान् मूकतां गतः । दुर्देशम् इव विक्रीतो ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
Due to ignorance of substance, existence, and action, he becomes mute; like one sold into a foreign land, the knower observes the three worlds.
अत्यन्तापूर्वसंस्थानं देशान्तरम् इवाल्पधीः । अशून्यं शून्यम् एवाति ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
With a mind of little capacity, he sees the three worlds as utterly unprecedented, like a foreign place—empty yet not empty.
अनूढम् उह्यमानात्म स्थिरं चलम् असच् च सत् । सरिद्बिम्बस्थपुरवज् ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as unwed, being carried along by the self, stable and unstable, unreal and real—like a city reflected in a river.
प्रतिबिम्बितम् अम्भोधाव् इव निर्मज्जद् एव वा । चलिते शफरस्पन्दाज् ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as reflected in the ocean, or as if sinking, moving with the flicker of a fish's tail.
जात्यन्धरूपानुभवम् इव नासन् न सन्मयम् । अन्धप्राग्दृष्टरूपाभं ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as an experience of congenital blindness—not existent, not made of existence, resembling a form seen by a blind person in the past.
मसृणैकमहाभित्तौ सङ्कल्पोल्लिखितात्मकम् । चित्रसैन्यम् इवाभाति जगज् ज्ञं प्रत्य् अरोधकम्
On a smooth, vast wall, with the self inscribed by imagination, the world appears to the knower like a painted army, obstructing him.
आकाशभित्तिलिखितम् अलब्धम् अपि वायुना । चित्तचित्रकृतश् चित्रं ज्ञḫ पश्यति जगत्त्रयम्
The knower sees the three worlds as a picture drawn on the wall of space, unattainable by the wind, a painting made by the mind.
दृश्ये पतत्य् अदृश्ये ऽपि परयत्नावबोधितः । बहिर् द्रष्टैव नान्तर् ज्ञो हृदयेनापराजितः
The seer perceives the visible, and even the invisible is realized through supreme effort; the observer remains outwardly, not knowing inwardly, unconquered in the heart.
विच्छिन्नशरदभ्रांशविलयं प्रविलीयते । सत्तावशेष एवास्ते पञ्चमीं भूमिकाम् इतः
When the dissolution of scattered autumn clouds merges away, only pure existence remains—this is the fifth stage.
समस्तशब्दशब्दार्थभावनाभावनात्मकम् । बीजाङ्कुरसमुत्सेधसत्तासुषमम् आस्यताम्
Let there be a subtle state of existence, like the sprouting of a seed, where all notions of sound, their meanings, and their contemplations or absence dissolve.
अनहन्तादिमननं समं सर्वगतं स्थिरम् । अवेद्यवेदनं पुष्पविकाससमम् आस्यताम्
Let there be an even, all-pervading, steady contemplation free from ego and such thoughts, an unknowing awareness, like the blossoming of a flower.
अद्वैतैक्यं समं शान्तं विज्ञानैकघनं परम् । आकाशकोशविशदं ज्ञḫ पश्यन् न विनश्यति
The knower, seeing the nondual unity—equal, peaceful, pure consciousness alone, clear as the sky’s expanse—does not perish.
भेदबुद्ध्या पुरात्तानां सम्प्रत्य् अद्वयभावनम् । स्थिरीकुर्वन् पदार्थानां समम् आस्ते सुषुप्तवत्
Having previously held notions of difference, now establishing the contemplation of nonduality, he remains steady among objects, like one in deep sleep.
सुषुप्तघनविज्ञानभासुरावरणक्षयः । नास्तम् एति न चोदेति न तिष्ठति न गच्छति
When the covering of radiant, dense awareness of deep sleep is destroyed, it neither sets nor rises, neither stands nor moves.
गलितद्वैतनिर्भासम् उदितो ऽन्तḫ प्रबोधवान् । सुषुप्तघनम् एवास्ते पञ्चमीं भूमिकाम् इतः
When duality has faded and inner awakening has arisen, one remains in the dense state of deep sleep—this is the fifth stage.
अहन्त्वं चेतमानस्य न कदाचन शाम्यति । हृत्पद्मकोशभ्रमरी संसृत्याख्याविषूचिका
The sense of 'I-ness' in the mind never ceases; like a bee circling the lotus of the heart, it is the fever of wandering existence.
अमनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कारम् आवर्तादि यथा पयः । संवेत्ति देशकालादि तथा ब्रह्म जगत्त्रयम्
Just as water takes the form of whirlpools, waves, and so on, and perceives space, time, and the rest, so does Brahman become aware of the three worlds.
अहन्त्वं चेतमानस्य न कदाचन शाम्यति । अहन्त्वतिलतैलश्रीस् संसारोग्रविषूचिका
The sense of 'I-ness' in the mind never ceases; the oil of 'I-ness' is the wealth of the fever of samsara.
अहन्त्वमुकुलस्यान्तर् यत् स्वं संसारसौरभम् । तद् अस्य सविकासस्य बहिर् दृश्यतया स्थितम्
Whatever fragrance of samsara belongs to the inner bud of 'I-ness', that, when fully opened, remains outwardly as something visible.
न यथा पद्मसौगन्ध्ये व्यतिरिक्ते कदाचन । अहन्त्वदृश्ये न तथा व्यतिरिक्ते कदाचन
Just as the scent of a lotus is never separate from it, so too, the appearance of 'I-ness' is never separate from it.
अहन्त्वं स्वस्वरूपस्य द्रष्टृदृश्यमयात्मनी । अन्तर् बहिर् इति स्वैरं कृतवन् नाम नामनी
'I-ness' is of one's own nature, composed of seer and seen; freely, it has made names for itself as inner and outer.