कथयत्य् अथ मय्य् एवं स विद्याधरनायकः । आसीत् संशान्तसंवित्तिस् समाधिपरिणामवान्
Then, as he spoke thus to me, the leader of the vidyādharas became settled in tranquil awareness, transformed by samadhi.
प्रबोध्यमानो ऽपि मया भूयो भूयस् ततस् ततः । न पपात पुरोदृश्ये परं निर्वाणम् आगतः
Though I repeatedly tried to awaken him, again and again, he did not return to outward perception, having attained supreme nirvana.
स प्राप परमं स्थानं तावन्मात्रप्रबोधनात् । केनचिन् नाधिकेनाङ्ग यत्नेनातिशयैषिणा
He attained the highest state solely through the awakening of pure awareness, not by any other means, O dear one, nor by strenuous effort or seeking after excess.
अत उक्तं मया नाम यदि शुद्धे हि चेतसि । उपदेशḫ प्रसरति तैलबिन्दुर् इवाम्भसि
Therefore, I have said: if the mind is truly pure, instruction spreads like a drop of oil on water.
नाहम् इत्य् अस्ति तेनान्तर् मैवं भावय शान्तये । एतावत्य् उपदेशोक्तिḫ परमा नेतरास्ति हि
Within, there is no sense of 'I am'; do not think otherwise for the sake of peace. This alone is the supreme teaching; there is no other.
एषैवाभव्यमनसि पतिता प्रपलायते । उत्ताने मसृणादर्शे मुक्ताफलम् इवातलम्
If this falls into an unfit mind, it slips away, like a pearl rolling off a smooth, upturned mirror.
भव्ये तु शान्ते मनसि लगत्य् अभ्येति च द्युतिम् । प्रविश्यान्तर् विचाराख्याम् अर्चिर् अर्कमणाव् इव
But in a noble, tranquil mind, it settles and shines forth, entering within as discernment, like a ray of light into a jewel.
अहम्भावनम् एवोच्चैर् बीजं दुẖखाख्यशल्मलेः । ममेदं तद्वशाद् एति शाखाप्रसरकारणम्
The strong sense of 'I am' is truly the seed of the tree called suffering; from it arises 'this is mine,' which becomes the cause for the spreading of its branches.
अहमादौ ममेत्य् अन्तस् तत इच्छा प्रवर्तते । इदमर्थशतानर्थकारिणी भवभाविनी
First comes 'I am,' then within arises 'this is mine'; from that, desire proceeds, and this brings forth countless objects, causing the cycle of becoming.
एवंविधा मुनिश्रेष्ठ मूढा अपि चिरायुषः । भवन्ति नियमो ह्य् अङ्ग दीर्घायुष्ट्वस्य कारणम्
In this way, O best of sages, even the deluded live long lives; for, O dear one, longevity is determined by fixed law.
अन्तश्शुद्धमनस्का ये सुचिरायाभवप्रदम् । मनाग् अप्य् उपदिष्टास् ते प्राप्नुवन्ति परं पदम्
Those whose minds are pure within, who have long abandoned worldly existence, even if instructed only slightly, attain the supreme state.
मेरुमूर्धनि माम् एवम् उक्त्वा स विहगाधिपः । तूष्णीं बभूव मुक्तात्मा वृष्टमूक इवाम्बुदः
Having spoken thus to me atop Mount Meru, the king of birds became silent, his soul liberated, like a raincloud emptied of its thunder.
अहम् आमन्त्र्य तं सिद्धं विद्याधरपथा पुनः । प्राप्त आत्मास्पदं राम मुनिमण्डलमण्डितम्
After bidding farewell to that accomplished one, I traveled again along the path of the vidyādharas and reached the abode of the Self, adorned by the circle of sages, O Rāma.
एतत् तवाद्य कथितं बलिभुक्कथोत्थं विद्याधरोपशमनं लघुबोधनोत्थम् । अस्मिन् भुसुण्डविहगेन्द्रसमागमे मे चैकादशेह हि गतानि महायुगानि
Today I have told you this story, arising from the tale of Bali's consumption, intended to pacify the vidyādharas and bring concise understanding; in this meeting with Bhusuṇḍa, the king of birds, and myself, eleven great ages have passed.
अनहंवेदनाद् एव शुभाशुभफलप्रदा । संसारफलिनी नूनम् इच्छान्तर् उपशाम्यति
Indeed, from the absence of ego-sense, the desire that bears the fruits of good and evil in the world surely subsides within.
अनहंवेदनाभ्यासात् समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः । भूत्वा शान्तभवापीडो न नरḫ परिताम्यति
Through the practice of non-identification with ego, one becomes equal toward clod, stone, and gold; freed from the pain of existence, such a person does not suffer.
स्वसत्तापुटकोड्डीनḫ परबोधबलेरितः । अहमित्यर्थपाषाणो न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति
The stone of 'I'-ness, hardened in the shell of one's own being and moved by the force of higher knowledge, I do not know where it quickly goes.
अहन्तापुटकोड्डीनो ब्रह्मवीरबलेरितः । शरीरयन्त्रपाषाणो न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति
The stone of the body, hardened in the shell of ego and moved by the strength of the hero of Brahman, I do not know where it quickly goes.
अहमर्थहिमं त्व् अन्तर् अनहन्ताविदर्चिषा । उड्डीयेव विलीनं सन् न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति
Within me, the sense of 'I' melts away by the radiance of non-ego, and, like vapor, dissolves; I do not know where it goes.
अहंरसो विलीनो ऽन्तर् अनहन्ताविदर्चिषा । शरीरपर्णाद् उद्वर्णान् न जाने क्वाशु गच्छति
The essence of 'I-ness' dissolves within by the light of non-ego, and from the leaves of the body, as it rises, I do not know where it goes.
शरीरपर्णान् निष्पीतो ह्य् अहम्भावरसासवः । अनहन्तार्कमार्गेण परताम् अधिगच्छति
The intoxicating juice of the sense of 'I' is pressed out from the leaves of the body, and by the path of the sun of non-ego, attains the supreme.
शयने कर्दमे शैले गृहे व्योम्नि स्थले जले । स्थूला सूक्ष्मा निराकारा रूपान्तरगतापि च
Whether on a bed, in mud, on a mountain, at home, in the sky, on land, or in water—whether gross, subtle, formless, or entered into another form—
यत्र तत्र स्थिता सुप्ता प्रबुद्धा भस्मतां गता । मृता पीता निमग्ना च दूरस्था निकटा सती
Wherever it may be—lying, sleeping, awakened, reduced to ashes, dead, consumed, submerged, far away or near—
शरीरवटधानान्तस्स्थिताहन्त्वनवाङ्कुरा । शाखाजालं तनोत्य् उच्चैस् संसाराख्यम् इदं क्षणात्
Within the hollow of the body-tree, the new sprout of ego, in an instant, extends a network of branches called 'worldly existence.'
अहन्त्ववटधानान्तस्स्थितो देहबृहद्द्रुमः । संसारशाखानिवहं यत्र तत्र तनोत्य् अलम्
Within the hollow of the ego-tree stands the great tree of the body, which, wherever it may be, abundantly spreads the multitude of branches called 'worldly existence.'
शाखाशतेद्धदलपुष्पफलो द्रुमो ऽस्ति बीजोदरे न तु दृशा परिदृश्यते ऽसौ । देहो ऽप्य् अहन्त्वकणिकान्तर् अशेषदृश्यसंवित्परीत इति दृश्यदृशैव दृष्टम्
There is a tree with hundreds of branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits, with its seed hidden within, yet it is not seen by the eye; likewise, the body, enveloped by the awareness within the particle of ego, is perceived only by the seer and the seen.
देहाद् अहन्त्वम् अनवाप्तवतो विचारैर् विद्व्योममात्रवपुषो वपुषो ऽथ वोच्चैः । नाहन्त्वबीजजठराद् असतो ऽभ्युदेति संसारवृक्ष इह बोधमहाग्निदग्धात्
For one who has not attained the sense of 'I' in the body, and whose form is only pure, infinite consciousness, by means of inquiry—then, from the barren womb of non-being, the seed of egoity does not arise; here, the tree of worldly existence is burned up by the great fire of knowledge.
मरणं सर्वनाशात्म न कदाचन विद्यते । स्वसङ्कल्पान्तर् अस्थैर्यं मृतिर् इत्य् अभिधीयते
Death, which is the total destruction of all, never truly exists; what is called death is merely the instability of one’s own thoughts.
पश्य मे पुर उह्यन्ते इव मन्दरमेरवः । अनूढा अपि दिग्वातैस् सरिद्बिम्बितशैलवत्
See, in my city, the Mandara and Meru mountains seem to be moved about, though they have not been uprooted, just as mountains reflected in a river appear to shift with the current.
उपर्य् उपर्य् अन्तर् अन्तẖ कदलीदलपीठवत् । श्लिष्टाश्लिष्टाẖ खरूपाẖ खे मिथस् संसृतयस् स्थिताः
Layer upon layer, inside and out, like the sheaths of a plantain stem, these forms—joined and separated, subtle and gross—exist together in space, intermingled in their cycles of birth and death.