आस्ते ऽनस्तमितो भास्वान् अजो देवो निरामयः । सर्वदा सर्वकृत् सर्वः परमात्मा महेश्वरः
The radiant, unborn, divine, and flawless Lord abides, never setting; always, everywhere, the supreme Self, the great Lord, the source of all.
यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते यो मुक्तैर् अवगम्यते । यस्य चात्मादिकास् सञ्ज्ञाः कल्पिता न स्वभावजाः
From whom words return, who is realized by the liberated; whose names such as 'self' are imagined, not arising from his own nature.
यः पुमान् साङ्ख्यदृष्टीनां ब्रह्म वेदान्तवादिनाम् । विज्ञानमात्रं विज्ञानविदाम् एकान्तनिर्मलम्
He is the person seen by the Sāṅkhya philosophers as Brahman, by the Vedāntins as pure consciousness, and by the knowers of knowledge as utterly pure awareness.
यश् शून्यवादिनां शून्यं भासको यो ऽर्कतेजसाम् । वक्ता स्मर्ता ऋतं भोक्ता द्रष्टा कर्ता सदैव यः
He is emptiness for the proponents of emptiness, the illuminator for those who praise the sun's brilliance; always the speaker, the rememberer, the true enjoyer, the seer, the doer.
सद् अप्य् असद् यो जगति यो देहस्थो ऽपि दूरगः । चित्प्रकाशो ह्य् अयं यस्माद् आलोक इव भास्वतः
He is both existent and non-existent in the world; though dwelling in the body, he is far away; this is the light of consciousness, just as radiance comes from the sun.
यस्माद् विष्ण्वादयो देवास् सूर्याद् इव मरीचयः । यस्माज् जगन्त्य् अनन्तानि बुद्बुदा जलधेर् इव
From whom gods like Viṣṇu arise, as rays from the sun; from whom countless worlds emerge, like bubbles from the ocean.
यं यान्ति दृश्यवृन्दानि पयांसीव महाम्बुधिम् । य आत्मानं पदार्थं च प्रकाशयति दीपवत्
That into which all objects of perception merge, like streams into the great ocean; that which illumines itself and all things, like a lamp.
आकाशे यश् शरीरे च दृषत्स्व् अप्सु लतासु च । पांसुष्व् अद्रिषु वातेषु पातालेषु च संस्थितः
That which abides in space, in bodies, in stones, in waters, in vines, in dust, in mountains, in winds, and in the netherworlds.
यः प्लावयति संरब्धं पुर्यष्टकम् इतस् ततः । येन मूकीकृता मूढाश् शिला ध्यानम् इवास्थिताः
That which swiftly floods the eightfold city (the body) here and there; by which the deluded are rendered mute, like stones absorbed in meditation.
व्योम येन कृतं शून्यं शैला येन घनीकृताः । आपो द्रुताः कृता येन दीप्तो यस्य वशाद् रविः
By which the sky is made empty, mountains are made solid, waters are made to flow swiftly, and by whose power the sun shines brightly.
प्रसरन्ति यतश् चित्रास् संसारासारदृष्टयः । अक्षयामृतसम्पूर्णाद् अम्भोदाद् इव वृष्टयः
From which arise the varied visions of worldly existence, like showers from a cloud filled with inexhaustible nectar.
आविर्भावतिरोभावमय्यस् त्रिभुवनोर्मयः । स्फुरन्त्य् अविरतं यस्मिन् घृणाव् इव मरीचयः
In which the waves of the three worlds, consisting of appearance and disappearance, ceaselessly shimmer like sunbeams in sunlight.
नाशरूपो ऽविनाशात्मा यो ऽन्तस्स्थस् सर्ववस्तुषु । गुप्तो यो व्यतिरिक्तो ऽपि सर्वभावेषु संस्थितः
That which is of the nature of destruction yet is itself indestructible, which dwells within all things; hidden, distinct, yet present in every being.
प्रकृतिव्रततिर् व्योम्नि जाता ब्रह्माण्डसत्फला । चित्तमूलेन्द्रियदला येन नृत्यति वायुना
The natural vine that has grown in space, bearing the fruit of the cosmic egg, whose leaves are the mind and senses, and which dances by the wind.
यश् चिन्मणिः प्रकचति प्रतिदेहसमुद्गकम् । यस्मिन्न् इन्दौ स्फुरन्त्य् एता जगज्जालमरीचयः
That consciousness-gem shines forth, emerging through every body; in which, like rays in the moon, these streams of the world's web flicker.
प्रशान्तचिद्घने यस्मिन् स्फुरन्त्य् अमृतवर्षिणि । धाराजलानि भूतानि दृष्टयस् तडितस् स्फुटाः
In which, within the tranquil mass of consciousness, in the nectar-raining brilliance, the elements flow as streams, and perceptions flash like lightning.
चमत्कुर्वन्ति वस्तूनि यदालोकनया मिथः । असज् जातम् असद् येन येन सत् सत्त्वम् आगतम्
Objects sparkle mutually by its illumination; by which the unreal is born as unreal, and the real attains true existence.
चलतीदम् अनिच्छस्य कायायो यस्य सन्निधौ । जडं परमरत्नस्य शान्तम् आत्मनि तिष्ठतः
This moving body acts without desire in the presence of that supreme jewel, which abides in the self, silent and inert.
नियतिर् देशकालौ च चलनं स्पन्दनं क्रियाः । इति येन गतं सत्तां सर्वसत्त्वाभिगामिना
By which fate, space, time, movement, vibration, and actions have come and gone, as it approaches all beings.
शुद्धसंविन्मयत्वाद् यः खं भवेद् व्योमवित्तया । पदार्थवित्तयार्थत्वम् अवतिष्ठत्य् अनिष्ठितः
Because of its pure consciousness-nature, it becomes like space through knowledge of space; through knowledge of objects, it assumes the state of objects, yet remains unestablished.
कुर्वन्न् अपीव जगतां महताम् अनन्तस्पन्दं न किञ्चन करोति कदाचनापि । स्वात्मन्य् अनस्तमयसंविदि निर्विकारे त्यक्तोदयस्थितिमतिस् स्थित एक एव
Even while performing the boundless activity of the great worlds, it never truly acts at any time; established solely in its own undiminishing, changeless awareness, having abandoned all notions of arising and abiding.
अस्य देवातिदेवस्य परस्य परमात्मनः । ज्ञानाद् एव परा सिद्धिर् न त्व् अनुष्ठानखेददा
For this God of gods, the supreme Self, highest attainment comes only through knowledge, not through the weariness of ritual practice.
अत्र ज्ञानम् अनुष्ठानं न त्व् अन्यद् उपयुज्यते । मृगतृष्णाजलभ्रान्तिशान्तिवेदनरूपि तत्
Here, only knowledge and its application are useful; nothing else is required. It is like the experience that brings relief from the illusion of water in a mirage.
न चैष दूरे नाकाशे नालभ्यो विषमो न च । स्वानन्दभासरूपो ऽसौ स्वदेहाद् एव लभ्यते
This is neither distant nor in the sky, nor difficult to attain. It is the radiance of one's own bliss, and is found within one's own body.
किञ्चिन् नोपकरोत्य् अत्र तपोदानव्रतादिकम् । स्वभावमात्रविश्रान्तिम् ऋते नात्रास्ति साधनम्
Practices such as austerity, charity, or vows do not help here at all. Except for resting in one's own nature, there is no other means.
शास्त्रसत्सङ्गसद्योगिपरतैवात्र केवलम् । साधनं बोधनं मोहजालस्य यद् अकृत्रिमम्
Scripture, association with the wise, and the guidance of true yogis alone are the means and illumination here; whatever dispels the net of delusion without artifice.
अयं स देव इत्य् एव सम्परिज्ञानमात्रतः । जन्तोर् न जायते दुःखं जीवन्मुक्तत्वम् एति च
By the mere recognition, 'This is that God,' suffering does not arise for the living being, and one attains liberation while living.
सम्परिज्ञातमात्रेण किलानेनात्मनात्मनि । पुनर् दोषा न बाधन्ते मरणाद्याः कदाचन
By this very recognition of the self within the self, faults such as death and others never afflict again.
देवदेवो महान् एष कुतो दूराद् अवाप्यते । तपसा केन तीव्रेण क्लेशेन कियताथवा
How could this great God, the God of gods, be attained from afar—by what intense austerity, by what hardship, or by how much effort?
स्वपौरुषप्रयत्नेन विवेकेन विकासिना । स देवो ज्ञायते राम न तपस्स्नानकर्मभिः
O Rama, that God is known through one's own effort, through expanding discernment, not by austerity, bathing, or ritual actions.