अत्यन्ताभाव एवास्ति संसारस्य जगत्स्थितेः । यस्मिन् बोधमहाम्भोधौ तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
Absolute non-existence alone is the state of worldly existence and the world’s persistence; that which is in the great ocean of awakening, that is the form of the Supreme Self.
द्रष्टृदृश्यक्रमो यत्र स्थितो ऽप्य् अस्तम् अलं गतः । यद् अनाकाशम् आकाशस् तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
Where the sequence of seer and seen, though present, has completely vanished; that which is space-less yet is space—that is the form of the Supreme Self.
अशून्यम् इव यच् छून्यं यस्मिञ् शून्यं जगत् स्थितम् । सर्गौघे सति यच् छून्यं तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
That which is not empty, yet appears as emptiness, in which this universe, itself empty, abides; that which remains empty even amidst the multitude of creations—such is the nature of the Supreme Self.
यन् महाचिन्मयम् अपि बृहत्पाषाणवत् स्थितम् । जडं त्व् अजडम् एवान्तस् तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
That which, though composed of pure consciousness, stands firm like a great rock; which, though inert outwardly, is inwardly ever aware—such is the nature of the Supreme Self.
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं सर्वं येन सम्प्राप्य सङ्गमम् । स्वरूपसत्ताम् आप्नोति तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
That by which all, both within and without, is thoroughly pervaded and united, and which attains its own essential being—such is the nature of the Supreme Self.
प्रकाशस्य यथालोको यथा शून्यत्वम् अम्बरे । तथेदं संस्थितं यत्र तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
As light is to illumination, as emptiness is to space, so is that in which all this abides—such is the nature of the Supreme Self.
सर्वतः परमात्मैष कथं नामावबुध्यते । इयतो ऽस्य जगन्नाम्नो दृश्यस्यासम्भवः कुतः
How can this Supreme Self, which is everywhere, not be recognized? For, from this alone, the very existence of the world and all that is seen arises.
भ्रमस्य जागतस्यास्य जातस्याकाशवर्णवत् । अत्यन्ताभावसम्बोधे यदि रूढिर् अलं भवेत्
If, in the clear realization of absolute non-existence, there could be any firm establishment of this world-appearance, which is like a mirage or the color of space, then let it be so.
तज् ज्ञातं ब्रह्मणो रूपं भवेन् नान्येन कर्मणा । दृश्यात्यन्ताभावतस् तु ऋते नान्या शुभा गतिः
That form of Brahman is known only by knowledge, not by any other action; apart from the complete absence of the seen, there is no other auspicious path.
अत्यन्ताभावसम्पत्तौ दृश्यस्यास्य यथास्थितेः । शिष्यते परमार्थो ऽसौ बुध्यते ज्ञायते ततः
When there is attainment of absolute non-existence regarding the seen, as it truly is, then the ultimate reality remains; it is then understood and realized.
न चिद् अप्रतिबिम्बास्ति दृश्याभावाद् ऋते क्वचित् । क्व विना प्रतिबिम्बेन किलादर्शो ऽवतिष्ठते
There is no reflection of consciousness anywhere without an object to reflect; for, without a reflection, how indeed does a mirror exist?
जगन्नाम्नो ऽस्य दृश्यस्य सत्तासम्भवनं विना । बुध्यते परमं तत्त्वं न कदाचन केनचित्
Without the possibility of the existence of this visible world called 'universe,' no one ever realizes the supreme truth.
इयतो दृश्यजालस्य ब्रह्माण्डस्य जगत्स्थितेः । मुने कथम् असत्तास्ति क्व मेरुस् सर्षपोदरे
Given the presence of this network of appearances, the existence of the universe, O sage, how can non-existence be? Where is Mount Meru inside a mustard seed?
दिनानि कतिचिद् राम यदि तिष्ठस्य् अखिन्नधीः । साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्रपरमस् तद् अहं क्षणात्
If, for a few days, O Rāma, you remain with an unwearied mind, devoted to the company of the good and to true scriptures, then in a moment I will—
प्रमार्जयामि ते दृश्यं बोधे मृगजलं यथा । दृश्याभावे द्रष्टृता च शाम्येद् बोधो ऽवशिष्यते
—completely remove for you the visible world, as water in a mirage is dispelled by knowledge; when the seen is absent, the seerhood also ceases, and pure awareness remains.
द्रष्टृत्वं सति दृश्ये ऽस्मिन् दृश्यत्वं सत्य् अवेक्षके । एकत्वं सति हि द्वित्वे द्वित्वं चैकत्ववेदने
Seerhood exists only when there is something seen; being seen exists only when there is an observer. Duality exists only with unity, and unity is known only with duality.
एकाभावे द्वयोर् एव सिद्धिर् भवति नात्र हि । द्वित्वैक्यद्रष्टृदृश्यत्वक्षये सद् अवशिष्यते
When one is absent, the existence of the two cannot be; when the perception of duality and unity, of seer and seen, ceases, pure being remains.
अहन्तादि जगद्दृश्यं सर्वं ते मार्जयाम्य् अहम् । अत्यन्तासत्त्वसंवित्त्या मनोमकुरतो मलम्
I will wipe away for you all the visible world, from the sense of 'I' and so on, by the knowledge of their utter non-existence, as one cleans the impurity from a mirror.
नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः । यत् तु नास्ति स्वभावेन कः क्लेशस् तत्प्रमार्जने
There is no existence for the unreal, nor is there non-existence for the real; when something does not exist by its own nature, what effort is needed to remove it?
जगद् आदाव् अनुत्पन्नं यच् चेदं दृश्यते ततम् । तत् स्वात्मन्य् एव विमले ब्रह्म चित्त्वात् स्वबृंहितम्
In the beginning, the world was not produced; and what is now seen as spread out is only the pure Self, Brahman, expanded by its own consciousness.
जगन् नाम न चोत्पन्नं न चास्ति न च दृश्यते । हेम्नीव कटकादित्वं किम् एतन्मार्जने श्रमः
What is called the world has not arisen, does not exist, and is not seen; just as there is no bracelet-nature in gold itself, why exert oneself to remove it?
तथैतद् विस्तरेणेह वक्ष्यामो बहुयुक्तिभिः । अबाधितं यथा नूनं स्वयम् एवानुभूयते
This will be explained here in detail with many reasons, so that it is certainly realized directly and without doubt.
आदाव् एव हि नोत्पन्नं यत् तस्येहास्तिता कुतः । कुतो मरौ जलसरिद् द्वितीयेन्दौ कुतो ग्रहः
That which was not produced in the beginning—how can it exist here now? How can there be a river in a mirage, or a second moon, or a planet there?
यथा वन्ध्यासुतो नास्ति यथा नास्ति मरौ जलम् । यथा नास्ति नभोवृक्षस् तथा नास्ति जगद्भ्रमः
Just as there is no son of a barren woman, no water in a mirage, and no tree in the sky, so too there is no delusion of the world.
यद् इदं दृश्यते राम तद् ब्रह्मैव निरामयम् । एतत् पुरस्ताद् वक्ष्यामो युक्तितो न गिरैव वः
What is seen here, O Rama, is only the pure Brahman; this will be explained to you ahead by reasoning, not merely by words.
यन् नाम युक्तिभिर् इह प्रवदन्ति तज्ज्ञास् तत्रावहेलनम् अयुक्तम् उदारबुद्धेः । यो युक्तियुक्तम् अवमत्य विमूढबुद्ध्या कष्टावहो भवति तं विदुर् अज्ञम् एव
What the wise declare here with reasoning should not be disregarded by one of noble intellect; but he who, with deluded understanding, disregards what is reasonable, is known to be ignorant and brings himself suffering.
कयैतज् ज्ञायते युक्त्या कथम् एतत् प्रसिध्यति । न्याये ऽनुभूत एतस्मिन् न ज्ञेयम् अवशिष्यते
By what means is this known, and how does it become established? When this is experienced through reasoning, nothing remains to be known.
बहुकालम् इयं रूढा मिथ्याज्ञानविषूचिका । जगन्नाम्नी विचाराख्याद् ऋते मन्त्रान् न शाम्यति
This fever of false knowledge, long entrenched and called the world, does not subside except through inquiry, not by recitation of mantras.
वदाम्य् आख्यायिका राम या इमा बोधसिद्धये । ताश् चेच् छृणोषि तत् साधो मुक्त एवासि बुद्धिमान्
I shall tell you stories, Rama, which are meant for the attainment of understanding; if you listen to them, O noble one, you will indeed be liberated and wise.
नो चेद् उद्वेगशीलत्वाद् अर्धाद् उत्थाय गच्छसि । तत् तिर्यग्धर्मिणस् ते ऽद्य किञ्चिन् नापि तु सेत्स्यति
If not, due to your restless nature, you will rise and depart halfway; then today, nothing at all will come to you of the path of higher beings.