जीवन्मुक्तत्वम् अस्मिंस् तु श्रुते समनुभूयते । स्वयम् एव यथा पीते नीरोगत्वं वरौषधे
In this scripture, the state of liberation while living is directly experienced, just as health is experienced upon drinking a supreme medicine.
श्रूयमाणे हि शास्त्रे ऽस्मिञ् श्रोता वेत्त्य् एतद् आत्मना । यथावद् इदम् अस्माभिर् न तूक्तं वरशापवत्
For, when this scripture is heard, the listener knows this by himself; we have not spoken this arbitrarily, like a curse or a boon.
शाम्यति संसृतिदुःखम् इदं ते स्वात्मविचारमहाकथयैव । नो धनदानतपश्श्रुतवेदैस् तत्कथनोज्झितयत्नशतेन
This suffering of worldly existence is pacified only by the great discourse of self-inquiry; not by wealth, charity, austerity, study of the Vedas, nor by hundreds of other efforts devoid of such inquiry.
तच्चित्तास् तद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् । कथयन्तश् च तन् नित्यं तुष्यन्ति रमयन्ति ये
Those whose minds are thus absorbed, whose life-breath is fixed therein, who awaken one another and speak of that always—such people rejoice and delight.
तेषां ज्ञानैकनिष्ठानाम् आत्मज्ञानविचारणात् । सा जीवन्मुक्ततोदेति विदेहोन्मुक्ततैव या
For those established solely in knowledge, through investigation into self-knowledge, arises that very state of liberation while living, which is also called disembodied liberation.
ब्रह्मन् विदेहमुक्तस्य जीवन्मुक्तस्य लक्षणम् । ब्रूहि येन तथैवाहं यते शास्त्रदृशा धिया
O Brahman, describe the characteristics of one liberated while living and one liberated after death, so that I may likewise strive, guided by the vision of scripture and reason.
यथास्थितम् इदं यस्य व्यवहारवतो ऽपि च । अस्तङ्गतं स्थितं व्योम स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He for whom this world, though engaged in activity, remains as vanished and abiding as space—he is called liberated while living.
बोधैकनिष्ठतां यातो जागर्त्य् एव सुषुप्तवत् । य आस्ते व्यवहर्तैव स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who has attained steadfastness in knowledge, who remains awake even as in deep sleep, who simply abides and acts—he is called liberated while living.
नोदेति नास्तम् आयाति सुखे दुःखे मुखप्रभा । यथाप्राप्तस्थितेर् यस्य स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He whose radiance of face does not rise or set in happiness or sorrow, who remains as he is, whatever comes—he is called liberated while living.
यो जागर्ति सुषुप्तस्थो यस्य जाग्रन् न विद्यते । यस्य निर्वासनो बोधस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who is awake while abiding in deep sleep, for whom waking does not exist, whose awareness is without impressions—he is called liberated while living.
रागद्वेषभयादीनाम् अनुरूपं चरन्न् अपि । यो ऽन्तर् व्योमवद् अत्यच्छस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who, though acting in accordance with attraction, aversion, and fear, remains inwardly utterly clear like space—he is called a jīvanmukta, one liberated while living.
यस्य नाहङ्कृतो भावो बुद्धिर् यस्य न लिप्यते । कुर्वतो ऽकुर्वतो वापि स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He whose sense of 'I' is absent, whose intellect is not tainted, whether acting or not acting—he is called a jīvanmukta.
यश् चोन्मेषनिमेषाभ्यां विधेः प्रलयसम्भवौ । पश्येत् त्रिलोक्याः खसमस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who sees, in the opening and closing of the eyes, the creation and dissolution of the universe, as if it were space—he is called a jīvanmukta.
भोक्तैव यो न भोक्तैव शुद्धबोधैकतां गतः । बुद्धस् सुप्त इवास्ते ऽन्तस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who is as if an enjoyer and yet not an enjoyer, who has attained pure awareness alone, who abides inwardly like one awakened yet asleep—he is called a jīvanmukta.
नित्यं द्रष्टैव चाद्रष्टा जीवन्न् एव मृतोपमः । व्यवहर्तैव शैलाभस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who is always a seer and yet not a seer, living yet like one dead, who acts in the world yet is unmoving like a mountain—he is called a jīvanmukta.
यस्मान् नोद्विजते लोको लोकान् नोद्विजते च यः । हर्षामर्षभयोन्मुक्तस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He from whom the world does not recoil, and who does not recoil from the world, who is free from delight and resentment—he is called a jīvanmukta.
शान्तसंसारकलनः कलावान् अपि निष्कलः । यस् सचित्तो ऽपि निश्चित्तस् स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He whose calculation of worldly affairs is pacified, who, though possessing parts, is partless, who, though having a mind, is as if mindless—he is called a jīvanmukta.
यस् समस्तार्थजातेषु व्यवहार्य् अपि शीतलः । परार्थेष्व् इव पूर्णात्मा स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
He who, though engaged in all kinds of activities, remains cool, whose self is full as if for the sake of others—he is called a jīvanmukta.
जीवन्मुक्तपदं त्यक्त्वा देहे कालवशात् क्षते । चिद् यात्य् अदेहमुक्तत्वं पवनो ऽस्पन्दताम् इव
Having relinquished the state of liberation while living, when the body is destroyed by the force of time, consciousness attains bodiless liberation, just as the wind becomes still.
विदेहमुक्तो नोदेति नास्तम् एति न शाम्यति । न सन् नासन् न दूरस्थं न चाहं न च वेतरत्
The one liberated without a body neither arises nor sets nor ceases; neither existent nor nonexistent, neither distant nor near, neither 'I' nor other than 'I'.
सूर्यो भूत्वा प्रतपति विष्णुः पाति जगत्त्रयम् । रुद्रस् सर्वान् संहरति सर्वान् सृजति पद्मभूः
Becoming the sun, it shines; as Vishnu, it protects the three worlds; as Rudra, it dissolves all; as Padmabhū (Brahma), it creates all.
खं भूत्वा पवनस्कन्धान् धत्ते सर्क्षसुरासुरान् । कुलाचलगणो भूत्वा लोकपालपुरास्पदम्
Becoming space, it sustains the currents of wind along with the stars, gods, and demons; becoming the mass of mountain ranges, it serves as the abode of the guardians of the worlds.
भूमिर् भूत्वा बिभर्तीमां लोकस्थितिम् अखण्डिताम् । तृणगुल्मलता भूत्वा ददाति फलसन्ततिम्
Becoming earth, it upholds the unbroken existence of these worlds; becoming grass, shrubs, and creepers, it produces a succession of fruits.
बिभ्रज् जलानलाकारञ् ज्वलति द्रवति द्रुतः । चन्द्रो ऽमृतं प्रसवति मृतिं हालाहलं विषम्
It shines in the forms of water and fire, blazing, melting, and flowing; as the moon, it generates nectar, as death, it produces poison and calamity.
तेजः प्रकटयत्य् आशास् तनोत्य् आन्ध्यं तमो भवन् । शून्यं सन् व्योमताम् एति गिरिस् सन् रोधयत्य् अलम्
Light reveals hope, darkness spreads blindness; being void, it becomes the nature of space; being a mountain, it obstructs abundantly.
करोति जङ्गमं चित्त्वे स्थावरं स्थावराक्र्टिः । भूत्वार्णवो वलयति भूस्त्रियं वलयो यथा
It makes the moving as mind, the unmoving as the form of the unmoving; becoming the ocean, it encircles the earth as a bracelet encircles a woman's arm.
परमार्कवपुर् भूत्वा प्रकाशे ऽन्तर् विसारयन् । त्रिजगत्त्रसरेण्वोघं शान्तम् एवावतिष्ठति
Becoming the very form of the supreme sun, spreading radiance within, he remains tranquil, even as the flood of the world's fears surges.
यत् किञ्चिद् इदम् आभाति भातं वा भाम् उपैष्यति । कालत्रयगतं दृश्यं तद् असौ सर्वम् एव वा
Whatever appears here, or will appear, or has appeared—whatever is seen in the three times—all that is truly only that.
कथम् एवं वद ब्रह्मन् भूयते विषमा हि मे । दृष्टिर् एषा तु दुष्प्रापा दुराक्रम्येति निश्चयः
How, O Brahman, does it become so? For my understanding is troubled; this vision is difficult to attain and hard to grasp—this is certain.
मुक्तिर् एषोच्यते राम ब्रह्मैतत् समुदाहृतम् । निर्वाणम् एतत् कथितं शृणु सम्प्राप्यते कथम्
This is called liberation, O Rama; this is declared to be Brahman. This is described as nirvana; listen to how it is attained.