पाषाणमौनप्रतिमं नकिञ्चिद् अभिशब्दितम् । यत् तत् किञ्चिद् इवोद्द्योतरूपं ब्रह्म जगत् स्मृतम्
That which is like the silence of a stone, not described by any word, appearing as if something, with a faint semblance of form—that is Brahman, remembered as the world.
विभात्य् अचेत्यचिद्व्योम्नि स्वसत्तैव जगत्तया । निराकारे निराकारा स्वप्नानुभवसन्निभा
In the space of non-cognition and non-being, its own existence alone shines forth as the world; formless in the formless, resembling the experience of a dream.
अनन्यद् आत्मनो ब्रह्म सर्वं भामात्ररूपकम् । प्रकाशनम् इवालोकẖ करोति न करोति च
Brahman, not other than the Self, is all—appearing as the radiance of consciousness; like light, it both illumines and does not illumine.
तेषु रामानुभूयन्ते जगल्लक्षेषु तत्र वै । उष्णानि चन्द्रवृन्दानि सूर्याश् शीतलमूर्तयः
There, O Rama, are experienced, among the marks of the world, moons that are hot, suns with cool forms.
प्रजास् तमसि पश्यन्ति पश्यन्त्य् एव न तेजसि । उलूकस्य समाचारास् तस्यैव सदृशस्वनाः
Creatures see in darkness, but do not see in light; their ways are like those of the owl, and their sounds are similar.
इतश् शुभेन नश्यन्ति यान्ति पापैस् तथा दिवम् । विषाशनेन जीवन्ति म्रियन्ते ऽमृतभोजनैः
Here, by virtue, they perish; by sin, they ascend to heaven; they live by eating poison and die by consuming nectar.
यद् यथा बुध्यते बोधो यथोदेत्य् अथ वा स्वतः । तथाशु स्फुटताम् एति सद् वासद् वा सद् एव तत्
Whatever awareness arises, whether it comes forth by itself or in some particular way, that alone quickly becomes clear as real or unreal; it is only that.
विटपाकारमूलौघदर्शनाद् वज्रशोभिभिः । घूर्णते पुष्पपत्त्राढ्यैḫ पादपैर् व्योम्नि काननम्
Because of the appearance of tree trunks, roots, and branches, the forest in the sky seems to sway with trees adorned with blossoms and leaves, shining like diamonds.
सिकताḫ पीडितास् सत्यस् स्रवन्ति स्नेहजं रसम् । शिलाफलहकेभ्यश् च जायन्ते कमलान्य् अलम्
When the sands are pressed, they truly ooze a sap born of moisture; and from rocky fruit-holders, lotuses abundantly arise.
दारुण्य् अश्मनि भित्तौ च चञ्चलास् सालभञ्जिकाः । गृहाङ्गनाभिस् सहिता गायन्ति कथयन्ति च
On wood, stone, and walls, the lively figures of salabhanjika maidens, together with the women of the house, sing and converse.
मेघान् परिदधत्य् उच्चैर् भूतान्य् उच्चैḫपटान् इव । प्रतिवर्षं विजातीयान्य् उत्पद्यन्ते फलान्य् अगे
The beings, like wearing lofty garments, bear clouds high above; and every year, different kinds of fruits arise at the tip.
सन्निवेशे न नियतैर् अङ्गानां विविधाङ्गकैः । शिरोभिस् सर्वभूतनि परिक्रामन्ति भूमिगैः
In their arrangement, with various limbs not fixed in place, all beings move about on the earth with heads as their only bodies.
शास्त्रवेदविहीनानि निर्धर्माण्य् एव कानिचित् । यत्किञ्चनैककारीणि तिर्यग्वत् त्रिजगन्त्य् अधः
Some worlds below are devoid of scriptures and Vedas, lacking in righteousness, acting in any way whatsoever, and behaving like animals.
कामसंवित्तिहीनानि निस्स्त्रीजातीनि कानिचित् । भूतैस् संशुष्कहृदयैर् व्याप्तान्य् अश्ममयैर् इव
Some are without desire or awareness, without any female kind; they are filled with beings whose hearts are dry, as if made of stone.
पवनाशनभूतानि समरत्नाश्मकानि च । अज्ञातार्थान्य् अलुब्धानि निर्गर्धानि च कानिचित्
Some beings subsist on air, some are like precious stones or rocks; some do not know their own purpose, some are free from greed, and some are without any possessions.
क्वचित् प्रत्येकम् आत्मानं पश्यत्य् आप्नोति नेतरत् । बहुभूतकम् अप्य् अस्ति जगद् इत्य् एकभूतकम्
In some places, an individual perceives only himself and attains nothing else; elsewhere, the world appears as consisting of many beings, yet also as a single entity.
नखकेशादिके यद्वत् तद्वद् अन्यत्र संस्थितिः । आत्मवत् सर्वभूतानाम् एकभूतात्मभावना
Just as there is existence in things like nails and hair, so too elsewhere; the notion of a single essence, like the self, is imagined in all beings.
अनन्तापारपर्यन्तं शून्यम् एव बहु क्वचित् । यन् न नस् संविद् आप्नोति तस्यान्ते ऽपि जगत् पुनः
In some places, there is only emptiness—endless, boundless, and infinite; wherever consciousness does not reach, even at the edge of that, the world appears again.
अत्यन्ताबुद्धबुद्धीनि मोक्षशब्दार्थदृष्टिषु । दारुयन्त्रमयाशेषभूतौघान्य् एव कानिचित्
Some beings are utterly lacking in awareness, even regarding the meaning of the word 'liberation'; they are like wooden machines, mere masses of living entities.
ऋक्षचक्रविहीनानि निष्कालकलनानि च । मूकसङ्केतसाराणि भूतजालानि कानिचित्
Some groups of beings are without constellations or cycles, devoid of calculation; their essence is mute indication, mere clusters of living things.
कानिचिद् वर्जितान्य् एव नेत्रशब्दार्थसंविदा । व्यर्थदीप्तार्कतेजांसि भूतानीत्य् एकचिन्तया
Some are entirely deprived of the awareness of sight, sound, and meaning; their radiance, like that of the sun, is fruitless, and they are regarded as beings only by a single thought.
घ्राणसंविद्विहीनानि व्यर्थामोदानि कानिचित् । मूकानि शब्दवैयर्थ्याच् छ्रुतिहीनानि कानिचित्
Some are without the awareness of smell, their fragrances wasted; some are mute because sound is useless to them, and some are without hearing.
वाक्यसंविद्विहीनत्वात् प्रमूकान्य् एव कानिचित् । स्पर्शसंविद्विहीनत्वाद् अश्माङ्गान्य् एव कानिचित्
Some beings are like the dumb, lacking the faculty of speech; some are like stones, lacking the faculty of touch.
संविन्मात्रमयान्य् एव दृष्टान्य् अपि च कानिचित् । व्यवहारीण्य् अथाग्राह्याण्य् एव नित्यं पिशाचवत्
Some are seen to be composed solely of consciousness; these, though engaged in worldly dealings, are always intangible, like spirits.
भूमयान्य् एकनिष्ठानि निष्पिण्डान्य् एव कानिचित् । जगन्ति व्योमरूपाणि तावत् तत्र कचन्ति खे
Some worlds are entirely grounded in earth, solid and compact; while others, having the form of space, float there in the sky.
कानिचिद् वारिपूर्णानि वह्निपूर्णानि कानिचित् । जगन्ति व्योमरूपाणि तावत् तत्र कचन्ति खे
Some worlds are filled with water, some with fire; and these worlds, having the form of space, float there in the sky.
धरापीठैकपूर्णेषु तिष्ठन्त्य् अन्येषु देहिनः । भेका इव शिलाकोशे कीटा इव धरोदरे
In those worlds filled solely with earth, embodied beings dwell, like frogs in a stone case or insects within the earth.
जलैकपरिपूर्णेषु निरब्ध्युर्वीवनाद्रिषु । भ्रमन्त्य् अन्येषु भूतानि नित्यम् एवोग्रमीनवत्
In those filled only with water, in waterless lands, forests, and mountains, other beings wander about constantly, like fierce fish.
अन्येष्व् अग्न्येकपूर्णेषु जलादिरहितान्य् अपि । भूतान्य् अग्निमयान्य् एव स्फुरन्त्य् अलम् अलातवत्
In those filled only with fire, even where water and other elements are absent, beings composed solely of fire move about, just like a whirling firebrand.
अन्येष्व् अनिलपूर्णेषु भूतान्य् अस्तेतराण्य् अपि । वातमात्रमयाङ्गानि स्फुरन्त्य् अर्जुनवातवत्
In those filled with wind, even if other elements are absent, beings whose bodies are made only of air move about, like the wind in the arjuna tree.