सौम्याम्भसि यथा वीचिर् न चास्ति न च नास्ति च । तथा जगद् ब्रह्मणीदं शून्याशून्यपदं गतम्
Just as a ripple on gentle water neither truly exists nor does not exist, so too this world has entered the state of both emptiness and non-emptiness within Brahman.
देशकालादिशान्तत्वात् पुत्रिकारचनं द्रुमे । सम्भवत्य् अजधातौ तु केन नान्तर् विमुह्यते
Because of the limits of place, time, and direction, the making of a doll from a tree is possible; but in the inert substratum, by whom and how could any inner confusion arise?
तत् स्तम्भपुत्रिकाद्य् एतत् परमार्थजगत्स्थितेः । एकदेशेन सदृशम् उपमानं न सर्वतः
Therefore, such examples as the doll or the tree only partially resemble the true state of the world; no comparison is entirely adequate.
न कदाचिद् उदेतीदं परस्मान् न च शाम्यति । इत्थंरूपं केवलं सद् ब्रह्म स्वात्मनि संस्थितम्
This world never arises from anything else, nor does it ever cease; in this way, only pure Brahman, of such a nature, abides in its own Self.
अशून्यापेक्षया शून्यशब्दार्थपरिकल्पना । अशून्यत्वासम्भवतश् शून्यताशून्यते कुतः
The concept of 'emptiness' is imagined only in relation to 'non-emptiness'; since true non-emptiness is impossible, how can there be either emptiness or non-emptiness?
ब्रह्मण्य् अयं प्रकाशो हि न सम्भवति भूतजः । सूर्यानलेन्दुतारादि कुतस् तत्र किलाव्यये
This radiance in Brahman does not arise from any material element; so how could sun, fire, moon, stars, or the like exist in that which is imperishable?
महाभूतप्रकाशानाम् अभावस् तम उच्यते । महाभूताभावजं तु तेनात्र न तमः क्वचित्
The absence of the light of the great elements is called darkness; but since there is no absence of the great elements here, therefore, there is never any darkness.
स्वानुभूतिप्रकाशो ऽस्य केवलं व्योमरूपिणः । यो ऽन्तर् अस्ति स तेनैव न त्व् अन्येनानुभूयते
Its illumination is only the direct experience of one whose nature is like space; whatever is within is known by that alone, not by anything else.
मुक्तं तमःप्रकाशाभ्याम् इत्य् एतद् अजरं पदम् । आकाशकोशम् एवैनं विद्धि कोशं जगत्स्थितेः
That state, free from both darkness and light, is the ageless abode; know it to be like the space within a vessel, the container of the world's existence.
बिल्वस्य बिल्वसञ्ज्ञस्य यथा भेदो न कश्चन । तथेह ब्रह्मजगतोर् न मनाग् अपि भिन्नता
Just as there is no real distinction in the fruit called bilva, so too, here, there is not the slightest separation between Brahman and the world.
सलिले ऽन्तर् यथा वीचिर् मृदो ऽन्तर् घटको यथा । तथा यत्र जगत्सत्ता तत् कथं खात्मकं भवेत्
As a wave exists within water, or a pot within clay, so too, wherever the existence of the world is found, how can it be of the nature of space?
मृज्जलाद्युपमानश्रीस् साकारात्रा समा न सा । ब्रह्म त्व् आकाशविशदं तस्यान्तस्स्थं तथैव तत्
The analogy of clay and water, though possessing form, is not truly equal; Brahman is pure like space, and the world exists within it in the same way.
तस्माद् यादृक् चिदाकाशम् आकाशाद् अपि निर्मलम् । तदन्तस्स्थं तादृग् एव जगच्छब्दार्थभाग् अपि
Therefore, just as consciousness-space is even purer than space, so too, whatever is contained within it—such as the world, words, and their meanings—has that very nature.
मरिचे ऽन्तर् यथा तैक्ष्ण्यम् ऋते भोक्तुर् न लक्ष्यते । चिन्मात्रत्वं पराकाशे तथा चेत्यकलां विना
Just as sharpness within a ray is not perceived except by the one who experiences it, so too, in the supreme space of consciousness, pure consciousness is not known apart from the objects of cognition.
तस्माच् चिद् अप्य् अचिद्रूपा चेत्यरिक्ततयात्मनि । जगत्ता तादृश्य् एवेयं तादृङ्मात्रात्मतावशा
Therefore, even consciousness appears as inert, since in itself it is devoid of objects; the existence of the world is just like that, compelled by the very nature of that reality.
रूपालोकमनस्कारास् तन्मया एव नेतरत् । यथास्थितम् अतो विश्वं सुषुप्तं तुर्यम् एव वा
Forms, light, and mental constructions are made only of that; nothing else. Thus, the entire universe, as it stands, is either in deep sleep or in the fourth state (turiya) alone.
तेन योगी सुषुप्तात्मा व्यवहार्य् अपि शान्तधीः । आस्ते ब्रह्म निराभासं सर्वभासां समुद्गकम्
Thus, the yogi, whose mind is tranquil and who abides in deep sleep-like awareness even while engaged in worldly activity, remains established in Brahman, which is without appearance and is the source of all appearances.
आकारिणि यथा सौम्ये स्थितस् तोये द्रवक्रमः । अनाकृतौ तथा विश्वं स्थितं तत्सदृशं परे
Just as fluidity remains in water, O gentle one, whether it takes form or not, so too does the universe exist in the Supreme, whether manifest or unmanifest, in the same way.
पूर्णात् पूर्णं प्रसरति निराकारान् निराकृति । ब्रह्मणो विश्वम् आभातं तद् विश्वार्थविवर्जितम्
From the Full arises the full; from the formless, the formless spreads forth; the universe appears from Brahman, yet that universe is devoid of any objective reality.
पूर्णात् पूर्णं प्रसरति संस्थितं पूर्णम् एव तत् । अतो विश्वम् अनुत्पन्नं यच् चोत्पन्नं तद् एव तत्
From the Full arises the full, and what is established is ever full; therefore, the universe is unborn, and whatever appears to be born is that very fullness.
चेत्यासम्भवतस् तस्मिन् पदे केव चिदर्थता । आस्वादकासम्भवतो मरिचे केव तीक्ष्णता
Where cognition cannot arise, how can there be any sense of objectivity in that state? Where there can be no experiencer, how can there be sharpness in a mirage?
सत्येवेयम् असत्यैव चितेश् चित्तोदिता परे । अभावात् प्रतिबिम्बस्य प्रतिबिम्बार्हता कुतः
This, though appearing as real, is in fact unreal, arising in the supreme consciousness from the mind; in the absence of a reflection, how can there be the status of a reflection?
परमाणोर् अपि परं तद् अणीयो ऽप्य् अणीयसः । शुद्धं सूक्ष्मं परं शान्तं तद् आकाशोदराद् अपि
It is subtler than even the subtlest atom, purer, more refined, supreme, and peaceful—more so than even the space within the sky.
दिक्कालाद्यनवच्छिन्नरूपत्वाद् अतिविस्तृतम् । तद् अनाद्यन्तम् आभासं भासनीयविवर्जितम्
Because it is not limited by directions, time, or anything else, it is exceedingly vast; it is beginningless and endless, an appearance without anything to be illuminated.
चिद्रूपम् एव नो यत्र लभ्यते तत्र जीवता । कथं स्याच् चित्तताकारा वासनानिलरूपिणी
Where only the essence of consciousness is found, how could there be the form of mind, which is shaped by the wind of latent impressions?
चिद्रूपानुदयाद् एव तत्र नास्त्य् एव जीवता । न बुद्धिता न चित्तत्वं नेन्द्रियत्वं न वासनाः
Because consciousness alone arises there, there is truly no living being; neither intellect, nor mind, nor senses, nor latent tendencies exist.
एवं स्थितं लयारम्भपूर्णम् अप्य् अजरं पदम् । अस्मद्दृष्ट्या स्थितं शान्तं शून्यम् आकाशतो ऽधिकम्
Thus established, even though it is full of dissolution and beginning, that ageless state remains; from our perspective, it is peaceful, empty, and greater than space.
परमार्थस्य किं रूपं तस्यानन्तचिदाकृतेः । पुनर् एतत् समाचक्ष्व निपुणं बोधवृद्धये
What is the nature of ultimate reality, whose form is infinite consciousness? Please explain this again in detail for the growth of understanding.
महाप्रलयसम्पत्तौ सर्वकारणकारणम् । शिष्यते यत् परं ब्रह्म तद् इदं वर्ण्यते शृणु
At the time of the great dissolution, what remains as the cause of all causes is the supreme Brahman; this is now described, listen.
नाशयित्वा स्वम् आत्मानं मनसो वृत्तिसङ्क्षये । यद् रूपं यद् अनाख्येयं तद् रूपं तस्य वस्तुनः
When one has dissolved oneself, with the cessation of the mind's activities, the form that is indescribable—that is the form of that reality.