अमाने ऽकलिते सोम्ये ऽकाले ऽपरिणते चिरम् । शान्ते तस्मिन् परे व्योमन्य् आद्ये ह्य् अनुभवात्मनि
In that which is without measure, without division, gentle, timeless, unchanging, ever tranquil—that supreme space, the original essence of experience—
असङ्कल्पो महाशान्तो दिक्कालैर् अमिताकृतिः । अन्तर् महांश् चिदाकाशो वेत्तीव परमाणुताम्
There, free from thought, supremely peaceful, unbounded by directions or time, the vast inner space of consciousness seems to know even the subtlest atom.
असत्याम् एव ताम् अन्तर् भावयन् स्वप्नवत् स्वतः । ततस् स ब्रह्मशब्दार्थां वेत्ति चिद्रूपतां तताम्
Contemplating that unreality within, as one does a dream, he then realizes the meaning of the word 'Brahman'—the very essence of consciousness.
विद्भावो ऽनुभवत्य् अन्तश् चित्त्वाच् चिदणुतां निजाम् । ताम् एव पश्यतीवाथ ततो द्रष्टेव तिष्ठति
The knower, by virtue of consciousness, experiences within his own subtle awareness; he appears to see that very awareness, and thus stands as the seer.
यथा स्वप्ने मृतिं पश्यत्य् एक एवात्मनात्मनः । मृत एव मृतेर् द्रष्टा तथा चिदणुर् आत्मनि
Just as, in a dream, one sees his own death—being both the one who dies and the witness to the death—so too does the subtle consciousness in the self.
ततश् चिद्भाव एषो ऽन्तर् एक एव द्विताम् इव । पश्यन् खरूप एवास्ते द्रष्टृदृश्यम् इव स्थितः
Thus, this state of consciousness within is one alone, yet appears as if dual; perceiving, it remains as pure space, as if established as seer and seen.
चिद्भावश् शून्य एवातिनिराकारो ऽप्य् अणुं तनुम् । पश्यन् दृश्यम् इवोदेति द्रष्टेव च तदा द्विता
Consciousness, though truly void and utterly formless, seems to take on a subtle body; perceiving the seen, it arises as if dual—seer and seen.
प्रकाशम् अणुम् आत्मानं पश्यंस् तदनुभावतः । उच्छूनतां चेतयते बीजम् अङ्कुरताम् इव
Observing itself as a luminous atom, by the power of that experience, it perceives its own expansion—like a seed coming into sprout.
देशकालक्रियाद्रव्यद्रष्टृदर्शनदृग्दृशः । अर्थान्तरस्वभावेन तिष्ठन्त्य् अनुदिताभिधाः
Space, time, action, substance, seer, seeing, and the seen—all these, with their distinct natures, remain as unmanifest names.
चिदणुर् यत्र भातो ऽसौ देशो मितिम् उपागतः । यदा भातस् तदा कालो यद् भानं सा क्रिया स्मृता
Wherever the subtle consciousness shines, that is called 'space'; when it shines, that is 'time'; and its shining is regarded as 'action'.
उपलब्धं विदुर् द्रव्यं द्रष्टृतात्रोपलब्धृता । आलोकनं दर्शनता दृग् आलोकनकारणम्
They know that the perceived object is known through the perceiver; seeing is the act of perception, and the eye is the instrument for seeing.
एवम् उच्छूनता भाति मितानन्ताथ वा क्रमात् । असत्यैव नभस्य् एव नभोरूपैव निष्प्रमा
In this way, the appearance of increase or decrease seems to arise, whether limited or infinite, step by step; yet it is truly unreal, like a form in the sky, without any real substance.
चिदणोर् भासनं भातं तत्प्रदेशेन देहगम् । येन पश्यति तच् चक्षुस् तच् छ्रोत्रं येन च श्रुतिः
The shining of the atomic consciousness appears in the body through its presence; that by which one sees is the eye, and that by which one hears is the ear.
येन जिघ्रति तद् घ्राणं येन स्पृशति चर्म तत् । रस्यते येन सा जिह्वा सङ्ग्रहो ऽक्षदृशाम् इति
That by which one smells is the nose, that by which one touches is the skin, that by which one tastes is the tongue; this is the collection of the senses.
चिदणुप्रतिभासे ऽन्तḫ प्रथमं नामवर्जितम् । तन्मात्रवृन्दम् एतेषाम् एतदाकाशरूपि तत्
The first appearance of the atomic consciousness within is without any name; this is the group of subtle elements for these senses, and it has the nature of space.
चिदणुप्रतिभाकाशपिण्ड एकघनस्थितिः । अनुसन्धानविवशश् चेततीन्द्रियपञ्चकम्
The mass of atomic consciousness, appearing as a sphere of space, remains as a single undivided existence; this is the fivefold group of senses, compelled by the force of inquiry.
एवं चिदनुसन्धानं दृश्यपोषम् उपैत्य् अलम् । तद् एव ज्ञानम् इत्य् उक्तं बुद्धिर् इत्य् अभिधीयते
Thus, the inquiry into consciousness sufficiently nourishes the field of perception; this alone is called knowledge, and is also referred to as intellect.
ततो मनस्तया रूढम् अहङ्कारपदं गतम् । देशकालपरिच्छेद इत्य् अङ्गीकृत आत्मना
Then, established in this way by the intellect, it attains the state of ego, accepting limitation by space and time as its own nature.
चिदणोर् अस्य भावस्य प्रत्यग्रं यत्र वेदनम् । स तत्रोत्तरकालेन पूर्वाभिख्यां करिष्यति
Wherever there is the immediate awareness of this conscious essence, it will later assign to that awareness the previous designation.
अन्यस्मिन्न् एकदेशे ऽसाव् ऊर्ध्वाभिख्यां करिष्यति । एवं दिगभिधानादि कल्पयिष्यति स क्रमात्
In another place, it will assign a subsequent designation; thus, in sequence, it will construct names for directions and so forth.
देशकालक्रियाद्रव्यशब्दानाम् अर्थवेदनम् । भविष्यति स्वयम् असाव् आकाशविशदो ऽपि सन्
This awareness, though itself as clear as space, will naturally come to know the meaning of words such as place, time, action, substance, and sound.
इत्थं स्वानुभवेनैष व्योम्न्य् एव व्योमरूपधृत् । आतिवाहिकनामान्तर् देहस् सम्पद्यते चितः
In this way, by its own experience, this consciousness, taking on the form of space itself, attains a subtle body known as the 'mental body' within space.
एष एव चिरं कालं तत्र भावनया तया । गृह्णाति निश्चयं पूर्णम् आधिभौतिकम् आत्मनः
This very consciousness, for a long time there, through that contemplation, attains the complete conviction of its own physical embodiment.
व्योम्ना व्योम्न्य् एव रचितो निर्मलेनेति विभ्रमः । असतासत् समास्तीर्णं तापनद्या जलं यथा
The notion that it is formed in space, by space, and is pure, is a delusion—like water in a mirage, spread over what is real and unreal.
सङ्कल्पनाम् उपादत्ते स्वदेहे गगनाकृतिः । शिरश्शब्दार्थदां काञ्चित् पादशब्दार्थदां क्वचित्
It adopts, by imagination, forms in its own body—somewhere a sky-like head that gives the meaning of the word 'head,' elsewhere feet that give the meaning of the word 'foot.'
उरḫपार्श्वादिशब्दार्थमयीं क्वचिद् अनाबिलाम् । भावाभावग्रहोत्सर्गशब्दाद्यर्थमयीम् अपि
Elsewhere, it takes on a chest or sides composed of the meaning of those words, or even a body made up of the meanings of words like grasping, releasing, existence, and non-existence.
नियताकारकलनां देशकालादियन्त्रिताम् । विषयोन्मुखतां याताम् इन्द्रियव्रातवेधिताम्
The fixed conception of form, constrained by space, time, and other factors, turned toward objects, is struck by the group of senses.
सो ऽणुḫ पश्यत्य् अथाकारम् आत्मनस् स्वात्मकल्पितम् । हस्तपादादिकलितं चित्तादिकलनान्वितम्
Then that subtle one perceives a form of itself, imagined by itself, endowed with hands, feet, and so on, accompanied by the constructions of mind and the like.
एवं सम्पद्यते ब्रह्मा तथा सम्पद्यते हरिः । एवं सम्पद्यते रुद्र एवं सम्पद्यते क्रिमिः
Thus does Brahma come to be, thus does Hari come to be, thus does Rudra come to be, and thus does even a worm come to be.
न च किञ्चन सम्पन्नं यथास्थितम् अवस्थितम् । शून्यं शून्ये विलसितं ज्ञप्तौ ज्ञप्तिर् विजृम्भिता
And yet, nothing is actually accomplished; all remains as it is—emptiness shining in emptiness, cognition manifesting within cognition.