शिवयोर् व्योमरूपत्वाद् असितं लक्ष्यते वपुः । नभो हि मांसम् एताभ्यां दृष्टिकृष्टं विलोक्यते
Because Shiva and his consort are of the nature of space, their form is perceived as dark; for space, through their gaze, is seen as flesh.
आस्ते नभो नभस्य् एव तेन तौ नभसि स्थितौ । नभोनिभाव् अभूताङ्गाव् अच्छौ व्योम्न इवाग्रजौ
Space abides only in space, thus those two remain in space; their bodies, made of space, are pure, like the eldest among the elements.
हस्तपादांसमूर्ध्नां यद् बहुत्वाल्पत्वभेदतः । नानात्वं हलशूर्पादिस्रग्धरत्वं च तच् छृणु
The diversity of hands, feet, shoulders, and heads, due to differences in number and size, as well as the variety of holding ploughs, sieves, and garlands—listen to this.
सा हि क्रिया भगवती परिस्पन्दैकरूपिणी । दद्यात् स्नायाच् च जुहुयाद् इत्याद्युग्रशरीरिणी
That divine activity, which is solely of the nature of vibration, gives rise to actions such as offering, bathing, and sacrificing, and is the fierce embodiment of the body.
चितिशक्तिर् अनाद्यन्ता तथाभातात्मनात्मनि । साकाशरूपिणी शान्ता दृश्यश्रीस् स्पन्दरूपिणी
The power of consciousness, without beginning or end, from the self as it truly is, appears with form, is peaceful, and is the splendor of what is seen, of the nature of vibration.
देव्यास् तस्या हि याẖ काल्या नानाभिनयवर्तनाः । ता इमा ब्रह्मणस् सर्गजरामरणरीतयः
The various gestures and actions of that goddess Kali are these ways of creation, aging, and death belonging to Brahma.
क्रियासौ ग्रामनगरद्वीपमण्डलमालिकाः । स्पन्दात् करोति धत्ते ऽन्तẖ कल्पितावयवात्मिकाः
That activity, through its vibration, produces and sustains chains of villages, cities, islands, and regions, all imagined as composed of various parts.
काली कमलिनी काली क्रिया ब्रह्माण्डकालिका । धत्ते स्वावयवीभूतां दृश्यलक्ष्मीम् इमां हृदि
Kālī, the lotus-born Kālī, the activity, the cosmic Kālī—she holds within the heart this visible prosperity, having become her own limbs.
न कदाचन चिद्देवी निर्दृश्यावयवा क्वचित् । शिवत्वव्यतिरेकेण शिवतैव विदृश्यता
The goddess of consciousness is never, anywhere, possessed of visible parts; apart from the state of Śiva, only Śiva is to be seen.
यथाङ्गं शून्यता व्योम्नस् स्पन्दनं मातरिश्वनः । ज्योत्स्नायाश् शैत्यम् अङ्गं हि दृश्यम् एवं चितेẖ क्रिया
Just as emptiness is an aspect of space, movement of air, and coolness of moonlight are aspects of their respective sources, so too is activity an aspect of consciousness.
शिवं शान्तम् अनायासम् अवाच्यं विद्धि निर्मलम् । न मनाग् अपि तत्रास्ति स्तैमित्यात् स्पन्दधर्मता
Know Śiva as peaceful, effortless, inexpressible, and pure; there, not even the slightest trace of the quality of vibration exists, due to perfect stillness.
सा क्रियैव तथारूपा सती बोधवशाद् यदा । व्यावृत्त्यैव तथैवास्ते शिव इत्य् उच्यते तदा
When that activity, remaining thus, is withdrawn by the power of awareness, then it abides in that very way and is called Śiva.
चितिशक्तेẖ क्रियादेव्याḫ प्रतिष्ठानं यदात्मनि । तथाभूतस्थितेर् एव तदैव शिव उच्यते
When the foundation of the goddess of activity, the power of consciousness, is established in itself, that very state is called Śiva.
देव्याẖ क्रियायाश् चिच्छक्तेẖ खरूपिण्या महाकृतेः । कल्पिताकारधारिण्या अनन्यावयवा इमे
These forms, imagined as possessing shape, are none other than the activity of the goddess, the power of consciousness, the one of the nature of space, the great doer, without any other parts.
सर्गास् सजनतावर्गा लोका आलोकभासुराः । सद्वीपसागराḫ पृथ्व्यस् सवनावनयो ऽद्रयः
Creations, assemblies of beings, worlds radiant with light, continents and oceans, the earth with its forests and mountains—
साङ्गोपाङ्गास् त्रयो वेदास् सविद्यास्थानगीतयः । सविधिप्रतिषेधार्थास् सशुभाशुभकल्पनाः
The three Vedas with their limbs and sub-limbs, places of learning and songs, purposes of injunction and prohibition, and the conceptions of auspicious and inauspicious—
सदक्षिणाग्नयो यज्ञाḫ पुरोडाशाज्यशंसिनः । कुणालोलूखलबृसीशूर्पयूपादिसंयुताः
Sacrificial fires with their offerings, rituals accompanied by cakes and clarified butter, together with mortars, pestles, sieves, posts, and other implements—
सङ्ग्रामास् सायुधग्रामास् सशूलशरशक्तयः । सभुसुण्डिगदाप्रासहयेभभटभासुराः
Battles, villages armed with weapons, spears, arrows, and javelins, and assemblies shining with clubs, maces, lances, elephants, warriors—
जातयो भूतसङ्घानां चतुर्दश सुरादिकाः । चतुर्दशाब्धिद्वीपोर्व्यस् तथा लोकाश् चतुर्दश
The fourteen kinds of beings, beginning with the gods, the fourteen oceans, continents, and earths, as well as the fourteen worlds—
चितेẖ कालीशरीरिण्यास् सर्गा ये ऽङ्गे स्थितास् तथा । ते किम् आत्मनि सत्यास् स्युर् उतासत्या वदेति मे
Those creations which exist as limbs in the body of Kali, which is consciousness—are they truly real in the Self, or are they unreal? Tell me.
रामासौ किल चिच्छक्तिस् तया यच् चोदितं तथा । तत् प्रचेतितम् एवान्तस् सत्यं चेदम् इवाखिलम्
O Rama, that consciousness-power, whatever is prompted by it, is perceived within; all this is indeed true, just as it appears.
न तत् प्रबिम्बितं बाह्यान् मकुरप्रतिबिम्बवत् । सत्यं तद् अन्तर् एवास्ति चितेर् नासत्यम् अर्थतः
It is not reflected externally like an image in a mirror; it exists truly within consciousness, and is not unreal in essence.
चिद्रूपस्य तथाप्य् अन्तस् सत् सङ्कल्पपुरं भवेत् । दृढध्यानाद् विशुद्धायाश् चितेर् भवतु मा कथम्
Yet, within the consciousness-nature, the city of imagination may exist; how could it not arise in the purified mind through steadfast meditation?
आदर्शे ऽस्त्व् अथ वा स्वप्ने सर्गस् सङ्कल्पने ऽस्तु वा । स आत्मन्य् अर्थकारित्वात् सत्य इत्य् एव मे मतिः
Whether it is in a mirror, or in a dream, or in imagination, creation may appear—because it serves a purpose for oneself, I consider it real.
मम नार्थाय स इति वक्षि चेत् तत् कथं न ते । देशान्तरगतास् सर्वे भवन्त्य् अर्थाय सम्प्रति
If you say, 'That is of no use to me,' then how is it not so for you? All things that are elsewhere now become meaningful for you.
यथा देशान्तरग्रामस् तद्गतस्यार्थकृद् भवेत् । सर्वे तथैते तद्भावं गतस्यार्थाय निश्चयात्
Just as a distant village is useful to one who is there, so too all these things, for one who has reached that state, are certainly meaningful.
यद् यथाभूतसर्वार्थक्रियाकारि प्रदृश्यते । तत् सत्यम् आत्मनो ऽन्यस्य नैव तत्ताम् उपेयुषः
Whatever is seen to perform all its functions as it truly is, that is real for oneself, but not for another who has not attained that state.
तस्माच् चिच्छक्तिकोशस्थास् सर्वास् सर्गपरम्पराः । सत्या आत्मनि तद्भावं गतस्यान्यस्य नाखिलाः
Therefore, all the series of creations abiding in the sheath of consciousness are real for the one who has attained that state, but not entirely so for another.
भूतभव्यभविष्यत्स्थास् सङ्कल्पस्वप्नपूर्गणाः । सर्वे सत्याḫ परं तत्त्वं सर्वात्म कथम् अन्यथा
All the groups of imaginations and dreams, whether of the past, present, or future, are real; how could the supreme reality, the Self of all, be otherwise?
चालितस्य यथा गाढनिद्रस्य स्वप्नपत्तनम् । न लुठत्य् एव लुठितम् इत्य् अप्य् अनुमितं स्फुटम्
Just as the city seen in deep sleep by one who is disturbed does not actually roll about, yet is clearly inferred to have done so in the dream,