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When that activity, remaining thus, is withdrawn by the power of awareness, then it abides in that very way and is called Śiva.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,
तथा चलन्त्या लुठितं तस्या देहगतं जगत् । न लुठत्य् एव मकुरप्रतिबिम्बम् इव स्थितं
In the same way, when she moves, the world associated with her body appears to tumble, yet it does not truly tumble—just as the reflection in a mirror remains unmoved.
स त्रैलोक्यमहारम्भस् सत्यो ऽपि भ्रान्तिमात्रकम् । भ्रान्तिमात्रस्य के नाम लुठनालुठने वद
This great undertaking of the three worlds, though real, is nothing but a delusion; tell me, what falling or not falling can there be for something that is only a delusion?
कदा स्वप्नपुरं सत्यं कदा स्वप्नपुरं मुधा । कदा स्वप्नपुरं भग्नं कदा स्वप्नपुरं स्थितं
When is the city of dreams real? When is the city of dreams false? When is the city of dreams broken? When is the city of dreams intact?
भ्रान्तिर् न केवलं सैव दृश्यश्रीर् यावद् अग्रगाम् । त्वं विद्धीमाम् अपि भ्रान्तिं जगल्लक्ष्मीम् अवास्तवीम्
Delusion is not only that which is seen as external splendor, but also, know this: I too am a delusion—the fortune of the world, unreal.
सङ्कल्पने मनोराज्ये स्वप्ने सङ्कथने भ्रमे । यथा पुरानुभवनं त्रैलोक्यानुभवस् तथा
In imagination, in the kingdom of the mind, in dreams, in stories, in illusions—just as past experience occurs, so too is the experience of the three worlds.
अहम् इति जगद् इति स्वान्तर् भ्रान्तिर् इयं प्रकचतीव चितेः । परमाकाशकृशाङ्ग्याश् शाम्यति निपुणं परिज्ञाता
This delusion, shining forth within as 'I am' and 'this is the world,' appears in consciousness; when thoroughly understood, it quietly subsides, being as subtle as the highest space.
इति नृत्यति सा देवी दीर्घैर् दोर्दण्डमण्डलैः । परिस्पन्दात्मकैर् व्योम कुर्वाणा घनकाननम्
Thus, that goddess dances, her long arms forming circles, creating a dense forest in the sky with her movements full of vibration.
क्रियासौ नृत्यति तथा चितिशक्तिर् अनामया । अस्या विभूषणं शूर्पकुणालपटलादिकम्
That activity itself dances, the power of consciousness, free from affliction; her ornaments are things like winnowing baskets, bird feathers, and the like.
शरशक्तिगदाप्रासमुसुलासिशिलादि च । भावाभावपदार्थौघकलाकालक्रमादि च
Arrows, spears, maces, javelins, clubs, swords, stones, and the like, as well as the multitude of entities of existence and non-existence, the succession of time and moments—
चित्स्पन्दो ऽन्तर् जगद् धत्ते कल्पनेव पुरं हृदि । सैव वा जगद् इत्य् एव कल्पनैव यथा पुरं
The vibration of consciousness within projects the world, just as imagination creates a city in the heart; and that very thing, called the world, is nothing but imagination, just as before.