क्वचिद् विद्युत्तयाभ्रेषु शफर्येवार्णवेष्व् इह । खस्थेषु विहृतं चारु वार्यावर्तविराविषु
At times, like lightning in the clouds or a minnow in the ocean, here, it moves gracefully among the sky, amidst the swirling eddies of water.
क्वचिद् दीपतया नीपकलिकाकोमलाङ्गया । अन्तḫपुरेषु कान्तानां सुरतालोकनं कृतम्
Elsewhere, by the glow of a lamp and the tender limbs of a young woman, the sight of lovers’ union is revealed within the inner chambers.
क्वचित् कज्जलजालस्य ज्वालात्वेन कचाकृतेः । खे ऽन्तर् निलीनं कूर्माङ्गसङ्घेनेव स्वकोटरे
Sometimes, within the mass of kohl, as the flame of a hair ornament, it is hidden in the sky, like a cluster of turtle bodies concealed in their own burrow.
कल्पान्तेषु क्वचित् सर्वजगद्ग्रासघनश्रमात् । खे कज्जलासिते लीनं रुद्धे ऽभ्र इव विद्युता
At the end of an age, exhausted by the dense effort of consuming the entire world, it is absorbed in the blackness of the sky, like lightning blocked by a cloud.
क्वचिद् आकल्पम् आपीय वडवाग्नितया जलम् । जगत्सु गगनेनेव न तृप्तं जलराशिषु
Sometimes, having drunk up all the water as the submarine fire, the sky, though filled with oceans, is not satisfied by the abundance of water in the worlds.
क्वचिद् उल्मुकदन्तेन मया ज्वालाभुजात्मना । विलोलधूमावर्तोग्रकुन्तलेनाकुलौजसा
Elsewhere, with flaming teeth and a fiery nature, I, with wild whirling smoke and fierce, tangled locks, am agitated with intense energy.
पुरपल्वलवाहेषु कवलीकृतजन्तुना । कृताष् टकाराẖ काष्ठादिपदार्थास्वादनोदिताः
In the streams flowing through city marshes, having swallowed living creatures, the sounds of 'ṭa' are uttered, prompted by the tasting of wood and other substances.
हतेन शस्त्रपाषाणैर् अयḫपिण्डादिवासिना । हन्तृदाहार्थम् उद्गीर्णाẖ कणाẖ कोपलवाẖ क्वचित्
Sometimes, struck by weapons or stones, or by one dwelling in an iron lump, particles are expelled for burning the slayer, as sparks of anger.
क्वचिन् महाशिलाकोशे पाषाणमणिना मया । समस्तभूतादृश्येन स्थितं युगशतान्य् अपि
At one time, within a great cavern of stone, I remained for hundreds of ages, unseen by all beings, like a gem embedded in rock.
मुने तस्याम् अवस्थायाम् अनुभूतं त्वया सुखम् । उत दुẖखम् इति ब्रूहि बोधाय मम मानद
O sage, in that state, did you experience happiness or sorrow? Tell me, O giver of honor, for my understanding.
यथा याति नरस् सुप्तो जडतां चेतनो ऽपि सन् । चिद्व्योम गच्छद् दृश्यत्वं तथा जाड्यं प्रचेतति
Just as a person, though conscious, enters dullness when asleep, so too, when consciousness moves into the space of awareness, dullness arises and becomes apparent.
आत्मानं चेतति ब्रह्म पृथ्व्यादीव यदा तदा । सुप्तं जडम् इवास्ते ऽन्तस् स्याद् अस्य न तद् अन्यथा
When the Self perceives itself as Brahman, just as earth and other elements, then it remains within as if asleep and inert; otherwise, it is not so.
वस्तुतस् त्व् अस्य खोर्व्यादि नासद्रूपं न सन्मयम् । द्रष्टृदृश्यम् इवाभाति ब्रह्मैवैतत् समं स्थितम्
In truth, its nature is neither non-existent nor composed of elements like space and earth; it appears as subject and object, yet it is Brahman alone, equally abiding.
एतत् सत्यं परिज्ञानं यस्योत्पन्नम् अखण्डितम् । न तस्य पञ्चभूतानि न द्रष्टृदृश्यविभ्रमः
This is true and complete knowledge: for one in whom it has arisen, there are neither the five elements nor the confusion of subject and object.
तदा मयैवं शुद्धेन तत् कृतं ब्रह्मरूपिणा । ब्रह्मरूपाद् ऋते किञ्चिद् एतत् कर्तुं न युज्यते
Then, by me, pure and of the nature of Brahman, it was accomplished; apart from the form of Brahman, nothing else can be done.
यदा सर्वम् इदं दृश्यं ज्ञातं ब्रह्म निरामयम् । तदा ब्रह्मपदस्थेन मयात्मैवैवम् ईक्षितः
When all this visible world is known as Brahman, free from affliction, then, established in the state of Brahman, I perceived my own Self in this way.
यदा पुनर् अहं पञ्चभूतानीत्य् एव भावयन् । भवामि जड एवाहं तदा चेतामि किं किल
But when I keep thinking, 'I am only the five elements,' then I become insentient; what, indeed, can I be conscious of at that time?
सुप्तो ऽस्मीति दृढं भावं बुद्धवांश् चेतनो ऽपि सन् । नैद्रम् एवैत्य् अलं जाड्यं न स चेतति किञ्चन
Even if one is conscious, when he firmly holds the thought, 'I am asleep,' he does not experience sleep, but remains simply inert, not aware of anything.
यस् तु प्रज्ञाप्रबुद्धात्मा देहस् तस्याधिभौतिकः । शाम्यत्य् उदेति विमलो बोधात्मैवातिवाहिकः
But he whose self is awakened in wisdom—his body, though material, becomes calm and pure, and his very essence is the subtle body of consciousness.
आतिवाहिकदेहेन तेन बोधात्मनाणुना । बृहता वा यथाकामं निर्वाणात्मा स तिष्ठते
With that subtle body, which is the body of consciousness—whether minute or vast as he wishes—the self established in liberation abides.
बोधदेहेन हृदयं शिलानाम् अप्य् अभेदिना । प्रविश्याशु विनिर्याति याति पातालम् अम्बरम्
With the body of consciousness, which can penetrate even the heart of stones without obstruction, he swiftly enters and exits, reaching the netherworld or the sky.
तस्मान् मया पुरा राम बोधदेहेन तत् तदा । तथा कृतम् अनन्तेन चिन्मयव्योमरूपिणा
Therefore, O Rama, in the past I too, with that infinite body of consciousness, which is of the nature of pure space, did likewise.
वज्रपाषाणपातालनभोऽन्तरगमागमान् । कुर्वतस् तादृशस्याशु न विघ्न उपजायते
For one such as this, who moves through adamant, stone, the netherworld, and the sky, no obstacle arises, even in the least.
बोधमात्रशरीरेण यावद् आस्ते जडेष्व् असौ । पदार्थेषु तथाभूतस् तावत् तत्रावतिष्ठते
As long as he remains among inert objects with only the body of consciousness, he abides there in that very manner, among those things.
स्वेच्छयैव चलित्वाथ ततो ऽन्यत्र प्रयाति चेत् । तत् तत्रैव स्थितिं याति तथैवाङ्ग मतिर् यथा
If, by its own will, the mind moves and then goes elsewhere, then there itself it comes to rest, O dear one, just as the mind does.
बोधमात्रं विदुर् देहम् आतिवाहिकम् अव्ययम् । इदानीं त्वं तम् एवेह बुद्धो ऽनुभवसि स्वयम्
They know the subtle, indestructible body as pure consciousness alone; and now, you yourself, awakened, directly experience that here.
चिन्मात्रव्योमरूपो ऽस्मीत्य् अर्कादाव् इति बोधतः । आत्मैवास्तम् उपानीतस् सन्न् एवासन्न् इवात्मना
Knowing 'I am of the nature of pure consciousness, like the expanse of space,' whether in the sun or elsewhere, the Self alone is brought to rest—truly present, yet as if absent, by itself.
स्थितं स्वप्नादिजगति तमसेवासतेव वा । आवृतेनेव वान्यासाम् अलभ्येन सता दृशाम्
Established in the world of dream and so on, as if in darkness or as if veiled, or as if covered by something else, it remains unseen by the eyes, though it truly exists.
तरङ्गलेखयाङ्गारसरितस् स्वाङ्गलग्नया । मनोराज्यश्रियेवाशु प्रोत्पन्नस्तब्धदेहया
Like a wave-mark on a river of embers, clinging to one's own limbs; like the splendor of a kingdom in the mind, swiftly arising with a rigid body.
कज्जलालिकया वह्निविपिने पुष्पशोभया । फुल्लत्स्थलाम्बुजासारकिंशुकाशोकरूपया
Like a streak of lampblack in a forest fire adorned with flowers; like the form of blooming lotuses, Butea, and Ashoka flowers on a blossoming plain.