तत् किमर्थम् अनर्थाय निरर्थकम् अपार्थकाः । कस्माद् अभ्युदिता ब्रूहि रागद्वेषभयादयः
Then for what reason, and to what purpose, have these meaningless and purposeless things—such as desire, aversion, and fear—arisen? Tell me why.
वस्तुतो ऽङ्ग न सर्गादिर् न सर्गो नाप्य् असर्गता । विद्यते सकृदाभातम् इदम् इत्थं सद् एव तत्
In truth, my friend, there is neither creation nor non-creation; this has appeared only once, and thus, it is ever-existent.
अशून्ये विपुलाभोगे स्वच्छचिज्जलपूरिते । कलनापङ्ककलिले भविष्यच्चित्तदर्दुरे
In the non-empty, filled with abundant enjoyment, pervaded by the clear waters of consciousness, muddied by the stains of thought, and in the frog of the future mind—
अन्तरिक्षाक्षयक्षेत्रे खात्मनो गगनात्मिका । तस्माद् बीजाद् इयं जाता भूरिभूतशिलावलिः
In the field of the imperishable sky, in the self that is space, of the nature of the firmament, from that seed has arisen this multitude of earth, stones, and elements.
नास्ति किञ्चिद् इह क्षेत्रं व्युप्तं च न च किञ्चन । न बीजम् अस्ति नो जातं किञ्चित् सर्वं च संस्थितम्
Here, there is no field, nor is anything sown; there is no seed, nor has anything arisen; yet all remains established.
याश् शिलावलयस् त्व् अत्र पुष्टास् ता विबुधादयः । यास् तु वर्णोज्ज्वला एतास् तास् स्थिता बुद्धबुद्धयः
Those stone-like formations here that are well-formed are the gods and others; those that are radiant in color are the awakened intellects.
यास् त्व् अर्धपक्वास् ता एता नरनागादिजातयः । यास् त्व् आश्याना रजोनष्टास् ताẖ क्रिमिस्थावरादयः
Those that are half-cooked are the lineages of humans, serpents, and others; those that are inert, with their dust gone, are the worms, immobile beings, and the like.
यास् त्व् अगुर्व्यḫ फलैर् हीनाश् शून्याकाराẖ क्षयं गताः । अशरीराश् शरीरिण्यस् ताḫ पिशाचादिकास् स्मृताः
Those that are light, lacking fruit, void in form, and perished—those bodiless beings who once had bodies are known as piśācas and the like.
न हि सङ्कल्पिनस् स्वेच्छा क्वचित् पर्यनुयुज्यते । तास् तथेच्छा विरिञ्चस्य तथा राम तदोदिताः
Indeed, the willful ones are never constrained by their own wish anywhere; these, according to the will of the Creator, O Rāma, are thus described.
सर्वा एव चिदाकाशरूपिण्यो भूतजातयः । आतिवाहिकदेहिन्यḫ पृथ्व्यादिरहितात्मिकाः
All these classes of beings are forms of the space of consciousness, possessing subtle bodies, whose nature is devoid of earth and the other elements.
ताश् चिराभ्यासवशतस् त्व् आधिभौतिकसंविदम् । प्राप्ता दीर्घानुभवनात् स्वप्ना जाग्रद्दशाम् इव
By the force of long practice, they have attained the experience of the material world; through prolonged experience, dreams become like the waking state.
पिशाचाद्यास् तथा ह्य् एते तथाभूताधिभौतिकाः । तिष्ठन्ति तुष्टमनसस् स्वसंसारविहारिणः
Thus, these piśācas and others, being of such a material nature, remain content in mind, each enjoying their own world-cycle.
पश्यन्ति काश्चिद् अन्योऽन्यं ग्राम्या ग्रामेयकान् इव । स्वप्नैकलोकवास्तव्या इवैता भूतजातयः
Some beings see each other as villagers see other villagers, as if they all dwell together in a single world of dream.
काश्चिद् बहुनरप्राप्तस्वप्ननिर्माणलोकवत् । नान्योऽन्यम् अभिपश्यन्ति नानासंस्थानसंस्थितिम्
Some, like inhabitants of worlds created in rare and distant dreams, do not perceive one another, each remaining in their own distinct state.
स्थिता यथैता जगति पिशाचाद्याẖ कुजातयः । प्रायस् तथैताẖ कुम्भाण्डयक्षप्रेतादयस् स्थिताः
Just as goblins and other lowly beings exist in this world, so too do beings like kumbhāṇḍas, yakṣas, and pretas generally remain in their own domains.
यथा यत्रेह वै नागा जलं तत्रैव तिष्ठते । तथा यत्र पिशाचाद्यास् तमस् तत्रावतिष्ठते
Just as water remains wherever there are serpents, so too does darkness abide wherever goblins and such beings are present.
मध्याह्ने ऽपि पिशाचश् चेद् अजिरे तिष्ठति स्वयम् । तत् तस्यान्धं तमस् तत्र सन्निधानं करोत्य् अलम्
Even if a goblin stands in a courtyard at midday, a deep darkness arises there for him alone, sufficient for his presence.
न निहन्ति च तद् भानुर् न चान्यस् तत् प्रपश्यति । स एव चानुभवति पश्य मायाविजृम्भितम्
The sun does not dispel that darkness, nor does anyone else perceive it; only he experiences it—behold the play of illusion.
अविनाभावि चन्द्रादेस् तैजसं मण्डलं यथा । पिशाचादेर् अनन्यात्म तामसं मण्डलं तथा
Just as the luminous orb is inseparable from the moon and such, so too is the sphere of darkness inseparable from beings like goblins.
यान्ति तेजस्य् अनोजस्त्वं तमस्य् ओजḫप्रधानताम् । उलूकवत् पिशाचाद्या आ सृष्टेस् तत्स्वभावतः
Among luminous beings, vigor is diminished; among dark beings, vigor prevails—goblins and the like are by nature as they are, like owls from the moment of creation.
एषा पिशाचादिजनस्य जातिḫ प्रोक्ता मया ते समयानपेता । पिशाचतुल्यस् सुरलोकपाललोकेषु जातो ऽहम् इति प्रसङ्गात्
This, too, is the account of the birth of beings such as spirits, which I have told you, having departed from the usual order; by association, I was born in the realms of the guardians of the gods, resembling a spirit.
ततश् चिदाकाशवपुर् भूतपञ्चकवर्जितः । विहरन्न् अहम् आकाशे पिशाच इव संस्थितः
Then, possessing a form made of pure consciousness, free from the five elements, I wandered in space, existing like a spirit.
न मां पश्यन्ति चन्द्रार्कशक्रा हरिहरादयः । न देवसिद्धगन्धर्वकिन्नरा नाप्सरोगणाः
Neither the moon, sun, Indra, Vishnu, Shiva, nor others like them could see me; nor could the gods, perfected beings, celestial musicians, kinnaras, or groups of apsaras.
नाक्रामन्ति मयाक्रान्ता न च शृण्वन्ति मद्वचः । इत्य् अहं मोहम् आपन्नो विक्रीत इव सज्जनः
Those whom I approached did not approach me, nor did they hear my words; thus, I fell into delusion, like a respectable person who has been deceived.
अथ चिन्तितवान् अस्मि सत्यकामा इमे वयम् । पश्यन्तु मां सुरगणास् तेन तस्मिन् सुरालये
Then I thought, 'We are truth-seeking beings; let the hosts of gods see me,' and with that, in that abode of the gods—
द्रष्टुं प्रवृत्ता माम् अग्रे वास्तव्यास् सर्व एव ते । झगित्य् एव पुरḫ प्राप्तम् इन्द्रजालद्रुमं यथा
All those who dwelled there immediately came forward to see me, as if a magical tree had suddenly appeared before them.
अथ गीर्वाणगेहेषु सम्पन्नो व्यवहार्य् अहम् । यथास्थितसमाचारस् स्थितो निश्शङ्कचेष्टितः
Then, in the homes of the gods, I became accomplished and engaged in interactions, remaining as I was, acting without fear or hesitation.
यैर् अविज्ञातवृत्तान्तैर् दृष्टो ऽहम् अजिरोत्थितः । वसिष्ठḫ पार्थिव इति लोकेषु प्रथितो ऽस्मि तैः
By those whose past was unknown to me, I was seen as if I had just arisen; among them, I became known in the worlds as Vasistha, the royal sage.
वातात् समुदितो दृष्टो यैर् अहं गगनास्पदे । सिद्धैर् वातवसिष्ठाख्यस् तैर् अहं समुदाहृतः
By those who saw me arising from the wind in the expanse of the sky, I was called Vātavasiṣṭha by the accomplished ones.
व्योमन्य् आदित्यरश्मिभ्यो दृष्टो ऽहं यैर् नभोगतैः । वसिष्ठस् तैजस इति लोकेषु प्रथितो ऽस्मि तैः
By those who beheld me in the sky among the rays of the sun, moving through the heavens, I was known in the worlds as Vasiṣṭha of light.