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.
यैर् अहं सलिलाद् दृष्टḫ प्रोत्थितस् तैर् मुनीश्वरैः । प्रोक्तो वारिवसिष्ठो ऽहम् इति मे जन्मसन्ततिः
By those great sages who saw me emerging from the waters, I was named Vārivasiṣṭha; thus is the lineage of my births.
ततḫ प्रभृति लोके ऽहं पार्थिवḫ प्रथितẖ क्वचित् । अम्मयẖ क्वचिद् अन्येषां तैजसो मारुतẖ क्वचित्
From then on, in the world, I have sometimes been known as earthly, sometimes as made of mind, sometimes as fiery, and sometimes as airy among others.
अथ कालेन मे तत्र तस्मिन्न् एवातिवाहिके । आधिभौतिकता देहे रूढा गूढान्तरिक्षता
Then, in due course, in that very subtle body, corporeality became established in my body, while my subtlety remained hidden.
यद् एतद् आतिवाहित्वम् आधिभौतिकता च खम् । द्वयम् अप्य् एतद् एकात्म ततẖ कचति मे चितिः
This subtle existence and corporeality, both of these—space and matter—are of one essence; therefore, my awareness moves through them.
एवमात्मकचिद्व्योमकचनात्माप्य् अहं नभः । परम् एव निराकारं युष्मास्व् आकारवान् अपि
Thus, though my nature is the expanse of consciousness and space, I appear to you with form, yet in truth I am the supreme, formless sky.
जीवन्मुक्तो व्यवहरन्न् अप्य् आस्ते ब्रह्मखात्मकः । तथैव देहमुक्तो ऽपि तिष्ठति ब्रह्ममात्रकम्
Even while living liberated and engaging in worldly affairs, one abides as Brahman-space; likewise, when freed from the body, one remains as pure Brahman alone.
मम न ब्रह्मतापेति तादृग् व्यवहरन्न् अपि । असम्भवाद् अन्यदृशो युष्मदादिष्व् अहं त्व् अहम्
My state of Brahmanhood does not depart, even while engaging in such worldly dealings; for it is impossible for me to be otherwise, just as I am not like you and others.
यथाज्ञस्य स्वप्ननरे निर्जन्मनि निराकृतौ । आधिभौतिकताबुद्धिस् तथा मे जगतो ऽपि च
Just as a person ignorant in a dream believes himself to be a man, though he is not born or has no form, so too is my perception of the world.
एवम् एवावभासन्ते सर्व एव स्वयम्भुवः । सर्गाश् च न तु जायन्ते प्रजाता इव चोदिताः
In this same way, all these self-born creations merely appear to manifest, but they are not truly born, just as offspring seem to arise when prompted.
एष सो ऽहम् इहाकाशवसिष्ठḫ पुष्टताम् इव । गतो ऽद्य स्वात्मनो ऽभ्यासाद् भवतां चाभवस्थितिः
This is that very 'I' here, O Vasiṣṭha, who has now attained fullness like space, through practice of the Self; but your state is one of non-being.