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.
आकाशात्मान एवैते सर्व एव स्वयम्भुवः । यथा ते मन्मनोमात्रम् इमे सर्गास् तथैव हि
All these self-born beings are truly of the nature of space; just as these creations exist only as thoughts in your mind, so indeed are they.
अहमादिर् अयं सर्गस् त्व् अपरिज्ञानदोषतः । वेताल इव बालानां गतो वै वज्रसारताम्
This creation, with ego as its origin, has attained the appearance of solidity due to the fault of non-recognition, like a goblin appearing real to children.
परिज्ञातस् तु कालेन स्वल्पेनैवोपशाम्यति । वासनातानवात् स्नेहो बन्धौ दूरगते यथा
But once recognized, it quickly subsides in a short time, just as affection in a bond fades when the object of attachment is far away.
घनत्वम् अहमाद्य् अस्य तथा सर्गस्य शाम्यति । परिज्ञानाद् यथा स्वप्ननिधेर् आदेयभावना
The density of ego and of creation likewise dissolves through right knowledge, just as the sense of possession in a dream fades upon waking.
शाम्यन्तीमाḫ परिज्ञातास् सकला दृश्यदृष्टयः । यथा मरुनदीवेगवारिग्रहणबुद्धयः
All perceptions of the seen and the seer become tranquil when recognized, just as the thoughts of grasping water in a river are calmed.
महारामायणप्रायशास्त्रप्रेक्षणमात्रतः । एतद् आसाद्यते नित्यं किम् एतावति दुष्करम्
By merely observing the teachings of the great Ramayana scripture, this is attained daily; what difficulty is there in this?
संसारवासनाभावरूपसत्या तु यस्य धीः । मन्दा मोक्षे निराकाङ्क्षा स श्वा कीटो ऽथ वानरः
But one whose mind is weak and lacks desire for liberation, whose understanding is shaped by the absence of worldly inclinations, is like a dog, an insect, or a monkey.
भोगाभोगẖ किलायं यस् स जीवन्मुक्तबुद्धिना । कीदृशो भुज्यमानस् स्यात् कीदृक् स्यान् मौर्ख्यसेविना
This experience of enjoyment and non-enjoyment belongs to one with the mind of a liberated being; what is it like when enjoyed, and what is it like for one devoted to ignorance?
महारामायणप्रायशास्त्रप्रेक्षणमात्रतः । अन्तश् शीतलतोदेति पदार्थेषु हिमोपमा
By merely observing the teachings of the great Ramayana scripture, a coolness arises within, like snow, regarding objects.
मोक्षश् शीतलचित्तत्वं बन्धस् सन्तप्तचित्तता । एतस्मिन्न् अपि नार्थित्वम् अहो लोकस्य मूर्खता
Liberation is the coolness of mind; bondage is the heat of mind. Even so, there is no desire for this—alas, the foolishness of people!