स्वप्नाद्रिणेव जगता तुलादेशौ न कौचन । पूरितौ कलनोन्मुक्ता दृश्यश्रीर् व्योम केवलम्
Just as in a dream mountain, there are no real scales or measures, so too in the world, all visible forms are merely space, filled only by imagination and not by substance.
वर्जयित्वाज्ञविज्ञातजगच्छब्दार्थभावनम् । जगद्ब्रह्मखशब्दानाम् अर्थे नास्त्य् एव भिन्नता
Except for the conceptualization of the meanings of the words 'world' and 'Brahman' by the ignorant, there is truly no difference in the meaning of the words 'world,' 'Brahman,' and 'space.'
इदं त्व् अचेत्यचिन्मात्रभानोर् भानं नभः प्रति । तथा सूक्ष्मं यथा मेघं प्रति सङ्कल्पवारिदः
This radiance, which is the mere shining of consciousness and non-consciousness, is related to space as subtly as a cloud of imagination is to a real cloud.
यथा स्वप्नपुरं स्वच्छं जाग्रत्पुरवरं प्रति । तथा जगद् इदं स्वच्छं सङ्कल्पितजगत् प्रति
Just as a dream city appears clear in comparison to a waking city, so too this world appears clear in comparison to an imagined world.
तस्माद् अचेत्यचिद्रूपं जगद् व्योमैव केवलम् । शून्यौ व्योमजगच्छब्दौ पर्यायौ विद्धि चिन्मयौ
Therefore, this world, which appears as inert and conscious, is in reality nothing but pure space; know that the words 'void' and 'space-world' are interchangeable, both being of the nature of consciousness.
तस्मान् न किञ्चिद् उत्पन्नं जगदादीह दृश्यकम् । अनाख्यम् अनभिव्यक्तं यथास्थितम् अवस्थितम्
Thus, nothing has arisen here—neither the world nor its beginning nor anything seen; it remains as it is, unnameable and unmanifest.
जगद् एव महाकाशं चिदाकाशम् अभित्तिमत् । तद् देशस्याणुमात्रस्य तुलायाश् चाप्रपूरकम्
The world itself is the great space, the space of consciousness, without any division; it is like a region of atomic size or like a scale that cannot be filled.
आकाशरूपम् एवाच्छं पिण्डग्रहविवर्जितम् । व्योम्नि व्योममयं चित्रं सङ्कल्पपुरवत् स्थितम्
It is of the nature of space alone, pure, free from grasping of forms; within space, a wondrous vision made of space stands, like a city conjured by imagination.
अत्रेदं मण्डपाख्यानं शृणु श्रवणभूषणम् । निस्सन्देहो यथैषो ऽर्थश् चित्ते विश्रान्तिम् एति ते
Here, listen to the story of the pavilion, an ornament to the ear; by which, without doubt, this meaning will bring rest to your mind.
सद्बोधवृद्धये ब्रह्मन् समासेन वदाशु मे । मण्डपाख्यानम् अखिलं येन बोधो विवर्धते
O Brahman, for the growth of true understanding, quickly tell me the entire story of the pavilion in brief, by which knowledge increases.
अभूद् अस्मिन् महीपीठे कुलपद्मो विकासवान् । पद्मो नाम नृपश् श्रीमान् बहुपुत्रो ऽतिकोशवान्
There was, on this earth, a noble lotus of a family, fully blossomed—a king named Padma, illustrious, with many sons and great wealth.
मर्यादापालने ऽम्भोधिर् द्विषत्तिमिरभास्करः । कान्ताकुमुदिनीचन्द्रो दोषतृणहुताशनः
In upholding boundaries, he was an ocean; to his enemies, a sun dispelling darkness; to his beloveds, a moon to the night-lotuses; to faults, a fire consuming grass.
मेरुर् विबुधवृन्दानां यशश्चन्द्रोद्भवार्णवः । सरस् सद्गुणहंसानां कलाकमलभास्करः
He was the Meru mountain among assemblies of the wise, the ocean from which the moon of fame arises, the lake for swans of noble virtues, the sun to the lotus of the arts.
शात्रवाम्भोदपवनो मानमातङ्गकेसरी । समस्तविद्यादयितस् सर्वाश्चर्यगुणाकरः
He was the wind dispersing the ocean of enemies, the lion among elephants of pride, beloved of all branches of knowledge, a mine of all wondrous qualities.
शूरारिसागरक्षोभविलसन्मन्दराचलः । विलासपुष्पौघमधुस् सौभाग्यकुसुमायुधः
He was the Mandara mountain churning the sea of foes, the honey of a multitude of blossoming graces, the god of love armed with the flowers of good fortune.
लीलालतालास्यमरुत् साहसोत्सवकेशवः । सौजन्यकैरवशशी दुर्लीलालतिकानलः
He was the breeze at the play of the creeper of sport, the hero in the festival of daring, the moon to the night-blooming water-lily of nobility, the fire to the rare creeper of sport.
तस्यासीत् सुभगा भार्या लीला नाम विलासिनी । सर्वसौभाग्यवलिता कमलेवोदितावनौ
He had a fortunate wife named Lila, full of charm, endowed with every auspicious quality, who appeared on earth like a lotus newly blossomed.
सर्वसम्पत्तिललिता लीलामधुरभाषिणी । सानन्दमन्दवलिता द्वितीयेन्दूदयस्मिता
She was adorned with all prosperity, sweet-spoken in her playfulness, gently radiant with joy, her smile like the rising of a second moon.
अलकालिमनोहारिवदनाम्भोजशालिनी । शीताङ्गी कर्णिकागौरी जङ्गमेव सरोजिनी
Her lotus face captivated the minds of Alaka’s denizens, her body was cool and her core pure as a lotus’s heart, a living embodiment of the lotus.
लताविलासकुन्दौघहासिनी रसशालिनी । प्रवालहस्ता पुष्पाढ्या मधुश्रीर् इव देहिनी
She smiled with the radiance of jasmine clusters in the play of vines, was full of flavor, her hands tender as new shoots, adorned with flowers, a goddess of fortune in human form.
अवदाततनुः पुण्या जनताह्लाददायिनी । गङ्गेव गां गता देवनदी हंसविलासिनी
With a radiant body, pure and auspicious, bringing joy to the people, she entered the earth like the divine river Ganga, delighting in the company of swans.
तस्य भूतलपुष्पेषोस् सकलाह्लाददायिनः । परिचर्यां चिरं कर्तुम् अन्या रतिर् इवोदिता
For him, another pleasure arose, as if a new beloved, to serve for a long time the flowers upon the earth, which grant all delight.
उद्विग्ने प्रोद्विग्ना मुदिता मुदिते समाकुलाकुलिते । प्रतिबिम्बसमा कान्ता सङ्क्रुद्धे केवलं भीता
When anxious, she was anxious; when joyful, she was joyful; when disturbed, she was disturbed; like a reflection, the beloved was only fearful when he was angry.
भूतलाप्सरसा सार्धम् अनन्यवनितापतिः । अकृत्रिमप्रेमरसं स रेमे कान्तया तया
With the celestial maiden of the earth, he, who had no other consort, enjoyed the taste of unfeigned love with her.
उद्यानवनगुल्मेषु तमालगहनेषु च । पुष्पमण्डपतल्पेषु लतावलयसद्मसु
In gardens, forest thickets, dense groves of tamala trees, flower-canopied beds, and dwellings entwined with vines,
पुष्पान्तःपुरशय्यासु पुष्पसम्भारवीथिषु । वसन्तोद्यानदोलासु क्रीडापुष्करिणीषु च
On flower-strewn palace beds, in avenues adorned with blossoms, on spring garden swings, and in playful lotus ponds,
चन्दनद्रुमषण्डेषु सन्तानकतलेषु च । कदम्बनिम्बगेहेषु पारिभद्रोदरेषु च
In sandalwood groves, beneath the shade of santana trees, in the homes of kadamba and neem, and within the hollows of paribhadra trees,
शैलकन्दरकच्छेषु वातायनपुरेषु च । सरित्तटकटप्रेषु वारणोपरिसद्मसु
In mountain caves and valleys, in rooms with windows, on riverbank terraces, and in mansions atop elephants,
ग्रीष्मे तुषारहर्म्येषु लतामण्डपकेषु च । हेममन्दिरवृक्षेषु मुक्तामाणिक्यभित्तिषु
In the summer, within icy mansions, in bowers entwined with creepers, among golden palaces and trees, and walls adorned with pearls and rubies,
विकसत्कुन्दमन्दारमकरन्दसुगन्धिषु । वसन्तवनजालेषु कूजत्कोकिलमालिषु
Where jasmine and coral trees bloom, their pollen fragrant, in the springtime gardens where cuckoos sing in flocks,