आकाशभूधरनिकुञ्जगुहान्तराल पिण्डोपमस्थिततमोऽम्बुदपीठपूरम् । व्यालोलभूतरभसाकुलकल्पवात व्याधूतलोककरकाण्डकवाटकल्पम्
Within the spaces between the caves of mountains in the sky, darkness stands like a mass, filling the seat of the cloud, while the wind—like the wild play of spirits—shakes the gates of the world as if they were the stalks of trees.
एवं निशाचराचारचिरघोरे रणाङ्गने । उल्लसन्तीषु वेतालक्ष्वेडासूड्डामरारवैः
Thus, in the battlefield, long haunted by the dreadful wanderings of night-roaming beings, the howls of vetālas and the cries of owls rise up.
नभःप्रेक्षकसेनासु प्रगतासु यथागतम् । विश्रान्तेष्व् इव भूपेषु रथादिषु निजास्पदे
As the armies of sky-gazers depart as they came, and the kings rest in their chariots and other places, each in their own abode, as if at ease.
महासरोजल इव जने दृश्ये रणाङ्गने । अहनीव जनाचारे स्थिते श्यामाचरेहिते
On the battlefield, visible like a great lake, people stand as in the day, while the dark ones have withdrawn, as if night has ceased its course among men.
हस्तहार्यतमःपिण्डस्फुटकुड्ये निशागृहे । लाभोत्सवोच्छलच्चित्ते भूतसङ्घे प्रनृत्यति
In the house of night, with walls made clear by handfuls of darkness, the host of spirits dances joyfully, as the mind swells with the festival of gain.
निश्शब्दशान्तसञ्चारे निद्रामुद्रे ककुब्गणे । लीलापतिर् उदारात्मा किञ्चित् खिन्नमना इव
In the quarters of the sky, where movement is silent and peaceful, the lord of play, noble in spirit, appears somewhat weary in mind, as if in the gesture of sleep.
प्रातःकार्यं विचार्याशु मन्त्रिभिर् मन्त्रकोविदैः । दीर्घचन्द्रसमाकारे शयने हिमशीतले
In the early morning, the affairs of state were swiftly deliberated by ministers skilled in counsel, while he reclined on a bed cool as moonlight and long as the crescent moon.
चन्द्रोदयनिभे वासगृहे शिशिरकोटरे । निद्रां मुहूर्तम् अगमन् मुद्रितेक्षणपुष्करः
In a chamber resembling the rising moon, within a cool and sheltered retreat, he entered sleep for a short while, his lotus-like eyes gently closed.
अथ ते ललने व्योम तत् परित्यज्य तद् गृहम् । रन्ध्रैर् विविशतुर् वातलेखो ऽब्जमुकुलं यथा
Then, O lovely one, leaving that house behind, they entered the sky—just as a breeze slips through the openings of a lotus bud.
इयन्मात्रम् इदं स्थूलं शरीरं वाग्विदां वर । रन्ध्रेण तन्तुतनुना कथं प्रविशति प्रभो
O foremost of the learned, how can this gross body, which is only so much, enter through an opening as slender as a thread, O Lord?
आधिभौतिकदेहो ऽयम् इति यस्य मतिभ्रमः । तस्यासाव् अणुरन्ध्रेण गन्तुं शक्नोति नानघ
O sinless one, he whose mind is deluded into thinking, 'This is a physical body,' cannot pass through a tiny opening.
रोधितो ऽहम् अनेनेति न माम्य् अत्रेति यस्य धीः । अनुभूतानुभविनी भवतीत्य् अनुभूयते
For one whose understanding is not confined by the thought, 'I am obstructed by this,' or 'I am not here,' experience itself becomes the experiencer.
येनानुभूतं पूर्वार्धं गच्छामीति स तत्क्रियः । कथं भवति पश्चार्धगमनोन्मुखचेतनः
By whomsoever the first half (of experience) is perceived, saying, 'I will go,' that very one performs the act—how then does consciousness turn toward proceeding to the latter half?
वारि नैवोर्ध्वम् आयाति नाधो गच्छति पावकः । या यथैव प्रवृत्ता चित् सा तथैवावतिष्ठते
Water does not rise upward, nor does fire go downward; just as each proceeds according to its nature, so too does consciousness remain as it is set in motion.
छायायाम् उपविष्टस्य कुतस् तापानुभूतयः । अन्यसंवेदनो ऽन्योऽर्थः केनचिन् नानुभूयते
How could one seated in the shade experience heat? The experience of one is not felt by another in any way.
या यथा सम्प्रवृत्ता चित् सा तथैव स्थितिं गता । परमेण प्रयत्नेन नीयते ऽन्यां दशां पुनः
Whatever way the mind has proceeded, in that very way it remains; only by supreme effort is it brought again to another state.
सर्पैकप्रत्ययो रज्ज्वाम् असत्यप्रत्ययाद् बलात् । निवर्तते ऽन्यथा त्व् एष तिष्ठत्य् एव यथास्थितम्
The notion of a snake in a rope, arising from a false perception, is dispelled by force; otherwise, it remains just as it is.
यथा संवित् तथा चित्तं यथा चित्तं तथेहितम् । बालं प्रत्य् अपि संसिद्धम् एतत् को नानुभूयते
As is awareness, so is the mind; as is the mind, so is action. This is evident even to a child—who does not experience this?
यः पुनस् स्वप्नसङ्कल्पपुरुषप्रतिमाकृतिः । आकाशमात्रकाकारस् स कथं केन रोध्यते
But that which is merely the form of a person in dream, imagination, or image—having only the shape of space—how and by whom could it be restrained?
चित्तमात्रशरीरं तु सर्वस्यैव हि सर्वतः । विद्यते वेदनात्वे तत् क्वचिद् एतीव हृद्गतात्
Indeed, for everyone, everywhere, the body is only mind; it is experienced as sensation, but sometimes it seems to arise from the heart.
यथाभिमतम् एवास्य भवत्य् अस्तमयोदयम् । आदिसर्गे स्वभावोत्थं पश्चाद् द्वैतैक्यभावनम्
For him, sunrise and sunset occur just as he conceives them; at the beginning of creation, they arise from nature, later from the contemplation of duality and unity.
चित्ताकाशं चिदाकाशम् आकाशं च तृतीयकम् । विद्ध्य् एतत् त्रयम् एवैकम् अविनाभावतावशात्
Know that the space of the mind, the space of consciousness, and the third—physical space—are truly one, due to their inseparable existence.
एतच् चित्तशरीरं त्वं विद्धि सर्वगतोदयम् । यथा संवेदनेच्छत्वाद् यथा संवेदनोदयम्
Know this mind-body as all-pervading in its arising, just as it comes forth with the desire for experience, and as it arises with experience.
वसति त्रसरेण्वन्तर् नीयते गगनोदरे । लीयते ऽङ्कुरकोशेषु रसीभवति पल्लवे
It dwells within a speck of dust, is carried into the hollow of the sky, merges into the seed-casings, and becomes sap in the sprout.
उल्लसत्य् अम्बुवीचित्वे प्रनृत्यति शिलोदरे । प्रवर्षत्य् अम्बुदो भूत्वा शिलीभूयावतिष्ठते
It shines forth as the wave of water, dances within the heart of a stone, pours down as a raincloud, and, becoming stone, remains firm.
यथेच्छम् अम्बरे याति जठरे ऽपि च भूभृताम् । अनन्तम् आकाशवपुर् धत्ते ऽथ परमाणुताम्
It moves as it wishes in the sky and even in the bellies of mountains; it assumes the form of infinite space, and then that of a minute atom.
भवत्य् अद्रिवराधारो बद्धपीठो नभश्शिरः । देहस्यान्तर् बहिर् अपि दधद्वरतनूरुहम्
It becomes the support of great mountains, the fixed seat with the sky as its head, bearing the body’s interior and exterior, and the shoots of various forms.
भवत्य् आकाशम् आधत्ते कोटीः पद्मजसद्मनाम् । अनन्यास् स्वात्मनाम्भोधिर् आवर्तरचन इव
It becomes space, holding millions of lotus-born abodes, unique as the ocean of its own self, like the formation of countless whirlpools.
अनुद्भिन्नप्रबोधो ऽसौ सर्गादौ चित्तदेहकः । आकाशात्मा महान् भूत्वा वेत्ति प्रकृतितां गतः
This mind-body, whose awareness has not arisen, at the beginning of creation is vast as space; becoming great, it knows, and having attained its own nature, it abides.
असत्यम् एव वारित्वं बुद्ध्वोदेतीव तत्तया । वन्ध्यापुत्रो ऽयम् अस्मीति यथा स्वप्नभ्रमे नरः
Its watery nature is indeed unreal, but appears to arise through understanding, just as a man in a dream imagines, 'I am the son of a barren woman.'