इदं मे भगवन् ब्रूहि संशयं सर्वकोविद । तव पातुं न तृप्तो ऽस्मि श्रोत्रपात्रैर् वचोऽमृतम्
O Lord, tell me this doubt, you who know all; I am not yet satisfied by drinking your nectar-like words through the vessels of my ears.
स सर्गत्रितये कालो लीलाभर्तुर् हि योगतः । स क्वचित् किम् अहोरात्रः क्वचित् किं मासमात्रकः
Time, in the three creations, is indeed the play of the Lord through yoga; sometimes it is a single day and night, sometimes just a month.
क्वचित् किं बहुवर्षाणि कस्यचित् किं सुपेलवः । कस्यचित् किं महादीर्घः कस्यचित् किं क्षणस्थितः
Sometimes it is many years, for someone it is exceedingly brief, for another it is extremely long, and for yet another it lasts only a moment.
इति मे भगवन् ब्रूहि त्वं यथावद् अनुग्रहात् । सकृच् छ्रुतं न विश्रान्तिम् एति लोष्टे यथा जलम्
Therefore, O venerable one, kindly tell me properly out of compassion; for once heard, it does not bring rest, just as water does not stay on a clod of earth.
येन येन यदा यद् यद् यथा संवेद्यते ऽनघ । तेन तेन तदा तत् तत् तथा समनुभूयते
O sinless one, whatever, whenever, and however something is perceived, in that very way, at that very time, it is experienced.
अमृतत्वं विषं याति सदैवामृतवेदनात् । शत्रुर् मित्रत्वम् आयाति मित्रसंवित्तिवेदनात्
Immortality becomes poison through constant perception of poison; an enemy attains the status of a friend through the awareness of friendship.
यथाभावितम् एतेषां पदार्थानां निजं वपुः । तद् एव हि चिराभ्यासान् नियतेर् वशम् आगतम्
As each of these objects is conceived, so is its own form; through long practice, that alone comes under the sway of destiny.
कचनैकात्मिकैषा चिद् यथा कचति यादृशम् । तथा तत्राशु भवति तत् स्वभावैककारणात्
This consciousness, being of one essence, manifests as it is imagined; thus, there, it quickly becomes so, due to the sole cause of its own nature.
निमेषे यदि कल्पौघं प्रविदन् परिविन्दते । निमेष एव तत् कल्पीभवत्य् अत्र न संशयः
If, in a moment, one perceives a multitude of aeons, then in that very moment, those aeons come to be—of this there is no doubt.
कल्पे यदि निमेषत्वं वेत्ति कल्पो ऽप्य् असौ ततः । निमेषीभवति क्षिप्रं तादृग्रूपात्मिका हि चित्
If a kalpa perceives itself as a moment, then that kalpa quickly becomes a moment; for consciousness truly takes the form it assumes.
दुःखितस्य निशा कल्पस् सुखिनस् सैव च क्षणः । क्षणस् स्वप्ने भवेत् कल्पः कल्पश् च भवति क्षणः
For one who is suffering, a night feels like an aeon, while for the happy, that same night is but a moment; in a dream, a moment may seem an aeon, and an aeon may pass as a moment.
तथा च मृत्वा जातो ऽहं तरुणो ऽहम् अवस्थितः । यातो ऽस्मि योजनशतं स्वप्न इत्य् अनुभूयते
In the same way, I have experienced being born after death, being young, remaining in a certain state, and traveling a hundred yojanas—all within a dream.
रात्रिं द्वादशवर्षाणि हरिश्चन्द्रो ऽनुभूतवान् । लवणो भुक्तवान् आयुर् एकरात्र्यां समाश् शतम्
Harishchandra experienced twelve years in a single night; Lavana enjoyed a lifespan of a hundred years within one night.
यो निमेषः प्रजेशस्य स मनोर् जीवितं मुनेः । जीवितं यद् विरिञ्चस्य तद् दिनं किल चक्रिणः
A moment for the lord of creatures is the lifetime of Manu; the lifetime of Manu is the day of Brahma, and Brahma's lifetime is said to be a single day for Vishnu.
ध्याने प्रक्षीणचित्तस्य न दिनानि न रात्रयः । न पदार्था न च जगत् सत्यं नात्मापि योगिनः
For one whose mind has dissolved in meditation, there are no days or nights, no objects, no world—truly, not even a self for the yogi.
मधुरं कटुताम् एति कटुभावेन चिन्तितम् । कट्व् अप्य् आयाति माधुर्यं मधुरत्वेन चेतितम्
What is sweet may become bitter when thought of with bitterness; even what is bitter may turn sweet when regarded with sweetness.
मित्रबुद्ध्या द्विषन् मित्रं रिपुबुद्ध्या रिपुस् सुहृत् । भवतीति महाबाहो यथासंवेदनं जगत्
An enemy becomes a friend when regarded with the mind of friendship, and a friend becomes an enemy when regarded with hostility; O mighty-armed one, the world is as it is perceived.
अनभ्यस्ताः पदार्था ये शास्त्रपाठजपादयः । एषां संवेदनाभ्यासान् नूनम् अभ्येति सात्मता
Those objects which are not practiced—such as recitation and study of scriptures—through repeated awareness, surely become assimilated.
नौर् यायिनां भ्रमार्तानां वेदनात् तु विवर्तते । अवेदनाद् भ्रमार्तानाम् अपि नैषा विवर्तते
For travelers troubled by confusion, the boat moves by awareness; but for those troubled by confusion without awareness, it does not move.
शून्यम् आकीर्णताम् एति वेदनात् स्वप्नदृक्ष्व् इव । वेदनात् पीतम् आनीलं शुक्लं वाप्य् अनुभूयते
Emptiness becomes filled through awareness, as in those who see dreams; by awareness, yellow or white is experienced as tasted.
आपद्वद् उत्सवः खेदं करोति परिमोहिनः । कुड्ये ऽपि ख इवाचारो दृष्टो धातुविकारिणः
A festival, like a calamity, brings distress to those deeply deluded; conduct is seen in the wall as in space, for one whose elements are disturbed.
असद्यक्षो विमूढानां प्राणान् अप्य् अपकर्षति । वेदनात् स्वप्नवनिता जाग्रतीव रतिप्रदा
A false demon steals even the life-breath of the bewildered; by awareness, a dream-woman gives pleasure as if awake.
यद् यथाभ्यासम् आयातं तत् तथा स्थिरतां गतम् । असद् एव नभस्य् एव नभ एव चिदात्मनि
Whatever comes through repeated practice, that attains stability in the same way; it is unreal, like the sky, and exists only in the consciousness-sky.
शतहस्तखुरच्छायानटवृत्तम् इवाततम् । गगने मानसं स्पन्दं जगद् विद्धि न वस्तु तत्
Know the movement of the world to be like the shadow-play of a hundred-hooved horse, spread out in the sky—merely a mental vibration, not a real thing.
मिथ्याज्ञानपिशाचस्य सन्दर्शनम् अनाकृति । कायामात्रकम् एवेदम् अरोधकम् अभित्तिमत्
The vision of the demon of false knowledge is without form; this is only a bodily limitation, obstructive, possessing cracks.
इदं भास्वरम् आभासं स्वप्नसन्दर्शनं चितः । अपूर्वम् एव सुप्ताया नरस्येवोदितं विदुः
This radiant appearance, this vision seen in dream by consciousness, is known to be entirely new, arising for one who is asleep, just as it appears for a man.
अखाताश् चेतति स्तम्भो यादृशं सालभञ्जिकाः । परमार्थमहास्तम्भस् सृष्टीश् चेतति तादृशम्
Just as a wooden pillar, though uncarved, stands unmoving, so does the great pillar of ultimate reality—creation—stand unmoving.
यादृशो मानवः पार्श्वे स्वप्ने क्षुब्धो महाभटैः । तादृशो ब्रह्मणस् सर्गो बुद्ध एव सुषुप्तवत्
As a man, surrounded by mighty warriors, is disturbed in a dream, so is the creation of Brahman, for the awakened one, like deep sleep.
तृणगुल्मलतायुक्तश् शिशिरान्ते यथा रसः । वासन्तस् संस्थितो भूमौ तथा सर्गः परे पदे
Just as sap, present in grass, bushes, and creepers, remains on the earth at winter’s end and is established in spring, so too is creation established in the supreme state.
यथा द्रवत्वं कनके स्थितम् अन्तर् अनुन्मिषत् । तथा स्थितः परे सर्गः खात्मा वल्गन्न् अणाव् अणौ
Just as liquidity remains within gold, latent and not manifesting outwardly, so creation remains in the supreme, the space-like Self, shining forth in the subtlest of the subtle.