यत्राभिलाषस् तन् नूनं सन्त्यज्य स्थीयते यदि । प्राप्त एवाङ्ग तन् मोक्षः किम् एतावति दुष्करम्
Wherever desire arises, if one stands firm having abandoned it, then liberation is surely attained, O dear one; what is so difficult in this?
अपि प्राणांस् तृणम् इव त्यजन्तीह महाशयाः । यत्राभिलाषस् तन्मात्रत्यागे कृपणता कथम्
Here, great souls even abandon their very life-breath as if it were straw; when desire is given up, how can there be any sense of loss in renouncing anything else?
यत्राभिलाषस् तत् त्यक्त्वा चेतसा निरवग्रहम् । प्राप्तं कर्मेन्द्रियैर् गृह्णंस् त्यजन्न् इष्टं च तिष्ठ भोः
Wherever desire arises, having abandoned it with an ungrasping mind, act with the organs of action, accepting or rejecting what comes, and remain established, O friend.
यथा करतले बिल्वं यथा वा पर्वतः पुरः । प्रत्यक्षम् एवम् अस्यालम् अजत्वं परमात्मनः
Just as a bilva fruit in the palm of your hand, or a mountain before your eyes, is plainly visible, so too is the unborn nature of the Supreme Self directly evident.
आत्मैव भाति जगद् इत्य् उदितस् तरङ्गैः कल्पान्त एक इव वारिधिर् अप्रमेयः । ज्ञातस् स एव हि ददाति विमोक्षसिद्धिम् अज्ञात एव मनसा चिरबन्धनाय
It is said that the Self alone shines as the world, like the ocean at the end of an age, stirred by waves yet immeasurable; when known, it grants the attainment of liberation, but when unknown, it binds the mind for a long time.
मनस्त्वयोग्यो जीवो ऽयं को भवेत् परमात्मनः । कथं वास्मिन् समुत्पन्नः को वायं वद मे पुनः
This living being, unsuited to the mind, who could he be in relation to the Supreme Self? How did he arise in it, and who is he? Tell me again.
समस्तशक्तिकचितं ब्रह्म सर्वेश्वरं सदा । ययैव शक्त्या स्फुरति प्राप्तां ताम् एव पश्यति
Brahman, the Lord of all, is always adorned with all powers; by whichever power it manifests, that very power is perceived.
स्वयं यां वेत्ति सर्वात्मा चितिं चेतनरूपिणीम् । सा प्रोक्ता जीवशब्देन सैव सङ्कल्पकारिणी
The All-Self itself knows the consciousness that is of the nature of awareness; that is called by the term 'jīva', and it alone is the maker of intention.
स्वभावकारणं द्वित्वे पूर्वं सङ्कल्प्य चित् स्वयम् । नानाकारणतां पश्चाद् याति जन्ममृतिस्थितौ
Consciousness itself, first imagining duality as its own nature and cause, later assumes manifold causality in birth, death, and existence.
एवं स्थिते मुनिश्रेष्ठ दैवं नाम किम् उच्यते । किम् उच्यते तथा कर्म कारणं च किम् उच्यते
With things thus, O best of sages, what is called 'destiny'? What is called 'action'? And what is called 'cause'?
स्पन्दास्पन्दस्वभावं हि चिन्मात्रम् इह विद्यते । खे वात इव तत्स्पन्दात् सोल्लासं शान्तम् अन्यथा
Here, only pure consciousness exists, having the nature of vibration and non-vibration; like wind in the sky, from its vibration comes delight, otherwise it is peaceful.
चितश् चित्त्वं भावितं सत् स्पन्द इत्य् उच्यते बुधैः । दृश्यत्वाभावितं चैतद् अस्पन्दनम् इति स्मृतम्
Consciousness, when it assumes the form of mind, is called vibration by the wise; when it is not so formed as an object, this is known as non-vibration.
स्पन्दात् स्फुरन्ती चित् सर्गो निस्स्पन्दा ब्रह्म शाश्वतम् । जीवकारणकर्माद्याश् चित्स्पन्दस्याभिधास् स्मृताः
From vibration, consciousness appears as creation; without vibration, it is the eternal Brahman. Causes, actions, and other factors of the individual are said to be names for the vibration of consciousness.
य एवानुभवात्मायं चित्स्पन्दो ऽस्ति स एव हि । जीवकारणकर्माख्यो बीजम् एतद् धि संसृतेः
This very vibration of consciousness, which is of the nature of experience, is indeed called the seed of transmigration, known as the cause, action, and individuality of the living being.
कृतद्वित्वचिदाभासवशाद् देह उपस्थिते । सङ्कल्पविविधार्थत्वं चित्स्पन्दो ऽनुभवंश् चिरात्
When the body arises due to the influence of the appearance of duality in consciousness, the vibration of consciousness, through various intentions, gradually experiences manifold objects.
नानाकारणतां यातश् चित्स्पन्दो मुच्यते चिरात् । कश्चिज् जन्मसहस्रेण कश्चिद् एकेन जन्मना
Having attained various causes, the vibration of consciousness is eventually liberated; some after a thousand births, some after a single birth.
स्वभावकारणाद् द्वित्वं चित् समेत्याथ गच्छति । स्वर्गापवर्गनरकबन्धकारणतां शनैः
Due to its own nature, consciousness, having come into duality, then gradually assumes the causes of bondage to heaven, liberation, or hell.
हेम्नीव कटकादित्वं काष्ठलोष्टसमस्थितौ । देहे तिष्ठति नानात्वं जडे भावविकारजम्
Just as gold may become an ornament, yet remains the same as wood or clay in its essence, so in the body, diversity does not abide; in inert matter, it is merely a modification of state.
अजातम् अप्य् असद्रूपं पश्यतीमं भ्रमं मनः । जातस् स्थितो मृतो ऽस्मीति भ्रमान्तःपतनं यथा
The mind perceives this delusion as if it were real, though it is unborn and unreal; just as, after birth, one thinks 'I exist,' and after death, 'I am gone,' so is the fall into the end of delusion.
अहं ममेत्य् असद्रूपम् एव चेतः प्रपश्यति । अदृष्टपरमार्थत्वाद् आशाविवशसंस्थिति
The mind perceives the unreal form of 'I' and 'mine', due to its lack of true vision, and remains bound by hope.
मथुराधिपते राज्ञो यथा श्वपचसम्भ्रमः । आसीद् एवं हि चित्तस्य स्फुरतीयं जगत्स्थितिः
Just as the king of Mathura was disturbed by the presence of a dog-eater, so too does the mind become agitated, and thus this world appears to manifest.
सर्वम् एव मनोमात्रभ्रान्त्युल्लासविजृम्भणम् । इदं जीवतया नाम प्रस्फुरत्य् अम्बुभङ्गवत्
All of this is merely the exuberant expansion of mental delusion; what is called 'living' flashes forth like the movement of water.
शिवात् प्राक् कारणात् पूर्वं चिच् चेत्यकलनोन्मुखी । उदेति सौम्याज् जलधेः पयस्स्पन्दो मनाग् इव
Before Shiva, from the primordial cause, consciousness inclined toward cognition arises, gently like the ripple of water from the ocean.
स्फुरणाज् जीवचक्रत्वम् एत्य चित्तोर्मितां गतम् । चिद्वारि ब्रह्मजलधौ कुरुते सर्गबुद्बुदम्
From this pulsation, the cycle of living beings emerges, reaching the wave of mind; in the ocean of Brahman, the water of consciousness produces the bubble of creation.
स्वच्छसौम्यसमस्येषद् यत् सिंहस्येव जृम्भणम् । ब्रह्मणस् स चिदाभासस् तत् सचेत्यम् इव स्वयम्
Just as the gentle yawn of a lion in a clear, calm, and balanced state, so is the reflection of consciousness in Brahman, appearing as cognition itself.
चित् सचेत्योच्यते जीवस् स सङ्कल्पान् मनो भवेत् । बुद्धिश् चेत्यम् अहङ्कारो मायेत्याद्यभिधं ततः
Consciousness is called 'cit', cognition is called 'cetyam', the living being is the mind formed by volitions, intellect is cognition, ego is 'ahaṅkāra', and illusion is named 'māyā' and so on.
तन्मात्रकल्पना पूर्वं तनोतीदं जगन् मनः । असत्यं सत्यसङ्काशं गन्धर्वनगरं यथा
First, the mind creates the subtle elements, and thus produces this world, which is unreal yet appears real, like a city of the Gandharvas.
यथा शून्यदृशस् तारामुक्तावल्यादिदर्शनम् । यथा स्वप्ने भ्रमश् चैव तथा चित्तस्य संसृतिः
Just as a person with impaired vision sees pearls or stars in empty space, and just as there is confusion in a dream, so too is the cycle of the mind's wandering.
शुद्ध आत्मा नित्यतृप्त इव शान्तस् समस्थितिः । अपश्यन् पश्यतीवेमं चित्ताख्यं स्वप्नविभ्रमम्
The pure Self, ever content and tranquil, abides in equanimity; not perceiving, yet seeming to perceive this illusion of mind, like the confusion of a dream.
संसृतिर् जाग्रद् इत्य् उक्तं स्वप्नं विदुर् अहङ्कृतिम् । चित्तं सुषुप्तभावस् स्याच् चिन्मात्रं तुर्यम् उच्यते
The waking state is called worldly existence; the sense of 'I' is known as dream; the mind is like deep sleep; pure consciousness alone is said to be the fourth state.