दिक्कालाद्यनवच्छिन्नाद् एकस्माद् असतस् सतः । द्वैतम् अप्य् अपृथक् कस्माद् द्रवतेव महाम्भसः
From that one, unlimited by space, time, and other conditions, which is both unreal and real, why does even duality not remain separate, but seems to dissolve like water in the great ocean?
आत्मानं दर्शनं दृश्यं सद् असच् च गतक्रमम् । को ऽन्तर्बीजम् इवाङ्गस्थं स्थितः कृत्वा त्रिकालगम्
Who, having established within himself the Self, the act of seeing, and the seen—both real and unreal, and all that moves through the three times—remains as the inner seed, like a seed within a limb?
भूतभव्यभविष्यस्थं जगद्वृन्दं बृहद्भ्रमम् । नित्यं समस्य कस्यान्तर् बीजस्यान्तर् इव द्रुमः
Within whom does the vast, whirling multitude of worlds—existing in past, present, and future—always abide equally, as a tree abides within the seed?
बीजं द्रुमतयैवाशु द्रुमो बीजतयैव च । स्वयम् एकम् असद्रूपम् उदेत्य् अनुदितो ऽपि कः
Who, though not arisen, arises by himself as the one, formless essence—just as the seed quickly becomes the tree, and the tree in turn becomes the seed?
बिसतन्तुर् महामेरुर् भो राजन् यदपेक्षया । तस्य कस्योदरे सन्ति मेरुमन्दरकोटयः
O King, in relation to whom do the peaks of Meru and Mandara exist within the belly of a lotus fiber or the great Meru itself?
केनेदम् आततम् अनेकचिद् एव विश्वं किंसार एवम् अभिवल्गसि हंसि पासि । किंदर्शनेन न भवस्य् अथ वा सद् एव नूनं भवस्य् असमदृग् वद तत्प्रशान्त्यै
By whom is this universe, with its countless forms, spread out? Why do you so fiercely boast, destroy, and protect? With what vision do you not become, or do you indeed become, existence itself? Surely you are not of equal sight—tell me, so that this may be calmed.
एषो ऽसौ प्रगलतु संशयो ममोच्चैश् चित्तश्रीमुखमिहिकामलानुलेपः । यस्याग्रे न गलति संशयस् समूलो नैवासौ क्वचिद् अपि पण्डितोक्तिम् एति
Let this doubt of mine dissolve completely, like the fading of dew on the lotus face of the mind. If doubt does not vanish at its root, then even the words of the wise never truly reach anywhere.
एनं मे यदि न नयिष्यथः क्रमोक्त्या संशान्तिं लघुतरसंशयं सुबुद्धी । तद् रक्षोजठरहुताशनेन्धनत्वं निर्विघ्नं झगिति गमिष्यथः क्षणेन
If you do not lead me, step by step, to the cessation of this doubt, making it lighter with sound understanding, then you will swiftly become fuel for the fire in the belly of the demon, and will be consumed without hindrance in a moment.
पश्चात् तां जनपदमण्डलीं समन्ताद् भावत्कीम् उरुजठरा क्षणाद् ग्रसे ऽहम् । एवं ते भवति सुराजतेव मन्ये मूर्खानाम् अतिरस एव सङ्क्षयाय
Afterwards, I will devour that entire region and its people, all around, with the hunger of my belly in an instant. Thus, for you, it will be as if a good king rules; but I think that excessive delight is always ruinous for fools.
इत्य् उक्त्वा विपुलगभीरमेघनाद प्रोल्लासप्रकटगिरा निशाचरी सा । तूष्णीम् अप्य् अतिविकटाकृतिस् तदासीच् छुद्धान्तश्शरदमलाभ्रमण्डलीव
Having spoken thus, with a voice deep and vast as thunderclouds, the night-dweller, with her fierce and terrifying form, became silent, pure within, like a spotless autumn cloud.
महानिशि महारण्ये महाराक्षसकन्यया । इति प्रोक्ते महाप्रश्ने महामन्त्री गिरं ददौ
In the great night, in the great forest, after the great demon maiden had spoken, the chief minister gave his reply to the great question.
शृणु तोयदसङ्काशे प्रश्नम् एनं भिनद्मि ते । अनुक्रमात्मकं मत्तं गजेन्द्रम् इव केसरी
Listen, O you who resemble a rain cloud! I will break apart your question, as a lion does to a maddened elephant, in a systematic manner.
भवत्या परमात्मैष कथितः कमलेक्षणे । अनयैव वचोभङ्ग्या ब्रह्मविद्बोधयोग्यया
O lotus-eyed one, this supreme Self has been described by you; and in this very manner of speech, suitable for awakening knowledge of Brahman.
अनाख्यत्वाद् अगम्यत्वान् मनसाम् अप्य् अगोचरः । चिन्मात्रम् एवम् आत्माणुर् आकाशाद् अपि सूक्ष्मकः
Because it cannot be described and cannot be reached, it is beyond even the mind's grasp; thus, the Self is pure consciousness, subtler even than space.
चिदणोः परमस्यान्तस् सद् एवासद् इव स्थितम् । सत्ताप्य् एवम् असत्तेव स्फुरतीदं जगत् स्थितम्
Within the supreme atom of consciousness, existence abides as if it were non-existence; in this way, this world appears to shine forth as if it exists, though it is as if it does not.
स किञ्चिदनुभूतित्वात् सर्गात्मकतया स्थितः। तदात्मकतया पूर्वं भावसत्तां किलागतः
Because it is experienced in some way and stands as the essence of creation, it previously assumed the state of being as its own nature.
अतीन्द्रियत्वान् नो किञ्चित् स एवाणुर् अनन्तकः । सर्वात्मकत्वाद् भुङ्क्ते च तेन किञ्चिन् न किञ्चन
Because it is beyond the senses, that subtle atom is nothing at all and yet infinite; because it is all-pervading, it enjoys everything, yet nothing at all.
चिदणोः प्रतिभासात् स्वाद् एकस्यानेकतोदिता । असत्यैवापि सत्येव हेम्नः कटकता यथा
From the reflection of the atom of consciousness, the one appears as many; though unreal, it seems real, like a bracelet appears from gold.
एषो ऽणुः परमाकाशस् सूक्ष्मः खाद् अप्य् अलक्षितः । मनष्षष्ठेन्द्रियातीतस् स्थितस् सर्वात्मको ऽपि सन्
This atom is the supreme space, subtler even than ether, invisible, beyond mind and the six senses, yet abiding as the Self of all.
सर्वात्मकस् स्यान् नैवासौ शून्यो भवति कर्हिचित् । यद् अस्ति न तद् अस्तीति वक्तोन्मत्त इति स्मृतः
Though it is the Self of all, it is never void; one who says that what exists does not exist is considered mad.
कयाचिद् अपि युक्त्येह सतो ऽसत्त्वं न युज्यते । सर्वात्मा खातगुप्तेन कर्पूरेणेव दर्श्यते
By no reasoning here can non-existence be ascribed to what exists; the all-pervading Self is revealed, hidden like camphor in space.
चिन्मात्राणुस् स एवेह सर्वं किञ्चिद् घनं स्थितः । न किञ्चिद् इन्द्रियातीतरूपत्वाद् अमलस् स्थितः
He alone, who is the subtle essence of pure consciousness, stands here as all this dense existence; nothing else exists, for he is beyond the senses, stainless and ever-present.
स एव चैको ऽनेकश् च सर्वसत्तात्मवेदनात् । स एवेदं जगद् धत्ते जगत्कोटीस् तथैव च
He alone is one and yet many, because he is the inner self of all beings; he alone upholds this universe and countless worlds as well.
इमाश् चित्त्वमहाम्भोधेस् त्रिजगज्जलवीचयः । प्रजास् तस्मिन् कचन्त्य् अप्सु द्रवत्वाच् चक्रता इव
These waves of the three worlds are but the offspring of the great ocean of consciousness; just as wheels move in water because of its fluidity, so do beings move within it.
चित्तेन्द्रियाद्यलभ्यत्वात् सो ऽणुश् शून्यं खरूपधृत् । स्वसंवेदनलभ्यत्वाद् अशून्यं व्योमरूप्य् अपि
Because he cannot be grasped by mind, senses, or the like, he is subtle, void, and assumes the form of space; yet, because he is known by self-awareness, he is not void, but also has the nature of space.
सो ऽहं भवन्न् एव भवात् सम्पन्नो द्वैतवेदनात् । भवान् भवन्न् अहं जातो बोधबृंहाबृहद्वपुः
I become you, indeed, by the arising of dualistic perception; you become me, and I am born as you, having the vast form of expanded consciousness.
त्वत्ताहन्तात्मकं सर्वं विनिगीर्यावबोधतः । न त्वं नाहं न सर्वं वासर्वं वा भवति स्वयम्
When all is absorbed into the awareness that is the essence of 'I' and 'you,' then neither you nor I nor all else remains, nor does anything at all exist by itself.
गच्छन् न गच्छत्य् एषो ऽणुर् योजनौघगतो ऽपि सन् । संवित्त्या योजनौघत्वं तस्याणोर् अन्तरे स्थितम्
This subtle essence, even while going, does not go; even if it traverses countless leagues, it does not move, for the measure of distance exists only within consciousness itself.
न गच्छत्य् एष यातो ऽपि सम्प्राप्तो ऽपि न चागतः । स्वसत्ताकाशकोशे ऽन्तर् वासित्वाद् देशकालयोः
He does not go, even when he appears to have gone; nor does he arrive, even when he seems to have come, for, abiding within the space of his own being, he is untouched by place and time.
गम्यं यस्य शरीरस्थं क्व किलासौ प्रयाति हि । कुचकोटरगः पुत्रः किं मात्रान्यत्र वीक्ष्यते
When that which is to be reached resides in the body, where indeed does it go? Just as a child in the hollow of a breast is not seen apart from the mother.