मनोनाम्नि परिक्षीणे कर्मण्य् अहितसम्भ्रमे । मुक्त इत्य् उच्यते जन्तुः पुनर् नाम न जायते
When what is called the mind is exhausted and action is no longer agitated by harmful impulses, the being is said to be liberated and does not take birth again.
भगवान् भवता प्रोक्ता जातयस् त्रिविधा नृणाम् । प्रथमं कारणं तासां मनस् सदसदात्मकम्
O venerable one, you have spoken of three kinds of births among men; their primary cause is the mind, which is of the nature of both existence and non-existence.
तत् कथं शुद्धचिन्नाम्नस् तत्त्वाच् छुद्धिविवर्जितम् । उत्थितं स्फारतां यातं जगच्चित्रकरं मनः
How has that mind, which is called pure consciousness, which is devoid of impurity, arisen, expanded, and become the creator of the manifold world?
आकाशा हि त्रयो नाम विद्यन्ते विततान्तराः । चित्ताकाशश् चिदाकाशो भूताकाशस् तृतीयकः
Indeed, there are three kinds of space, which are extended and distinct: the space of mind, the space of consciousness, and the third, the elemental space.
एते हि सर्वसामान्यास् सर्वत्रैव व्यवस्थिताः । शुद्धचित्तत्त्वशक्त्या तु लब्धसत्तैकतां गताः
These are common to all and are established everywhere; through the power of pure consciousness, they attain the unity of existence.
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरस्थो यो वेत्ता सत्तावबोधकः । व्यापी समस्तभूतानां चिदाकाशस् स उच्यते
That which is both within and without, the knower, the revealer of being, pervading all beings—this is called the space of consciousness.
सर्वभूतहितस् स्रष्टा यः कलाकलनात्मकः । येनेदम् आततं सर्वं चित्ताकाशस् स उच्यते
That which is beneficial to all beings, the creator, consisting of the divisions of time and thought, by which all this is spread forth—this is called the space of mind.
दशदिङ्मण्डलाभोगैर् अव्युच्छिन्नवपुर् हि यः । भूतात्मा सो ऽयम् आकाशः पवनाब्दादिसंश्रयः
That which has an unbroken form extending through the ten directions, which is the essence of the elements, and is the support of wind, water, and so on—this is the elemental space.
आकाशचित्ताकाशौ द्वौ चिदाकाशवशोद्भवौ । चित् कारणं हि सर्वस्य कार्यौघस्य दिनं यथा
The spaces of mind and elemental space both arise under the influence of the space of consciousness; for consciousness is the cause of all effects, just as the day is the cause of all activities.
जडो ऽस्मि न जडो ऽस्मीति निश्चयो मलिनश् चितः । यस् तद् एव मनो विद्धि तेनाकाशादि भाव्यते
The mind that is uncertain, thinking 'I am inert, I am not inert,' is impure; know that this very mind is what gives rise to space and the other elements.
अप्रबुद्धात्मविषयम् आकाशत्रयकल्पना । कल्प्यते ह्य् उपदेशार्थं प्रबुद्धविषयं न तु
The conception of the threefold space is imagined only for the sake of instruction to those whose inner self is not awakened; it is not intended for those who are awakened.
एकम् एव परं ब्रह्म सर्वं सर्वावपूरकम् । प्रबुद्धं विमलं नित्यं कलाकलनवर्जितम्
There is only one supreme Brahman, which is all, pervading everything; it is awakened, pure, eternal, and free from all divisions and distinctions.
द्वैताद्वैतसमुद्भेदैर् वाक्यसन्दर्भगर्भितैः । उपदिश्यत एवाज्ञो न प्रबुद्धः कथञ्चन
Through statements filled with the context of duality and nonduality, instruction is given only to the ignorant, never to the awakened, in any way.
यावद् रामाप्रबुद्धत्वम् आकाशत्रयकल्पना । तावद् एवावबोधार्थं मया त उपदिश्यते
O Rama, as long as there is non-awakening, the conception of the threefold space is taught by me only for the sake of understanding.
आकाशचित्ताकाशाद्याश् चिदाकाशात् कलङ्कितात् । प्रसूता दावदहनाद् यथा मरुमरीचयः
Space, mental space, and the rest arise from the tainted consciousness, just as mirages arise from the heat of the desert.
चितो हि मलिनं रूपं चित्ततां समुपागतम् । त्रिजगन्तीन्द्रजालानि रचयत्य् आकुलात्मकम्
Indeed, when consciousness assumes an impure form as mind, it creates the illusory worlds, full of confusion, like a magician's trick.
चित्तत्वम् अस्य मलिनस्य चिदात्मकस्य तत्त्वस्य दृश्यत इदं ननु बोधहीनैः । शुक्तौ यथा रजतता न तु बोधवद्भिर् मौर्ख्येण बन्ध इह बोधबलेन मोक्षः
The state of mind, which belongs to this impure, conscious essence, is perceived by those who lack understanding—just as silver is seen in a shell by the ignorant; bondage here is due to ignorance, and liberation is through the power of knowledge.
यतः कुतश्चिद् उत्पन्नं चित्तं यत् किञ्चिद् एव हि । नित्यम् आत्मविमोक्षाय यतते यत्नतो ऽनघ
O sinless one, wherever and however the mind arises, whatever it may be, it always strives diligently for its own liberation.
अस्ति नामातिवितता शून्या शान्तापि भीषणा । अरण्यानी नभो यस्यां लक्ष्यते कोणमात्रकम्
There is said to be a vast, empty, and peaceful yet terrifying wilderness, in which not even the smallest corner is seen in the sky.
तस्याम् एको हि पुरुषस् सहस्रकरलोचनः । पर्याकुलमतिर् भीमस् संस्थितो वितताकृतिः
In that place, there is a single man with a thousand hands and eyes, whose mind is greatly agitated and fearsome, and whose form is spread wide.
सहस्रेण स बाहूनाम् आदाय परिघान् बहून् । प्रहरत्य् आत्मनः पृष्ठे स्वात्मनैव पलायते
With his thousand arms, he seizes many clubs and strikes his own back, and then flees from himself.
दृढप्रहारैः प्रहरन् स्वयम् एवात्मनात्मनि । प्रविद्रवति भीतात्मा स योजनशतान्य् अपि
Striking himself with strong blows, he himself flees from himself, his own fearful mind running for hundreds of leagues.
क्रन्दन् पलायमानो ऽसौ गत्वा दूरम् इतस् ततः । श्रमवान् विवशाकारो विशीर्णचरणाङ्गकः
Crying out as he flees here and there to a great distance, exhausted, helpless, his feet and limbs broken, he collapses.
पतितो ऽवश एवाशु महत्य् अन्धो ऽन्धकूपके । कृष्णरात्रितमोभीमनभोगम्भीरकोटरे
Helpless, he quickly falls into a great, dark, blind well, whose depths are filled with the darkness of a black night and the pride of ignorance.
ततः कालेन महता सो ऽन्धकूपात् समुत्थितः । पुनः प्रहारैः प्रहरन् विद्रवत्य् आत्मनात्मनः
After a long time, he rises from that blind well, and again, striking himself with blows, flees from himself.
पुनर् दूरतरं गत्वा करञ्जवनगुल्मकम् । प्रविष्टः कण्टकव्याप्तं शलभः पावकं यथा
Then, going still farther, he entered a thicket of karanja bushes, filled with thorns, like a grasshopper entering fire.
तस्मात् करञ्जगहनाद् विनिष्क्रम्य क्षणाद् इव । स्वयं प्रहारैः प्रहरन् विद्रवत्य् आत्मनात्मनः
From that dense karanja grove, he emerged in a moment, striking himself with his own blows, fleeing from himself.
पुनर् दूरतरं गत्वा तम् एवान्धो ऽन्धकूपकम् । स सम्प्रविष्टस् त्वरया विशीर्णावयवाकृतिः
Again, going farther, that blind man quickly entered the same blind well, his limbs disordered in his haste.
अन्धकूपात् समुत्थाय प्रविष्टः कदलीवनम् । पुनः प्रहारैः प्रहरन् विद्रवत्य् आत्मनात्मनः
Rising from the blind well, he entered a grove of plantains, again striking himself with blows, fleeing from himself.
पुनर् दूरतरं गत्वा शशाङ्ककरशीतलम् । कदलीकाननं कान्तं सम्प्रविष्टो हसन्न् इव
Again, going farther, he entered a lovely plantain forest, cool as moonbeams, as if laughing.