शिवाद् राघव नीरूपाद् अप्रमेयान् निरामयात् । सर्वभूतानि जातानि प्राकाश्यानीव तेजसः
O Raghava, from Shiva—who is formless, immeasurable, and free from all affliction—all beings arise, just as radiance comes forth from light.
रेखावृन्दं यथा पर्णे वीचिजालं यथा जले । कटकादि यथा हेम्नि तथौष्ण्यादि यथानले
Just as lines appear on a leaf, waves on water, ornaments on gold, or heat and the like in fire,
तदतद्भावभूतं हि तथेदं भुवनत्रयम् । तस्मिन्न् एव स्थितं तज्जं तस्माद् एव तद् एव च
So too, this threefold world exists as both identical and non-identical with That; it abides in That, is born from That, and is indeed That alone.
स एष सर्वभूतानाम् आत्मा ब्रह्मेति कथ्यते । तस्मिञ् ज्ञाते जगज् ज्ञातम् अज्ञाते ऽज्ञातम् एव तत्
He is called the Self—Brahman—of all beings; when That is known, the world is known; when That is not known, it remains unknown.
शास्त्रसंव्यवहारार्थं तस्यास्य वितताकृतेः । चिद् ब्रह्मात्मेति नामानि कल्पितानि कृतात्मभिः
For the sake of scripture and worldly usage, those who know have assigned names such as 'consciousness,' 'Brahman,' and 'Self' to That whose form is all-pervading.
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगे हर्षामर्षविवर्जिता । यैषा शुद्धानुभूतिर् हि सो ऽयम् आत्मा चिदव्ययः
That pure experience, free from joy and resentment in the contact of senses and objects, is this very Self—consciousness, imperishable.
आकाशातितराच्छाच्छम् इदं तस्मिंश् चिदात्मनि । स्वाभोग एव हि जगत् पृथग्वत् प्रतिबिम्बति
This consciousness-Self is subtler and clearer than space; in That, the world appears as a separate reflection, but is only its own enjoyment.
बुद्धास् तद्व्यतिरेकेण लोभमोहादयो ऽरिताम् । यान्त्य् अथाव्यतिरेकेण बुद्धास् तस्मिंस् तदैव ते
When the intellect is separate from it, greed, delusion, and the like arise; but when there is no separation, the intellects are indeed in that alone.
अदेहस्यैव ते नाम निर्विकल्पचिदाकृतेः । लज्जाभयविषादाख्यः कुतो मोहस् समुत्थितः
For one who is bodiless, whose nature is undivided consciousness, how could confusion arise, named as shame, fear, or sorrow?
अदेहो देहजैर् दोषैर् लज्जादिभिर् असन्मयैः । किं मूर्ख इव दुर्बुद्धे विकल्पैर् अभिभूयसे
How, like a fool of dull mind, are you overcome by imaginations such as shame and the like, which are unreal and arise from the body, though you are bodiless?
अखण्डचितिरूपस्य देहे खण्डनम् आगते । असम्यग्दर्शिनो ऽप्य् अस्ति न नाशः किम् उ सन्मतेः
For one whose nature is unbroken consciousness, even when the body is destroyed, there is no destruction for one who does not see rightly—how much less for one who is truly wise?
यद् एतद् अर्कमार्गे ऽपि न विरुद्धगमागमम् । चित्त्वं राम स विज्ञेयः पुरुषो न शरीरकम्
That which, even on the path of the sun, does not come or go in opposition, O Rāma, know that to be the person, not the body.
शरीरे सत्य् असति वा पुमान् एष जगत्त्रये । ज्ञो ऽप्य् अज्ञो ऽपि स्थितो राम नष्टे देहे न नश्यति
Whether the body exists or not, this person in the three worlds, whether knowing or unknowing, remains, O Rāma; when the body is lost, he does not perish.
यानीमानि विचित्राणि दुःखानि परिपश्यसि । तानि सर्वाणि देहस्य नाग्राह्यस्य चिदात्मनः
All these various sufferings that you observe belong to the body, not to the consciousness-self, which cannot be grasped.
मनोमर्गाद् अतीतत्वाद् यासौ शून्यम् इव स्थिता । चित् कथं नाम सा दुःखैस् सुखैर् वा परिगृह्यते
Since it stands beyond the path of the mind, like emptiness, how indeed can that consciousness be affected by pain or pleasure?
संविदात्मा तद् अस्मात् तु विशिष्टाद् देहपञ्जरात् । अभ्यस्तां वासनां याति षट्पदः खम् इवाम्बुजात्
Consciousness, being the self, departs from this distinct cage of the body, carrying the impressions it has practiced, just as a bee leaves the lotus for the sky.
असच् चेद् आत्मतत्त्वं तद् अस्मिंस् ते देहपञ्जरे । नष्टे किं नाम नष्टं स्याद् राम येनानुशोचसि
If the essence of the self is unreal in this body-cage, then when it is lost, what truly is lost, Rama, for which you grieve?
सत्यं भावय तेन त्वं मा मोहम् अनुभावय । निरिच्छस्यात्मनो नेच्छाः काश्चिद् अप्य् अनघाकृतेः
Hold to the truth, and do not let delusion arise; for the pure self, there are no desires at all.
साक्षिभूते समे स्वच्छे निर्विकल्पे चिदात्मनि । स्वयं जगन्ति दृश्यन्ते सन्मणाव् इव रश्मयः
When the consciousness is witness, equal, clear, and free from distinctions, the worlds appear within it by themselves, like rays in a flawless jewel.
निरिच्छम् अभिसम्बन्धो यथा दर्पणबिम्बयोः । स्वभाववशसम्पन्नस् तथा चिज्जगतोर् अयम्
The connection without desire is like the images in a mirror; so too is the nature-born relation between consciousness and the world.
द्वित्वैकत्वे स्थिते यद् वर्मकुरप्रतिबिम्बयोः । तथैवेहात्मजगतोर् भेदाभेदौ व्यवस्थितौ
Just as duality and unity are established in the reflections of a shield and a corpse, so too are difference and non-difference established between self and world here.
सूर्यसन्निधिमात्रे तु यथोदेति भुवि क्रिया । चित्सत्तामात्रकेनेदं जगन् निष्पद्यते तथा
Just as action arises on earth merely by the presence of the sun, so too this world is produced solely by the existence of consciousness.
पिण्डग्रहे निवृत्ते ऽस्या एवं राम जगत्स्थितेः । आकाशम् एषा सम्पन्ना भवताम् अपि चेतसि
When grasping the body ceases, Rama, this world-state is dissolved; and space arises in your mind as well.
सत्तामात्रेण दीपस्य यथा दीप्तिस् स्वभावतः । चित्तत्त्वस्य स्वभावात् तु तथेयं जागती क्रिया
Just as the lamp’s radiance arises naturally from its mere existence, so too does this activity of the world arise from the inherent nature of consciousness.
पूर्वं मनस् समुदितं परमात्मतत्त्वात् तेनाततं जगद् इदं स्वविकल्पजालम् । शून्येन शून्यम् अमलेन यथाम्बरेण नीलत्वम् उल्लसति चारुलताभिरामम्
First, the mind emerges from the essence of the supreme Self; through it, this world is spread out, a web of its own imaginations. As emptiness shines through emptiness, or as pure space gives rise to the blue hue, so do charming creepers flourish.
सङ्कल्पसङ्क्षयवशाद् गलिते तु चित्ते संसारमोहमिहिका गलिता भवन्ति । स्वच्छं विभाति शरदीव खम् आश्रितायां चिन्मात्रम् एकम् अजम् आद्यम् अनन्तम् अन्तः
When the mind dissolves through the cessation of thoughts, the mist of worldly delusion fades away. Then, pure consciousness shines forth, like the clear autumn sky, resting within—one, unborn, original, infinite.
कर्मात्मकं प्रथमम् एव मनो ऽभ्युदेति सङ्कल्पतः कमलजप्रकृतिं तद् एत्य । नानाविधं जगद् अनन्तम् इदं तनोति वेतालदेहकलनाम् इव मुग्धबालः
The mind, which is of the nature of action, first arises from thought, taking on the nature of the lotus-born. It then produces this endless, diverse world, just as a naive child fashions phantom bodies.
असन्मयं सद् इव पुरोपलक्ष्यते पुनर् भवत्य् अथ परिलीयते पुनः । स्वयं मनश् चिति विततं स्फुरद्वपुर् महार्णवे जलवलयावली यथा
What is made of non-being appears as if real at first, then again dissolves and disappears. The mind itself, spread out as consciousness, manifests as a luminous form, like rings of water in the vast ocean.
अकर्तृकम् अनङ्गं च गगने चित्रम् उत्थितम् । अद्रष्टृकं सानुभवम् अनिद्रं स्वप्नदर्शनम्
It arises in the sky, without a doer and without limbs, a wondrous vision; without a seer, yet with experience, sleepless, yet showing dreams.
भविष्यत्पुरनिर्माणं चित्रसंस्थम् इवोदितम् । मर्कटानलतापाभम् अम्ब्वावर्तवद् आस्थितम्
It appears as if established in a marvelous form, creating future cities; resembling the heat of a monkey’s fire, it abides like a whirlpool of water.