यथा स्तम्भे पुत्रिकान्तस् तस्याश् चाङ्गेषु पुत्रिका । तस्याश् च पुत्रिकास्त्य् अङ्गे तथा त्रैलोक्यपुत्रिका
As within a pillar is a doll, and within her limbs are further dolls, and within those limbs yet more dolls—so too are the worlds within worlds.
न भिन्ना न च सङ्ख्येया यथाद्रौ परमाणवः । तथा ब्रह्मबृहन्मेरौ त्रैलोक्यपरमाणवः
They are neither separate nor countable, just as the atoms in a mountain; so too are the atomic worlds within the vast mountain of Brahman.
सूर्यौघांशुषु सङ्ख्यातुं शक्यन्ते लघवो ऽणवः । नानाद्यन्ताश् चिदादित्ये त्रैलोक्यपरमाणवः
The tiny atoms may be counted in the rays of the sun, but the atomic worlds within the sun of consciousness are countless, with neither beginning nor end.
यथाणवो वहन्त्य् अर्कदीप्तिष्व् अप्सु रजस्सु च । तथा वहन्ते चिद्व्योम्नि त्रैलोक्यपरमाणवः
Just as atoms move within sunlight, water, and dust, so too do the atoms of the three worlds move within the space of consciousness.
शून्यानुभवमात्रात्म भूताकाशम् इदं यथा । सर्गानुभवमात्रात्म चिदाकाशम् इदं तथा
Just as this elemental space is nothing but the experience of emptiness, so too is this space of consciousness nothing but the experience of creation.
सर्गस् तु सर्गशब्दार्थतया बुद्धो नयत्य् अधः । स ब्रह्मशब्दार्थतया बुद्धश् श्रेयो भवत्य् अलम्
Creation, when understood as merely the word 'creation,' leads the mind downward; but when understood as the meaning of the word 'Brahman,' it truly brings about the highest good.
विज्ञानात्मा शासिता विश्वबीजं ब्रह्मैवाद्यं स्वं चिदाकाशमात्रम् । तस्माज् जातं यत् तद् एवेति वेद्यं बुध्यस्वान्तर् बोधसम्बोधमात्रम्
The ruler, whose essence is knowledge, is the very seed of the universe, the original Brahman, which is only its own space of consciousness; know that whatever arises from that is nothing but the awareness of inner consciousness.
शास्त्रसत्सङ्गमाभ्यासैस् सविवेको जितेन्द्रियः । अत्यन्ताभावम् एवास्य दृश्यौघस्यावगच्छति
Through study of scripture, association with the wise, and repeated practice, one who is discerning and has mastered the senses comes to realize the utter non-existence of this mass of perceived objects.
एतत् ते कथितं सर्वं स्वरूपं रूपिणां वर । संसारसागरश्रेण्यो यथायान्ति प्रयान्ति च
All this has been explained to you, O best of those with form, regarding the true nature of forms—how the series of waves in the ocean of worldly existence arise and subside.
बहुनात्र किम् उक्तेन मनः कर्मद्रुमाङ्कुरः । तस्मिंश् छिन्ने जगच्छाखश् छिन्नः कर्मतरुर् भवेत्
What more need be said? The mind is the sprout of the tree of action; when it is cut, the branches of the world are cut, and the tree of action is destroyed.
मनस् सर्वम् इदं राम तस्मिन्न् अन्तश् चिकित्सिते । चिकित्सितो ऽयं सकलो जन्मजालमयो भवः
O Rāma, all this exists because of the mind; when it is treated at its root, the entire network of birth-based existence is healed.
तद् एतज् जायते लोके मनो मललवाकुलम् । मनसो व्यतिरेकेण देहः क्व किल दृश्यते
Thus, this mind, troubled by a trace of impurity, arises in the world; apart from the mind, where indeed can the body be seen?
दृश्यात्यन्तासम्भवनम् ऋते नान्येन हेतुना । मनःपिशाचः प्रशमं याति कल्पशतैर् अपि
Except for the utter impossibility of its appearance, there is no other cause; the demon of the mind is pacified even after hundreds of aeons.
एतच् च सम्भवत्य् एव मनोव्याधिचिकित्सने । दृश्यात्यन्तासम्भवात्म परमौषधम् उत्तमम्
And this indeed occurs in the treatment of mental affliction: the supreme and best medicine is the realization of the utter impossibility of the world's appearance.
मनो मोहम् उपादत्ते म्रियते जायते मनः । कस्यचित् तु प्रसादेन बध्यते मुच्यते पुनः
The mind takes up delusion, the mind dies and is born; by the grace of someone, it is bound and again liberated.
स्फुरतीत्थं जगत् सर्वं चित्ते मननमन्थरे । शून्य एवाम्बरे स्फारे गन्धर्वाणां पुरं यथा
In this way, the entire world shines forth in the mind, stirred by thought, just as in vast empty space, the city of the Gandharvas appears.
मनसीदं जगत् कृत्स्नं स्फारं स्फुरति चास्ति च । पुष्पगुच्छ इवामोदस् तत्स्थस् तस्माद् इवेतरः
This whole world shines forth and exists in the mind, just as fragrance abides in a cluster of flowers—present there, but not separate from it.
यथा तिलकणे तैलं गुणो गुणिनि वा यथा । यथा धर्मिणि वा धर्मस् तथेदं मनसि स्थितम्
As oil is in the sesame seed, as a quality is in its possessor, or as a property is in its substrate, so too is this world established in the mind.
यथाम्भसि तरङ्गौघ इन्दौ द्वीन्दुभ्रमो यथा । मृगतृष्णा यथा तापे संसारश् चित्तके तथा
As a multitude of waves is in water, as the illusion of two moons is in the moon, or as a mirage is in the heat, so too is the world in the mind.
रश्मिजालं यथा सूर्ये यथालोकश् च तेजसि । यथौष्ण्यं चित्रभानौ वा मनसीदं तथा जगत्
Just as rays are in the sun, as light is in fire, and as heat is in the shining orb, so too is this world in the mind.
शैत्यं यथैव तुहिने यथा नभसि शून्यता । यथा चञ्चलता वायौ मनसीदं तथा जगत्
As coolness is in the moon, as emptiness is in space, and as restlessness is in the wind, so too is this world in the mind.
मनो जगज् जगद् अखिलं तथा मनः परस्परं त्व् अविरहितं सदैव हि । तयोर् द्वयोर् मनसि निरन्तरं क्षते क्षतं जगन् न तु जगति क्षते मनः
The mind is the world, and the world is the mind; the two are always inseparable. When the mind is disturbed, the world is disturbed; but when the world is disturbed, the mind is not necessarily disturbed.
यथायं मनसि स्फार आरम्भस् स्फुरति स्फुटम् । दृष्टान्तदृष्ट्या स्फुटया तथा कथय मे ऽनघ
Just as this vast manifestation arises clearly in the mind, O sinless one, explain to me with a clear analogy how this is so.
यथैन्दवानां विप्राणां जगन्त्य् अवपुषाम् अपि । स्थितानि जातदार्ढ्यानि मनसीदं तथा स्थितम्
Just as the worlds of the gods, seers, and even the forms of the departed are established firmly in the mind, so too is this world established in the mind.
लवणस्य यथा राज्ञश् चेन्द्रजालाकुलाकृतेः । चण्डालत्वम् अनुप्राप्तं तथेदं मनसि स्थितम्
Just as the king of salt, bewildered by magical illusion, attained the state of an outcaste, so too is this world established in the mind.
भार्गवस्य चिरं कालं स्वर्गभोगबुभुक्षया । भोगेश्वरत्वं च यथा तथेदं मनसि स्थितम्
Just as Bhargava, for a long time, due to the desire for heavenly enjoyments, attained lordship over enjoyments, so too is this world established in the mind.
भगवन् भृगुपुत्रस्य स्वर्गभोगबुभुक्षया । कथं भोगाधिनाथत्वं संसारित्वं बभूव च
O Lord, how did the son of Bhrigu, due to the desire for heavenly enjoyments, come to possess lordship over enjoyments and become bound in worldly existence?
शृणु राम पुरा वृत्तं संवादं भृगुकालयोः । सानौ मन्दरशैलस्य तमालविटपाकुले
Listen, O Rama, to the ancient story of the conversation between Bhrigu and Kālaya, which took place on the slope of Mount Mandara, thick with tamāla trees.
पुरा मन्दरशैलस्य सानौ कुसुमसङ्कुले । अतप्यत तपो घोरं कस्मिंश्चिद् भगवान् भृगुः
Long ago, on the flower-laden slope of Mount Mandara, the venerable Bhrigu performed severe austerities.
तम् उपास्ते स्म तेजस्वी बालः पुत्रो महामतिः । शुक्रस् सकलचन्द्राभः प्रकाश इव भास्करम्
His radiant son, the wise and youthful Śukra, whose brilliance rivaled the full moon, attended upon him there, as light attends the sun.