विचारः फलितस् तस्य विज्ञेयो यस्य सन्मतेः । दिनानुदिनम् आयाति तानवं भोगगृध्नुता
For one whose discernment has matured and whose understanding is established, the craving for enjoyment diminishes day by day.
यथा देहोपयुक्तं हि करोत्य् आरोग्यम् औषधम् । तथेन्द्रियजये न्यस्तो विवेकः फलितो भवेत्
Just as medicine, when properly used for the body, produces health, so discernment, when applied to mastery of the senses, yields its fruit.
विवेको ऽस्ति वचस्य् एव चित्रे ऽग्निर् इव भासुरः । यस्य तेन परित्यक्ता दुःखायैव विवेकिता
Discernment exists only in speech, shining like a bright fire; for one who abandons it, discernment brings only suffering.
यथा स्पर्शेन पवनस् सत्ताम् आयाति नो गिरा । तथेच्छातानवेनैव विवेको ऽस्येति बुध्यते
Just as wind is known by touch and not by words, so discernment is recognized by the lessening of desire.
चित्रामृतं नामृतम् एव विद्धि चित्रानलं नानलम् एव विद्धि । चित्रे ऽङ्गना नूनम् अनङ्गनैव वाचा विवेकस् त्व् अविवेक एव
Know that the nectar in a painting is not real nectar; know that the fire in a painting is not real fire. In a painted woman, there is truly no woman; by words, discernment is merely non-discernment.
पूर्वं विवेकेन तनुत्वम् एति रागो ऽथ वैरं च समूलम् एव । पश्चात् परिक्षीयत एव यत्र स पावनस् तत्र विवेकितास्ति
First, by discernment, attachment and enmity are weakened at their root; later, they are completely eliminated—where this purification occurs, there true discrimination exists.
अथोत्पत्तिप्रकरणाद् अनन्तरम् इदं शृणु । स्थितिप्रकरणं राम ज्ञातं निर्वाणकारि यत्
Now, after the section on origination, listen to this, O Rama: the section on sustenance, which, when known, leads to liberation.
चिद्घनैकघनात्मत्वाज् जीवान्तर् जीवजातयः । कदलीदलवत् सन्ति कीटा इव नरोदरे
Because the essence of consciousness is one solid mass, the various types of living beings exist within it, like layers in a plantain stem or insects within a man's body.
यो यो राम यथा ग्रीष्मे कल्कस्वेदाद् भवेत् क्रिमिः । तत्तन्नाम तथा चित्त्वात् खं जीवीभवति स्वतः
Just as, O Rama, in the summer, worms arise from sweat and filth, so too, from the mind, beings spontaneously take on various forms and names.
यथा यथा यतन्ते ते जीवकास् स्वात्मसिद्धये । तथा तथा भवन्त्य् आशु विचित्रोपासनक्रमैः
As these living beings strive for realization of their own true nature, so, in accordance with their diverse practices, they quickly attain various results.
देवान् देवयजो यक्षयजो यक्षान् व्रजन्ति हि । ब्रह्म ब्रह्मयजो यान्ति यद् अतुच्छं तद् आश्रयेत्
Those who worship the gods become gods; those who worship yakshas become yakshas; those who worship Brahman attain Brahman—one attains that which is not trivial, which one truly seeks.
स शुक्रो भृगुपुत्रो हि निर्मलत्वात् स्वसंविदः । बद्धः प्रथमदृष्टेन दृश्येनाशु स्वभावतः
Shukra, the son of Bhrigu, due to the purity of his own awareness, was bound at first by what was seen, but quickly, by his very nature, became free.
अभिजातापरिम्लाना बाला यत् प्रथमं पुरः । संवित् प्राप्नोति तद्रूपा भवत्य् अन्या न काचन
Whatever form pure, untainted awareness first attains in the case of noble or undeveloped children, that alone becomes their nature; no other form arises.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नदशाभेदं भगवन् वक्तुम् अर्हसि । कथं च जाग्रज् जाग्रत् स्यात् स्वप्नो ऽजाग्रत् कथं भवेत्
O Lord, you should explain the distinction between the waking and dream states; and how does waking become waking, and how does dream become not-waking?
स्थिरप्रत्यययुक्तं यत् तज् जाग्रद् इति कथ्यते । अस्थिरप्रत्ययं यत् स्यात् स स्वप्नस् समुदाहृतः
That which is accompanied by steady conviction is called waking; that which is accompanied by unsteady conviction is declared to be dream.
जाग्रच् चेत् क्षणदृष्टं स्यात् स्वप्नः कालान्तरस्थितः । तज् जाग्रत् स्वप्नताम् एति स्वप्नो जाग्रत्त्वम् ऋच्छति
If what is seen for a moment in waking persists at another time, then that waking takes the form of dream, and the dream attains the nature of waking.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नदशाभेदो न स्थिरास्थिरतां विना । समस् सदैव सर्वत्र समस्तानुभवो ऽनयोः
The distinction between waking and dream does not exist apart from steadiness or unsteadiness; in both, the experience of all is always essentially the same everywhere.
यद् एव स्थिरताम् एति तज् जाग्रद् इति कथ्यते । क्षणभङ्गात्मकस् स्वप्नो यथा भवति तच् छृणु
Whatever attains steadiness is called waking; now listen to how dream is of the nature of momentary dissolution.
जीवधातुश् शरीरे ऽन्तर् विद्यते येन जीव्यते । तेजो वीर्यं जीवधातुर् इत्याद्यभिधम् अङ्ग तत्
Within the body there is the vital essence by which one lives; this vital essence, called 'tejas' or 'vīrya', is referred to as the life-principle, O dear one.
व्यवहारी यदा कायो मनसा कर्मणा गिरा । भवेत् तदा स सम्पन्नो जीवधातुः प्रसर्पति
When the body acts in the world through mind, action, or speech, then the vital essence flourishes and spreads.
तस्मिन् प्रसर्पत्य् अङ्गेषु स्पर्शात् संविद् उदेति हि । पुष्टत्वात् सैति चित्ताख्याम् अन्तर्लीनजगद्भ्रमा
As it spreads through the limbs, awareness arises through contact; due to its fullness, it is called 'mind', in which the illusion of the world remains submerged within.
सेक्षणादिषु रन्ध्रेषु प्रसर्पन्ती बहिर्मयम् । नानाकारविकाराढ्यं रूपम् आत्मनि पश्यति
Flowing outward through the openings such as the eyes, it perceives within itself a form endowed with various shapes and modifications.
तत्स्थिरत्वात् तथैवाथ जाग्रद् इत्य् अवगम्यते । जाग्रत्क्रम इति प्रोक्तस् सुषुप्तादिक्रमं शृणु
Because of its steadiness, this is then understood as the waking state; this is called the waking sequence. Now listen to the sequence beginning with deep sleep.
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा यदा क्षुभ्यति नो वपुः । शान्त आतिष्ठति स्वच्छो जीवधातुस् तदा त्व् असौ
When the body is not agitated by mind, action, or speech, then the vital principle remains calm, at rest, and pure.
समताम् आगतैर् वातैः क्षोभ्यते न हृदन्तरे । निर्वातसदने दीपो यथालोकैककारकः
When the inner airs have attained equilibrium, the heart is not disturbed—just as a lamp in a windless chamber shines solely by its own light.
ततस् सरति नाङ्गेषु संवित् क्षुभ्यति तेन नो । न चेक्षणादीन्य् आयाति रन्ध्राण्य् आयाति नो बहिः
Then consciousness does not move through the limbs, nor is it disturbed thereby; it does not reach the openings such as the eyes, nor does it go outward.
जीवो ऽन्तर् एव स्फुरति तैलसंविद् यथा तिले । शीतसंविद् धिम इव स्नेहसंविद् यथा घृते
The jīva shines within, like the awareness of oil within a sesame seed, like the awareness of cold in snow, or the awareness of oiliness in ghee.
जीवः कालकलां काञ्चित् तिष्ठञ् शान्ततयात्मनि । दशाम् आयाति सौषुप्तीं सौम्यवातां विचेतनाम्
The jīva, remaining as a subtle portion of time, abides in its own tranquility and enters the state of deep sleep, peaceful, with gentle breaths, and devoid of outward consciousness.
ज्ञात्वा चेतस्य् उपरते शाम्यन् व्यवहरन्न् अपि । जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तेषु प्रबुद्धस् तुर्यवान् स्मृतः
Knowing the cessation of mental activity, even while engaging in worldly actions, one who is awake in waking, dream, and deep sleep is remembered as established in the fourth state.
सौषुप्तात् सोम्यतां यातैः प्राणैस् सञ्चाल्यते यदा । स जीवधातुस् सा संवित् ततश् चित्ततयोदिता
When the vital airs, having attained calmness as in deep sleep, are stirred, that is the life-principle; that is consciousness, which then arises as mind.