1.
I bow down to the shaanta prakaasha (tranquil effulgence) that dispels the darkness of bhram as soon as it rises, the way a dream is dispelled as soon as a person awakens. (Prakash means the pure knowledge that is free of the one who has Gnan, and the object of Gnan.)
2.
A person may obtain objects from the whole world, to indulge in sensual pleasures, as much as he can, but nobody can be sukhi without giving them up.
3.
A person whose chitta burns with the raging fire of, ‘This is kartavya (to be done)’ cannot get the sukha that is obtained only by drinking the amrita (nectar) of giving up all feeling about being the doer of his actions.
4.
This world is only a bhaavanaa (feeling); there is no paramaartha (supreme Truth) in it. The objects that are in-between bhaava (presence) and abhaava (absence) can never be absent. (The absence of what is present, and the absence of what is missing, are both feelings.)
5.
The swarup of the Atma, is neither far nor near; it is always present. (It is your Self.) It has neither vikalpa (doubts) nor vikaara (mental distortions), nor mala (impurities).
6.
As soon as agnan is removed, the person gets the correct knowledge of the swarup, and the curtain that covers his vision is removed. He becomes a Tattvagna, and becomes free of sorrow. He develops a beatific personality.
7.
Everything is kalpanaamaatra (imagined). The Atma is always mukta. A resolute person knows this, so why should he try for it, like a child? (A person puts in an effort to obtain something, or get rid of something. When there is nothing to be obtained or got rid of, why should he make any effort?)
8.
The Atma is the Brahman. Bhava and abhava are imagined. Once a person comes to this conclusion, the triad of bhoktaa (the one who experiences), bhogya (that, which is experienced), and bhoga (the experiencing) are quieted. Then, what is there for a person to know, say, or do?
9.
The imagined, ‘I am this; I am not this’, have been quieted. Such a person has understood, ‘Everything is the Atma,’ and is at peace. (Words are where there is pulsation; a person whose mind has no pulsation is silent. Silence is the Atma.)
10.
A Tattvagna who is established in his own swarup has neither vikshe`pa (disturbance) nor e`kaagrataa (concentration). He has neither Gnan nor agnan; neither sukha nor dukha.
11.
The Tattvagna who is naturally nirvikalpa (free of doubts) feels no difference whether he rules a Kingdom, becomes a beggar, has laabha-alaabha (gain-loss), is in a crowd or in a lonely forest. (The nirvikalpa state induced by practice is a superimposition. It is mithya.)
12.
‘I have done this; this remains to be done.’ When a person becomes free of this duality, he is no longer bound to Dharma, Kama, Artha, or even vivek.
13.
For a jeevanmukta (enlightened) Gnani, there is no kartavya (duty), and no color (preference) in his heart. His state is just to pass the days of his life, accepting what comes.
14.
The Mahatma who is merely a saakshee (witness) rests on the seemaa (border) of all sankalpa (resolves). For him, there is no agnan, no vishva (world), no dhyaana (meditation), and no mukti.
15.
A person who has seen this vishwa may go on saying, ‘It doesn’t exist; it is not real.’ What should a person who has no vishaya-vaasanaa (desire for sense objects) do? He does not see, even while looking.
16.
A person who has seen the Parabrahman can continue to do chintan (think), ‘I am the Brahman – Soham! Soham!’ A nishchinta (one whose thoughts are quieted), who sees no ‘other’, has nothing to think about.
17.
A person does nirodha (blocks his thoughts) if he has seen vikshep in his swarup. A Tattvagna never feels disturbed. There is no saadhya (something worth working for); then what is there for him to do?
18.
A Tattvagna is the opposite of worldly people. Even while interacting like other people, he sees neither Samadhi nor vikshep, nor le`pa (a plastering over a surface).
19.
A Tattvagna is free of bhaava and abhaava. He is tripta (fully satisfied), and free of vasanas. It seems to people that he does many good and bad things, but actually he does nothing.
20.
A Tattvagna has no urge for either pravritti (activity) or nivritti (lack of activity). He remains happy whatever comes to him.
21.
A Gnani remains totally free of the bondage of vasanas, aalambana (support), enslavement and agnan. His body is moved by praarabdha (fate created by the actions of past lives); the way dry leaves are moved by a breeze.
22.
A person who is free of the sansaara (interactive world) feels no harsha (joy) or vishaada (sorrow). His mana is always sheetala (cool). Even though he has a body he retains the splendor of a vide`ha (one who has given up identifying with his body).
23.
A person whose mind is sheetal and pure, who has no affection for that, which is not the Atma, and who sees the changes in the world without being affected by them, has no wish to do tyaaga (give up) any object, or obtain anything.
24.
The dheera (steadfast) person whose chitta is naturally shoonya (empty) does many things because of his prarabdha, but he has neither maana (pride), nor apanaama (insult).
25.
‘This karma has been done by the shareera (body), not by me. I am the shuddha swarup.’ A person who has taken this decision actually does nothing, even when he is working.
26.
A sukhi and shreemaana (filled with inner wealth) jeevanamukta (liberated) person works like someone who works and denies doing any work. He behaves like a vishayee (one who is attached to sense objects), but is not really a vishayi. He obtains extreme splendor, even when involved in worldly activities.
27.
A dheera purush finds vishraama (repose) in his own swarup after undergoing the fatigue of many thoughts. He does no kalpanaa (imagining), nor does he know things. He neither hears, nor sees.
28.
A Gnani purush is not a mumukshu (one who wants to be liberated from the cycle of rebirth), because he has no urge for either a collected chitta or a disturbed one; and so, he is not a vishayi. He has decided, ‘Nothing exists except my Self; everything seen is imagined.’ Having this viewpoint, he is actually the Brahman.
29.
A person who has ahankaara (pride) may seem as though he is doing nothing, but he is actually doing something. A person who has nirahankaara (no ahankara) is free of karma whether he does some karma or gives up karma.
30.
The chitta of a mukta (liberated) purush has neither udve`ga (agitation) nor santosha (contentment); neither kartritva (the feeling of being the doer) nor spandana (pulsation); neither aashaa (expectation) nor sande`ha (doubt). Truly, such a chitta is beautiful.
31.
The chitta of a jeevan-mukta does not get involved in dhyana or vyavahaara (worldly interaction); in spite of being empty of the causes of activity, he does both dhayan and vyavjar.
32.
A person who lacks intelligence becomes even more moodha (stupid) when he hears a description of the Tattva; or else he moves towards Samadhi. It happens, sometimes, that a Gnani purush – who is free of doubts and wrong understanding, or even a desire for Samadhi – starts behaving like a moodha.
33.
Moodha people practice e`kaagrataa (concentrating on one subject) and nirodha (blocking the thoughts). The dheera purushas remain established in their swarup, like a person who is sound asleep. They don’t consider ekagrata or nirodha something to be done.
34.
A moodha purush cannot obtain shanti by any prayatna (effort) he makes, or by aprayatna (not making any effort). A pragnaavaana (one who has pragnaa – right understanding) obtains shanti by merely deciding that he is the Tattva.
35.
Those who are engrossed in thinking about the Atma do not know that their shuddha (pure), buddha (enlightened), priya (dear), poorna (complete in itself), nishprapancha (not of the interactive world), and niraamaya (free of afflictions) swarup is the Brahman.
36.
An agnani cannot obtain mukti by the practice of any karma, whereas a Gnani who is free of karmas can obtain mukti by Gnan.
37.
An agnani cannot obtain brahm-saakshaatkaara (a direct personal experience of the Brahman), because he wants to become the Brahman. (Desire is an obstacle in his realizing that he is the Brahman.)
38.
Agnanis get involved in niraadhaara (baseless) aagraha (urges), and nourish the sansara. The Gnanis have uprooted the existence of the sansara that is the cause of all sorrow.
39.
An agnani cannot get shanti because he is attached to a desire for shanti. (Desire is absence of shanti.) A Gnani purush takes a firm decision about the Tattva, and is always at peace.
40.
How can an agnani get atma-sakshatkara, since he accepts the aalambana (support) of the drishya padaartha (objects experienced by the senses)? A Gnani never sees the drishya padartha; he only sees his own avinaashee (indestructible) swarup.
41.
The chitta of a fool who has strong urges cannot have nirodh. The chitta of a sthitapragna aatmaaraama (content in his Atma) is always and naturally niruddha (free of mental inclinations). (Since the one who has a chitta does not exist, even the chitta does not exist. This is natural nirodh.)
42.
Some people get a bhaavanaa (feeling) that the objects of this world are real, and some believe they are not real. A Gnani purush lets go of both bhaava (presence) and abhaava (absence), and remains carefree.
43.
People who lack buddhi do not obtain the Gnan of their adviteeya (non-dual) swarup, because of their agnan; they merely develop a feeling. They never get peace in their life.
44.
The buddhi of a mumukshu (one who wants to be free of the cycle of rebirth) cannot do without some aalambana (support) or other. The buddhi of a mukta purush is always nishkaama (free of desire) and niraalamba (without any support).
45.
Agnani purush get nervous when they see the vishaya (objects of the senses) that are as strong as an intoxicated elephant. They quickly seek refuge in the cave of the chitta, trying for nirodh or ekagrata.
46.
A Gnani who has no vasana is like a lion. The vishays that are like intoxicated elephants, run away from him. They are unable to influence him in any way. They cajole him and try to serve him.
47.
A Tattvagna purush makes no effort to undertake the methods that give mukti. He remains nishanka (free of doubts). He remains immersed in anand, even when he sees, hears, touches, smells, enjoys and sits.
48.
A purush with a shuddha buddhi becomes niraakula (untroubled) by merely doing shravana (listening to spiritual discourses). Then, he no longer notices aachaara-anaachaara (proper-improper behavior), nor does he notice udaaseenataa (lack of interest).
49.
Whether it is shubha (auspicious) or ashubha (inauspicious), a shuddha buddhi purush does whatever task comes before him, with the simplicity of a child.
50.
Sukha is obtained only by svatantrataa (independence). It is only through svatantrata that the Param Tattva (Supreme Tattva; the Brahman) is obtained. It is only through svatantrata that param shanti is obtained, and the param pada (highest state) is obtained. (Place, time, matter, actions, feelings, conditions, people, the Vedas, the Ishwara, Dharma, and all that is seen, seem to be unreal. The person no longer depends on that, which is not the Atma. That is to be svatantra.)
51.
When a jigyaasu purush decides that he is the akartaa (not the karta) and abhokta (not the one who has bhoga), all vrittis become ineffective.
52.
The sthiti (condition) of a sthitapragna purush is lofty, even when his behavior is uchchhrinkhala (unbecoming; unrestrained), but the shanti or Samadhi of an agnani purush, whose chitta is filled with desires, is artificial.
53.
The sthitapragna purush are free of kalpanaa (imagining things). They are abaddha (not bound), and muktabuddhi (free of mental inclinations). They do vilaasa (enjoy) mahaabhoga (great bhogas), and also go into deep mountain caverns.
54.
A sthitapragna purush shows all respect to the shrotreeya (knower of the Shastras), Devtas, tirtha (places of pilgrimage), women, the Raja, and those who are priya (dear), but there is no vasana in his heart.
55.
Even when mocked by a britai (servant), putra (son), dauhitra (daughter’s son), or sagotra (a person of the same lineage), or insulted by them, the chitta of a Tattvagna purush does not get vikriti (have distortions).
56.
People may think he is pleased, but he does not feel pleased; nor is he irritated when people think he is irritated. Only those who are like him can know this amazing state.
57.
It is karttavya-buddhi (thinking that this should be done by me) that is called the sansara. The vidvaana (learned people) don’t see it because they are shoonyaakaara (empty of forms), niraakaara (formless), nirvikaara (free of mental distortions), and niraamaya (free of affliction). (They know that they are the Atma, not the body.)
58.
An agnani purush may be physically idle, but his mental restlessness keeps him perplexed. A sthitapragna may keep busy with several tasks, but he is always tranquil.
59.
A sthitapragna purush remains sukhi even in vyavahaara (worldly interaction), is sukhi when he sleeps, and is sukhi when he comes and goes. He is sukhi when he speaks and sukhi when he eats.
60.
A person who remains akshubdha (unruffled), like a mahaahrida (deep lake) while interacting in the world, is a Gnani who is free of dukha. He has a splendid personality.
61.
The nivritti (lack of activity) of a moodha becomes a pravritti (activity). The activity of a sthitapragna gives the fala (fruit) of nivritti.
62.
An agnani purush generally has vairaagya (detachment) for parigraha (house and wealth), but a person whose identification with his de`ha (body) has been destroyed has neither raaga (attachment) nor vairagya.
63.
The drishti (viewpoint) of a moodha is always focused on bhaava (presence) or abhaava (absence). The drishti of a Tattvagna purush sees the drishya (objects known by the senses), but does not see them.
64.
A Tattvagna, who behaves like a nishkaama (free of selfish interest) baalaka (child), even when doing important work, is shuddha. He does not get lipta (smeared) by the work he does.
65.
An Atmagnani who remains sama (equipoised) in all situations is dhanya (praiseworthy). His heart is free of desire even when he hears, touches, smells, eats and drinks.
66.
A sthitapragna purush always remains nirvikalpa (free of doubts) like the aakaasha (space). There is no sansara in his viewpoint, and no awareness of it either. Nothing is saadhya (to be achieved) and there is no saadhanaa (effort for achieving the desired object).
67.
A Tattvagna purush is always in an akritrima (not artificial) state of Samadhi, because he is established in his eternal swarup. He has no selfish interest in anything in this world, or in other realms. He is poorna svaananda-gnana (whole, and filled with the anand of the Self).
68.
What is the use of excessive talk? A sthitapragna purush has no aakaankshaa (longing) for bhoga or Moksha. He is always free of raaga-dvesha.
69.
This whole dvaita-roopa jagata (world of seeming dualities) – starting from the Mahattatva (the universal Tattva that gives the feeling of individuality) – is an expanse of names. Once the bodha-svaroopa (form of Gnan) Tattvagna gives it up (through the method of negation), what need has he to do anything?
70.
This whole world that we see is nothing but a bhrama (false understanding; mirage); it is nothing. The viewpoint of a shuddha purush who has come to this great conclusion becomes empty of even the pulsation of the drishya, and his svabhaava (nature) becomes shanta. (When a person who has obtained Gnan loses awareness of the seen world, that is the experience of the Brahman.)
71.
What rule can there be for a person who is shuddha-sfurana-svaroopa (the form of pure thoughts), and does not consider the seen world as real? What is vairagya for him? What is tyaga for him? And, what is shanti for him?
72.
One who feels himself to be the form of anand, and does not see Prakriti as anything real, has no bondage. What is Moksha for him? Where does he feel harsha (joy) or vishaada (sorrow)?
73.
Buddhi is the paryavassana (termination) of the sansara. The triad of the boddhaa (knower),
74.
For a Tattvagna who is free of the various taapa (suffering), and conscious of his indestructible swarup, there is no vidyaa (right knowledge) or vishva (the world). He is not concerned with the de`ha (body) or ahamataa-mamataa (‘I’ – ‘mine’).
75.
If an agnani purush gives up the practice of nirodha (blocking thoughts) and other methods of sadhana, he immediately begins to make great plans, and indulge in excessive talk.
76.
An agnani does not give up his foolishness even after being told that the Brahman and the Atma are one. Outwardly, he becomes free of resolves for some time, but the seed of laalasaa (longing) remains in his mind.
77.
A person whose desire for work has been dissolved by Atmagnan is not eligible to be commented on, even if others perceive him to be doing something. (He is actually the akartaa, avaktaa, and akaala – meaning, he is not the doer, not the speaker, and he is beyond the limitations of time.)
78.
The sthitapragna, who is always nirvikaara (free of distortions) and niraatanka (untroubled) is no longer bothered about Gnan-agnan, tyaga, any object, or the absence of any object.
79.
The svabhaava (nature) of a sthitapragna is anirvachaneeya (indefinable). In actual fact, he has no svabhava at all. Where are dhairya (fortitude) and vive`ka (discrimination) for him? And, where is even nirbhayataa (being fearless)? (For him, there are no gunas – tendencies – since he has realized that gunas are unimportant.)
80.
For a sthitapragna purush there is no Swarga and no Narak, and no jeevanmukti (being free of identification with the body). What is the use of elaborating on this? From the viewpoint of the vastu-saakshaatkaara (direct personal experience of the Brahman) none of these exist.
81.
The chitta of a sthitapragna is so sheetala (cool and soothing) that it seems to be brimming with amrita (ambrosia). He has no desire for laabha (profit) or regret for loss.
82.
A sthitapragna neither eulogizes an enlightened Mahatma, nor criticize a dushta (wicked person). He remains equal in dukha and sukha. He is content within himself. He feels no obligation to do anything.
83.
A sthitapragna feels no dvesha for this sansara, nor does he desire Atma-darshan (a glimpse of the Atma). There is no harsha or rosha (anger) in him. He is neither mrita (dead), nor jeevita (alive).
84.
A Gnani who feels no sne`ha (attachment) for his putra –daaraa (son-wife), is nishkaama (free of desires) for vishays, and is nishchinta (unworried) about his shareera (body). He has no aashaa (expectation) for obtaining anything. He is splendid.
85.
He sleeps wherever he is, when the sun goes down, wandering as whim takes him. He meets whoever he encounters. A sthitapragna is always content.
86.
A sthitapragna Mahatma takes vishraama (repose) in his svabhaava-bhoomi (his own nature) swarup. He has negated the interactive world He does not care whether his body is destroyed or sustained.
87.
A Gnani is akinchana (not small), kaamaachaara (behaving as he pleases), nirdvandva (free of doubts and dilemmas). He is not aasakta (attached) to any object. He wanders in this world, free of mental distortions.
88.
The hriday-granthi (imaginary knot that binds the Atma to the mind) of a sthitapragna is opened. His Tamo and Rajo gunas (lowly and mixed tendencies) are washed away. He views a clod of earth, stone, and gold with equal indifference. He is nirmama (free of possessive feelings). Actually, only such a man is splendid.
89.
A sthitapragna does not give avadhaana (importance) to any worldly object. His antahkaran is not bound to anything. He is tripta in his self. There is not the slightest vasana in his heart. Who can such a person be compared to?
90.
Who, except a sthitapragna, is free of vasanas, knows and yet does not know, sees but does not see, speaks, but does not speak?
91.
Whether he is a bhikshu (beggar) or a Raja, only the person who is nishkaama (free of desires) is splendid. A person who does not consider anything in this world to be shubha (auspicious) or ashubha (inauspicious) is nishkama.
92.
A Tattvagna is free of crookedness. He is straightforward and fulfilled. For him, where is svachchhandataa (unrestrained behavior), where is sankocha (hesitation), and where is even nishchaya (conclusion) about the Tattva?
93.
A person, who finds vishrama and is tripta in his Atma, has no wish for anything in this world. He has no aarti (distress) – who can explain the amazing experience of his antahkaran?
94.
A sthitapragna is tripta at every step. He is not asleep even when he sleeps. He does not dream even when he is dreaming. He is not jaagrita (awake) even when he is awake.
95
A Tattvagna is nishchinta even when he is thinking. He is nirindreeya (without indreeyas) even when using his senses. He is nirbuddhi (free of the intellect) even though he is intelligent. He is nirahaankaara (free of pride) even when he seems to be proud. (He remains unaffected by what people think of him.)
96.
A Tattvagna is neither sukhi nor dukhi; neither virakta nor attached to anything. He is neither a mumukshu (wanting to be free of the cycle of rebirth) nor a mukta. He is not something, nor is he not-something.
97.
Vikshe`pa (disturbance) does not disturb a Tattvagna. He is not samaadhishtha (immersed in Samadhi) even when he is in Samadhi. He is not jada (insensate) even when he is senseless, and he is not a Pundit even though he has paanditya (great learning).
98.
A Tattvagna remains in his swarup-sthiti (natural state) in all natural or artificially created situations. He is kritakritya (fulfilled), so he is supremely tranquil. He always retains equanimity. He never thinks about what he has done, or not done, because there is no desire of any kind in him.
99.
Accolades don’t delight a sthitapragna, nor does criticism anger him. He is not agitated by death, nor does he welcome life.
100.
A sthitapragna does not try to be with a crowd, nor does he wish to go into a lonely forest. He is established in equanimity everywhere, and in all conditions.