Dashak 8 · Samāsa 3

That which never happened — why do you ask its story? Nevertheless, I will speak so that no doubt remains.

On account of a rope, a serpent [is imagined]; on account of water, a wave; on account of the sun, the mirage flows well.

On account of imagination, dream appears; on account of oyster-shell, silver-appearance; on account of water, hail dwells — for one moment.

On account of mud, a wall is made; on account of the ocean, a wave comes; on account of sesame, a doll is seen.

On account of gold, an ornament; on account of thread, a cloth is made; on account of a tortoise, the extent of its limbs.

Ghee was there — it congealed; on account of a [type of] solid, salt formed; on account of a reflector, a reflection — arose.

On account of earth, a tree arose; on account of the tree, vast shade; on account of metal, the extent of high-and-low colors.

Enough this example; where is duality for the advaita? Without duality, the advaita — cannot even be spoken.

On account of appearance, appearance appears; on account of the visible, the invisible is seen; no simile for the invisible — therefore 'without-simile'.

Intention without imagination; example without visible; duality without duality — how did it arise?

The doing of the wonderful Bhagavān — the thousand-hooded [Śeṣa] cannot describe; by it the construction — of endless brahmāṇḍas — has been raised.

Paramātmā, Parameśvara, the all-doer who is the Īśvara — from Him expansion — of all has happened.

Thus he holds endless names; creates endless powers.

[Continued]

This cannot be spoken openly; [one] who tries to disturb the means; otherwise on looking — what is [really] true?

All arose from God — this is accepted by all; but that God must be recognized.

The siddhas' exposition — which does not feel [right] to sādhakas — know [is due to] unripe inner-faculty.

By avidyā-quality, jīva is spoken; by māyā-quality, Śiva; by *mūla-māyā* quality, Deva is spoken.

Therefore the cause is *mūla-māyā* — to hold endless powers; to know its meaning, one must be experiencer.

*Mūla-māyā* itself is the root-Person; He is the Īśa of all; the endless-named Jagadīśa — is called that.

All māyā has extended; yet it is fully baseless; the depth of such utterance — rare ones know.

Thus the *anirvācya* is spoken; but this is known by sva-anubhava; without sat-sanga, it is not grasped — by any means.

'Māyā is the root-Person' — does not feel [right] to seekers completely; but 'the endless-named Jagadīśa' — whom to call?

If name-and-form attaches to māyā, the speech becomes straight; listeners, why have you conjectured here?

Enough this talk; the earlier objection remained: how did the *mūla-māyā* arise in the formless?

The sight-binding is all false; but how did the game happen? This now, all clearly — will be shown.

When the sky is motionless, in the middle the wind becomes fickle; so know completely — the *mūla-māyā*.

The wind's form arose; by it the sky was broken; such taken as true — does not happen ever.

So the *mūla-māyā* arose, and the nirguṇa was [still] present; by this example the earlier objection — is cut.

The wind was not ancient; know the *mūla-māyā* so; calling it true, it again — is dissolved.

How does the wind appear in form? So see the *mūla-māyā*; it appears but does not — obtain form.

If we say the wind is true, it cannot be shown; looking in its direction — only dust is seen.

So *mūla-māyā* appears — appears but is not seen; ahead it has extended — māyā, avidyā.

As the visible flies through the sky by the wind's union, so by *mūla-māyā's* union — the world [has arisen].

In the sky, clouds are baseless; suddenly arise; by māyā's quality so arose — the world.

The baseless itself the sky was not; suddenly came there; so the visible arose here — in that manner.

But on account of those clouds, the sky's unchanging-ness went; it seems so, but in truth — [the sky] is as it is.

So on account of māyā, nirguṇa seems to have become saguṇa; but when fully examined — [it is] as it is.

Clouds came and went, yet the sky remains [full]; so qualities have not come to — nirguṇa Brahman.

The sky appears to touch the head, but it is as it is; so know with faith — the nirguṇa Brahman.

Looking up, the sky — blueness appears leisurely; but know it as false-appearance — having appeared.

The sky covered upside-down, enclosed on all sides; seems the world is confined, but it is free.

Blue color appears on the mountain, but it is not attached to it; know so — the nirguṇa Brahman — as un-attached.

When a chariot runs, the earth seems to move, but it is still; so know purely — the nirguṇa Parabrahman.

On account of clouds, the moon seems to run fearlessly; but all that is illusory — clouds move [not moon].

Haze or fire-flame — by it the atmosphere seems to tremble; but it is still — as it is.

So this svarūpa is [ever] packed; seeming to have come to qualities; such appeared to imagination — but it is false.

The game of sight-binding — such is fickle māyā; the substance is eternally unmoving — as it is.

Such is the substance, formless; māyā displays forms; such is its nature — [it is] baseless.

Māyā looked at, at root does not exist; but it appears like true; arises and dissolves — like clouds.

Such māyā arose, the substance nirguṇa [remained] packed; 'I' — such sphūrti arose — that itself is māyā.

The prowess of *guṇa-māyā* — in the nirguṇa nothing happens; but this arises and breaks — in sva-svarūpa.

As when sight trembled, an army itself appears — on examination, it was in the sky itself — but it is false.

The game of false māyā — the origin has been fully spoken; leaving aside the expansion of many tattvas.

Tattvas are at root [present]; the motion of *omkāra* is wind; its meaning the alert jñānis know.

The motion of *mūla-māyā* is itself the sign of wind; know the subtle tattvas themselves — as having come to grossness.

Thus the five great elements were previously un-manifest; later became manifest — for the sṛṣṭi-composition.

The sign of *mūla-māyā* — know it itself as five-elemental; see its recognition — by subtle sight.

Without sky and wind, who makes the word 'wish'? Know *icchā-śakti* itself — as fire-form.

Softness itself is water; solidity is earth purely; so the whole *mūla-māyā* — know as five-elemental.

Within one element, the function of the five elements; all is known by placing subtle sight.

Later they came to grossness; otherwise they were blended; such māyā spread — as five-elemental.

Looking at *mūla-māyā* at root — or avidyā in the earth-sphere — svarga, mṛtyu, pātāla: only five elements.

[Śloka] 'svarge mṛtyau pātāle vā yat kiñcit sacarācaram | sarva-pañca-bhūtakam rāma ṣaṣṭham kiñcin na dṛśyate' — true svarūpa at beginning-and-end, in between the five elements move; know *mūla-māyā* as five-elemental.

Here a doubt arose — be attentive and hear: 'the five elements arose from the one *tamo-guṇa*.'

*Mūla-māyā* is beyond the guṇas; there where would the elements be? Such a doubt has been taken up.

Such the listener objected; raised a doubt; its answer was given in the next samāsa.