Dashak 9 · Samāsa 7

First, there is sthūla; then the antaḥkaraṇa-pañcaka. / The vivek of knowing-ness is — due to the sthūla.

Likewise, without brahmāṇḍa, mūla-māyā has no knowing. / By the support of sthūla, every task proceeds.

If that sthūla itself is not created, where will the antaḥkaraṇa stay? / Such a question was raised by the listeners — hear its answer.

Cocoons, or thorn-nests, or various back-houses — creatures move about. / Creatures make [them] big-or-small — as their capacity.

Conch, pearl-oyster, snail, cowrie — first is their shell fashioned, / or first are the insects created? — this should be considered.

First the creatures arise; then they create their dwellings. / This is direct evidence — no need to tell.

Likewise, first know the sūkṣma; then the sthūla is created. / By this dṛṣṭānta, the listeners' question is cleared.

Then the listener asks again: 'Sir, something has come to mind. / The vivek of birth-death — explain to me.'

'Who places into birth? And who takes birth again? / How does this come to experience — in what manner?'

Brahmā places into birth; Viṣṇu nourishes; / Rudra destroys all — so they say.

This is the pravṛtti-speech; it falls short of direct evidence. / On looking at direct evidence — it will not be praiseworthy.

Who placed Brahmā into birth? Who nourishes Viṣṇu? / Who destroyed Rudra — at mahā-pralaya?

Therefore this sṛṣṭi-bhāva is entirely māyā's svabhāva. / If one says 'kartā is nirguṇa Deva' — but he is nirvikārī.

If one says māyā puts into birth — but māyā herself is spread. / And on consideration, 'she settles' — does not happen.

Now, who is the one being born? What is his recognition? / And the mark of samcita (accumulated karma) — explain that too.

What is the form of puṇya? What is the form of pāpa? / These words too are objections — who is the kartā?

This does not come to inference. They say: 'vāsanā takes birth.' / But on looking, it is not seen; nor can it be held.

Vāsanā, kāmanā, kalpanā, hetu, bhāvanā, mati — various. / Such endless vṛttis, know — of the antaḥkaraṇa-pañcaka.

So let all this be a knowing-machinery; knowing means mere smaraṇa. / For that smaraṇa, the thread of birth — how does it attach?

Body is created of five elements; vāyu is its motivator. / Knowing is manas's — mano-bhāva.

Such naturally came about; the tangle of tattvas occurred. / Who was caused to be born by whom — in what manner?

Then on looking, it is not seen. Therefore there is no birth. / The born creature does not come — to birth again.

If nobody has birth, then what has satsanga accomplished? / Such is the purport — of all the listeners. / Formerly, neither smaraṇa nor vismaraṇa; in the middle arose this smaraṇa. / In the inner-self, antaḥkaraṇa — a knowing-faculty.

While alert, there is smaraṇa; on becoming disturbed, vismaraṇa. / When vismaraṇa falls, death — the creatures attain.

Smaraṇa and vismaraṇa remained; then body met death. / Then into birth, who was placed, by whom?

Therefore there is no birth; and torment is not seen. / All is vain kalpanā — grown strong.

Therefore no one has birth — such is the listeners' doubt. / 'What has died does not come to birth — again.'

A dried wood does not green again; a fallen fruit does not re-attach. / Likewise, a fallen body does not come to birth again.

A pot broke suddenly; broken, it is gone. / Likewise, a human once born — does not come [back].

Here ajñāna and sajñāna — became equal and alike. / Such an inference grew strong — for the listeners.

The vaktā says: 'Hear! Do not make everything heresy (pāṣāṇḍa). / If there is inference, look to vivek.'

Task done without effort; belly filled without eating; / mukta without jñāna — this does not happen.

He himself ate; he thinks the world is sated. / But this must happen to all.

He who learned to swim — will cross; he who does not — will drown. / Here, who would make an inference [contradicting this]?

Likewise, to whom jñāna has come — that many alone cross. / He whose bondage has snapped — he alone is mukta.

The free one says, 'there is no bondage'; and directly, people are caught in prison. / Their samādhāna — you see.

One does not know another's agony — that person is 'cool-in-others'-pain.' / Likewise know this — as anubhava-only [for the individual].

He to whom ātma-jñāna has occurred — tattvas investigated by tattva; / on attaining the mark — samādhāna is impressed.

'By jñāna, birth-death is eluded' — blanket statements are non-authority. / Then Vedas, śāstras, Purāṇas — for what?

The examined-speech of Vedas-śāstras, the gathering of mahānubhāvas, / and all the people of bhū-maṇḍala — [if] this is not accepted —

all becoming not-authority, then what is one's own authority? / Therefore, where ātma-jñāna [is], he alone is mukta.

'All are mukta' on looking at people — this is also the jñānī's expression. / Without jñāna, upliftment — will not happen.

Ātma-jñāna was known; therefore dṛśya became mithyā. / Yet the encirclement was laid — for all — by this. / Now this question is cleared: the jñānī becomes mukta by jñāna; / the ajñāna is bound — by his own kalpanā.

Ajñāna like vijñāna, bondage like mukta, / inference like certainty — these should not be accepted.

Bondage means 'there is nothing,' yet [it] is encircling all. / For this there is no remedy — without understanding.

Nothing is, yet it binds — this, see at the beginning as the marvel. / Mithyā is not known — hence [one is] buddhi-bound.

'Simple bhāva, let the siddhi be' — is the udhāra (credit) remedy. / The rokaḍā (cash, direct) means of mokṣa — must be known by vivek.

For the creature to be free, first the jñāna-kalā (knowing-art) is needed. / When knowing-all is distinguished, spontaneously it happens.

Knowing nothing is ajñāna; knowing all is jñāna. / When knowing remains, vijñāna — is the Ātman itself.

Having drunk amṛta, one who became amara says, 'how does death come to people?' / Likewise the vivekī says to the baddha, 'how is there birth?'

The knower says to people, 'how are you possessed by ghost? / How does poison rise in you?' — the poison-free speaks.

First become like the bound; then this need not be asked. / Keeping vivek away, look at the mark — of the bound.

One awake [says] to the sleeper: 'why is he raving?' / If one is to see the experience, then sleep and see.

The jñātā's vṛtti is untangled; he does not fall into the bound's knot. / The hungry's anubhava-attainment — is not for the sated.

By this much the doubt is snapped; by jñāna, mokṣa-attainment has come. / On looking with vivek, the inner-state is impressed.