Dashak 9 · Samāsa 10

In the temple [sits] Jagannāyaka, and on the temple-top sits a crow. / Yet 'it is greater than the Deva' — should not be said.

An assembly sits at the royal door; and a monkey climbs a pillar. / Yet 'it is superior to the assembly' — how could the discerning accept?

The Brahmin bathes and leaves; and the baka (heron) remains thus. / Yet 'it is better than the Brahmin' — how to accept? / Among Brahmins, some disciplined, some dissolute; / and a dog sits always in meditation — yet it is not excellent.

The Brahmin does not know lakṣa-mudrā; the cat is wise about lakṣa-viṣaya. / Yet 'more special than the Brahmin' — who should say?

The Brahmin sees distinction; the fly is non-distinguishing toward all. / Yet 'jñāna-bodha has come to her' — this does not happen.

High clothes worn by the low; and the powerful sits uncovered. / But he is examined — by the one who can examine.

External aspect made excessive — all that is just worldly. / Here the chief is one alone — antara-niṣṭhā (inner-steadfastness).

The worldly well-maintained, but within not attentive; / missed the chief Deva — he is ātma-ghātakī (self-killer).

Worshipping the Deva, one goes to deva-loka; worshipping ancestors, to pitṛ-loka; / worshipping bhūtas, to bhūta-loka — is attained.

Whoever is worshipped, one goes to that loka. / Worshipping nirguṇa — one should become nirguṇa itself.

What is the bhajana of nirguṇa? In nirguṇa, one should be ananya. / Becoming ananya, one becomes dhanya (blessed) — with certainty.

The fruition of all doing — recognize the One Deva. / The vivek of 'who am I?' — this must be examined.

Deva, on looking, is nirākāra; one's own [frame] is māyika. / 'So'ham Ātman' — this certainty — is impressed.

Now what inference is there? Vastu is in vastu's locus. / Body-sense is nothing at all — on searching.

Siddha and sādhana — all this is inference. / Mukta and bondage — do not come near each other.

What sādhana accomplishes — that is oneself by svabhāva. / Now in the name of 'sādhaka' — is śūnyākāra.

A potter has reached royal-rank; now why tend donkeys? / The fuss of potter-hood — why is it needed?

Likewise all vṛtti-bhāva, and the various sādhana-means — / once sādhya is achieved, what place — for sādhanas?

What should sādhanas accomplish? What rule-bound fruit should be taken? / Oneself [being] vastu, why stumble about?

The body is of five elements; the jīva is a portion of Brahma; / paramātmā is the locus of the ananya — see.

On simply looking, 'I-ness' appears; on searching, nothing is. / Tattva is negated by tattva; ahead — pure Ātman.

Ātman is as ātman; jīva is as jīva; / māyā is as māyā — expanded.

Thus all is; and oneself too is something. / He who searches all this — he alone is jñānī.

Knowing-all searches are done; but he does not know to look at himself. / Hear — the jñānī is located in one region — in vṛtti-form.

If that vṛtti-form is examined — then nothing remains. / By prakṛti-nirāsa all is gone — the vikāra-bearing.

What remains is pure nirguṇa; on inquiry, it is oneself. / Such is the mark of paramārtha — profound.

Fruit is one, oneself another — this vivek does not exist. / The fruit-of-fruit — one alone — oneself becomes That.

A beggar became a king; on looking above, pratyaya has come. / The fuss of beggar-hood — should be done by the beggar [only].

Vedas, śāstras, Purāṇas, various sādhanas and nirūpaṇa, / siddhas, sādhus — for whom various efforts are made —

that Brahma-form is oneself; by the occasion of sāra-asāra-vicāra. / 'Doing' and 'not-doing' are hollow — nothing [remains].

A beggar feared the royal command; the same became the king later. / Then that fear itself flew off — along with beggarhood.

By Vedas, according to Veda's command, one should proceed; good-śāstras the śāstra should be practiced; / tīrthas — one should go to tīrthas — in what manner?

Amṛta should be served by amṛta; Ananta should be seen by Ananta; / Bhagavant should be aimed at by Bhagavant — in what manner?

Saints and non-saints should be renounced; nirguṇa should be broken by nirguṇa; / svarūpa should be dyed in svarūpa — in what manner?

Kohl should be worn by kohl; wealth should be accomplished by wealth; / nirañjana should be experienced by nirañjana — how?

Sādhya should be done by sādhana; dhyeya should be held by dhyāna; / unmana (no-mind) should tame the mind — in what manner?