Dashak 13 · Samāsa 6

What are called the five tattvas — their names, for practice; / thereafter by svānubhava — should be known in [their] forms.

Among these which is eternal, which non-eternal — / such examination should be done — of pratyaya.

Consideration of pañca-bhūtas — name, form, sāra-asāra; / this is the determination spoken — alertly hear.

Pṛthvī, āpa, teja, vāyu, ākāśa — names are spoken leisurely. / Now in the form, trust — should be held by śravaṇa.

Pṛthvī means dharaṇī (earth); āpa means water; / teja means agni, taraṇi (sun), light-bearers etc.

Vāyu means the breeze; ākāśa means the whole spread. / Now consider the eternal — in one's own mind.

Take one grain, press it — then the secret falls into place. / Likewise by a little anubhava — much should be known.

Earth builds-and-breaks — this comes to pratyaya. / Various rachanās happen-and-go — in the sṛṣṭi.

Therefore what builds, breaks; water too dries up; / fire too manifests-and-extinguishes; wind too pauses.

Space is name-only; that too on considering does not stay. / Thus the pañca-bhūtika remaining — does not happen.

Such is the expansion of the five elements — perishable — this is the certainty. / Eternal Ātman, nirākāra — should be known as truth.

That Ātman is not known to anyone; without jñāna it is not grasped. / Therefore, ask the sajjana-folk.

Asking the sajjanas, they say 'It is avināśī'; / birth, death — should not be spoken of the Ātman.

In the nirākāra, form appears; and in the form, nirākāra. / Nirākāra and ākāra — should be recognized by vivek.

Nirākāra — know as nitya; ākāra — know as anitya. / This is called nitya-anitya vicāraṇā.

In sāra, asāra appears; in asāra, sāra appears. / Sāra-asāra-vicāra — should be searched well.

Pañca-bhūtika is māyika; yet it appears as many. / And Ātman — one — pervading.

In the four bhūtas, the sky; likewise, in the sky, [something] dense. / Looking fixedly — the sky and Vastu are non-different.

By upādhi-association is ākāśa; without upādhi, nirābhāsa. / Nirābhāsa is avināśa — like the sky.

So let this inquiry be; but what on looking does not perish — / that alone to inference — should be brought by vivek.

Paramātmā is nirākāra; know this as the sāra-consideration. / And 'Who am I?' — this consideration — must be seen.

When end comes to body, vāyu goes truly. / If you say this is false — then now — hold the breath!

Breath held, body falls; body falling, is called corpse. / Doership does not occur to a corpse — never.

Apart from body, vāyu does not do; apart from vāyu, body does not do. / On examining, it does nothing — one-without-the-other.

On simple looking, a person is seen; on taking consideration, nothing is. / The mark of abheda-bhakti — is such. Recognize.

If one says 'I am kartā' — then it should happen as one's wish. / Not happening per wish — regard — all is hollow.

Therefore oneself is not the kartā; there whence is the bhoktā? / This is the mark of vicāra — does not occur by avicāra.

Avicāra and vicāra — like light and darkness; / vikāra and nirvikāra — are not one.

Where there is no sifting, nothing proceeds. / The true itself to inference — never comes.

Pratyaya is called nyāya (justice); apratyaya is anyāya. / For a born-blind — what is the examination — of various gems?

Therefore the jñātā is blessed — he who with nirguṇa is ananya. / Ātma-nivedana accepted — the supreme puruṣa.