Passage 1
स्वयं लक्ष्मीरुवाच— इयं चाहं च भेदेन सा द्विधा प्रोच्यते बुधैः। ज्ञानभक्तिस्वरूपाहं प्रेमभक्तिमयी त्वियम्॥१॥
Svayaṃ Lakṣmī said: “The learned describe her and me, by distinction, as two. I embody devotion shaped by knowledge, while she is composed of devotion shaped by divine love.
Passage 2
कर्मभिः शुद्धचित्तस्य ज्ञानसंसाधितात्मनः। भवेद्भक्तिरसञ्चित्ते कस्यचित्पुण्यभागिनः॥२॥
“In the heart of some fortunate soul whose mind has been purified by action and whose self has been perfected through knowledge, the rasa of devotion may arise.
Passage 3
ममैव सा कला काचिद्भक्तिरित्युच्यतेतराम्। कुलं शीलं स्वरूपं च क्रियाशुद्धिविशुद्धयः॥३॥
“That devotion is itself called a certain power of mine. Lineage, character, essential form, purity of action, and complete purity are among my powers;
Passage 4
अप्रकाशः प्रकाशश्च विवेको ज्ञानमेव च। वैराग्यं च वशीकारो विज्ञानभाव एव च॥४॥
“so too are concealment and manifestation, discernment and knowledge, dispassion and mastery, realized wisdom and divine feeling.
Passage 5
भक्तिः प्रेमेति विज्ञेयाः कलाः षोडश मे श्रियः। ज्ञाने तु ब्रह्म मर्यादं निर्मर्यादं तु भक्तितः॥५॥
“Devotion and love complete the sixteen powers of my splendor. Through knowledge, Brahman remains within its bounds; through devotion it becomes unbounded.
Passage 6
ब्रह्मधर्मान् परित्यज्य यदा तु प्रकटो हरिः। लौकिकं स्वीकरोत्येव काममोहादिभावगम्॥६॥
“When Hari manifests, setting aside the attributes of abstract Brahman, he accepts apparently worldly modes such as desire, enchantment, and the other emotions.
Passage 7
निर्मर्यादं तदा ज्ञेयं शुद्धभावविभावनात्। विभावैश्चानुभावैश्च व्यभिचारिभिरेव च॥७॥
“Know him then as unbounded, for pure feeling is brought forth through its determinants, its outward manifestations, and its transitory emotions.
Passage 8
समुद्भूतो रसाकारः परब्रह्मेति शब्दितः। स एव कीर्त्यते सर्वैर्भक्तिमर्मविशारदैः॥८॥
“The form of rasa that arises from them is called Supreme Brahman. All who understand devotion's innermost secret celebrate that very Lord.
Passage 9
एकीकरोम्यहं ज्ञानाज्जीवांस्तु ब्रह्मणा सह। समुद्र आपः संविष्टा एकीभूता न संशयः॥९॥
“Through knowledge I unite individual souls with Brahman. Like waters entering the ocean, they undoubtedly become one.
Passage 10
एकीभूय परे शान्ते मोदन्ते जीवराशयः। इयं तु सहजानन्दा प्रेमभक्तिप्रकाशिनी॥१०॥
“Having become one with the tranquil Supreme, the hosts of souls rejoice. Sahajānandā, however, reveals devotion made of divine love.
Passage 11
चिद्धनानन्दिनी भोगैर्भक्तान् संयोजयत्यहो। तातेति भ्रातृपुत्रेति कान्तेति स्वीकृतो हरिः॥११॥
“How wondrously she who delights condensed consciousness joins devotees to intimate enjoyments! Hari is embraced as father, brother, son, and beloved.
Passage 12
परिपोष्य रसं तं च प्रपञ्चं हरति ध्रुवम्। निष्प्रपञ्चं समासज्य स्वरूपानन्दसागरे॥१२॥
“After fully nourishing that rasa, she certainly removes the ordinary world and embraces the devotee in the ocean of essential, world-transcending bliss.
Passage 13
रसस्वरूपं चिरं भोगैर्विनोदयति सेवकान्। कदाचिदात्मारामत्वं स्वीकरोति यदा हरिः॥१३॥
“Through long enjoyment of his rasa-form, Hari delights his servants. At times, however, he assumes the state of rejoicing solely in himself.
Passage 14
तल्लयो हि प्रपञ्चस्य जायते चतुरानने। सृष्ट्यादयः परेशस्य लीला एव न संशयः॥१४॥
“Then the created world dissolves into the four-faced Brahmā. Creation and the other cosmic acts are merely the Supreme Lord's plays—of this there is no doubt.
Passage 15
ताभिर्लीलाभिराबद्धो रसिकः क्रीडति स्वयम्। मुक्तिलीलाक्रमं प्राप्त आत्माराम इति कीर्त्यते॥१५॥
“Bound by those līlās, the divine relisher personally sports. When he enters the sequence of the liberation-līlā, he is celebrated as Ātmārāma, the one who delights in himself. Manifestation, Withdrawal, and Eternal Līlā
Passage 16
देवो निरोधलीलायां वशीकृत्य हितान्निजान्। प्रेमसर्वस्वदानेन भुङ्क्ते भोगं रसात्मकः॥१६॥
“In the līlā of withdrawal, the Lord brings his own dear ones wholly under love's power. Giving them the entirety of divine love, he, the embodiment of rasa, enjoys their shared delight.
Passage 17
मुक्तिलीलामनुप्राप्तः स्वस्मिन् वेशयति ध्रुवम्। पुनः स्वाविर्भावकाले तानाविर्भावयत्यसौ॥१७॥
“When the liberation-līlā arrives, he certainly draws them into himself. At the time of his next manifestation, he manifests them again.
Passage 18
तैरेव नित्यलीलानां स्थिरैः परिकरैः स्फुटैः। भुङ्क्ते भोगावलीमीशः पूर्वोक्तां रसविग्रहः॥१८॥
“With those very permanent and clearly manifest companions of the eternal līlās, the Lord—the embodiment of rasa—enjoys the succession of delights described before.
Passage 19
प्रवेशे निर्गमे चैव भक्तेषु रमते प्रभुः। ज्ञानप्राप्तांस्तु वै जीवान् प्रवेशयति केवलम्॥१९॥
“The Lord delights in devotees both as they enter him and as they emerge. Souls who have attained him through knowledge, however, he only draws inward.
Passage 20
न तु निर्गन्तुमुचिता भोक्तुं वा भोगराशिभिः। स्वाविर्भावस्यावसरे स्वस्मिन्नेव स्थिताः परम्॥२०॥
“They are not fitted to emerge or to enjoy the abundant līlā-delights. Even at the time of his manifestation, they remain solely within him.
Passage 21
तेषां निराकारमिति भासते ब्रह्म सत्त्वतः। कदाचित्साकारतायां वस्तुबुद्धिर्न वेशितु॥२१॥
“To them Brahman appears in truth to be formless. Even when form is manifest, their awareness does not enter it as an objective reality.
Passage 22
ज्ञानमज्ञाननाशाय स्वरूपस्फुरणाय च। तथैवान्तः प्रवेशाय न तु लीलारसाप्तये॥२२॥
“Knowledge serves to destroy ignorance, reveal one's essential nature, and produce inward entry—not to attain the rasa of līlā.
Passage 23
सेयमिच्छैव पूर्णस्य चिदानन्दस्य साकृतेः। ज्ञानेन मोक्षं दास्यामीत्येव हि व्यवस्यति॥२३॥
“This itself is the will of the full, embodied Lord of consciousness and bliss: ‘Through knowledge I shall grant liberation.’ Thus he resolves.
Passage 24
तदा तथैव घटयेत्साधते न च फलं तथा। ज्ञानमुक्तेः साधनं ज्ञानं फलं चान्तःप्रवेशनम्॥२४॥
“He then brings that result about exactly so; it is not produced independently by the practitioner. Knowledge is the means to liberation, and inward entry is knowledge's fruit.
Passage 25
सत्त्वात्संजायते तच्च सत्त्वं चित्तविशुद्धिजम्। हरेराविर्भावजं वाऽविर्भावः स्वेच्छया पुनः॥२५॥
“That knowledge arises from sattva, and sattva arises from purification of the mind—or from Hari's manifestation, while that manifestation in turn occurs by his own will.
Passage 26
एवं प्रमेयबलतो नूनं ज्ञानेऽपि मुच्यते। अव्यक्तासक्तिजं कष्टं शुद्धस्य भजनं परम्॥२६॥
“Thus, by the force of the established truth, one is certainly liberated even through knowledge. Yet attachment to the unmanifest is arduous, while worship of the pure Lord is supreme. Cosmic Powers and the Ascent to Sahajānandinī
Passage 27
कर्मण्यायासबहुले यद्वत्तद्वदिहापि च। उपासनाविभूतीनां भजनं परमेशितुः॥२७॥
“As effort abounds on the path of action, so it does here as well: worship through the Lord's manifested powers is still worship of the Supreme Ruler.
Passage 28
कालकर्मस्वभावादिदेवताविग्रहास्तथा। स्फुटमक्षरपर्यन्तं परस्यैव विभूतयः॥२८॥
“Time, action, inherent nature, the gods and their forms—clearly, all the way up to the Imperishable—are manifestations of the Supreme alone.
Passage 29
विष्णुश्च प्रकृतिर्ब्रह्मा प्राणानां चापि देवता। ब्रह्माणी भारती चैव चन्द्रशेषो मृडस्तथा॥२९॥
“Viṣṇu, Prakṛti, Brahmā, the deity of the vital airs, Brahmāṇī and Bhāratī, the Moon, Śeṣa, and Śiva are such manifestations;
Passage 30
स्त्रियः षट्प्रवरा विष्णोः सौपर्णी वारुणी तथा। पर्वतेन्द्रसुता चेन्द्रः कामस्तत्प्राण एव च॥३०॥
“so are Viṣṇu's six foremost feminine powers, Sauparṇī and Vāruṇī, the daughter of the mountain king, Indra, Kāma, and Kāma's vital force.
Passage 31
अनिरुद्धो रतिर्मनुर्गरुडेशः शची तथा। एतास्वपि विभूतीषु समाविष्टो रमापतिः॥३१॥
“Aniruddha, Rati, Manu, the lord of Garuḍa, and Śacī are also such powers. Ramā's lord is present within all these manifestations.
Passage 32
प्रपञ्चे क्रीडति स्वैरं नित्यमक्लिष्टकर्मभाक्। देवान् समाश्रिता लोका देवा रुद्रं समाश्रिताः॥३२॥
“He whose acts are forever effortless sports freely within the manifested world. The worlds rest upon the gods, and the gods rest upon Rudra.
Passage 33
ब्रह्माणं संश्रितो रुद्रो ब्रह्मा मामाश्रितोऽनिशम्। अहं समाश्रिता श्रीमत्सहजानन्दिनीपदम्॥३३॥
“Rudra rests upon Brahmā; Brahmā rests continually upon me; and I rest upon the glorious feet of Sahajānandinī.
Passage 34
कोमलं कमलप्रख्यं प्रेमभक्त्येकदायकम्। सहजानन्दिनी श्रीमद्रामचन्द्रपदाश्रिता॥३४॥
“Those tender, lotus-like feet uniquely bestow devotion made of love. Sahajānandinī herself rests at the feet of glorious Rāmacandra.
Passage 35
तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य स्वरूपपरमो भवन्। कर्मोपास्तिज्ञानफलमहिमानः परावरे॥३५॥
“Therefore, becoming wholly intent upon one's essential relation with the Lord, one should abandon every lesser and greater glory belonging to the fruits of action, worship, and knowledge.
Passage 36
शुद्धं भजनमन्विच्छन् प्रेमभक्तिपरो भवेत्। यावन्न जायते भावस्तावद्भक्तिः कुतो भवेत्॥३६॥
“Seeking pure worship, one should become devoted to love-filled bhakti. Until divine feeling arises, how can full devotion exist?
Passage 37
यावन्न ज्ञानसंस्पर्शस्तावद्भावः कथं भवेत्। यावन्न शुद्धं करणं तावज्ज्ञानं न दीप्यते॥३७॥
“Yet until there is contact with knowledge, how can divine feeling arise? And until the inner instrument is pure, knowledge does not shine.
Passage 38
तस्मात्करणशुद्ध्यर्थं श्रवणादिपरो भवेत्। श्रवणादीनि तान्येव कर्माणि कर्ममार्गिणाम्॥३८॥
“Therefore one should devote oneself to hearing and the other disciplines in order to purify the inner instrument. For followers of the path of action, hearing and those other practices themselves take the form of action.
Passage 39
ज्ञानानि ज्ञानमार्गे तु सोपास्तौ स्युरुपास्तयः। भक्तौ भक्तिमयान्येव प्रेम्णि प्रेममयानि च॥३९॥
“On the path of knowledge they become forms of knowledge; in worship they become acts of worship. In bhakti they are made of bhakti, and in divine love they are made of love.
Passage 40
यथा जलेऽखिलं रूपं तत्तत्सङ्गेन जायते। फले फलात्मकानि स्युः साधने साधनात्मिका॥४०॥
“Just as water assumes every form according to whatever contains it, these practices take the nature of the fruit when present in the fruit and the nature of the means when present in the discipline. The Two Modes and Their Unity
Passage 41
कदाचिदेकैव रमे स्वामिना सह सोत्कला। कदाचित्प्रेमभक्त्याहं रमे पत्या करम्बिता॥४१॥
“Sometimes I alone sport eagerly with my Lord. At other times I sport with my husband while united and intermingled with love-devotion.
Passage 42
उभे अपि प्रभुर्ये ये गृह्णतां वा सुलोचनः। ज्ञानिनां चैव भक्तानां ददाति विपुलं फलम्॥४२॥
“The beautiful-eyed Lord accepts both modes and grants abundant fruit to knowers and devotees alike.
Passage 43
य एतत्सकलं वेत्ति ज्ञानभक्तिरहस्यकम्। स लब्ध्वा परमं ज्ञानं भक्तिमप्याशु वै लभेत्॥४३॥
“Whoever understands this entire secret of knowledge and devotion obtains supreme knowledge and swiftly attains devotion as well.
Passage 44
यं लाभमुत्तमं लब्ध्वा लब्धव्यं नावशिष्यते। इति श्रीमच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपस्थानसम्प्रदम्॥४४॥
“Having gained that highest attainment, nothing further remains to be gained. This teaching bestows the glorious station of one's true form of consciousness and bliss.
Passage 45
मार्गद्वयमनुप्राप्य कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नरः। प्रमोदवनमालासु सहजानन्दिनीप्रभुः॥४५॥
“Attaining both paths, a person becomes fully accomplished. Amid the flowering groves of Pramoda forest dwells the Lord of Sahajānandinī.
Passage 46
अवतारार्थचारित्रं स्वयंलक्ष्मीरहं प्रभुः। अमर्यादमयी लीला प्रमोदवनमध्यतः॥४६॥
“I am Svayaṃ Lakṣmī, the form of conduct that serves the Lord's purpose in his descent, while the līlā at the heart of Pramoda forest is wholly unbounded.
Passage 47
भृशं मर्यादया युक्ता सावतारार्थकारिणी। अस्यामाविश्य क्रीडामि प्रमोदवनकुञ्जगा॥४७॥
“The mode that accomplishes the purpose of the descent is deeply joined to sacred bounds. Entering her, I sport in the bowers of Pramoda forest.
Passage 48
मयाऽऽविश्य क्रीडतीयं साकेतराज्यभोगदा। अविनाभावः प्रभुणा नित्यमेव मयानया॥४८॥
“Entered by me, she sports as the giver of enjoyment in the kingdom of Sāketa. She and I are eternally inseparable from the Lord.
Passage 49
अस्यां तु मय्याविष्टायां प्रमोदवनवीथिषु। रसानुकूला मर्यादा सद्ग्राह्या समन्ततः॥४९॥
“When she enters me in the pathways of Pramoda forest, sacred order—made favorable to rasa—is to be embraced in every respect.
Passage 50
आविष्टायां तु मय्यस्यां मर्यादा शुद्धिमागता। अत एव प्रभुस्तत्र मर्यादापुरुषोत्तमः॥५०॥
“When I enter her, sacred order reaches its purity. Therefore the Lord there is Maryādā-puruṣottama, the Supreme Person who embodies perfect sacred order.
Passage 51
एवमुक्त्वा स्वयंलक्ष्मीः सहजानन्दिनीतनौ। प्राविशत् परमोदारा एकैवाभूत्ततस्तु सा। साकेतलीलावसरे भूय आविर्भविष्यति॥५१॥
Having spoken in this way, supremely generous Svayaṃ Lakṣmī entered Sahajānandinī's body, and the two became one. She would manifest again when the time came for the Sāketa līlā.