Passage 1
लक्ष्मण उवाच— यस्माद्रत्नकलशादियमजनि परा लक्ष्मीः सहजा नाम तत एव तिस्रोऽन्यास्तादृग्रूपवयोवेशशीलगुणस्वभावास्तादृश्य एव प्रादुरासुः। नवशीतसुधोदकानां धाराज्योतिःक्षिप्तरत्नपर्यङ्किलायां मध्ये द्वे एव सीता चोर्मिला च तयोर्वामदक्षिणयोर्माण्डवी श्रुतिकीर्तिश्चाभवत्॥
Lakṣmaṇa said: “From the same jeweled vessel from which the supreme Lakṣmī named Sahajā was born, three other maidens also appeared, identical to her in form, age, clothing, character, virtues, and nature. Upon the jeweled cradle splashed by shining streams of fresh, cool nectar, Sītā and Urmilā lay in the middle, while Māṇḍavī and Śrutakīrti were at their left and right.
Passage 2
जातमात्रा एव ताः चतस्रः कन्यकाः सद्यः प्रादुर्भूय धरणी सोत्साहसाकूतसानन्दमन्दमधुरस्मितदशनदीधितिद्योतदीपितदिक्चक्रवालामहतो विवरान्तरालतः प्रसृत्य रमाणानां सीताजन्ममहोत्सवावसरकौतुकविलोकनं समागतभोगिशिखामणिकिरणकदम्बकानां छटाभिश्छुरितच्छविग्रहा कति कति नरेन्द्रगणैरुपभुज्यमानोपभुक्तोपभोक्ष्यमाणापि तेषां जनन्येव महामधुरतारुण्याञ्चिततनुरपि पुराणानां पुराणतमा जरीयसी शनैर्लाघवेन जवाद्रत्नकलशोद्धृतपर्यङ्किकामादाय दोर्भ्यां जनकनरेन्द्राय प्रददौ॥
“As soon as the four daughters were born, the Earth goddess emerged from the vast opening. The radiance of her teeth and her gentle, sweet, blissful smile illuminated the circle of directions. Her form was dappled by clusters of rays from the crest jewels of the serpent kings who had gathered in wonder to behold Sītā's birth festival. Though enjoyed, being enjoyed, and yet to be enjoyed by hosts of kings, she remained their mother; though her body possessed supremely sweet youth, she was older than the oldest. Moving with effortless speed, she lifted the cradle from the jeweled vessel and placed it with both arms into King Janaka's hands.
Passage 3
तस्यामेव रत्नपर्यङ्किकायां परितोऽमूश्चतस्रः प्रावृत्य नवापि ताः सरिद्वराः स्थिताः। तेषां मध्य एका स्वयंलक्ष्मीर्नाम या सा पूर्वमेवास्यास्तनुमाविष्टवती। अष्टौ शेषास्तस्याः सखीभावमङ्गीकृत्यास्यास्तनिजनिजस्वरूपास्तस्य राज्ञो निकेतनं मण्डयांचक्रुः। एवं प्रसूतायां तस्यां जनकनरेन्द्रराजधानी मधुरचन्द्रिकायां राज्ञी सुनयना सुप्राप्तसमस्तमनोरथफला पुत्रजन्मोत्सवादधिकमुत्सवं चकार॥
“The nine excellent river goddesses stood around that same jeweled cradle, enveloping the four daughters. One among them, named Svayaṃ Lakṣmī, had already entered Sahajā's body. The remaining eight accepted the mood of her companions, assumed their respective forms, and adorned the king's residence. When she had appeared in this way as the sweet moonlight of King Janaka's capital, Queen Sunayanā saw every desire fulfilled and celebrated a festival greater even than the festival for a son's birth.
Passage 4
स्थानं तन्मिथिलानाम सर्वर्तुविटपिसम्पन्नं प्रभूतपत्रपुष्पफलसम्पत्सुशोभाढ्यं कमलेश्वरीजलसमास्वादप्रभूतधिषणैर्जनैराकीर्णं नानाशास्त्रार्णवात्रारपारीणविद्वज्जनमण्डलीमण्डितं निखिलगुणगणाकीर्णं सीताजन्ममहोत्सवप्रमुदितसिद्धविद्याधरोरगाप्सरोगन्धर्वगीतिष्वनिपुणं स्थाने स्थाने समाहन्यमानानां पटहानां दुन्दुभीनां मृदङ्गानां घोषैरापूर्यमाणं दिने दिने समुज्जायमानानेकमङ्गलप्रकरणं प्रसन्नान्तःकरणानां जनानां कदम्बकैराकीर्णं प्रतिक्षणपल्लवप्रसवोद्गममनोहारिगुहारामाटवीनिकुञ्जमहो रहःसंस्पर्शमन्दमलयद्रुमसंस्पर्शसुगन्धिनिर्मलसरोजजलसंस्पर्शशीतलमधुरमारुतोपसेवितं वेदशास्त्रपुराणोपनिषद्रहस्यप्रपाठप्रवणमुनिजनखञ्जनमिथुननिधुवननिर्णीतनिधिस्थानं निरतिशयतपोबलसमुत्सारितकालप्रभावैर्निजरैर्जानपदैराकीर्णं राज्ञो नेमिचन्द्रस्य धर्मातिशयेन निरीतितमं सुधर्माभोगवतीप्रख्यं समस्तसुखसम्पदाढ्यं महामणिमाणिक्यमुक्तागणजटितकाञ्चनेष्टिकामयैरुद्यत्सुराङ्गनाकरतालध्वनिसमुद्भूतप्रतिध्वनितैर्जलदैरिवोन्नतैर्लोलहायमानपताकाध्वजपटावकीर्णैर्हिरण्मयैः प्रासादगणैः शोभितं नवनिधिकदम्बकाधिकप्रथितद्रविणराशिसनाथनैगमजनप्रमोदपणनकोलाहलितहलहलायमानहट्टागणाकीर्णमहापणपथं त्रैलोक्यलक्ष्म्येकनिधानं तया नितरां शुशुभे॥
“That place named Mithilā possessed trees of every season and shone with abundant leaves, flowers, and fruit. Its people had gained exceptional intelligence by tasting the waters of Kamaleśvarī; assemblies of scholars who had crossed the oceans of many sciences adorned it, and every virtue filled it. Siddhas, Vidyādharas, serpents, Apsarases, and Gandharvas sang in delight at Sītā's birth festival. The sounds of kettledrums, heavenly drums, and mṛdaṅgas beaten throughout the city filled the air, and new auspicious celebrations arose each day. Crowds of serene-hearted people gathered everywhere. Caves, pleasure gardens, forests, and bowers were made charming by fresh shoots appearing at every moment; gentle, sweet, cool winds carried the fragrance of Malaya trees and the touch of pure lotus water. Sages recited the secrets of the Vedas, śāstras, Purāṇas, and Upaniṣads. The citizens, whose immense ascetic strength had pushed aside the power of time, remained youthful. Through King Nemicandra's surpassing dharma the city was free from calamity, comparable to Sudharmā and Bhogavatī and rich in every happiness. Golden palaces inlaid with great gems, rubies, and pearls rose like clouds, covered with waving banners and echoing the hand-claps of celestial women. Great market roads, noisy with joyful merchants and stores of wealth surpassing the nine treasures, made Mithilā appear as the single repository of the splendor of all three worlds.
Passage 5
तत्रावतीर्णां सहजानन्दिनीं रहसि सुनयनादेव्याः प्रासादे रत्नपर्यङ्किकायामान्दोल्यमानां जातमात्रामेव विधिरागत्यास्तौषीत्॥
“Brahmā came privately into Queen Sunayanā's palace and praised Sahajānandinī immediately after her descent, while the newborn goddess was being rocked in the jeweled cradle. Brahmā's Prose Praise
Passage 6
ब्रह्मोवाच— नमस्ते सहजानन्दिन्यै श्रीरामरामेश्वर्यै प्रमोदवनवीथीनिकुञ्जान्तरविहरणानन्दस्वरूपायै निखिलनिगमोपनिषद्गोपगीतचरित्रायै पूर्णनिशाकरमण्डलमण्डलीविजयप्रभूततमज्योत्स्नाजालविभासितमुखचन्द्रमन्दमधुरस्मितलवनिरसितव्रजसीमन्तिनीसौभाग्यगर्वाङ्कुरायै निजमहामन्त्रसाधनप्रसादसुलब्धनिजचरणकमलपरायणनानामुनिजनमनोरथपूरणार्थप्रदत्तनिजरमणनित्यलीलान्तःप्रवेशायै प्रमोदवनकुन्दवनकुमुदवनसुधावरूढनवशाद्वललुप्तचरणालक्तकनिरीक्षणप्रभूतपञ्चेषुविकारावसन्नराधाचन्द्रावलीप्रभृतिगोपबालिकाहृदयविरहहुताशनोद्दीपिकायै श्रीमद्रत्नगिरिदरीसानुमध्योपत्यकानिकुञ्जाटवीनिर्झराभिषेकनिर्मलविग्रहविचित्रितानेकधातुद्रवशोभितायै रत्नमुक्तावतंसाग्रलग्नमहामणिमरीचिमालामहोद्योतितनिविडतमालकाननतिमिरतिरस्कारकारिण्यै कोटितडिच्छटावभासिविग्रहायै कन्दर्पकोटिलावण्यलक्ष्मीमुषो रामचन्द्रस्य मनोमोहिन्यै श्रीमज्जनकनरेन्द्रनन्दिन्यै नमः॥
Brahmā said: “Homage to Sahajānandinī, sovereign beloved of Śrī Rāma; to the embodiment of the bliss of wandering within the bowers along Pramoda forest's pathways; to her whose deeds are sung by all the Vedas, Upaniṣads, and cowherds. Homage to her moonlike face, bright with a mass of moonlight surpassing the full moon, whose gentle sweet smile removes the sprouting pride in the good fortune of Vraja's married women. Homage to her who grants entry into her beloved's eternal līlā to fulfill the desires of sages devoted to her lotus feet through the grace of practicing her great mantra. Homage to her whose crimson foot-lac, hidden by fresh grass wet with nectar in Pramoda's jasmine and water-lily groves, inflames the fire of separation in the hearts of Rādhā, Candrāvalī, and the other cowherd girls overcome by Kāma's transformations. Homage to her pure form bathed by waterfalls in the caves, peaks, valleys, bowers, and forests of glorious Ratna Mountain, shining with streams of many-colored minerals. Homage to her whose jeweled earrings cast great rays that dispel the darkness of dense tamāla forests; whose body flashes like ten million lightning bolts; who steals the splendor of ten million Love-gods, enchants Rāmacandra's mind, and is the glorious daughter of King Janaka.
Passage 7
यः सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्ततोऽपि परः पुरुषोत्तमो नाम सच्चिदानन्दैकरसनिजनित्यलीलाशालिविग्रहः स एव प्रभुः स्वरूपानन्दमयतादृशलीलाप्रसाधनाय रामचन्द्रो दृश्यते गवेन्द्रस्य श्रीसुखितनाम्नो गोपराजस्य भवने श्रीमाङ्गल्यकायां स्वयं च भवती च व्रजेन्द्रस्य श्रीनन्दननाम्नो गोपराजस्य भवने श्रीराजिन्याम्॥
“Beyond the thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed Cosmic Person is the one called Puruṣottama, whose form possesses his own eternal līlā and consists solely of existence, consciousness, bliss, and rasa. To accomplish such play, that same Lord appears as Rāmacandra through glorious Māṅgalyakā in the home of the cowherd king and lord of cattle named Śrī Sukhita. You yourself appear through Śrī Rājinī in the home of Vraja's cowherd king named Śrī Nandana.
Passage 8
अविनाशिभूतमेवेदं मिथुनं तस्यैव सहजासीतारामचन्द्रयुगलस्यांशांशो मन्दरे च द्वीपे च चक्रावस्थाने च सूर्यमण्डले च रमावैकुण्ठे च गोलोके च व्यापिनि वैकुण्ठे च गोवर्धने च वृन्दावने च गोकुले च नन्दग्रामे च सङ्केततटे च मथुरायां च द्वारावत्यां च साकेतपुरे च मिथिलायां च चित्रकूटे च स्फटिकशिलायां च द्वादशवनेषु च प्रमोदवने च स्वयमेव सहजारामचन्द्रौ नित्यकेलिनौ रमेते॥
“This couple is inherently imperishable. As manifestations and partial manifestations of that same Sahajā-Sītā and Rāmacandra pair, they sport eternally upon Mandara, on the sacred island, at the station of the discus, in the solar sphere, in Ramā-Vaikuṇṭha, Goloka, all-pervading Vaikuṇṭha, Govardhana, Vṛndāvana, Gokula, Nandagrāma, Saṅketa's bank, Mathurā, Dvāravatī, Sāketa city, Mithilā, Citrakūṭa, Sphaṭika-śilā, the twelve forests, and Pramoda forest. In all these places Sahajā and Rāmacandra themselves delight in eternal play.
Passage 9
नमस्ते प्राणोपजीव्याय प्रावृषेण्यनिविडजलवाहपटलप्रकटाभिरामाय रामाय॥
“Homage to Rāma, upon whom your life depends, enchanting as he appears within a dense mass of rain-bearing clouds.
Passage 10
नमश्च ते तस्य प्राणोपजीव्यायै संभूय प्रकटीभूतकोटितडित्पुञ्जमाञ्जुल्यहारिस्वरूपायै निजरमणवक्षोनिकषोपलघर्षणनितान्तमधुरसुवर्णरेखायमाणलावण्यसहजायै श्रीसहजायै॥
“And homage to glorious Sahajā, upon whom his life depends: her lovely form steals the beauty of a mass of ten million lightning bolts revealed at once, while her innate loveliness is like a supremely sweet line of gold drawn by rubbing against the touchstone of her beloved's chest.
Passage 11
वाङ्मनसयोरप्यगम्यं युवयोर्माहात्म्यं युवामेव जानीथो यत्र विधिशिवादयो वागीशा अपि मन्दप्रज्ञा बभूवुः। एवंविधेऽपि युवयोर्माहात्म्ये छन्दनाय वाग्भिरुपचरतो मम न किं हास्यास्पदता तथापि श्रद्धा भक्तिश्च प्रह्वान्तःकरणता च तावकी निरुपधिका कृपा च समर्थयिष्यत्येवेति महदवलम्बनं स्तुतिपदार्थस्य स्तव्यैकविषयस्य॥
“Your greatness is inaccessible even to speech and mind; only you two know it. Before it, even Brahmā, Śiva, and the other lords of speech become dull-witted. Is it not therefore laughable for me to honor greatness such as yours with words arranged in meter? Nevertheless, faith, devotion, a humbly bowed heart, and your unconditional grace will surely make the attempt possible. These alone are the great support for an act of praise whose sole objects are you.” Brahmā's Twenty-Five-Verse Hymn
Passage 12
नमस्ते पूर्णरूपायै सच्चिदानन्दवर्ष्मणे। सहजानन्दरूपिण्यै प्रमोदवनदेवते॥१॥
Homage to you, the complete form, the embodiment of being, consciousness, and bliss; to you whose form is innate bliss, the deity of Pramoda forest.
Passage 13
रासलीलापरौ नित्यं परं ब्रह्म सनातनम्। सहजानन्दिनीं रामं कामं वन्देतरामहम्॥२॥
I worship beyond measure Sahajānandinī and Rāma, divine Love: the eternal Supreme Brahman, forever intent upon the play of rāsa.
Passage 14
नमो लीलारसानन्दरूपिण्यै नित्यरूपिण्यै। माधुर्यरसमाधुर्यरूपायै पररूपायै॥३॥
Homage to her whose eternal form is the bliss of līlā-rasa, whose supreme form is the sweetness of the rasa of divine sweetness.
Passage 15
लीला रूपं गुणाः स्थानं चरित्रं नाम धाम च। मायासंयोगराहित्यात् सर्वमप्राकृतं तव॥४॥
Your līlā, form, qualities, place, deeds, name, and abode are all beyond material nature, for they are wholly free from association with māyā.
Passage 16
औत्पत्तिकः स्वभावोऽयं वस्तुतः खलु वास्तवः। यत्स्वयं निर्गुणं नाम तादृग्लीलारसात्मकम्॥५॥
This is your innate nature, truly and substantially real: that which is itself called beyond the guṇas consists precisely of līlā-rasa.
Passage 17
विभावैरनुभावैश्च तथा सञ्चारिभिः सह। रसो वै स इति प्राह सर्वशास्त्रप्रमा श्रुतिः॥६॥
Together with its determinants, consequent expressions, and transitory states, it is rasa. The śruti, authoritative for every scripture, declares: “He indeed is rasa.”
Passage 18
अद्यापि विधिशर्वाद्यास्त्वद्रूपं देवतोत्तमाः। केदं कुतः क केनेति सगुणा नैव जानते॥७॥
Even now Brahmā, Śiva, and the other foremost gods, themselves endowed with qualities, do not know your form—what it is, whence it comes, who it is, or by whom it is manifest.
Passage 19
अनुभूतिः स्मृतिश्चैव त्वमेव सकलोत्तमे। प्रमाविपर्ययश्चैव विकल्पो निद्रया सह॥८॥
O highest of all, you yourself are experience and memory, valid cognition and error, conceptual construction, and sleep.
Passage 20
विश्वसर्गविसर्गादौ त्वमेवाखिलरूपिणी। वैषम्यं चापि नैर्घृण्यं त्वयि तन्नोपपद्यते॥९॥
In the universe's primary and secondary creation and all that follows, you alone assume every form. Partiality and cruelty can therefore have no place in you.
Passage 21
सामरस्यानन्दरसो युवयोः समुपास्यते। सामन्तैर्ब्रह्मशक्राद्यैर्विष्टपाधारभूतये॥१०॥
Brahmā, Indra, and the other attendant lords worship the bliss-rasa of your shared harmony, through which you become the support of all the worlds.
Passage 22
ज्ञानं यत्तद्विशुद्धात्मविषयं प्राकृतेतरम्। उपचारक्रमेणैव त्वद्रूपमवलम्बते॥११॥
Knowledge whose object is the perfectly pure Self and which transcends material nature rests upon your form only through the convention of figurative attribution.
Passage 23
माधव्यास्ताः शुभा वाचो विस्मयं किमु तन्वते। तवैव प्रेरणामात्रान्मनसि प्रकटीकृताः॥१२॥
Why should Mādhavī's auspicious words cause wonder? They appeared within her mind solely through your prompting.
Passage 24
स्तुतिश्चेदन्यविषया गुणानामवलम्बिनी। तदप्यसौ त्वद्विषया निर्गुणैव भवेतमाम्॥१३॥
Praise directed toward another depends upon attributes; yet when its object is you, even such praise becomes wholly beyond the guṇas.
Passage 25
गुणातीते नित्यपदे सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी। रमसे त्वं नित्याकारे स्वेनैव सहजाभिधा॥१४॥
Beyond the guṇas, in the eternal realm, you sport as the embodiment of being, consciousness, and bliss, eternally formed and known by your own name, Sahajā.
Passage 26
निजलीलारसानन्दानुभवार्थं विहारिणोः। द्वन्द्वो वां नित्यकैवल्यं सहजेति त्वमीश्यतः॥१५॥
So that the two divine players may experience the bliss of their own līlā-rasa, your duality abides as eternal absolute unity; therefore you, O sovereign Goddess, are called Sahajā. The edition prints virahiṇoḥ with vihāriṇoḥ as an editorial alternative; the latter is adopted here because it completes the sentence's description of the two who engage in līlā.
Passage 27
प्रपञ्चोऽपि भवन्निष्ठो नित्यनिष्कैवल्यात्मकः। न संसार इवाभाति जीवनिष्ठो हि संस्मृतः॥१६॥
Even the manifested world, grounded in you and eternally inseparable from you, does not appear as saṃsāra; saṃsāra is understood to be that which is grounded in the individual jīva.
Passage 28
कदाचिदात्मनिरतो युवयोः सहजात्मनोः। लीयते स प्रपञ्चोऽपि नामरूपचिदात्मकः॥१७॥
When you two, whose nature is innate oneness, become absorbed within yourselves, even that manifested world of name, form, and consciousness sometimes dissolves.
Passage 29
सत्कारणमसत्कार्यमेक एके विपर्ययम्। कार्यकारणकर्त्रैक आहुर्नित्यं भवद्वपुः॥१८॥
Some hold the cause to be real and the effect unreal; others reverse the judgment. Still others say that your eternal body alone is effect, cause, and agent.
Passage 30
गुणातीततयास्तव्यं प्राकृतप्रतियोगि यत्। गुणानां प्राकृतत्वं तु न स्यादप्रतियोगिनाम्॥१९॥
That which is praised as transcending the guṇas must have the material as its correlate; without such a correlate, the guṇas themselves could not be called material.
Passage 31
जातमात्रोऽहमैश्वर्यं न किञ्चिद्वेद कस्यचित्। न हि जीवस्य मे मानं स्वाश्रयं खलु युज्यते॥२०॥
Newly born, I know nothing of anyone's sovereign greatness. A measure belonging to me, a mere jīva, cannot rightly serve as its own foundation.
Passage 32
अथ मुक्तिरपि प्रायः स्वाश्रया नैव युज्यते। न ह्यणोरस्य महिमा स्वे महिम्न्यमहीयत॥२१॥
Nor, indeed, can liberation rest upon itself. The greatness of this atomic soul does not become great through its own greatness.
Passage 33
अतः श्रुतिर्विप्रतिषिध्य सर्वं यद्दृश्यजातं परिवर्तते लोके। दृङ्मात्रशेषं परमं स्वरूपमापादयन्ती फलगोचराभूत्॥२२॥
Therefore śruti negates everything in the world that belongs to the seen and undergoes change. Establishing the supreme nature in which pure seeing alone remains, it enters the field of direct realization, its fruit.
Passage 34
स्वरूप एव भ्रमसंशयादिवृत्त्याकुलैः परतन्त्रैश्च जीवैः। न हीश्वरे त्वय्युपपन्नमन्यदृते कर्तुं न मनश्चैव लापात्॥२३॥
Confusion, doubt, and related states arise only among dependent jīvas agitated within their own limited nature. They do not apply to you, the sovereign Goddess; mind and speech can do nothing except resort to such expressions.
Passage 35
अतो नतोऽस्मि प्रयतो भूय भक्त्या श्रद्धासम्पत्सञ्जनिताखिलार्थः। त्वां च त्वदीशं च रसात्मकं तल्लीलावपुर्नित्यनितान्तकान्तम्॥२४॥
Therefore, purified, I bow once more with devotion, all my aims fulfilled by the wealth of faith. I bow to you and to your Lord—to that rasa itself, that eternal and utterly lovely līlā-form.
Passage 36
इत्यभिष्टूय पुरुषीं सहजानन्दरूपिणीम्। अवाङ्मनोगोचरत्वाद्विरञ्चिर्विरराम ह॥२५॥
Having thus praised the Supreme Person in feminine form, the embodiment of innate bliss, Brahmā fell silent, for she is beyond the reach of speech and mind.