Passage 1
श्रीभगवानुवाच— अथ तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानमुत्तमशासनम्। यच्छ्रुत्वाभूतसर्गेषु व्यामोहं नैव यास्यति॥१॥
The blessed Lord said: “Now I shall teach you the highest discipline of knowledge. Having heard it, one will no longer fall into delusion concerning the creation of beings.
Passage 2
प्रलये मयि संलीनमविद्याकामकर्मभिः। जीवं सानुशयं सृष्टिवपुषा योजयते पुनः॥२॥
At dissolution the jīva, together with its latent tendencies, merges into me. Through ignorance, desire, and action, it is again joined to an embodied form within creation.
Passage 3
तदर्थं त्रिगुणां मायां सर्वभूतादिकारणम्। तामीक्षणाख्यसंकल्पविषयीकुरुते चिता॥३॥
For that purpose, consciousness makes three-guṇa māyā—the primal cause of all beings—the object of the resolve called divine seeing.
Passage 4
चिदाभासाभिधं रेतःसेकं सम्प्राप्य सा ततः। महान्तं गर्भमाधत्ते आकाशादिधरान्तकम्॥४॥
Receiving the seed called reflected consciousness, māyā conceives the great cosmic embryo extending from space down to earth.
Passage 5
ततो हिरण्यगर्भाद्याः सम्भवन्ति पृथक् पृथक्। देवाश्च पितरश्चैव मनुष्याः पशवो मृगाः॥५॥
From it arise separately Hiraṇyagarbha and the rest, the gods, ancestors, humans, domestic animals, and wild creatures.
Passage 6
जरायुजाण्डजोद्भिज्जस्वेदजादिशरीरिणः। विलक्षणाश्च विविधानेकसंस्थानमूर्तयः॥६॥
Embodied beings born from womb, egg, sprout, moisture, and other modes appear distinct, diverse, and fashioned in countless forms.
Passage 7
तत एवोर्ध्वं प्राप्य जायते भवविस्तरः। विस्तरो गुणनिर्माणं गुणाः सत्त्वं रजस्तमः॥७॥
From there the expansion of becoming proceeds. This expansion is a construction of the guṇas—sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Passage 8
अन्योन्यमिश्रितास्ते चाप्यभूवन् बहुधात्मकाः। तेषामेव परिवर्तः संसारः सकलो ह्ययम्॥८॥
Intermingling with one another, they assume innumerable natures. This entire saṃsāra is nothing but their ceaseless transformation. The Actionless Self
Passage 9
विश्वाम्यति गुणेष्वेव तदेवं कर्तृताखिला। ततः परमकर्तारं पश्येदात्मानमात्मना॥९॥
All agency thus rests wholly in the guṇas. One should therefore behold through the Self the supreme Self as non-agent.
Passage 10
सोऽविद्यामखिलां हित्वा परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति। तावज्जन्मजरामृत्युदुःखदोषानुशीलनम्॥१०॥
Abandoning all ignorance, one attains supreme Brahman. Until then one remains subject to the afflictions of birth, old age, death, and suffering,
Passage 11
यावच्चित्तमकर्तारमात्मानं नावबुध्यते। सर्वाणि गुणकार्याणि सम्प्रवृत्तानि यो नरः॥११॥
so long as the mind does not understand the Self to be non-agent. The person who knows all activity to be an operation of the guṇas,
Passage 12
मिथ्यात्वनिश्चयात्स्वप्नवद्यो वेत्ति स पण्डितः। न रज्यति न वा द्वेष्टि स्वस्वरूपैकसंस्थितः॥१२॥
and ascertains it to be unreal like a dream is truly wise. Established solely in one's own nature, one neither desires nor hates.
Passage 13
जानानः सुखदुःखादिपरिणामं गुणात्मकम्। स्वयंज्योतिःस्वभावत्वादात्मानं परमार्थतः॥१३॥
Knowing pleasure, pain, and other changes to belong to the guṇas, one recognizes the Self in truth as self-luminous by nature.
Passage 14
द्वेषशून्यं निर्विकारं सत्यं निश्चित्य निर्गुणम्। यः स्वरूपेऽवतिष्ठेत स ज्ञानीत्युच्यते बुधैः॥१४॥
One who ascertains it as free of aversion, changeless, real, and beyond guṇas, then abides in that true nature, is called a knower by the wise.
Passage 15
स्वप्रकाशं चिदानन्दं केवलं सर्वसंश्रयम्। यः पश्यति स्वमात्मानं पारं प्राप्तः स मानवः॥१५॥
The person who sees one's own Self as self-revealing, consciousness and bliss, nondual and the support of all, has reached the far shore.
Passage 16
तावच्छृणोति शास्त्राणि वेद्यमन्वेषयत्यपि। स्वप्रकाशचिदानन्दं यावन्नात्मानमृच्छति॥१६॥
One continues hearing scripture and seeking what is to be known only until attaining the Self as self-revealing consciousness and bliss.
Passage 17
निवृत्ताखिलतर्षोऽसौ यावन्नैव प्रजायते। आत्मतत्त्वं न जानाति तावद्यत्नान्वितोऽप्यसौ॥१७॥
Until all thirst has ceased, realization has not arisen. However strenuous one's effort, the truth of the Self is not yet known. Knowledge Ends Return
Passage 18
सर्वभ्रममयी माया ब्रह्म तन्मूलमुच्यते। येऽन्ये हिरण्यगर्भाद्याः कार्योपाधय एव ते॥१८॥
Māyā consists of every form of delusion, while Brahman is declared to be its ground. Hiraṇyagarbha and all other cosmic forms are merely conditioned effects.
Passage 19
ततः सम्प्रसृतं विश्वं नश्वरं ज्ञायते बुधैः। तस्मिन्नाचरति ब्रह्म साक्षिवत्सङ्गवर्जितः॥१९॥
The wise know the universe extended from them to be perishable. Within it Brahman moves as an unattached witness.
Passage 20
आत्यन्तिकस्तदुच्छेदो ज्ञानेनैव प्रजायते। तत आत्मगतिं बुद्ध्वा पुनरावर्तने न च॥२०॥
Its complete eradication arises through knowledge alone. Having then understood the state of the Self, one never returns.
Passage 21
एतज्ज्ञानं मया प्रोक्तं सरहस्यं परंतप। निश्चित्य हृदये स्वीये मा ग्लासीस्त्वमतः परम्॥२१॥
I have taught this knowledge together with its mystery, scorcher of foes. Establish it firmly in your own heart and never again become despondent.”