Madhyaka-ṣaṭka (The Six Verses on the Middle Way)

Sanskrit

चतुष्कोटिविनिर्मुक्तं ज्ञानवस्तु सदाद्वयम् । कल्पशून्यमनालम्ब्यं विदुः साकारवादिनः ॥ १ ॥ (catuṣkoṭi-vinirmuktaṃ jñānavastu sadādvayam | kalpa-śūnyam anālambyaṃ viduḥ sākāravādinaḥ || 1 ||)

Translation

Reality, the object of wisdom, is free from the four logical positions and is eternally non-dual. Those who hold the view of “endowed with form” (sākāravādins) know it as empty of imagination and without support.

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Sanskrit

स्वसंवितेरनुच्छेदता नउलादीनामभासनदा । निमित्तानामनुत्पादात् मध्यमाप्रतिपत् मता ॥ २ ॥ (svasaṃvitter anucchedatā maulādīnām abhāsanatā | nimittānām anutpādāt madhyamā-pratipat matā || 2 ||)

Translation

Non-annihilation of self-reflexive awareness and the non-appearance of primordial and other factors; due to the non-arising of marks, this is considered the practice of the Middle Way.

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Sanskrit

चतुष्कोटिविनिर्मुक्तः प्रकाश लोकालक्षणः । मायोपमाद्वयश्चैष सिद्धान्तो मनसागतः ॥ ३ ॥ (catuṣkoṭi-vinirmuktaḥ prakāśo lokā-lakṣaṇaḥ | māyopamādvayaś caiṣa siddhānto manasāgataḥ || 3 ||)

Translation

Luminosity, free from the four logical positions, is the mark of the world. This non-dual conclusion, which is like an illusion, has been attained by the mind.

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Sanskrit

वस्तुण्या तु या वित्तिर्निराकारा निरञ्जना । मध्यमा प्रतिपत् सैव तत्पृष्ठे शुद्धसंवृतिः ॥ ४ ॥ (vastu-śūnyā tu yā vittir nirākārā nirañjanā | madhyamā pratipat saiva tat pṛṣṭhe śuddha-saṃvṛtiḥ || 4 ||)

Translation

However, that consciousness which is empty of reality, formless, and untainted; that is indeed the practice of the Middle Way, and on its wake is the pure relative reality.

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Sanskrit

प्रकाशो वाऽप्रकाशो वा तत्त्वतो नोपलभ्यते । सर्वथाऽजातरूपत्वात् मध्यममपरे विदुः ॥ ५ ॥ (prakāśo vā’prakāśo vā tattvato nopalabhyate | sarvathā’jātarūpatvāt madhyamam apare viduḥ || 5 ||)

Translation

Whether it be light or absence of light, it is not found in ultimate reality. Because it is in every way of unarisen form, others know this as the Middle Way.

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Sanskrit

चतुष्कोटिविनिर्मुक्तः प्रकाशो देवतात्मकः । त्रयस्वभावश्च प्रतीत्योत्पादमाचकः ॥ ६ ॥ (catuṣkoṭi-vinirmuktaḥ prakāśo devatātmakaḥ | trayasvabhāvaś ca pratītyotpādamācakaḥ || 6 ||)

Translation

Luminosity, free from the four logical positions, is of the nature of the deity. It possesses the three-fold nature and indicates dependent origination.

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॥ मध्यकशटकं समाप्तम् ॥ कृतिरियं महापण्डितावधूतश्रीमदद्वयवज्रपादानाममिति ॥

Source: Advayavajra-saṃgraha - Madhyaka-ṣaṭka Reference: Buddhism, Vajrayana