Svapnanirukti (Definition of Dream)

Sanskrit

नमः सर्वज्ञाय ॥ विनयेऽथ हि धर्मेषु सूत्रेषु जिनपुङ्गवैः । धर्माः स्वप्नोपमः ख्याता विस्पष्टार्थं तद् कथ्यते ॥ १ ॥ (namaḥ sarvajñāya || vinaye’tha hi dharmeṣu sūtreṣu jinapuṅgavaiḥ | dharmāḥ svapnopamāḥ khyātā vispaṣṭārthaṃ tad kathyate || 1 ||)

Translation

Obeisance to the All-Knower! In the Vinaya, and in the Dharmas and Sutras, by the best of Jinas (Buddhas), all phenomena have been declared to be like a dream; this is now explained for the sake of clarity.

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Sanskrit

स्वप्नं सत्यमसत्यं वा विदे वा माया यथा । प्रतिष्ठानं सतां किमिह सम्मतम् ॥ २ ॥ (svapnaṃ satyam asatyaṃ vā vide vā māyā yathā | pratiṣṭhānaṃ satāṃ kim iha sammatam || 2 ||)

Translation

Is a dream true or false? Or is it consciousness itself, like an illusion? What is considered here by the wise to be the foundation of reality?

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Sanskrit

स्वप्नः सत्यमबोधेन तद्बोधेऽप्यत्यलोकताम् । प्रथमे तु स्वतः ज्ञानं द्वितीये नास्तिता भवेत् ॥ ३ ॥ (svapnaḥ satyam abodhena tad-bodhe’py atyalokatām | prathame tu svataḥ jñānaṃ dvitīye nāstitā bhavet || 3 ||)

Translation

A dream is real through non-awakening; but upon awakening, it is seen as totally non-existent. In the first state, there is inherent knowledge (of the dream); in the second, there is non-existence.

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Sanskrit

प्रबोधता कल्पितोयोहे नानुभूतिरपोह्यते । सच्चिन्त्रप्रकाशात्मा यद्यस्त्यनुभवो महान् ॥ ४ ॥ (prabodhata kalpito yo’he nānubhūtir apohyate | sac-cin-prakāśātmā yady asty anubhavo mahān || 4 ||)

Translation

Upon awakening, the imagined is negated, but experience itself is not negated. If there is a great experience, it is of the nature of true consciousness and light.

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Sanskrit

क्षणध्वंस्यालयान् मौलात् प्रवृत्तिभ्यो विचित्रता । ताश्च तदाकारचिदेशितं तदिष्यते ॥ ५ ॥ (kṣaṇa-dhvaṃsy-ālayān maulāt pravṛttibhyo vicitratā | tāś ca tad-ākāra-cideṣitaṃ tad iṣyate || 5 ||)

Translation

Diversity arises from the fundamental storehouse (alaya) which is momentary in its destruction, and from the active processes (pravṛttis). These are desired as having that form directed by consciousness.

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Sanskrit

स्वप्नात् स्वप्नं यदेव स्यात् चिच्चिकालिकता तदा । नैव सत्यं सत्त्वात् न चोच्छेदः प्रकाशतः ॥ ६ ॥ (svapnāt svapnaṃ yad eva syāt cic-cikālikatā tadā | naiva satyaṃ sattvān na cocchedaḥ prakāśataḥ || 6 ||)

Translation

If there were just dream after dream, it would be a mere flickering of consciousness. It is not true due to its existence (as mere dream), nor is it annihilation due to its luminosity.

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Sanskrit

किमन्यन्विकृतं नाम नाम्नौ मायेति वा कृतम् । नाम्नि न युज्यते नाम अप्रतिष्ठा त्वनामनि ॥ ७ ॥ (kim anyan-vikṛtaṃ nāma nāmnau māyeti vā kṛtam | nāmni na yujyate nāma apratiṣṭhā tv anāmani || 7 ||)

Translation

What other transformed name is given, whether called ‘name’ or ‘illusion’? A name is not applicable to a name, and there is no foundation in the nameless.

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Sanskrit

पाणिवहद्दितयं च चत्वारो बोधये मताः । स्वप्नतुल्यमिदं विश्वमित्यमुक्तं जिनोत्तमैः ॥ ८ ॥ (pāṇiva-hadditayaṃ ca catvāro bodhaye matāḥ | svapnatulyam idaṃ viśvam ityam uktaṃ jinottamaiḥ || 8 ||)

Translation

… the four are considered as the awakening. This world is like a dream—thus it was spoken by the best of Jinas.

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Sanskrit

किं न्वस्थानमतो विद्धि बुद्धसर्वस्वमुत्तमम् । संवित्त्या सद्गुरोर्यनात् चर्यया च विशेषतः ॥ ९ ॥ (kiṃ nv asthānam ato viddhi buddha-sarvasvam uttamam | saṃvittyā sadguroryanāt caryayā ca viśeṣataḥ || 9 ||)

Translation

Know this non-abiding to be the supreme essence of the Buddha; To be understood through the instruction of the true Guru and especially through conduct.

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॥ स्वप्ननिरुक्तिः समाप्तेति ॥

Source: Advayavajra-saṃgraha - Svapnanirukti Reference: Buddhism, Vajrayana