Muni's PlaySection I: Svarūpaspanda
(Spanda as one’s own nature)
Sanskrit
यस्योन्मेषनिमेषाभ्यां जगतः प्रलयोदयौ।
तं शक्तिचक्रविभवप्रभवं शङ्करं स्तुमः॥१॥
Transliteration
yasyonmeṣanimeṣābhyāṁ jagataḥ pralayodayau |
taṁ śakticakravibhavaprabhavaṁ śaṅkaraṁ stumaḥ || 1 ||
Translation
We praise Shankara, the source of the glory of the circle of powers (shakti-chakra), by whose opening and closing of eyes (unmesha and nimesha) the universe emerges and dissolves.
Sanskrit
यत्र स्थितमिदं सर्वं कार्यं यस्माच्च निर्गतम्।
तस्यानावृतरूपत्वान्न निरोधोऽस्ति कुत्रचित्॥२॥
Transliteration
yatra sthitamidaṁ sarvaṁ kāryaṁ yasmācca nirgatam |
tasyānāvṛtarūpatvānn nirodho’sti kutracit || 2 ||
Translation
In Him all this world rests and from Him it has come forth. Since His nature is un-obscured, there is no obstruction for Him anywhere.
Sanskrit
न हीच्छानोदनस्यायं प्रेरकत्वेन वर्तते।
अपि त्वात्मबलस्पर्शात्पुरुषस्तत्समो भवेत्॥८॥
Transliteration
na hīcchānodanasyāyaṁ prerakatvena vartate |
api tvātmabalasparśātpuruṣastatsamo bhavet || 8 ||
Translation
He does not act as the impeller of the nudge of desire. However, by the touch of the power of the Self, the individual becomes equal to Him.
Sanskrit
निजाशुद्ध्यासमर्थस्य कर्तव्येष्वभिलाषिणः।
यदा क्षोभः प्रलीयेत तदा स्यात्परमं पदम्॥९॥
Transliteration
nijāśuddhyāsāmarthasya kartavyeṣvabhilāṣiṇaḥ |
yadā kṣobhaḥ pralīyeta tadā syātparamaṁ padam || 9 ||
Translation
When the agitation of the one who is incapable because of his own impurity and yet desires to do various things ceases, then the supreme state appears.
Sanskrit
अतः सततमुद्युक्तः स्पन्दतत्त्वविविक्तये।
जाग्रदेव निजं भावमचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥२१॥
Transliteration
ataḥ satatamudyuktaḥ spandatattvaviviktaye |
jāgradeva nijaṁ bhāvamacireṇādhigacchati || 21 ||
Translation
Therefore, one who is always prepared to discern the Spanda principle attains his own state even while waking, in no time.
Sanskrit
अतिक्रुद्धः प्रहृष्टो वा किं करोमीति वा मृशन्।
धावन्वा यत्पदं गच्छेत्तत्र स्पन्दः प्रतिष्ठितः॥२२॥
Transliteration
atikruddhaḥ prahṛṣṭo vā kiṁ karomīti vā mṛśan |
dhāvanvā yatpadaṁ gacchettatra spandaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ || 22 ||
Translation
In that state which a person reaches when extremely angry, or exceedingly glad, or when reflecting ‘what should I do’, or when running—there Spanda is established.
Sanskrit
यामवस्थां समालम्ब्य यदयं मम वक्ष्यति।
तदवश्यं करिष्येऽहमिति सङ्कल्प्य तिष्ठति॥२३॥
Transliteration
yāmavasthāṁ samālambya yadayaṁ mama vakṣyati |
tadavaśyaṁ kariṣye’hamiti saṅkalpya tiṣṭhati || 23 ||
Translation
Depending upon that state of Spanda, the yogi remains with the firm resolve: “I will certainly do whatever He (the Lord) tells me.”
Sanskrit
तामाश्रित्योर्ध्वमार्गेण चन्द्रसूर्यावुभावपि।
सौषुम्नेऽध्वन्यस्तमितो हित्वा ब्रह्माण्डगोचरम्॥२४॥
Transliteration
tāmāśrityordhvamārgeṇa candrasūryāvubhāvapi |
sauṣumne’dhvanyastamito hitvā brahmāṇdagocaram || 24 ||
Translation
By taking recourse to that Spanda, both the moon (prana) and the sun (apana) set in the path of Susumna, leaving the sphere of the body (brahmāṇda).
Sanskrit
तदा तस्मिन्महाव्योम्नि प्रलीनशशिभास्करे।
सौषुप्तपदवन्मूढः प्रबुद्धः स्यादनावृतः॥२५॥
Transliteration
tadā tasminmahāvyomni pralīnaśaśibhāskare |
sauṣuptapadavanmūḍhaḥ prabuddhaḥ syādanāvṛtaḥ || 25 ||
Translation
Then, in that great void where the moon and the sun have set, the ignorant person remains like one in deep sleep, while the awakened one remains un-obscured.
Section II: Sahajavidyodaya
Sanskrit
इति वा यस्य संवित्तिः क्रीडात्वेनाखिलं जगत्।
स पश्यन्सततं युक्तो जीवन्मुक्तो न संशयः॥५॥
Transliteration
iti vā yasya saṁvittiḥ krīḍātvenākhilaṁ jagat |
sa paśyansatataṁ yukto jīvanmukto na saṁśayaḥ || 5 ||
Translation
He who has this realization that the entire universe is his play (krida), and keeps seeing it thus, is constantly united with the Self, and is undoubtedly liberated while alive (jivanmukta).
Sanskrit
अयमेवोदयस्तस्य ध्येयस्य ध्यायिचेतसि।
तदात्मतासमापत्तिरिच्छतः साधकस्य या॥६॥
Transliteration
ayamevodayastasya dhyeyasya dhyāyicetasi |
tadātmatāsamāpattiricchataḥ sādhakasya yā || 6 ||
Translation
This alone is the unfolding of the object of meditation in the mind of the meditator—that the desiring seeker achieves identification with that (supreme) nature.
Sanskrit
इयमेवामृतप्राप्तिरयमेवात्मनो ग्रहः।
इयं निर्वाणदीक्षा च शिवसद्भावदायिनी॥७॥
Transliteration
iyamevāmṛtaprāptirayamevātmano grahaḥ |
iyaṁ nirvāṇadīkṣā ca śivasadbhāvadāyinī || 7 ||
Translation
This alone is the attainment of nectar; this alone is the grasp of the Self; this alone is the initiation for Nirvana (nirvana-diksha), which bestows the state of Shiva.
Section III: Vibhūtispanda
Sanskrit
यथेच्छाभ्यर्थितो धाता जाग्रतोऽर्थान् हृदि स्थितान्।
सोमसूर्योदयं कृत्वा सम्पादयति देहिनः॥१॥
तथा स्वप्नेऽप्यभीष्टार्थान्प्रणयस्यानतिक्रमात्।
नित्यं स्फुटतरं मध्ये स्थितोऽवश्यं प्रकाशयेत्॥२॥
Transliteration
yathecchābhyarthito dhātā jāgrato’rthān hṛdi sthitān |
somasuryodayaṁ kṛtvā sampādayati dehinaḥ || 1 ||
tathā svapne’pyabhīṣṭārthānpraṇayasyānatikramāt |
nityaṁ sphuṭataraṁ madhye sthito’vaśyaṁ prakāśayet || 2 ||
Translation
Just as the sustainer of the world (the Lord), when prayed to with desire, brings about the objects residing in the heart of the waking person by causing the rise of the moon and the sun, so also in dream, remaining in the center, He certainly reveals ever more clearly the desired objects to one who never fails in his prayer.
Sanskrit
यथा ह्यर्थोऽस्फुटो दृष्टः सावधानेऽपि चेतसि।
भूयः स्फुटतरो भाति स्वबलोद्योगभावितः॥४॥
तथा यत्परमार्थेन येन यत्र यथा स्थितम्।
तत्तथा बलमाक्रम्य न चिरात्सम्प्रवर्तते॥५॥
Transliteration
yathā hyartho’sphuṭo dṛṣṭaḥ sāvadhāne’pi cetasi |
bhuyaḥ sphuṭataro bhāti svabalodyogabhāvitaḥ || 4 ||
tathā yatparamārthena yena yatra yathā sthitam |
tattrayaṁ balamākramya na cirātsampravartate || 5 ||
Translation
Just as an object which is perceived indistinctly at first, even when the mind is attentive, appears more clearly later when observed with the strenuous effort of one’s own power, so everything in its true nature, by whatever means, in whatever place and in whatever form it exists, immediately manifests itself in that very way when one grasps the (Spanda) power.
Sanskrit
ग्लानिर्विलुण्ठिका देहे तस्याश्चाज्ञानतः सृतिः।
तदुन्मेषविलुप्तं चेत्कुतः सा स्यादहेतुका॥८॥
Transliteration
glānirviluṇṭhikā dehe tasyāścājñānataḥ sṛtiḥ |
tadunmeṣaviluptaṁ cetkutaḥ sā syādahetukā || 8 ||
Translation
Depression (glani) is the robber in the body; its source is ignorance. If that ignorance is destroyed by the emergence (unmesha) of Spanda, how can depression exist, being without a cause?
Sanskrit
एकचिन्ताप्रसक्तस्य यतः स्यादपरोदयः।
उन्मेषः स तु विज्ञेयः स्वयं तमुपलक्षयेत्॥९॥
Transliteration
ekacintāprasaktasya yataḥ syādaparodayaḥ |
unmeṣaḥ sa tu vijñeyaḥ svayaṁ tamupalakṣayet || 9 ||
Translation
That is to be known as “emergence” (unmesha) from which another thought arises when one is engaged in a single thought. One should perceive it for oneself.
Sanskrit
अतो विन्दुरतो नादो रूपमस्मादतो रसः।
प्रवर्तन्तेऽचिरेणैव क्षोभकत्वेन देहिनः॥१०॥
Transliteration
ato vindurato nādo rūpamasmādato rasaḥ |
pravartante’cireṇaiva kśobhakatvena dehinaḥ || 10 ||
Translation
From that (unmesha), Bindu, Nada, Rupa and Rasa soon manifest themselves as disturbances for the embodied soul.
Sanskrit
प्रबुद्धः सर्वदा तिष्ठेज्ज्ञानेनालोक्य गोचरम्।
एकत्रारोपयेत्सर्वं ततोऽन्येन न पीड्यते॥१२॥
Transliteration
prabuddhaḥ sarvadā tiṣṭhejjñānenālokya gocaram |
ekatrāropayetsarvaṁ tato’nyena na pīḍyate || 12 ||
Translation
The awakened one should always remain observing the sphere of experience with his knowledge. He should refer everything to one (the Self); then he is not troubled by anything else.
Sanskrit
स्वरूपावरणे चास्य शक्तयः सततोत्थिताः।
यतः शब्दानुवेधेन न विना प्रत्ययोद्भवः॥१५॥
Transliteration
svarūpāvaraṇe cāsya śaktayaḥ satatotthitāḥ |
yataḥ śabdānuvedhena na vinā pratyayodbhavaḥ || 15 ||
Translation
The powers (shaktis) are always ready to obscure his true nature, because no thought arises without being intertwined with words (shabda).
Sanskrit
सेयं क्रियात्मिका शक्तिः शिवस्य पशुवर्तिनी।
बन्धयित्री स्वमार्गस्था ज्ञाता सिद्ध्युपपादिका॥१६॥
Transliteration
seyaṁ kriyātmikā śaktiḥ śivasya paśuvartinī |
bandhayitrī svamārgasthā jñātā siddhyupapādikā || 16 ||
Translation
This is the power of action (kriya-shakti) of Shiva, residing in the limited individual (Pashu). When it remains on its own path, it binds; when it is known, it brings about success (siddhi).
Sanskrit
यदा त्वेकत्र संरूढस्तदा तस्य लयोदयौ।
नियच्छन्भोक्तृतामेति ततश्चक्रेश्वरो भवेत्॥१९॥
Transliteration
yadā tvekatra saṁrūḍhastadā tasya layodayau |
niyacchanbhoktṛtāmeti tataścakreśvaro bhavet || 19 ||
Translation
When he is established in that one principle (Spanda), then by controlling the emergence and dissolution (of thoughts), he attains the state of the Enjoyer, and thus becomes the Lord of the Wheel (Chakreshwara).
Section IV: Epilogue
Sanskrit
अगाधसंशयाम्भोधिसमुत्तरणतारिणीम्।
वन्दे विचित्रार्थपदां चित्रां तां गुरुभारतीम्॥१॥
Transliteration
agādhasaṁśayāmbhodhisamuttaraṇatāriṇīm |
vande vicitrārthapadāṁ citrāṁ tāṁ gurubhāratīm || 1 ||
Translation
I salute that wonderful speech of the Guru, which, with its various meanings and words, acts as a ferry to cross the deep ocean of doubt.