Chapter 4: Maya, the Lord of Maya and the two birds

य एकोऽवर्णो बहुधा शक्तियोगाद्वर्णाननेकान्निहितार्थो दधाति ।
विचैति चान्ते विश्वमादौ च देवः स नो बुद्ध्या शुभया संयुनक्तु

ya eko'varṇo bahudhā śaktiyogādvarṇānanekānnihitārtho dadhāti |
vicaiti cānte viśvamādau ca devaḥ sa no buddhyā śubhayā saṃyunaktu

He who is One and without colour, yet by His union with power gives forth many colours for His hidden purpose; into whom the universe dissolves at the end and from whom it comes at the beginning: may that God endow us with a pure understanding.

तदेवाग्निस्तदादित्यस्तद्वायुस्तदु चन्द्रमाः ।
तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदापस्तत्प्रजापतिः

tadevāgnistadādityastadvāyustadu candramāḥ |
tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadāpastatprajāpatiḥ

That alone is Agni, that is the sun, that is Vayu the wind, that is the moon. That is the shining seed, that is Brahman, that is the waters, that is Prajapati.

त्वं स्त्री पुमानसि त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी ।
त्वं जीर्णो दण्डेन वञ्चसि त्वं जातो भवसि विश्वतोमुखः

tvaṃ strī pumānasi tvaṃ kumāra uta vā kumārī |
tvaṃ jīrṇo daṇḍena vañcasi tvaṃ jāto bhavasi viśvatomukhaḥ

You are woman, You are man; You are the youth and the maiden too. You are the old man tottering on his staff. Once born, You face in every direction.

नीलः पतङ्गो हरितो लोहिताक्षस्तडिद्गर्भ ऋतवः समुद्राः ।
अनादिमत्त्वं विभुत्वेन वर्तसे यतो जातानि भुवनानि विश्वा

nīlaḥ pataṅgo harito lohitākṣastaḍidgarbha ṛtavaḥ samudrāḥ |
anādimattvaṃ vibhutvena vartase yato jātāni bhuvanāni viśvā

You are the dark-blue bee, the green parrot with red eyes, the thundercloud with lightning in its womb, the seasons and the seas. Without beginning, You abide in Your all-pervading power, You from whom all the worlds are born.

अजामेकां लोहितशुक्लकृष्णां बह्वीः प्रजाः सृजमानां सरूपाः ।
अजो ह्येको जुषमाणोऽनुशेते जहात्येनां भुक्तभोगामजोऽन्यः

ajāmekāṃ lohitaśuklakṛṣṇāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛjamānāṃ sarūpāḥ |
ajo hyeko juṣamāṇo'nuśete jahātyenāṃ bhuktabhogāmajo'nyaḥ

There is one unborn she, red, white and black, who brings forth many offspring like herself. One unborn he lies beside her, delighting in her; another unborn one leaves her after enjoying what she offers.

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्योऽभिचाकशीति

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte |
tayoranyaḥ pippalaṃ svādvattyanaśnannanyo'bhicākaśīti

Two birds, close companions, cling to the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit; the other, not eating, simply looks on.

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽनीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः ।
जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः

samāne vṛkṣe puruṣo nimagno'nīśayā śocati muhyamānaḥ |
juṣṭaṃ yadā paśyatyanyamīśamasya mahimānamiti vītaśokaḥ

On that same tree the individual self, sunk and deluded, grieves at its own helplessness. When it sees the other, the Lord, whom the wise worship, and His glory, its sorrow departs.

ऋचो अक्षरे परमे व्योमन्यस्मिन्देवा अधि विश्वे निषेदुः ।
यस्तं न वेद किमृचा करिष्यति य इत्तद्विदुस्त इमे समासते

ṛco akṣare parame vyomanyasmindevā adhi viśve niṣeduḥ |
yastaṃ na veda kimṛcā kariṣyati ya ittadvidusta ime samāsate

The verses of the Rig Veda rest in the imperishable, highest heaven, where all the gods have their seat. What will a man who does not know That do with the verses? Those who know It sit here fulfilled.

छन्दांसि यज्ञाः क्रतवो व्रतानि भूतं भव्यं यच्च वेदा वदन्ति ।
अस्मान्मायी सृजते विश्वमेतत्तस्मिंश्चान्यो मायया सन्निरुद्धः

chandāṃsi yajñāḥ kratavo vratāni bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ yacca vedā vadanti |
asmānmāyī sṛjate viśvametattasmiṃścānyo māyayā sanniruddhaḥ

The metres, the sacrifices, the rites, the vows, the past, the future and all that the Vedas declare: from this the Lord of Maya projects the whole world, and in it the other, the individual self, is held fast by Maya.

मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं च महेश्वरम् ।
तस्यावयवभूतैस्तु व्याप्तं सर्वमिदं जगत्

māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ vidyānmāyinaṃ ca maheśvaram |
tasyāvayavabhūtaistu vyāptaṃ sarvamidaṃ jagat

Know Prakriti, nature, to be Maya, and the great Lord, Maheshvara, to be the wielder of Maya. This whole world is pervaded by beings who are parts of Him.

यो योनिं योनिमधितिष्ठत्येको यस्मिन्निदं सं च विचैति सर्वम् ।
तमीशानं वरदं देवमीड्यं निचाय्येमां शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति

yo yoniṃ yonimadhitiṣṭhatyeko yasminnidaṃ saṃ ca vicaiti sarvam |
tamīśānaṃ varadaṃ devamīḍyaṃ nicāyyemāṃ śāntimatyantameti

He who alone presides over every source, in whom all this comes together and dissolves: by realising Him, the Lord, the giver of boons, the adorable God, one reaches this peace for ever.

यो देवानां प्रभवश्चोद्भवश्च विश्वाधिपो रुद्रो महर्षिः ।
हिरण्यगर्भं पश्यत जायमानं स नो बुद्ध्या शुभया संयुनक्तु

yo devānāṃ prabhavaścodbhavaśca viśvādhipo rudro maharṣiḥ |
hiraṇyagarbhaṃ paśyata jāyamānaṃ sa no buddhyā śubhayā saṃyunaktu

He who is the source and origin of the gods, Lord of all, Rudra, the great Seer, who saw Hiranyagarbha being born: may He endow us with a pure understanding.

यो देवानामधिपो यस्मिन्ल्लोका अधिश्रिताः ।
य ईशेऽस्य द्विपदश्चतुष्पदः कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम

yo devānāmadhipo yasminllokā adhiśritāḥ |
ya īśe'sya dvipadaścatuṣpadaḥ kasmai devāya haviṣā vidhema

He who is sovereign over the gods, in whom the worlds rest, who rules over two-footed and four-footed beings: to which God shall we offer our oblation, if not to Him?

सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्मं कलिलस्य मध्ये विश्वस्य स्रष्टारमनेकरूपम् ।
विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा शिवं शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति

sūkṣmātisūkṣmaṃ kalilasya madhye viśvasya sraṣṭāramanekarūpam |
viśvasyaikaṃ pariveṣṭitāraṃ jñātvā śivaṃ śāntimatyantameti

Subtler than the subtlest, in the midst of chaos, creator of the universe in many forms, the One who encompasses all: knowing Him as Shiva, the auspicious, one attains peace for ever.

स एव काले भुवनस्य गोप्ता विश्वाधिपः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः ।
यस्मिन्युक्ता ब्रह्मर्षयो देवताश्च तमेवं ज्ञात्वा मृत्युपाशांश्छिनत्ति

sa eva kāle bhuvanasya goptā viśvādhipaḥ sarvabhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ |
yasminyuktā brahmarṣayo devatāśca tamevaṃ jñātvā mṛtyupāśāṃśchinatti

He alone is the guardian of the world in time, the lord of all, hidden in all beings. In Him the Brahmarshis and the gods are united. Knowing Him thus, one cuts the snares of death.

घृतात्परं मण्डमिवातिसूक्ष्मं ज्ञात्वा शिवं सर्वभूतेषु गूढम् ।
विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः

ghṛtātparaṃ maṇḍamivātisūkṣmaṃ jñātvā śivaṃ sarvabhūteṣu gūḍham |
viśvasyaikaṃ pariveṣṭitāraṃ jñātvā devaṃ mucyate sarvapāśaiḥ

Knowing Shiva, hidden in all beings and exceedingly subtle, like the fine cream that rises above clarified butter, the One who encompasses the universe, knowing that God, one is freed from every bond.

एष देवो विश्वकर्मा महात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये सन्निविष्टः ।
हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिक्लृप्तो य एतद् विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति

eṣa devo viśvakarmā mahātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye sanniviṣṭaḥ |
hṛdā manīṣā manasābhiklṛpto ya etad viduramṛtāste bhavanti

This God, maker of all, the great Self, ever dwells in the hearts of beings. He is grasped by the heart, by insight and by the mind. Those who know this become immortal.

यदाऽतमस्तन्न दिवा न रात्रिर्न सन्नचासच्छिव एव केवलः ।
तदक्षरं तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं प्रज्ञा च तस्मात्प्रसृता पुराणी

yadā'tamastanna divā na rātrirna sannacāsacchiva eva kevalaḥ |
tadakṣaraṃ tatsaviturvareṇyaṃ prajñā ca tasmātprasṛtā purāṇī

When there was no darkness, there was neither day nor night, neither being nor non-being; Shiva alone was. That is the Imperishable, the adorable light of Savitri, and from Him the ancient wisdom went forth.

नैनमूर्ध्वं न तिर्यञ्चं न मध्ये न परिजग्रभत् ।
न तस्य प्रतिमा अस्ति यस्य नाम महद्यशः

nainamūrdhvaṃ na tiryañcaṃ na madhye na parijagrabhat |
na tasya pratimā asti yasya nāma mahadyaśaḥ

No one has grasped Him above, or across, or in the middle. There is no likeness of Him, whose name is Great Glory.

न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्य न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् ।
हृदा हृदिस्थं मनसा य एनमेवं विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति

na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam |
hṛdā hṛdisthaṃ manasā ya enamevaṃ viduramṛtāste bhavanti

His form does not stand within sight; no one sees Him with the eye. Those who know Him through the heart and mind as dwelling in the heart become immortal.

अजात इत्येवं कश्चिद्भीरुः प्रपद्यते ।
रुद्र यत्ते दक्षिणं मुखं तेन मां पाहि नित्यम्

ajāta ityevaṃ kaścidbhīruḥ prapadyate |
rudra yatte dakṣiṇaṃ mukhaṃ tena māṃ pāhi nityam

Knowing You to be unborn, a man in fear comes to You for refuge. O Rudra, with that gracious face of Yours, protect me always.

मा नस्तोके तनये मा न आयुषि मा नो गोषु मा न अश्वेषु रीरिषः ।
वीरान् मा नो रुद्र भामितोऽवधीर्हविष्मन्तः सदामित्त्वा हवामहे

mā nastoke tanaye mā na āyuṣi mā no goṣu mā na aśveṣu rīriṣaḥ |
vīrān mā no rudra bhāmito'vadhīrhaviṣmantaḥ sadāmittvā havāmahe

Do not harm our children or grandchildren, our life, our cattle or our horses. O Rudra, do not in anger slay our brave ones. Bearing offerings, we call upon You always.