Muni's PlayParamārthastava
Hymn to the Ultimate Reality
Verse 1
Sanskrit
कथं स्तोष्यामि ते (तं) नाथमनुत्पन्नमनालयम्।
लोकोपमामतिक्रान्तं वाक्पथातीतगोचरम्॥ १॥
Word-by-Word
कथं (How) | स्तोष्यामि (shall I praise) | ते/तं (you/that) | नाथम् (Lord) | अनुत्पन्नम् (unborn) | अनालयम् (without abode/support) | लोक-उपमाम् (worldly metaphors) | अतिक्रान्तं (surpassed/transcended) | वाक्-पथ-अतीत-गोचरम् (the object beyond the path of speech).
Translation
How shall I praise You, O Lord, who are unborn and without a fixed abode? You have surpassed all worldly metaphors and remain a realm that is beyond the path of speech.
Verse 2
Sanskrit
तथापि यादृशो वाऽसि तथतार्थेषु गोचरः।
लोकप्रज्ञप्तिमागम्य स्तोष्येऽहं भक्तितो गुरुम्॥ २॥
Word-by-word
तथापि (Nevertheless) | यादृशः-वा-असि (whatever you are) | तथता-अर्थेषु (in the meanings of suchness/reality) | गोचरः (sphere/object) | लोक-प्रज्ञप्तिम्-आगम्य (resorting to worldly conventions/designations) | स्तोष्ये-अहं (I shall praise) | भक्तितो (out of devotion) | गुरुम् (the Guru/Teacher).
Translation
Nevertheless, whatever Your nature may be in the realm of “Suchness” (Tathatā), I shall praise the Teacher out of devotion, making use of conventional worldly designations.
Verse 3
Sanskrit
अनुत्पन्नस्वभावेन उत्पादस्ते न विद्यते।
न गतिर्नागतिर्नाथ अभावाय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ३॥
Word-by-word
अनुत्पन्न-स्वभावेन (By the nature of being unborn) | उत्पादः (production/arising) | ते (to you) | न-विद्यते (does not exist) | न-गतिः (no going) | न-आगतिः (no coming) | नाथ (Lord) | अभावाय (to the non-existence/absence) | नमः-अस्तु (salutations be) | ते (to you).
Translation
Because Your nature is unborn, for You there is no “arising.” There is neither coming nor going, O Lord. Salutations to You who are (ultimately) beyond all entities.
Verse 4
Sanskrit
न भावो नाप्यभावोऽसि नोच्छेदो नापि शाश्वतः।
न नित्यो नाप्यनित्यस्त्वमद्वयाय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ४॥
Word-by-word
न-भावः (not an entity/existence) | न-अपि (nor even) | अभावः-असि (are you non-existence) | न-उच्छेदः (not annihilation/cessation) | न-अपि-शाश्वतः (nor even eternal) | न-नित्यः (not permanent) | न-अपि-अनित्यः-त्वम् (nor even impermanent are you) | अद्वयाय (to the non-dual) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
You are neither an existing entity nor non-existence. You are neither annihilated nor eternal. You are neither permanent nor impermanent. Salutations to You, the Non-Dual One.
Verse 5
Sanskrit
न ह्येको हरितमाञ्जिष्ठो वर्णस्ते नोपलभ्यते।
न पीतः शुक्लः कृष्णो वा अवर्णाय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ५॥
Word-by-word
न-हि-एकः (not indeed one) | हरिट (green) | मान्जिष्ठो (madder-red) | वर्णः-ते (color of yours) | न-उपलभ्यते (is not perceived) | न-पीतः (not yellow) | शुक्लः (white) | कृष्णो-वा (or black) | अवर्णाय (to the colorless) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
Indeed, no single color of Yours—neither green, nor red, nor yellow, nor white, nor black—can be perceived. Salutations to You, the Colorless One.
Verse 6
Sanskrit
न महान् नापि ह्रस्वोऽसि न दीर्घः परिमण्डलः।
अप्रमाणगतिं प्राप्तोऽप्रमाणाय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ६॥
Word-by-word
न-महान् (not great/large) | न-अपि-ह्रस्वः-असि (nor even short/small are you) | न-दीर्घः (not long) | परिमण्डलः (circular/spherical) | अप्रमाण-गतिं-प्राप्तः (attained the state of the immeasurable) | अप्रमाणाय (to the immeasurable) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
You are neither large nor small, neither long nor circular. You have reached a state that is immeasurable. Salutations to You, the Immeasurable One.
Verse 7
Sanskrit
न दूरे नापि वासन्ने नाकाशे नापि वा क्षितौ।
न संसारे न निर्वाणे अस्थिताय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ७॥
Word-by-word
न-दूरे (not far) | न-अपि-वासन्ने (nor even near) | न-आकाशे (not in space) | न-अपि-वा-क्षितौ (nor even on the earth) | न-संसारे (not in Samsara) | न-निर्वाणे (not in Nirvana) | अस्थिताय (to the one who does not abide/stand) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
You are neither far away nor nearby; neither in the sky nor on the earth. You abide neither in Samsara nor in Nirvana. Salutations to You, who do not “abide” anywhere.
Verse 8
Sanskrit
अस्थितः सर्वधर्मेषु धर्मधातुगतिं गतः।
परां गम्भीरतां प्राप्तो गम्भीराय नमोऽस्तु ते॥ ८॥
Word-by-word
अस्थितः (Not abiding) | सर्व-धर्मेषु (in all phenomena) | धर्मधातु-गतिं-गतः (attained the state of the Dharmadhatu) | पराम् (supreme) | गम्भीरताम् (profundity) | प्राप्तो (attained) | गम्भीराय (to the profound) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
Though not abiding in any phenomena, You have entered the realm of reality (Dharmadhatu). You have attained the supreme profundity. Salutations to You, the Profound One.
Verse 9
Sanskrit
एवं स्तुते स्तुतो भूयादथवा किं वत स्तुतः।
शून्येषु सर्वधर्मेषु कः स्तुतः केन वा स्तुतः॥ ९॥
Word-by-word
एवं-स्तुते (thus being praised) | स्तुतो-भूयात् (might be praised) | अथवा (or) | किं-वत-स्तुतः (what indeed is the praise?) | शून्येषु-सर्व-धर्मेषु (in all phenomena being empty) | कः-स्तुतः (who is praised?) | केन-वा-स्तुतः (or by whom is he praised?).
Translation
Having been praised in this way, have You really been praised? Or what, indeed, is praise? When all phenomena are empty, who is praised, and by whom?
Verse 10
Sanskrit
कस्त्वां शक्नोति संस्तोतुमुत्पादव्ययवर्जितम्।
यस्य नान्तो न मध्यं वा ग्राह्यग्राहो न विद्यते॥ १०॥
Word-by-word
कः-त्वां (Who [is able] to you) | शक्नोति (is able) | संस्तोतुम् (to praise well) | उत्पाद-व्यय-वर्जितम् (free from arising and passing away) | यस्य (whose) | न-अन्तः (no end) | न-मध्यं-वा (nor middle) | ग्राह्य-ग्राहः (grasped and grasper) | न-विद्यते (does not exist).
Translation
Who is able to praise You, who are free from arising and passing away? You have no end and no middle, and in You, the distinction between the “grasper” (subject) and the “grasped” (object) does not exist.
Verse 11
Sanskrit
न गतं नागतं स्तुत्वा सुगतं गतिवर्जितम्।
तेन पुण्येन लोकोऽयं व्रजतां सौगतीं गतिम्॥ ११॥
Word-by-word
न-गतं (not gone) | न-आगतं (not come) | स्तुत्वा (having praised) | सुगतं (the Sugata) | गति-वर्जितम् (free from movement/going) | तेन-पुण्येन (by that merit) | लोकः-अयम् (this world) | व्रजतां (may go) | सौगतीं-गतिम् (to the state of the Sugata).
Translation
Having praised the Sugata, who neither comes nor goes and is free from all movement—may this world, by the merit of that praise, reach the state of the Sugata.
Sanskrit
॥ श्री परमार्थस्तवः समाप्तः॥
Translation
Thus ends the Paramārthastava.
Reference: Buddhism