Muni's PlayStabaka 37
Verse 37.8
Sanskrit
विकासादपि सङ्कोचात् सर्गप्रलययोर्द्वयोः ।
प्रज्ञानस्य बुधैरुक्तौ जन्मनाशावुभौ दिवः ॥ ३७.८॥
Word-by-word
विकासात्-अपि (From expansion) सङ्कोचात् (from contraction) सर्ग-प्रलययोः-द्वयोः (of the two: creation and dissolution) प्रज्ञानस्य (of Consciousness) बुधैः-उक्तौ (said by the wise) जन्म-नाशौ-उभौ (both birth and death) दिवः (of the Shining One/Space/Heaven).
Translation
The wise say that the birth and death of the universe are merely the expansion and contraction of Consciousness; they are like the waking and sleeping of the Divine Space.
Verse 37.10
Sanskrit
आकाशे परमे दीप्यत् प्रज्ञानं परमात्मनः ।
एकाग्रत्वात्प्रवृद्धोष्मगभीरमभवन्महः ॥ ३७.१०॥
Word-by-word
आकाशे (In the space) परमे (supreme) दीप्यत् (shining) प्रज्ञानम् (Pure Consciousness) परमात्मनः (of the Supreme Self) एकाग्रत्वात् (due to one-pointedness/concentration) प्रवृद्ध-ऊष्म-गभीरम् (deep with increased heat) अभवन्-महः (became a Great Light).
Translation
The Pure Consciousness of the Supreme Self, shining in the Supreme Space, became a Great Light (Mahas), intensified and deepened by the “heat” of its own one-pointed concentration.
Verse 37.11
Sanskrit
त्रिधैवं धर्मभूतस्य ज्ञानस्य विकृतिं विना ।
शुद्धत्वविषयत्वाभ्यां महस्त्वाच्च दशात्रयम् ॥ ३७.११॥
Word-by-word
त्रिधा-एवम् (In three ways thus) धर्म-भूतस्य (which has become an attribute) ज्ञानस्य (of Knowledge) विकृतिम्-विना (without undergoining actual change) शुद्धत्व-विषयत्वाभ्याम् (due to purity and objectivity) महस्त्वात्-च (and due to being the Great Light) दशा-त्रयम् (three states).
Translation
Thus, the functional Knowledge (Dharma-bhuta-jnana) exists in three states—purity, objectivity, and as the Great Light—without itself undergoing any real change in its essential nature.
Verse 37.12
Sanskrit
विज्ञाने भाति ye भान्ति भावा द्रव्यगुणादयः ।
न किञ्चिदनुभूयन्ते विज्ञानोपरमे तु ते ॥ ३७.१२॥
Word-by-word
विज्ञाने (In the consciousness) भाति (shining) ये (which) भान्ति (shine) भावाः (objects/states) द्रव्य-गुण-आदयः (substance, qualities, etc.) न (not) किञ्चित् (at all) अनुभूयन्ते (are experienced) विज्ञान-उपरमे (when consciousness ceases/subsides) तु (but) ते (they).
Translation
All things that appear—substances, qualities, and the like—shine only when Consciousness shines; when Consciousness subsides, they are not experienced at all.
Verse 37.13
Sanskrit
एवं स्वतः प्रकाशत्वं विषयाणां न दृश्यते ।
सिद्धिश्च परतो न स्यात् सम्बन्धं कञ्चिदन्तरा ॥ ३७.१३॥
Word-by-word
एवम् (Thus) स्वतः (by themselves) प्रकाशत्वम् (the quality of being self-luminous) विषयाणाम् (of objects) न-दृश्यते (is not seen) सिद्धिः-च (and their existence/proof) परतः (from another) न-स्यात् (would not be) सम्बन्धम्-कञ्चित्-अन्तरा (without some internal connection).
Translation
Thus, objects are seen to have no light of their own; nor could their existence be proven by anything else unless there were some inherent connection (with Consciousness).
Verse 37.18
Sanskrit
विकृतिस्सर्वभूतानि प्रकृतिः परदेवता ।
सतः पादस्तयोराद्या त्रिपादी गीयते परा ॥ ३७.१८॥
Word-by-word
विकृतिः-सर्व-भूतानि (All beings are modifications) प्रकृतिः-पर-देवता (the Supreme Goddess is the source/nature) सतः-पादः-तयोः-आद्या (of the Reality, the first is one quarter) त्रि-पादी-गीयते-परा (the Supreme is sung as having three quarters).
Translation
All created beings are modifications; the Supreme Goddess is the Source. Of Reality, these beings constitute but one quarter, while the remaining three quarters are sung as the Supreme (unmanifest).
Verse 37.19
Sanskrit
कबलीकृत्य सङ्कल्पानेकाऽपि स्याद्यथा मतिः ।
भूतानि कबलीकृत्य देवताऽपि तथा परा ॥ ३७.१९॥
Word-by-word
कबलीकृत्य-सङ्कल्पान् (Having swallowed all thoughts) एका-अपि-स्यात्-यथा-मतिः (just as the single mind remains) भूतानि-कबलीकृत्य (having swallowed all beings) देवता-अपि-तथा-परा (so too the Supreme Goddess).
Translation
Just as the single mind remains after swallowing (withdrawing) all thoughts, so too the Supreme Goddess remains alone after swallowing all created beings.
Verse 37.20
Sanskrit
भूतानामात्मानस्सर्गे संहृतौ च तथाऽऽत्मनि ।
प्रभवेद्देवता श्रेष्ठा सङ्कल्पानां यथा मतिः ॥ ३७.२०॥
Word-by-word
भूतानाम्-आत्मानः-सर्गे (The selves of beings in creation) संहृतौ-च-तथा-आत्मनि (and likewise in dissolution into the Self) प्रभवेद्-देवता-श्रेष्ठा (the Supreme Goddess manifests) सङ्कल्पानाम्-यथा-मतिः (just as the mind is the source of thoughts).
Translation
The Supreme Goddess is the source of the individual souls during creation and their resting place during dissolution, just as the mind is the source and end of all thoughts.
Verse 37.21
Sanskrit
अनुभूत्यात्मिका सेयमीशशक्तिः परात्परा ।
आधारचक्रे पिण्डेषु विराजति विभिन्नवत् ॥ ३७.२१॥
Word-by-word
अनुभूति-आत्मिका-सा-इयम् (This very one whose nature is Experience) ईश-शक्तिः-परा-अत्-परा (the Power of the Lord, higher than the high) आधार-चक्रे-पिण्डेषु (in the Muladhara chakra of bodies) विराजति-विभिन्न-वत् (shines as if distinct).
Translation
This Power of the Lord, which is of the nature of pure Experience and is higher than the highest, shines in the Muladhara chakra of individual bodies as if it were separate.
Verse 37.22
Sanskrit
सूक्ष्मस्थूले ततः शाखे विद्युच्छक्तिसमीरवत् ।
तत्राद्या ज्ञानशक्तिस्स्यात् क्रियाशक्तिरनन्तरा ॥ ३७.२२॥
Word-by-word
सूक्ष्म-स्थूले (Subtle and gross) ततः-शाखे (thence are the branches) विद्युत्-शक्ति-समीर-वत् (like electric power and wind) तत्र-आद्या-ज्ञान-शक्तिः-स्यात् (there the first is the power of knowledge) क्रिया-शक्तिः-अनन्तरा (the power of action follows).
Translation
From that Source branch out the subtle and gross forms, like electric power and the wind; the first branch is the Power of Knowledge (Jnana-shakti), followed by the Power of Action (Kriya-shakti).
Verse 37.23
Sanskrit
ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि प्रथमा विभूतिर्मनसा सह ।
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि त्वपरा विभूतिस्सहसा सह ॥ ३७.२३॥
Word-by-word
ज्ञान-इन्द्रियाणि-प्रथमा (The organs of perception are the first) विभूतिः-मनसा-सह (manifestation along with the mind) कर्म-इन्द्रियाणि-तु-अपरा (the organs of action are the other) विभूतिः-सहसा-सह (manifestation along with life-force/Prana).
Translation
The first manifestation consists of the organs of perception together with the mind; the second manifestation consists of the organs of action together with the life-force (Prana).
Verse 37.24
Sanskrit
क्रियामूलमुत ज्ञानमूलं किमिति चिन्तयन् ।
आत्मशक्तिमितो विद्वानमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥ ३७.२४॥
Word-by-word
क्रिया-मूलम्-उत-ज्ञान-मूलम् (The root of action or the root of knowledge) किम्-इति-चिन्तयन् (reflecting ‘what is it?‘) आत्म-शक्तिम्-इतः-विद्वान् (the wise one who knows the Self-power) अमृतत्वाय-कल्पते (attains immortality).
Translation
Reflecting on the source of both action and knowledge, the wise one who realizes the Power of the Self attains immortality.
Reference: Umasahasram