Muni's Playयोगसारगीतम् (Yoga Sāra Gītam)
Verse 1
Sanskrit Text
निशितया धिया हृदि निभालनम् । भुवनभूपतेर्भवनशोधनम् ॥ १॥
Word-by-word
निशितया (with sharpened), धिया (by intellect), हृदि (in the heart), निभालनम् (contemplation), भुवन-भूपतेः (of the Lord of the Universe), भवन-शोधनम् (cleansing of the palace).
Translation
Contemplating the Reality in the heart with a keen intellect is the true cleansing of the Lord’s abode.
Verse 2
Sanskrit Text
दहरमञ्जनं विदधतं जनम् । बहुलसम्मदं नयति धीः पदम् ॥ २॥
Word-by-word
दहर-मञ्जनम् (clarity/ointment in the heart), विदधतम् (for one who performs), जनम् (the person), बहुल-सम्मदम् (immense bliss), नयति (leads), धीः (intellect), पदम् (to the state).
Translation
The intellect leads that person who practices inner clarity to a state of profound and immense bliss.
Verse 3
Sanskrit Text
अहमिति स्मृतेर्व्रज जनिस्थलम् । भवकथानकं गलति तेऽखिलम् ॥ ३॥
Word-by-word
अहम्-इति (I-thus), स्मृतेः (of the memory/thought), व्रज (go), जनि-स्थलम् (to the birthplace), भवकथानकं (your ego/I-ness), गलति (dissolves), ते (your), अखिलम् (entirely).
Translation
Trace the “I-thought” back to its very birthplace; by doing so, your entire sense of ego will melt away completely.
Verse 4
Sanskrit Text
निजविलोकितं यदि निभाल्यते । विषयसंङ्गिताः क्व नु विभाव्यते ॥ ४॥
Word-by-word
निज-विलोकितम् (one’s own sight/Self), यदि (if), निभाल्यते (is perceived), विषयसंङ्गिता (the series of objects), क्व नु (where indeed), विभाव्यते (is appeared/perceived).
Translation
If one’s own Self is perceived, where then can the continuous stream of external objects even appear?
Verse 5
Sanskrit Text
नयनदृश्ययोर्गगनान्तरम् । समवलोकयन् भज विभुं परम् ॥ ५॥
Word-by-word
नयन-दृश्ययोः (between the eyes and the objects of vision), गगन-अन्तरम् (the space/sky within), समवलोकयन् (looking steadily/equally), भज (worship/attain), विभुम् (the All-pervading Lord), परम् (the Supreme).
Translation
Steadily beholding that inner space where the vision of the eyes converges, worship the Supreme, All-pervading Lord.
Verse 6
Sanskrit Text
विषयवर्जनाद्विषयिणि स्थिरे । सकलसिद्धयो यतधियः करे ॥ ६॥
Word-by-word
विषय-वर्जनात् (by abandoning objects), विषयिणि (in the subject/the ‘I’), स्थिरे (being steady), सकल-सिद्धयः (all powers/perfections), यत-धियः (of the one with controlled mind), करे (in the hand).
Translation
When the Seeker becomes steady by abandoning external objects, all perfections (Siddhis) come into the palm of the hand of that controlled mind.
Verse 7
Sanskrit Text
रसननीरगे मनसि सन्ततम् । करगतं सुखं भवति निश्चितम् ॥ ७॥
Word-by-word
रसन-नीरगे (going beyond the taste/relish of sensations), मनसि (in the mind), सन्ततम् (constantly), कर-गतम् (in the hand), सुखम् (happiness), भवति (becomes), निश्चितम् (certainly).
Translation
When the mind constantly moves beyond the relish of worldly tastes, supreme happiness certainly stays within one’s own grasp.
Verse 8
Sanskrit Text
गमय मस्तकात्कुलगृहानलम् । अवतरन्निव स्मृतिमिदं त्वलम् ॥ ८॥
Word-by-word
गमय (lead/move), मस्तकात् (from the head), कुल-गृह-अनलम् (to the fire of the ‘Kula-griha’/Heart center), अवतरन्-इव (as if descending), स्मृतिम्-इदम् (this remembrance), तु-अलम् (indeed sufficiently).
Translation
Lead this awareness from the head down into the fire of the “Ancestral Abode” (the Heart) as if descending into it; this remembrance is indeed sufficient.
Verse 9
Sanskrit Text
स्मरणसर्पिषा कुलगृहे शिखी । ज्वलति यस्य स क्षितितले मखी ॥ ९॥
Word-by-word
स्मरण-सर्पिषा (with the ghee/clarified butter of remembrance), कुल-गृहे (in the Heart/base), शिखी (the fire/Agni), ज्वलति (burns), यस्य (whose), स (he), क्षितितले (on this earth), मखी (a true performer of sacrifice).
Translation
He in whose heart the Fire of Awareness burns through the ghee of constant remembrance is the only true sacrificer on this earth.
Verse 10
Sanskrit Text
यदि शशी द्रवेत्कुलशिखित्विषा । अमृततः शमं व्रजति नस्तृषा ॥ १०॥
Word-by-word
यदि (if), शशी (the moon/Soma), द्रवेत् (melts), कुल-शिखि-त्विषा (by the heat of the Heart-fire), अमृततः (from the nectar), शमम् (quenched), व्रजति (goes/becomes), नः-तृषा (our thirst).
Translation
If the “Inner Moon” melts by the heat of that Heart-fire, our thirst for worldly things is forever quenched by that divine nectar.
Verse 11
Sanskrit Text
चलतमं मनः प्रशममेति नः । स्मरणपुण्यया हृदि तयात्रया ॥ ११॥
Word-by-word
चलतमं (the most restless/wandering), मनः (mind), प्रशमम् (peace), एति (attains), नः (our), स्मरण-पुण्यया (by the merit of remembrance), हृदि (in the heart), तया-यात्रया (by that journey).
Translation
Even the most restless mind attains peace through the merit of that internal journey of remembrance within the heart.
Verse 12
Sanskrit Text
निजचितिस्मृतिर्यदि न विच्युता । भवति योगिता सुलभसाधिता ॥ १२॥
Word-by-word
निज-चिति-स्मृतिः (remembrance of one’s own consciousness), यदि (if), न (not), विच्युता (lost/fallen), भवति (becomes), योगिता (the state of Yoga), सुलभ-साधिता (easily accomplished).
Translation
If the remembrance of one’s own pure Consciousness is never lost, the state of Yoga is very easily accomplished.
Verse 13
Sanskrit Text
दशशतच्छदस्थितमनाः सदा । अनुभवेन्मनो महददो मुदा ॥ १३॥
Word-by-word
दश-शत-च्छद (thousand-petaled lotus/Sahasrara), स्थित (residing), मनाः (the mind), सदा (always), अनुभवेत् (should experience/may experience), मनः (the mind), महद-दः (the great bestower of bliss), मुदा (with joy).
Translation
With the mind ever-established in the thousand-petaled lotus, may the mind joyfully experience that great Bestower of supreme bliss.
Verse 14
Sanskrit Text
भवति निष्ठितो यदि चतुष्पथे । महसि लीयते धृतजगत्कथे ॥ १४॥
Word-by-word
भवति (becomes), निष्ठितः (firmly established/fixed), यदि (if), चतुष्पथे (at the crossroads/four paths of energy), महसि (in the light), लीयते (dissolves), धृत-जगत्-कथे (which sustains the story of the universe).
Translation
If one becomes firmly established at the inner “crossroads” of energy, they dissolve into the Light that holds and sustains the entire play of the universe.
Verse 15
Sanskrit Text
अयि विचिन्तय स्वपुरुत्तरम् । वशमितं भवेन्ननु महत्तरम् ॥ १५॥
Word-by-word
अयि (O!), विचिन्तय (contemplate), स्व-पुरु-उत्तरम् (the supreme city of your own self/the body), वशम्-इतम् (brought under control/mastered), भवेत् (becomes), ननु (indeed), महत्तरम् (the greater/the more sublime).
Translation
O! Contemplate the supreme city of your own self; indeed, that which is far greater then comes under your mastery.
Verse 16
Sanskrit Text
परमशर्मणे स्ववपुरर्प्यताम् । अयि किमद्भुतं भवति दृश्यताम् ॥ १६॥
Word-by-word
परमशक्तये (to the Supreme Power/Shakti), स्व-वपुः (one’s own body/identity), अर्प्यताम् (should be offered), अयि (O!), किम्-अद्भुतम् (what a miracle), भवति (happens), दृश्यताम् (behold/see).
Translation
Offer your very self to the Supreme Power; O, behold the miracle that then unfolds!
Verse 17
Sanskrit Text
करणशक्तिवित्कृतिषु राजते । गमनशक्तिविद्गतिषु शोभते ॥ १७॥
Word-by-word
करण-शक्ति (the power of the senses/instruments), वित्-कृतिषु (in the activities/functions of consciousness), राजते (shines), गमन-शक्ति (the power of movement/motion), विद्-गतिषु (in the paths or flows of knowledge), शोभते (is beautiful/splendid).
Translation
The Self shines in the functional activities of the sensory powers and appears beautiful in the various movements and flows of knowledge.
Verse 18
Sanskrit Text
श्रवणशक्तिविच्छिद्यतिषु न स्खलेत् । मननशक्तिविन्मतिषु नो पतेत् ॥ १८॥
Word-by-word
श्रवण-शक्ति (power of hearing), विच्छ्रुतिषु (in the various acts/ranges of hearing), न (not), स्खलेत् (should falter), मनन-शक्ति (power of reflection), वित्-मतिषु (in wise thoughts), नो (not), पतेत् (should fall/fail).
Translation
The power of hearing should not falter within the various perceptions of sound, and the power of reflection should never lapse during the movements of the contemplative mind.
Verse 19
Sanskrit Text
अतुलसिद्धिदानिह पृथग्विधान् । मुनिवरोऽभ्यधादिति तपःपथान् ॥ १९॥
Word-by-word
अतुल-सिद्धि-दान् (bestowers of incomparable perfections), इह (here), पृथक्-विधान् (of various kinds), मुनिवरः (the best of sages), अभ्यधात् (has declared), इति (thus), तपः-पथान् (the paths of austerity/Tapas).
Translation
Thus, the great sage (Ganapati Muni) has declared these various paths of Tapas, which bestow incomparable spiritual perfections.
Verse 20
Sanskrit Text
बहुलयोगिवाङ्मथतनतोऽमृतम् । अनुभवक्षमं तदिदममृतम् ॥ २०॥
Word-by-word
बहुल-योगि-वाक् (speech/wisdom of many yogis), मथनतः (from the churning), अमृतम् (nectar), अनुभव-क्षमम् (capable of being experienced), तत्-इदम् (that this), अमृतम् (immortality/nectar).
Translation
This nectar, capable of being directly experienced, has been extracted from the churning of the vast wisdom of many yogis.