Atmabodha Verse ।।श्रीः।।।।आत्मबोधः।।तपोभिः क्षीणपापानां शान्तानां वीतरागिणाम्।मुमुक्षूणामपेक्ष्योऽयमात्मबोधो विधीयते।।1।। ..Śrīḥ….Ātmabodhaḥ..Tapobhiḥ kṣīṇapāpānāṃ śāntānāṃ vītarāgiṇām.Mumukṣūṇāmapekṣyo’yamātmabodho vidhīyate..1.. 1. I am composing the ATMA-BODHA, this treatise of the Knowledge of the Self, for those who have purified themselves by austerities and are peaceful in heart and calm, who are free from cravings and are desirous of liberation. Self-Knowledgeबोधोऽन्यसाधनेभ्यो हि साक्षान्मोक्षैकसाधनम्।पाकस्य वह्निवज्ज्ञानं विना मोक्षो न सिध्यति।।2।। Bodho’nyasādhanebhyo hi sākṣānmokṣaikasādhanam.Pākasya vahnivajjñānaṃ vinā mokṣo na sidhyati..2.. 2. Just as the fire is the direct cause for cooking, so without Knowledge no emancipation can be had. Compared with all other forms of discipline Knowledge of the Self is the one direct means for liberation. अविरोधितया कर्म नाविद्यां विनिवर्तयेत्।विद्याविद्यां निहन्त्येव तेजस्तिमिरसंघवत्।।3।। Avirodhitayā karma nāvidyāṃ vinivartayet.Vidyāvidyāṃ nihantyeva tejastimirasaṃghavat..3.. 3. Action cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. अवच्छिन्न इवाज्ञानात्तन्नाशे सति केवलः।स्वयं प्रकाशते ह्यात्मा मेघापायेंऽशुमानिव।।4।। Avacchinna ivājñānāttannāśe sati kevalaḥ.Svayaṃ prakāśate hyātmā meghāpāyeṃ’śumāniva..4.. 4. The Soul appears to be finite because of ignorance. When ignorance is destroyed the Self which does not admit of any multiplicity truly reveals itself by itself: like the Sun when the clouds pass away. अज्ञानकलुषं जीवं ज्ञानाभ्यासाद्विनिर्मलम्।कृत्वा ज्ञानं स्वयं नश्येज्जलं कतकरेणुवत्।।5।। Ajñānakaluṣaṃ jīvaṃ jñānābhyāsādvinirmalam.Kṛtvā jñānaṃ svayaṃ naśyejjalaṃ katakareṇuvat..5.. 5. Constant practice of knowledge purifies the Self (‘Jivatman’), stained by ignorance and then disappears itself – as the powder of the’Kataka-nut’ settles down after it has cleansed the muddy water. The Worldसंसारः स्वप्नतुल्यो हि रागद्वेषादिसंकुलः।स्वकाले सत्यवद्भाति प्रबोधे सत्यसद्भवेत्।।6।। Saṃsāraḥ svapnatulyo hi rāgadveṣādisaṃkulaḥ.Svakāle satyavadbhāti prabodhe satyasadbhavet..6.. 6. The world which is full of attachments, aversions, etc., is like a dream. It appears to be real, as long as it continues but appears to be unreal when one is awake (i.e., when true wisdom dawns). तावत्सत्यं जगद्भाति शुक्तिकारजतं यथा।यावन्न ज्ञायते ब्रह्म सर्वाधिष्ठानमद्वयम्।।7।। Tāvatsatyaṃ jagadbhāti śuktikārajataṃ yathā.Yāvanna jñāyate brahma sarvādhiṣṭhānamadvayam..7.. 7. The Jagat appears to be true (Satyam) so long as Brahman, the substratum, the basis of all this creation, is not realised. It is like the illusion of silver in the mother-of pearl. उपादानेऽखिलाधारे जगन्ति परमेश्वरे।सर्गस्थितिलयान्यान्ति बुद्बुदानीव वारिणि।।8।। Upādāne’khilādhāre jaganti parameśvare.Sargasthitilayānyānti budbudānīva vāriṇi..8.. 8. Like bubbles in the water, the worlds rise, exist and dissolve in the Supreme Self, which is the material cause and the prop of everything. सच्चिदात्मन्यनुस्यूते नित्ये विष्णौ प्रकल्पिताः।व्यक्तयो विविधाः सर्वा हाटके कटकादिवत्।।9।। Saccidātmanyanusyūte nitye viṣṇau prakalpitāḥ.Vyaktayo vividhāḥ sarvā hāṭake kaṭakādivat..9.. 9. All the manifested world of things and beings are projected by imagination upon the substratum which is the Eternal All-pervading Vishnu, whose nature is Existence-Intelligence; just as the different ornaments are all made out of the same gold. The Upadhisयथाकाशो हृषीकेशो नानोपाधिगतो विभुः।तद्भेदाद्भिन्नवद्भाति तन्नाशे केवलो भवेत्।।10।। Yathākāśo hṛṣīkeśo nānopādhigato vibhuḥ.Tadbhedādbhinnavadbhāti tannāśe kevalo bhavet..10.. 10. The All-pervading Akasa appears to be diverse on account of its association with various conditionings (Upadhis) which are different from each other. Space becomes one on the destruction of these limiting adjuncts: So also the Omnipresent Truth appears to be diverse on account of Its association with the various Upadhis and becomes one on the destruction of these Upadhis. नानोपाधिवशादेव जातिनामाश्रमादयः।आत्मन्यारोपितास्तोये रसवर्णादिभेदवत्।।11।। Nānopādhivaśādeva jātināmāśramādayaḥ.Ātmanyāropitāstoye rasavarṇādibhedavat..11.. 11. Because of Its association with different conditionings (Upadhis) such ideas as caste, colour and position are super-imposed upon the Atman, as flavour, colour, etc., are super-imposed on water. पञ्चीकृतमहाभूतसंभवं कर्मसंचितम्।शरीरं सुखदुःखानां भोगायतनमुच्यते।।12।। Pañcīkṛtamahābhūtasaṃbhavaṃ karmasaṃcitam.Śarīraṃ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhogāyatanamucyate..12.. 12. Determined for each individual by his own past actions and made up of the Five elements – that have gone through the process of “five-fold self-division and mutual combination” (Pancheekarana) – are born the gross-body, the medium through which pleasure and pain are experienced, the tent-of-experiences. पञ्चप्राणमनोबुद्धिदशेन्द्रियसमन्वितम्।अपञ्चीकृतभूतोत्थं सूक्ष्माङ्गं भोगसाधनम्।।13।। Pañcaprāṇamanobuddhidaśendriyasamanvitam.Apañcīkṛtabhūtotthaṃ sūkṣmāṅgaṃ bhogasādhanam..13.. 13. The five Pranas, the ten organs and the Manas and the Buddhi, formed from the rudimentary elements (Tanmatras) before their “five-fold division and mutual combination with one another” (Pancheekarana) and this is the subtle body, the instruments-of-experience (of the individual). अनाद्यविद्यानिर्वाच्या कारणोपाधिरुच्यते।उपाधित्रितयादन्यमात्मानमवधारयेत्।।14।। Anādyavidyānirvācyā kāraṇopādhirucyate.Upādhitritayādanyamātmānamavadhārayet..14.. 14. Avidya which is indescribable and beginningless is the Causal Body. Know for certain that the Atman is other than these three conditioning bodies (Upadhis). Error of misapprehensionपञ्चकोशादियोगेन तत्तन्मय इव स्थितः।शुद्धात्मा नीलवस्त्रादियोगेन स्फटिको यथा।।15।। Pañcakośādiyogena tattanmaya iva sthitaḥ.Śuddhātmā nīlavastrādiyogena sphaṭiko yathā..15.. 15. In its identification with the five-sheaths the Immaculate Atman appears to have borrowed their qualities upon Itself; as in the case of a crystal which appears to gather unto itself colour of its vicinity (blue cloth, etc.,). वपुस्तुषादिभिः कोशैर्युक्तं युक्त्यवघाततः।आत्मानमान्तरं शुद्धं विविञ्च्यात्तण्डुलं यथा।।16।। Vapustuṣādibhiḥ kośairyuktaṃ yuktyavaghātataḥ.Ātmānamāntaraṃ śuddhaṃ viviñcyāttaṇḍulaṃ yathā..16.. 16. Through discriminative self-analysis and logical thinking one should separate the Pure self within from the sheaths as one separates the rice from the husk, bran, etc., that are covering it. सदा सर्वगतोऽप्यात्मा न सर्वत्रावभासते।बुद्धावेवावभासेत स्वच्छेषु प्रतिबिम्बवत्।।17।। Sadā sarvagato’pyātmā na sarvatrāvabhāsate.Buddhāvevāvabhāseta svaccheṣu pratibimbavat..17.. 17. The Atman does not shine in everything although He is All-pervading. He is manifest only in the inner equipment, the intellect (Buddhi): just as the reflection in a clean mirror. देहेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिप्रकृतिभ्यो विलक्षणम्।तद्वृत्तिसाक्षिणं विद्यादात्मानं राजवत्सदा।।18।। Dehendriyamanobuddhiprakṛtibhyo vilakṣaṇam.Tadvṛttisākṣiṇaṃ vidyādātmānaṃ rājavatsadā..18.. 18. One should understand that the Atman is always like the King, distinct from the body, senses, mind and intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakriti); and is the witness of their functions. व्यापृतेष्विन्द्रियेष्वात्मा व्यापारीवाविवेकिनाम्।दृश्यतेऽभ्रेषु धावत्सु धावन्निव यथा शशी।।19।। Vyāpṛteṣvindriyeṣvātmā vyāpārīvāvivekinām.Dṛśyate’bhreṣu dhāvatsu dhāvanniva yathā śaśī..19.. 19. The moon appears to be running when the clouds move in the sky. Likewise to the non-discriminating person the Atman appears to be active when It is observed through the functions of the sense-organs. आत्मचैतन्यमाश्रित्य देहेन्द्रियमनोधियः।स्वकीयार्थेषु वर्तन्ते सूर्यालोकं यथा जनाः।।20।। Ātmacaitanyamāśritya dehendriyamanodhiyaḥ.Svakīyārtheṣu vartante sūryālokaṃ yathā janāḥ..20.. 20. Depending upon the energy of vitality of Consciousness (Atma Chaitanya) the body, senses, mind and intellect engage themselves in their respective activities, just as men work depending upon the light of the Sun. देहेन्द्रियगुणान्कर्माण्यमले सच्चिदात्मनि।अध्यस्यन्त्यविवेकेन गगने नीलतादिवत्।।21।। Dehendriyaguṇānkarmāṇyamale saccidātmani.Adhyasyantyavivekena gagane nīlatādivat..21.. 21. Fools, because they lack in their powers of discrimination superimpose on the Atman, the Absolute-Existence-Knowledge (Sat-Chit), all the varied functions of the body and the senses, just as they attribute blue colour and the like to the sky. अज्ञानान्मानसोपाधेः कर्तृत्वादीनि चात्मनि।कल्प्यन्तेऽम्बुगते चन्द्रे चलनादि यथाम्भसः।।22।। Ajñānānmānasopādheḥ