40. Chapter 40

ईश्वर उवाच । यथाकालं यथारम्भं न करोषि करोषि यत् । चिन्मात्रस्य शिवस्यान्तस्तदेवार्चनमात्मनः ॥ १ ॥

īśvara uvāca | yathākālaṃ yathārambhaṃ na karoṣi karoṣi yat | cinmātrasya śivasyāntastadevārcanamātmanaḥ || 1 ||

The god continued:—It is of no consequence, whether the spiritualist observe formal adoration in its proper time and manner or not; it is enough if he adore Siva in his form of the intellect within himself, which is equivalent to the worship of the atma or soul.

तेनैवाह्लादमायाति याति प्रकटतां तथा । तथा स्थितेन रूपेण स्वेनैव स्वयमीश्वरः ॥ २ ॥

tenaivāhlādamāyāti yāti prakaṭatāṃ tathā | tathā sthitena rūpeṇa svenaiva svayamīśvaraḥ || 2 ||

This is attended with a delight, which becomes manifest within himself; and thus full of spiritual light and delight, the devotee is assimilated to and self same with his God.

रागद्वेषादिशब्दार्थानात्मन्यन्यतयामले । संभवन्ति पृथग्रूपावह्नौ वह्निकणा इव ॥ ३ ॥

rāgadveṣādiśabdārthānātmanyanyatayāmale | saṃbhavanti pṛthagrūpāvahnau vahnikaṇā iva || 3 ||

The meanings of the words affection and hatred, do not belong to the holy soul as separate properties of it; but they blend together and die in it as sparks in fire.

यद्यद्राजत्वदीनत्वसुखदुःखादिवेदनम् । आत्मीयं परकीयं च तत्तदर्चनमात्मनः ॥ ४ ॥

yadyadrājatvadīnatvasukhaduḥkhādivedanam | ātmīyaṃ parakīyaṃ ca tattadarcanamātmanaḥ || 4 ||

The knowledge that the dignity and poverty of men, as also the happiness and misery of one's self or others, proceed from God, is deemed as the worship of the supreme spirit, which ordains them all.

विश्वसंवित्तिरेवार्चा नित्यस्यात्मन एव च । घटाद्यात्मतया ब्रह्म स्वयमात्मा तथैव च ॥ ५ ॥

viśvasaṃvittirevārcā nityasyātmana eva ca | ghaṭādyātmatayā brahma svayamātmā tathaiva ca || 5 ||

The consciousness of the world as manifestation of the Divine spirit, is reckoned as his devotion also, as a pot or other taken for the spirit of God, owing to its residence in it, forms his worship also.

शिवं शान्तमनाभासमेकं भास्वरमागतम् । जगत्प्रत्ययवत्सर्वमात्मरूपमिदं स्थितम् ॥ ६ ॥

śivaṃ śāntamanābhāsamekaṃ bhāsvaramāgatam | jagatpratyayavatsarvamātmarūpamidaṃ sthitam || 6 ||

The quiet and lightless spirit of Siva, being manifest in his works of creation, the whole sensible world is believed to be the form of the supreme spirit.

अहो नु चित्रमात्मैव घटाद्यन्यद्व्यवस्थितम् । जीवादिस्वस्वभावोऽन्तर्नूनं विस्मृतिमानिव ॥ ७ ॥

aho nu citramātmaiva ghaṭādyanyadvyavasthitam | jīvādisvasvabhāvo'ntarnūnaṃ vismṛtimāniva || 7 ||

It is astonishing that every soul should forget its own nature, and think itself as a living soul residing in the body, as they believe the supreme soul to be confined in a pot or painting.

सर्वात्मकस्यानन्तस्य शिवस्यान्तः किलात्मनः । पूज्यपूजकपूजाख्यो विभ्रमः प्रोदितः कुतः ॥ ८ ॥

sarvātmakasyānantasya śivasyāntaḥ kilātmanaḥ | pūjyapūjakapūjākhyo vibhramaḥ proditaḥ kutaḥ || 8 ||

It is astonishing also, how they should attribute false ideas of worship, worshipper and the worshipped to the god Siva, who is the infinite soul of all and a pure spirit.

नियताकारता शान्ते न च संभवतीश्वरे । यत्र संकल्प्यते ब्रह्मन्पूज्यपूजामयः क्रमः ॥ ९ ॥

niyatākāratā śānte na ca saṃbhavatīśvare | yatra saṃkalpyate brahmanpūjyapūjāmayaḥ kramaḥ || 9 ||

The ritual of worship and adoration, which applies to the finite forms of gods (their idols); cannot be applied to the worship of the infinite spirit of God.

पूज्यपूजाद्यवच्छिन्नो देवो नित्यामलात्मनः । सर्वशक्तेरनन्तस्य नेश्वरत्वस्य भाजनम् ॥ १० ॥

pūjyapūjādyavacchinno devo nityāmalātmanaḥ | sarvaśakteranantasya neśvaratvasya bhājanam || 10 ||

The pure spirit of the eternal, infinite and all powerful, cannot be the object of ritualistic worship, which relates to finite gods or idols.

त्रिजगत्प्रसृताच्छाच्छसंविद्रूपस्य चात्मनः । नेश्वरस्याकृतेर्ब्रह्मन्व्यपदेशो हि युज्यते ॥ ११ ॥

trijagatprasṛtācchācchasaṃvidrūpasya cātmanaḥ | neśvarasyākṛterbrahmanvyapadeśo hi yujyate || 11 ||

Know, O Brahman! that the spirit of God, which pervades the three worlds, and is of the nature of pure intellect, is not to be circumscribed by any form or figure.

देशकालपरिच्छिन्नो येषां स्यात्परमेश्वरः । अस्माकमुपदेश्यास्ते न विपश्चिद्विपश्चिताम् ॥ १२ ॥

deśakālaparicchinno yeṣāṃ syātparameśvaraḥ | asmākamupadeśyāste na vipaścidvipaścitām || 12 ||

Know, O wisest of the wise! that those that have their god, as circumscribed by time and place (i.e. represented as limited and finite beings), are not regarded by us among the wise.

तदीयां दृष्टिमुत्सृज्य तथेमामवलम्ब्य च । समः स्वच्छमनाः शान्तो वीतरागो निरामयः ॥ १३ ॥

tadīyāṃ dṛṣṭimutsṛjya tathemāmavalambya ca | samaḥ svacchamanāḥ śānto vītarāgo nirāmayaḥ || 13 ||

Therefore O sage! retract your sight from idols and idolatrous worship, and adopt your view to spiritual adoration; and be of an even, cool and clear mind, be dispassionate and freed from decay and disease.

कामोपहारैरभितो यथाप्राप्तैरखिन्नधीः । आत्मानमर्चयंस्तिष्ठ सुखदुःखशुभाशुभैः ॥ १४ ॥

kāmopahārairabhito yathāprāptairakhinnadhīḥ | ātmānamarcayaṃstiṣṭha sukhaduḥkhaśubhāśubhaiḥ || 14 ||

Do you continue to worship the supreme spirit with an unshaken mind, by making him offerings of your desires, and all the good and evil that occur to you at any time.

अधिगतवति साधौ चैकमेवानुरूपं त्वयि तरलितजीवे जन्मदुःखादि किंचित् । न लगति परिशून्ये सर्वतः स्फाटिकाङ्गे नवसदन इवाङ्के निष्कलङ्के कलङ्कः ॥ १५ ॥

adhigatavati sādhau caikamevānurūpaṃ tvayi taralitajīve janmaduḥkhādi kiṃcit | na lagati pariśūnye sarvataḥ sphāṭikāṅge navasadana ivāṅke niṣkalaṅke kalaṅkaḥ || 15 ||

O sage, that art acquainted with the sole unity, in the one uniform tenor of thy soul and mind, thou art thereby set above the reach of the miseries attending his frail life, as the pure crystal is clear of the shade and dross of all worldly things.