यथाङ्कुरो ऽन्तर् बीजस्य संस्थितो देशकालतः । करोति भासुरं देहं तनोत्य् एवं हि दृश्यधीः
Just as a sprout, remaining within the seed, produces a radiant body at the proper place and time, so too does the perception of the seen unfold.
द्रव्यस्य हृद्य् एव चमत्कृतिर् यथा सदोदितास्त्य् अस्तमयोज्झितोदरे । द्रव्यस्य चिन्मात्रशरीरिणस् तथा स्वभावभूतास्त्य् उदरे जगत्स्थितिः
Just as the wonder of a substance always arises in the heart, unceasing within its core, so too does the existence of the world naturally abide within the core of one whose body is pure consciousness.
इदम् आकाशजाख्यानं शृणु श्रवणभूषणम् । उत्पत्त्याख्यं प्रकरणं येन राघव बुध्यसे
Listen to this story of Akashaja, an ornament to the ears; it is the section called 'Origin,' by which, O Raghava, you will come to understand.
अस्तीहाकाशजो नाम द्विजः परमधार्मिकः । ध्यानैकनिष्ठस् सततं प्रजानां च हिते रतः
There was a twice-born named Akashaja, supremely righteous, ever devoted to meditation, and always intent on the welfare of all beings.
स चिरं जीवति यदा तदा मृत्युर् अचिन्तयत् । सर्वाण्य् एव क्रमेणाहं भूतान्य् अद्मि किलाक्षयः
When he had lived for a long time, Death began to ponder: 'Indeed, I consume all beings in due course, for I am inexhaustible.'
एवम् आकाशजं विप्रं न कस्माद् भक्षयाम्य् अहम् । अत्र मे कुण्ठिता शक्तिः खड्गधारा यथोपले
Yet why do I not devour this Brahmin Akashaja? In this matter, my power is blunted, like the edge of a sword against a stone.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य तं हन्तुम् अगच्छत् तत्पुरं तदा । त्यजन्त्य् उद्यमम् उद्युक्ता न कदाचन केचन
Thinking thus, Death went to that city to slay him; but those who are truly resolute never abandon their effort.
ततस् तत्सदनं यावन् मृत्युः प्रविशति स्वयम् । तावद् एनं दहत्य् अग्निः कल्पान्तज्वलनोपमः
As Death himself entered that dwelling, at that very moment, a fire, blazing like the fire at the end of an age, burned him.
अग्निज्वालामहाजालं विदार्यान्तर्गतो ऽप्य् असौ । द्विजं दृष्ट्वा समादातुं हस्तेनैच्छत् प्रयत्नतः
Even after breaking through that great network of flames and entering within, he tried with all his might to seize the Brahmin with his hand.
न चाशकत् पुरो दृष्टम् अपि हस्तशतैर् द्विजम् । बलवान् अप्य् अवष्टब्धुं सङ्कल्पपुरुषं यथा
But even though he saw the Brahmin right before him, Death could not grasp him with a hundred hands, just as even the strong cannot restrain a person of firm resolve.
अथागत्य यमं मृत्युर् अपृच्छत् संशयच्छिदम् । किम् इत्य् अहं न शक्नोमि भोक्तुम् आकाशजं प्रभो
Then Death approached Yama, the dispeller of doubts, and asked: 'Lord, why am I unable to consume this being born of space?'
मृत्यो न किञ्चिच् छक्तस् त्वम् एको मारयितुं बलात् । मारणीयस्य कर्माणि तत्कर्तॄणीह नेतरत्
O Death, you alone do not have the power to kill anyone by force; it is the actions destined for death that are the cause here, not anything else.
तस्माद् एतस्य विप्रस्य मारणीयस्य यत्नतः । कर्माण्य् अन्विच्छ तेषां त्वं साहाय्येनैनम् अत्स्यसि
Therefore, diligently seek out the actions of this Brahmin that make him subject to death; with their help, you will be able to devour him.
ततस् स मृत्युर् बभ्राम तत्कर्मान्वेषणादृतः । मण्डलानि दिगन्तांश् च सरांसि सरितो दिशः
Then Death wandered about, intent on searching for those actions—through regions, horizons, lakes, rivers, and directions.
वनजङ्गलजालानि शैलाम्भोधितटान्य् अपि । द्वीपान्तराण्य् अरण्यानि नगराणि पुराणि च
He searched through forests and jungles, mountain and ocean shores, distant islands, wildernesses, cities, and ancient towns.
ग्रामान् अखिलराष्ट्राणि देशान्तगहनानि च । एवं भूमण्डलं भ्रान्त्वा स कुतश्चिन् न कानिचित्
He went through villages, entire kingdoms, and the depths of remote lands; thus, after roaming the whole earth, he found nothing anywhere.
तान्य् आकाशजकर्माणि लब्धवान् मृत्युर् उद्यतः । वन्ध्यापुत्रम् इव प्राज्ञस् सङ्कल्पाद्रिम् इवापरः
Death, eager, found none of the actions belonging to the one born of space—like a wise man seeking the son of a barren woman, or another seeking a mountain made of imagination.
समपृच्छद् अथागत्य यमं सर्वार्थकोविदम् । परायणं हि प्रभवस् सन्देहेष्व् अनुजीविनाम्
Then, returning, he questioned Yama, the all-knowing in every matter; for he is the ultimate refuge for those living in doubt.
आकाशजस्य कर्माणि क्व स्थितानि वद प्रभो । धर्मराजो ऽथ सञ्चिन्त्य सुचिरं प्रोक्तवान् इदम्
O Lord, tell me, where are the actions of one born of space established? Then, after pondering for a long time, Dharma-raja spoke these words:
आकाशजस्य कर्माणि मृत्यो सन्ति न कानिचित् । एष ह्य् आकाशजो विप्रो जातः खाद् एव केवलात्
O Death, there are no actions at all for one born of space; for this brahmin, born from space alone, has arisen solely from the sky.
आकाशाद् एव यो जातस् स व्योमैवामलं भवेत् । सहकारीणि नो सन्ति कारणाण्य् अस्य कानिचित्
He who is born from space becomes pure space itself; there are no cooperating causes whatsoever for him.
सम्बन्धः प्राक्तनेनास्य न मनाग् अपि कर्मणा । अस्ति वन्ध्यासुतस्येव तथाजाताकृतेर् इव
There is not the slightest connection with previous actions for him, just as with the son of a barren woman or with one who has never been formed.
तस्माद् अजात एवैष स्वयम्भूर् अज एव च । नैतस्य पूर्वकर्मास्ति नभसीव महाद्रुमः
Therefore, he is truly unborn, self-existent, and uncreated; he has no prior actions, like a great tree in the sky.
नैतद् अस्यावशं चित्तम् अभावात् पूर्वकर्मणः । अद्य तावद् अनेनान्यन् न किञ्चित् कर्म सञ्चितम्
His mind is not bound by any previous actions, for none exist; and as of today, he has not accumulated any other actions at all.
एष आकाशकोशात्मा विशदाकाशरूपिणि । समाधौ संस्थितो नित्यं कर्माण्य् अस्य न कानिचित्
He is the very essence of the space-casket, having the form of clear space; always established in samadhi, he has no actions whatsoever.
प्राक्तनानि न सन्त्य् अस्य कर्माण्य् अद्य करोति नो । किञ्चिद् अप्य् एवम् एषो ऽत्र विज्ञानाकाशमात्रकम्
He has no past actions, nor does he perform any now; thus, in this matter, he is merely pure consciousness-space.
प्राणस्पन्दो ऽस्य यत् कर्म लक्ष्यते चास्मदादिभिः । दृश्यते ऽस्माभिर् एवैतन् न त्व् अस्यास्त्य् अत्र कर्मधीः
The movement of life that is observed as action in him by us and others is seen only by us; he himself has no notion of action in this matter.
देहो ऽस्य दृश्यते ऽस्माभिर् नैष वेत्ति परात् पदात् । भिन्नम् आकाशम् आत्मीयं चित्स्तम्भे सालभञ्जिकाम्
His body is seen by us, but he does not know it at all, just as the sky is not aware of the figure of a statue carved within a pillar.
अनुत्कीर्णा यथा स्तम्भे संस्थिता सालभञ्जिका । तथैष परमात्मान्तस् स्वात्मभूतस् स्थितो द्विजः
Just as a statue remains uncarved within a pillar, so this supreme Self, having become its own self, abides within, O twice-born one.
यथा द्रवत्वं पयसि शून्यत्वं च यथाम्बरे । मारुते च यथा स्पन्दस् तथैष परमे पदे
As liquidity is in water, as emptiness is in space, and as movement is in wind, so is this one in the supreme state.