Verse 1
अथ ह वै स्वयंभूर्बह्मा प्रजाः सृजानीति कामकामो जायते कामेश्वरो वैश्रवणः ॥
atha ha vai svayaṃbhūrbahmā prajāḥ sṛjānīti kāmakāmo jāyate kāmeśvaro vaiśravaṇaḥ ॥
Then, indeed, Svayambhu Brahma, desiring to create beings, (thinking) 'Let me create creatures,' arises as Kāmeśvara (the lord of desires) and Vaiśravaṇa.
Verse 2
वैश्रवणो ब्रह्मपुत्रो वालखिल्यः स्वयंभुवं परिपृच्छति जगतां का विद्या का देवता जाग्रत्तुरीययोरस्य को देवो यानि कस्य वशानि कालाः कियत्प्रमाणाः कस्याज्ञया रविचन्द्रग्रहादयो भासन्ते कस्य महिमा गगनस्वरूप एतदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि नान्यो जानाति त्वं ब्रूहि ब्रह्मन् ॥
vaiśravaṇo brahmaputro vālakhilyaḥ svayaṃbhuvaṃ paripṛcchati jagatāṃ kā vidyā kā devatā jāgratturīyayorasya ko devo yāni kasya vaśāni kālāḥ kiyatpramāṇāḥ kasyājñayā ravicandragrahādayo bhāsante kasya mahimā gaganasvarūpa etadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi nānyo jānāti tvaṃ brūhi brahman ॥
Vaiśravaṇa, the son of Brahmā, a Vālakhilya, asks Svayambhū (Brahma): "What is the knowledge of the worlds? Who is their deity? Who is the God of its waking and turīya states? What things are subject to whose control? How long are the divisions of time? By whose command do the sun, moon, planets, and others shine? Whose glory is of the nature of the sky? I wish to hear this. No one else knows. You tell me, O Brahman."
Verse 3
स्वयंभूरुवाच कृत्स्नजगतां मातृका विद्या॥
svayaṃbhūruvāca kṛtsnajagatāṃ mātṛkā vidyā॥
Svayambhu said: Knowledge is the mother of all worlds.
Verse 4
द्वित्रिवर्णसहिता द्विवर्णमाता त्रिवर्णसहिता।चतुर्मात्रात्मकोङ्कारो मम प्राणात्मिका देवता।।
dvitrivarṇasahitā dvivarṇamātā trivarṇasahitā।caturmātrātmakoṅkāro mama prāṇātmikā devatā।।
The Oṅkāra (Om), which is associated with two or three syllables, is the mother of two syllables, and is endowed with three syllables; this Oṅkāra, comprising four mātrās, is my deity, the very life-force (Prana) itself.
Verse 5
अहमेव जगत्रयस्यैकः पतिः ॥
ahameva jagatrayasyaikaḥ patiḥ ॥
I alone am the sole lord of the three worlds.
Verse 6
मम वशानि सर्वाणि युगान्यपि ॥
mama vaśāni sarvāṇi yugānyapi ॥
Even all ages are under my control.
Verse 7
अहोरात्रादयो मत्संवर्धिताः कालाः ॥
ahorātrādayo matsaṃvardhitāḥ kālāḥ ॥
Days, nights, and the like, are the periods of time developed by me.
Verse 8
मम रूपा रवेस्तेजश्चन्द्रनक्षत्रग्रहतेजांसि च॥
mama rūpā ravestejaścandranakṣatragrahatejāṃsi ca॥
My forms are the radiance of the sun, and the radiance of the moon, constellations, and planets.
Verse 9
गगनो मम त्रिशक्तिमायास्वरूपो नान्यो मदस्ति ॥
gagano mama triśaktimāyāsvarūpo nānyo madasti ॥
The sky is my form, characterized by the three powers and Māyā. Nothing else exists apart from me.
Verse 10
तमोमायात्मको रुद्रः सात्त्विकमायात्मको विष्णू राजसमायात्मको ब्रह्मा ।इन्द्रादयस्ताम-सराजसात्मिका न सात्त्विकः कोऽपि। अघोरः सर्वसाधारणस्वरूपः ॥
tamomāyātmako rudraḥ sāttvikamāyātmako viṣṇū rājasamāyātmako brahmā ।indrādayastāma-sarājasātmikā na sāttvikaḥ ko'pi। aghoraḥ sarvasādhāraṇasvarūpaḥ ॥
Rudra is of the nature of tamas-māyā. Viṣṇu is of the nature of sattva-māyā. Brahmā is of the nature of rajas-māyā. Indra and others are of tamasic and rajasic nature; none of them are purely sāttvika. Aghora's nature is common to all.
Verse 11
समस्तयागानां रुद्रः पशुपतिः कर्ता। रुद्रो यागदेवो विष्णुरध्वर्युर्होतेन्द्रो देवता यज्ञभुग् मानसं ब्रह्म महेश्वरं ब्रह्म ॥
samastayāgānāṃ rudraḥ paśupatiḥ kartā। rudro yāgadevo viṣṇuradhvaryurhotendro devatā yajñabhug mānasaṃ brahma maheśvaraṃ brahma ॥
Rudra, Paśupati, is the performer of all sacrifices. Rudra is the deity of the sacrifice. Vishnu is the Adhvaryu (priest), Indra is the Hotṛ (priest) and the deity (recipient of offerings). The enjoyer of the sacrifice is the mental Brahman. Maheśvara is Brahman.
Verse 12
मानसो हंसः सोऽहं हंस इति । तन्मययज्ञो नादानुसंधानम्। तन्मयविकारो जीवः ॥
mānaso haṃsaḥ so'haṃ haṃsa iti । tanmayayajño nādānusaṃdhānam। tanmayavikāro jīvaḥ ॥
The Self in the mind is 'I am that Self'. The sacrifice absorbed in That (the Self) is the contemplation of the primal sound (Nada). The modification absorbed in That (the Self) is the individual soul (Jiva).
Verse 13
परमात्मस्वरूपो हंसः। अन्तर्बहिश्चरति हंसः। अन्तर्गतोऽनवकाशान्तर्गतसुपर्णस्वरूपो हंसः ॥
paramātmasvarūpo haṃsaḥ। antarbahiścarati haṃsaḥ। antargato'navakāśāntargatasuparṇasvarūpo haṃsaḥ ॥
The Hamsa is the very nature of the Supreme Self. The Hamsa moves both within and without. The Hamsa, having entered within, is of the nature of Suparna dwelling within the boundless.
Verse 14
षण्णवतितत्त्वतन्तुवढ्यक्तं चित्सूत्रत्रयचिन्मयलक्षणं नवतत्त्वत्रिरावृतं ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्व- रात्मकमग्नित्रयकलोपेतं चिद्ग्रन्थिबन्धनम् अद्वैतग्रन्थिः ॥
ṣaṇṇavatitattvatantuvaḍhyaktaṃ citsūtratrayacinmayalakṣaṇaṃ navatattvatrirāvṛtaṃ brahmaviṣṇumaheśva- rātmakamagnitrayakalopetaṃ cidgranthibandhanam advaitagranthiḥ ॥
The knot of non-duality (Advaita Grantha) is the binding of the knot of consciousness, manifested like the threads of ninety-six principles, characterized by three threads whose essence is pure consciousness, thrice enveloped by nine principles, having the nature of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesvara, and endowed with the aspects of the three fires.
Verse 15
यज्ञसाधारणाङ्गं बहिरन्तर्ज्वलनं यज्ञाङ्गलक्षणब्रह्मस्वरूपो हंसः ॥
yajñasādhāraṇāṅgaṃ bahirantarjvalanaṃ yajñāṅgalakṣaṇabrahmasvarūpo haṃsaḥ ॥
The Haṃsa (the Self/Supreme Being) is the common constituent of sacrifice, the blazing fire both outside and inside, and whose true nature is Brahman, characterized by the components of sacrifice.
Verse 16
उपवीतलक्षणसूत्रब्रह्मगा यज्ञाः । ब्रह्माङ्गलक्षणयुक्तो यज्ञसूत्रम् । तद्ब्रह्मसूत्रम्। यज्ञसूत्र-संबन्धी ब्रह्मयज्ञः तत्स्वरूपः ॥
upavītalakṣaṇasūtrabrahmagā yajñāḥ । brahmāṅgalakṣaṇayukto yajñasūtram । tadbrahmasūtram। yajñasūtra-saṃbandhī brahmayajñaḥ tatsvarūpaḥ ॥
Sacrifices are characterized by the sacred thread and are related to Brahman. The sacred thread is endowed with the characteristic marks of the limbs of Brahman. That is the thread of Brahman. The Brahma-sacrifice, which is connected to the sacred thread, is of that very nature.
Verse 17
अङ्गानि मात्राणि । मनोयज्ञस्य हंसो यज्ञसूत्रम्। प्रणवं ब्रह्मसूत्रं ब्रह्मयज्ञमयम्। प्रणवान्तर्वर्ती हंसो ब्रह्मसूत्रम् । तदेव ब्रह्मयज्ञमयं मोक्षक्रमम् ॥
aṅgāni mātrāṇi । manoyajñasya haṃso yajñasūtram। praṇavaṃ brahmasūtraṃ brahmayajñamayam। praṇavāntarvartī haṃso brahmasūtram । tadeva brahmayajñamayaṃ mokṣakramam ॥
The limbs are the mātrās (measures/constituents). For the mental sacrifice, Hamsa (the inner Self/breath) is the sacred thread. Praṇava (Om) is the Brahmasutra (sacred thread of Brahman), constituted by the Brahman-sacrifice. The Hamsa (Self) residing within Praṇava is the Brahmasutra. That alone, which is of the nature of the Brahman-sacrifice, is the path to liberation.
Verse 18
ब्रह्मसंध्याक्रिया मनोयागः । संध्याक्रिया मनोयागस्य लक्षणम्॥
brahmasaṃdhyākriyā manoyāgaḥ । saṃdhyākriyā manoyāgasya lakṣaṇam॥
The Brahma-Sandhya rite is mental worship. The (external) Sandhya rite is a characteristic of mental worship.
Verse 19
यज्ञसूत्रप्रणवब्रह्मयज्ञक्रियायुक्तो ब्राह्मणः । ब्रह्मचर्येण चरन्ति देवाः । हंससूत्रचर्या यज्ञाः। हंसप्रणवयोरभेदः ॥
yajñasūtrapraṇavabrahmayajñakriyāyukto brāhmaṇaḥ । brahmacaryeṇa caranti devāḥ । haṃsasūtracaryā yajñāḥ। haṃsapraṇavayorabhedaḥ ॥
A Brāhmaṇa is engaged in the actions related to the sacred thread, Praṇava (Om), and the Brahma-sacrifice. The gods practice Brahmacarya. Sacrifices are the practice of the Haṃsa-sūtra. There is non-difference between Haṃsa and Praṇava.
Verse 20
हंसस्य प्रार्थनास्त्रिकालाः । त्रिकालास्त्रिवर्णाः । त्रेताग्न्यनुसंधानो यागः । त्रेताग्न्यात्मा-कृतिवर्णोङ्कारहंसानुसंधानोऽन्तर्यागः ॥
haṃsasya prārthanāstrikālāḥ । trikālāstrivarṇāḥ । tretāgnyanusaṃdhāno yāgaḥ । tretāgnyātmā-kṛtivarṇoṅkārahaṃsānusaṃdhāno'ntaryāgaḥ ॥
The prayers of Hamsa (the individual soul/breath) occur at three times. These three times are (associated with) three syllables (or qualities). The (external) sacrifice (yāga) is the contemplation of the three (Vedic) fires. The inner sacrifice (antaryāga) is the contemplation of the Self (essence) of the three fires, the manifested syllable Om, and Hamsa.