Verse 1
॥ विज्ञान भैरव॥ श्री देव्युवाच। श्रुतं देव मया सर्वं रुद्रयामलसम्भवम्। त्रिकभेदमशेषेण सारात्सारविभागशः॥ १॥
śrutaṁdeva mayā sarvaṁrudrayāmala sambhavam | trika bhedam aśeṣeṇa sārāt sāra vibhāgaśaḥ || 1 ||
Vijnana Bhairava. Shri Devi said: O God, I have heard everything that originated from the Rudrayamala (Tantra) – the entire threefold doctrine, explained distinctly, essence by essence, without any omission.
Verse 2
अद्यापि न निवृत्तो मे संशयः परमेश्वर। किं रूपं तत्त्वतो देव शब्दराशिकलामयम्॥ २॥
adyāpi na nivṛtto me saṁśayaḥparameśvara | kiṁrūpaṁtattvato deva śabda rāśi kalā mayam || 2 ||
Even today, my doubt has not ceased, O Supreme Lord. What truly, O God, is that form which consists of the aggregate of sounds?
Verse 3
किं वा नवात्मभेदेन भैरवे भैरवाकृतौ। त्रिशिरोभेदभिन्नं वा किं वा शक्तित्रयात्मकम्॥ ३॥
kiṁvā navātma bhedena bhairave bhairavākṛtau | triśirobheda bhinnaṁvā kiṁvā śakti trayātmakam || 3 ||
Is it by the distinction of nine forms in the formidable Bhairava? Or is it distinguished by a division into three heads? Or is it comprised of the three powers?
Verse 4
नादबिन्दुमयं वापि किं चन्द्रार्धनिरोधिकाः। चक्रारूढमनच्कं वा किं वा शक्तिस्वरूपकम्॥ ४॥
nāda bindu mayaṁvāpi kiṁcandrārdha nirodhikāḥ | cakrārūḍham anackaṁvā kiṁvā śakti svarūpakam || 4 ||
Is it that which consists of Nada and Bindu, or the crescent moon and Nirodhika (symbols of subtle sound)? Or is it that which is mounted on a Chakra, devoid of vowels, or indeed, the very form of Shakti?
Verse 5
परापरायाः सकलमपरायाश्च वा पुनः। पराया यदि तद्वत्स्यात्परत्वं तद् विरुध्यते॥ ५॥
parāparāyāḥsakalama parāyāśca vā punaḥ | parāyā yadi tad vatsyāt paratvaṁtad virudhyate || 5 ||
If the supreme (Parā) were to be entirely like the Parāparā (both supreme and inferior), or even like the Aparā (inferior), then its supremacy would be contradicted.
Verse 6
न हि वर्णविभेदेन देहभेदेन वा भवेत्। परत्वं निष्कलत्वेन सकलत्वे न तद् भवेत्॥ ६॥
na hi varṇa vibhedena dehabhedena vā bhavet | paratvaṁniṣkalatvena sakalatve na tad bhavet || 6 ||
Indeed, the supreme state is not attained through distinctions of caste or distinctions of body. Supremacy is realized through being partless; that (supremacy) does not exist in the state of being with parts.
Verse 7
प्रसादं कुरु मे नाथ निःशेषं चिन्द्धि संशयम्। भैरव उवाच। साधु साधु त्वया पृष्टं तन्त्रसारम् इदम् प्रिये॥ ७॥
sādhu sādhu tvayā pṛṣṭaṁtantra sāram idam priye || 7 ||
Grant me grace, O Lord, and completely dispel my doubt. Bhairava said: Excellent, excellent is that which you have asked, for this, O beloved, is the essence of Tantra.
Verse 8
गूहनीयतमम् भद्रे तथापि कथयामि ते। यत्किञ्चित्सकलं रूपं भैरवस्य प्रकीर्तितम्॥ ८॥
gūha nīyatamam bhadre tathāpi kathayāmi te | yat kiñcit sakalaṁrūpaṁbhairavasya prakīrtitam || 8 ||
O good one, though it is the most secret, still I tell it to you. Whatever is proclaimed as the complete form of Bhairava.
Verse 9
तद् असारतया देवि विज्ञेयं शक्रजालवत्। मायास्वप्नोपमं चैव गन्धर्वनगरभ्रमम्॥ ९॥
tad asāra tayā devi vijñeyaṁśakra jālavat | māyā svapnopamaṁcaiva gandharva nagara bhramam || 9 ||
O Goddess, due to its unsubstantiality, it should be known as like Indra's net, like an illusory dream, and indeed like the illusion of a city of Gandharvas (a mirage).
Verse 10
ध्यानार्थम् भ्रान्तबुद्धीनां क्रियाडम्बरवर्तिनाम्। केवलं वर्णितम् पुंसां विकल्पनिहतात्मनाम्॥ १०॥
dhyānārtham bhrānta buddhīnāṁkriyāḍambara vartinām | kevalaṁvarṇitam puṁsāṁvikalpa nihatātmanām || 10 ||
This is merely described for the purpose of meditation for those people whose intellects are deluded, who are engaged in ostentatious rituals, and whose inner selves are overcome by conceptual thoughts and doubts.