Anuttarāṣṭikā
Eight verses about the Absolute
संक्रामो ऽत्र न भावना न च कथा युक्तिर्न चर्चा न च
ध्यानं वा न च धारणा न च जपाभ्यासप्रयासो न च ।
तत्किं नाम सुनिश्चितं वद परं सत्यं च तच्छ्रूयतां
न त्यागी न परिग्रही भज सुखं सर्वं यथावस्थितः ॥१॥
Saṃkrāmo 'tra na bhāvanā na ca kathā yuktirna carcā
na ca
dhyānaṃ vā na ca dhāraṇā na ca japābhyāsaprayāso na ca |
Tatkiṃ nāma suniścitaṃ vada paraṃ satyaṃ ca tacchrūyatāṃ
na tyāgī na parigrahī bhaja sukhaṃ sarvaṃ yathāvasthitaḥ || 1 ||
Here --i.e. in this Doctrine of Abhinavagupta, he teaches about the level of Anuttara that he calls ’anupāya’ or ’no means of realization’-- (atra), there is no (na) progress (saṃkrāmaḥ), no (na) contemplation (bhāvanā), no (na) explanation (kathā), no reasoning (yuktiḥ), no (na) songs (about secret teachings) (carcā), no (na) meditation (dhyānam), but (vā) (there is) no (na) concentration (either) (dhāraṇā), and (ca…ca…ca…ca…ca) (there is) no (na) trouble of the practice of japa or repetition (japa-abhyāsa-prayāsaḥ). So, tell (me) (vada) what (kim…nāma) is that (tat) Supreme (param) Truth (satyam) (that is) well determined or quite certain (by means of all these) (suniścitam)? Or (ca) hear (śrūyatām) That (from me instead) (tat): you --i.e. the reader-- shouldn’t be (na) a tyāgin or someone who rejects anything (tyāgī), (but) you shouldn’t be (na) a parigrahin or someone who accepts anything (in his mind either) (parigrahī). You should Enjoy (bhaja) everything (sarvam) joyfully or with ease (sukham) just as You Are --i.e. because this is your Essential Nature, and not something that is attainable by these aforesaid methods-- (yathāvasthitaḥ). || 1 ||
संसारो ऽस्ति न तत्त्वतस्तनुभृतां बन्धस्य वार्तैव का
बन्धो यस्य न जातु तस्य वितथा मुक्तस्य मुक्तिक्रिया ।
मिथ्यामोहकृदेषरज्जुभुजगश्छायापिशाचभ्रमो
मा किञ्चित्त्यज मा गृहाण विहर स्वस्थो यथावस्थितः ॥२॥
Saṃsāro 'sti na tattvatastanubhṛtāṃ bandhasya
vārtaiva kā
bandho yasya na jātu tasya vitathā muktasya muktikriyā |
Mithyāmohakṛdeṣarajjubhujagaśchāyāpiśācabhramo
mā kiñcittyaja mā gṛhāṇa vihara svastho yathāvasthitaḥ || 2 ||
In reality (tattvataḥ), saṃsāra (saṃsāraḥ) does not (na) exist (asti), so (vā), what (kā) is really (eva) the calamity (ārtā) of bondage (bandhasya) of embodied beings (tanu-bhṛtām)? Bondage (bandhaḥ) has never (existed) (na…jātu) for someone (tasya) who (yasya) is Liberated (muktasya) (, and who consequently, knows) that (any) effort to attain Liberation --lit. ’being occupied with Liberation’-- (mukti-kriyā) is futile (vitathā), (as it is) created by false delusion (mithyā-moha-kṛt). (It is like) confusing a moving rope with a snake (or) a shadow with a demon (eṣa-rajju-bhujagaḥ…chāyā-piśāca-bhramaḥ). Do not (mā) reject (tyaja) anything (kiñcit), (and) do not (mā) accept (anything) (gṛhāṇa). (Just) rest in your own Self (sva-sthaḥ) just as You Are (yathāvasthitaḥ) (, and) Enjoy (everything) (vihara). || 2 ||
पूजापूजकपूज्यभेदसरणिः केयं कथानुत्तरे
संक्रामः किल कस्य केन विदधे को वा प्रवेशक्रमः ।
मायेयं न चिदद्वयात्परतया भिन्नाप्यहो वर्तते
सर्वं स्वानुभवस्वभावविमलं चिन्तां वृथा मा कृथाः ॥३॥
Pūjāpūjakapūjyabhedasaraṇiḥ keyaṃ kathānuttare
saṃkrāmaḥ kila kasya kena vidadhe ko vā praveśakramaḥ |
Māyeyaṃ na cidadvayātparatayā bhinnāpyaho vartate
sarvaṃ svānubhavasvabhāvavimalaṃ cintāṃ vṛthā mā kṛthāḥ || 3 ||
In the (Supreme State of) Anuttara --i.e. in the Absolute-- (anuttare), what (kā) is (the value of) this (iyam) ’kathā’ or ’speech’ (kathā) (which takes place) in the form of (talking about) the differentiated (nature) of ’worship’, ’worshipper’ and ’the object of worship’ --i.e. talking about these three is useless-- (pūjā-pūjaka-pūjya-bheda-saraṇiḥ)? To whom (kasya) (and) by whom (kena) (would such) a progress (saṃkrāmaḥ…kila) have been operated (vidadhe)? Or (vā), what (kaḥ) is the ’process of immersion (into one’s own Self at all)’ (praveśa-kramaḥ)? Though (api) (it seems to be) different (bhinnā), (but) in the highest sense (paratayā), this (iyam) illusion (māyā) is not (na) (different) from the Non-duality of Consciousness (cit-advayāt). Ah (aho)! Everything (sarvam) is (vartate) Pure --i.e. made of Consciousness-- in the Essential Nature of one’s own (Enlightened) Perception (of one’s own Self, so,) (sva-anubhava-svabhāva-vimalam) do not (mā) fear --lit. do not think-- (cintām…kṛthāḥ) uselessly (vṛthā). || 3 ||
आनन्दोऽत्र न वित्तमद्यमदवन्नैवाङ्गनासङ्गवत्
दीपार्केन्दुकृतप्रभाप्रकरवन्नैव प्रकाशोदयः ।
हर्षः संभृतभेदमुक्तिसुखभूर्भारावतारोपमः
सर्वाद्वैतपदस्य विस्मृतनिधेः प्राप्तिः प्रकाशोदयः ॥४॥
Ānando'tra na vittamadyamadavannaivāṅganāsaṅgavat
dīpārkendukṛtaprabhāprakaravannaiva prakāśodayaḥ |
Harṣaḥ saṃbhṛtabhedamuktisukhabhūrbhārāvatāropamaḥ
sarvādvaitapadasya vismṛtanidheḥ prāptiḥ prakāśodayaḥ || 4 ||
’Ānanda’ or ’Bliss’ (ānandaḥ) here (atra) is not (na) like the pleasure of getting drunk on wine or (possessing) wealth (vitta-madya-mada-vat), but also not (na…eva) like (the pleasure of) sexual intercourse --lit. contact with a woman with well-rounded limbs-- (aṅganā-saṅgavat). (And) ’Prakāśodayaḥ’ or ’The Rising of Light’ (prakāśa-udayaḥ) is not at all (na…eva) like the (rising of the) multitude of rays created by a lamp, by the Sun (or) by the Moon (dīpa-arka-indu-kṛta-prabhā-prakaravat). Happiness --i.e. Bliss-- (here) (harṣaḥ) rises from the ’Joy of being Liberated from created duality or differentiation’ (saṃbhṛta-bheda-mukti-sukha-bhūḥ) (that is) like ’getting rid of a weight (on one’s back)’ (bhāra-avatāra-upamaḥ). (Hence,) ’the Rising of Light’ (prakāśa-udayaḥ) is ’to recover (prāptiḥ) the forgotten Treasure (vismṛta-nidheḥ) of the State of Perfect Non-duality’ (sarva-advaita-padasya). || 4 ||
रागद्वेषसुखासुखोदयलयाहङ्कारदैन्यादयो
ये भावाः प्रविभान्ति विश्ववपुषो भिन्नस्वभावा न ते ।
व्यक्तिं पश्यसि यस्य यस्य सहसा तत्तत्तदेकात्मता
संविद्रूपमवेक्ष्य किं न रमसे तद्भावना निर्भरः ॥५॥
Rāgadveṣasukhāsukhodayalayāhaṅkāradainyādayo
ye bhāvāḥ pravibhānti viśvavapuṣo bhinnasvabhāvā na te |
Vyaktiṃ paśyasi yasya yasya sahasā tattattadekātmatā
saṃvidrūpamavekṣya kiṃ na ramase tadbhāvanā nirbharaḥ || 5 ||
Those (te) things (bhāvāḥ) like love and hatred, pleasure and pain, ascending and descending, confidence and depression, etc. (rāga-dveṣa-sukha-asukha-udaya-laya-ahaṅkāra-dainya-ādayaḥ) which (ye) appear (pravibhānti) as the formation of the world (viśva-vapuṣaḥ) are essentially not different (from each other) (bhinna-svabhāvāḥ…na). After observing (avekṣya) the Nature of Consciousness (saṃvit-rūpam), whenever (yasya…yasya) you see (paśyasi) a visible appearance (vyaktim), that (visible appearance) (tat) immediately (sahasā) becomes one with It --i.e. with the Nature of Consciousness-- (tat-tat-eka-ātmatā). (So), why don’t (kim…na) you Rejoice (ramase) (simply while you are) Full of the Awareness of That --i.e. of the Nature of Consciousness-- (tat-bhāvanā-nirbharaḥ)? || 5 ||
पूर्वाभावभवक्रिया हि सहसा भावाः सदास्मिन् भवे
मध्याकारविकारसङ्करवतां तेषां कुतः सत्यता ।
निःसत्ये चपले प्रपञ्चनिचये स्वप्नभ्रमे पेशले
शङ्कातङ्ककलङ्कयुक्तिकलनातीतः प्रबुद्धो भव ॥६॥
Pūrvābhāvabhavakriyā hi sahasā bhāvāḥ sadāsmin
bhave
madhyākāravikārasaṅkaravatāṃ teṣāṃ kutaḥ satyatā |
Niḥsatye capale prapañcanicaye svapnabhrame peśale
śaṅkātaṅkakalaṅkayuktikalanātītaḥ prabuddho bhava || 6 ||
The activity of the world never existed before (pūrva-abhāva-bhava-kriyā…hi). The things (bhāvāḥ) of the world always (sadā) exist in this (asmin) existence (, and not in another,) (bhave) without any successive (process of creation) (sahasā). In the false (niḥsatye) (and) momentary (capale) collection (of the things of the world which) --i.e. such a collection-- (prapañca-nicaye) is artificial (peśale) (like) the illusion of a dream (svapna-bhrame), where (kutaḥ) is the Reality (satyatā) of those (things that are) (teṣām) like mixes of alterations of intermediate actions --i.e. where is the Reality of the ideas coming from thinking? The implicit answer is: only in the Present-- (madhya-akāra-vikāra-saṅkaravatām). (So,) Wake up (prabuddhaḥ…bhava) (and reside) beyond (that which) impels (your) connection with defect --i.e. spiritual illusion-- caused by the pain of doubts (śaṅka-ātaṅka-kalaṅka-yukti-kalanā-atītaḥ). || 6 ||
भावानां न समुद्भवो ऽस्ति सहजस्त्वद्भाविता भान्त्यमी
निःसत्या अपि सत्यतामनुभवभ्रान्त्या भजन्ति क्षणम् ।
त्वत्सङ्कल्पज एष विश्वमहिमा नास्त्यस्य जन्मान्यतः
तस्मात्त्वं विभवेन भासि भुवनेष्वेकाप्यनेकात्मकः ॥७॥
Bhāvānāṃ na samudbhavo 'sti sahajastvadbhāvitā
bhāntyamī
niḥsatyā api satyatāmanubhavabhrāntyā bhajanti kṣaṇam |
Tvatsaṅkalpaja eṣa viśvamahimā nāstyasya janmānyataḥ
tasmāttvaṃ vibhavena bhāsi bhuvaneṣvekāpyanekātmakaḥ || 7 ||
There is no (na...asti) innate or original (sahajaḥ) existence --i.e. production-- (samudbhavaḥ) of things (bhāvānām). They (amī) appear (bhānti) (only because) you create them (in your mind) (tvat-bhāvitāḥ). Though (api) (they) are not real --i.e. they have no separate existence-- (niḥsatyāḥ), (they) obtain (bhajanti) (apparently separate) existence --lit. Reality-- (satyatām) in the moment (kṣaṇam) of illusory perception --i.e. illusory perception is when one thinks that the objects are different from himself-- (anubhava-bhrāntyā). This (eṣaḥ) ’greatness --i.e. largeness-- of the world’ (viśva-mahimā) is born of your imagination (tvat-saṅkalpajaḥ), (and) it (asya) has no (na…asti) other source (janma-anyataḥ). Therefore (tasmāt), (because) you (tvam) (appear as) ’many beings and things’ while (in reality you) are One (eka-api-aneka-ātmakaḥ), (only you) shine (bhāsi) (with your) Power (vibhavena) in (all) the worlds --i.e. wakefulness, dreaming, etc.-- (bhuvaneṣu). || 7 ||
यत्सत्यं यदसत्यमल्पबहुलं नित्यं न नित्यं च यत्
यन्मायामलिनं यदात्मविमलं चिद्दर्पणे राजते ।
तत्सर्वं स्वविमर्शसंविदुदयाद्रूपप्रकाशात्मकं
ज्ञात्वा स्वानुभवाधिरूढमहिमा विश्वेश्वरत्वं भज ॥८॥
Yatsatyaṃ yadasatyamalpabahulaṃ nityaṃ na nityaṃ ca
yat
yanmāyāmalinaṃ yadātmavimalaṃ ciddarpaṇe rājate |
Tatsarvaṃ svavimarśasaṃvidudayādrūpaprakāśātmakaṃ
jñātvā svānubhavādhirūḍhamahimā viśveśvaratvaṃ bhaja || 8 ||
(That) which (yat) is real (satyam), (that) which (yat…yat…yat) is unreal (asatyam), little or large (alpa-bahulam), eternal (nityam) or (ca) transient (na)... (nityam), illusory (māyā-malinam) (or) pure like one’s Self (ātmā-vimalam)... (all these opposites) shine (rājate) in the Mirror of Consciousness (cit-darpaṇe). Having understood (jñātvā) that (tat) the world (sarvam) is characterized by the illumination of (those) forms (rūpa-prakāśa-ātmakam) which (yat) rise from your own Consciousness (sva-vimarśa-saṃvit-udayāt), you should enjoy (bhaja) the State of the Lord of the Universe (that is) the Greatness of ’being established in your own Experience (of Universal Consciousness)’ (sva-anubhava-adhirūḍha-mahimā-viśva-īśvara-tvam). || 8 ||
॥इति श्रीमदाचार्याभिनवगुप्तपादविरचितानुत्तराष्टिका समाप्ता॥
|| Iti śrīmadācāryābhinavaguptapādaviracitānuttarāṣṭikā samāptā ||
This (iti) ‘Anuttarāṣṭikā’ or ‘Eight verses about the Absolute’, written by the most Venerable Ācārya Abhinavaguptaḥ (śrīmat-ācārya-abhinavagupta-pāda-viracitā), is complete (samāptā). ||
Sanskrit source:
Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages
Transliteration: Dott. Marino Faliero, July 1998
