आधीं कर्माचा प्रसंग । कर्म केलें पाहिजे सांग । कदाचित पडिले व्यंग । तरी प्रत्यवाय घडे ॥ १ ॥

When the occasion for a ritual duty arises, it must be performed fully and correctly. If, by chance, some flaw or omission occurs in it, a fault results.

म्हणौन कर्म आरंभिले । कांहींयेक सांग घडलें । जेथजेथें अंतर पडिलें । तेथें हरिस्मरण करावें ॥ २ ॥

So once a ritual action is begun, wherever it is carried out properly, well and good; but wherever some gap or lapse occurs, one should remember God there, and that lapse is thereby made good.

तरी तो हरी आहे कैसा । विचार पाहावा ऐसा । संधेपूर्वीं जगदीशा । चोविसां नामीं स्मरवें ॥ ३ ॥

But one should also inquire into what that Hari is truly like. Before the twilight prayer, one should remember the Lord of the universe through his twenty-four names.

चोवीसनामी सहस्त्रनामी । अनंतनामी तो अनामी । तो कैसा आहे अंतर्यामीं । विवेकें वोळखावा ॥ ४ ॥

Though known by twenty-four names, a thousand names, and infinite names, He is in truth beyond all names. One should recognize through discernment how He truly is, dwelling within as the inner controller.

ब्राह्मण स्नानसंध्या करून आला । मग तो देवार्चनास बैसला । येथासांग तो पूजिला । प्रतिमादेवो ॥ ५ ॥

A brahmin, having finished his bath and twilight rites, sat down to worship the deity, and duly performed the full worship of the image-form of God.

नाना देवांच्या नाना प्रतिमा । लोक पूजिती धरून प्रेमा । ज्याच्या प्रतिमा तो परमात्मा । कैसा आहे ॥ ६ ॥

People lovingly worship the various images of various gods. But one should also ask: what is the true nature of the Supreme Self of whom these are merely images?

ऐसें वोळखिलें पाहिजे । वोळखोन भजन कीजे । जैसा साहेब नमस्कारिजे । वोळखिल्याउपरी ॥ ७ ॥

One must recognize this true nature, and worship should be done only after such recognition — just as one bows to a master only once he is properly recognized.

तैसा परमात्मा परमेश्वर । बरा वोळखावा पाहोन विचार । तरीच पाविजे पार । भ्रमसागरचा ॥ ८ ॥

In the same way, the Supreme Self, the Supreme Lord, should be properly recognized through careful reflection. Only then can one cross over this ocean of delusion.

पूजा घेताती प्रतिमा । आंगा येतो अंतरात्मा । अवतारी तरी निजधामा । येऊन गेले ॥ ९ ॥

Though the worship is offered to the image, it is really the inner Self that comes and animates it to receive that worship. In the same way, even divine incarnations came into the world and then returned again to their own true abode.

परी ते निजरूपें असती । तें निजरूप ते जगज्जोती । सत्वगुण तयेस म्हणती । जाणती कळा ॥ १० ॥

Yet their true, essential form always remains — and that true form is the light that illumines the whole universe. It is this that is called the quality of sattva, the power of consciousness.

तये कळेचे पोटीं । देव असती कोट्यान्-कोटी । या अनुभवाच्या गोष्टी । प्रत्ययें पाहाव्या ॥ ११ ॥

Within that single power of consciousness lie contained gods and deities beyond count. These are matters of direct experience, to be verified only through one's own realization.

देहपुरामधें ईश । म्हणोन तया नांव पुरुष । जगामधें जगदीश । तैसा वोळखावा ॥ १२ ॥

Because He dwells within the 'city' of the body, He is called 'Purusha.' And that same Lord, dwelling within the world, is to be recognized as the Lord of the universe, Jagadish.

जाणीवरूपें जगदांतरें । प्रस्तुत वर्तती शरीरें । अंतःकरणविष्णु येणें प्रकारें । वोळखावा ॥ १३ ॥

In the form of awareness, all the bodies throughout the world are presently active and functioning. In this way, He should be recognized as the Vishnu who dwells within the inner faculty.

तो विष्णु आहे जगदांतरीं । तोचि आपुले अंतरीं । कर्ता भोक्ता चतुरीं । अंतरात्मा वोळखावा ॥ १४ ॥

That same Vishnu who is within the world is also within one's own inner self. Wise people should recognize Him as the inner Self, both the doer and the enjoyer of all experience.

ऐके देखे हुंगे चाखे । जाणोन विचारें ओळखे । कित्येक आपुले पारिखे । जाणताहे ॥ १५ ॥

It is He who hears, sees, smells, and tastes; He should be recognized through knowledge and reflection. It is He alone who knows what is one's own and what belongs to another.

येकची जगाचा जिव्हाळा । परी देहलोभाचा आडताळा । देहसमंधें वेगळा । अभिमान धरी ॥ १६ ॥

He alone is the very life and essence of the whole world, but attachment to the body creates a veil over this truth. Because of that bodily connection, each one holds the pride of being a separate individual.

उपजे वाढे मरे मारी । जैशा उचलती लहरीवरी लहरी । चंचळ सागरीं भरोवरी । त्रैलोक्य होत जातें ॥ १७ ॥

Beings are born, grow, die, and destroy — just as wave rises upon wave. In this restless ocean, the three worlds keep coming into being, again and again.

त्रैलोका वर्तवितो येक । म्हणोन त्रिलोक्यनायेक । ऐसा प्रत्ययाचा विवेक । पाहाना कैसा ॥ १८ ॥

It is the One alone who makes the three worlds function, and that is why He is called the Lord of the three worlds. See for yourself how this discernment arises from direct experience.

ऐसा अंतरात्मा बोलिला । परी तोहि तत्वांमधें आला । पुढें विचार पाहिजे केला । माहावाक्याचा ॥ १९ ॥

In this way the inner Self has been described, but even this still falls within the realm of the elements and principles. Beyond this, one must go on to contemplate the great Vedantic sayings, such as 'That thou art.'

आधीं देखिला देहधारी । मग पाहावें जगदांतरीं । तयाचेनियां उपरी । परब्रह्म पावे ॥ २० ॥

First one must look at the embodied being, then look within the inner nature of the world, and only beyond that is Parabrahma finally attained.

परब्रह्माचा विचार । होतां निवडे सारासार । चंचळ जाईल हा निर्धार । चुकेना कीं ॥ २१ ॥

When one truly inquires into Parabrahma, the essential is distinguished from the inessential. It is certain, without fail, that whatever is restless and transient will ultimately fall away.

उत्पत्ति स्थिति संव्हार जाण । त्याहून वेगळा निरंजन । येथें ज्ञानाचें विज्ञान । होत आहे ॥ २२ ॥

That which is entirely distinct from creation, preservation, and dissolution — that alone is the stainless Absolute. It is here that mere knowledge turns into realized, direct wisdom.

अष्टदेह थानमान । जाणोन जालियां निर्शन । पुढें उरे निरंजन । विमळ ब्रह्म ॥ २३ ॥

When one has understood the position of the eight bodies (the various sheaths) and set them aside one by one, what finally remains is the pure, stainless Absolute.

विचारेंचि अनन्य जाला । पाहाणाराविण प्रत्यय आला । तेहि वृत्ति निवृत्तीला । बरें पाहा ॥ २४ ॥

Through inquiry itself, one becomes wholly one with it, and realization dawns without any separate observer remaining. Observe well how even that very mental activity finally subsides and comes to rest.

येथें राहिला वाच्यांश । पाहोन सांडिला लक्ष्यांश । लक्ष्यांशासारिसा वृत्तिलेश । तोहि गेला ॥ २५ ॥

Here, first the literal meaning of the words remains; upon seeing it, even the indicated, deeper meaning is finally set aside. And along with that indicated meaning, even the last trace of mental modification also fades away.