आकाशीं वायो जाला निर्माण । तैसी ब्रह्मीं मूळमाया जाण । त्या वायोमधें त्रिगुण । आणी पंचभूतें ॥ १ ॥

Just as air arose within space, know that primal maya likewise arose within Brahman. Within that air itself are contained the three qualities and the five elements.

वटबीजीं असे वाड । फोडून पाहातां न दिसे झाड । नाना वृक्षांचे जुंबाड । बीजापासून होती ॥ २ ॥

Within a banyan seed lies contained the whole vast banyan tree, yet if one splits the seed open, no tree is to be seen inside. Still, entire forests of countless trees come into being from that very seed.

तैसी बीजरूप मुळमाया । विस्तार जाला तेथुनियां । तिचें स्वरूप शोधुनियां । बरें पाहावें ॥ ३ ॥

In the same way, the primal maya exists in seed form, and from it alone this whole vast expansion has taken place. One should carefully investigate and understand its true nature.

तेथें दोनी भेद दिसती । विवेकें पाहावी प्रचिती । निश्चळीं जे चंचळ स्थिती । तोचि वायो ॥ ४ ॥

Two distinctions appear there, and one should verify them through discerning direct experience. Within the changeless, that state of restless motion which arises - that itself is the form of air.

तयामधें जाणीवकळा । जगज्जोतीचा जिव्हाळा । वायो जाणीव मिळोन मेळा । मूळमाया बोलिजे ॥ ५ ॥

Within that very air resides the power of awareness, the inner warmth of the light of consciousness pervading the world. The union of air and awareness together is what is called the primal maya.

सरिता म्हणतां बायको भासे । तेथें पाहातां पाणीच असे । विवेकी हो समजा तैसें । मूळमायेसी ॥ ६ ॥

When one hears the word "sarita" (river), it sounds like a woman's name, but when one actually looks, it is nothing but water. Let the discerning understand the primal maya in this very same way.

वायो जाणीव जगज्जोती । तयास मूळमाया म्हणती । पुरुष आणी प्रकृती । याचेंच नांव ॥ ७ ॥

The union of air, awareness, and the light of consciousness pervading the world is what is called the primal maya. Purusha and prakriti too are simply other names for this very same reality.

वायोस म्हणती प्रकृती । आणी पुरुष म्हणती जगज्जोती । पुरुषप्रकृती शिवशक्ती । याचेंच नांव ॥ ८ ॥

Air is called prakriti, and the light of consciousness is called purusha. Purusha-prakriti, or Shiva-Shakti - these too are simply other names for this very same thing.

वायोमधें जाणीव विशेष । तेंचि प्रकृतुमधें पुरुष । ये गोष्टीचा विश्वास । धरिला पाहिजे॥ ९॥

The special awareness present within air is itself the purusha within prakriti. One should hold firm faith in this understanding.

वायो शक्ति जाणीव ईश्वर । अर्धनारी नटेश्वर । लोक म्हणती निरंतर । येणें प्रकारें ॥ १० ॥

Air is Shakti, and awareness is Ishwara - and this very union people always refer to as Ardhanarishwara, the half-male, half-female Lord.

वायोमधें जाणीव गुण । तेंचि ईश्वराचें लक्षण । तयापासून त्रिगुण । पुढें जाले ॥ ११ ॥

The quality of awareness present within air is itself the true characteristic of Ishwara. From that alone the three qualities subsequently arose.

तया गुणामधें सत्वगुण । निखळ जाणीवलक्षण । त्याचा देहधारी आपण । विष्णु जाला ॥ १२ ॥

Among those qualities, sattva-guna is the very mark of pure, unmixed awareness. Taking on a bodily form of that sattva-guna itself, Vishnu came into being.

त्याच्या अंशे जग चाले । ऐसे भगवद्गीता बोले। गुंतले तेंचि उगवले । विचार पाहातां ॥ १३ ॥

It is by his very portion that this whole world functions, so the Bhagavad Gita declares. What seemed entangled and confusing becomes clear and unraveled once properly examined.

येक जाणीव वांटली । प्राणीमात्रास विभागली । जाणजाणों वांचविली । सर्वत्र काया ॥ १४ ॥

That one single awareness has been distributed and divided among all living beings. Knowingly, purposefully, it sustains and protects the body everywhere.

तयेंचे नांव जगज्जोती । प्राणीमात्र तिचेन जिती । याची रोकडी प्रचिती । प्रत्यक्ष पाहावी ॥ १५ ॥

This is called the light of consciousness pervading the world, and it is by its power alone that all living beings remain alive. One should verify this directly, through one's own immediate, tangible experience.

पक्षी श्वापद किडा मुंगी । कोणीयेक प्राणी जगीं । जाणीव खेळे त्याच्या आंगीं । निरंतर ॥१६ ॥

Birds, wild beasts, insects, ants - there is not a single creature in this world within whom this awareness is not constantly at play.

जाणोनी काया पळविती । तेणें गुणें वांचती । दडती आणि लपती । जाणजाणों ॥ १७ ॥

It is by this very awareness that creatures flee to save their bodies, and it is by this same quality that they survive. It is also knowingly, purposefully, that they hide and conceal themselves.

आवघ्या जगस वांचविती । म्हणोन नामें जगज्जोती । ते गेलियां प्राणी मरती । जेथील तेथें॥ १८॥

It sustains the life of the entire world, and that is why it is named the light of consciousness pervading the world. Once it departs, creatures die right where they stand.

मुळींचे जाणीवेचा विकार । पुढें जाला विस्तार । जैसे उदकाचे तुषार । अनंत रेणु ॥ १९ ॥

The original single awareness underwent transformation and expanded on a vast scale afterward - just as a single body of water breaks into countless fine droplets of spray.

तैसे देव देवता भूतें । मिथ्या म्हणोनये त्यांतें । आपलाल्या सामर्थ्यें ते । सृष्टीमधें फिरती ॥ २० ॥

In the same way, gods, deities, and spirits are all likewise forms of that same awareness, and should not be dismissed as unreal. Each moves about through this creation according to its own particular power.

सदा विचरती वायोस्वरूपें । स्वैछा पालटिती रूपें । अज्ञान प्राणी भ्रमें संकल्पें त्यास । बाधिती ॥ २१ ॥

They always move about in the very form of air, changing their shapes freely according to their own will. Ignorant beings, however, burden themselves with needless fear of them through mere delusion and mental projection.

ज्ञात्यास संकल्पेचि असेना । म्हणोन त्यांचेन बाधवेना । याकारणें आत्मज्ञाना । अभ्यासावें ॥ २२ ॥

In the knower, no such mental projection remains at all, and therefore nothing of theirs can ever trouble him. For this very reason one should devote oneself to the practice of Self-knowledge.

अभ्यासिलिया आत्मज्ञान। सर्वकर्मास होये खंडण । हे रोकडी प्रचित प्रमाण । संदेह नाहीं ॥ २३ ॥

Once Self-knowledge is diligently practiced, the bondage of all actions is broken. This is proven by direct, immediate experience, and there is no doubt about it at all.

ज्ञानेविण कर्म विघडे । हें तों कदापि न घडे । सद्गुेरुवीण ज्ञान जोडे । हेंहि अघटीत ॥ २४ ॥

That the bondage of action could break without knowledge - this can never happen at all. And that knowledge could be attained without a true guru - this too is equally impossible.

म्हणोन सद्गुरु करावा । सत्संग शोधून धरावा । तत्वविचार विवरावा । अंतर्यामीं ॥ २५॥

Therefore one should take a true guru, seek out and hold to good spiritual company, and continually examine the deeper principles within one's own innermost being.

तत्वें तत्व निरसोन जातां । आपला आपणचि तत्वता । अनन्यभावें सार्थकता । सहजचि जाली ॥ २६ ॥

As one principle after another is discarded and left behind, in the end one truly remains simply one's own self. Through such wholehearted, undivided devotion, life's fulfillment is achieved quite naturally.

विचार न करितां जें जें केलें । तें तें वाउगें वेर्थ गेलें । म्हणोनि विचारीं प्रवर्तलें । पाहिजे आधीं ॥ २७ ॥

Whatever was done without proper reflection has all gone to waste, entirely in vain. Therefore, before undertaking anything at all, one must first engage in careful reflection.

विचार पाहेल तो पुरुषु । विचार न पाहे तो पशु । ऐसी वचनें सर्वेशु । ठाईं ठाईं बोलिला ॥ २८ ॥

One who reflects with discernment is a true human being; one who does not is no better than a beast. Such statements the Supreme Lord himself has declared in place after place.

सिद्धांत साधायाकारणें । पूर्वपक्ष लागे उडवणें । परंतु साधकां निरूपणें । साक्षात्कार ॥ २९ ॥

To establish the final conclusion, one must first refute the preliminary counter-view. But for a true seeker, even the exposition itself can bring about direct realization.

श्रवण मनन निजध्यास । प्रचितीनें बाणतां विश्वास । रोकड साक्षात्कार सायास । करणेंचि नलगे ॥ ३० ॥

When, through listening, reflection, and sustained contemplation, firm faith is instilled by direct proof, then no separate effort is even needed to attain direct realization itself.