आधी स्थूळ आहे येक । तरी मग अंतःकरण पंचक । जाणतेपणाचा विवेक । स्थूळाकरितां ॥ १ ॥

First the gross body exists, and only then follow the five inner faculties; the very capacity for discerning knowledge arises because of the gross body.

तैसेंचि ब्रह्मांडेंवीण कांहीं । मूळमायेसि जाणीव नाहीं । स्थूळाच्या आधारें सर्व हि । कार्य चाले ॥ २ ॥

In the same way, without the cosmos, the primal maya has no awareness of its own; all this working proceeds only on the foundation of the gross world.

तें स्थूळचि नस्तां निर्माण । कोठें राहेल अंतःकर्ण । ऐसा श्रोतीं केला प्रश्न । याचें उत्तर ऐका ॥ ३ ॥

If the gross itself had never come into being, where would the inner faculty reside? — such a question the listeners raised; now hear its answer.

कोसले अथवा कांटेघरें । नाना पृष्ठिभागीं चालती घरें । जीव करिती लहानथोरें । शक्तीनुसार ॥ ४ ॥

Whether it is a snail's shell or a spiny dwelling, many creatures carry their own house upon their backs as they move; small and great creatures alike build such dwellings according to their own capacity.

शंख सिंपी घुला कवडें । आधीं त्यांचें घर घडे । किंवा आधीं निर्माण किडे । हें विचारावें ॥ ५ ॥

For the conch, the shell, the snail, the cowrie — does the shell come into being first, or does the creature come into being first? This should be considered.

आधी प्राणी ते होती । मग घरें निर्माण करिती । हे तों प्रत्यक्ष प्रचिती । सांगणें नलगे ॥ ६ ॥

The creatures come into existence first, and only then do they build their shells; this is a matter of plain, direct experience, needing no further explanation.

तैसें आधी सूक्ष्म जाण । मग स्थूळ होतें निर्माण । येणें दृष्टांतें प्रश्न । फिटला श्रोतयांचा ॥ ७ ॥

In just the same way, understand that the subtle exists first, and only afterward does the gross come into being. With this illustration, the listeners' question is answered.

तव श्रोता पुसे आणीक । जी आठवलें कांहीं येक । जन्ममृत्युचा विवेक । मज निरोपावा ॥ ८ ॥

Just then the listener asks yet another question: 'Sir, I recall one more matter — please explain to me the true understanding of birth and death.'

कोण ज्न्मास घालितें । आणी मागुता कोण जन्म घेतें । हें प्रत्यया कैसें येतें । कोण्या प्रकारें ॥ ९ ॥

Who causes birth, and who again takes birth? By what means can this actually be verified through direct experience?

ब्रह्मा जन्मास घालितो । विष्णु प्रतिपाळ करितो । रुद्र अवघें संव्हारितो । ऐसें बोलती ॥ १० ॥

Brahma gives birth, Vishnu sustains, and Rudra destroys everything — so people say.

तरीं हें प्रवृतीचें बोलणें । प्रत्ययास आणी उणें । प्रत्यय पाहातां श्लाघ्यवाणें । होणार नाहीं ॥ ११ ॥

But this is merely conventional, ordinary talk, lacking any real direct verification; when actual proof is sought, this claim will not stand up to praise or scrutiny.

ब्रह्म्यास कोणें जन्मास घातलें । विष्णूस कोणें प्रतिपाळिलें । रुद्रास कोणें संव्हारिलें । माहाप्रळईं ॥ १२ ॥

Then who gave birth to Brahma himself? Who sustained Vishnu? And in the great dissolution, who destroyed Rudra?

म्हणौनि हा सृष्टीभाव । अवघा मायेचा स्वभाव । कर्ता म्हणों निर्गुण देव । तरी तो निर्विकारी ॥ १३ ॥

Therefore, this whole activity of creation is simply the nature of maya at work; and if one calls the attributeless God the doer, he is, by his very nature, changeless and beyond all action.

म्हणावें माया जन्मास घाली । तरी हे आपणचि विस्तारली । आणी विचारितां थारली । हें हि घडेना ॥ १४ ॥

If one says that maya herself causes birth, she too has merely expanded of her own accord; and upon careful examination, it cannot even be said that she rests fixed anywhere.

आतां जन्मतो तो कोण । कैसी त्याची वोळखण । आणी संचिताचें लक्षण । तेंहि निरोपावें ॥ १५ ॥

Then who exactly is it that takes birth, what is his true identity, and what is the nature of accumulated past karma (sanchit) — explain this too.

पुण्याचें कैसें रूप । आणी पापाचें कैसें स्वरूप । याहि शब्दाच आक्षेप । कोण कर्ता ॥ १६ ॥

What is the true form of merit (punya), and what is the true nature of sin (papa)? And who, in truth, is the doer even of these very words and concepts?

हें कांहींच न ये अनुमाना । म्हणती जन्म घेते वासना । परी ते पाहातां दिसेना । ना धरितां न ये ॥ १७ ॥

All this cannot be resolved by mere reasoning. Some say it is desire (vasana) that takes birth, but when sought, it cannot be seen, nor can it be grasped or held.

वासना कामना आणी कल्पना । हेतु भावना मति नाना । ऐशा अनंत वृत्ती जाणा । अंतःकर्णपंचकाच्या ॥ १८ ॥

Desire, craving, imagination, intent, feeling, understanding — such countless mental modes are all, in truth, but functions of the five-fold inner faculty.

असो हें अवघें जाणीव यंत्र । जाणीव म्हणिजे स्मरणमात्र । त्या स्मरणास जन्मसूत्र । कैसें लागे ॥ १९ ॥

In any case, all this is but a mechanism of awareness, and awareness is nothing more than memory itself. How, then, can the thread of birth ever attach itself to mere memory?

देहो निर्माण पांचा भूतांचा । वायो चाळक तयाचा । जाणणें हा मनाचा । मनोभाव ॥ २० ॥

The body is formed from the five great elements, and wind is what animates it; knowing itself is merely a particular disposition of the mind.

ऐसें हें सहजचि घडलें । तत्वांचें गुंथाडें जालें । कोणास कोणे जन्मविलें । कोण्या प्रकारें ॥ २१ ॥

All this has come about quite naturally, forming an intricate web of interwoven principles; within this, who exactly gave birth to whom, and in what manner, cannot truly be said.

तरी हें पाहातां दिसेना । म्हणोन जन्मचि असेना । उपजला प्राणी येना । मागुता जन्मा ॥ २२ ॥

When this is examined closely, nothing at all can actually be found; so it must be said that there is, in truth, no birth — a creature once born does not come to birth again.

कोणासीच जन्म नाहीं । तरी संतसंगें केलें काई । ऐसा अभिप्राव सर्वहि । श्रोतयांचा ॥ २३॥

If truly no one at all has any birth, then what, after all, is achieved through the company of saints? — such is the collective doubt of all the listeners.

पुर्वीं स्मरण ना विस्मरण । मधेंचि हें जालें स्मरण । अंतर्यामीं अंतःकर्ण । जाणती कळा ॥ २४॥

In the beginning there is neither memory nor forgetting; this memory arises only midway, in between. It is the inner faculty within that knows this very art of knowing.

सावध आहे तों स्मरण । विकळ होतां विस्मरण । विस्मरण पडतां मरण । पावती प्राणी ॥ २५ ॥

As long as one is alert, memory remains; when consciousness fails, forgetting sets in; and when forgetting becomes complete, creatures meet their death.

स्मरण विस्मरण राहिलें । मग देहास मरण आलें । पुधें जन्मास घातलें । कोणास कोणें ॥ २६ ॥

When both memory and forgetting cease altogether, death comes to the body; then who, afterward, gave birth to whom — how can that even be said?

म्हणोनी जन्मचि असेना । आणी यातना हि दिसेना । अवघी वेर्थचि कल्पना । बळावली ॥ २७ ॥

Therefore there is, in truth, no birth at all, nor any real suffering; all of this has simply grown out of utterly futile imagination.

म्हणौन जन्मचि नाहीं कोणासी । श्रोतयांची आशंका ऐसी । मरोन गेलें तें जन्मासी । मागुतें न ये ॥ २८ ॥

Therefore no one truly has any birth at all — such is the listeners' contention; whatever has died does not come back to birth again.

वाळलें काष्ठ हिरवळेना । पडिलें फळ तें पुन्हां लागेना । तैसें पडिलें शरीर येना । जन्मास मागुतें ॥ २९ ॥

Dried wood does not turn green again; a fallen fruit does not reattach itself to the tree; likewise, a body that has fallen does not come to birth again.

मडकें अवचितें फुटलें । फुटलें तें फुटोनिच गेलें । तैसेंचि पुन्हां जन्मलें । नाहीं मनुष्य ॥ ३० ॥

A clay pot that suddenly breaks remains simply broken forever; in the very same way, a person who has died is not born again as that same person.

येथें अज्ञान आणी सज्ञान । सारिखेच जालें समान । ऐसा बळावला अनुमान । श्रोतयांसी ॥ ३१ ॥

This leads to the conclusion that the ignorant and the wise become entirely equal — such is the doubt that has taken firm hold among the listeners.

वक्ता म्हणे हो ऐका । अवघें पाषांड करूं नका । अनुमान असेल तरी विवेका । अवलोकावें ॥ ३२ ॥

The speaker says, listen, do not turn all this into mere irreligious denial; whatever doubt remains should be examined carefully through discernment.

प्रेत्नेंवीण कार्य जालें । जेविल्यावीण पोट भरलें । ज्ञानेंवीण मुक्त जालें । हें तों घडेना ॥ ३३ ॥

Work accomplished without effort, hunger satisfied without eating, liberation attained without knowledge — none of these can ever actually happen.

स्वयें आपण जेविला । त्यास वाटे लोक धाला । परंतु हें समस्तांला । घडले पाहिजे ॥ ३४ ॥

One who has himself eaten may imagine that everyone else is thereby satisfied too; but in truth, each person must eat for himself for his own hunger to be satisfied.

पोहणें सिकला तो तरेल । पोहणें नेणें तो बुडेल । येथें हि अनुमान करील । ऐसा कवणु ॥ ३५ ॥

One who has learned to swim will float across, while one who has not will drown; who, in this matter too, would dare to raise mere idle doubt?

तैसें जयास ज्ञान जालें । ते ते तितुकेच तरले । ज्याचें बंधनचि तुटलें । तोचि मुक्त ॥ ३६ ॥

In the same way, only those who have attained knowledge are truly saved; only one whose bondage has actually been broken is truly liberated.

मोकळा म्हणे नाहीं बंधन । आणी प्रत्यक्ष बंदीं पडिले जन । त्यांचें कैसें समाधान । तें तुम्ही पाहा ॥ ३७ ॥

A free man may say, 'there is no bondage at all'; but as for those who are actually caught in bondage, consider for yourselves how they are to find any contentment in that claim.

नेणे दुसयाची तळमळ । तें मनुष्य परदुःखसीतळ । तैसाच हाहि केवळ । अनुभव जाणावा ॥ ३८ ॥

One who does not feel another's anguish remains cold and indifferent to another's suffering; here too, this very same experience should be understood to apply.

जयास आत्मज्ञान जालें । तत्वें तत्व विवंचिलें । खुणेसी पावतांच बाणलें । समाधान ॥ ३९ ॥

One who has attained knowledge of the Self, who has examined each principle carefully through discernment — upon reaching that true mark, contentment settles firmly within him.

ज्ञानें चुके जन्ममरण । सगट बोलणें अप्रमाण । वेदशास्त्र आणी पुराण । मग कासयासी ॥ ४० ॥

Only through knowledge is birth and death escaped; sweeping generalizations applied to everyone alike are simply unreliable. If it were otherwise, what need would there even be for the Vedas, scriptures, and Puranas?

वेदशास्त्रविचारबोली । माहानुभावांची मंडळी । भूमंडळीं लोक सकळी । हें मानीतना ॥ ४१ ॥

The reasoned discourse of the Vedas and scriptures, and the assembly of great, realized souls — if all these across the whole world do not accept such a sweeping claim, how then can it be true?

अवघें होतां अप्रमाण । मग आपलेंच काय प्रमाण । म्हणोन जेथें आत्मज्ञान । तोचि मुक्त ॥ ४२ ॥

If everything else is thereby rendered unreliable, then what makes one's own claim reliable? Therefore, only where there is true knowledge of the Self is there true liberation.

अवघे च मुक्त पाहातां नर । हाहि ज्ञाचा उद्गार । ज्ञानेंविण तो उद्धार । हूणार नाहीं ॥ ४३ ॥

To claim that 'all men are already liberated' is itself just another such assertion; without true knowledge, real deliverance can never come about.

आत्मज्ञान कळों आले । म्हणोन दृश्य मिथ्या जालें । परंतु वेढा लाविलें । सकळास येणें ॥ ४४ ॥

Only once true knowledge of the Self is attained does the visible world become known as false; but until then, this very visible world keeps everyone bound and entangled within it.

आतां प्रश्न हा फिटला । ज्ञानी ज्ञानें मुक्त जाला । अज्ञान तो बांधला । आपले कल्पनेनें ॥ ४५ ॥

Now this question is resolved: the wise man attains liberation through knowledge, while the ignorant man remains bound by his own imagination.

विज्ञानासारिखें अज्ञान । आणी मुक्तासारिखें बंधन । निश्चयासारिखा अनुमान । मानूंचि नये ॥ ४६ ॥

One should never regard ignorance as equal to true realization, nor bondage as equal to liberation, nor mere inference as equal to certain conclusion.

बंधन म्हणिजे कांहींच नाहीं । परी वेढा लाविलें सर्व हि । यास उपावचि नाहीं । कळल्यावांचुनी ॥ ४७ ॥

Bondage, in truth, is nothing at all, and yet it entangles everyone completely; and there is no remedy for this except through actually coming to know that truth.

कांहींच नाहीं आणी बाधी । हेंचि नवल पाहा आधीं । मिथ्या जाणिजेना बद्धि । म्हणोन बद्ध ॥ ४८ ॥

That which is nothing at all still afflicts a person — this very wonder should first be noted; it is precisely because its falseness is not recognized that one remains bound.

भोळा भाव सिद्धी जाव । हा उधाराचा उपाव । रोकडा मोक्षाचा अभिप्राव । विवेकें जाणावा ॥ ४९ ॥

For simple, devoted faith to bear fruit is a gradual, deferred means; but the immediate, direct truth of liberation must be understood only through discernment.

प्राणी व्हावया मोकळा । आधीं पाहिजे जाणीवकळा । सकळ जाणतां निराळा । सहजचि होये ॥ ५० ॥

For a person to become truly free, he must first possess the art of knowing; once everything is known, he naturally becomes distinct and detached from it all.

कांहींच नेणिजे तें अज्ञान । सकळ जाणिजे तें ज्ञान । जाणिव राहातां विज्ञान । स्वयेंचि आत्मा ॥ ५१ ॥

Knowing nothing at all is ignorance, and knowing everything is knowledge; when awareness itself becomes fully settled, that itself becomes realization, and that itself is the Self.

अमृत सेऊन अमर जाला । तो म्हणे मृत्यु कैसा येतो जनाला । तैसा विवेकी म्हणे बद्धाला । जन्म तो कैसा ॥ ५२ ॥

One who has drunk nectar and become immortal wonders, 'how does death ever come to people?' In just the same way, the discerning man asks the bound person, 'how can you possibly have birth at all?'

जाणता म्हणे जनातें । तुम्हांस भूत कैसे झडपितें । तुम्हास वीष कैसें चढतें । निर्विष म्हणे । ॥ ५३ ॥

The knowing man says to people, 'how does a ghost possess you at all? How does poison affect you at all?' — for he himself is, in truth, free of all such poison and fear.

आधीं बद्धासारिकें व्हावें । मग हें नलगेचि पुसावें । विवेक दूरी ठेऊन पाहावें । लक्षण बद्धाचें ॥ ५४ ॥

One should first become like the bound person himself, and then there will be no need to even ask this; setting discernment aside for a moment, one should directly experience the very condition of bondage.

निजेल्यास चेईला तो । म्हणे हा कां रे वोसणातो । अनुभव पाहाणेंचि आहे तो । तरी मग निजोन पाहावा ॥ ५५ ॥

A person who is awake says of one who is asleep, 'why does he talk in his sleep like that?' But if one truly wants to experience this, one must actually fall asleep and see for oneself.

ज्ञात्याची उगवली वृत्ती । बद्धाऐसी न पडेल गुंती । भुकेल्याची अनुभवप्राप्ती । धाल्यास नाहीं ॥ ५६ ॥

Once the wise man's mental tendency has unfolded and been resolved, it no longer falls into entanglement like the bound man's; the experience of the hungry is simply not available to one who is already full.

इतुकेन आशंका तुटली । ज्ञानें मोक्षप्राप्ती जाली । विवेक पाहातां बाणली । अंतरस्थिती ॥ ५७ ॥

With this, the doubt is fully resolved: it is through knowledge alone that liberation is attained; and through discernment, the true inner state becomes firmly established within.