आतां स्तऊं हा परमार्थ । जो साधकांचा निजस्वार्थ । नांतरी समर्थामध्ये समर्थ । योग हा ॥ १॥

Now let me praise this ultimate spiritual truth (paramartha), which is the true self-interest of every seeker, and which, as a path (yoga), is the mightiest among all mighty things.

आहे तरी परम सुगम । परी जनासी जाला दुर्गम । कां जयाचें चुकलें वर्म । सत्समागमाकडे ॥ २॥

In truth, this ultimate goal is extremely easy to reach, yet people find it inaccessible, because they have missed the real key — turning toward the company of the wise and good.

नाना साधनांचे उधार । हा रोकडा ब्रह्मसाक्षात्कार । वेदशास्त्रीं जें सार । तें अनुभवास ये ॥ ३॥

Unlike the deferred, borrowed benefit of countless other spiritual practices, this direct realization of Brahman is available here and now, in ready cash, so to speak. The very essence contained in the Vedas and scriptures becomes available to direct experience.

आहे तरी चहूंकडे । परी अणुमात्र दृष्टी न पडे । उदास परी येकीकडे । पाहातां दिसेना ॥ ४॥

This truth is present everywhere, yet not the slightest trace of it can be caught by sight. Though it stands apart, untouched, as witness, it cannot be seen even when one looks directly for it.

आकाशमार्गी गुप्त पंथ । जाणती योगिये समर्थ । इतरांस हा गुह्यार्थ । सहसा न कळे ॥ ५॥

Only accomplished yogis know this hidden path traveled through the subtle inner sky. Others cannot easily grasp this esoteric meaning.

साराचेंहि निजसार । अखंड अक्षै अपार । नेऊं न सकती तश्कर । कांही केल्या ॥ ६॥

This is the very essence of every essence — unbroken, imperishable, and boundless. No thief, whatever he may do, can ever steal it away.

तयास नाहीं राजभये । अथवा नाहीं अग्निभये । अथवास्वापदभये । बोलोंच नये ॥ ७॥

It has no fear of kings, no fear of fire, and no fear of wild beasts either — indeed, this hardly even needs stating, so obviously safe from all such dangers is it.

परब्रह्म तें हालवेना । अथवा ठावही चुकेना । काळांतरी चळेना । जेथीचा तेथें ॥ ८॥

That supreme Brahman never moves, its place is never mistaken, and it never wavers with the passing of time — it remains forever fixed exactly where it is.

ऐसें तें निज ठेवणें । कदापि पालटों नेणे । अथवा नव्हे आदिक उणें । बहुतां काळें ॥ ९॥

Such is this true, innate treasure — it never changes at all, and however much time passes, it never becomes more or less than it is.

अथवा तें घसवटेना । अथवा अदृश्य होयेना । नांतरी पाहातां दिसेना । गुरु‍अंजनेविण ॥ १०॥

It never wears away, nor does it ever vanish, and yet, without the healing collyrium of the Guru's wisdom, it cannot be seen even when one looks directly at it.

मागां योगिये समर्थ । त्यांचाहि निजस्वार्थ । यासि बोलिजे परमार्थ । परमगुह्य म्हणौनि ॥ ११॥

This was also the true self-interest of the mighty yogis of old. Hence this is called 'paramartha' — the ultimate, most secret truth.

जेंही शोधून पाहिला । त्यासी अर्थ सांपडला । येरां असोनी अलभ्य जाला । जन्मोजन्मीं ॥ १२॥

Only those who diligently sought it found its true meaning. For others, though it is always right there, it has remained unattainable birth after birth.

अपूर्वता या परमार्थाची । वार्ता नाहीं जन्ममृत्याची । आणी पदवी सायोज्यतेची । सन्निधचि लाभें ॥ १३॥

The extraordinary uniqueness of this ultimate truth is that no more talk of birth and death remains, and the very state of union-liberation is attained close at hand.

माया विवेकें मावळे । सारासारविचार कळे । परब्रह्म तेंहि निवळे । अंतर्यामीं ॥ १४॥

Through discernment, maya fades away, one comes to understand what is essential and what is not, and the supreme Brahman itself becomes clear and manifest within the heart.

ब्रह्म भासले उदंड । ब्रह्मीं बुडालें ब्रह्मांड । पंचभूतांचें थोतांड । तुछ्य वाटे ॥ १५॥

Brahman appears vast and immense everywhere; the whole universe seems submerged within that Brahman; and this entire elaborate show made of the five elements comes to seem utterly trivial.

प्रपंच वाटे लटिका । माया वाटे लापणिका । शुद्ध आत्मा विवेका- । अंतरीं आला ॥ १६॥

Worldly life comes to seem false, maya appears trivial and insubstantial, and through discernment the pure Self comes to reveal itself within the heart.

ब्रह्मस्थित बाणतां अंतरीं । संदेह गेला ब्रह्मांडाबाहेरीं । दृश्याची जुनी जर्जरी । कुहिट जाली ॥ १७॥

Once the state of abiding in Brahman becomes firmly established within, all doubt is cast away beyond the very bounds of the universe, and the old, worn-out illusion of the visible world crumbles into decay and dissolves.

ऐसा हा परमार्थ । जो करी त्याचा निजस्वार्थ । आतां या समर्थास समर्थ । किती म्हणौनि म्हणावें ॥ १८॥

Such is this ultimate spiritual truth: whoever practices it truly secures his own real good. Now, how mighty indeed should one call this mighty truth?

या परमार्थाकरितां । ब्रह्मादिकांसि विश्रामता । योगी पावती तन्मयता । परब्रह्मीं ॥ १९॥

It is precisely through this ultimate truth that even Brahma and the other gods find true rest, and yogis attain complete absorption in the supreme Brahman.

परमार्थ सकळांस विसांवा । सिद्ध साधु माहानुभावां । सेखीं सात्विक जड जीवां । सत्संगेंकरूनी ॥ २०॥

This ultimate truth is a resting place for everyone — for the accomplished, for saints, for great souls — and finally, through the company of the good, even for ordinary sattvic and dull-witted souls as well.

परमार्थ जन्माचें सार्थक । परमार्थ संसारीं तारक । परमार्थ दाखवी परलोक । धार्मिकासी ॥ २१॥

This ultimate truth alone makes one's birth worthwhile; it alone carries one safely across worldly existence; and it alone shows the righteous person the path to the world beyond.

परमार्थ तापसांसी थार । परमार्थ साधकांसी आधार । परमार्थ दाखवी पार । भवसागराचा ॥ २२॥

This ultimate truth is the very refuge of ascetics; it is the very support of spiritual seekers; and it alone reveals the far shore of the ocean of worldly existence.

परमार्थी तो राज्यधारी । परमार्थ नाहीं तो भिकारी । या परमार्थाची सरी । कोणास द्यावी ॥ २३॥

Whoever possesses this ultimate truth is truly a king; whoever lacks it is nothing but a beggar. To what, then, can this ultimate truth possibly be compared as an equal?

अनंत जन्मींचें पुण्य जोडे । तरीच परमार्थ घडे । मुख्य परमात्मा आतुडे । अनुभवासी ॥ २४॥

Only when the merit of countless past lives has accumulated does this ultimate truth come to pass, and only then is the Supreme Self actually caught hold of in direct experience.

जेणें परमार्थ वोळखिला । तेणें जन्म सार्थक केला । येर तो पापी जन्मला । कुलक्षयाकारणें ॥ २५॥

Whoever has recognized this ultimate truth has thereby made his birth worthwhile. Anyone else, the sinner, may as well be said to have been born only to bring ruin upon his own family line.

असो भगवत्प्राप्तीविण । करी संसाराचा सीण । त्य मूर्खाचें मुखावलोकन । करूंच नये ॥ २६॥

One should not even so much as look at the face of that fool who, without ever attaining God, merely toils away in the exhausting labor of worldly life.

भल्यानें परमार्थीं भरावें । शरीर सार्थक करावें । पूर्वजांस उद्धरावें । हरिभक्ती करूनी ॥ २७॥

A good person should immerse himself fully in this ultimate truth, make his body's existence worthwhile, and, through devotion to Hari, redeem even his own ancestors.