Narration on Brahman

1. Anything that appears with a form will be destroyed at the time of the dissolution of the universe. Only the True Form (Swaroopa; Self Nature) of the Self exists eternally.
2. That which is the Essence of everything and is eternal is not false. It is That which is permanent and pervasive everywhere.
3. That which is the "True Nature of God" is also called the "True Nature of the Self." He also has innumerable different names aside from these.
4. The name is used as an indication in order to understand the examples given, but the form or nature of the Self is always beyond the name.
5. It fills the inside and the outside of all objects, but it is hidden from the world. It is as if it is not existing even though it is very close to us.
6. Hearing about God like this, there arises a desire to see God. However, when trying to see God, only the visible world is seen all around.
7. When trying to see it, only the objects appearing to the eyes are seen. By seeing in this way one feels some satisfaction, but this is not the true vision of God.
8. Whatever is seen as "the visible" gets destroyed. Regarding this, it is said in the Upanishads that whatever is seen with the eyes is not one's True Nature.
9. That Self Nature is without any appearance and is inconceivable, and that which is visible and appears is illusory and unreal. It is told in the science of Vedanta that whatever has an appearance is destructible.
10. When trying to see, only visible appearances are seen. Reality is beyond what is visible. With Self-experience it is seen to be both within and beyond all that is visible.
11. What indication can be said about That which is inconceivable, invisible, and without attributes? Understand that your True Nature is itself the nearest thing.
12. Just as everything appears in space and space is permeating everything, in the same way, understand the Lord of the Universe is within and outside of everything.
13. The True Nature of God is such that it is in the water but does not get wet, it is in the earth but does not get worn out, and it is in the fire but does not get burned,
14. It is in the mire, but does not get drowned, it is in the air but does not fly off, and it is in the gold but it cannot be formed into golden ornaments.
15. Like this, it pervades everywhere, yet it cannot be comprehended. That which creates divisions and distinctions in undivided oneness is called pride, or the ego.
16. Now, some signs of the nature of this pride will be given so that it can be easily recognized. Listen with alertness to this explanation.
17. Pride reaches towards the Reality as if it were a part of the experience, and then tries to speak out words to describe the extraordinary experience.
18. Pride says, "I am the Reality now." That itself is the form of pride. It spontaneously makes distinctions in the formless.
19. The delusion of pride is such that it says, "I am Brahman." This becomes apparent by looking with the most subtle of the subtlest seeing.
20. Imagination brings about desires and intention, while Reality is beyond the imagination. Therefore, the end of the endless cannot be comprehended.
21. Explanations that progress in a logical order and fanciful conjectures are all within the realm of the differences of words. The discrimination of "wordless silence" must be pursued inwardly.
22. First take the apparent meaning of words, and then recognize what is being indicated by the words. Once what is being indicated by the words is seen, the apparent meaning doesn't remain.
23. Statements such as "All is Brahman" and "Pure Brahman" are only words that are used to indicate some deeper meaning. However, when discovering That which is being indicated, the indications themselves don't remain.
24. "All" and "pure" are but two perspectives about Brahman that exist only in words. When one's attention becomes fixed in That which is being indicated, both concepts (that everything is Brahman, and that Brahman is pure and untainted by any "things") drop away.
25. That which is being indicated must be experienced. Here the words that are being spoken to indicate it are of no use. When that "main principle" is experienced, the desire to begin speaking about it does not arise.
26. When the four types of speech (the inner inspiration of sound, the sound at the level of the heart, the sound at the level of the throat, and the sound that is actually spoken aloud49) all disappear, where is there any place for articulate language and skill with words?
27. Once a word is spoken, it immediately disappears by itself. Where is there anything permanent about speech? This is the actual case, no proof is required to observe this fact.
28. Words are truly all perishable, accordingly, all opinions and arguments will fall away. Concepts such as "All is Brahman" and "Pure Brahman" don't exist in the actual experience itself.
29. Listen to the signs of experience. Understand that experience means that there is "nothing other." Listen to the signs of this Oneness without other.
30. "Nothing other" means that there is no other thing. In self-surrender all attachments are broken and the Self remains alone by itself.
31. For the Self there is no sense of separate selfhood. This is itself the sign of detachment. These words are being used only so that you might understand.
32. Otherwise, how can That which is being indicated be told in words? By listening to the explanations of the great statements (mahavakyas) of the saints, one begins to easily understand.
33. By listening to the explanations about Reality one should find the attributeless Brahman. In order to understand, one must see oneself by oneself.
34. Without speaking, the meaning of That which is being indicated should be considered again and again while remaining dissolved in it. Thus it is said that the absence of speaking is the adornment of great men.
35. Words have become silent, and the Vedas fall speechless saying "not this, not this," (neti, neti). This must now become actual Self-experience.
36. If after having obtained experience one continues to indulge in conjecture and guesswork, this is a sign of obstinate pride. This is basically saying, "I am ignorant, I cannot understand anything."
37. Instead say, "I am false, my speech is false, my behavior and walking is false. 'I' and 'mine' is false, everything is false. All is only imagination.
38. For 'me' and 'mine' there is no place at all. All of my speech is entirely meaningless. All of this is the nature of manifestation which is Illusion, and all of manifestation is false."
39. Manifestation (Prakriti) and the "Primordial Being" prior to manifestation (Purusha) are both bound to disappear, so how can there be any independently existing individual?
40. Where everything has disappeared without anything remaining, how can there be anything remaining? It is like breaking the silence to say "I am silent."
41. Therefore, now don’t break the silence. While doing, don’t do anything. While being, don’t remain as anything. This is only understood through the power of discrimination.