1.
The distinction between “with qualities” and “without qualities” does not exist in Him;
He’s beyond both attachment and non-attachment; Stainless, He’s beyond all forms.
He’s beyond both qualities and the absence of qualities; Though formless, He’s the substance of all forms.
So how can I worship that Shiva, who exists everywhere, like space!
2.
Shiva is not white or yellow; He has no color at all.
That supreme Shiva is both the cause and the effect.
Truly, I am beyond the process of thought; I’m Shiva.
Tell me, friend, how can I bow the Self unto the Self?
3.
I’m neither beginningless nor with beginning; I’m a Sun that never sets.
I’m neither concealed nor unconcealed; I’m a Sun that never sets.
I’m neither illumined nor unillumined; I’m a Sun that never sets.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
4.
I’m desireless, with desire; how shall I speak of that?
I’m unattached, with attachment; how shall I speak of that?
I have no substance, and yet I have; what shall I say of that?
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
5.
I’m undivided, yet I’m every separate form; what shall I say of that?
I’m divided, yet I’m in everything; what shall I say of that?
I’m both eternal and non-eternal; what shall I say of that?
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
6.
I’m neither gross nor subtle; I neither come nor go.
I have no beginning, end, or middle; I’m neither great nor small.
I’m telling all the secrets of the supreme Reality:
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
7.
Know well that all sense organs are made of emptiness;
Know well that all sense-objects are, likewise, emptiness.
Know well that I’m the stainless One; I’m neither bound nor free.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
8.
I’m beyond the intellect and inaccessible to the intellect; it cannot reach to me.
I’m beyond vision, and inaccessible to vision; it cannot reach to me.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
9.
I have no karma; I’m the sacrificial fire in which all karma’s consumed.
I have no sorrow; I’m the sacrificial fire in which all sorrow’s consumed.
I have no craving; I’m the sacrificial fire in which all craving’s consumed.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
10.
Sinless, I consume all sins; I’m the sacrificial fire.
Dutiless, I consume all duties; I’m the sacrificial fire.
Boundless, I consume all bondage; I’m the sacrificial fire.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
11.
I’m beyond non-existence and beyond existence; these don’t pertain to me.
I’m beyond both union and separation; these don’t pertain to me.
I’m beyond both unconsciousness and consciousness; these don’t pertain to me.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
12.
I’m never swayed by attraction or repulsion; I never imagine these.
I’m never swayed by happiness or grief; I never imagine these.
I’m never swayed by passion or dispassion; I never imagine these.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
13.
The clinging-vine of worldly existence cannot affect me at all.
Contentment and pleasures, however many, cannot affect me at all.
The bondage of ignorance—this world of appearance—cannot affect me at all.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
14.
The worldly turmoil produced by rajo-guna has no affect on me.
The suffering produced by tamo-guna has no affect on me.
The pleasure of righteousness produced by sattva-guna has no affect on me.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
15.
Neither troubles, nor sorrows, nor pleasures have any affect on my intellect;
Nor can the difficulties attending yoga have any affect on my mind.
Whatever may happen to stir up the ego cannot affect me at all.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
16.
I’ve put an end to both wavering and unwavering; I don’t even imagine thought.
I’ve put an end to both dreaming and waking; I neither sleep nor wake.
I’ve put an end to animate and inanimate; I’m neither moving nor still.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
17.
I’m not the knower, nor something to be known; nor am I the cause of knowledge.
I’m beyond the realm of speech, the mind and the intellect;
How could the ultimate Reality ever be described by words?
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
18.
I’m beyond both division and non-division; I’m the absolute Reality.
Within? Without? How could I be? I’m the absolute Reality.
I was never created; I’m not an object with substance.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss;I’m everywhere, like space.
19.
I’m beyond the sorrows of attachment; I’m the one Reality.
I’m beyond the sorrows of destiny; I’m the one Reality.
I’m beyond the sorrows of worldly existence; I’m the one Reality.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
20.
Since I am not the first three states of mind, how could I be the fourth (samadhi)?
Since I am not any of the three kinds of time, how could I be a fourth?
I’m the root of serenity, the primal serenity; I’m the absolute Reality.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
21.
Terms such as “long” or “short” do not apply to me.
Terms such as “broad” or “thin” do not apply to me.
Descriptions such as “angular” or “rotund” do not apply to me.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
22.
No mother, father, daughter, or son ever belonged to me.
Neither birth, death, nor the mind ever belonged to me.
I’m always unwavering, always steady; I’m the absolute Reality.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
23.
My nature is boundless, beyond such distinctions as pure and impure.
My nature is boundless, beyond such distinctions as attached or unattached.
My nature is boundless, beyond such distinctions as divided or undivided.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
24.
How could the god, Brahma, and all his attendants live there?
How could the city of heaven, with all its people, live there?
My only form is stainlessness; I’m the absolute Reality.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
25.
How may I speak of that stainless One who is both “this” and “not this”?
How may I speak of that stainless One who is the unsupported Support of all?
How may I speak of that stainless One who has no gender and yet has gender?
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
26.
I’m always the Supreme, whether I’m active or inactive.
I’m the highest bliss, beyond attachment and nonattachment.
I’m everlasting bliss, beyond both forms and formlessness.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
27.
This Maya-dream of a world has no affect on me.
The crookedness and deceit of men has no affect on me.
The truth or falsehood of men’s speech has no affect on me.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
28.
I’m beyond the distinctions of night and day; I can’t be split in parts.
I never wake from within myself; I’m never not-awake.
I’m never moved by thought at all; I never try to be pure.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
29.
I’m neither “the Lord,” nor am I “not the Lord”; I’m the formless Self.
I’m beyond the presence or absence of the mind; I’m the formless Self.
Know well that I’m free of everything; I’m the formless Self.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
30.
I am a house that’s empty; what may I say of that?
I do everything, and yet I do nothing; what may I say of that?
I’m always in the even state; I’m the formless Self.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
31.
I’m beyond being a soul or not a soul; I’m forever shining forth.
I’m beyond being a cause or not a cause; I’m forever shining forth.
I’m beyond both nirvana and bondage; I’m forever shining forth.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
32.
Unlimited by a beginning, I’m forever shining forth.
Unlimited by the continuing play, I’m forever shining forth.
Unlimited by the destruction of all, I’m forever shining forth.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
33.
Though you may be spoken of, you have neither name nor form.
Whether you are divided or undivided, there’s nothing here but you.
O mind, O shameless, wandering mind! Why do you weary yourself so?
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
34.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? There’s no old age or death for you.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? There’s no pain of birth for you.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can’t be touched at all.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
35.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You have no form of your own.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You cannot be deformed.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can never become old.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
36.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can never lose your youth.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can never lose your mind.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You have no organs of sense.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
37.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can’t be touched by lust.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can’t be touched by greed.
Why do you weep and moan, my friend? You can’t be touched by infatuation.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
38.
How can you hanker after wealth? You have no property to support.
How can you hanker after wealth? You have no wife to feed.
How can you hanker after wealth? Nothing can be your own.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
39.
You and I are not attached to this world of ephemeral forms;
It is only the shameless mind which divides the One in parts.
Division and non-division are the same to you and me;
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
40.
Your nature does not contain even a little of dispassion;
Your nature does not contain even a little of passions either.
Your nature does not contain even a little of desire;
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
41.
There’s no object of worship in your heart or in the state of samadhi;
There’s no object of worship in your heart or in the objective world.
There’s no object of worship in your heart; I’m beyond both place and time.
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
42.
I’ve told you all that constitutes the very core of Truth;
There’s no you, no me, no superior being, no disciple, and no Guru.
The nature of the supreme Reality is self-evident and simple;
I’m nectarean knowledge, unchanging bliss; I’m everywhere, like space.
43.
How could the supreme Reality be of the nature of bliss?
How could the supreme Reality be of the nature of blisslessness?
How could the supreme Reality possess either knowledge or ignorance?
If the supreme I am is the one Existence, It’s everywhere, like space.
44.
Understand that It’s neither fire nor air; Realize the One!
Understand that It’s neither earth nor water; Realize the One!
Understand that It neither comes nor goes; Realize the One!
Understand that It’s like space, pervading everywhere; Realize the One!
45.
My nature is neither emptiness nor fullness.
My nature is neither pure nor impure.
I’m neither with form nor without form.
I’m the supreme Reality; my nature is uniquely my own.
46.
Renounce, renounce the world of appearance;
Then renounce renunciation as well.
But, whether you renounce or do not renounce,
Enjoy the nectar of your natural state.