1.
kaṭākṣa-kiraṇācānta-naman-mohabdhaye namaḥ,
anantānanda-kṛṣṇāya jagan-maṅgala-mūrtaye.
2.
I am. Always I illumine. Never am I unbeloved.
For I am Brahman alone and my nature is satcitananda.
3.
Rising in my space of consciousness is this universe like a castle in the sky.
Thus how can I not be Brahman, all-knowing and the cause of all?
4.
I always know myself. Without parts,
origination, shelter, or support, I am indestructible.
5.
There is no drying, burning, wetting, cutting, or dividing that space of awareness.
The real is untouched by wind, fire, water, weapons, or other instruments of illusion.
6.
This universe cannot be experienced without the revelation of consciousness.
I am that onnipresent light of awareness which is all-pervading.
7.
Without light, the world does not exist. Without consciousness, there is no light.
Without the unreal superimposed on the real, there is no union with consciousness. For I am nondual.
8.
Neither body nor senses am I. Nor life-force nor mind nor intelligence.
These have been embraced as mine only because of this play of thoughts in the mind.
9.
The witness, all-pervading and beloved am I, and I am never
changing, limited, nor afflicted with suffering.
10.
The mind’s I in deep sleep doesn’t see sorrow, imperfection, or fault.
Samsara belongs to ego and not the witness of the traveling samsari.
11.
The one who sleeps doesn’t know sleep. The one who doesn't sleep neither wakes nor dreams.
I am the witness of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, and thus beyond those states.
12.
Worldly knowledge ends in deep sleep. It rises in dreaming and waking.
How can these three states belong to me, their witness, eternally aware?
13.
I am the knower of things with six states of change. Otherwise, I am free of all change.
Observing these changes would be impossible if I weren't free of them.
14.
In various ways appearances rise and fall again and again.
How can such changing things observe these changes?
15.
No one can ever see their own birth or death.
These two are the final point of prior non-existence and initial point of later non-existence.
16.
I do not know—is a statement appearing in the light of consciousness.
How can such darkness touch the Self-luminous Self?
17.
Even so, this indescribable entity does appear in the absence of investigation
like a mist in the sky of consciousness, until the sun of inquiry rises.
18.
With ignorance of the true self, a great sleep yawns, filling with this universe.
A long dream then appears with delusions of heaven, liberation, and all the rest.
19.
This division between the sentient and insentient is imagined in me, pure consciousness.
As on the surface of a wall or on the canvas of a painting, there's a division between moving and unmoving objects.
20.
Since it's relative to thoughts teflecting in the mind, even being the witness isn't real
but merely a pointer to a sea of consciousness free from all waves.
21.
As an ocean of immortality, I cannot be destroyed by the birth of imaginary waves.
As a crystal mountain, I cannot be colored by the dream of fleeting evening clouds.
Bibliography
The One and One Only: Advaita Makaranda by Swami Tejomayananda
Advaita Makaranda - The Nectar of Non-duality of Sri Laksmidhara Kavi, translation and commentary by Swami Atmarupananda
A Nip of Nectar: A translation of Advaita Makaranda of Poet Lakṣmīdhara by Anonymous
Advaita Makaranda Translation & Commentary by Ann Berliner
22wip
Existence is my nature and not a quality, like spaceness is of space.
• jaḍa: Insentient / inert / matter.
• ajaḍa: Sentient / conscious / life.
• vibhāgaḥ: Division / distinction.
• अयम् (ayam): This.
• अजडे (ajaḍe): In the insentient-less / in the purely conscious.
• मयि (mayi): In me. [1]
• कल्पितः (kalpitaḥ): Imagined / projected / superimposed. [1]
• भित्ति-भागे (bhitti-bhāge): On the surface of a wall.
• bhitti: Wall.
• bhāge: On the part / surface.
• समे (same): On the flat / smooth / uniform.
• चित्रे (citre): In a painting.
• चराचर-विभाग-वत् (carācara-vibhāga-vat): Like the division between the moving and the non-moving.
• cara: Moving / animate creatures.
• acara: Non-moving / inanimate objects.
• vibhāga: Division.
• vat: Like / similar to. [1]
Makaranda 18 Sanskrit
o ātma: The true Self / Soul.
o ajñāna: Ignorance / non-knowledge. [1, 2]
• महानिद्रा (mahā-nidrā): The great sleep / deep slumber.
o mahā: Great / profound.
o nidrā: Sleep. [1, 2]
• जृम्भिते (jṛmbhite): Yawned out / stretched / manifested / brought forth.
• अस्मिन् (asmin): In this (locative case). [1]
• जगन्मये (jagan-maye): Composed of the universe / filled with the world.
o jagat: The moving world / universe.
o maya: Consisting of / filled with. [1, 2, 3]
• दीर्घस्वप्ने (dīrgha-svapne): In the long dream.
o dīrgha: Long / prolonged.
o svapne: In the dream (locative case). [1, 2]
• स्फुरन्ति (sphuranti): Flash / appear / manifest / throb (present tense verb).
• एते (ete): These (plural).
• स्वर्गमोक्षादि (svarga-mokṣa-ādi): Heaven, liberation, and the rest.
o svarga: Heaven / paradise.
o mokṣa: Liberation / final emancipation.
o ādi: Et cetera / and so on. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• विभ्रमाः (vibhramāḥ): Delusions / illusions / errors / wanderings (plural).
a.
• tathā api (tathā’pi): Even so / nevertheless.
o tathā: In that manner / so.
o api: Even / also. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• ābhāti: Appears / shines forth / manifests. [1]
• kaḥ api (ko’pyeṣa = ko’pi + eṣa): Someone / something indefinable.
o kaḥ: Who / what.
o api: Even (together, kaḥ api means "some indescribable entity"). [1, 2, 3]
• eṣaḥ (eṣa): This.
• vicāra-abhāva-jīvanaḥ (vicārābhāva-jīvanaḥ): Living on the absence of inquiry.
o vicāra: Inquiry / discrimination.
o abhāva: Absence / lack.
o jīvanaḥ: One whose life or existence depends on. [1, 2, 3]
b.
• avaśyāyaḥ (avaśyāyaś): Dew / frost / mist. [1]
• cit-ākāśe (cidākāśe): In the sky of consciousness.
o cit: Pure consciousness.
o ākāśe: In the sky / space. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• vicāra-arka-udaya-avadhiḥ (vicārārkodayāvadhiḥ): Lasting only until the rise of the sun of inquiry.
o vicāra: Inquiry.
o arka: Sun.
o udaya: Rise.
o avadhiḥ: Limit / termination / until. [1, 2, 3]
• na (न): Not.
• prakāśe (प्रकाशे): I shine / I am manifest / I am conscious (from the root kāś, 1st person singular present tense).
• aham (अहम्): I.
• iti (इति): Thus / quote marks (indicates that "I do not shine" is a statement or a thought).
• uktiḥ (उक्तिः): Statement / utterance / expression.
• yat (यत्): Whose / of which.
• prakāśa (प्रकाश): Illumination / light / consciousness.
• eka (एक): Solely / alone / only.
• bandhanā (बन्धना): Bound to / dependent upon / tethered to.
• svaprakāśam (स्वप्रकाशम्): Self-luminous / self-shining / illuminating itself.
• tam (तम्): That / to that.
• ātmānam (आत्मानम्): The Self / the soul (Atman).
• aprakāśaḥ (अप्रकाशः): Non-illumination / darkness / ignorance / lack of consciousness.
• katham (कथम्): How?
• spṛśet (स्पृशेत्): Can touch / can affect (potential mood of the root spṛś).
Makaranda 15 Sanskrit
First Line: na ca svajanma-nāśaṁ vā draṣṭum-arhati kaścana
• na (न): Not
• ca (च): And / Also
• svajanma-nāśam (स्वजन्म-नाशम्): Compound word splitting into:
o sva (स्व) = One's own
o janma (जन्म) = Birth
o nāśam (नाशम्) = Destruction / Death
o Meaning: One's own birth or one's own death (as an object of perception). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• vā (वा): Or
• draṣṭum (द्रष्टुम्): To see / To perceive / To witness (Infinitive of the root dṛś). [1, 2]
• arhati (अर्हति): Is able to / Is capable of / Deserves. [1]
• kaścana (कश्चन): Anyone / Any person whatsoever.
Second Line: tau hi prāg-uttarābhāva-carama-prathama-kṣaṇau
• tau (तौ): Those two (referring to birth and death). [1]
• hi (हि): Indeed / Because / Surely. [1]
• prāg-uttarābhāva-carama-prathama-kṣaṇau (प्रागुत्तराभावचरमप्रथमक्षणौ): A complex technical Sanskrit compound (Dvandva combined with Tatpuruṣa):
o prāk-abhāva (प्रागभाव) = Prior non-existence (the state before an object is created).
o uttara-abhāva / pradhvaṁsa-abhāva (उत्तराभाव) = Posterior non-existence (the state after an object is destroyed).
o carama (चरम) = Last / Final.
o prathama (प्रथम) = First / Initial.
o kṣaṇau (क्षणौ) = Dual form of kṣaṇa (moments).
o Meaning combined: They are indeed the final moment of prior non-existence (birth) and the first moment of posterior non-existence (death). [1]
• tena tena (तेन तेन): by that and that; in various; as this or that
• hi (हि): indeed; surely; because
• rūpeṇa (रूपेण): in the form; through the appearance
• jāyate (जायते): is born; arises; manifests
• līyate (लीयते): dissolves; vanishes; merges
• muhuḥ (मुहुः): repeatedly; again and again; constantly
• vikāri-vastunaḥ (विकारिवस्तुनः): of a changing object; of modifyable matter
• teṣām (तेषाम्): of those (changing forms/states)
• anusandhātṛtā (अनुसन्धातृता): the status of being the continuous observer, linker, or rememberer
• kutaḥ (कुतः): how?; from where?; how can there be?
Makaranda 13 Sanskrit
Line 1
• ṣaḍ (षड्) — Six.
• vikāra-vatām (विकारवताम्) — Of those things which possess modifications or changes (referring to the body, mind, and the physical world).
• vettā (वेत्ता) — The knower, witness, or perceiver.
• nirvikāraḥ (निर्विकारः) — Without modifications; changeless / immutable.
• aham (अहम्) — I am.
• anyathā (अन्यथा) — Otherwise
Line 2
• tad (तद्) — Their / those.
• vikāra (विकार) — Modifications / changes.
• anusandhānam (अनुसन्धानम्) — Closely tracking, observing, synthesizing, or remembering a continuous sequence.
• sarvathā (सर्वथा) — In any way; by all means.
• na (न) — Not.
• avakalpate (अवकल्पते) — Is possible / is fit / is conceivable.
(Note: na + avakalpate combine via Sandhi rules to form nāvakalpate, meaning "is impossible
Makaranda 12 Sanskrit
Word-by-Word Breakdown
• vijñāna-viratiḥ (विज्ञान-विरतिः)
o vijñāna: specific, objective, or worldly knowledge.
o viratiḥ: cessation, stopping, or pause.
o Meaning: The temporary stopping of objective or worldly knowledge.
• suptis (सुप्तिः)
o Meaning: Deep, dreamless sleep (sushupti).
• tat-janma (तज्-जन्म)
o tat: its (referring back to vijñāna, objective knowledge).
o janma: birth, arising, or manifestation.
o Meaning: The arising or rebirth of that objective knowledge.
• svapna-jāgarau (स्वप्न-जागरौ)
o svapna: dream state.
o jāgarau: waking state (dual noun form grouping them together).
o Meaning: The dream and waking states.
• tat-sākṣiṇaḥ (तद्-साक्षिणः)
o tat: of them (the three states).
o sākṣiṇaḥ: for the witness / observer.
o Meaning: For the witness of those three states.
• kathaṃ (कथं)
o Meaning: How? (expressing impossibility).
• me (मे)
o Meaning: To me / mine / my.
• syuḥ (स्युः)
o Meaning: Can they be? / Could they belong?
• nitya-jñānasya (नित्य-ज्ञानस्य)
o nitya: eternal, constant, changeless.
o jñānasya: of knowledge / of consciousness.
o Meaning: Of the one who is eternal consciousness.
• te (ते)
o Meaning: They / those.
• trayaḥ (त्रयः)
o Meaning: Three (referring to waking, dreaming, and deep sleep).
Makaranda 11 Sanskrit
Line 1: suptaḥ suptiṁ na jānāti nāsupte svapna-jāgarau
• suptaḥ: The sleeping person (the one who is asleep).
• suptiṁ: Sleep itself (or the state of deep sleep).
• na: Does not.
• jānāti: Know (realize or experience).
• na: Nor / and not.
• asupte: In the non-sleeping state (i.e., in the waking or dreaming states).
• svapna-jāgarau: The dream and waking states
Line 2: jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptināṁ sākṣyato’ham-atad-daśaḥ
• jāgrat: Waking state.
• svapna: Dreaming state.
• suṣuptināṁ: Of the deep-sleep states.
• sākṣyataḥ: As the witness.
• aham: I (am).
• a-tad: Not those (different from those three states).
• daśaḥ: States (conditions
Bibliography
The One and One Only: Advaita Makaranda by Swami Tejomayananda
Advaita Makaranda - The Nectar of Non-duality of Sri Laksmidhara Kavi, translation and commentary by Swami Atmarupananda
A Nip of Nectar: A translation of Advaita Makaranda of Poet Lakṣmīdhara by Anonymous
Advaita Makaranda Translation & Commentary by Ann Berliner
11-12-25
