English translation of Śañkarācārya’s Nirvānaṣaṭkaṃ

The Six Stanzas of Eternal Salvation

The mind, the reasons and sense of pride,

The heart, compassion— of these, none’s me;

Nor ear, nor tongue nor senses to guide:

The nose to smell and the eyes to see;

Neither the vast sky nor shabby Earth,

On energy or air is this Being based;

Form manifested by radiant Mirth—

I’m that Eternity, simply expressed!

Not mere life and beyond ethereal reach,

Not elements of matter nor cells alive,

Nor reaction of limbs or body or speech;

The Eternal Mirth— I thence derive!

I do not envy, nor am ever enraged,

I know not greed or attachment much,

I do not depend and neither do hate,

Within consciousness I’m not caged;

I have no religion or obligation such,

Nor need for wealth, nor carnal desire,

Even desire for salvation did abate—

For I’m flames of the Eternal Fire!

No savings for Heaven, hence; nor any sin;

I have no regret, for none am I keen;

Nothing specially pious, where I feel at home,

No hymn or Bible. I don’t consume

Material stuff nor am ever worn out.

Me, there’s nothing mutable about!

For I’m just bliss without worry or stress,

Out of dormancy in Nature’s recess.

I have no death nor fears for life,

Nor partitioned by any racial strife;

I have no burden of ancestry or birth;

I have no pal, to depend on or care:

No teacher or protégé, my ego to bear—

For what am I but carefree mirth!

I’ve seen the core: the One Presence,

Shapeless in form; yet everywhere

I manifest as that, in deep essence,

By senses felt yet to words unclear!

I have no ties, but am I thus free?

For where is freedom where are no chains?

What else but Bliss is there in me,

For ’neath this skin the One remains.

This, although follows the rhythm of the main text, does not follow the original meter. I am working on a translation which follows the meter as well. Original verses by Ādi Śañkarācārya, perhaps the most important personality in post-classical Hinduism:

মনোবুদ্ধ্যহঙ্কারচিত্তানিনাহংনচশ্রোত্রজিহ্বেনচঘ্রাণনেত্রে। নচব্যোমভূমির্নতেজোনবায়ুশ্চিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥ নচপ্রাণসঞ্জ্ঞোনবৈপঞ্চবায়ুর্নবাসপ্তধাতুর্নবাপঞ্চকোশঃ। নবাক্পাণিপাদৌনচোপস্থপায়ূচিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥ নমেদ্বেষরাগৌনমেলোভমোহৌমদোনৈবমেনৈবমাৎসর্যভাবঃ। নধর্মোনচার্থোনকামোনমোক্ষশ্চিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥ নপুণ্যংনপাপংনসৌখ্যংনদুঃখংনমন্ত্রোনতীর্থংনবেদানযজ্ঞাঃ। অহংভোজনংনৈবভোজ্যংনভোক্তাচিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥ নমৃত্যুর্নশঙ্কানমেজাতিভেদঃপিতানৈবমেনৈবমাতানজন্ম। নবন্ধুর্নমিত্রংগুরুর্নৈবশিষ্যশ্চিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥ অহংনির্বিকল্পোনিরাকাররূপোবিভুত্বাচ্চসর্বত্রসর্বেন্দ্রিয়াণাম্। নচাসঙ্গতংনৈবমুক্তির্নমেয়শ্চিদানন্দরূপঃশিবোঽহংশিবোঽহম্॥