Recognition of the Lord behind the diversity of the world

1 By the Lord must all this be enveloped,

whatever moving thing there is in the moving world.

With this renounced, thou mayest enjoy.

Covet not the wealth of any one at all.

Deeds and the one who renounces

2 Even while doing deeds here,

one may desire to live a hundred years.

Thus on thee, not otherwise than this, is it:

the deed adheres not on the man who does it for God alone.

The forbidding future for those who destroy their own souls

3 Dark are those worlds called,

covered o'er with blind darkness!

Unto them, on deceasing, go

whatever folk are destroyers of their own souls.

God, who surpasses all

4 Unmoving, the One is swifter than the mind.

The senses reached Him not, speeding on before.

Past others running, He goes standing.

By His command the wind carries the waters.

5 He moves. He moves not.

He is far, and He is near.

He encompasses all this by His knowledge,

and He is distinct from all this.

6 Now, he who sees all beings

as created by the Lord,

and sees the Lord as above all beings,

does not shrink away from Him.

7 For him who has seen all beings as the creation of the One Lord,

what delusion, what sorrow is there,

for him who perceives the oneness of the Lord?

Attributes of the Ruler of the world

8 He has encompassed all. The bright, the bodiless, the scatheless,

the sinewless, the pure, unpierced by evil!

Wise, intelligent, all-encompassing, self-existent,

appropriately He distributed provisions through the eternal years.

Transcending the antithesis of knowing

9 Into blind darkness enter they

that worship ignorance;

into darkness greater than that, as it were, they

that delight only in learning.

10 Other, indeed, they say, than knowledge!

Other, they say, than ignorance!

Thus we have heard from the wise

who have explained it to us.

11 Knowledge and ignorance:

he who knows this pair together,

with the one that is needful passes over death,

with knowledge wins the life everlasting.

12 Into blind darkness enter they

who deny that anything was brought into being;

into darkness greater than that, as it were, they

who delight in the created thing itself.

13 Other, indeed, they say, than the creation!

Other, they say, than the denial of creation!

Thus have we heard from the wise

who have explained it to us.

14 Creation and destruction:

he who knows this pair together,

with the knowledge of destruction passes over death,

with the knowledge of creation wins life everlasting.

A dying person's prayer

15 With a golden vessel

the face of the Truth is covered over.

O God, uncover it

for one whose law is truth, that he may see!

16 O Nourisher, the sole Seer, O Controller,

O Lord of the sun and its rays, spread forth Thy light! Gather Thy brilliance!

Thy fairest favour, that may I see.

I am Thy servant!

17 My breath returns to the air that was given!

This body then ends in ashes!

O my purpose, remember! Remember the deed!

O my purpose, remember! Remember the deed!

General prayer of petition and adoration

18 O God, by a goodly path to prosperity lead us,

Thou who knowest all the ways!

Keep far from us crooked-going sin!

Most ample expression of adoration to Thee would we render!