Chapter One (प्रथमोऽध्यायः)

नारायणं गुणैः सर्वैरुदीर्णं दोषवर्जितम्। ज्ञेयं गम्यं गुरूंश्चापि नत्वा सूत्रार्थ उच्यते ॥0॥

nārāyaṇaṁ guṇaiḥ sarvairudīrṇaṁ dōṣavarjitam। jñēyaṁ gamyaṁ gurūṁścāpi natvā sūtrārtha ucyatē ॥1॥

[नारायणम् (nārāyaṇam) - Nārāyaṇa; गुणैः (guṇaiḥ) - in qualities; सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ) - all; उदीर्णम् (udīrṇam) - exalted; दोषवर्जितम् (dōṣavarjitam) - devoid of defects; ज्ञेयम् (jñēyam) - to be known; गम्यम् (gamyam) - to be attained; गुरून् (gurūn) - the gurus; च + अपि (ca + api) - and also; नत्वा (natvā) - having bowed to; सूत्र + अर्थः (sūtra + arthaḥ) - the meaning of the sūtras; उच्यते (ucyatē) - is stated;]

After paying homage to Nārāyaṇa, who is exalted in all qualities, free from defects, and to be known and attained, and also to the gurus, the meaning of the sūtras is stated. (0)

विष्णुरेव विजिज्ञास्यः सर्वकर्ताऽगमोदितः। समन्वयादीक्षतेश्च पूर्णानन्दोऽन्तरः खवत्‌ ॥१॥

viṣṇurēva vijijñāsyaḥ sarvakartā’gamōditaḥ। samanvayādīkṣatēśca pūrṇānandō’ntaraḥ khavat‌ ॥1॥

[विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; एव (ēva) - alone; विजिज्ञास्यः (vijijñāsyaḥ) - to be inquired into; सर्व + कर्ता (sarva + kartā) - maker of all; आगम + उदितः (āgama + uditaḥ) - taught by scripture; समन्वयात् (samanvayāt) - because of the consistent purport of scripture; ईक्षतेः (īkṣatēḥ) - because scripture speaks of His conscious willing; च (ca) - and; पूर्णानन्दः (pūrṇānandaḥ) - possessed of complete bliss; अन्तरः (antaraḥ) - the one within; खवत् (khavat) - like space;]

Viṣṇu alone is to be inquired into — the maker of all, declared by scripture — because of the consistent purport of scripture and because scripture speaks of His conscious willing. He is complete bliss, the indwelling One, all-pervading like space. (1) (1)

प्रणेता ज्योतिरित्याद्यैः प्रसिद्धैरन्यवस्तुषु। उच्यते विष्णुरेवैकः सर्वैः सर्वगुणत्वतः ॥२॥

praṇētā jyōtirityādyaiḥ prasiddhairanyavastuṣu। ucyatē viṣṇurēvaikaḥ sarvaiḥ sarvaguṇatvataḥ ॥2॥

[प्रणेता (praṇētā) - the director; ज्योतिः (jyōtiḥ) - effulgence; इति + आद्यैः (iti + ādyaiḥ) - by such terms and others; प्रसिद्धैः (prasiddhaiḥ) - well established in usage; अन्य-वस्तुषु (anya-vastuṣu) - with reference to other entities; उच्यते (ucyatē) - is denoted; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; एव (ēva) - only; एकः (ēkaḥ) - alone; सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ) - by all such terms; सर्व-गुणत्वतः (sarva-guṇatvataḥ) - because all attributes belong to Him / because He possesses every attribute in fullness;]

It is Viṣṇu, and Viṣṇu alone, who is denoted by all terms such as “director” (praṇetā) and “effulgence” (jyōtiḥ), though these terms are conventionally used with reference to other entities, because He possesses all attributes in their fullness. (2)

सर्वगोऽत्ता नियन्ता च दृश्यत्वाद्युज्झितः सदा। विश्वजीवान्तरत्वाद्यैर्लिङ्गैः सर्वैर्युतः स हि ॥३॥

sarvagō’ttā niyantā ca dr̥śyatvādyujjhitaḥ sadā। viśvajīvāntaratvādyairliṅgaiḥ sarvairyutaḥ sa hi ॥3॥

[सर्वगः (sarvagaḥ) - all-pervading; अत्ता (attā) - the enjoyer/consumer; नियन्ता (niyantā) - the controller; च (ca) - and; दृश्यत्व + आदि + उज्झितः (dr̥śyatva + ādi + ujjhitaḥ) - ever free from visibility and the like, i.e. not an object of ordinary sensory apprehension; सदा (sadā) - always; विश्व + जीव + अन्तरत्व + आद्यैः (viśva + jīva + antaratva + ādyaiḥ) - such as being the indwelling presence within the universe and within all jīvas; लिङ्गैः (liṅgaiḥ) - indicatory marks; सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ) - all; युतः (yutaḥ) - endowed; सः (saḥ) - he; हि (hi) - indeed;]

He is all-pervading, the enjoyer and the controller, and is ever free from visibility and the like, i.e. not an object of ordinary sensory apprehension. Indeed, He possesses all the indicatory marks, such as being the indwelling presence within the universe and within all jīvas. (3)

सर्वाश्रयः पूर्णगुणः सोऽक्षरः सन्‌ हृदब्जगः। सूर्यादिभासकः प्राणप्रेरको दैवतैरपि ॥४॥

sarvāśrayaḥ pūrṇaguṇaḥ sō’kṣaraḥ san‌ hr̥dabjagaḥ। sūryādibhāsakaḥ prāṇaprērakō daivatairapi ॥4॥

[सर्व + आश्रयः (sarva + āśrayaḥ) - the support of all; पूर्ण + गुणः (pūrṇa + guṇaḥ) - possessing attributes in their fullness; सः + अक्षरः (saḥ + akṣaraḥ) - he is imperishable; सन् (san) - being; हृद् + अब्ज + गः (hr̥d + abja + gaḥ) - abiding in the lotus of the heart; सूर्य + आदि + भासकः (sūrya + ādi + bhāsakaḥ) - He causes the sun and the rest to shine; प्राण + प्रेरकः (prāṇa + prērakaḥ) - the impeller of Prāṇa; दैवतैः (daivataiḥ) - by the deities; अपि (api) - even;]

ज्ञेयो न वेदैः शूद्रादैः कम्पकोऽन्यश्च जीवतः। पतित्वादिगुणैर्युक्तः तदन्यत्र च वाचकैः ॥५॥

jñēyō na vēdaiḥ śūdrādaiḥ kampakō’nyaśca jīvataḥ। patitvādiguṇairyuktaḥ tadanyatra ca vācakaiḥ ॥5॥

[ज्ञेयः (jñēyaḥ) - to be known; न (na) - not; वेदैः (vēdaiḥ) - through the Vedas; शूद्रादैः (śūdrādaiḥ) - by Śūdras and the like; कम्पकः (kampakaḥ) - the causer of trembling; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - distinct; च (ca) - and; जीवतः (jīvataḥ) - from the jīva; पतित्व + आदि + गुणैः (patitva + ādi + guṇaiḥ) - with qualities such as lordship; युक्तः (yuktaḥ) - endowed; तत् + अन्यत्र (tat + anyatra) - with reference to something other than him; च (ca) - also; वाचकैः (vācakaiḥ) - by words denoting;]

मुख्यतः सर्वशब्दैश्च वाच्य एको जनार्दनः। अव्यक्तः कर्मवाच्यैश्च वाच्य एकोऽमितात्मकः ॥६॥

mukhyataḥ sarvaśabdaiśca vācya ēkō janārdanaḥ। avyaktaḥ karmavācyaiśca vācya ēkō’mitātmakaḥ ॥6॥

[मुख्यतः (mukhyataḥ) - primarily; सर्व-शब्दैः (sarva-śabdaiḥ) - by all words; च (ca) - and; वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - denoted; एकः (ēkaḥ) - alone; जनार्दनः (janārdanaḥ) - Janārdana; अव्यक्तः (avyaktaḥ) - unmanifest; कर्म-वाच्यैः (karma-vācyaiḥ) - by words expressive of action; च (ca) - also; वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - denoted; एकः (ēkaḥ) - alone; अमित-आत्मकः (amita-ātmakaḥ) - of immeasurable nature;]

He is the support of all and possesses every attribute in fullness. Being imperishable, He abides in the lotus of the heart; He causes the sun and the rest to shine and impels Prāṇa. He is to be known even by the deities, but cannot be known through the Vedas by Śūdras and others, i.e those with pridominantly tamasic qualities. He causes trembling, is distinct from the jīva, and is endowed with qualities such as lordship. Janārdana alone is primarily denoted by all words, including words conventionally applied elsewhere. The unmanifest One, whose nature is immeasurable, is also alone expressed by words denoting actions. (4–6)

अवान्तरं कारणं च प्रकृतिः शून्यमेव च। इत्याद्यन्यत्र नियतैरपि मुख्यतयोदितः। शब्दैरतोऽनन्तगुणो यच्छब्दा योगवृत्तयः ॥७॥

avāntaraṁ kāraṇaṁ ca prakr̥tiḥ śūnyamēva ca। ityādyanyatra niyatairapi mukhyatayōditaḥ। śabdairatō’nantaguṇō yacchabdā yōgavr̥ttayaḥ ॥7॥

[अवान्तरम् (avāntaram) - intermediate; कारणम् (kāraṇam) - cause; च (ca) - and; प्रकृतिः (prakr̥tiḥ) - Prakṛti; शून्यम् (śūnyam) - void; एव (ēva) - very; च (ca) - and; इति + आदि (iti + ādi) - such terms and others; अन्यत्र (anyatra) - elsewhere in application; नियतैः (niyataiḥ) - restricted; अपि (api) - even; मुख्यतया (mukhyatayā) - in the primary sense; उदितः (uditaḥ) - denoted; शब्दैः (śabdaiḥ) - by words; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; अनन्त + गुणः (ananta + guṇaḥ) - possessing infinite attributes; यत् (yat) - because; शब्दाः (śabdāḥ) - words; योग + वृत्तयः (yōga + vr̥ttayaḥ) - having a derivational/etymological mode of signification;]

He is primarily denoted even by words which, elsewhere, are restricted to other referents, such as “intermediate cause,” “Prakṛti,” and “the void.” Therefore, He possesses infinite attributes, since words signify through their derivational meanings. (7)

॥इति प्रथमोऽध्यायः॥

॥iti prathamō’dhyāyaḥ॥

[इति (iti) - thus ends; प्रथमः अध्यायः (prathamaḥ adhyāyaḥ) - the first chapter;]

Thus ends the first chapter.