Chapter 1
11.
How sweet is their union!
The whole world is too small to contain them,
Yet they live happily in the smallest particle.
12.
They regard each other as their own Self,
And neither creates so much as a blade of grass without the other.
17. It is Shiva alone who lives in all forms; He is both the male and the female. It is because of the union of these two complements That the whole Universe exists.
24.
If there are flames,
There is also the fire.
If we catch hold of Shakti,
We have Shiva as well.
39.
When He embraces Her,
It is His own Bliss that Shiva enjoys.
He is the enjoyer of everything,
But there is no enjoyment without Her.
45.
Jñānadev says,
‘I honor the primal pair of Shiva and Shakti Who, by swallowing up the sweet dish of name and form,
Reveal their underlying unity.
59.
So long as Unity is undisturbed,
And a graceful pleasure is thereby derived,
Why should not the water find delight
In the floral fragrance of its own rippled surface?
Chapter 2
60.
Although the supreme Reality is one, Differences arise within It;
But how does differentiation detract from the unity of the whole?
61.
The words, ‘Guru’ and ‘disciple’
Refer to but one;
The Guru alone exists as both these forms.
Chapter 3
19.
If the Self, which is pure Knowledge itself, Requires the help of another knowledge,
Would that not be like the Sun seeking help
Of another light?
Chapter 4
42. When a jar is placed on the ground, We have the ground with a jar; When the jar is taken away, We have the ground without a jar;
43. But, when neither of these conditions exists, The ground exists in its unqualified state. It is in this same way That the ultimate Reality exists.
Chapter 6
36. When the drum of worship is beaten, The worshipper hears it as sound. But when there is no worshipper, That sound of beating does not hear itself.
40.
Even before the sugar cane is planted,
The juice is within it;
But its sweetness is unknown
Except to itself.
41. Even before the strings of the Vina are plucked The sound is within it; But that sound remains unknown, Except to itself.
50. Only those who are able to see Their own faces without a mirror Are capable of understanding The secret of the self-reflecting Reality.
52. Pure Consciousness is beyond Both generalizations and particular statements; It remains ever content in Itself.
63. How can words describe the supreme Reality Where even the subtlest speech itself disappears, And there is left no trace of sound?
64. Why should there be any talk About waking a person who is already awake? Does one begin to cook his food After he has taken his meal and become satisfied?
65. When the Sun rises, The light of the lamps is not needed. Is there a need for a plough At the time of harvest?
66. Truly, there is neither bondage nor freedom; There is nothing to be accomplished. There is only the pleasure of expounding