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Kalpanāṣaṭkam (Kalpanashatkam)
Six stanzas about imagination
Introduction
In the 1990's, when I was rather new in the Sanskrit universe, I decided to write a poetry to goddess "imagination". It was my first writing in Sanskrit, with so many doubts and hesitations. Besides, at that time, my knowledge about complex Sanskrit meters was "non-existent". So, I wrote a poetry in a free style. A few years ago, I decided to include that poetry in one of my books, but first I had to reformulate it in order to meet the requirements of famous Anuṣṭup meter (the one used in, e.g. Gurugītā, Purāṇa-s and Bhagavadgītā). Now, I decided to include it on this website for everybody to read it.
Now read Kalpanāṣaṭkam and experience Supreme Delight, dear Śiva.
Important: All that is in brackets and italicized within the translation has been added by me in order to complete the sense of a particular phrase or sentence. In turn, all that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes clarifying further information also added by me.
Kalpanāṣaṭkam
कल्पनाषट्कम्
अहं कल्पनया मूढो वस्त्वन्यत्तु भवेत्खलु।
तस्मिन्न मनो दध्यां च कल्पनायां वसामि हि॥१॥
आत्मानं पुरुषं मन्ये नान्यांश्च स्वात्मवत्खलु ।
आत्मना सम्बद्धौ मन्ये देशकालावनुक्षणम्॥२॥
आत्मक्षोभणं चेतश्च मन्ये विघ्नमहङ्कृतम्।
आत्मानं मन्ये जीवेन पुरावृत्तेन तत्त्वतः॥३॥
शास्त्रनीत्या च जगत्सर्वं मनसो बहिर्गतम्।
तेन सा कल्पनाद्यामुष्या व्यापारस्तु नैत्यकः॥४॥
अहं यद्यप्येकं मन्ये वस्तून्येव बहूनि च।
तस्याः शक्तेर्हीनं नूनं जगदेतदसम्भवम्॥५॥
कल्पनाभिधाने देवि त्वोपलभ्य त्वनुग्रहात्।
तव पादकमलयोः पुष्पं प्रेम्णा मयाहितम्॥६॥
Kalpanāṣaṭkam
Ahaṁ kalpanayā mūḍho vastvanyattu bhavetkhalu|
Tasminna mano dadhyāṁ ca kalpanāyāṁ vasāmi hi||1||
Ātmānaṁ puruṣaṁ manye nānyāṁśca svātmavatkhalu|
Ātmanā sambaddhau manye deśakālāvanukṣaṇam||2||
Ātmakṣobhaṇaṁ cetaśca manye vighnamahaṅkṛtam|
Ātmānaṁ manye jīvena purāvṛttena tattvataḥ||3||
Śāstranītyā ca jagatsarvaṁ manaso bahirgatam|
Tena sā kalpanādyāmuṣyā vyāpārastu naityakaḥ||4||
Ahaṁ yadyapyekaṁ manye vastūnyeva bahūni ca|
Tasyāḥ śakterhīnaṁ nūnaṁ jagadetadasambhavam||5||
Kalpanābhidhāne devi tvopalabhya tvanugrahāt|
Tava pādakamalayoḥ puṣpaṁ premṇā mayāhitam||6||
Six stanzas about imagination (kalpanā-ṣaṭkam)
I (aham) (am) deluded (mūḍhaḥ) by imagination (kalpanayā). However (tu), (though) Reality (vastu) is (bhavet khalu) another thing (anyat), I am not worried (na manas dadhyām ca) about that (tasmin). I truly live (vasāmi hi) in imagination (kalpanāyām)||1||
I imagine (manye) myself (ātmānam) to be a limited being (puruṣam) and (ca) the others (anyān) not to be (na) my own Self (sva-ātma-vat) indeed (khalu). I constantly imagine (manye... anukṣaṇam) space and time (deśa-kālau) to be connected (sambaddhau) with me (ātmanā)||2||
I imagine (manye) mind (cetas ca) to disturb me (ātma-kṣobhaṇam) (and) ego (ahaṅkṛtam) (to be) an obstacle (vighnam). I imagine (manye) myself (ātmānam) with a life (jīvena) (and quite a) story behind (purāvṛttena) really (tattvatas)||3||
According to the scriptures (śāstra-nītyā ca), the whole (sarvam) universe (jagat) is externally manifested (bahirgatam) from the mind (manasaḥ). For that reason (tena), that (sā) imagination (kalpanā) (is) primordial (ādyā), (and) its (amuṣyāḥ) operation (vyāpāraḥ tu) (is) constant (naityakaḥ)||4||
Although (yadi api) I (aham) (am) one (ekam), I imagine (manye) many (bahūni ca) things (vastūni eva). Without (hīnam) that power (tasyāḥ śakteḥ), this (etad) universe (jagat) certainly (nūnam) would not exist (asambhavam)||5||
Oh goddess (devi tu) called imagination (kalpanā-abhidhāne), having realized (upalabhya tu) you (tvā) through the divine Grace (anugrahāt), I place (mayā āhitam) a flower (puṣpam) on your feet beautiful like a lotus (tava pāda-kamalayoḥ) with (all my) Love (premṇā)!||6||
Without a global explanation yet
Further Information
This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.
For further information about Sanskrit, Yoga and Indian Philosophy; or if you simply want to comment, ask a question or correct a mistake, feel free to contact us: This is our e-mail address.