प्रागकारणमेवाऽऽशु सर्गादौ सर्गलीलया । स्फुरित्वा कारणं भूतं प्रत्यक्षं स्वयमात्मनि ॥ २१ ॥
prāgakāraṇamēvā’’śu sargādau sargalīlayā | sphuritvā kāraṇaṁ bhūtaṁ pratyakṣaṁ svayamātmani || 21 ||
Translation
Before creation, he was without cause; then quickly, at the beginning of creation, in the play of creating, having stirred forth, he himself became the cause, the direct, in himself.
Word by word
- prāg
- before
- akāraṇam
- without cause
- ēva
- indeed
- āśu
- quickly
- sarga
- of creation; of creating
- ādau
- at the beginning
- līlayā
- in the play
- sphuritvā
- having stirred forth
- kāraṇaṁ
- the cause
- bhūtaṁ
- became
- pratyakṣaṁ
- the direct
- svayam
- himself
- ātmani
- in himself
Meaning
The commentary: before creation the witness was one, and present as no cause at all. At the start of creation, taking on the state of creation as a play, it made the state of being a cause appear in itself; that is, it became its own cause. The verse uses the word just defined: the cause is pratyakṣa, the direct, the witness of verses 17 and 18. Nothing outside it produced the world, and nothing outside it was needed.