परमाकाशमेवाऽऽदौ जीवतां चेतति स्वयम् । निःस्पन्दाम्भोधिकुहरे सलिलं स्पन्दतामिव ॥ २ ॥
paramākāśamēvā’’dau jīvatāṁ cētati svayam | niḥspandāmbhōdhikuharē salilaṁ spandatāmiva || 2 ||
Translation
At the beginning the supreme space itself, of itself, knows itself as living, as water in a hollow of the motionless ocean seems to stir.
Word by word
- parama
- the supreme
- ākāśam
- space
- ēva
- itself
- ādau
- at the beginning
- jīvatāṁ
- as living
- cētati
- knows itself
- svayam
- of itself
- niḥspanda
- motionless
- ambhōdhi
- of the ocean
- kuharē
- in a hollow
- salilaṁ
- water
- spandatām
- to stir
- iva
- as
Meaning
The commentary: as in a still sea the water seems to take on movement, so at the beginning of creation the Supreme Self, supreme light, itself has the feeling "I am a jīva". The ocean does not move; a ripple in a hollow of it is still the ocean. The jīva is that ripple.