Ode to the Cosmic Man

In the beginning there was neither Manifest nor unmanifest,
Neither Being nor Being, Neither Night nor Day,
The triune attributes of Universal Mind then dissolved in Thee
Thou alone existed then as Existence - Consciousness - Beatitude !



This is the translation of a sloka from the divine Narayaneeyam, which has been referred to as the Fifth Veda ( Vyaktha vyakhtamidam na kinchitabhavat......) Here are other translations.


All this is mirrored in Becoming
Truly a dream in the Cosmic Mind !
During involution Thou withdrew the Universe into Thyself
Thou alone existed then as Existence - Consciousness - Beatitude !

In Whom all this is illumined
In Whom all this shines eternally
Who transcends Mind, Word, Intellect
Before that Mighty Being, I bow !

Thou art neither Man nor Beast
Neither demon nor celestials
Neither Male nor Female
Neither Wealth nor Karma
Which human knows Thy true Form ?
In the Upanishadic method of " Not this, not this "
Where all finites are negatived

(Only the Absolute " I " cannot be negatived
Who can say 'I Consciousness " does not exist? )

That Absolute " I " is Thine true form
Before that Mighty Being, I bow !

Thou hast been defined as Atom
Also by many as Karma
As the Controller of the Universe
Some call Thee all consuming Time
Poets say Thou art the cause of the Universe
Thou art extolled as the Self in the Upanishads
In Sankhya thought as the Nature Primal
Before that Mighty Being, I bow !