असद्वा इदमग्र आसीत् ।ततो वै सदजायत ।तदात्मानँ स्वयमकुरुत ।तस्मात्तत्सुकृतमुच्यत इति ।यद्वै तत् सुकृतम् ।रसो वै सः ।रसँ ह्येवायं लब्ध्वाऽऽनन्दी भवति ।को ह्येवान्यात्कः प्राण्यात् ।यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात् ।एष ह्येवानन्दयाति ।यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नदृश्येऽनात्म्येऽनिरुक्तेऽनिलयनेऽभयं प्रतिष्ठां विन्दते ।अथ सोऽभयं गतो भवति ।यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नुदरमन्तरं कुरुते ।अथ तस्य भयं भवति ।तत्त्वेव भयं विदुषोऽमन्वानस्य ।तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
In the beginning this was non-being; from that being was born. That made itself a self, and therefore it is called well-made. What is well-made is savour indeed; for having obtained savour, a man becomes full of bliss. Who could breathe out and who could breathe in, if this bliss were not in space? For it is this that makes for bliss. When a man finds fearlessness and a footing in this unseen, bodiless, undefined, unfounded one, then he has gone to fearlessness. But when a man makes even a little separation in it, then there is fear for him — and that is fear for one who knows but does not reflect. On this too there is a verse.