ಏಕಾತ್ಮಜಾ ಮೇ ಜನನೀ ಯೋಷಿನ್ಮೂಢಾ ಚ ಕಿಙ್ಕರೀ । ಮಯ್ಯಾತ್ಮಜೇಽನನ್ಯಗತೌ ಚಕ್ರೇ ಸ್ನೇಹಾನುಬಂಧನಮ್
My mother, born of one self, a woman and yet bewildered, acted as a servant; because she focused exclusively on my person, a bond of affection was formed.
ಸಾಸ್ವತಂತ್ರಾ ನ ಕಲ್ಪಾಸೀದ್ ಯೋಗಕ್ಷೇಮಂ ಮಮೇಚ್ಛತೀ । ಈಶಸ್ಯ ಹಿ ವಶೇ ಲೋಕೋ ಯೋಷಾ ದಾರುಮಯೀ ಯಥಾ
She would not remain forever free, desiring my welfare; for the world lies under the Lord’s sway, just as a woman is subject to a man.
ಅಹಂ ಚ ತದ್‍ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಕುಲೇ ಊಷಿವಾಂಸ್ತದಪೇಕ್ಷಯಾ । ದಿಗ್ದೇಶಕಾಲಾವ್ಯುತ್ಪನ್ನೋ ಬಾಲಕಃ ಪಞ್ಚಹಾಯನಃ
I, born into that brahmin household and lacking other desires, appeared as a child, shaped by direction, region and time, the fifth in line.
ಏಕದಾ ನಿರ್ಗತಾಂ ಗೇಹಾದ್ ದುಹನ್ತೀಂ ನಿಶಿ ಗಾಂ ಪಥಿ । ಸರ್ಪೋಽದಶತ್ಪದಾ ಸ್ಪೃಷ್ಟಃ ಕೃಪಣಾಂ ಕಾಲಚೋದಿತಃ
Once, leaving the house at night along a cow-track to milk the cows, I was touched by a snake with ten steps and, driven by fear, became miserly.
ತದಾ ತದಹಮೀಶಸ್ಯ ಭಕ್ತಾನಾಂ ಶಮಭೀಪ್ಸತಃ । ಅನುಗ್ರಹಂ ಮನ್ಯಮಾನಃ ಪ್ರಾತಿಷ್ಠಂ ದಿಶಮುತ್ತರಾಮ್
Then, hoping to pacify the devotees of that lord, I thought myself graced and took my stand toward the northern direction at dawn.
ಸ್ಫೀತಾಞ್ಜನಪದಾಂಸ್ತತ್ರ ಪುರಗ್ರಾಮವ್ರಜಾಕರಾನ್ । ಖೇಟಖರ್ವಟವಾಟೀಶ್ಚ ವನಾನ್ಯುಪವನಾನಿ ಚ
There I saw wide-open sanctified places, villages and cow-encircling paths, threshing floors and peasant cottages, and groves and gardens.
ಚಿತ್ರಧಾತುವಿಚಿತ್ರಾದ್ರೀನ್ ಇಭಭಗ್ನಭುಜದ್ರುಮಾನ್ । ಜಲಾಶಯಾನ್ ಶಿವಜಲಾನ್ ನಲಿನೀಃ ಸುರಸೇವಿತಾಃ
Hills of diverse minerals and variety, trees with broken arms, water-bodies with auspicious waters, lotus-pools tended by reeds and aromatic plants.
ಚಿತ್ರಸ್ವನೈಃ ಪತ್ರರಥೈಃ ವಿಭ್ರಮದ್ ಭ್ರಮರಶ್ರಿಯಃ । ನಲವೇಣುಶರಸ್ತಮ್ಬ ಕುಶಕೀಚಕಗಹ್ವರಮ್
Leaves like colourful chariots and roving bees in abundance, the sound of a flute and stalks, huts of grass, blades of kusa grass and caverns.
ಏಕ ಏವಾತಿಯಾತೋಽಹಂ ಅದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಂ ವಿಪಿನಂ ಮಹತ್ । ಘೋರಂ ಪ್ರತಿಭಯಾಕಾರಂ ವ್ಯಾಲೋಲೂಕಶಿವಾಜಿರಮ್
I alone advanced into that vast forest, seeing a dreadful sight that inspired horror: serpents, frogs, and other fearful creatures.
ಪರಿಶ್ರಾನ್ತೇನ್ದ್ರಿಯಾತ್ಮಾಹಂ ತೃಟ್ಪರೀತೋ ಬುಭುಕ್ಷಿತಃ । ಸ್ನಾತ್ವಾ ಪೀತ್ವಾ ಹ್ರದೇ ನದ್ಯಾ ಉಪಸ್ಪೃಷ್ಟೋ ಗತಶ್ರಮಃ
Exhausted in body and senses, hungry and deprived, I bathed and drank in the lake and river; weariness touched me as I went on.
ತಸ್ಮಿನ್ನಿರ್ಮನುಜೇಽರಣ್ಯೇ ಪಿಪ್ಪಲೋಪಸ್ಥ ಆಶ್ರಿತಃ । ಆತ್ಮನಾತ್ಮಾನಮಾತ್ಮಸ್ಥಂ ಯಥಾಶ್ರುತಮಚಿನ್ತಯಮ್
In that wild place, sheltered under a pipal tree, I contemplated self and Self within the self exactly as I had heard.
ಧ್ಯಾಯತಶ್ಚರಣಾಂಭೋಜಂ ಭಾವನಿರ್ಜಿತಚೇತಸಾ । ಔತ್ಕಣ್ಠ್ಯಾಶ್ರುಕಲಾಕ್ಷಸ್ಯ ಹೃದ್ಯಾಸೀನ್ಮೇ ಶನೈರ್ಹರಿಃ
Fixing my gaze on the master of my feet and lips, with a mind victorious over emotion, tears welling from my eyes, slowly may Hari dwell in my heart.
ಪ್ರೇಮಾತಿಭರನಿರ್ಭಿನ್ನ ಪುಲಕಾಙ್ಗೋಽತಿನಿರ್ವೃತಃ । ಆನಂದಸಂಪ್ಲವೇ ಲೀನೋ ನಾಪಶ್ಯಮುಭಯಂ ಮುನೇ
Overwhelmed by love, my limbs trembled and collapsed; immersed in a flood of bliss, O sage, I could not perceive any danger.
ರೂಪಂ ಭಗವತೋ ಯತ್ತನ್ ಮನಃಕಾನ್ತಂ ಶುಚಾಪಹಮ್ । ಅಪಶ್ಯನ್ ಸಹಸೋತ್ತಸ್ಥೇ ವೈಕ್ಲವ್ಯಾದ್ ದುರ್ಮನಾ ಇವ
When I suddenly beheld that auspicious, pure‑removing form of the Lord, my heart sank as if seized by faintness and despair.
ದಿದೃಕ್ಷುಸ್ತದಹಂ ಭೂಯಃ ಪ್ರಣಿಧಾಯ ಮನೋ ಹೃದಿ । ವೀಕ್ಷಮಾಣೋಽಪಿ ನಾಪಶ್ಯಂ ಅವಿತೃಪ್ತ ಇವಾತುರಃ
Again and again I wished to see it, fixing my heart and mind upon it; though I strove to look, I could not — like one insatiably sick.
ಏವಂ ಯತನ್ತಂ ವಿಜನೇ ಮಾಮಾಹಾಗೋಚರೋ ಗಿರಾಮ್ । ಗಂಭೀರಶ್ಲಕ್ಷ್ಣಯಾ ವಾಚಾ ಶುಚಃ ಪ್ರಶಮಯನ್ನಿವ
Thus striving, I spoke words beyond hearing: with deep, soft speech as if pacifying the pure‑hearted I uttered it aloud.
ಹನ್ತಾಸ್ಮಿನ್ ಜನ್ಮನಿ ಭವಾನ್ ಮಾ ಮಾಂ ದ್ರಷ್ಟುಮಿಹಾರ್ಹತಿ । ಅವಿಪಕ್ವಕಷಾಯಾಣಾಂ ದುರ್ದರ್ಶೋಽಹಂ ಕುಯೋಗಿನಾಮ್
Alas, in this birth you are not fit to behold me; among those of immature temperament I am hard to see, O ascetic.
ಸಕೃದ್ ಯದ್ ದರ್ಶಿತಂ ರೂಪಂ ಏತತ್ಕಾಮಾಯ ತೇಽನಘ । ಮತ್ಕಾಮಃ ಶನಕೈಃ ಸಾಧು ಸರ್ವಾನ್ ಮುಞ್ಚತಿ ಹೃಚ್ಛಯಾನ್
Once the form was shown for your sake, faultless one; gradually, as you rightly long for it, the desire for me frees all attachments in the heart.
ಸತ್ಸೇವಯಾಽದೀರ್ಘಯಾ ತೇ ಜಾತಾ ಮಯಿ ದೃಢಾ ಮತಿಃ । ಹಿತ್ವಾವದ್ಯಮಿಮಂ ಲೋಕಂ ಗನ್ತಾ ಮಜ್ಜನತಾಮಸಿ
By long, faithful service your mind toward me has become firm; having abandoned the impermanent world, go — you are sinking into darkness.
ಮತಿರ್ಮಯಿ ನಿಬದ್ಧೇಯಂ ನ ವಿಪದ್ಯೇತ ಕರ್ಹಿಚಿತ್ । ಪ್ರಜಾಸರ್ಗನಿರೋಧೇಽಪಿ ಸ್ಮೃತಿಶ್ಚ ಮದನುಗ್ರಹಾತ್
Bind your mind to me so it never falls into peril; even to prevent the creation of beings, remember me by my grace.