कान् उत्पातभवान् दोषान् पश्यसि ब्रह्मवित्तम एतं नः संशयं कृत्स्नं वक्तुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः
Which faults, arising from calamity, do you see, O knower of Brahman? You ought to tell us this entire doubt completely.
पञ्च दोषान् द्विजा देहे प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः मार्गज्ञाः कापिलाः सांख्याः शृणुध्वं मुनिसत्तमाः
The wise, who know the path, the Kapilas and Sāṃkhyas, O best of sages, declare five faults in the body; listen, O twice-born.
कामक्रोधौ भयं निद्रा पञ्चमः श्वास उच्यते एते दोषाः शरीरेषु दृश्यन्ते सर्वदेहिनाम्
Desire and anger, fear, sleep, and the fifth is breath—these faults are seen in the bodies of all embodied beings.
छिन्दन्ति क्षमया क्रोधं कामं संकल्पवर्जनात् सत्त्वसंसेवनान् निद्राम् अप्रमादाद् भयं तथा
They cut off anger by forgiveness, desire by abandoning intention, sleep by cultivating purity, and likewise fear by vigilance.
छिन्दन्ति पञ्चमं श्वासम् अल्पाहारतया द्विजाः गुणान् गुणशतैर् ज्ञात्वा दोषान् दोषशतैर् अपि
Twice-borns, by moderation in food, cut off the fifth breath; knowing virtues by hundreds of virtues, and faults even by hundreds of faults.
हेतून् हेतुशतैश् चित्रैश् चित्रान् विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः अपां फेनोपमं लोकं विष्णोर् मायाशतैः कृतम्
Understanding, through hundreds of subtle reasons, the various causes in truth, they see the world as like the foam of water, created by hundreds of illusions of Viṣṇu.
चित्रभित्तिप्रतीकाशं नलसारम् अनर्थकम् तमःसंभ्रमितं दृष्ट्वा वर्षबुद्बुदसंनिभम्
Seeing it as resembling a painted wall, having the essence of reeds, useless, bewildered by darkness, and like a bubble in the rain.
नाशप्रायं सुखाधानं नाशोत्तरमहाभयम् रजस् तमसि संमग्नं पङ्के द्विपम् इवावशम्
A repository of pleasure, yet destined for destruction, and after destruction, great fear arises; immersed in passion and darkness, like an elephant helpless in the mud.
सांख्या विप्रा महाप्राज्ञास् त्यक्त्वा स्नेहं प्रजाकृतम् ज्ञानज्ञेयेन सांख्येन व्यापिना महता द्विजाः
The wise twice-born, skilled in Sāṃkhya, having abandoned attachment born of offspring, with the great and all-pervading knowledge and knowable of Sāṃkhya.
राजसान् अशुभान् गन्धांस् तामसांश् च तथाविधान् पुण्यांश् च सात्त्विकान् गन्धान् स्पर्शजान् देहसंश्रितान्
They cut off the impure rajasika scents, and likewise the tamasika ones, and the pure sattvika scents, all arising from touch and residing in the body.
छित्त्वात्मज्ञानशस्त्रेण तपोदण्डेन सत्तमाः ततो दुःखादिकं घोरं चिन्ताशोकमहाह्रदम्
With the sword of self-knowledge and the staff of austerity, the best of men then cut through the terrible ocean of suffering, worry, and great sorrow.
व्याधिमृत्युमहाघोरं महाभयमहोरगम् तमःकूर्मं रजोमीनं प्रज्ञया संतरन्त्य् उत
By wisdom, they cross over the dreadful disease and death, the great serpent of fear, the tortoise of darkness, and the fish of passion.
स्नेहपङ्कं जरादुर्गं स्पर्शद्वीपं द्विजोत्तमाः कर्मागाधं सत्यतीरं स्थितं व्रतमनीषिणः
O best of twice-born, those devoted to vows reach the muddy attachment, the fortress of old age, the island of touch, the deep river of karma, and the shore of truth.
हर्षसंघमहावेगं नानारससमाकुलम् नानाप्रीतिमहारत्नं दुःखज्वरसमीरितम्
A great current of joy, filled with various tastes, crowded with many delights and great jewels, but stirred by the fever of suffering.
शोकतृष्णामहावर्तं तीक्ष्णव्याधिमहारुजम् अस्थिसंघातसंघट्टं श्लेष्मयोगं द्विजोत्तमाः
O best of twice-born, a great whirlpool of grief and thirst, sharp diseases and great pains, the collision of bones, and the union of phlegm.
दानमुक्ताकरं घोरं शोणितोद्गारविद्रुमम् हसितोत्क्रुष्टनिर्घोषं नानाज्ञानसुदुष्करम्
A dreadful river of charity as pearls, red with the coral of blood, resounding with the noise of laughter and cries, and filled with many difficult ignorances.
रोदनाश्रुमलक्षारं सङ्गयोगपरायणम् प्रलब्ध्वा जन्मलोको यं पुत्रबान्धवपत्तनम्
Flowing with tears from weeping, devoted to the union of attachment, having attained the world of birth, which is the city of sons and relatives.
अहिंसासत्यमर्यादं प्राणयोगमयोर्मिलम् वृन्दानुगामिनं क्षीरं सर्वभूतपयोदधिम्
Bound by nonviolence, truth, and proper conduct, a union of life-breaths, following groups, milk from the ocean of all beings.
मोक्षदुर्लभविषयं वाडवासुखसागरम् तरन्ति यतयः सिद्धा ज्ञानयोगेन चानघाः
The ocean of worldly pleasure, difficult to cross and filled with fire, is crossed by ascetics and perfected ones, O sinless ones, by the yoga of knowledge.
तीर्त्वा च दुस्तरं जन्म विशन्ति विमलं नभः ततस् तान् सुकृतीञ् ज्ञात्वा सूर्यो वहति रश्मिभिः
Having crossed the difficult birth, they enter the pure sky; then, knowing those virtuous ones, the sun carries them with his rays.
पद्मतन्तुवद् आविश्य प्रवहन् विषयान् द्विजाः तत्र तान् प्रवहो वायुः प्रतिगृह्णाति चानघाः
Entering like a lotus-fiber, carrying the senses, O twice-born, there the wind, as a current, receives them, O sinless ones.
वीतरागान् यतीन् सिद्धान् वीर्ययुक्तांस् तपोधनान् सूक्ष्मः शीतः सुगन्धश् च सुखस्पर्शश् च भो द्विजाः
O twice-born, the subtle, cool, fragrant, and pleasant-to-touch wind receives the ascetics and perfected ones who are free from passion, endowed with energy, and rich in austerity.
सप्तानां मरुतां श्रेष्ठो लोकान् गच्छति यः शुभान् स तान् वहति विप्रेन्द्रा नभसः परमां गतिम्
He who is foremost among the seven Maruts attains the auspicious worlds; he carries them, O best of Brahmins, to the supreme path of the sky.
नभो वहति लोकेशान् रजसः परमां गतिम् रजो वहति विप्रेन्द्राः सत्त्वस्य परमां गतिम्
The sky carries the lords of the worlds to the supreme path of rajas; rajas, O best of Brahmins, carries them to the supreme path of sattva.
सत्त्वं वहति शुद्धात्मा परं नारायणं प्रभुम् प्रभुर् वहति शुद्धात्मा परमात्मानम् आत्मना
Sattva carries the pure-souled one to the supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa; the Lord, being pure-souled, carries the supreme Self by means of the self.
परमात्मानम् आसाद्य तद्भूता यतयो ऽमलाः अमृतत्वाय कल्पन्ते न निवर्तन्ति च द्विजाः
Having attained the supreme Self, the stainless ascetics who have become that, are destined for immortality, O twice-born, and do not return.
परमा सा गतिर् विप्रा निर्द्वंद्वानां महात्मनाम् सत्यार्जवरतानां वै सर्वभूतदयावताम्
That supreme path, O Brahmins, is for the great souls who are free from dualities, who are devoted to truth and sincerity, and who possess compassion for all beings.
स्थानम् उत्तमम् आसाद्य भगवन्तं स्थिरव्रताः आजन्ममरणं वा ते रमन्ते तत्र वा न वा
Having attained the highest place, those of firm vows delight in the Blessed Lord; whether from birth to death or not, they may rejoice there or not.
यद् अत्र तथ्यं तत्त्वं नो यथावद् वक्तुम् अर्हसि त्वदृते मानवं नान्यं प्रष्टुम् अर्हाम सत्तम
Whatever truth and reality there is in this matter, you ought to speak it as it is; except for you, O best of the good, we should not ask any other man.
मोक्षदोषो महान् एष प्राप्य सिद्धिं गतान् ऋषीन् यदि तत्रैव विज्ञाने वर्तन्ते यतयः परे
This is the great fault regarding liberation: if, having attained perfection, the ascetics remain only in that knowledge, O sages, even after reaching the accomplished seers.