आत्मन्येव न दोषाय शब्दो ऽहमिति यो द्विजा
The word 'I am' does not bring fault when applied to oneself, O twice-born.
अनात्मन्यात्मविज्ञानं शब्दो वा श्रुतिलक्षणः
Knowledge of the self in what is not the self, or the word as defined by scripture, is not proper.
एतेनाहं यतः सर्वे वाङ्निष्पादनहेतवः
By this, I am the cause of all speech production.
तथापि वागहमेद्वक्तुमित्थं न युज्यते
Still, to say 'I am speech' or 'I am the speaker' is not appropriate.
ततो ऽहमिति कुत्रैनां संज्ञां राजन्करोम्यहम्
Therefore, where do I, the king, assign this designation 'I am'?
न देहो ऽहमयं चान्ये वक्तुमेवमपीष्यते
This body is not 'I', nor are others; even so, it is desired to speak thus.
तददा हि को भवान्को ऽहमित्येतद्विफलं वचः
Then, who are you and who am I? Such speech is fruitless.
अयं च भवतो लोको न सदेतन्नृपोच्यते
And this world of yours, O king, is not real; so it is said.
क्व वृक्षसंज्ञा वै तस्या दारुसंज्ञाथवा नृप
Where is the designation 'tree' for it, or the designation 'wood', O king?
न च दारुणि सर्वस्त्वां ब्रवीति शिबिकागतम्
And in the wood, no one calls you the one who has entered the palanquin.
अन्विष्यतां नृपश्रेष्ठानन्ददाशिबिका त्वया
Let the palanquin that gives joy be sought by you, O best of kings.
क्व जातं छत्रमित्येष न्यायस्त्वयि तथा मयि
Where was the umbrella born? This reasoning applies to you and to me likewise.
देहेषु लोकसंज्ञेयं विज्ञेया कर्महेतुषु
This worldly designation is to be understood in bodies, which are causes of action.
शरीराकृतिभेदास्तु भूपैते कर्मयोनयः
The differences in bodily forms, O king, are the sources of actions.
तथान्यश्च नृपेत्थं तन्न सत्यं कल्पनामयम्
Likewise, another, O king, is thus; that is not true, it is made of imagination.
परिणामादिसंभूतं तद्वस्तु नृप तञ्च किम्
That object, O king, which arises from transformation and so on—what is that?
पत्न्याः पतिः पिता सूनोः कस्त्वं भूप वदाम्यहम्
Who are you—the husband of the wife, the father of the son? I ask you, O king.
किमु पादादिकं त्वेतन्नैव किं ते महीपते
Is it your foot and so on? This is not so—what is yours, O king?
को ऽहमित्यत्र निपुणं भूत्वा चिन्तय पार्थिव
O King, become skilled in pondering deeply: 'Who am I?'
पृथकूचरणनिष्पाद्यं शक्यं तु नृपते कथम्
How, O ruler, is it possible to accomplish what must be done by one who acts separately?
प्रश्रयावनतो भूत्वा तमाह नृपतिर्द्विजम्
The king, humbly bowing, spoke to that Brahmin.
श्रुते तस्मिन्भ्रमन्तीव मनसो मम वृत्तयः
Upon hearing this, my thoughts seem to wander as if lost.
भवता दर्शितं विप्र तत्परं प्रकृतेर्महत्
O Brahmin, you have revealed that supreme principle of nature.
शरीरमन्यदस्मत्तो येनेयं शिबिका धृता
It is by some other body than mine that this palanquin is borne.
प्रवर्तन्ते गुणाश्चैते किं ममेति त्वयोदितम्
You have said that these qualities act, but whose are they—mine?
मनो विह्वलतामेति परमार्थार्थतां गतम्
My mind becomes agitated, having reached the pursuit of ultimate truth.
प्रष्टुमभ्युद्यतो गत्वा श्रेयः किन्त्वत्र संशये
I am ready to ask, but in this matter there is still some doubt about the highest good.
तेनैव परमार्थार्थं त्वयि चेतः प्रधावति
Therefore, my mind runs toward you for the sake of the highest truth.
विष्णोरंशो जगन्मोहनाशाय समुपागतः
A portion of Viṣṇu has come for the purpose of enchanting the world.
प्रत्यक्षतामनुगतस्तथैतद्भवतोच्यते
Having attained direct perception, this is what you declare.