जडेन मूकेनान्धेन निहतो मनसापि यः । मन्ये स दह्यते मूढः पूर्णचन्द्रमरीचिभिः
He who is struck down even by a mind that is inert, mute, and blind—such a fool, I think, is burned by the rays of the full moon.
विद्यमानो हि यश् शूरो लोकस् तेनाभिभूयते । अविद्यमानम् एवेदं हन्त्य् अतो मुग्धतोदिता
Indeed, the one who is powerful and present overcomes the world; but this, being nonexistent, destroys only because of the delusion born of ignorance.
मिथ्यासङ्कल्पकलितं मिथ्यैव स्थितिम् आगतम् । अन्विष्टम् अपि नो दृष्टं का तस्य किल शक्तता
That which is formed by false imagination and has falsely come into existence—even when sought, is not seen; what power can it truly have?
अहो नु खलु चित्रेयं मायामयविधायिनी । चेतसाप्य् अतिलोलेन लोको यद् अभिभूयते
Ah, truly, how wondrous is this creation, fashioned of illusion, which even the most restless mind is overpowered by.
मौर्ख्यं सर्वापदां निष्ठा का हि नापद् अजानतः । पश्य मौर्ख्याद् इयं सृष्टिर् अजातेनैव जन्यते
Foolishness is the root of all misfortune; what calamity does not befall the ignorant? See, from folly alone, this creation is brought forth by the unborn.
हा कष्टम् अतिमुग्धेयं सृष्टिर् मौर्ख्यवशं गता । असतैव यद् एतेन जीवेनाप्य् उपताप्यते
Alas, how pitiable is this creation, utterly deluded by folly, so that even a living being is tormented by what is unreal.
मन्ये मूर्खमयी सृष्टिर् इयम् अत्यन्तपेलवा । तरङ्गासिप्रहारेण कणशः परिशीर्यते
I think this creation, made of ignorance, is exceedingly fragile; struck by the sword of discernment, it crumbles bit by bit.
नीलाब्जनालपातेन यन्त्रेणेव विदीर्यते । इन्दोर् आभोगपूर्णस्य करस्पर्शेन मुह्यते
It is shattered by the stroke of the blue lotus stalk, as if by a machine; it is bewildered by the touch of the hand of the full-orbed moon.
रिपुभिर् नयनोन्मुक्तैर् दृष्टिसूत्रैर् निबध्यते । सङ्कल्पकृतया शूरसेनया परिभूयते
It is bound by the threads of sight, released by the eyes of enemies; it is overpowered by the heroic army formed by imagination.
यस्मात् किलेयं मनसा न स्थितेनैव कुत्रचित् । कल्पितेन मुधान्येन कृपणेन विहन्यते
For this creation never stands firm in the mind; it is destroyed by a vain, imagined, pitiable mind.
मूर्खलोकमयी सृष्टिर् मन एवासदुत्थितम् । या शक्ता न वशीकर्तुं न सा रामोपदिश्यते
This creation, made of the world of fools, arises only from the mind and is unreal; that which cannot be mastered is not taught by Rama.
अभिजातस्वरूपैषा प्रज्ञाक्षोदेषु न क्षमा । नोपदेशगिरां योग्या परिपूर्णेव संस्थिता
This intellect, by its very nature, is not fit for the subtle waves of wisdom; it is not suitable for the words of instruction, as if it were already complete and settled.
बिभेत्य् एषा हि वीणायास् तन्त्रीगुणतनुध्वनेः । बन्धोर् अपि सनिद्रस्य बिभेति वदनद्युतेः
Indeed, it fears even the faint sound produced by the strings of a lute; even in the presence of a sleeping friend, it is afraid of the brightness of a face.
हसतो ऽपि जनाद् उच्चैर्भीतभीता पलायते । स्वेनैव मनसाप्य् अज्ञा किलैषा विवशीकृता
Terrified, it flees even from people who are laughing loudly; this ignorance is rendered helpless even by its own mind.
सुखलवविवशा द्विषेव तप्ता हृदयगतेन निजेन चेतसैव । विधुरितधिषणा न वेत्ति सत्यं तद् अवितथं परिमोहिता मुधैव
Disturbed by even a trace of pleasure, burning as if by an enemy within the heart—its own mind—it is unsettled in understanding, does not know the truth, and is thoroughly deluded, truly bewildered.
संसारसागरासारकल्लोलेषूह्यमानया । मन एव न मूकं स्वं यया जनतया जितम्
In the waves of the ocean of worldly existence, which are devoid of essence, only that person whose own mind is not dull has conquered the world.
आत्मलाभमयोदारफलाभिर् इह सा मया । विचारोक्तिभिर् एताभिश् शास्त्रे ऽस्मिन् नोपदिश्यते
Here, the fruits of the sword of inquiry, which yield the treasure of the Self, are not taught in this scripture by these words of reasoning.
न पश्यत्य् एव यो ह्य् अन्धस् तस्य कः खलु दुर्मतिः । विचित्रमञ्जरीचित्रं सन्दर्शयति काननम्
For one who is truly blind, what fool would try to show him a forest adorned with a variety of colorful blossoms?
कः कुष्ठघर्घरघ्राणं नानामोदविचारणे । मूर्खम् आत्मोपदेशे च प्रमाणं कुरुते ऽमतिः
Who, in the matter of discerning various fragrances, would rely on the judgment of one whose nose is blocked by leprosy? Likewise, who would take the opinion of a fool as authority in self-instruction?
विपर्यस्तेन्द्रियं मत्तं मदिराघूर्णितेक्षणम् । धर्मनिर्णयसाक्षित्वे कः प्रमाणीकरोत्य् अधीः
Who would accept as authoritative the judgment of a mind that is intoxicated, with senses overturned and eyes rolling from wine, in matters of discerning righteousness?
कश् शवं वा श्मशानस्थं समुपायकथां शठः । परिपृच्छति सन्देहे कश् च मूर्खं प्रशास्ति वै
Who, being cunning, would ask a corpse lying in a cremation ground about the means to accomplish something in a time of doubt, and who would instruct a fool?
येनाशयबिलस्थो हि मूको ऽन्धो ऽपि न निर्जितः । मनोव्यालस् स दुर्बुद्धिः कथं नामोपदिश्यते
The serpent of the mind, whose abode is the cavity of intention, is neither subdued by the mute nor by the blind; how, then, can one with poor understanding be instructed?
जितम् एव मनो विद्धि वस्तुतो यन् न विद्यते । निकटात् सा चिरास्तैव या शिला नैव विद्यते
Know that the mind is indeed conquered, which in reality does not exist; just as a stone that has long been nearby, yet is not actually present.
मनो न विजितं राम येनासद् अपि दुर्धिया । तेनाग्रस्तविषेणैव म्रियते विषमूर्छया
O Rama, the mind is not conquered by one whose intellect is faulty, even though it is unreal; such a person dies, seized by the poison, through the delirium of poison.
ज्ञः पश्यति सदैवात्मा स्पन्दन्ते ज्ञानशक्तयः । इन्द्रियाणि स्वधर्मेषु मनो नाम किम् उच्यते
The knower always perceives the Self; the powers of knowledge vibrate, the senses act in their own functions—what, then, is called 'mind'?
प्राणानां स्पन्दिनी शक्तिर् ज्ञा शक्तिः परमात्मनः । इन्द्रियाणां निजा शक्तिर् एवं को ऽत्र निबध्यते
The vibrating power of the vital forces, the power of knowledge belonging to the Supreme Self, and the inherent power of the senses—who, then, is bound here?
सर्वाश् च शक्तयस् तस्य सर्वशक्तेः किलात्मनः । पृथक्ता चान्यता चेयं कुतो नामेतरोत्थिता
All the powers belong to that all-powerful Self; this separateness and difference—how could it arise from anything else?
किं नाम जीव इत्य् उक्तं येनेहान्धीकृतं जगत् । चित्तं चैवासद् एव त्वं विद्धि कास्त्य् अस्य शक्तता
What indeed is called the 'individual soul,' by which this world is cast into delusion? Know that the mind itself is truly unreal; what power does it have at all?
मनोनिर्दग्धदृष्टीनां दृष्ट्वा दुःखपरम्पराः । मतिर् मे करुणाक्रान्ता राम मुग्धेव तप्यते
Seeing the endless chains of suffering among those whose vision is scorched by the mind, my heart, overcome with compassion, Rama, grieves as if bewildered.
कः किलात्र कुतः खेदो यन् मूर्खः परितप्यते । दुःखायैव हि जायन्ते करभाः प्राकृतास् तथा
Who is truly here, and what is the cause of sorrow, that the ignorant are tormented? For just as ordinary donkeys are born only for suffering, so too with them.