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.
विनाशायैव जायन्ते जडदेहेष्व् अबुद्धयः । अनारतोदयापाया बुद्बुदा जलधिष्व् इव
The unintelligent arise in dull bodies only to perish, appearing and vanishing ceaselessly like bubbles in the ocean.
कियन्तः पश्य पशवः प्रत्यहं प्रतिमण्डलम् । सूनावद्भिर् निहन्यन्ते केवात्र परिदेवना
See how many animals, each day, in every region, are slain by butchers—what cause is there for lamentation here?
अर्बुदान्य् अनिलो हन्ति क्षुपाजालेषु चान्वहम् । दंशानां मषकानां च केवात्र परिदेवना
Every day, the wind destroys countless insects in the thickets of trees; mosquitoes and gnats as well—what cause is there for lamentation here?
दिशं प्रति गिरीन्द्रेषु पुलिन्दौघा वने वने । निघ्नन्ति प्राणिलक्षाणि केवात्र परिदेवना
In every direction, in the great mountains, bands of hunters in forest after forest kill hundreds of thousands of creatures—what cause is there for lamentation here?
जले जलचरव्यूहात् तनुं स्थूलो निकृन्तति । ग्रासाय प्रत्यहं मत्स्यः केवात्र परिदेवना
In the water, from the multitude of aquatic beings, a larger fish cuts apart the body of a smaller one every day for food—what cause is there for lamentation here?
गृध्रश्येनादयो व्योम्नि पक्षिपूगं विहङ्गमाः । अनारतं विलुम्पन्ति केवात्र परिदेवना
Vultures, hawks, and other birds ceaselessly attack flocks of smaller birds in the sky; what cause is there here for lamentation?
लिक्षाम् अणुकणक्षामां क्षुधा खादति मक्षिका । तां कोशकारः क्षुधितो दंशस् तम् अपि चञ्चलः
A fly, driven by hunger, devours tiny mites and specks; a hungry spider consumes that fly, and a restless mosquito bites the spider.
तं दंशं दर्दुरो भुङ्क्ते व्यालस् तम् अपि दर्दुरम् । सर्पम् उग्रखरो हन्ति बभ्रुश् चैनं निकृन्तति
The mosquito is eaten by a frog, the frog by a snake, the fierce mongoose kills the snake, and the ichneumon slays the mongoose.
बभ्रुं हिनस्ति मार्जारो मार्जारं श्वा निकृन्तति । ऋक्षः कौलेयकं हन्ति ऋक्षं व्याघ्रो निकृन्तति
The ichneumon is killed by a cat, the cat is slain by a dog, the bear kills the dog, and the tiger slays the bear.
सिंहो ऽभिभवति व्याघ्रं शरभस् सिंहम् अत्ति च । शरभो नाशम् आयाति मत्तमेघविलङ्घने
The lion overpowers the tiger, the sharabha devours the lion, and the sharabha meets its end when it leaps upon a maddened elephant.