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.
मेघा वातैर् विधूयन्ते वायवो गिरिभिर् जिताः । गिरयो वज्रनिष्पिष्टाश् शक्रस्य वशगः पविः
Clouds are scattered by winds, winds are subdued by mountains, mountains are crushed by the thunderbolt of Indra, who wields the weapon at will.
विष्णुना ध्रियते शक्रो विष्णुर् गच्छति जन्तुताम् । सुखदुःखदशावेशजरामरणमालिताम्
Indra is sustained by Vishnu, yet Vishnu himself enters the state of a living being, enveloped by the conditions of pleasure and pain, delusion, old age, and death.
जन्तवो ऽपि महाकाया अपि विद्यायुधान्विताः । लिक्षाभिर् अङ्गलग्नाभिर् उपजीव्यन्त एव हि
Even great beings, endowed with knowledge and weapons, are ultimately sustained by tiny mites clinging to their bodies.
अजस्रम् एवम् आलूनविशीर्णं भूतजङ्गलम् । परस्परम् अलं मोहाद् भक्ष्यते रक्ष्यते ऽपि च
Thus, this world of living beings, ever being torn apart and scattered, is constantly devouring one another out of delusion, even while striving to protect themselves.
अनारतं विनश्यन्ति विविधा भूतजातयः । अनारतं च जायन्ते विचित्राः ककुभं प्रति
Endlessly, the various kinds of living beings perish; endlessly, they are born again in diverse forms, in every direction.
जलकोशेषु जायन्ते मत्स्येभमकरादयः । भूमाव् अन्तः प्रजायन्ते कीटौघा वृश्चिकादयः
In bodies of water are born fish, crocodiles, and the like; within the earth arise swarms of insects, scorpions, and others.
अन्तरिक्षे ऽपि जायन्ते आकाशे विहगादयः । वनवीथीषु जायन्ते सिंहव्याघ्रमृगादयः
In the atmosphere too are born birds and such that move through the sky; in the forest paths are born lions, tigers, deer, and others.
प्राण्यङ्गेष्व् अपि जायन्ते लिक्षायूकापिपीलकाः । स्थावरेषु च जायन्ते घुणाजगरजातयः
Even on the bodies of living beings are born lice, ticks, and ants; and among immobile things are born termites, pythons, and their kinds.
शिलान्तरेषु जायन्ते कीटभेकघुणादयः । विष्ठायाम् अपि जायन्ते नानाकीटगणास् तथा
Within rocks are born insects, frogs, termites, and the like; even in excrement are born various groups of insects as well.
एवम् अन्येष्व् असङ्ख्येषु जन्मस्व् अपचयेषु च । अजस्रं करुणावन्तो नन्दन्तूपरुदन्तु वा
Thus, in countless other births and dissolutions, whether compassionate or rejoicing or ceasing, it is unceasing.