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.
अनारतमृताव् अस्मिन्न् अनारतसमुद्भवे । संसारसम्भ्रमे युक्ता न तुष्टिर् न च दुःखिता
In this world, where death and birth are ceaseless and the confusion of existence prevails, there is neither satisfaction nor sorrow.
पङ्क्तयस् त्व् एवम् एवेमा वृक्षपर्णगणैस् सह । उत्पत्योत्पत्य लीयन्ते भूतानां भूरिसम्भवाः
Just as rows of leaves on trees arise and dissolve together, so too countless beings are born and perish.
यः प्रवृत्तः कुबुद्धीनां दयावान् दुःखमार्जने । स हस्तच्छत्त्रनिर्मृष्टसूर्यांशुः खेदम् एत्य् अलम्
He who, though surrounded by those of misguided intellect, compassionately works to remove suffering, is like the sun whose rays, cleansed by a hand-held parasol, dispel all distress.
न तिर्यक्समधर्माण उपदेश्या नरा भुवि । कथाप्रकथनेनार्थः कस् स्थाणुविकटे वने
Those whose nature is like that of animals cannot be instructed on earth; what purpose is there in telling stories to one who stands like a motionless tree in a wild forest?
किं किलोत्फालमनसां पशूनां च विशेषणम् । कृष्यन्ते पशवो रज्ज्वा मनसा मूढचेतसः
What is the use of distinguishing between those whose minds are dull and whose thoughts are wild? Animals are led by ropes, and the foolish are bound by their own minds.
स्वचित्तपङ्कमग्नानां स्वाशांशरचितात्मनाम् । मूर्खाणाम् आपदम् दृष्ट्वा प्ररुदन्त्य् उपला अपि
Seeing the misfortune of fools who are sunk in the mire of their own minds and whose selves are shaped by their desires, even stones weep.
अनिर्जितात्मचित्तानाम् अनन्ता दुःखराशयः । तन्मार्जने कृतप्रज्ञो नातस् सम्प्रतिपद्यते
For those who have not mastered their own minds, endless heaps of suffering arise; but one who is wise and strives to remove them does not fall into such misery.
विनिर्जितात्मचित्तानां दुःखानि रघुनन्दन । सुनिवार्याणि तेनात्र ज्ञातज्ञेयः प्रवर्तताम्
For those who have conquered their own minds, O descendant of Raghu, sufferings are easily prevented; therefore, let one who knows what is to be known act accordingly.
मनो नास्ति महाबाहो मा मुधैतत् प्रकल्पय । अनेन कल्पितेन त्वं वेतालेनेव हन्यसे
The mind does not exist, O mighty-armed one; do not imagine it to be real. By this imagined thing, you are harmed as if struck by a phantom.
यावद् विस्मृतवान् आत्मतत्त्वं मूढो ऽभवद् भवान् । तावत् तव मनोव्यालो बभूवाभ्युदितस् ततः
For as long as you forgot the essence of your own self and became deluded, the serpent of your mind arose and grew within you.