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.
इदानीं भवता ज्ञातं यथाभूतम् अरिन्दम । सङ्कल्पाद् वर्धते चित्तं तद् एवाशु परित्यज
Now you have understood things as they truly are, O conqueror of foes; the mind expands through imagination—abandon that swiftly.
दृश्यम् आश्रयसीदं चेत् तत् सचित्तो ऽसि बन्धवान् । दृश्यं सन्त्यजसीदं चेत् तद् अचित्तो ऽसि मोक्षवान्
If you rely on what is seen, then you are bound by the mind; if you abandon what is seen, then you are free from the mind and attain liberation.
अयं गुणसमाहारो बन्धायैव समाश्रितः । सन्त्यक्त एव मोक्षाय यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
This collection of qualities is adopted only for bondage; when it is completely abandoned, it leads to liberation—act as you wish.
नाहं नेदम् इति ध्यायंस् तिष्ठ त्वम् अचलाचलः । अनन्ताकाशसङ्काशहृदयो हृदयेश्वरः
Remain steady, contemplating 'I am not this, nor that,' unmoving among the moving, with a heart vast as infinite space, lord of your own heart.
आत्मनो जगतश् चान्तर् विभागकलनामलम् । राम द्वित्वमयं त्यक्त्वा शेषस्थस् सुस्थिरो भव
The division between yourself and the world is merely a fabrication, O Rama; abandoning this duality, remain firmly established in what remains.
आत्मनो जगतश् चान्तर् द्रष्टृदृश्यदशान्तरे । दर्शनाख्ये स्वम् आत्मानं सर्वदा भावयन् भव
Between yourself and the world, in the state of seer and seen, always contemplate your own self as the essence of perception.
स्वाद्यस्वादकसन्त्यक्तं स्वाद्यस्वादकमध्यगम् । स्वदनान्तस्स्थितं ध्यायन् नित्यम् आत्ममयो भव
Meditating constantly on the self that is beyond both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and which abides in the midst of them, become one with the self.
रामानुभवनीयस्य तथानुभवितुस् स्वयम् । अवलम्ब्य निरालम्बं मध्यम् अद्य स्थिरो भव
O Rama, relying on that which is to be directly realized, realize it yourself; today, become steady in the middle, resting upon the supportless.
भवभावनया हीनं भावाभावदशोज्झितम् । भावयित्वैवम् आत्मानम् आत्मसंस्थस् स्वयं भव
Having contemplated yourself as devoid of the notion of existence and free from the state of non-existence, abide in your own self thus.
आत्मसत्तां त्यजन्न् एनां चेत्यं भावयसि स्वयम् । यदा राम तदा यासि चित्तताम् अतिदुःखदाम्
When you abandon this sense of self-existence and contemplate yourself as an object, O Rama, then you enter into a state of mind that brings great suffering.