संसारस्थितिर् एवेयं यद् भूत्वा भूयते पुनः । अज्ञेनैव न तु ज्ञेन ज्ञो ऽसि राम स्थिरो भव
This cycle of worldly existence, in which one comes into being again and again, is sustained only by ignorance, not by knowledge; you are knowledge itself, O Rama—be steadfast.
स्वरूपम् इदम् अस्यास् तु संसृतेस् सन्ततं हि यत् । अज्ञानात् स्फारताम् एति ज्ञानवान् असि सन्मते
This, indeed, is her true nature—samsara itself, which, due to ignorance, appears to expand; but you, wise one, possess knowledge.
रूपं किम् अन्यद् भवतु भ्रममात्राद् ऋते भ्रमे । स्वप्नमात्राद् ऋते स्वप्ने भवत्य् अन्यो हि कः क्रमः
What other form could there be, apart from mere delusion? In a dream, apart from the dream itself, what other sequence exists?
सर्वशक्तेर् इयं शक्तिर् भ्रममात्रमयी मता । रूढा संसारमायेति नासत्या नापि सन्मयी
This power, considered to be the power of all, is made only of delusion; it is established as the illusion of samsara—neither false nor truly real.
केवलं ज्ञानवैरूप्याद् अपर्यालोचनात् तथा । राम दृश्यत एवेदम् आभानम् अतिभास्वरम्
O Rama, solely because of the distortion of knowledge and lack of proper inquiry, this radiant appearance is perceived as such.
न बन्धुः कस्यचित् कश्चिद् इह नो कश्चिद् अप्य् अरिः । सदा सर्वं च सर्वस्य सर्वस् सर्वेश्वरेच्छया
Here, no one is truly a friend to anyone, nor is anyone truly an enemy; always, everything belongs to everyone, all by the will of the Lord of all.
आलूनशीर्णम् अखिलम् इदम् अन्योऽन्यमिश्रितम् । अनारतं याति जगत् तरङ्गौघ इवाम्भसः
All this, cut and broken, mingled with one another, moves ceaselessly—the world, like a mass of waves upon water.
अध ऊर्ध्वत्वम् आयाति यात्य् ऊर्ध्वत्वम् अधस् तथा । संसारस्य चलस्यास्य चक्रनेमिर् इवाभितः
What is below rises above, and what is above descends below; thus turns the ever-moving wheel of samsara, like the rim of a wheel on both sides.
स्वर्गस्था नरकं यान्ति नारका यान्ति विष्टपम् । योनेर् योन्यन्तरं यान्ति द्वीपाद् द्वीपान्तरं जनाः
Those in heaven go to hell, and those in hell reach the celestial realms; people move from one womb to another, from one land to another.
धीराः कार्पण्यम् आयान्ति कृपणा यान्ति धीरताम् । परिस्फुरन्ति भूतानि पातोत्पातशतभ्रमैः
The steadfast become despondent, and the despondent become steadfast; beings whirl about, tossed by hundreds of calamities and disturbances.
एकरूपं स्थिरं स्वस्थं स्वच्छं सन्तापवर्जितम् । नेह सम्प्राप्यते किञ्चिद् अग्नौ हिमकणो यथा
That which is uniform, stable, healthy, clear, and free from distress is not found here, just as a snowflake cannot exist in fire.
ये ये राम महाभागा बहवो ऽबहवो ऽथ वा । नष्टा एवेह दृश्यन्ते ते ते कतिपयैर् दिनैः
O Rama, many noble ones, whether numerous or few, appear to be lost here; they are seen only for a few days.
परतात्मीयतान्यत्वत्वत्त्वमत्त्वादिभावनाः । नेह सत्या महाबाहो द्विचन्द्रादिदृशो यथा
Ideas of otherness, selfhood, difference, 'you', 'me', and so on, are not true here, O mighty-armed one, just as visions of two moons are not real.
अयं बन्धुः परश् चायम् अयं चाहम् अयं भवान् । एता मिथ्यादृशो राम विगलन्तु तवाधुना
This is a relative, that is another; this is me, that is you—O Rama, let these false perceptions fall away from you now.
क्रीडार्थं व्यवहारस्थ एताभिर् हतदृष्टिभिः । आमूलम् अन्तश् छिन्नाभिर् बहिर् विहर हेलया
For the sake of play, engage in worldly dealings with these mistaken perceptions; roam outwardly with ease, while inwardly severing them from the root.
संसारसरणाव् अस्यां तथा विहर सुव्रत । न यथैषि श्रमं श्रान्तो वासनाभारवान् यथा
In this stream of worldly existence, conduct yourself in this way, O noble one; not as one burdened and weary from the weight of desires.
यथा यथैषा कल्याणी वासनाक्षयकारिणी । विचारणा तवोदेति संशाम्यसि तथा तथा
As this auspicious inquiry, which destroys desires, arises in you, so do you find peace, again and again.
अयं बन्धुर् अयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् । उदारचरितानां तु विगतावरणैव धीः
This one is a friend, this one is not — such distinctions are made by those of small-mindedness; but for those of noble conduct, the intellect is free from all barriers.
न तद् अस्ति न यत्राहं न तद् अस्ति न यन् मम । इति निर्णीतसाराणां विगतावरणैव धीः
Where there is neither 'I' nor 'mine,' nothing exists; for those who have discerned the essence, the intellect is free from all barriers.
नास्तम् एति न चोदेति यश् चिदाकाशवन् महान् । स सर्वं पश्यति स्वस्थः खस्थो भूमितलं यथा
That consciousness, vast like the sky, neither sets nor rises; it sees everything while remaining established in itself, just as one in the sky sees the earth below.
सर्वा एव हि ते भूतजातयो राम बन्धवः । अत्यन्तासंस्तुता एतास् तव नाम न काश्चन
All these classes of beings, O Rama, are your relatives; yet, though they are greatly praised, in truth none of them bear your name.
विविधजन्मशताहितसम्भ्रमे जगति बन्धुर् अबन्धुर् इति क्षणम् । भ्रमदशैव विवल्गति वस्तुतस् त्रिभुवनं चिरबन्धुर् अबन्ध्व् अपि
In the world, amid the confusion caused by hundreds of diverse births, the notion of friend and non-friend arises for a moment; but in reality, throughout the three worlds, all are long-time friends and non-friends alike.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीमम् इतिहासं पुरातनम् । भ्रात्रोस् त्रिपथगातीरे संवादो मुनिपुत्रयोः
Here, they recount this ancient story: a conversation between two sons of sages on the banks of the sacred river.
अयं बन्धुर् अयं नेति कथाप्रस्तावतस् स्मृतम् । इतिहासम् इमं पुण्यं साश्चर्यं शृणु राघव
The topic of 'this one is a friend, this one is not' is remembered in the context of this story; listen, O Raghava, to this sacred and wondrous tale.
अस्त्य् अस्य जम्बुद्वीपस्य कस्मिंश्चिद् दिङ्निकुञ्जके । वनव्यूहमहोत्तंसो महेन्द्रो नाम पर्वतः
On this Jambudvipa, in a certain forested corner of the directions, there stands a great mountain crowned with wild woods, known as Mahendra.
कल्पद्रुमवनच्छायाविश्रान्तसुरकिन्नरः । शृङ्गैर् आततम् आकाशं जितवान् यस् समुन्नतैः
He, in whose shade—like that of the wish-fulfilling tree forest—gods and celestial musicians find rest, has conquered the sky with his lofty peaks.
ब्रह्मलोकान्तरप्राप्तैश् शृङ्गकन्दरचारिभिः । सामवेदं प्रतिध्वानघुङ्घुमैर् गायतीव यः
He, whose peaks, traversed by caves reaching even to the realm of Brahma, seem to sing the Sāma Veda with their deep, resonant echoes.
यः पयोमेदुरैर् मेघैर् लुलितैश् शृङ्गकोटिषु । लताकुसुमसम्प्रोतैः कुन्तलैर् इव राजते
He, whose summits, adorned by thick, milky clouds drifting about, shine as if with locks of hair interwoven with blossoming creepers.
यस् तटोड्डयनोत्कानां शरभाणां विजृम्भितैः । विस्फूर्जति गुहावक्त्रैः कल्पाभ्राणि हसन्न् इव
He, whose caves, gaping wide as the herds of wild beasts leap up along his slopes, seem to laugh aloud with the thunder of clouds.
येन निर्झरनिर्ह्रादैः कन्दरान्तरचारिभिः । समुद्रजलकल्लोलविलासो विजितो ऽभितः
He, whose mountain torrents, roaring through the inner gorges, surpass on every side the playful surges of the ocean's waters.