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.
तस्यैकदेशे वितते रत्नसानौ मनोरमे । मुनिभिस् स्नानपानार्थं व्योमगङ्गावतारिता
In one delightful expanse of that jeweled mountain, sages brought down the celestial Ganges for their bathing and drinking.
तस्यास् त्रिपथगायास् तु तीरे विकसितद्रुमे । रत्नाद्रितटविद्योतकचत्कनकपङ्कजे
On the bank of that heavenly river, beneath blossoming trees, with golden lotuses shining along the jeweled mountain's shore—
आसीद् अभ्युदितज्ञानस् तपोराशिर् उदारधीः । मुनिर् दीर्घतपा नाम तपोमूर्तिम् इवास्थितः
There dwelled a sage of noble mind, a treasury of ascetic power, named Dīrghatapas, who seemed the very embodiment of austerity, his wisdom newly arisen.
मुनेर् बभूवतुस् तस्य द्वौ पुत्राव् इन्दुसुन्दरौ । पुण्यपावननामानौ द्वौ कचाव् इव वाक्पतेः
That sage had two sons, both as beautiful as the moon, named Puṇya and Pāvana, just as the god of speech has two locks of hair.
स ताभ्यां सह पुत्राभ्यां भार्यया सह चैकया । उवास सरितस् तीरे तस्मिन् सफलपादपे
With those two sons and his one wife, he dwelled on the riverbank beneath a fruitful tree.
अथ काले तयोस् तस्य पुत्रयोर् ज्ञानवान् अभूत् । पुण्यनामा वयोज्येष्ठो गुणज्येष्ठश् च राघव
In time, O Rāghava, the elder son Puṇya became wise—he was the eldest by age and the foremost in virtue.
पावनो ऽर्धप्रबुद्धो ऽभूत् पूर्वसन्ध्याम्बुजं यथा । मौर्ख्याद् अतिगतो नान्तः पदं लोलम् इवास्थितः
Pāvana was half-awakened, like a lotus at dawn; he had moved beyond ignorance, yet remained unsettled, as if standing on unsteady ground.
ततो वहत्य् अकलिते काले कलितकारणे । संवत्सरगणे क्षीणे दीने देहे गतायुषि
Then, when the appointed time arrived, after many years had passed and his body had grown frail and life was nearly spent,
अस्माद् भङ्गुरभूताढ्याद् वृत्तान्तभरभीषणात् । रतिम् उत्सृज्य संसाराज् जराजर्जरजीवितः
He abandoned all attachment to this fragile, burdened, and fearsome existence, weary of the world and of a life worn out by old age.
कलनापक्षिणीनीडं देहं दीर्घतपा मुनिः । जहौ गिरिगुहागेहे भारं वैवधिको यथा
The sage left his body—nest of fleeting thoughts—within his mountain-cave dwelling, just as a porter sets down a heavy load.