अवश्यभवितव्याख्या येहया नियतिश् च वा । उच्यते दैवशब्देन सा नरैर् एव नेतरैः
Whatever is said to be inevitable or fixed, or called destiny, is referred to by the word 'fate' by people, not by others.
यद् यथेह सदा यत्र सम्पन्नं फलतां गतम् । हर्षामर्षविनाशाय तद् दैवम् इति कथ्यते
Whatever, at any time and place here, comes to fruition and brings about joy or sorrow—that is called fate.
दैवं नियतिरूपं च पौरुषेणावजीयते । सम्यग्ज्ञानविलासेन मृगतृष्णाभ्रमो यथा
Fate, which takes the form of destiny, is overcome by human effort, just as the illusion of a mirage is dispelled by true knowledge.
यथा सङ्कल्प्यते यद् यत् पौरुषेण तथैव तत् । तलवत्तागृहीतं खं तलवत्तासुखप्रदम्
Whatever is conceived through human effort comes about in just that way; but if it is not grasped firmly, it is like space held in the palm—giving only the pleasure of an empty gesture.
कर्त्र् अतो मन एवेह यत् कल्पयति तत् तथा । नियतिं यादृशीम् एतत् सङ्कल्पयति सा तथा
Therefore, the mind alone is the doer here; whatever it imagines, so it becomes. The kind of destiny it conceives, that indeed comes to be.
नियतान् नियतान् कांश्चिद् भावान् अनियतान् अपि । करोति चित्तं तेनैतच् चित्तं नियतियोजकम्
The mind produces certain events as fixed and others as unfixed; thus, the mind itself is the cause that binds destiny.
नियतां नियतिं कुर्वन् कदाचित् सार्थनामिकाम् । स्फुरत्य् अस्मिञ् जगत्कोशे जीवो व्योम्नीव मारुतः
Sometimes, by making destiny fixed and giving it a collective name, the individual soul stirs within this world-egg, like the wind in the sky.
नियत्या रहितां कुर्वन् कदाचिन् नियतिं मनः । सञ्ज्ञार्थरूढानियतिशब्दां स्फुरति वातवत्
Sometimes, by making destiny devoid of fixity, the mind stirs up what is called 'destiny' merely as a convention, like the wind.
तस्माद् यावन् मनस् तावन् न दैवं नियतिर् न च । मनस्य् अस्तङ्गते साधो यद् भवत्य् अस्तु तत् तथा
Therefore, as long as the mind exists, there is neither fate nor destiny; when the mind is dissolved, O noble one, whatever remains, let that be as it is.
जीवो हि पुरुषो जातः पौरुषेण स यद् यथा । सङ्कल्पयति लोके ऽस्मिंस् तत् तथा तस्य नान्यथा
The living being, indeed, is born as a person through personal effort; whatever he imagines in this world, that comes to be for him, not otherwise.
पुरुषार्थाद् ऋते पुत्र न किञ्चिद् इह विद्यते । परं पौरुषम् आश्रित्य भोगेष्व् अरतिम् आहरेत्
Apart from personal effort, my son, nothing exists here; by relying on supreme effort, one should attain disinterest in enjoyments.
न भोगेष्व् अरतिर् यावज् जातेह जयदायिनी । न परा निर्वृतिस् तावत् प्राप्यते भवनाशिनी
Until disinterest in enjoyments arises here, which grants victory, supreme bliss that destroys worldly existence is not attained.
विषयेषु रतिर् यावत् स्थिता सम्मोहकारिणी । तावद् भवदशादोलाविलोलान्दोलनं स्थितम्
As long as attachment to sense objects remains, producing delusion, so long the oscillation of worldly existence, like a swing, continues.
अभ्यासेन विना पुत्र न कदाचन दुःखदा । भोगभोगिभरप्रोत्था कदाशा विनिवर्तते
Without practice, my son, the desire arising from the burden of enjoyments and enjoyers, which brings suffering, never ceases.
भोगेष्व् अरतिर् एषान्तः कथं सर्वासुरेश्वर । स्थितिम् आयाति जीवस्य दीर्घजीवितदायिनी
O lord of all demons, how does this inner disinterest in enjoyments, which bestows long life, come to abide in the living being?
आत्मानम् आलोकयतः फलितं फलति स्फुटम् । जीवस्य भोगेष्व् अरतिश् शरदीव महालता
For one who beholds the Self, disinterest in enjoyments clearly manifests in the living being, like a great creeper in autumn.
आत्मावलोकनेनैषा विषयारतिर् उत्तमे । हृदये स्थितिम् आयाति श्रीर् इवाम्भोजकोटरे
Through Self-contemplation, this supreme disinterest in sense objects settles in the heart, like prosperity in the hollow of a lotus.
तस्मात् प्रज्ञानिकाषेण विचारेणातिचारुणा । देवम् आलोकयेद् भोगाद् रतिं चापहरेत् समम्
Therefore, by the sharp light of discernment, through most excellent inquiry, one should behold the divine; and from enjoyment, withdraw attachment equally.
चित्तस्य भोगैर् द्वौ भागौ शास्त्रेणैकं प्रपूरयेत् । गुरुशुश्रूषया चैकम् अव्युत्पन्नस्य सत्क्रमे
Of the mind's two portions inclined to enjoyment, let one be fulfilled by study of scripture, and for one not yet accomplished, by devoted service to the teacher in the proper way.
किञ्चित्व्युत्पत्तियुक्तस्य भागं भोगैः प्रपूरयेत् । गुरुशुश्रूषया भागं भागं शास्त्रार्थचिन्तया
For one with some measure of understanding, let a portion be fulfilled by enjoyments, a portion by service to the teacher, and a portion by reflection on the meaning of scripture.
व्युत्पत्तिम् अनुयातस्य पूरयेच् चेतसो ऽन्वहम् । द्वौ भागौ शास्त्रवैराग्यैर् द्वौ ध्यानगुरुपूजनैः
For one who has attained understanding, let the mind be fulfilled daily: two portions by detachment through scripture, and two by meditation and worship of the teacher.
साधुताम् आगतो जीवो योग्यो ज्ञानकथाक्रमे । निर्मलाकृतिर् आदत्ते पट उत्तमरञ्जनाम्
The living being who has attained goodness is fit for the sequence of knowledge-discourse; with a pure nature, he receives the highest dye, like a cloth ready for the finest color.
शनैश् शनैर् लालनया युक्तिभिः पावनोक्तिभिः । शास्त्रार्थपरिणामेन पालयेच् चित्तबालकम्
Gradually, with nurturing, with reasoning and purifying words, and by the transformation of the meaning of scripture, one should tend the childlike mind.
परे परिणतं ज्ञाने शिथिलीभूतदुर्ग्रहम् । ज्योत्स्नाभिन्नस्फटिकवच् चेतश् शीतं विराजते
When matured in knowledge, with grasping loosened, the mind shines cool and radiant, like crystal suffused with moonlight.
प्रज्ञया परया ऋज्व्या भोगानाम् ईश्वरस्य च । समम् एवाथ देहस्य रूपम् आश्व् अवलोकयेत्
With supreme and direct wisdom, one should observe equally the enjoyments, the Lord, and then swiftly the form of the body itself.
प्रज्ञाविचारवशतस् समम् एव सदा सुत । आत्मावलोकनं तृष्णासन्त्यागं च समाहरेत्
By the power of discernment, O son, one should always equally cultivate self-inquiry and the abandonment of craving.
परे दृष्टे वितृष्णत्वं तृष्णानाशे च दृक् परा । एते मिथो धृते दृष्टी नौनाविकदशे यथा
When the Supreme is seen, detachment arises; and when craving ceases, the highest vision dawns—these two support each other, like a boat and its oarsman.
भोगपूगे गतस्वादे दृष्टे देवे परापरे । परे ब्रह्मणि विश्रान्तिर् अनन्तोदेति शाश्वती
When the taste for enjoyment is lost amidst pleasures, and the Supreme and the non-supreme are seen, then arises the eternal and boundless repose in the Supreme Brahman.
चिराय फलितानन्दम् अनन्तोदेति निर्वृतिः । न कदाचन जीवानाम् आत्मविश्रमणाद् ऋते
After a long time, the fruit of bliss matures, and infinite peace arises; never does this occur for living beings except through resting in the Self.
न तपोभिर् न दानेन न तीर्थैर् अपि जायते । भोगेषु विरतिर् जन्तोस् स्वभावालोकनाद् ऋते
Not by austerities, nor by charity, nor even by pilgrimages, does dispassion toward enjoyments arise in a being, except through the vision of one's own true nature.