सामान्येन विचारेण क्षयम् आयाति दुष्कृतम् । योगवाक्यविचारेण को न याति परं पदम्
Through ordinary reflection, wrongdoing comes to an end; who, by reflecting on the words of yoga, does not reach the supreme state?
अज्ञानम् उच्यते पापं तद् विचारेण नश्यति । पापमूलच्छिदं तस्माद् विचारं न परित्यजेत्
Ignorance is called sin, and it is destroyed by reflection; therefore, one should never abandon reflection, which severs the root of sin.
इमां प्रह्लादसंसिद्धिं प्रविचारयतां नृणाम् । सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं क्षयम् आप्नोत्य् असंशयम्
For those who reflect upon this attainment of Prahlada, without doubt, the sin accumulated over seven lifetimes is destroyed.
परे पदे परिणतं पाञ्चजन्यस्वनैर् मनः । कथं प्रबुद्धं भगवन् प्रह्लादस्य महात्मनः
O Lord, how did the mind of the great-souled Prahlada, matured in the supreme state and resonant with the sound of Panchajanya, become awakened?
द्विविधा मुक्तता लोके सम्भवत्य् अनघाकृते । सदेहैका विदेहान्या विभागो ऽयं तयोश् शृणु
In this world, two kinds of liberation arise for those free from impurity: one with the body, the other without the body; listen to the distinction between them.
असंसक्तमतेर् यस्य त्यागादानेषु कर्मणाम् । नैषणा तत्स्थितिं विद्धि त्वं जीवन्मुक्तताम् इह
He whose mind is unattached in actions of giving and renouncing, know that his state is called living liberation here.
सैव देहक्षये राम पुनर्जननवर्जिता । विदेहमुक्तता प्रोक्ता तत्स्था नायान्ति दृश्यताम्
When the body perishes, O Rama, that same state, free from rebirth, is called disembodied liberation; those established in it are not seen again.
भृष्टबीजोपमा भूयोजन्माङ्कुरविवर्जिता । हृदि जीवद्विमुक्तानां शुद्धा भवति वासना
Like a seed that has been roasted, which cannot sprout again, the latent impressions in the hearts of those liberated while living become pure and devoid of the sprouts of future birth.
पावनी परमोदारा सत्त्वमात्रानुपातिनी । आत्मध्यानमयी नित्यं सुषुप्तस्थेव तिष्ठति
These impressions are purifying, supremely noble, and follow only pure existence; always absorbed in self-contemplation, they remain as if in deep sleep.
अपि वर्षसहस्रान्ते ते तयैवान्तरस्थया । सति देहे प्रबुध्यन्ते जीवन्मुक्ता रघूद्वह
Even after a thousand years, O best of Raghu’s line, those liberated while living awaken through that very inner purity, so long as the body remains.
प्रह्लादो ऽन्तस्स्थया शुद्धसत्त्ववासनया स्वया । बोधम् आप महाबाहो शङ्खशब्दावबुद्धया
Prahlada, by his own inner pure and sattvic impression, O mighty-armed one, attained awakening, like one who becomes aware upon hearing the sound of a conch.
हरिर् आत्मा हि भूतानां तस्य यत् प्रतिभासते । तत् तथैव भवत्य् आशु सर्वत्रात्मैव कारणम्
Hari is truly the self of all beings; whatever appears to him, that indeed quickly becomes so, for the self alone is the cause everywhere.
प्रबोधम् एतु प्रह्लादो यदैवेति विचिन्तितम् । निमेषाद् वासुदेवेन तदैव तद् उपस्थितम्
The moment it was contemplated that Prahlada should attain awakening, O Vāsudeva, in that very instant, it was accomplished.
आत्मन्य् अकारणेनैव भूतानां कारणेन च । सृष्ट्यर्थं वपुर् आत्तं तद् वासुदेवीयम् आत्मना
For the sake of creation, the body of Vāsudeva was assumed by the self, which is causeless in itself but the cause of all beings.
आत्मावलोकनेनाशु माधवः परिदृश्यते । माधवाराधनेनाशु स्वयम् आत्मावलोक्यते
By perceiving the self, Mādhava is quickly seen; by worshipping Mādhava, the self is swiftly realized.
एतां दृष्टिम् अवष्टभ्य राघवात्मावलोकने । विहराशु विराडात्मा पदं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम्
By holding to this vision, O Raghava, and contemplating the Self, you will swiftly attain the eternal state of the all-pervading Self.
सुखासारवती राम संसारप्रावृड् आतता । जाड्यं ददाति परमं विचारार्कम् अपश्यतः
O Rama, the rainy season of worldly existence, abundant with the essence of fleeting pleasures, brings about utter dullness for one who does not behold the sun of inquiry.
प्रसादाद् आत्मनो विष्णोर् मायेयम् अतिभासुरा । प्रबाधते न धीरांस् तु यक्षी मन्त्रवतो यथा
By the grace of the Self—of Vishnu—this exceedingly radiant illusion does not overpower the wise, just as a yakṣī cannot harm one who knows the proper mantra.
आत्मेच्छयैव घनतां समुपागतान्तर् आत्मेच्छयैव तनुताम् उपयाति काले । संसारजालरचनेयम् अनन्तमाया ज्वालेव वातकलयानघ पावकस्य
By the very will of the Self, this inner illusion becomes dense, and by the will of the Self, it becomes subtle in time; this endless web of worldly appearance, O sinless one, is like the play of wind upon the flame of fire.
भगवन् सर्वधर्मज्ञ शुद्धैस् त्वद्वचनांशुभिः । निर्वृतास् स्मश् शशाङ्कस्य करैर् ओषधयो यथा
O Lord, knower of all dharmas, we are fulfilled by the pure rays of your words, just as herbs are by the beams of the moon.
कर्णाभिवाञ्छ्यमानानि पवित्राणि मृदूनि च । भूषयन्ति गृहीतानि पुष्पाणीव वचांसि ते
Your words, pure and gentle, longed for by the ears, adorn those who receive them like flowers.
पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन सर्वम् आसाद्यते यदि । प्रह्लादस् तत् कथं बुद्धो न माधववरं विना
If everything can be attained by human effort and perseverance, then why did Prahlada not achieve his boon without the favor of Madhava?
यद् यद् राघव सम्प्राप्तं प्रह्लादेन महात्मना । तत् तद् आसादितं तेन पौरुषाद् एव नान्यतः
Whatever the great-souled Prahlada attained, O Raghava, he gained solely through his own effort, not otherwise.
आत्मा नारायणश् चैव न भिन्नौ तिलतैलवत् । तथैव शौक्ल्यपटवत् कुसुमामोदवत् तथा
The Self and Nārāyaṇa are not separate, just as sesame and its oil, as whiteness and cloth, or as fragrance and a flower.
यो हि विष्णुस् स एवात्मा यो ह्य् आत्मा स जनार्दनः । विष्ण्वात्मशब्दौ पर्यायौ यथा विटपिपादपौ
He who is Viṣṇu is indeed the Self; and the Self is Janārdana. The words 'Viṣṇu' and 'Self' are interchangeable, like 'tree' and 'branch.'
प्रह्लादनाम्ना प्रथमम् आत्मैव स्वयम् आत्मना । स्वयैव शक्त्या परया विष्णुभक्तौ नियोजितः
At first, the Self itself, by its own power, assumed the name Prahlāda and was engaged in devotion to Viṣṇu by its own supreme energy.
प्रह्लादो ह्य् आत्मनैवैतं वरम् अर्जितवान् स्वयम् । स्वयं विचारं कृतवान् स्वयं विजितवान् मनः
Prahlāda himself, by his own Self, attained this boon; he himself reflected, and he himself conquered the mind.
कदाचिद् आत्मनैवात्मा स्वयं शक्त्या विबोध्यते । कदाचिद् विष्णुदेहेन भक्तिलभ्येन बोध्यते
Sometimes, the Self awakens itself by its own power; sometimes, it is awakened through the body of Viṣṇu, attainable by devotion.
चिरम् आराधितो ऽप्य् एष परमप्रीतिमान् अपि । नाविचारवतो ज्ञानं दातुं शक्नोति माधवः
Even when Mādhava is worshipped for a long time and is supremely pleased, he cannot grant knowledge to one who lacks inquiry.
मुख्यः पुरुषयत्नोत्थो विचारस् स्वात्मदर्शने । गौणो वरादिको हेतुर् मुख्यहेतुपरो भव
The primary cause for perceiving one's own Self is inquiry, arising from personal effort; boons and the like are secondary causes—be devoted to the primary cause.