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.
पूर्वम् एव बलात् तस्माद् आक्रम्येन्द्रियपञ्चकम् । अभ्यासात् सर्वयत्नेन चित्तं कुरु विचारवत्
Therefore, first forcibly restrain the five senses, and through constant practice and all effort, make the mind endowed with inquiry.
यद् यद् आसाद्यते किञ्चित् केनचित् क्वचिद् एव हि । स्वशक्तिसम्प्रवृत्त्या तल् लभ्यते नान्यतः क्वचित्
Whatever is attained by anyone, anywhere, is obtained only through the exertion of one's own power; it is not gained otherwise, anywhere.
पौरुषं यत्नम् आश्रित्य प्रोल्लङ्घ्येन्द्रियपर्वतम् । संसारजलधिं तीर्त्वा पारं गच्छ परं पदम्
Relying on human effort, leap over the mountain of the senses, cross the ocean of worldly existence, and reach the supreme state.
विना पुरुषयत्नेन दृश्यते चेज् जनार्दनः । मृगपक्षिगणं कस्मात् तद् असौ नोद्धरत्य् अजः
If Janardana (God) is seen without human effort, then why does He not liberate the multitude of animals and birds?
गुरुश् चेद् उद्धरत्य् अज्ञम् आत्मीयात् पौरुषाद् ऋते । उष्ट्रदान्तबलीवर्दांस् तत् कस्मान् नोद्धरत्य् असौ
If a guru rescues the ignorant without their own effort, then why does he not liberate camels, elephants, and oxen?
न हरेर् न गुरोर् नार्थात् किञ्चिद् आसाद्यते महत् । आक्रान्तमनसस् स्वस्माद् यन् नासादितम् आत्मनः
Nothing great is attained from Hari, from a guru, or from wealth, if it is not gained by one's own mind's endeavor.
अभ्यासवैराग्ययुताद् आक्रान्तेन्द्रियपन्नगात् । आत्मनः प्राप्यते यत् तत् प्राप्यते न जगत्त्रयात्
What is attained by oneself, endowed with practice and dispassion, having subdued the serpent of the senses, is not obtained from the three worlds.
आराधयात्मनात्मानम् आत्मनात्मानम् अर्चय । आत्मनात्मानम् आलोक्य सन्तिष्ठ स्वात्मनात्मनि
Worship the Self by the Self, honor the Self by the Self; seeing the Self by the Self, abide firmly in your own Self.
शास्त्रयत्नविचारेभ्यो मूर्खाणां प्रपलायताम् । कल्पिता वैष्णवी भक्तिः प्रवृत्त्यर्थं शुभस्थितौ
For the ignorant fleeing from scriptural inquiry and effort, devotion to Vishnu has been devised as a means for engaging them in virtuous conduct.
अभ्यासयत्नौ प्रथमं मुख्यो विधिर् उदाहृतः । तदभावे तु गौणस् स्यात् पूज्यपूजामयः क्रमः
The primary method is said to be practice and effort at first; in their absence, the secondary method is the sequence consisting of worship and the worshipped.
अस्ति चेद् इन्द्रियाक्रान्तिः किं पूजापूज्यपूजनैः । नास्ति चेद् इन्द्रियाक्रान्तिः किं पूजापूज्यपूजनैः
If the senses are restrained, what use is there in acts of worship, worshipped, and worshipper? If the senses are not restrained, what use is there in acts of worship, worshipped, and worshipper?
विचारोपशमाभ्यां हि विना नासाद्यते हरिः । विचारोपशमाभ्यां च युक्तस्याब्जकरेण किम्
For without inquiry and tranquility, the Lord is not attained; and for one established in inquiry and tranquility, what is the use of the lotus-handed one?
विचारोपशमोपेतं चित्तम् आराधयात्मनः । तस्मिन् सिद्धे भवान् सिद्धो नो चेत् त्वं वनगर्दभः
A mind endowed with inquiry and tranquility should be devoted to the Self; if you succeed in this, you are accomplished—otherwise, you are like a forest donkey.
क्रियते माधवादीनां प्रणयः प्रार्थनाय यत् । स चैव कस्मात् क्रियते न स्वकस्यैव चेतसः
The devotion shown to Mādhava and others is for the sake of supplication; but why is this done, and not directed to one's own mind?
सर्वस्यैव जनस्यास्य विष्णुर् अभ्यन्तरे स्थितः । तं परित्यज्य ये यान्ति बहिर् विष्णुं न ते बुधाः
Viṣṇu abides within all people; those who abandon him and seek Viṣṇu outside are not wise.
हृद्गुहावासि चित्तत्त्वं मुख्यं सानातनं वपुः । शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्तो गौण आकार आत्मनः
The true essence of mind, dwelling in the cave of the heart, is the primary, eternal form; the form with conch, discus, and mace in hand is a secondary aspect of the Self.
यो हि मुख्यं परित्यज्य गौणं समनुधावति । त्यक्त्वा रसायनं सिद्धं साध्यं संसाधयत्य् असौ
Whoever abandons the primary and pursues the secondary, forsaking the perfected elixir, seeks what is yet to be perfected.
यस् तु वा स्थितिम् एवास्याम् आत्मज्ञानचमत्कृतौ । नासादयति सम्मत्तमनास् स रघुनन्दन
But, O descendant of Raghu, one who does not attain stability in the wonder of self-knowledge, whose mind is not truly absorbed, does not reach it.
अप्राप्तात्मविवेको ऽन्तर् अज्ञश् चित्तवशीकृतः । शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिम् अर्चयत्य् अमरेश्वरम्
Without discernment of the self, inwardly ignorant and controlled by the mind, he worships the Lord of immortals, holding conch, discus, and mace.
तत्पूजनेन कष्टेन तपसा तस्य राघव । काले निर्मलताम् एति चित्तं वैराग्यवारिणा
Through arduous worship and austerity, O Raghava, in time the mind becomes purified by the waters of detachment.