नित्याभ्यासविवेकाभ्यां चित्तम् आशु प्रसीदति । आम्रम् एव दशाम् एति साहकारीं शनैश् शनैः
Through constant practice and discernment, the mind quickly becomes calm, gradually attaining the state of the mango with the help of the citron.
एतद् अप्य् आत्मनैवात्मा फलम् आप्नोति भावितम् । हरिपूजाक्रमाख्येन निमित्तेनारिसूदन
Even this, O destroyer of foes, is attained by the self alone for itself, as a result of the process called worship of Hari.
वरम् आप्नोति यो वापि विष्णोर् अमिततेजसः । तेन स्वस्यैव तत् प्राप्तं फलम् अभ्यासशाखिनः
Whoever attains a boon from Vishnu of boundless brilliance, thereby receives the fruit of his own practice, as the branch receives its own reward.
सर्वेषाम् उत्तमार्थानां सर्वासां चिरसम्पदाम् । स्वमनोनिग्रहो भूमिर् भूमिस् सस्यश्रियाम् इव
For all highest aims and all lasting treasures, self-control of the mind is the ground, just as the earth is the foundation for the wealth of crops.
अप्य् उर्वीखननोत्कस्य कषतो ऽपि शिलोच्चयम् । स्वमनोनिग्रहाद् अन्यो नोपायो ऽस्तीह दुःखहा
Even for one eager to dig the earth, enduring the hardship of rocky mounds, there is no other means here to remove suffering than self-control of the mind.
तावज् जन्मसहस्राणि भ्रमन्ति भुवि मानवाः । यावन् नोपशमं याति मनोमत्तमहार्णवः
People wander on this earth for thousands of births, until the great ocean of the mind’s madness finds peace.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्ररुद्राद्याश् चिरं सम्पूजिता अपि । उपप्लुतमनोव्याधिं न त्रायन्ते ऽपि वत्सलाः
Even Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Rudra, and others—though long worshipped and full of compassion—do not save one whose mind is afflicted and overwhelmed.
आकारभासुरं त्यक्त्वा बाह्यम् आन्तरम् अप्य् अजम् । कुरु जन्मक्षयायाशु संविन्मात्रैकचिन्तनम्
Abandoning both the outer and the inner forms, which are merely appearances, swiftly direct your contemplation to pure consciousness alone, unborn, for the destruction of rebirth.
संवेद्यनिर्मुक्तनिरामयैकसंविन्मयास्वादम् अनन्तरूपम् । सन्मात्रम् आस्वादय सर्वसारं पारं परं प्राप्स्यसि जन्मनद्याः
Savor the essence that is pure being—free from all that can be experienced, free from affliction, the taste of undivided consciousness, formless and infinite; you will reach the supreme, the ultimate shore of the river of birth.
रामापर्यवसानेयं माया संसृतिनामिका । आत्मचित्तजयेनैव क्षयम् आयाति नान्यथा
O Rama, this illusion called worldly existence comes to an end only through mastery of one’s own mind and heart, and not otherwise.
जगन्मायाप्रपञ्चस्य वैचित्र्यप्रतिपत्तये । इतिहासम् इमं वक्ष्ये शृणुष्वावहितो ऽनघ
To reveal the variety of this world’s illusory display, I will tell you this story—listen attentively, O sinless one.
अस्त्य् अस्मिन् वसुधापीठे कोसला नाम मण्डलम् । कल्पवृक्षवनं मेरोर् इव रत्नगणाकरम्
On this earth there is a region called Kosala, a land like a grove of wish-fulfilling trees, a treasury of jewels like Mount Meru.
तत्रासीद् ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् गुणी गाधिर् इति श्रुतः । परमश्रोत्रियो धीमान् वेदो मूर्तिम् इवाश्रितः
There lived a certain brahmin, renowned as Gadhi, a man of virtue, supremely learned, wise, as if the Veda itself had taken human form.
आ बाल्यात् प्रविरक्तेन चेतसा स व्यराजत । निष्कलङ्कावदातेन भुवनं नभसा यथा
From childhood, with a mind withdrawn, he shone forth, pure and spotless, like the sky illumining the world.
किम् अप्य् अभिमतं कार्यं विनिधाय स चेतसि । बन्धुवर्गाद् विनिष्क्रम्य तपस् तप्तुं वनं ययौ
Having fixed some cherished purpose in his mind, he left his circle of relatives and went to the forest to practice austerity.
उत्फुल्लकमलं तत्र सरः प्राप स विप्रराट् । चन्द्रः प्रसन्नविमलं ताराशारम् इवाम्बरम्
There, the kingly sage reached a lake blooming with lotuses, serene and clear like the moon in a sky adorned with stars.
आशौरिदर्शनं तस्मिंस् तपोऽर्थं सरसि द्विजः । आकण्ठम् अम्बुनिर्मग्नः प्रावृट्पद्म इवावसत्
In that lake, for the sake of austerity, the twice-born immersed himself up to the neck in water, dwelling like a lotus in the rainy season.
ययौ मासाष्टकं तस्य मग्नस्य सरसो ऽम्भसि । मांसपङ्कजशङ्कोत्कभृङ्गभग्नमुखच्छवेः
He spent eight months submerged in the lake's water, his face broken and colored like a bee-damaged lotus, muddy and flesh-hued.
अथैनं तपसा तप्तम् अजगमैकदा हरिः । निदाघार्तं घनश् श्यामः प्रावृषीव धरातलम्
Then, once, Hari approached him, heated by austerity, like a dark cloud coming to earth in the rainy season to relieve the scorched.
विप्रोत्तिष्ठ पयोमध्याद् गृहाणाभिमतम् वरम् । अभीप्सितफलोपेतो जातस् ते नियमद्रुमः
O Brahmin, rise from the midst of the water and accept your desired boon; your tree of discipline now bears the fruit you wished for.
असङ्ख्येयजगद्भूतहृत्पद्मकुहरालिने । जगत्त्रयैकनलिनीसरसे विष्णवे नमः
Salutations to Vishnu, the bee dwelling in the lotus cave of the hearts of countless beings, in the lake of the single lotus that is the three worlds.
मायाम् इमां त्वदुदितां भगवन् पारमात्मिकीम् । द्रष्टुम् इच्छामि संसारनाम्नीम् आश्चर्यकारिणीम्
O Lord, I wish to see this supreme māyā that you have revealed, known as saṃsāra, which is wondrous in its workings.
इमां द्रक्ष्यसि मायां त्वं ततस् त्यक्ष्यसि चेत्य् अजः । उक्त्वा ययाव् अदृश्यत्वं गान्धर्वम् इव पत्तनम्
You will see this māyā, and then you will abandon it—so said the unborn one, and departed, vanishing like a Gandharva city.
गते विष्णौ समुत्तस्थौ जलात् स ब्राह्मणेश्वरः । शीतलामलमूर्तित्वाद् इन्दुः क्षीरोदकाद् इव
When Viṣṇu had gone, that lordly brāhmaṇa rose from the water, shining with a cool and spotless form, like the moon emerging from the milky ocean.
बभूव परितुष्टात्मा दर्शनेन जगत्पतेः । दर्शनस्पर्शनैर् इन्दोर् उत्फुल्लम् इव कैरवम्
His soul became thoroughly satisfied by the sight of the Lord of the world, just as a lotus blooms from the touch and vision of the moon.
अथास्य कतिचित् तस्मिन् दिवसानि ययुर् वने । हरिसन्दर्शनानन्दवतो ब्राह्मणकर्मणा
Then, for several days in that forest, he remained absorbed in the joy of seeing Hari, performing the duties of a brāhmaṇa.
एकदारब्धवान् स्नानं सरस्य् उदितपङ्कजे । चिन्तयन् वैष्णवं वाक्यं महर्षिर् इव मानसे
One day, he began his bath in the lake, as the lotus had just opened, reflecting on the words of Viṣṇu like a great sage in contemplation.
अथ स्नानविधाव् अन्तर्जलम् एष चकार ह । सकलाघविघातार्थं परिवर्तनम् आत्मनः
During the bathing ritual, he immersed himself in the water, seeking to remove all sins and transform himself.
अन्तर्जलविधौ तस्मिन् विस्मृतध्यानमन्त्रधीः । पर्यस्तसंवित्प्रसरस् सो ऽपश्यज् जलमध्यगः
While performing the underwater ritual, his mind forgot its meditation and mantras; his awareness scattered, and he saw himself within the water.
मृतम् आत्मानम् आत्मीये सदने ऽसोम्यतां गतम् । पतितं वातवेगेन कन्दरान्तर् इव द्रुमम्
He saw his own self, dead, lying in his house, bereft of vitality, fallen by the force of the wind like a tree into a mountain cleft.