कदा बहलकल्लोलां नावा परमया धिया । परितीर्णो भविष्यामि तृष्णामत्ततरङ्गिणीम्
When will I, with supreme understanding, cross over the river of craving, whose waves surge thick and strong?
कदेमां जागतैर् भूतैः क्रियमाणाम् असन्मयीम् । क्रियाम् उपहसिष्यामि बाललीलाम् इवाफलाम्
When will I laugh at this insubstantial activity performed by worldly beings, as one laughs at the fruitless play of children?
कदा विकल्पपर्यस्तमनोदोलावदोलनम् । प्रशमिष्यति मे शान्तपानौजस इव भ्रमः
When will the swinging of my mind, disturbed by imagination, come to rest, like dizziness ceases through the power of a tranquilizing drink?
कदोदितवपुर्भास्वान् विहसञ् जागतीर् गतीः । अन्तस् सन्तोषम् एष्यामि विराडात्मेव पूर्णधीः
When, shining with a radiant form, will I move through the paths of the world with inner contentment, like the cosmic Self, complete in understanding?
शान्तश् समसमाचारस् सोम्यस् सर्वार्थनिस्स्पृहः । कदोपशमम् एष्यामि मन्थोन्मुक्तमहाब्धिवत्
Peaceful, even in conduct, gentle, free from all desire for objects—when will I attain tranquility, like the ocean freed from the churning?
कदेमाम् अखिलां दृश्यश्रियम् आशाशतात्मिकाम् । सर्वां सुषुप्तवत् पश्यन् भविष्याम्य् अन्तराततः
When will I, seeing all this visible splendor, which is composed of countless hopes, view it all as one does in deep sleep, from within myself?
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं सर्वं शान्तकल्पनया धिया । पश्यंश् चिन्मात्रम् अखिलं भावयिष्याम्य् अहं कदा
When will I, perceiving everything—inner and outer—with a mind stilled by peaceful discernment, realize all as pure consciousness alone?
कदोपशान्तचित्तात्मा चित्ताम् उपगतः पराम् । परमालोकम् एष्यामि जात्यान्ध्यविगमाद् इव
When will my mind and self become fully tranquil, attaining the highest consciousness, so that I may reach the supreme realm, as one freed from the blindness of birth?
कदाभ्यासोपलब्धेन चित्प्रकाशेन चारुणा । दूराद् आलोकयिष्यामि तन्वीं कालकलाम् इमाम्
When, through the radiant light of awareness gained by practice, will I behold from afar this slender thread of time?
ईहितानीहितोन्मुक्तो हेयोपादेयवर्जितः । कदान्तस् तोषम् एष्यामि स्वप्रकाशपदस्थितः
When, free from desire and aversion, untouched by acceptance or rejection, will I find contentment, established in the state of self-luminous awareness?
कदाशाकौशिकीकीर्णा जाड्यजीर्णहृदम्बुजा । क्षयम् एष्यति कृष्णेयं कदा मे मोहयामिनी
When will this dark enchantress, who scatters the heart's lotus with dullness and decay, finally perish for me?
कदोपशान्तमननो धरणीधरकन्दरे । समेष्यामि शिलासाम्यं निर्विकल्पसमाधिना
When, with a mind at peace, will I enter the mountain cave and become equal to the stone, absorbed in the unwavering samadhi?
कदा मे चित्तमातङ्गस् स्वाभिमानमहामदः । तत्त्वावबोधहरिणा हतो नाशम् उपैष्यति
When will the mighty pride of my mind-elephant, intoxicated with self-conceit, be slain by the deer of true understanding, and thus come to its end?
निरंशध्यानविश्रान्तिमूकस्य मम मूर्धनि । कदा कर्णे करिष्यन्ति कुलायं वनपुत्तिकाः
When will the forest birds build their nests in my ear, as I rest in silent meditation, my head quiet and still?
कदा निश्शङ्कम् उरसि ध्यानाधीनधियः खगाः । मम विश्रान्तिम् एष्यन्ति शैलस्थाणुतलस्थितेः
When will the birds, whose minds are absorbed in meditation, fearlessly settle upon my chest, as I remain unmoving like a mountain pillar?
तृष्णाकरञ्जजटिलां जन्मजर्जरगुल्मकाम् । संसारारण्यसरणिं त्यक्त्वा यास्याम्य् अहं कदा
When will I abandon the path through the forest of worldly existence, overgrown with the tangled thickets of craving, and afflicted by the disease of birth and decay?
इति चिन्तापरवशो वन उद्दालको द्विजः । पुनः पुनस् तूपविश्य ध्यानाभ्यासं चकार सः
Thus, overwhelmed by such thoughts, the twice-born Uddālaka sat again and again in the forest, practicing meditation.
विषयैर् नीयमाने तु चित्ते मर्कटचञ्चले । न स लेभे समाधानप्रतिष्ठां प्रीतिदायिनीम्
But as his mind, restless like a monkey, was drawn toward sense objects, he did not attain the stable, joyful state of concentration.
कदाचिद् बाह्यसंस्पर्शपरित्यागाद् अनन्तरम् । तस्यागच्छच् चित्तकपिः प्रोद्वेगं तत्त्वसंस्थितौ
Sometimes, after renouncing external contacts, his mind-monkey would leap up with agitation even in the state of contemplation on reality.
कदाचिद् आन्तरान् स्पर्शान् परित्यज्य मनःकपिः । लोलत्वात् तस्य संयातो विषयं विषलुब्धवत्
At times, having abandoned inner impressions, his mind-monkey, due to its fickle nature, would again rush toward sense objects, like one greedy for poison.
कदाचिद् आन्तरार्काभं तेजो दृष्ट्वान्तरे मनः । विषयोन्मुखतां यातं तस्य तामरसेक्षण
Sometimes, seeing within a radiance like an inner sun, his mind, O lotus-eyed one, would turn toward sense objects.
अन्तर् आन्ध्यतमस्त्यागं कृत्वा विषयलम्पटम् । तस्योड्डीय मनो याति कदाचित् त्रस्तपक्षिवत्
At times, after casting off the inner darkness, his mind, greedy for sense objects, would suddenly fly away like a frightened bird.
बाह्यान् आभ्यन्तरान् स्पर्शांस् त्यक्त्वा निद्रां च तन्मनः । तमस् तेजश् च नो लेभे कदाचिच् छाश्वतीं स्थितिम्
Abandoning both external and internal contacts, and even sleep, his mind would not attain lasting stability in darkness or in light.
इति पर्याकुलास्व् अन्तस् सो ऽलुठद् ध्यानवृत्तिषु । दरीष्व् अन्वहम् उग्रासु वातभग्न इव द्रुमः
Thus, with his thoughts in turmoil, he was tossed about within the currents of meditation, like a tree broken by the wind in fierce mountain ravines, day after day.
अतिष्ठल् लूनसंरूढमना मननसङ्कटे । यथा दोलायितवपुस् तृणं तीरतरङ्गके
His mind, torn and unsettled in the distress of reflection, wavered like a blade of grass on the bank, swayed by the waves.
अथ पर्याकुलमतिर् विजहारारतिर् गिरौ । प्रत्यहं दिवसाधीशो महामेराव् इवैककः
Then, with a disturbed mind and joyless heart, he wandered daily on the mountain, solitary like the sun ruling each day over the great Meru.
समग्रभूतदुष्प्रापाम् एकदा प्राप कन्दराम् । संशान्तसर्वसञ्चारां मुनिर् मोक्षदशाम् इव
One day, he reached a cavern, difficult for any living being to attain, utterly still and motionless, like a sage attaining the state of liberation.
अपर्याकुलितां वातैर् अप्राप्तमृगपक्षिणीं । अदृष्टां देवगन्धर्वैः परमाकाशशोभनाम्
Untouched by winds, unvisited by beasts or birds, unseen by gods or gandharvas, it shone with the radiance of the supreme sky.
पुष्पप्रकरसञ्छन्नां मृदुशाद्वलकोमलाम् । ज्योतीरसाश्मसम्प्रोतैः कृतां मरकतैर् इव
Covered with clusters of flowers, soft with tender grass, it seemed fashioned of emeralds, adorned with stones gleaming with the essence of light.
सिद्धगीतलसच्छायां प्रकटां रत्नदीपकैः । सुगुप्तां वनदेवीनाम् अन्तःपुरकुटीम् इव
Graced by the shade of celestial songs, bright with the lamps of jewels, it was well hidden, like the inner chambers of the forest goddesses.