चिरं शोचन्ति ते दीना जन्मजङ्गलवीरुधः । आत्मावलोकने हेला येषाम् अधिगतैनसाम्
Long do those wretched ones grieve, like wild plants in the jungle of birth, who, having acquired sin, neglect self-examination.
आशापाशशतैर् बद्धं भोगोलपसुलालसम् । जराजर्जरिताकारं शोकोच्छ्वासकदर्थितम्
Bound by hundreds of cords of desire, delighting in fleeting pleasures, their bodies worn by old age, afflicted by the sighs of sorrow.
व्यूढदुःखमहाभारं जन्मजङ्गलजीविनम् । कुकर्मकर्दमालिप्तं मोहपल्वलशायिनम्
Bearing the heavy burden of great suffering, living in the jungle of birth, smeared with the mud of evil deeds, lying in the mire of delusion.
रोगदंशावलीदष्टं कृष्टं तृष्णावरत्रया । मनोवाजिनकोत्तब्धं बन्धुबन्धननिश्चलम्
Bitten by the swarm of diseases, pulled by the reins of thirst, bound by the harness of the mind, and immobilized by the bonds of kinship.
पुत्रदारदरीजीर्णं मग्नोन्मग्नं कुकर्दमे । श्रान्तं विगतविश्रामं भग्नम् आदीर्घवर्त्मनि
Worn out by sons, wives, and relatives, sunk deep in foul mire, exhausted without rest, broken on the long path.
गमागमपरिक्षीणं संसारारण्यचारिणम् । अलब्धशीतलच्छायं तीव्रतापोपतापितम्
Depleted by constant coming and going, wandering in the forest of worldly existence, unable to find cool shade, scorched by intense heat.
आकारभासुरं दीनं वाहैर् आक्रान्तम् इन्द्रियैः । कर्मकर्णीरथाक्रान्तं तान्तं दुष्कृतताडनैः
Appearing radiant in form yet miserable, overwhelmed by the winds of the senses, overtaken by the chariot of actions, tormented by the blows of evil deeds.
आविर्भावतिरोभावचक्रावर्तदुरुद्वहम् । अज्ञानविकटाटव्यां लुठन्तं भग्नगात्रकम्
Tossed about in the dreadful forest of ignorance, bearing the heavy burden of the cycle of appearance and disappearance, his limbs broken, he wanders helplessly.
निजानर्थस्खदामग्नं सीदमानम् अकिञ्चनम् । सन्नाङ्गं कर्मभारेण करुणाक्रन्दकारिणम्
Immersed in the mire of his own misfortunes, sinking, destitute, his body weakened by the weight of actions, he becomes an object of pity, crying out in distress.
राम जीवबलीवर्दम् इमं संसारपल्वलात् । परमं यत्नम् आस्थाय चिरम् उत्तारयेद् बलात्
O Rama, this living being, like an ox trapped in the mire of worldly existence, must be forcefully rescued with utmost effort, even if it takes a long time.
तत्त्वावलोकनात् क्षीणे चित्ते नो जायते पुनः । जीवः कदाचन तदा भवेत् तीर्णभवार्णवः
When the mind is purified by the vision of truth, the individual self is never born again; then, one has crossed the ocean of worldly existence.
महानुभावसम्पर्कात् संसारार्णवलङ्घने । युक्तिस् सम्प्राप्यते राम दृढा नौर् इव नाविकात्
O Rama, through association with great souls, one attains firm discernment for crossing the ocean of worldly existence, just as a boat receives strength from a skilled boatman.
यस्मिन् देशमरौ राम नास्ति सज्जनपादपः । सफलश् शीतलच्छायो न तत्र निवसेद् बुधः
O Rama, in a barren land where there is no fruitful, cool-shaded tree of the good, the wise do not dwell.
स्निग्धशीतवचःपत्त्रे सच्छाये स्मितपुष्पिते । क्षणाद् विश्रम्यते राम भृशं सुजनषण्डके
O Rama, in the grove of the virtuous, with leaves of gentle, cool words, shade, and smiling blossoms, one finds deep rest, even if only for a moment.
तदभावे महामोहदाहसन्ततिदायिनि । किञ्चिज्जातविवेकेन स्वप्तव्यं नेह धीमता
In the absence of such company, where the fire of great delusion continually burns, the wise should not remain, even with a little discrimination.
आत्मैव ह्य् आत्मनो बन्धुर् आत्मनात्मानम् उद्धरेत् । नात्मानम् अवलेपेन जन्मपङ्कार्णवे क्षिपेत्
Indeed, the self is the friend of the self; by the self, one should uplift oneself. One should not, through conceit, cast oneself into the ocean of the mire of birth.
किम् इदं कथम् आयातं किम्मूलं किमपक्षयम् । देहदुःखम् इति प्राज्ञैः प्रेक्षणीयं प्रयत्नतः
What is this? How has it come about? What is its root? What is its decay? The wise should carefully observe the suffering of the body in this way.
न धनानि न मित्राणि न शास्त्राणि न बन्धवः । नराणाम् उपकुर्वन्ति मग्नस्वात्मसमुद्धृतौ
Neither wealth, nor friends, nor scriptures, nor relatives help a person in rescuing the self that is submerged.
मनोमात्रेण सुहृदा सदैव सहवासिना । सह किञ्चित् परामृश्य भवत्य् आत्मा समुद्धृतः
By the mind alone, which is ever a companion and friend, when something is rightly discerned, the self is uplifted.
वैराग्याभ्यासयत्नाभ्यां स्वपरामर्शजन्मना । तत्त्वालोकेन पोतेन तीर्यते भवसागरः
By the effort of dispassion and practice, by the discernment arising from reflection on self and other, and by the boat of insight into reality, the ocean of worldly existence is crossed.
शोच्यमानं जनैर् नित्यं दह्यमानं दुराशया । नात्मानम् अवमन्येत प्रोद्धरेद् एनम् आदरात्
Even if one is always pitied by people, and burned by evil hopes, one should not despise oneself, but should respectfully uplift oneself.
अहङ्कारमहालानं तृष्णारज्जुं मनोमदम् । जन्मजम्बालनिर्मग्नं जीवदन्तिनम् उद्धरेत्
One should uplift the living elephant—immersed in the mud of birth—whose great chain is ego, whose rope is craving, and whose intoxication is the mind.
अयम् एतावतैवात्मा त्रातो भवति राघव । यद् अपास्य विमूढत्वम् अहङ्कारः प्रमार्ज्यते
O Raghava, the self is protected to this extent: when, having abandoned delusion, ego is thoroughly cleansed.
एतावतैव सन्मार्गो याति प्रकटताम् अलम् । यद् अपास्य मनोमोहम् अहम्भावो विलीयते
Only to this extent does the true path become fully evident: when, having cast aside the delusion of the mind, the sense of 'I' dissolves.
एतावतैव देवेशः परमात्मावगम्यते । काष्ठलोष्टसमत्वेन देहो यद् अवलोक्यते
Only to this extent is the supreme Self, Lord of the gods, realized: when the body is regarded with the same indifference as a log of wood or a clod of earth.
अहङ्काराम्बुदे क्षीणे दृश्यते चिद्दिवाकरः । ततस् तत्परिणामेन तत् पदं समवाप्यते
When the ocean of ego is dried up, the sun of consciousness is seen; then, through its transformation, that supreme state is attained.
यथा ध्वान्तसमुच्छेदे स्वयम् आलोकवेदनम् । तथाहङ्कारविच्छेदे स्वयम् आत्मावलोकनम्
Just as, when darkness is dispelled, light is perceived by itself, so, when ego is cut off, the Self is seen by itself.
अहङ्कारसमुच्छेदे यावस्था सुसमोदया । सा परा भरिताकारा सा सर्वव्यापिनी चितिः
The state that arises upon the complete dissolution of ego, which is supremely auspicious, is the highest, all-pervading consciousness, full in its own form.
परिपूर्णार्णवप्रख्या न वाग्गोचरम् एति नः । नोपमानम् उपादत्ते नानुधावति रञ्जनम्
Vast as a fully overflowing ocean, it does not come within the range of our speech; it accepts no comparison, nor does it pursue any coloring or modification.
केवलं चित्प्रकाशांशकलिता स्थिरतां गता । तुर्या चेत् प्राप्यते दृष्टिस् तत् तया सोपमीयते
It is simply the radiance of consciousness, stabilized and complete; if the fourth state (turiya) is attained, perception is likened to that.