जीवितोग्रद्रुमफल मदाश्वासामृताम्बुधे । जगत्य् अस्मिन् महाबन्धो भास स्वागतम् अस्तु ते
O great bondage in this world, greetings to you, who appear as the intoxication, comfort, and nectar-ocean of the fruit of the tree of life.
एतावत्यो दिनावल्यो मद्वियोगवता त्वया । वद क्व क्षपितास् साधो कच्चित् ते विमलं तपः
O noble one, these many days have passed with you separated from me; tell me, where have you spent them? I hope your austerity remains pure.
कच्चित् ते विज्वरा बुद्धिः कच्चिज् जातस् त्वम् आत्मवान् । कच्चित् फलितविद्यस् त्वं कच्चित् कुशलवान् असि
I hope your intellect is free from affliction; I hope you have become established in the Self; I hope your knowledge has borne fruit; I hope you are skilled.
इत्य् उक्तवन्तं संसारसमुद्विग्नम् अलं तदा । प्राहाप्राप्तमहाज्ञानं सुहृत् सुहृदम् आदरात्
Thus addressed, troubled by worldly existence, he then spoke, though not yet possessing great knowledge, to his friend with respect.
साधो स्वागतम् अद्याङ्ग दिष्ट्या दृष्टो ऽसि मानद । कुशलं तु कुतो ऽस्माकं संसारे तिष्ठताम् इह
O noble one, welcome today! By good fortune, you are seen, O giver of honor. But how can there be well-being for us who remain in this world?
यावन् नाधिगतं ज्ञेयं यावत् क्षीणा न चित्तभूः । यावत् तीर्णं न संसारात् तावन् मे कुशलं कुतः
As long as what is to be known has not been attained, as long as the mind's field is not exhausted, as long as one has not crossed beyond worldly existence, how can there be well-being for me?
यावन् नाधिगतं ज्ञानं यावन् न समतोदिता । यावन् नाभ्युदितो बोधस् तावन् नः कुशलं कुतः
As long as knowledge has not been attained, as long as equanimity has not arisen, as long as awakening has not dawned, how can there be well-being for us?
आशा यावद् अशेषेण न लूनाश् चित्तसम्भवाः । वीरुधो दात्रकेणेव तावन् नः कुशलं कुतः
As long as hope, arising from the mind, has not been completely cut off, like shoots by a donor, how can there be well-being for us?
आत्मलाभं विना साधो विना ज्ञानमहौषधम् । उदेति पुनर् एवेयं दुस्संसृतिविषूचिका
Without attaining the Self, O noble one, without the great medicine of knowledge, this dreadful disease of worldly existence arises again and again.
शैशवाङ्कुरितारम्भो नवयौवनपल्लवः । जराकुसुमितो ऽभ्येति पुनस् संसारदुर्द्रुमः
The dreadful tree of worldly existence begins to sprout with childhood, puts forth the tender leaves of youth, and then comes to flower with old age.
कायजीर्णतरोर् अस्माद् बान्धवाक्रन्दषट्पदात् । जरापुष्पसितोदेति पुनर् मरणमञ्जरी
From this tree of the aging body, where the cries of relatives are like buzzing bees, the blossoms of old age appear again, followed by the cluster of death.
भुक्तशुक्तर्तुविरसा पुराणदिवसोम्भिता । नीयते नीरसप्राया पुनस् संवत्सरावली
The succession of years, once filled with the flavors of enjoyed seasons and the freshness of new days, now passes on, mostly drained of vitality.
महादरीषु देहाद्रेस् तृष्णाकण्टकितास्व् अति । हेलाव्यालासु च पुनः क्रियासु परिलुप्यते
Within the great caverns of the mountain-body, bristling with the thorns of craving, and in the lairs of heedless actions, one is gradually consumed.
दुःखैस् सुखलवाकारैर् दीर्घदीर्घैश् शुभाशुभैः । अपर्यस्तागमप्रायाः प्रयान्त्य् आयान्ति रात्रयः
Nights come and go, seemingly endless, filled with long stretches of pain and fleeting moments of pleasure, with auspicious and inauspicious events, yet rarely bringing anything new.
अयथार्थक्रियारम्भैः कदाशावेशपल्लवैः । क्षीयते कर्मभिस् तुच्छैर् आयुर् आहतकर्तृभिः
Life is worn away by pointless actions, by the shoots of hope that arise from misguided undertakings, and by the deeds of those who are themselves struck down.
उन्मूलिताशयालानो मनोमत्तमतङ्गजः । तृष्णाकरेणुकोत्तब्धो दूरं विपरिधावति
The wild elephant of the mind, its roots of intention uprooted, intoxicated with delusion and bound by the dust of craving, runs far astray.
जिह्वादललतालग्नः कायद्रुमगुहालये । यत्रचिन्तामणौ वृद्धो गर्धगृध्रो विवर्धते
In the cave of the body-tree, clinging to the palate and tongue, the old vulture of worry grows ever stronger, feeding on whatever it finds.
नीरसा निस्सुखा लघ्वी पतत्पेलवगात्रिका । जीर्णपर्णसवर्णेयं क्षीयते दिवसावली
This succession of days, devoid of essence, joyless, insubstantial, and frail as withered leaves, steadily wastes away.
अपमानरजोध्वस्तम् अस्तङ्गतवपुश्श्रि च । मुखं धूसरताम् एति हिमैः पद्मम् इवाहतम्
The face, its beauty faded and form diminished by the dust of disrespect, grows ashen—like a lotus struck by frost.
शुष्यतः कायसरसः प्रगलद्यौवनाम्भसः । राजहंसः क्षणाद् आयुर् अनावर्ति पलायते
As the lake of the body dries up and the waters of youth recede, the swan of life swiftly departs, never to return.
कालानिलबलोद्धूताज् जर्जराज् जीवितद्रुमात् । भोगपुष्पाणि दिवसपर्णानि निपतन्त्य् अधः
Shaken by the force of time's wind, the blossoms of pleasure—leaves of the days—fall from the decaying tree of life.
भोगभोगिश्रितेष्व् अन्तर् दुःखदर्दुरवारिषु । मनो मोहान्धकूपेषु दूरेषु विनिमज्जति
The mind sinks far away, immersed among the crocodiles of sorrowful waters, in the dark wells of delusion, within the haunts of pleasure-seekers.
नानानुरञ्जना स्पष्टा तृष्णा तरलपेलवा । चैत्यमग्नपताकेव दूरं समधिरोहति
Desires, fickle and unsubstantial, no longer clearly delight; like a temple flag carried off by the wind, they ascend far away.
अस्य संसारतन्त्रस्य बृहत्कालबिलास्पदः । जीविताशामयांस् तन्तून् अन्तकाखुर् निकृन्तति
In this machinery of worldly existence, the great pit of time is its foundation; the claw of death severs the threads of hope for life.
यौवनोत्फालकल्लोला बहलोल्लासफेनिला । परावर्तमहावर्ता याति जीवितदुर्नदी
The turbulent river of life, with its waves swelling with youth and frothing with exuberance, turns back upon itself in a great whirlpool.
कलाकुलकलत्कार्यकल्लोलकुलसङ्कुला । क्रियासरिद् अपर्यन्ता वहत्य् आकुलकोटरा
The river of action, crowded with the waves of countless activities and surging with the tumult of time, flows endlessly, its hollows filled with confusion.
अनन्ता बन्धुजनतानद्यो गम्भीरकोटरे । अजस्रं निपतन्त्य् एता वितते कालसागरे
The infinite streams of kin and companions, in their deep channels, ceaselessly pour forth into the vast ocean of time.
देहरत्नशलाकेयं नाशपङ्कार्णवोदरे । न ज्ञायते क्व मग्नेति तात जन्मनि जन्मनि
This body, a jewel-like casket, within the ocean of the mire of destruction, does not reveal where it is drawn, O dear one, in each and every birth.
चिन्ताचक्रे चिरं चञ्चच्चक्रिकाचारचञ्चुरे । चेतो भ्रमति सामुद्रे गर्तावर्ते तृणं यथा
The mind, long whirling in the wheel of thought, restless in its spinning, wanders in the ocean’s eddies like a blade of grass caught in a whirlpool.
उह्यमानम् अनन्तेषु चेतः कार्यमहोर्मिषु । क्षणम् एति न विश्रामं चिन्ताताण्डविताशयम्
Tossed among endless waves of powerful actions, the mind finds not a moment’s rest, its hope battered by the dance of thought.