मनसि क्षुब्धतां याते चित्त्वस्याङ्ग किम् आगतम् । तरङ्गे रजसा म्लाने वैपरीत्यं किम् अम्बुधेः
When the mind is agitated, what truly happens to consciousness, O dear one? When a wave is sullied by dust, what reversal occurs to the ocean?
के भवन्त्य् अयसां हंसाः पयसाम् उपलाश् च के । काश् शिलाः किल दारूणां के भोगाः परमात्मनः
Who are the swans among iron, and who are the stones among waters? Which are the rocks among woods, and what enjoyments belong to the supreme Self?
सम्बन्धः क इवाग्राशाशैलापरसमुद्रयोः । अन्तरे दूरसम्बाधे कश् च चित्तत्त्वबन्धयोः
What connection exists between the peaks of hope and the other shore of the mountain and ocean? What is the bond between the essence of mind and its nature, in the midst of distant and close relations?
अप्य् उत्सङ्गोह्यमानानि काष्ठानि सरिदम्भसाम् । कानि नाम भवन्तीह शरीराणि तथात्मनः
Even when pieces of wood are carried by the waters of a river, which among them truly become bodies here, and likewise, which are the bodies of the Self?
सङ्घट्टात् काष्ठपयसां यथोत्तुङ्गाः कणादयः । देहात्मनोस् समायोगात् तथैताश् चित्तवृत्तयः
Just as from the collision of wood and water arise bubbles and other forms, so from the union of body and Self these mental modifications arise.
सम्बन्धाद् दारुपयसां प्रतिबिम्बानि दारुतः । यथा पयसि लक्ष्यन्ते शरीराणि तथात्मनि
From the association of wood and water, reflections appear in the wood, just as bodies are perceived in water; so too are bodies perceived in the Self.
यथा दर्पणवार्यादौ प्रतिबिम्बानि वस्तुतः । नासत्यानि न सत्यानि शरीराणि तथात्मनि
Just as reflections in a mirror or in water are neither truly real nor unreal, so too are bodies in the Self.
दारुवार्युपलास्फोटे दुःखिता न यथा क्वचित् । संयुक्तेषु वियुक्तेषु न तथा पञ्चसु क्षतिः
Just as there is no suffering anywhere from the breaking of wood, water, or stones, so too, whether united or separated, there is no harm among the five elements.
दारुसंवेल्लितात् तोयात् कम्पशब्दादयो यथा । प्रजायन्ते तथैवास्माद् देहाच् चित्परिबोधितात्
Just as from water shaken by wood arise trembling, sound, and other effects, so too from the body, stirred by consciousness, arise various manifestations.
न बुद्धजडयोर् एतास् संविदश् चिच्छरीरयोः । एता ह्य् अज्ञानमात्रस्य तस्मिन् नष्टे तद् एव ताः
These experiences do not belong to either the intellect or inert matter, both of which are forms of consciousness; they pertain only to mere ignorance, and when that is destroyed, they too cease.
यथा न कस्यचिद् दारुवारिश्लेषे ऽनुभूतयः । तथा न कस्यचिद् देहदेहिसङ्गे ऽनुभूतयः
Just as no one has any real experience from the contact of wood and water, so too, no one truly experiences anything from the association of body and embodied self.
अज्ञस्यायं यथा दृष्टस् संसारस् सत्यतां गतः । तज्ज्ञस्यायं तथा नष्टस् संसारो ऽसत्यतां गतः
For the ignorant, this perceived world appears as real; but for the wise, this world is dissolved and is known to be unreal.
अन्तस्सङ्गविहीनास् ते यथा स्नेहा दृषत्तले । तथासक्तमनोवृत्तौ बाह्याभोगानुभूतयः
Just as there is no inner attachment in drops of dew on a blade of grass, so too, external enjoyments leave no impression in a mind that is unattached.
अन्तस्सङ्गेन रहितो यद्वत् सलिलकाष्ठयोः । सम्बन्धस् तद्वद् एवान्तर् असङ्गो देहदेहिनोः
Just as there is no inner connection between water and a piece of wood, so too, there is no real inner bond between the body and the embodied self.
अन्तस्सङ्गेन रहितस् सम्बन्धो जलकाष्ठयोः । ज्ञदेहदेहिनोश् चैव प्रतिबिम्बाम्भसोस् तथा
The connection between water and wood is without inner attachment; so too is the relationship between the knower, the body, and the embodied self, just as with a reflection and the water.
स्थिता सर्वत्र संवित्तिश् शुद्धा संवेद्यवर्जिता । द्वित्वोपलाञ्छिता त्व् अन्या दुस्संवित्तिर् न विद्यते
Pure consciousness abides everywhere, devoid of anything to be experienced; what appears as duality is merely apparent, and false consciousness does not truly exist.
अदुःखम् एति दुःखत्वम् अन्तस्संवेदनात् स्फुटम् । स्थाणुर् भवति वेतालो वेतालत्वेन भावितः
It is clear that suffering arises from inner identification; just as a post becomes a ghost when imagined as such, so too does the non-suffering become suffering by such conception.
असम्बन्धो हि सम्बन्धो भवत्य् अन्तर्विनिश्चयात् । स्वप्नाङ्गनासुरतवत् स्थाणुवेतालभङ्गवत्
For what is truly unconnected becomes connected through inner conviction, just as a dream-woman appears to a demon, or a stump seems a goblin.
असत्प्रायो हि सम्बन्धो यथा सलिलकाष्ठयोः । तथैव मिथ्या सम्बन्धश् शरीरपरमात्मनोः
Indeed, connection is mostly unreal, like that between water and wood; in the same way, the connection between body and Supreme Self is false.
अन्तस्सङ्गं विना नाम्बु काष्ठाघातैः प्रमुह्यते । आत्मान्तस्सङ्गरहितो देहदुःखैर् न दह्यते
Without inner association, wood is not disturbed by contact with water; likewise, the Self, lacking inner attachment, is not burned by the sufferings of the body.
देहभावनयैवात्मा देहदुःखवशे स्थितः । तत्त्यागेन ततो मुक्तो भवतीति विदुर् बुधाः
Only by identifying with the body does the Self remain subject to bodily pain; the wise know that by abandoning that identification, one is freed from it.
अन्तस्सङ्गविहीनत्वाद् दुःखवन्त्य् अङ्ग नो यथा । पत्त्राम्बूपलदारूणि श्लिष्टान्य् अपि परस्परम्
Because there is no inner attachment, limbs do not suffer, just as leaves, water, stones, and wood, though touching, do not affect each other.
अन्तस्सङ्गेन रहिता यान्ति निर्दुःखतां पराम् । श्लिष्टा अपि तथैवात्मा देहेन्द्रियमनांस्य् अलम्
Freed from inner attachment, they attain supreme freedom from suffering; so too, even when united, the Self, body, senses, and mind are unaffected.
अन्तस्सङ्गो हि संसारे सर्वेषां नाम देहिनाम् । जरामरणमोहानां तरूणां बीजकारणम्
For inner attachment is, in the world, the seed-cause for all embodied beings of old age, death, and delusion, as seeds are for trees.
अन्तस्संसङ्गवाञ् जन्तुर् मग्नस् संसारसागरे । अन्तस्संसङ्गमुक्तस् तु तीर्णस् संसारसागरात्
A creature possessing inner attachment is submerged in the ocean of worldly existence; but one freed from inner attachment has crossed the ocean of worldly existence.
अन्तस्संसङ्गवच् चित्तं शतशाखम् इहोच्यते । अन्तस्संसङ्गरहितं विलीनं चित्तम् उच्यते
The mind, when internally attached, is said here to have a hundred branches; the mind that is free from internal attachment is said to be dissolved.
भग्नस्फटिकवद् विद्धि मनस् सक्तम् अपावनम् । अभग्नस्फटिकाभासम् असक्तं विद्धि वै मनः
Know the mind that is impure and attached to be like broken crystal; know the unattached mind, shining like unbroken crystal.
असक्तं निर्मलं चित्तं मुक्तं संसार्य् अपि स्फुटम् । सक्तं तु दीर्घतपसा युक्तम् अप्य् अतिबन्धवत्
The unattached, pure mind is clearly liberated, even if engaged in worldly life; but the attached mind, even if engaged in long austerities, is greatly bound.
अन्तस्सक्तं मनो बद्धं मुक्तं सक्तिविवर्जितम् । अन्तस्संसक्तिर् एवैकं कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः
The mind attached within is bound; the mind free of attachment is liberated. Internal attachment alone is the single cause of bondage and liberation.
अन्तस्संसक्तिमुक्तस्य कुर्वतो ऽपि न कर्तृता । सुखदुःखवति स्वप्ने सम्भ्रमोन्मुखता यथा
For one freed from internal attachment, even while acting, there is no sense of doership—just as in a dream, there is confusion and readiness for pleasure and pain.