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.
चित्ते कर्तरि कर्तृत्वम् अदेहस्यापि विद्यते । स्वप्नादाव् इव विक्षुब्धसुखदुःखदशामयम्
Doership is attributed to the mind, even when there is no body; as in a dream and similar states, the agitated mind experiences conditions of pleasure and pain.
अकर्तरि मनस्य् अन्तर् अकर्तृत्वं स्फुटं भवेत् । शून्यचित्तो हि पुरुषः कुर्वन्न् अपि न चेतति
When the mind is non-doing within, non-doership is clearly present; for a person whose mind is empty, even while acting, there is no sense of agency.
चेतसा कृतम् आप्नोषि चेतसा न कृतं न तु । न क्वचित् कारणं देहो न चित्तम् अपि कर्तृ वै
What is done with the mind, you experience; what is not done with the mind, you do not. Nowhere is the body the cause, nor is the mind truly the agent.
असंसक्तम् अकर्त्र् एव कुर्वद् एव मनो विदुः । न कर्मफलभोक्तृत्वम् असक्तं प्रतिपद्यते
The mind is understood to act without attachment and without a sense of agency; when unattached, it does not acquire the experience of the results of actions.
ब्रह्महत्याश्वमेधाभ्याम् असंसक्तो न लिप्यते । दूरस्थकान्तासंसक्तमनाः कार्यैर् इवाग्रगैः
One who is unattached is not tainted even by killing a Brahmin or performing an Ashvamedha sacrifice; just as the mind attached to a distant beloved is unaffected by actions performed nearby.
अन्तस्संसक्तिनिर्मुक्तो जीवो मधुरवृत्तिमान् । बहिः कुर्वन्न् अकुर्वन् वा कर्ता भोक्ता न हि क्वचित्
The living being, freed from inner attachment, conducts itself sweetly; whether acting or not acting outwardly, it is never truly a doer or an enjoyer.
अन्तस्संसक्तिमुक्तं यन् मनस् स्यात् तद् अकर्तृकम् । तद् वियुक्तं प्रशान्तं तत् तद् युक्तं तद् अलेपकम्
That mind which is freed from inner attachment is non-agent; it is separated, peaceful, and when united, it remains unstained.
तत् स्यात् सर्वपदार्थानां श्लिष्टानां निश्चितं बहिः । सर्वदुःखकरीं क्रूराम् अन्तस्सक्तिं विवर्जयेत्
It is certain that external contact with all objects exists; one should abandon the cruel inner attachment, which brings all suffering.
विरहितम् अलम् अन्तस्सङ्गदोषेण चेतश् शमम् उपगतम् आद्यं व्योमवन् निर्मलाभम् । सकलकलनमुक्तेनात्मनैकत्वम् एति स्थिरम् अलिनिभम् अम्भो वारिणीवालिनीले
The mind, free from the defect of inner attachment, attains peace, becoming pristine like the original sky; when released from all calculation, it attains firm unity with the Self, like water in a clear, unclouded lake.
कीदृशो भगवन् सङ्गः कश् च बन्धाय वै नृणाम् । कश् च मोक्षाय कथितः कथं चैष चिकित्स्यते
O Lord, what is attachment, and what binds people? What is said to bring liberation, and how is this treated?