अयुक्ते युक्तता युक्त्या प्रेक्ष्यमाणा प्रदृश्यते । पापस्य हि भयाल् लोको धर्मे राम प्रवर्तते
Through reasoning, suitability is seen even in the unsuitable; out of fear of evil, O Rama, people turn to righteousness.
असत्ये सत्यता साधो शाश्वती परिलक्ष्यते । शून्येन ध्यानयोगेन शाश्वतं पदम् आप्यते
O noble one, in the unreal, true reality is perceived as eternal; through meditation and absorption in emptiness, the everlasting state is attained.
यन् नास्ति तद् उदेत्य् आशु देशकालविलासतः । शशकाश् शृङ्गवन्तो हि दृश्यन्ते शम्बरस्थितौ
That which does not exist quickly appears due to the play of space and time; for indeed, in a mirage, horned rabbits are seen.
ये वज्रसारास् सुदृढा दृश्यन्ते ते क्षयं गताः । कल्पस्यान्ते यथेन्द्वर्कधराब्धिविबुधाद्रयः
Even those who are diamond-hard and steadfast are seen to perish, just as at the end of an aeon, the moon, sun, earth, ocean, gods, and mountains pass away.
इति पश्यन् महाबाहो भावाभावभवक्रमम् । हर्षामर्षविषादेहास् सन्त्यज्य समतां व्रज
Thus, seeing the sequence of being, non-being, and becoming, O mighty-armed one, abandon delight, anger, and sorrow, and attain equanimity.
असत् सद् अवभातीह सद् असच् चापि दृश्यते । आस्थानास्थे परित्यज्य तेनाशु समतां व्रज
Here, the unreal appears as real, and the real is also seen as unreal; abandoning both attachment and aversion, therefore quickly attain equanimity.
मुक्तौ राघव लोके ऽस्मिन् न प्राप्तिस् सम्भवत्य् अलम् । अप्रवृत्त्या विवेकस्य मग्ना हि जनकोटयः
O Raghava, in this world, liberation is not attained merely by the absence of discernment; for countless people are lost due to the lack of discrimination.
मुक्तौ राघव लोके ऽस्मिन् प्राप्तिर् अस्ति सदैव हि । प्रवृत्त्या हि विवेकस्य मुक्ताश् च जनकोटयः
O Raghava, in this world, liberation is always attained through the presence of discernment; for countless people are liberated by the activity of discrimination.
प्रविवेकाविवेकाभ्यां सुलभालभ्यतां गता । मुक्तिर् मनःक्षयप्राप्त्या विवेकं तेन दीपय
Liberation becomes easy or difficult to attain depending on discernment or lack thereof; therefore, by attaining the dissolution of the mind, kindle discernment.
आत्मावलोकने यत्नः कर्तव्यो भूतिम् इच्छता । सर्वदुःखशिरश्छेद आत्मालोकेन जायते
One who desires prosperity should make effort in self-inquiry; for by the light of the Self, the root of all suffering is severed.
नीरागा निरुपासङ्गा जीवन्मुक्ता महाधियः । सम्भवन्तीह बहवस् सुहोत्रजनका इव
Those great ones who are free from passion and attachment, liberated while living, are many in this world, like Suhotra and Janaka.
तस्मात् त्वम् अपि वै राम विवेकोदितधीरधीः । जीवन्मुक्तो विहर भोस् समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः
Therefore, you too, O Rama, with a mind illumined by discernment, live as a liberated one, regarding earth, stone, and gold as the same.
द्विविधा मुक्तता लोके विद्यते देहधारिणाम् । सदेहैका विदेहान्या विभागो ऽयं तयोश् शृणु
There are two kinds of liberation known among embodied beings: one with the body, and the other without the body; listen to the distinction between these two.
असंसङ्गात् पदार्थानां मनश्शान्तिर् हि मुक्तता । सत्य् असत्य् अपि देहे सा सम्भवत्य् अनघाकृते
Through non-attachment to objects, the mind attains peace, which is liberation; this occurs in the body whether it is real or unreal, for one whose actions are pure.
स्नेहसङ्क्षयम् एवाङ्ग विदुः कैवल्यम् उत्तमाः । तत् सम्भवति देहस्य भावे चाभाव एव च
O dear one, the wise know that the cessation of affection is aloneness; this arises whether the body exists or does not exist.
यो जीवति गतस्नेहं स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते । सस्नेहजीवितो बद्धो मुक्त एव तृतीयकः
He who lives without attachment is called liberated while living; one who lives with attachment is bound, and the third is liberated indeed.
यत्नो यत्नेन कर्तव्यो मोक्षार्थं युक्तिपूर्वकम् । यत्नयुक्तिविहीनस्य गोष्पदं दुस्तरं भवेत्
Effort must be made with diligence and reason for the sake of liberation; for one lacking effort and reason, even a cow’s hoofprint is hard to cross.
न त्व् अनध्यवसायस्य दुःखाय विपुलात्मने । आत्मा परवशः कार्यो मोहम् आश्रित्य केवलम्
But for one without resolve, whose soul is vast and troubled, the self becomes subject to others, relying solely on delusion.
सुमहद् धैर्यम् आलम्ब्य मनसा व्यवसायिना । विचारयात्मनात्मानम् आत्मनश् चिरसिद्धये
Relying on great courage, with a resolute mind, one should contemplate the self by the self for the attainment of lasting perfection.
वितताध्यवसायस्य जगद् भवति गोष्पदम् । विहताध्यवसायस्य गोष्पदं वै जगद् भवेत्
For one with expansive resolve, the world becomes like a cow’s hoofprint; for one whose resolve is destroyed, the world is indeed like a cow’s hoofprint.
यद् उपगतस् सुगतः परं प्रधानं यद् उपगतो ध्रुवतां नृपश् च कश्चित् । यद् उपगताः पदम् उत्तमं महान्तः प्रयतनकर्मतरोर् महाफलं तत्
That which the noble have attained, the supreme state; that which some king has reached, steadfastness; that which the great have reached, the highest goal—this is the great fruit of the tree of effort and action.
ब्रह्मणस् समुपायान्ति जगन्तीमानि राघव । स्थैर्यं यान्त्य् अविवेकेन शाम्यन्त्य् अङ्ग विवेकतः
O Raghava, these worlds arise from Brahman, they attain stability through lack of discrimination, and they subside, dear one, through discrimination.
जगज्जालजलावर्तवृत्तयो ब्रह्मवारिधौ । सङ्ख्यातुं केन शक्यन्ते भासां च त्रसरेणवः
Who can count the whirlpool-like movements of the net of worlds in the ocean of Brahman, or the rays of light like particles of dust?
असम्यक्प्रेक्षणं विद्धि कारणं जगतस् स्थितौ । संसारशान्ताव् एकान्तकारणं सम्यगीक्षणम्
Know that improper perception is the cause of the world's persistence, and proper perception is the sole cause of the cessation of samsara.
अयं हि राम दुष्पारो घोरस् संसारसागरः । विना युक्तिप्रयत्नाभ्याम् अस्मान् नाम न तीर्यते
This ocean of samsara, O Rama, is indeed impassable and dreadful; without the application of reasoning and effort, one cannot cross it.
अयं हि सागरः पूर्णो मोहाम्बुभरपूरितः । अगाधमरणावर्तः कल्लोलाकुलकोटरः
This ocean is indeed full, filled with the mass of delusion's waters, unfathomable with the whirlpools of death, and its hollows are agitated by surging waves.
प्रभ्रमत्पुण्यदिण्डीरो ज्वलन्नरकवाडवः । तृष्णाविलोललहरिर् मनोजलमतङ्गजः
It is stirred by the drumbeats of merit, blazing with the fire of hell, its waves restless with thirst, and its waters are like the wild elephant of the mind.
आलीनजीवितसरिद् भोगरत्नसमुद्गकः । क्रुद्धरोगोरगाकीर्ण इन्द्रियग्राहघर्घरः
Its rivers of life are submerged, its gems of enjoyment are concealed, it is infested with the angry serpents of disease, and its tumult is caused by the crocodiles of the senses.
पश्यास्मिन् प्रसृता राम वीचयश् चारुचञ्चलाः । इमा मुग्धाङ्गनानाम्न्यश् शिखराकर्षणक्षमाः
Behold here, O Rama, the waves spread out, beautiful and restless; these are the names of the innocent women, capable of drawing the peaks.
छदश्रीपद्मरागाढ्या नेत्रनीलोत्पलाकुलाः । दन्तमुक्ताफलाकीर्णास् स्मितफेनोपशोभिताः
Their cheeks are adorned with the luster of padmarāga gems, their eyes crowded with blue lotuses; their teeth are set with pearls, and their smiles are brightened by the foam of laughter.