कथं ब्रह्मन् भगवतो लोके ज्ञानावतारणे । सर्गाद् अनन्तरं बुद्धिः प्रवृत्ता परमेष्ठिनः
O Brahman, how did the mind of the blessed one begin to function in the world, in the descent of knowledge, immediately after creation?
परमे ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्मा स्वभाववशतस् स्वयम् । जातस् स्पन्दमयो नित्यम् ऊर्मिर् अम्बुनिधाव् इव
In the supreme Brahman, Brahma, by his own nature, arose as a constant vibration, like a wave in the ocean.
सृष्ट्वैवम् आततं सर्गं सर्गस्य सकला गतीः । भूतभव्यभविष्यत्स्था ददर्श परमेश्वरः
Having thus created the extended creation and all its courses, the supreme Lord perceived the states of past, present, and future.
सत्क्रियाक्रमकालस्य कृतादेः क्षय आगते । मोहम् आलोक्य लोकानां कारुण्यम् अगमत् प्रभुः
When the period of proper rites and the age of the first creation had come to an end, the Lord, seeing the delusion of the worlds, was moved to compassion.
ततो माम् ईश्वरस् सृष्ट्वा ज्ञानेनायोज्य चासकृत् । विससर्ज महीपीठे लोकस्याज्ञानशान्तये
Then, the Lord created me, repeatedly engaging me through knowledge, and sent me forth upon the earth to bring peace to the ignorance of the world.
यथाहं प्रहितस् तेन तथान्ये ऽपि महर्षयः । सनत्कुमारप्रमुखा नारदाद्याश् च भूरिशः
Just as I was dispatched by Him, so too were many other great sages, led by Sanatkumara, as well as Narada and numerous others.
क्रियाक्रमेण पुण्येन तथा ज्ञानक्रमेण च । मनोमहामयोत्तब्धम् उद्धर्तुं लोकम् ईरिताः
Through the course of righteous action and likewise through the path of knowledge, we were instructed to uplift the world, which was bound by the vast illusion of the mind.
महर्षिभिस् ततस् तैस् तु क्षीणे कृतयुगे पुरा । क्रमात् क्रियाक्रमे शुद्धे पृथिव्यां तनुतां गते
Then, when the great sages had acted, and the Krita Yuga had waned in ancient times, as purity in the course of action diminished and the earth became thinner,
क्रियाक्रमविधानार्थं मर्यादानियमाय च । पृथग्देशविभागेन भूपालाः परिकल्पिताः
For the purpose of establishing the order of action and regulating boundaries, kings were appointed in various regions, each according to their division of the land.
बहूनि स्मृतिशास्त्राणि यज्ञशास्त्राणि चावनौ । धर्मकामार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं कल्पितान्य् उदितान्य् अथ
Many treatises on tradition and rituals, as well as texts on sacrifice, were devised and proclaimed upon the earth for the attainment of righteousness, desire, and wealth.
कालचक्रे वहत्य् अस्मिंस् ततो विगलिते क्रमे । प्रत्यहं भोजनपरे जने शाल्यर्जनोन्मुखे
As the wheel of time turns here, when the established order fades, day by day people become absorbed in eating and are intent on cultivating rice.
द्वन्द्वानि सम्प्रवृत्तानि विषयार्थं महीभुजाम् । दण्ड्यतां सम्प्रयातानि भूतानि भुवि भूरिशः
Conflicts arise among the rulers of the earth for the sake of sense objects, and many beings on the earth become subject to punishment.
ततो युद्धं विना भूपा महीं पालयितुं क्रमात् । असमर्थास् तद् आयाताः प्रजाभिस् सह दीनताम्
Then, unable to govern the earth without warfare, the kings gradually fell into distress along with their subjects.
तेषां दैन्यापनोदार्थं सम्यक्सृष्टिक्रमाय च । ततो ऽस्मदादिभिः प्रोक्ता महत्यो ज्ञानदृष्टयः
To dispel their misery and to properly establish the order of creation, we and others like us proclaimed profound visions of knowledge.
अध्यात्मविद्या तेनेयं पूर्वं राजसु वर्णिता । तदनु प्रसृता लोके राजविद्येत्य् उदाहृता
Thus, this spiritual science was first described among the kings; afterwards, it spread in the world and became known as royal knowledge.
राजविद्या राजगुह्यम् अध्यात्मग्रन्थम् उत्तमम् । ज्ञात्वा राघव राजानः परां निर्दुःखतां गताः
Royal knowledge, the royal secret, and the supreme spiritual treatise—having understood these, O Raghava, kings attained supreme freedom from sorrow.
अथ राजस्व् अतीतेषु बहुष्व् अमलकीर्तिषु । अस्माद् दशरथाद् राम जातो ऽद्य त्वम् इहावनौ
Now, after many kings of spotless renown have passed, you, Rama, have been born here from Dasaratha in this land.
तव चातिप्रसन्ने ऽस्मिञ् जातं मनसि पावनम् । निर्निमित्तम् इदं चारु वैराग्यम् अरिमर्दन
And in your mind, which is exceedingly pure and pleased, has arisen this beautiful, causeless dispassion, O destroyer of foes.
सर्वस्यैव हि भव्यस्य साधोर् अपि विवेकिनः । निमित्तपूर्वं वैराग्यं जायते राम राजसम्
For all noble and discerning people, dispassion usually arises due to some cause, O Rama, and is of the royal kind.
इदं त्व् अपूर्वम् उत्पन्नं चमत्कारकरं सताम् । तवानिमित्तं वैराग्यं सात्त्विकं स्वविवेकजम्
But this unprecedented dispassion has arisen in you, astonishing the virtuous; your dispassion is causeless, pure, and born of your own discernment.
बीभत्सं विषमं दृष्ट्वा को नाम न विरज्यते । सतां तूत्तमवैराग्यं विवेकाद् एव जायते
Who would not become dispassionate upon seeing what is vile and unjust? But for the noble, supreme detachment arises only through discernment.
ते महान्तो महाप्रज्ञा निमित्तेन विनैव हि । वैराग्यं जायते येषां त एवामलमानसाः
Those great ones of vast wisdom, in whom detachment arises without any external cause—only they possess minds that are truly pure.
स्वविवेकचमत्कारपरामर्शविरक्तया । राजते हि धिया जन्तुर् युवेव वनमालया
Indeed, a being shines with intelligence adorned by the wonder of self-discernment and the touch of detachment, just as a youth shines with a garland of forest flowers.
परामृश्य विवेकेन संसाररचनाम् इमाम् । विरागं ये ऽधिगच्छन्ति त एव पुरुषोत्तमाः
Those who, by discernment, reflect upon this structure of worldly existence and attain dispassion—only they are the highest among men.
स्वविवेकवशाद् एव विचार्येदं पुनः पुनः । इन्द्रजालं परित्याज्यं सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं बलात्
By the power of one's own discernment, one should repeatedly examine this illusion and forcibly abandon it, both outwardly and inwardly.
श्मशानम् आपदं दैन्यं दृष्ट्वा को न विरज्यते । तद् वैराग्यं परं श्रेयस् स्वतो यद् अभिजायते
Who would not become dispassionate upon seeing the cremation ground, calamity, or misery? But that detachment which arises from oneself alone is the highest good.
अकृत्रिमविरागस् त्वं महत्ताम् अलम् आगतः । योग्यो ऽसि ज्ञानसारस्य बीजस्येव मृदुस्थलम्
You possess uncontrived detachment and have attained true greatness; you are fit for the essence of knowledge, just as soft earth is fit for a seed.
प्रसादात् परमेशस्य नाथस्य परमात्मनः । त्वादृशस्य शुभा बुद्धिर् विवेकम् अनुधावति
By the grace of the Supreme Lord, the master, the supreme self, auspicious understanding follows discernment in one such as you.
क्रियाक्रमेण महता तपसा नियमेन च । दानेन तीर्थयात्राभिश् चिरकालविवेकतः
Through great effort in action, intense austerity, discipline, charity, pilgrimages to sacred places, and long reflection with discernment—
दुष्कृते क्षयम् आपन्ने परमार्थविचारणे । काकतालीययोगेन बुद्धिर् जन्तोः प्रवर्तते
When evil deeds are exhausted, and there is inquiry into the highest reality, then, by a chance conjunction like that of a crow and a palm fruit, discernment arises in a being.