एतावद् एवाविद्या यन् नेदं ब्रह्मेति निश्चयः । एतद् एव क्षयो यस् स्याद् इदं ब्रह्मेति निश्चयः
Ignorance is only this much: the conviction that 'this is not Brahman'; its cessation is precisely the conviction that 'this is Brahman.'
घटपटशकटावभासजालं न विभुर् इतीत्य् उदितेह सा त्व् अविद्या । घटपटशकटावभासजालं विभुर् इति चेद् गलितैव सा त्व् अविद्या
When it is said that the array of appearances such as pot, cloth, and cart is not the all-pervading, that is ignorance; but if it is understood that the array of appearances such as pot, cloth, and cart is the all-pervading, then indeed that ignorance has vanished.
पुनः पुनर् इदं राम प्रबोधार्थं मयोच्यते । अभ्यासेन विना साधो नाभ्युदेत्य् आत्मभावनम्
Again and again, O Rama, I say this for the sake of awakening: without practice, O noble one, the realization of the Self does not arise.
अज्ञानम् एतद् बलवद् अविद्येतरनामकम् । जन्मान्तरशतप्रौढं नूनं स्थितिम् उपागतम्
This ignorance, powerful and known by the name 'non-knowledge,' has surely become firmly established through hundreds of previous births.
सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं सर्वैर् इन्द्रियैर् अनुभूयते । भावाभावेषु देहस्य तेनातिघनतां गतम्
It is experienced by all the senses, both externally and internally, in the presence or absence of the body, and thus it has become exceedingly dense.
आत्मज्ञानं तु सर्वेषाम् इन्द्रियाणाम् अगोचरम् । सत्तां केवलम् आयाति मनष्षष्ठेन्द्रियक्षये
But Self-knowledge is beyond the reach of all the senses; it comes into being alone when the mind and the six senses are dissolved.
प्रोल्लङ्घ्येन्द्रियजाश् शक्तीर् यत् स्थितं तत् कथं किल । याति प्रत्यक्षतां जन्तोः प्रत्यक्षातीतवृत्तिमत्
How indeed can that which exists beyond the powers born of the senses ever become apparent to a being whose activities are beyond perception?
नित्यम् अज्ञानम् एवातस् स्वभ्यस्तं सर्वदेहिनाम् । न कदाचन विज्ञानम् इह वामुत्र वानघ
Therefore, ignorance alone, constantly practiced, prevails in all embodied beings; never, O sinless one, does knowledge arise here or elsewhere.
तस्माद् अविद्याभागेन प्रधानेनेतरं दहेत् । तावद् यावन् मिथोघर्षात् स्वयं शाम्येच् छिवं भवेत्
Therefore, by the predominance of knowledge, one should burn away the other part, ignorance, until, through mutual friction, it is extinguished and becomes peace itself.
न ह्य् अभ्यासं विना किञ्चित् फलदं भवति क्वचित् । यद् यद् आसाद्यते यत्र तद् अभ्यासतरोः फलम्
For without practice, nothing anywhere bears fruit; whatever is attained, in any place, is the fruit of the tree of practice.
अविद्यां सुचिराभ्यस्तां प्ररूढाम् अपि यत्नतः । आत्मज्ञानदृढाभ्यासाद् अनुद्वेगाच् छमं नयेत्
Even ignorance, long practiced and deeply rooted, should be brought to tranquility through steady practice of self-knowledge and by remaining undisturbed.
त्वम् अविद्यालताम् एतां प्ररूढां हृदयद्रुमे । ज्ञानाभ्यासविलासासिपातेन च्छिन्द्धि सिद्धये
You must cut down this deeply rooted creeper of ignorance in the heart with the sword of the play of repeated practice of knowledge, in order to attain perfection.
यथा विहरति ज्ञातज्ञेयो जनकभूपतिः । आत्मज्ञानघनाभ्यासस् तथा विहर राघव
Just as King Janaka, who has realized what is to be known, lives freely, so too, O Raghava, live by the constant practice of self-knowledge.
निश्चयो यो मरुत्तस्य कार्याकार्यविचारणे । जाग्रतस् तिष्ठतो वापि तज् ज्ञानं तेन सत्यता
The certainty that Marutta has in discerning what should and should not be done—whether awake or standing firm—that knowledge is truth for him.
निश्चयेन हरिर् येन विविधाचारकारणात् । योनिष्व् अवतरत्य् उर्व्यां तत् तज्ज्ञत्वम् उदाहृतम्
The resolve by which Hari, for various reasons, descends into different wombs on earth—that is called his knowledge.
निश्चयो यस् त्रिनेत्रस्य कान्तया सह तिष्ठतः । ब्रह्मणो वाप्य् अरागस्य स ते भवतु राघव
The certainty with which the three-eyed one abides with his beloved, or Brahma, who is free from passion—may that certainty be yours, O Raghava.
यो निश्चयस् सुरगुरोर् वाक्पतेर् भार्गवस्य च । दिवाकरस्य शशिनः पवनस्यानलस्य च
The resolve of the teacher of the gods, of the lord of speech, of Bhrigu’s descendant, of the sun, the moon, the wind, and the fire—
नारदस्य पुलस्त्यस्य मम वाङ्गिरसस् तथा । प्रचेतसो भृगोश् चैव क्रतोर् अत्रेश् शुकस्य च
Of Narada, Pulastya, myself, Angiras, Prachetas, Bhrigu, Kratu, Atri, and Shuka—
अन्येषां देवविप्रेन्द्रराजर्षीणां च राघव । यो निश्चयो ऽन्तर्मुक्तानां जीवतां ते भवत्व् असौ
O Raghava, let the certainty attained by those who are inwardly liberated, even while living—whether gods, brahmins, lords of sages, or royal seers—be yours as well.
येनैते भगवन् वीरा निश्चयेन महाधियः । विशोकास् संस्थितास् तं मे ब्रह्मन् प्रब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
O venerable one, by what certainty have these heroic and greatly wise ones become established in a state free from sorrow? Tell me that truly, O Brahman.
राजपुत्र महाबाहो विदिताखिलवेद्य हे । स्फुटं शृणु यथापृष्टम् अयम् एतेषु निश्चयः
O prince, mighty-armed one, knower of all that is to be known, listen clearly as you have asked: this is the certainty among them.
यद् इदं किञ्चिद् आभोगि जगज्जालं प्रदृश्यते । तत् सर्वम् अमलं ब्रह्म बृंहयेत्थं व्यवस्थितम्
Whatever appears as this world, a net of enjoyments, all of it is the pure Brahman, established in this way as expansion.
ब्रह्म दिग् ब्रह्म भुवनं ब्रह्म भूतपरम्परा । ब्रह्माहं ब्रह्म मच्छत्रुर् ब्रह्म मन्मित्रबान्धवाः
Brahman is the directions, Brahman is the world, Brahman is the succession of beings; I am Brahman, my enemy is Brahman, and so too are my friends and relatives.
ब्रह्म खानिलतेजांसि ब्रह्म भूमिर् जलादि वा । ब्रह्म कालत्रयं तच् च ब्रह्मण्य् एव व्यवस्थितम्
Brahman is space, air, fire, Brahman is earth and water and the rest; Brahman is the threefold time, and all this abides only in Brahman.
तरङ्गमालयाम्भोधिर् यथात्मनि विवर्धते । तथा पदार्थलक्ष्म्येत्थम् इदं ब्रह्म विवर्धते
Just as the ocean swells with a mass of waves within itself, so too does this Brahman expand with the wealth of all objects.
गृह्यते ब्रह्मणा ब्रह्म भुज्यते ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणा । ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणि बृंहाभिर् ब्रह्मशक्त्यैव बृंहति
Brahman is grasped by Brahman, Brahman is enjoyed by Brahman; Brahman expands within Brahman, solely by the power of Brahman.
ब्रह्म मच्छत्रुरूपं चेद् ब्रह्म मे प्रियकृद् यदि । तद् ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणि श्लिष्टं किम् अन्यत् कस्य किं कृतं
If Brahman appears as my enemy, or if Brahman acts as my benefactor, then Brahman is united with Brahman—what else is there, and who has done what to whom?
रागादीनाम् अवस्तूनां कल्पितानां खवृक्षवत् । असङ्कल्पननष्टानां कः प्रसङ्गो ऽत्र वर्धने
Attachment and the like are unreal, imagined like trees in the sky; when these imagined notions are destroyed, how can there be any involvement in their increase here?
ब्रह्मण्य् एव हि सर्वस्मिंश् चलनस्पन्दनादिकम् । स्फुरति ब्रह्म सकलं सुखितादुःखिते कुतः
Indeed, in Brahman alone, all movement and vibration arise; all is Brahman manifest—so where is happiness or sorrow for whom?
ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणि संवेत्तृ ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणि संस्थितम् । स्फुरति ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्म नायम् अस्तीतरात्मकः
Brahman is the knower in Brahman, Brahman is established in Brahman; Brahman shines forth in Brahman—there is no other essence here.