अहङ्कारोपहतया बुद्ध्या या क्रियते क्रिया । विषवल्ल्या इव फलं तस्यास् स्यान् मरणात्मकम्
Any action performed with an intellect afflicted by ego yields a result that is deadly, like the fruit of a poisonous vine.
विवेकधैर्यहीनेन स्वाहङ्कारमहाशवम् । मूर्खेणालम्बितं येन नष्टम् एवाशु विद्धि तम्
Know that whatever is grasped by a fool lacking discernment and courage, who clings to the great corpse of his own ego, is quickly lost.
अहङ्कारपिशाचेन वराका ये वशीकृताः । त एते नरकाग्नीनां राघवेन्धनतां गताः
Those wretches who are subdued by the demon of ego, O Raghava, become the very fuel for the fires of hell.
अहङ्कारोरगो यस्य परिस्फुरति कोटरे । स देहपादपो धीरैर् अचिरेण निपात्यते
When the serpent of ego stirs within the hollow of someone, that tree of the body is soon felled by the wise.
अहङ्कारपिशाचो ऽस्मिन् देहे तिष्ठतु यातु वा । त्वम् एनम् आलोकय मा मनसा महतां वर
Let the demon of ego remain in this body or depart; you simply observe it, do not engage with it in your mind, O best among the great.
अवधूतो ह्य् अवज्ञातश् चेतसैव तिरस्कृतः । अहङ्कारपिशाचस् ते नेह किञ्चित् करिष्यति
When disregarded, despised, and dismissed by the mind, the demon of ego will not be able to do anything to you here.
देहालये स्फुरत्य् अस्मिन् राम चित्तपिशाचके । अस्यानन्तविलासस्य किम् इवागतम् आत्मनः
In this abode of the body, O Rama, the demon of mind stirs; but what can possibly come to the Self, which has infinite manifestations?
चित्तयक्षाभिभूतानां याः पुंसां विततापदः । शक्यन्ते परिसङ्ख्यातुं न ता वर्षशतैर् अपि
The widespread sufferings of people overpowered by the goblins of mind cannot be counted, not even in a hundred years.
हतो मृतो ऽस्मि दग्धो ऽस्मीत्य् एता दुर्भगवृत्तयः । अहङ्कारपिशाचस्य शक्तयो ऽन्यस्य नानघ
The miserable states—'I am slain, I am dead, I am burned'—are only powers of the demon of ego, O sinless one, not of anyone else.
सर्वगो ऽपि यथाकाशस् सम्बद्धो नेह केनचित् । सर्वगो ऽपि तथैवात्मा नाहङ्कारेण सङ्गतः
Just as space, though all-pervading, is not bound by anything here, so too the Self, though all-pervading, is not joined with ego.
यत् करोति यद् आदत्ते देहयन्त्रम् इदं चलम् । वातरज्जुयुतं राम तद् अहङ्कारचेष्टितम्
Whatever this unstable body-machine does or takes up, O Rama, being moved by the strings of wind, that is the activity of ego.
वृक्षोन्नतौ यथा हेतुर् अकर्त्र् अपि किलाम्बरम् । आत्मसंस्थस् तथेहात्मा चित्तचेष्टासु कारणम्
Just as the sky, though inactive, is the cause of the tree's growth upwards, so too the Self, established in itself, is the cause in the activities of the mind.
आत्मसन्निधिमात्रेण कुड्यरूपम् इवामलम् । दीपसन्निधिमात्रेण स्फुरत्य् आत्तवपुर् मनः
By the mere presence of the Self, the mind, like a wall, is spotless; by the mere presence of a lamp, it shines, taking on its luminous form.
अतिविश्लिष्टयो राम नित्यम् एवात्मचित्तयोः । द्यावापृथिव्योर् इव कस् सम्बन्धः प्रकटान्धयोः
O Rama, the union of the Self and mind is always exceedingly close; what connection is there between the two, as between heaven and earth, for those blinded to the obvious?
चलनस्पन्दनेहाभिर् आत्मशक्तिभिर् आवृतम् । चित्तम् आत्मेति मौर्ख्येण दृश्यते रघुनन्दन
Covered by the movements, vibrations, and desires arising from the powers of the Self, the mind is ignorantly seen as the Self, O descendant of Raghu.
आत्मा प्रकाशरूपो हि नित्यस् सर्वगतो विभुः । चित्तं शठम् अहङ्कारं विद्धि हार्दं बृहत्तमः
The Self is of the nature of light, eternal, all-pervading, and vast; know the mind as deceitful, egoistic, and the greatest darkness of the heart.
आत्मासि रघुसर्वस्व जडा नासि मनोदृषत् । दूरीकुरु मनोमोहं किम् एतेनासि सङ्गतः
You are the Self, O Rama, the essence of all; you are not inert, nor are you the mind's vision. Cast away the delusion of the mind—why are you attached to it?
पिशाचो हि मनोनामा शून्ये देहगृहे स्थितः । भाययत्य् एष दुष्टात्मा मैनम् उत्तम संस्पृश
The mind, named as a demon, dwells in the empty house of the body; this wicked spirit makes things appear—do not, O noble one, touch it.
भयप्रदम् अकल्याणं धैर्यसर्वस्वहारिणम् । मनःपिशाचम् उत्सार्य यो ऽसि स त्वं स्थिरो भव
Driving away the mind-demon, which brings fear, misfortune, and steals all courage, whoever you are, become steadfast.
चित्तयक्षदृढाक्रान्तं न शास्त्राणि न बन्धवः । शक्नुवन्ति परित्रातुं गुरवो न च मानवम्
When seized firmly by the mind-yaksha, neither scriptures, nor relatives, nor teachers are able to rescue a person.
संशान्तचित्तवेतालं गुरुशास्त्रार्थबन्धवः । शक्नुवन्ति समुद्धर्तुं स्वल्पपङ्कान् मृगं यथा
Those whose minds are pacified, who are companions to the meaning of the teacher’s scriptures, are able to lift others from small patches of mire, just as one rescues a deer.
अस्मिञ् जगच्छून्यपुरे सर्वम् एव प्रदूषितम् । देहगेहं प्रमत्तेन चित्तयक्षेण वल्गता
In this city of emptiness, the entire world is corrupted; the house of the body is overrun by the reckless goblin of the mind, leaping about.
चित्तवेतालवलितसमस्तगृहषण्डका । इयं जगदरण्यानी शून्या कस्य न भीतये
With all the clusters of houses swayed by the goblin of the mind, who would not be afraid in this deserted forest of the world?
जगन्नगर्याम् अस्यां तु शान्तचित्तपिशाचकम् । देहगेहं कतिपयैस् सेव्यते सद्भिर् एव च
Yet in this city of the world, only a few noble ones, whose minds are at peace and free from goblins, truly dwell in the house of the body.
इह संश्रीयते या या दिक् सैव रघुनन्दन । प्रमत्तमोहवेतालैः पूर्णा देहश्मशानकैः
O Raghunandana, whichever direction you turn in this place is filled with reckless goblins of delusion and body-cemeteries.
अस्यां जगदरण्यान्यां मुहूर्तं मुग्धबालवत् । स्वयम् आलम्ब्य धैर्यांशम् आत्मनात्मानम् उद्धर
In this deserted forest of the world, for even a moment, like an innocent child, support yourself with a measure of courage and lift yourself up by your own self.
जगज्जरदरण्ये ऽस्मिंश् चरद्भूतमृगव्रजे । धृतिं तृणरसै राम मा गच्छ मृगपोतवत्
In this forest of the world, where herds of ancient wild creatures roam, O Rama, do not lose your resolve, like a young deer, over mere blades of grass.
अस्मिन् महीतलारण्ये चरन्नृमृगपोतके । त्वम् अज्ञानगजं भङ्क्त्वा सैंहीं वृत्तिम् उपाश्रय
Roaming in this forest of the earth as a young human-deer, break the elephant of ignorance and adopt the lion-like conduct.
अन्ये नरमृगा मुग्धा जम्बुद्वीपे स्वजङ्गले । विहरन्ति यथा राम तथा मा विहरानघ
Just as other innocent human and animal creatures roam freely in the wilds of Jambudvīpa, O Rama, so you too should not wander aimlessly, O sinless one.
अत्यल्पकालं शिशिरे कर्दमालेपदायिनि । न मङ्क्तव्यं वधूरूपे महिषेणेव पल्वले
One should not linger, even for a very short time, in the cold season, in places smeared with mud, just as a buffalo does not remain in a marsh, even if it appears beautiful.