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.
भोगाभोगा बहिष्कार्या आर्यस्यानुसरेत् पदम् । प्रविचार्य महार्यैस् स्वम् एकम् आत्मानम् आश्रयेत्
Pleasures and displeasures must be cast aside; the noble person follows the path of the noble. Having examined with great discernment, one should rely solely upon one's own self.
अपवित्रस्य तुच्छस्य दुर्भगस्य दुराकृतेः । देहस्यार्थे न मङ्क्तव्यं चिन्ताचुण्टीषु चारुणा
One should not indulge in charming thoughts for the sake of this impure, insignificant, unfortunate, and ill-formed body.
अन्येन रचितो देहो यक्षेणान्येन संश्रितः । दुःखम् अन्यस्य भोक्तान्यश् चित्रेयं मौर्ख्यचक्रिका
The body is constructed by one being, inhabited by another, and its suffering is experienced by yet another; this intricate wheel of folly is indeed strange.
यथैकरूपा घनता दृषदो ऽप्य् आत्मनस् तथा । सत्तामात्रैकसामान्याद् इतरस्यात्यसम्भवात्
Just as the density of a stone is singular in its nature, so too is the Self; because of the sole commonality of existence, the arising of anything else is utterly impossible.
यथोपलस्य घनता मनस्ता हि तथात्मनः । सत्तामात्राद् अभिन्ना स्वाद् अभावाद् अन्यसंविदः
Just as the density of a stone is its own, so too is the mind's nature that of the Self; undivided from mere existence, it is its own, with no awareness of anything else.
यथोपलस्य घनता तथास्य परमात्मनः । रूपैकरूपा संवित्तिस् सत्तासामान्यरूपतः
Just as the density of a stone, so too is that of the Supreme Self; consciousness is of a single form, by virtue of the common nature of existence.
पृथक् सम्भवतीहाङ्ग न जाड्यं न च चेतनम् । मिथ्यासङ्कल्परचिते एते हि शिशुयक्षवत्
Here, O dear one, what appears as separate does not possess dullness nor consciousness; these are creations of false imagination, like the goblins seen by children.
यथेक्षुरसमात्रस्य त्व् एकस्यैव पृथङ्मयी । अयं गुड इदं खण्डम् इति माया मुधोदिता
Just as from the one essence of sugarcane juice, the distinctions of 'this is molasses' and 'this is sugar' arise through delusion, so too is this illusion produced.
परमात्मन एकस्य सत्तासामान्यरूपतः । मुधैवाभ्युदितैवेयं जाड्याजाड्यमतिस् तथा
From the one supreme Self, whose nature is the common essence of existence, the notions of dullness and non-dullness arise only through error, just as before.
क्षीयते प्रेक्षितैवैषा प्रेक्षामात्रैकनाशिनी । शुक्तिरुप्यमतिप्रख्या न सती नासती ततः
This appears only when observed, and ceases with mere observation; like the illusion of silver in mother-of-pearl, it is neither real nor unreal.
नासतो विद्यते भावो यो नास्त्य् एवेह सन् न सः
That which does not exist here does not possess being; what is not present is not truly real.
स्वरूपमात्रनिष्ठत्वाद् द्वैतैक्याभावयोगतः । अभावाद् अन्यसंवित्तेस् समत्वम् उपलात्मनोः
Because of being established only in its own nature, and due to the absence of duality or unity, and because there is no awareness of another, there is sameness between the perceiver and the perceived self.
अनन्यो ऽनन्त एकात्मा स्वसत्तानुभवी यथा । तथोपलस् स्वतानिष्ठो न जडो न च चेतनः
Just as the one infinite Self is not different, is of one essence, and experiences its own existence, so too is the perceived self, established in its own nature, neither inert nor conscious.
अन्यासम्भवतो नित्यद्वैतैक्याभावयोगतः । चेत्यस्यासम्भवाद् आत्मा न जडो न च चेतनः
Because there is no arising of another, and due to the perpetual absence of duality or unity, and since the object of cognition does not exist, the Self is neither inert nor conscious.
जडाजडदृशौ वन्ध्यापुत्रवद् व्योमवृक्षवत् । समायाते न चायाते प्रेक्षिते न च वीक्षिते
The inert and the conscious are like the son of a barren woman, like a tree in the sky; when they appear to come, they do not come; when seen, they are not truly seen.
जडचेतनशब्दार्थाव् असन्तौ रज्जुसर्पवत् । भवतस् तौ कथं सत्यम् अप्रेक्षामात्रकाद् ऋते
The words 'inert' and 'conscious' are unreal, like the snake in a rope; how can these two be real, apart from mere imagination?
यच् च चेतनम् आत्मेति जडश् चोपल इत्य् अपि । उक्तं तद् ईदृग्वाग्योग्यबोध्यबोधनहेतुकम्
What is called 'consciousness' as the self, and 'inert' as a stone—these are spoken only as means to convey understanding, suited to the capacity of speech and comprehension.
बोध्यः परतरे बोधे यया युक्त्या प्रबोध्यते । सोपदेश्या न गृह्णाति मूढस् तत् सहसा पदम्
By whatever reasoning one is awakened to the supreme knowledge of the knowable, the dull-witted do not grasp that state, even when it is taught directly.
चित्तं पृथक् पृथग् इमानि हतेन्द्रियाणि कर्ता न दृश्यत इदं च गृहं मुधैव । को ऽप्य् अन्य एव परिवल्गति निस्स्वभाव एषो ऽहम् इत्य् अलम् अहो महद् इन्द्रजालम्
The mind is separate, these powerless senses are separate, the doer is not seen, and this house is truly empty; yet some other, devoid of nature, seems to move about—'This is I'—ah, what a great illusion this is!
लोलासु संसृतिषु भूतपरम्पराणां क्रीडासु चान्यपुरुषस्य चिदेकवृत्तेः । तत्त्वं विचार्य रमते हि महानुभावो मन्त्री यथोल्बणविषासु भुजङ्गमीषु
The great soul, having discerned the truth, delights in the restless cycles of existence, in the play of the succession of beings, just as a wise minister enjoys serpents, even when they are full of deadly poison.