न विचारं विना कश्चिद् उपायो ऽस्ति विपच्छमे । विचाराद् अशुभं त्यक्त्वा शुभम् आयाति धीस् सताम्
Without inquiry, there is no means at all for supreme peace; through inquiry, the mind of the noble abandons the unwholesome and attains the wholesome.
बलं बुद्धिश् च तेजश् च प्रतिपत्तिः क्रियाफलम् । फलन्त्य् एतानि सर्वाणि विचारेणैव धीमतः
Strength, intelligence, brilliance, discernment, and the fruit of action—all these arise in the wise solely through inquiry.
युक्तायुक्तमहादीपम् अभिवाञ्छितसाधकम् । स्फारं विचारम् आश्रित्य संसारजलधिं तरेत्
With the great lamp of discernment, which distinguishes the appropriate from the inappropriate and fulfills all desires, one should cross the ocean of worldly existence, relying on expansive inquiry.
आलूनहृदयाम्भोजं महामोहमतङ्गजम् । विदारयति शुद्धात्मा विचारोदारकेसरी
The pure mind, like a noble lion of discernment, tears apart the great elephant of delusion whose lotus heart has not been wounded.
मूढाः कालवशेनेह यद् गताः परमं पदम् । तद् विचारप्रदीपस्य विजृम्भितम् अनुत्तमम्
Those who are deluded and, by the force of time, have attained the supreme state—this is the unsurpassed manifestation of the lamp of inquiry.
राज्यानि सम्पदस् स्फारो भोगो मोक्षश् च शाश्वतः । विचारकल्पवृक्षस्य फलान्य् एतानि राघव
Kingdoms, abundant wealth, immense enjoyment, and eternal liberation—these, O Raghava, are the fruits of the wish-fulfilling tree of discernment.
या विवेकविलासिन्यो मतयो महताम् इह । न ता विपदि मज्जन्ति तुम्बकानीव वारिणि
The noble thoughts of the great, which delight in discrimination, do not sink in adversity, just as gourds do not sink in water.
विचारोदयहारिण्या धिया व्यवहरन्ति ये । फलानाम् अत्युदाराणां भाजनं हि भवन्ति ते
Those who act with minds illuminated by the rising of discernment become vessels for exceedingly noble fruits.
मूर्खहृत्काननस्थानाम् आशाप्रसररोधिनाम् । अविचारकरञ्जानां मञ्जर्यो दुःखरीतयः
The creepers of suffering grow in the hearts of fools, in the forests where hope is obstructed and the trees of discernment do not exist.
कज्जलक्षोदमलिना मदिरामोदधर्मिणी । अविचारमयी निद्रा यातु ते राघव क्षयम्
May the sleep composed of non-inquiry, dark as lamp-black and intoxicating like wine, come to an end for you, O Raghava.
महापद्य् अपि दीर्घेषु सद्विचारपरो नरः । न निमज्जति मोहेषु तेजोराशिस् तमस्स्व् इव
Even in great and prolonged calamities, a person devoted to true inquiry does not sink into delusion, just as a mass of light does not become lost in darkness.
मानसे सरसि स्वच्छे विचारकमलोत्करः । नूनं विकसितो यस्य हिमवान् इव भाति सः
In the clear lake of the mind, one whose lotus of inquiry has truly blossomed shines like the snowy Himalayas.
विचारविकला यस्य मतिर् मान्द्यम् उपेयुषः । तस्योदेत्य् अशनिश् चन्द्रान् मुधा यक्षश् शिशोर् इव
For one whose intellect lacks inquiry and has fallen into dullness, thunderbolts rise in vain, like a Yaksha’s moon for a child.
दुःखषण्डकवल्मीकं विपन्नवलतामधुः । राम दूरे परित्याज्यो निर्विवेको नराधमः
Rama, the person devoid of discrimination is to be abandoned far away, for he is like a mound of sorrow, a termite hill, and honey spoiled by rotten creepers.
ये केचन दुरारम्भा दुराचारा दुराधयः । अविचारेण ते भान्ति वेतालास् तमसा यथा
Those who are difficult to approach, of bad conduct, and hard to trust, shine only through lack of inquiry, like goblins in darkness.
अविचारिणम् एकान्तजरद्द्रुमसधर्मिणम् । अक्षमं साधुकार्येषु दूरे कुरु रघूद्वह
O descendant of Raghu, keep far away the undiscriminating person, who is like an old tree, unfit for good deeds.
विविक्तं हि मनो जन्तोर् आशावैवश्यवर्जितम् । परां निर्वृतिम् अभ्येति पूर्णश् चन्द्र इवात्मनि
For a creature, the mind that is isolated and free from the compulsion of desire attains supreme contentment, like a full moon in itself.
विवेकितोदिता देहं सर्वं शीतलयत्य् अलम् । अलङ्करोति चात्यन्तं ज्योत्स्नेव भुवनम् नवा
The discrimination that has arisen cools the entire body completely and adorns it exceedingly, like new moonlight beautifies the world.
परमार्थपताकाया धियो धवलचामरम् । विचारो राजते जन्तो रजन्याम् इव चन्द्रमाः
Reason shines forth as the pure white yak-tail fan for the banner of supreme truth, just as the moon glows in the night.
विचारचारवो भावा भासयन्तो दिशो दश । भान्ति भास्करवद् भग्नभूयोभवभयामयाः
The states of being that move with reason, dispelling the ten directions, shine like the sun, having destroyed the multitude of fears born of repeated existence.
बालस्य स्वमनोमोहकल्पितः प्राणहारकः । रात्रौ तमसि वेतालो विचारेण विलीयते
The phantom, imagined by the child's own deluded mind and bringing terror in the night, is dissolved by reason.
सर्व एव जगद्भावा अविचारणचारवः । अविद्यमानसद्भावा विचारविशरारवः
All the phenomena of the world, lacking the movement of reason, are unreal; but when touched by the sword of reason, their false existence is cut away.
पुंसो निजमनोमोहकल्पितो ऽनल्पदुःखदः । संसारचिरवेतालो विचारेण विलीयते
The phantom of long-standing worldly existence, imagined by a person's own deluded mind and bringing endless suffering, is dissolved by reason.
समस्वच्छं निराबाधम् अनन्तम् अनपाश्रयम् । विद्धीमं केवलीभावं विचारोग्रतरोः फलम्
Know this state of pure, undisturbed, infinite, and unsupported oneness as the highest fruit of the powerful tree of reason.
अचलस्थितिनोदारप्रकटाभोगतेजसा । तेन निष्कामतोदेति शीततेवोदितेन्दुना
By that state, which is steadfast, noble, and radiant with the enjoyment of clear stability, desirelessness arises, like the coolness from the newly risen moon.
चिन्ताज्वरमहौषध्या साधुचित्तनिषण्णया । तयोत्तमत्वप्रदया नाभिवाञ्छति नोज्झति
With the great medicine of reason, established in the mind of the good, which bestows the highest state, one neither craves nor rejects anything.
तत् सदालम्बनं चेतस् स्फारम् आभासम् आगतम् । नास्तम् एति न चोदेति खम् इवातिततान्तरम्
That ever-supported mind, having become a vast appearance, neither sets nor rises, like space that extends beyond all limits.
न जहाति न चादत्ते न ताम्यति न शाम्यति । केवलं साक्षिवत् पश्यञ् जगद् आत्मनि तिष्ठति
It neither abandons nor grasps, neither suffers nor is pacified; simply witnessing, it abides in itself, perceiving the world within.
न च शाम्यति नाप्य् अन्तर् नापि बाह्ये ऽवतिष्ठति । न च नैष्कर्म्यम् आदत्ते न च कर्मणि मज्जति
It is not extinguished, nor does it remain within or without; it does not adopt inactivity, nor does it become absorbed in action.
उपेक्षते गतं वस्तु सम्प्राप्तम् अनुवर्तते । न क्षुब्धो नाति चाक्षुब्धो भाति पूर्ण इवार्णवः
It disregards what has passed and follows what arrives; neither agitated nor utterly unperturbed, it shines like a full ocean.