एकान्ते चिन्तयाम् आस महीपतिर् असाव् अथ । जगद्यात्राम् इमां नित्यम् असमञ्जससङ्कुलाम्
In solitude, that king began to contemplate this perpetual course of the world, so full of confusion and disorder.
पुनर् दिनं पुनश् श्यामा दानादानाशनं पुनः । तद् एव शुक्तविरसं लज्ज्यते कर्म कुर्वता
Day after day, again the dark night, again giving and taking, again eating; performing the same tasteless actions, one feels ashamed.
येन प्राप्तेन लोके ऽस्मिन् नाप्राप्तम् अवशिष्यते । तत् कृतं सुकृतं मन्ये शेषं कर्मविषूचिका
That by which, upon attaining it in this world, nothing remains unattained—I consider that as true merit; all else is the fever of action.
पुनः पुनः पर्युषितं कर्म कुर्वन् न लज्जते । मूढबुद्धिर् अमूढस् तु कः कुर्यात् किल बालवत्
Again and again, performing stale actions, one does not feel ashamed; only the dull-minded act thus—who, being wise, would behave like a child?
अथैकदोद्विग्नमनाः कदाचित् त्र्युत्तुलं गुरुम् । एकान्ते संसृतेर् भीतस् समपृच्छद् भगीरथः
Then, once, with a troubled mind, Bhagiratha, fearful of the cycle of existence, privately approached his exceedingly weighty teacher and questioned him.
अन्तश्शून्यासु सुचिरं भ्रमन् संसारवृत्तिषु । अरण्यानीष्व् इवैतासु भृशं खिन्ना वयं विभो
Wandering for a long time in the empty routines of worldly life, we are greatly wearied, O Lord, as if in barren wildernesses.
जरामरणमोहादिरूपाणां भवकारिणाम् । भगवन् सर्वदुःखानां कथम् अन्तः प्रजायते
O Blessed One, how does the end arise for all sufferings—such as old age, death, and delusion—which are the forms of worldly existence?
चिरसाम्यात्मनाच्छेन निर्विभागविलासिना । राजञ् ज्ञेयावबोधेन पूर्णेन भरितात्मना
O King, through the fullness of knowledge and awareness, by the pure, undivided, and harmonious Self, the end is attained.
क्षीयन्ते सर्वदुःखानि त्रुट्यन्ति ग्रन्थयो ऽभितः । संशयाश् शमम् आयान्ति सर्वकर्माणि चानघ
All sorrows are dissolved, all knots are thoroughly broken, doubts come to rest, and all actions are pacified, O sinless one.
ज्ञेयं तु विदुर् आत्मानं संशुद्धज्ञप्तिरूपिणम् । स च सर्वगतो नित्यं नास्तम् एति न चोदयम्
The wise know the self as that which is of the nature of pure, clarified awareness; it is all-pervading and eternal, neither setting nor rising.
चिन्मात्रं सर्वगं शान्तम् अस्ति निर्मलम् अच्युतम् । देहादि नेतरत् किञ्चिद् इति वेद्मि मुनीश्वर
There exists only pure consciousness, all-pervading, peaceful, stainless, and unchanging; apart from this, O great sage, I know nothing else—not even the body or anything similar.
किं त्व् अत्र प्रतिपत्तिर् मे स्फुटताम् एति नोतराम् । एतावन्मात्रसंवित्तिस् स्याम् अहं भगवन् कथम्
But how can this realization become even clearer to me? How can I, O venerable one, abide solely in this awareness?
ज्ञानेन ज्ञेयनिष्ठत्वम् एति चेतो हृदन्तरे । ततस् सर्ववपुर् भूत्वा भूयो जीवो न जायते
Through knowledge, the mind attains steadfastness in what is to be known, deep within the heart; then, having become all-formed, the individual soul is not born again.
असक्तिर् अनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु । नित्यं च समचित्तत्वम् इष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु
Non-attachment and freedom from clinging to children, spouse, home, and so forth, and constant equanimity in the face of what is pleasant or unpleasant—
आत्मनो ऽनन्ययोगेन सद्भावनम् अनारतम् । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वम् अरतिर् जनसंसदि
Unbroken abidance in the true nature of the self, solitude, and disinterest in the company of crowds—
अध्यात्मज्ञाननिष्ठत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज् ज्ञानम् इति प्रोक्तम् अज्ञानं यद् अतो ऽन्यथा
Steadfastness in self-knowledge and the vision that seeks the understanding of reality—this is called knowledge; whatever is otherwise is ignorance.
रागद्वेषक्षयाकारात् संसारव्याधिभेषजात् । अहम्भावोपशान्तौ तु राजञ् ज्ञानम् अवाप्यते
When attachment and aversion are destroyed, which is the remedy for the disease of worldly existence, O King, knowledge is attained when the sense of 'I' is calmed.
शरीरे ऽस्मिंश् चिरं रूढो गिरौ तरुर् इवोच्चकैः । अहम्भावो महाभोगो वद मे त्यज्यते कथम्
Just as a tree stands firmly rooted on a mountain for a long time, so too the sense of 'I' is deeply established in the body and is a great enjoyment—tell me, how can it be abandoned?
पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन त्यक्त्वा भोगौघभावनम् । गत्वान्विष्य चिता तत्त्वम् अहङ्कारो विलीयते
By human effort and diligence, abandoning the notion of enjoyment in its multitude, and having investigated and realized the truth, the ego dissolves.
यन्त्राणां पञ्जरं यावद् भग्नं लज्जादि नाखिलम् । अकिञ्चनत्वशेषेण स्फुटा तावद् अहङ्कृतिः
As long as the cage of the mechanisms is not completely broken, and only a remnant of destitution remains, the sense of ego clearly persists.
सर्वम् एव धियस् त्यक्त्वा यदि तिष्ठसि निश्चलः । तद् अहङ्कारविलयी त्वम् एव परमं पदम्
If, having abandoned all thoughts, you remain unmoving, then you alone, with the dissolution of ego, attain the supreme state.
शान्ताशेषविशेषणो विगतभीस् सन्त्यक्तसर्वैषणो गत्वा नूनम् अकिञ्चनत्वम् अरिषु त्यक्त्वा समग्रां श्रियम् । शान्ताहङ्कृतिर् अस्तदेहकलनस् तेष्व् एव भिक्षाम् अटन् माम् अप्य् उज्झितवान् अलं यदि भवस्य् उच्चैस् तद् उच्चैर् असि
One who is free from all distinctions, devoid of fear, having abandoned all desires, truly attains destitution among enemies, having renounced all prosperity; with a tranquil ego and the dissolution of bodily notions, wandering among them for alms, even if he abandons me, if you become supremely exalted, then you are truly exalted.
अथ तस्य गुरोर् वक्त्राद् इत्य् आकर्ण्य भगीरथः । मनस्य् आहितकर्तव्यस् स्वव्यापारपरो ऽभवत्
Then, having heard this from the mouth of his teacher, Bhagiratha, fixing his mind on what was to be done, became intent on his own activity.
ततः कतिपयेष्व् एव वासरेषु गतेष्व् असौ । अग्निष्टोममखं चक्रे सर्वत्यागैकसिद्धये
Then, after only a few days had passed, he performed the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice for the sole purpose of complete renunciation.
गोभूम्यश्वहिरण्यादि ददौ धनम् अशेषतः । द्विजदेवार्तबन्धुभ्यो गुण्यगुण्यविचारवान्
He gave away all his wealth—cows, land, horses, gold, and more—to brahmins, gods, the afflicted, and relatives, with discernment regarding virtue and vice.
दिवसत्रयमात्रेण सर्वम् एवं परित्यजन् । स्ववस्त्रमात्रशेषो ऽसाव् आसीद् राजा भगीरथः
In just three days, having thus renounced everything, King Bhagiratha was left with only his own garment.
अथ सर्वार्थरिक्तं तं खिन्नप्रकृतिपौरकम् । सीमान्तिने तृणम् इव राज्यं स्वम् अरये ददौ
Then, having been stripped of all possessions and with his people and ministers distressed, he gave his kingdom, as if it were a blade of grass, to his enemy at the border.
आक्रान्ते द्विषता राज्ये पुरे सद्मनि मण्डले । अधोवासोऽवशेषो ऽसौ निर्जगाम स्वमण्डलात्
When his kingdom was seized by the enemy—his city, palace, and realm—he departed from his domain with only his lower garment remaining.
यत्र न ज्ञायते नाम्ना यत्र न ज्ञायते मुखात् । तत्र ग्रामेष्व् अरण्येषु दूरेषूवास धैर्यवान्
With steadfastness, he dwelled in villages or forests, in distant places where he was not recognized by name or by face.
इत्य् अल्पेनैव कालेन प्रशान्तसकलैषणः । परमेण शमेनासौ प्राप विश्रान्तिम् आत्मनि
Thus, in a short time, all his desires subsided, and through supreme tranquility he attained rest within himself.