न श्रुतेन न पुण्येन ज्ञायते ज्ञेयम् आत्मनः । जानात्य् आत्मानम् आत्मैव सर्पस् सर्पपदानि व
The knowable Self is not realized through hearing or merit; the Self alone knows itself, just as a serpent knows the forms of serpents.
एवं स्थिते वरमुने कथम् एतज् जनश्रुतौ । श्रुतं गुरूपदेशश् च स्वात्मज्ञानस्य कारणम्
O noble sage, if this is so, how is it that in common understanding, scriptural study and the teacher's instruction are said to be the cause of self-knowledge?
अत्यन्तं कृपणः कश्चित् किराटो धनधान्यवान् । आस्ते विन्ध्याटवीकच्छे कुटुम्बी व्रणकीटवत्
There was once an extremely poor Kirāta, though possessing wealth and grain, who lived with his family on the edge of the Vindhya forest, like a worm in a wound.
तस्यैकदा निपतिता गच्छतो विन्ध्यजङ्गले । एका वराटिका राम तृणजालबुसावृते
One day, as he was walking through the Vindhya wilderness, a single small coin, O Rāma, fell from him into a clump of grass and straw.
कार्पण्यात् स प्रयत्नेन सर्वं तृणबुसादिकम् । कपर्दिकार्थम् अभितो दुधाव दिवसत्रयम्
Out of poverty, he diligently gathered everything—grass, straw, and the like—for the sake of a shell, for three days.
कपर्दकाद् द्वौ भवतश् चत्वारो ऽष्टौ च कालतः । ततश् शतं सहस्रं च सहस्रं चेति चेतसा
From one shell, two arise; then four, then eight with time; then a hundred, a thousand, and so on in his mind.
कलयञ् जङ्गले दीनो रात्रिन्दिनम् अतन्द्रितः । जनहासं सहंस् त्रीणि दिनानि धुतवान् बुसम्
Counting in the wilderness, destitute, tirelessly day and night, enduring the ridicule of people, he shook straw for three days.
ततो दिनत्रयस्यान्ते तेन तस्मात् कुजङ्गलात् । पूर्णेन्दुबिम्बप्रतिमो लब्धश् चिन्तामणिर् महान्
Then, at the end of three days, from that barren wilderness, he obtained a great wish-fulfilling gem, resembling the full moon.
तं प्राप्य तुष्टहृदयस् समागत्य गृहं सुखी । प्राप्ताखिलजगद्भूतिश् शान्तसर्वभयस् स्थितः
Having acquired it, his heart content, he returned home happily, possessing the wealth of the whole world, established in freedom from all fear.
एवं यथा किराटेन कपर्दान्वेषणेन तत् । रत्नं लब्धं जगन्मूल्यम् अहोरात्रम् अखिद्यता
Just as the forest-dweller, seeking a shell, obtained the jewel of the world's worth by tireless effort day and night,
तथा श्रुतोपदेशेन स्वात्मज्ञानम् अवाप्यते । अन्यद् अन्विष्यते चान्यल् लभ्यते हि गुरुक्रमात्
So too, through the teaching heard, one attains knowledge of the Self; seeking something else, something else is obtained by the teacher's method.
ब्रह्म सर्वेन्द्रियातीतं श्रुतादीन्द्रियसंविदा । तेनोपदेशाद् अनघ नात्मतत्त्वम् अवाप्यते
Brahman is beyond all senses, known through the awareness of hearing and other senses; by that teaching, O sinless one, the essence of the Self is not attained.
गुरूपदेशं च विना नात्मतत्त्वागमो भवेत् । केन चिन्तामणिर् लब्धः कपर्दान्वेषणं विना
Without the instruction of a teacher, there can be no realization of the truth of the Self; how can a wish-fulfilling gem be obtained without searching for cowries?
तत्त्वस्यास्य महार्घस्य गुरूपकथनं गतम् । अकारणं कारणतां मणेर् इव कपर्दकः
The teaching of the teacher has conveyed this supremely precious truth; just as a cowrie, without cause, cannot take on the value of a gem.
पश्य राघव मायेयं मोहनी महताम् अपि । अन्यद् अन्विष्यते यत्नाद् अन्यद् आसाद्यते फलम्
See, Raghava, this is the power of illusion—it deludes even the great: one seeks something with effort, but attains a different result.
अन्यत् करोति पुरुषः फलम् अन्यद् एव प्राप्नोति वस्तुनियतिश् च विलोक्यते च । तस्माद् अनन्तविभवस्य जगत्क्रमस्य श्रेयो ऽतिवाहनम् असङ्गम् अवज्ञयैव
A person does one thing, yet obtains a completely different outcome; the order of things is observed to be thus. Therefore, in this world of infinite manifestations, the best course is to transcend attachment, regarding it with indifference.
ततश् शिखिध्वजो राजा तत्त्वज्ञानपदं विना । आजगाम परं मोहं यामान्ध्यम् इव भूतलम्
Then King Shikhidhvaja, lacking the attainment of true knowledge, fell into deep delusion, as if the earth were plunged into the darkness of night.
दुःखाग्निदीपितमना मनाग् अपि विभूतिषु । तास्व् अपीष्टोपनीतासु न रेमे ऽग्निशिखास्व् इव
His mind, scorched by the fire of sorrow, found no delight in any of his possessions, even those most desired, just as one finds no pleasure in flames.
एकान्तेषु दिगन्तेषु निर्झरेषु गुहासु च । आजगाम रतिं जन्तुमुक्तेषु व्यसनी यथा
He sought solace in solitary places, at the ends of the directions, by waterfalls, and in caves, like a man addicted to pleasures who finds joy only in places free from people.
राघव त्वम् इवाशेषास् सान्त्वानुनयचोदनैः । प्रार्थितः कार्यते भृत्यैर् महीपो दिवसक्रियाः
Raghava, just as you are compelled by your attendants to perform daily duties through all manner of persuasion and encouragement, so too is a king made to act.
नित्यम् उद्दामवैराग्यः परिव्राड् इव शान्तधीः । निन्दन्न् एव महाभोगान् अभोक्तैव श्रियां स्थितः
Always possessing intense dispassion, with a tranquil mind like a wandering ascetic, he remained amidst great enjoyments, condemning them yet not partaking in them.
ददाव् अतितरां दानं गोभूमिकनकादिकम् । देवेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेभ्यश् च स्वजनेभ्यश् च मानदः
He gave exceedingly generous gifts—cows, land, gold, and more—bestowing honor upon gods, Brahmins, and his own people.
चचार च तपः कर्तुं कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिकम् । परिबभ्राम तीर्थानि वनान्य् आयतनानि च
He undertook austerities, performing difficult rites such as the Chandrayana, and wandered through sacred places, forests, and shrines.
स तथापि विशोकत्वं मनाग् अपि न लब्धवान् । अनिधानां खनन् भूमिं निधानार्थी निधिं यथा
Yet even so, he did not attain even the slightest freedom from sorrow, like one digging earth for treasure but not finding it.
रात्रिन्दिनम् अनन्तेन शुष्यञ् शोककृशानुना । चिन्तया चिन्तयाम् आस संसारव्याधिभेषजम्
Day and night, worn thin by endless grief and dryness, he pondered and pondered the remedy for the disease of worldly existence.
चिन्तापरवशो दीनो राज्यं पश्यन् विषोपमम् । महाविभवम् अप्य् अग्रे नापश्यत् खिन्नया धिया
Overcome by anxiety and dejection, seeing his kingdom as poison, he could not perceive its great wealth before him, his mind weighed down.
अथैकदैकान्तगतां चूडालाम् अङ्कम् आगताम् । इदं मधुरया वाचा समुवाच शिखिध्वजः
Then, once, when Chudala had come to him in solitude and sat upon his lap, Shikhidhvaja spoke these words to her in a gentle voice.
भुक्तं राज्यं चिरं कालं भुक्ता विभवभूमयः । अधुनास्मि विरागेण युक्तो गच्छामि काननम्
I have enjoyed the kingdom for a long time, and have tasted its riches; now, endowed with dispassion, I shall go to the forest.
न सुखानि न दुःखानि नापदो न च सम्पदः । क्रोडीकुर्वन्ति भूतानि मुनिं वननिवासिनम्
Pleasures and pains, misfortunes and prosperities—none of these affect the sage who dwells in the forest.
न देशभङ्गसम्मोहो न सङ्ग्रामजनक्षयः । राज्याद् अप्य् अधिकं मन्ये सुखं वननिवासिनः
Neither the confusion of exile nor the destruction caused by war; I consider the happiness of the forest-dweller to be greater even than that of a kingdom.