आकारभासुराप्य् उच्चैर् न ददाति फलं क्रिया । शुभाशुभा च तज्ज्ञस्य फुल्ला शरलता यथा
Even if an action appears splendid in form, it does not bear fruit; whether good or bad, to one who knows the truth, it is like a blossoming tree that bears no fruit.
वासना चेह नास्त्य् एव स्वाहङ्कारादिरुपिणी । असत्यैवोदिता मौर्ख्यान् मरुभूमाव् इवाम्बुधीः
Here, latent tendencies, which take the form of ego and the like, do not truly exist; they arise falsely from ignorance, like oceans appearing in a desert.
यस्य मौर्ख्यं क्षयं यातं सर्वं ब्रह्मेति भावनात् । नोदेति वासना तस्य प्राज्ञस्येवाम्बुधीर् मरौ
For one whose ignorance has been destroyed by the contemplation that all is Brahman, no latent tendency arises—just as, for the wise, oceans do not arise in the desert.
वासनामात्रसन्त्यागाज् जरामरणवर्जितम् । पदं प्राप्नोति जीवो ऽन्तर् भूयोजन्मविवर्जितम्
By the mere abandonment of latent tendencies, the soul attains a state free from old age and death, and within, reaches a condition beyond further birth.
सवासनं मनो ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं निर्वासनं मनः । ज्ञानेन ज्ञेयताम् एत्य पुनर् जीवो न जायते
The mind with latent impressions is knowledge; the mind without impressions is the knowable. When the knowable is attained by knowledge, the individual soul is not born again.
ज्ञानम् एव परं श्रेय इति ब्रह्मादयो ऽपि ते । प्राहुर् महान्तो राजर्षे त्वं किम् अज्ञानवान् स्थितः
Even Brahma and the great ones have declared that knowledge alone is the highest good. O royal sage, why do you remain as if ignorant?
इतः कमण्डलुर् इतो दण्डकाष्ठम् इतो बृसी । इत्य् अनर्थविलासे ऽस्मिन् रमसे किं महीपते
Here is the water pot, there is the staff, and there is the mat—why do you delight, O king, in such meaningless diversions?
को ऽहं कथम् इदं जातं कथं शाम्यति चेति भोः । राजन् नावेक्षसे कस्मात् किम् अज्ञ इव तिष्ठसि
Who am I? How did this arise? How does it subside? O king, why do you not inquire into this? Why do you stand as if ignorant?
कथं बन्धः कथं मोक्ष इति प्रश्नान् उदाहरन् । परावरविदां पादान् कस्माद् अङ्ग न सेवसे
Why, O dear one, do you not serve the feet of those who know the higher and lower truths, asking questions such as: How is bondage? How is liberation?
दुस्स्पन्दसंविदा शैलकोटरे क्रिययानया । जीवितं क्षपयन् किं त्वं शिलाकीटवद् आस्थितः
Why do you, dull in understanding, waste your life in a mountain cave with such actions, remaining like a rock-insect?
साधूनां समदृष्टीनां परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । सङ्गमेन च सा युक्तिर् लभ्यते मुच्यते यया
By questioning, service, and association with the noble who see equally, that method is obtained by which one is liberated.
मा नराधमवद् ग्रासं भुञ्जानो वनकोटरे । तिष्ठावष्टब्धदुश्चेष्टो धराविवरकीटवत्
Do not, like the lowest of men, eat food in a forest cave and remain motionless with impaired activity, like an insect in the crevice of the earth.
कान्तया देवरूपिण्या तयैवं प्रतिबोधितः । अस्रुपूर्णमुखो वाक्यं शिखिध्वज उवाच ह
Thus awakened by her, the goddess-like beloved, Śikhidhvaja, his face filled with tears, spoke these words:
अहो ऽवबोधितो ऽस्म्य् अद्य चिरात् सुरसुत त्वया । मौर्ख्याद् आर्यसमासङ्गमुक्तो ऽहम् अवसं वने
Ah, O divine maiden, after so long I have been awakened by you; through my folly I was deprived of noble company and helpless in the forest.
अहो नु मे क्षयं यातं मोहध्वान्तम् अशेषतः । यत् त्वम् एवं समागत्य सम्प्रबोधयसीह माम्
Truly, all the darkness of my delusion has been completely dispelled, since you have come thus and awakened me here.
गुरुस् त्वं मे पिता त्वं मे मित्रं त्वं मे वरानन । शिष्यो नमस्करोम्य् अग्रे पादौ तव कृपां कुरु
You are my teacher, you are my father, you are my friend, O beautiful-faced one; as your disciple I bow before you—show me your compassion.
यद् उदारतमं वेत्सि यस्मिञ् ज्ञाते न शोच्यते । भवामि निर्वृतो येन तद् ब्रह्मोपदिशाशु मे
That most exalted knowledge which you know, by knowing which there is no more sorrow, and by which one becomes fulfilled—please quickly instruct me in that Brahman.
घटज्ञानादयो ज्ञानविभवास् सन्त्य् अनेकशः । ज्ञानानां परमं ज्ञानं कतरत् तारकं भवेत्
There are many kinds of knowledge, such as the knowledge of a pot and so on; among all these, which is the supreme knowledge, the one that leads to liberation?
यद्य् उपादेयवाक्यो ऽहं राजर्षे तद् वदामि ते । यथाज्ञानम् इदं किञ्चिन् न वक्ष्ये स्थाणुकाकवत्
If I am one worthy of instruction, O royal sage, then I will tell you; otherwise, I will not speak anything, like a tree or a stone.
अनुपादेयवाक्यस्य वक्तुः पृष्टस्य लीलया । फलन्त्य् अफलतां वाचस् तमसीवाक्षिसंविदः
When one is asked playfully to speak words that are not to be accepted, the speech of the speaker bears no fruit, just as the awareness of a blind man in darkness.
यद् वक्षि तद् अनुष्ठेयं मया विधिर् इव श्रुतेः । अविकारितम् एवाशु सत्यम् एतद् व्रतं मम
Whatever you say, that I must do, just as a rule is to be followed from the scripture; this is my vow—unwavering and true.
यथा बालः पितुर् वाक्यं मुक्तहेतूपपादनम् । आदत्ते हि तथैवेदं गृहाण त्वं वचो मम
Just as a child accepts his father's words without seeking reasons or explanations, in the same way, you should accept my words.
श्रवणानन्तरं बुद्ध्या शुभम् इत्य् एव भावयन् । शृणु गीतम् इव त्यक्त्वा हेत्वर्थित्वं वचो मम
After hearing, simply hold in your mind that it is good; listen to my words as you would a song, setting aside the search for reasons.
स्वचरितसदृशं तवोदयन्त्याश् चिरसमयेन विबोधनं च बुद्धेः । भवभयभिदुरं महाकवीनां शृणु कथयामि यथाक्रमं मनोज्ञम्
I will narrate, in due order and with charm, an account that matches your own conduct and will awaken your understanding in time—a tale of great poets that shatters the fear of worldly existence; listen.
अस्ति कश्चित् पुमाञ् श्रीमान् स्थानं नित्यविरुद्धयोः । गुणलक्ष्म्योर् अशेषेण यथाब्धिर् वडवाम्बुनोः
There is a certain man, prosperous, whose station is ever between two opposing qualities—just as the ocean is between the submarine fire and the waters.
कलावाञ् शास्त्रकुशलो व्यवहारे विचक्षणः । सर्वसङ्कल्पसीमान्तं न तु जानात्य् अजं पदम्
He is skilled in the arts, learned in the scriptures, and discerning in worldly affairs; yet he does not know the unborn state, the ultimate limit of all intentions.
अनन्तयत्नसंसाध्ये स चिन्तामणिसाधने । प्रवृत्तो वाडवो वह्निर् अब्धिसंशोषणे यथा
He engages with endless effort in seeking the wish-fulfilling gem, just as the submarine fire strives to dry up the ocean.
तस्य यत्नेन महता कालेनाध्यवसायिनः । सिद्धश् चिन्तामणिः किं वा न सिध्यत्य् उन्नतात्मनाम्
Through great effort and perseverance over time, he attains the wish-fulfilling gem; for those of noble spirit, what cannot be accomplished?
प्रवृत्तिम् उद्यमं प्रज्ञां प्रयुङ्क्ते चेद् अखेदवान् । अकिञ्चनो ऽपि शक्रत्वं तद् अवाप्नोत्य् अविघ्नतः
If one applies activity, effort, and discernment without weariness, even if possessing nothing, he attains the station of Indra without hindrance.
मणिम् अग्रे स्थितं प्राप्तं हस्तप्राप्यं ददर्श सः । मेरोर् उदयशृङ्गस्थो मुनिर् इन्दुम् इवोदितम्
He saw the jewel placed before him, within reach of his hand, like a sage standing on the eastern peak of Mount Meru beholding the risen moon.