य आसन्नफलो भावस् स्ववशेनावशेन वा । सर्वभावोपमर्देन स एवाग्रे विलोक्यते
Whatever state, whether by one's own will or otherwise, is nearest to bearing fruit, that alone, suppressing all other states, is seen ahead.
शुभम् अस्तु ममेदानीं चिरं माशुभम् अस्तु मे । आकीटामरम् आशैषा क्षीयते न कदाचन
'May good come to me now, may evil not befall me for a long time'—this hope, extending from the smallest insect to the gods, never diminishes.
क्षीयते भावनैषान्तẖ केवलं विदितात्मनः । आकाशविशदश् शान्तो ज्ञḫ प्रनिर्वाति शाम्यति
This hope is diminished only in one who knows the Self; clear as space, peaceful, the knower, having become tranquil, is at rest.
जडश् चेत् तत् पुरो भावान् मृतौ कांश्चिन् न पश्यति । अजडश् चेत् तदभ्यस्तैर् भावैर् आक्रम्यते ऽवशः
If he is dull, then at death he does not see any states before him; but if he is not dull, he is inevitably seized by those states he has practiced.
एवम् आकाशरूपो ऽसौ जीवस् संवृतवासनः । तं मुहूर्तं जडावस्थो युगं यातं प्रपश्यति
Thus, this living being, having the nature of space and covered by latent impressions, in a moment of insensibility, perceives an age as having passed.
अभवं प्राग् अहं जन्तुर् मृतस् तत्रास्मि बन्धुषु । युगम् अत्र परिक्षीणम् अभिपश्यति स क्षणात्
He thinks, 'Formerly I did not exist; now, having died, I am among these relatives,' and in a moment perceives that an age has been completed there.
मुहूर्त एव सञ्जाते स जीवो युगनिश्चये । इह जातु प्रवृत्तो ऽस्मि देश इत्य् अवबुध्यते
When a moment passes at the appointed time, the living being becomes aware: 'I have now begun to act here, in this place.'
अभवं प्राग् अहं जन्तुर् मृतस् तत्रास्मि बन्धुषु । ततẖ कृता मे स्वजनैḫ पिण्डदानादिकाẖ क्रियाः
Previously, I was a creature who died among my relatives; then, my kin performed rites for me, such as offering oblations.
ताभिर् लब्धशरीरेण मया सुकृतदुष्कृते । भुक्ते चिरतरं कालं जातो ऽस्म्य् अद्येत्थम् उत्थितः
By those rites, I obtained a body, and through my good and bad deeds, I enjoyed for a long time; now, I have arisen in this way.
इत्थं मुहूर्त एवासौ गते प्रत्ययवान् भवन् । स्ववासनानुसारेण देहम् आत्मनि पश्यति
Thus, as soon as a moment passes, he becomes convinced, and according to his own tendencies, perceives a body within himself.
मुहूर्ते सुचिरं कालम् अशरीरश् शरीरकम् । चिनोति पश्यत्य् अभ्येति जीवस् स्वप्नं भवान् इव
Within a moment or after a long time, the bodiless being fashions, perceives, and enters a body, like one entering a dream.
अश्रेष्ठया वासनया दुष्टात्मफलवान् अहम् । दुẖखवान् अधमो जात इति पश्यति जीवकः
With inferior tendencies and the fruits of a corrupted self, the living being sees himself as miserable and lowly.
प्रधानया वासनया प्रधानफलवान् अहम् । जातḫ प्रधान एवेति चिनोत्य् आत्मानम् आत्मना
With predominant tendencies and their principal fruits, he recognizes himself as born in a prominent state, perceiving himself by himself.
जीव एवम् अदेहो ऽपि सदेहत्वम् उपागतः । देशकालक्रमप्रौढं परलोकं प्रपश्यति
Thus, even without a body, the living being attains embodiment, and perceives the other world, matured by the sequence of place and time.
अयं स परलोको मे धर्मराजनरा इमे । अयं नीतो ऽस्मि नेयो ऽयं ममेदं तत्त्वम् ईहितम्
This is that other world for me; these are the kings of righteousness; I have been brought here, this one is to be brought; this is mine, that is the truth I have sought.
परलोकभुवस् त्व् एतास् सत्यं वच्मि पुराकृतम् । पृष्टो ऽस्म्य् अयं धर्मभृता च्छायेयं मम साक्षिणी
These are indeed the realms of the next world, I speak the truth of what was done before; I am questioned, this one is by the upholders of righteousness, and this shadow is my witness.
सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चेदं कर्म मे पुरतस् स्थितम् । अयं नीतो ऽस्मि गच्छामि स्वर्गं नरकम् एव वा
This good and evil deed of mine stands before me; I am brought here, I go either to heaven or to hell.
एवम्प्रत्ययवाञ् जीवो दीर्घं संसृतिविभ्रमम् । सम्पश्यति क्षणेनैव संवत्सरशतेन च
Thus, the living being, convinced in this way, perceives the long confusion of transmigration—either in a moment or over a hundred years.
एष दुẖखमहाषण्डो वासनाबीजकोटरात् । अहम् इत्य् आत्मनो व्यक्तं दुर्जाताद् उपजायते
This great forest of suffering, from the hollow of the seed of latent impressions, clearly arises for the self as 'I am,' born from an unwholesome source.
नियोजितो ऽस्म्य् अयं दुẖखे सुखे वा योजितो ऽस्म्य् अयम् । अयं मे वत्सरो यात इदं वर्षशतं गतम्
I have been assigned to this suffering, or joined to this happiness; this year has passed for me, this hundred years have gone by.
एतत् तद् दुष्कृतं भुक्तम् एतास् तास् स्वर्गसम्पदः । योन्यन्तरेषु तिष्ठन् हि स्थितो ऽस्म्य् अहम् इह द्रुमः
This is that evil deed experienced, these are those heavenly enjoyments; dwelling in other wombs, I am now established here as a tree.
स्थितास्मीयम् अहं वल्ली सम्पन्नो ऽस्मीह षण्डकः । गर्दभो ऽयम् अहं जातश् शुको ऽयम् अहम् आस्थितः
I am established here as this creeper; I am fulfilled here as this gelded animal; I am born as this donkey; I have taken up this form as a parrot.
मर्कटो ऽस्मीह सम्पन्नस् सम्पन्नो ऽस्मीह तित्तिरिः । ऋक्षो ऽस्मीह वटो ऽस्मीह मत्स्यो ऽस्मीहाथ कच्छपः
Here I am a monkey, here I am a partridge, here I am a bear, here I am a banyan tree, here I am a fish, and here I am a turtle.
इह वर्षशतं तिर्यग् इह वर्षशतं तृणम् । प्राप्नोमि मानुषीं जातिं नरो भूयो भवाम्य् अहम्
Here for a hundred years I am an animal, here for a hundred years I am a blade of grass; I attain a human birth, and once again I become a man.
पिण्डदानादिभिर् बन्धुकृत्यैस् सत्पुत्रचेष्टितैः । क्षीणदुष्कृतसम्पन्नो भवामि पुरुषो ऽधुना
Through offerings of food and other rites performed by relatives, and by the virtuous actions of a good son, my accumulated misdeeds are exhausted, and now I become a man.
अयम् अस्यास् स्त्रिया गर्भे मातुर् अस्मि नियोजितः । गर्भमासाष्टके क्षीणे पितुर् जातो ऽस्म्य् अयं गृहे
I am placed in the womb of this woman as her child; when eight months of gestation have passed, I am born in my father's house.
स्थितो ऽस्म्य् अयम् अहं बालḫ प्राप्तो ऽस्मि नवयौवनम् । अयं जराम् अहम् इतश् चिराद् अयम् अहं मृतः
Here I am a child, here I have reached youth, here I am old, and after a long time, here I am dead.
इत्याद्य् अनुभवञ् जीवो निजविभ्रमजर्जरः । उह्यते वासनावात्यापरावर्तैḫ पुनḫ पुनः
Thus, experiencing these and other states, the soul, battered by its own delusions, is carried again and again by the storm of tendencies that do not turn back.
वासनाबिलकल्लोलैर् विविधावर्तवृत्तिभिः । जीवतृण्यास् स्फुरन्तीमास् संसारैकमहार्णवे
With waves of subtle impressions and the varied currents of its tendencies, the living being, like a blade of grass, trembles in the one great ocean of worldly existence.
जीवẖ क्वचित् सुषुप्तस्थẖ क्वचित् स्थावरताजडः । क्वचिद् व्याधिपरिम्लानẖ क्वचिद् आधिभिर् आतुरः
Sometimes the soul is in deep sleep, sometimes it is inert like a plant, sometimes it is withered by disease, and sometimes it is afflicted by mental distress.