शत्रुघ्नो लक्ष्मणश् चापि सीता चापि यशस्विनी । रामानुयायिनस् ते वा मन्त्रिपुत्रा महाधियः
And how did Śatrughna, Lakṣmaṇa, and the illustrious Sītā, as well as those great-minded sons of ministers who followed Rāma,
निर्दुःखतां कथं ते तु प्राप्तास् तद् ब्रूहि मे स्फुटम् । तथैवाहं तरिष्यामि ततो जनतया सह
How did they attain freedom from suffering? Tell me this clearly, so that I too may cross over, along with the people.
भरद्वाजेन राजेन्द्र यदेत्य् उक्तो ऽस्मि सादरम् । तदा कर्तुं विभोर् आज्ञाम् अहं वक्तुं प्रवृत्तवान्
When Bharadvāja, O king, respectfully said, 'So be it,' I then set about to carry out the command of the Lord and began to speak.
शृणु वत्स भरद्वाज यथापृष्टं वदामि ते । श्रुतेन येन सम्मोहम् अलं दूरीकरिष्यसि
Listen, dear Bharadvāja, I will tell you as you have asked; by hearing this, you will surely dispel all delusion.
तथा व्यवहर प्राज्ञ यथा व्यवहृतस् सुखी । सर्वासंसक्तया बुद्ध्या रामो राजीवलोचनः
Therefore, act wisely, just as the lotus-eyed Rama acted, with a mind unattached to all things, and thus remained happy.
लक्ष्मणो भरतश् चैव शत्रुघ्नश् च महामनाः । कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च सीता दशरथस् तथा
Likewise Lakshmana, Bharata, and the high-minded Shatrughna, as well as Kausalya, Sumitra, Sita, and also Dasharatha,
कृतास्थश् चाविरोधश् च बोधपारम् उपागतः । वसिष्ठो वामदेवश् च मन्त्रिणो ऽष्टौ तथेतरे
Having attained steadfastness and non-opposition, and having reached the highest knowledge, so too Vasistha, Vamadeva, and the eight other ministers,
घृष्टिर् विकुन्तो भामश् च सत्यवर्धन एव च । विभीषणस् सुषेणश् च हनुमान् इन्द्रजित् तथा
Ghrishti, Vikukshi, Bhama, Satyavardhana, Vibhishana, Sushena, Hanuman, and likewise Indrajit,
एते ऽष्टाविंशतिः प्रोक्तास् समनीरागचेतसः । जीवन्मुक्ता महात्मानो यथाप्राप्तानुवर्तिनः
These twenty-eight, whose minds are free from attachment, are said to be great souls liberated while living, following whatever comes to them.
एभिर् यथा हृतं दत्तं गृहीतम् उषितं स्मृतम् । तथा चेद् वर्तसे पुत्र मुक्त एवासि सङ्कटात्
If, my son, you live as they did—giving, taking, dwelling, and remembering without attachment—then you are truly free from distress.
अपारसंसारसमुद्रपाती लब्ध्वा परां युक्तिम् उदारसत्त्वः । न शोकम् आयाति न दैन्यम् एति गतज्वरस् तिष्ठति नित्यतृप्तः
One who, with noble nature, crosses the boundless ocean of worldly existence and attains supreme discipline, does not fall into sorrow or dejection, remains free from affliction, and stands ever content.
जीवन्मुक्तस्थितिं ब्रह्मन् कृत्वा राघवम् आदितः । क्रमात् कथय मे नित्यं भविष्यामि सुखी यथा
O Brahman, describe to me step by step the state of the liberated while living, as it was established in Raghava from the beginning, so that I may always be happy.
भ्रमस्य जागतस्यास्य जातस्याकाशवर्णवत् । अपुनस्स्मरणं मन्ये साधो विस्मरणं वरम्
O noble one, for this world-delusion that has arisen, colorless like space, I consider it better to forget entirely, rather than to remember it again.
दृश्यात्यन्ताभावबोधं विना तन् नानुभूयते । कदाचित् केनचिन् नाम स बोधो ऽन्विष्यताम् अतः
Without the knowledge of the absolute non-existence of the perceived, that is never truly experienced; therefore, let someone, at some time, seek out that knowledge.
स चेह सम्भवत्य् एव तदर्थम् इदम् आततम् । शास्त्रम् आकर्णयसि चेत् तत्त्वं प्राप्नोषि नान्यथा
If that knowledge is indeed possible here, then this scripture is set forth for that purpose; if you listen to it, you will attain the truth—otherwise, not.
जगद्भ्रमो ऽयं दृश्यो ऽपि नास्त्य् एवेत्य् अनुभूयते । वर्णो व्योम्न इवाखेदाद् विचारेणामुनानघ
This world-delusion, though appearing to be seen, is truly not there, as is experienced; O sinless one, by this inquiry, it disappears like color in space.
दृश्यं नास्तीति बोधेन मनसो दृश्यमार्जनम् । सम्पन्नं चेत् तद् उत्पन्ना परा निर्वाणनिर्वृतिः
When, through the knowledge that the perceived does not exist, the mind's attachment to the perceived is cleansed, then supreme nirvana-bliss arises.
अन्यथा शास्त्रगर्तेषु लुठतां भवताम् इह । भवत्य् अकृत्रिमज्ञाना कल्पैर् अपि न निर्वृतिः
Otherwise, for those who wander in the pits of scriptures here, there is no natural knowledge, nor liberation, even in countless ages.
परित्यागो वासनाया उत्तमो मोक्ष उच्यते । ब्रह्मन् स एष विमलक्रमो ज्ञानप्रकाशकः
The highest liberation is said to be the abandonment of latent tendencies; O Brahman, this is the pure path, the revealer of knowledge.
क्षीणायां वासनायां तु मनो गलति सत्वरम् । क्षीणायां शीतसन्तत्यां ब्रह्मन् हिमकणो यथा
When latent tendencies are exhausted, the mind quickly dissolves; when the stream of cold ceases, O Brahman, so does the snowflake.
अयं वासनया देहो ध्रियते भूतपञ्जरः । तनुनान्तर्निविष्टेन मुक्तौघस् तन्तुना यथा
This body, a cage of elements, is sustained by latent impressions, just as a bundle of threads is held together by the thread running within.
वासना द्विविधा प्रोक्ता शुद्धा च मलिना तथा । मलिना जन्मनो हेतुश् शुद्धा जन्मविनाशिनी
Latent impressions are said to be of two kinds: pure and impure; the impure is the cause of birth, the pure brings about the end of birth.
अज्ञानसुघनाकारा घनाहङ्कारशालिनी । पुनर्जन्मकरी प्रोक्ता मलिना वासना बुधैः
The impure latent impression, according to the wise, is dense with ignorance and strong with ego, and is said to be the cause of rebirth.
पुनर्जन्माङ्कुरत्यक्ता स्थिता सम्भृष्टबीजवत् । देहान्तं ध्रियते ज्ञातज्ञेया शुद्धेति सोच्यते
The pure impression, having abandoned the seed of rebirth, remains like a seed that has been roasted; it endures until the end of the body and is called 'pure' because the knower and the known are realized.
अपुनर्जन्मकरणी जीवन्मुक्तेषु देहिषु । वासना विद्यते शुद्धा देहे चक्र इव भ्रमः
In embodied beings who are liberated while living, there exists a pure impression that does not cause rebirth, like the turning of a wheel in the body.
ये शुद्धवासना भूयो न जन्मानर्थभाजनम् । ज्ञातज्ञेयास् त उच्यन्ते जीवन्मुक्ता महाधियः
Those whose impressions are pure and no longer the source of further birth and suffering, who have realized the knower and the known, are called 'liberated while living,' the truly wise.
जीवन्मुक्तपदं प्राप्तो यथा रामो महामतिः । तत् ते ऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि जरामरणशान्तये
I shall now explain to you the state of liberation while living, as attained by the great-minded Rama, for the cessation of old age and death.
भरद्वाज महाबुद्धे रामक्रमम् इमं शुभम् । शृणु वक्ष्यामि तेनैव सर्वं ज्ञास्यसि सर्वथा
O Bharadvaja, great in wisdom, listen as I recount this auspicious path of Rama; by this you will come to know everything in every way.
विद्यागृहाद् विनिष्क्रम्य रामो राजीवलोचनः । दिवसान्य् अनयद् गेहे लीलाभिर् अकुतोभयः
Rama, whose eyes are like lotuses, having left the house of learning, spent his days at home, engaged in playful activities, free from any fear.
अथ गच्छति काले ऽत्र पालयत्य् अवनिं नृपे । प्रजासु वीतशोकासु स्थितासु विगतज्वरम्
Then, as time passed, while the king ruled the earth, the people, free from sorrow and established in stability, lived without distress.