पुष्पार्घ्यपाद्यसम्मानदक्षिणादानपूजया । सदेवर्षिमुनीन् विप्रान् पूजयाम् आस सादरम्
With offerings of flowers, water for washing, respectful greetings, gifts, and worship, he honored the gods, seers, sages, and especially the brāhmaṇas with devotion.
अथोत्तस्थौ सभा सर्वा सराजमुनिमण्डला । कुण्डलाकीर्णरश्म्योघपरिवेशावृतानना
Then the entire assembly, with the king, sages, and seers, rose up, their faces encircled by the radiance of earrings and garlands.
परस्परांससङ्घट्टरणत्केयूरकङ्कणा । हारभाराहतस्वर्णपट्टाभोरस्तटान्तरा
As they moved, the armlets and bracelets on their arms clashed together, and the golden borders of their garments, struck by the weight of their necklaces, shone at the edges of their chests.
शेखरोत्सङ्गविश्रान्तप्रबुद्धमधुपस्वनैः । सघुङ्घुमशिरोभागा पतद्भिर् इव मूर्धजैः
With the gentle humming of bees resting on their headdresses, and the soft rustling of their falling hair, their heads resounded with a low murmur.
काञ्चनाभरणोद्द्योतकनकीकृतदिङ्मुखाः । बुद्धिस्थमुनिवागर्थसंशान्तेन्द्रियवृत्तयः
With golden ornaments shining, making the directions appear golden, their senses calmed, the sages’ minds and speech established in wisdom.
जग्मुर् नभश्चरा व्योम भूचरा भूमिमण्डलम् । चक्रुर् दिनसमाचारं स्वं सर्वे स्वेषु वेश्मसु
Those who move in the sky went to the sky, those who dwell on earth to the earth’s expanse; all returned to their own abodes, following their daily routines.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे श्यामा यामिनी समदृश्यत । जनसङ्घातनिर्मुक्ते गृहे बालाङ्गना यथा
Meanwhile, the dark night appeared, like a young maiden in a house emptied of crowds.
देशान्तरं भासयितुं ययौ दिवसनायकः । सर्वत्रालोककर्तृत्वम् एव सात्पुरुषं व्रतम्
The lord of the day departed to illuminate another land; everywhere, the true vow of the noble is to bring light.
उदभूद् अभितस् सन्ध्या तारानिकरधारिणी । उत्फुल्लकिंशुकवना वसन्तश्रीर् इवोदिता
All around, twilight arose, adorned with clusters of stars, like the splendor of spring emerging in a grove of blossoming kimshuka trees.
चूतनीपकदम्बाग्रग्रामचैत्यगृहोदरे । निलिल्यिरे खगाश् चित्ते तदा ता वृत्तयो यथा
Birds hid within the hollows of mango, kadamba, and nipa trees, and in the sanctuaries of village shrines, just as those tendencies withdrew into the mind.
भानोर् भासा भूषितैर् मेघलेशैः किञ्चित् किञ्चित् कुङ्कुमच्छाययेव । पाश्चात्यो ऽद्रिः पीतवासास् तमोऽब्धेस् ताराहारश्रीयुतः खं समेतः
The western mountain, adorned by the sun’s radiance and tinged here and there with clouds, appeared as if draped in yellow robes, joined with the sky, splendid with a necklace of stars, like the sea of darkness.
पूजाम् आदाय सन्ध्यायां प्रयातायां यथागतम् । अन्धकारास् समुत्तस्थुर् वेतालवलया इव
When the twilight worship was completed and it departed as it had come, darkness rose up everywhere, like circles of ghosts.
अवश्यायकणस्यन्दी हेलाविधुतपल्लवः । कोमलः कुमुदाशंसी ववाव् आशीतलो ऽनिलः
A gentle, cool breeze, carrying the scent of necessity, playfully stirred the tender leaves and seemed to promise the coming of the water-lily.
परमान्ध्यम् उपाजग्मुर् दिशो ऽपि स्फुटतारकाः । लम्बदीर्घतमःकेश्यो विधवा इव योषितः
The directions, bright with shining stars, fell into deep darkness, like widowed women with their long, hanging tresses.
आययौ भुवनं तेजःक्षीरपूरेण पूरयन् । रसायनमयाकारश् शशिक्षीरार्णवो नभः
A radiance, filling the world with a flood of milky light, arose; the sky became like an ocean of moon’s nectar, appearing as the very form of ambrosia.
जग्मुस् तिमिरसङ्घाताः पलाय्य क्वाप्य् अदृश्यताम् । श्रुतज्ञानगिरश् चित्तान् महीपानाम् इवाज्ञताः
Masses of darkness fled and vanished somewhere, just as the ignorance of kings disappears upon hearing the words of knowledge.
ऋषयो भूमिपालाश् च मुनयो ब्राह्मणास् तथा । चेतसीव विचित्रार्थास् स्वास्पदेषु विशश्रमुः
Sages, kings, ascetics, and brahmins, each rested in their own abodes, like diverse thoughts settling in the mind.
यमकायोपमा श्यामा ययौ तिमिरमांसला । आययौ मिहिकाकारा तत्र तेषाम् उषा शनैः
Night, dark and thick as the body of Yama, advanced, heavy with darkness; and there, slowly, dawn appeared in the form of mist.
अलक्ष्यताम् उपाजग्मुस् तारा नभसि भासुराः । प्रभातपवनेनेव हृताः कुङ्कुमवृष्टयः
Brilliant stars became invisible in the sky, as if swept away by the morning breeze, like showers of saffron dust.
दृश्यताम् आजगामार्कप्रभोन्मीलितलोचना । विवेकवृत्तिर् महतां मनसीव नवोद्गता
The dawn, with eyes opened by the sun’s light, became visible, like the newly arisen discernment in the minds of the great.
सभां पुनर् उपाजग्मुर् नभश्चरमहीचराः । ह्यस्तनेन क्रमेणैव कृतप्रातस्तनक्रमाः
Once again, those who move through the sky and those who walk upon the earth entered the assembly, following the same order as the previous morning, having completed their morning routines.
सा पूर्वसन्निवेशेन विवेश विपुला सभा । बभूवास्पन्दिताकारा वातमुक्तेव पद्मिनी
That vast assembly, arranged as before, was entered; it appeared motionless, like a lotus at the mouth of the wind.
अथ प्रसङ्गम् आसाद्य रामो मधुरया गिरा । उवाच मुनिशार्दूलं वसिष्ठं वदतां वरम्
Then, approaching the topic, Rama spoke with sweet words to Vasistha, the foremost among sages and the best of speakers.
भगवन् मनसो रूपं कीदृशं वद मे स्फुटम् । यस्मात् तेनेयम् अखिला तन्यते दोषमञ्जरी
Revered one, tell me clearly what is the nature of the mind, from which this entire cluster of faults arises.
रामास्य मनसो रूपं न किञ्चिद् अपि दृश्यते । नाममात्राद् ऋते व्योम्नो यथा शून्यजडाकृतेः
Rama, the form of the mind is not seen at all; apart from its name, it is like the empty, inert shape of the sky.
न बाह्ये नापि हृदये सद्रूपं विद्यते मनः । सर्वत्रैव स्थितं चैतद् विद्धि राम यथा नभः
The mind does not have a real form either outside or in the heart; know, Rama, that it is present everywhere, like the sky.
इदम् अस्यासद् उत्पन्नं मृगतृष्णाम्बुसन्निभम् । रूपं तु शृणु सङ्क्षेपाद् द्वितीयेन्दुभ्रमोपमम्
This form of the mind, which has arisen from unreality, is like the water of a mirage; listen briefly to its nature, which resembles the illusion of a second moon.
साधो यद् एतद् अर्थस्य प्रतिभानं प्रथां गतम् । सतो वाप्य् असतो वापि तन् मनो विद्धि नेतरत्
O noble one, whatever is the manifestation or appearance of meaning, whether real or unreal, know that as the mind and nothing else.
यद् अर्थप्रतिभानं तन् मन इत्य् अभिधीयते । अन्यन् न किञ्चिद् अप्य् अस्ति मनो नाम कदाचन
That which is the appearance of an object—that is what is called mind; there is nothing else at any time that is called mind.
सङ्कल्पनं मनो विद्धि सङ्कल्पात् तन् न भिद्यते । यथा द्रवत्वात् सलिलं तथा स्पन्दो यथानिलात्
Know that imagination is the mind; it is not different from imagination, just as liquidity is not different from water, and motion is not different from wind.