शिवपङ्कमया एव रूपालोकमनẖक्रमाः । तन्मयत्वाद् अनन्तत्वाद् अतẖ किं केन चेत्यते
Forms, perceptions, and sequences are indeed composed of the mud of Shiva; because of identification with That and its infinitude, what is there to be measured by whom?
मानमेयप्रमाणादि देशकालौ दिगादि च । भावाभावविवर्तादि शिवपङ्कमयात्मकम्
Measures, objects of measurement, standards, space and time, directions and so forth, transformations of existence and nonexistence—all have the nature of Shiva's mud.
अहं ममेत्य् अतस् सारान् नेतरत् परमाम्बरात् । असंसक्तमतिस् तिष्ठ ज्ञश् शिलोदरमौनवत्
Therefore, the notions 'I' and 'mine' are not the essence, but only the supreme sky; remain unattached in understanding, O knower, like the silent stone.
अहं ममेत्य् असद्रूपं ज्ञस्याभावयतḫ प्रभो । असङ्गं कर्मणां त्यागाद् अनुष्ठानाच् च किं शुभम्
The notions 'I' and 'mine' are unreal forms; O master, let the knower dissolve them. What virtue is there in renouncing actions or in their performance, when one is unattached?
पृच्छामि यद् अहं त्वं तत् कथयाशु ममानघ । यदि जानासि तत्त्वेन कर्म तावत् किम् उच्यते
I ask you, whatever I am, you are; tell me quickly, O sinless one. If you truly know the essence, then what is said about action?
विस्तारẖ कर्मणां कीदृङ् मूलं तस्य च किं भवेत् । नाशनीयं च निपुणं कथं कथय नाश्यते
What is the extent of actions, what is their root, and how can they be destroyed skillfully? Tell me, how are they annihilated?
यन् नाशनीयं निपुणं तन् नूनं प्रविनाश्यते । मूलकाषेण भगवन् न शाखादिविकर्तनैः
That which is skillfully destroyed is surely annihilated, O blessed one; not by cutting branches and so forth, but by uprooting the root.
शुभाशुभं नाशनीयं स्वकर्म खलु धीमता । मूलकाषविनाशेन तच् च नष्टं भवत्य् अलम्
Indeed, one's own actions, whether good or bad, must be destroyed by the wise; by destroying the root, they are completely eliminated.
कर्मवृक्षस्य वक्ष्यामि ब्रह्मन् मूलानि मे शृणु । यन् निकाषेण निर्मूलो न स भूयḫ प्ररोहति
O Brahman, I will speak of the roots of the tree of action; listen to me. When it is uprooted by the axe, it does not sprout again.
देहस् तावद् अयं ब्रह्मन् कर्मवृक्षस् समुत्थितः । रूढस् संसारविपिने विचित्राङ्गलतान्वितः
This body, O Brahman, is the tree of action that has arisen, firmly rooted in the forest of worldly existence, adorned with various branches and creepers.
कर्मबीजतरोर् अस्य सुखदुẖखफलावलेः । जाग्रद्वसन्तकालस्य सुषुप्तशिशिरस्थितेः
Of this tree, the seeds are actions, the fruits are pleasure and pain; waking is its springtime, and deep sleep is its winter.
पावनाचारकलिकागुच्छकोत्करकारिणः । क्षणतारुण्यकान्तस्य जराकुसुमहासिनः
The clusters of buds are pure conduct, the brief beauty of youth is its blossoming, and the great sword of old age is its withering.
मुहूर्तं प्रति कल्लोलमर्कटध्वंसिताकृतेः । निद्राहेमन्तजठरलीनस्वप्नदलोद्गतेः
Each moment, its waves are shattered by the monkey of restlessness; in the winter of sleep, its shoots are hidden, and in dreams, they emerge again.
स्ववार्द्धकशरच्छान्तिशीर्णेहापर्णसन्ततेः । जगज्जङ्गलजातस्य कलत्रोपतृणावलेः
In the autumn of one’s own old age, its desires fall like withered leaves; the world is a thicket, and family is the grass that covers its base.
पेलवावयवा हस्तपादगुल्फादयो ऽरुणाः । पत्त्राणि तनुवृन्तानि सुरेखानि चलानि च
The tender limbs—hands, feet, ankles, and so on—are the reddish leaves, slender and delicate, finely lined and ever moving.
अरुणाḫ पवनालोला मृद्व्यो मसृणमूर्तयः । स्नाय्वस्थिदिग्धास् सरसा अङ्गुल्यो बालपल्लवाः
Reddish, swayed by the wind, soft and smooth in form, moistened with sinews and bones, the fingers are like fresh young shoots.
मृद्व्यो मसृणतीक्ष्णाग्रा वृन्तरूढाḫ पुनḫ पुनः । द्वितीयेन्दुकराकाराẖ कलिका नखशुक्तयः
Soft, smooth, and sharp-tipped, repeatedly growing from the stem, the buds and fingernails are shaped like a second moon.
कर्मणḫ परिफुल्लस्य देहरूपतयेति हि । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि मूलानि दृढानि ग्रन्थिमन्ति च
When action fully blossoms as the form of the body, the organs of action are its firm and knotted roots.
सिरास्थिग्रन्थिनद्धानि पङ्कमग्नात्मकानि च । वासनारसपीनानि निजरक्तरसानि च
Bound by veins and bones, sunk in mire, nourished by the sap of tendencies, and filled with their own vital fluid.
गुल्फवन्ति दृढाङ्गानि सुत्वञ्चि मसृणानि च । तेषाम् अपि च मूलानि विद्धि बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि हि
With strong limbs ending in ankles, well-formed and smooth, know that their roots are indeed the sense organs of knowledge.
सुदूरम् अपि यातानि पञ्चस्तम्भानि तानि तु । वासनापङ्कमग्नानि रसवन्ति महान्ति च
Those five pillars, though extending far, are immersed in the mire of tendencies, substantial and full of sap.
तेषां मूलं बृहत् स्तम्भं मनो व्याप्तजगत्त्रयम् । पञ्चस्रोतस्सिराकृष्टमुक्तानन्तरसद्रवम्
Their root is the great pillar—the mind—which pervades the three worlds, drawn by five streams of veins, containing fluid between pearls.
तस्य मूलं विदुर् जीवं चेत्योन्मुखचिदात्मकम् । जीवस्य चेतनं मूलं सर्वमूलैककारणम्
Its root is known as the jīva, oriented toward consciousness; and the root of the jīva is consciousness, the single cause of all roots.
चितेस् तु ब्रह्म मूलं यत् तस्य मूलं न विद्यते । अनाख्यत्वाद् अनन्तत्वाच् छुद्धत्वात् सत्यरूपिणः
But the root of consciousness is Brahman, whose root is not known, because it is unnameable, infinite, pure, and of the nature of truth.
सर्वेषां कर्मणाम् एवं वेदनं बीजम् उत्तमम् । स्वरूपं चेतयित्वान्तस् ततस् स्पन्दḫ प्रवर्तते
For all actions, thus, the highest seed is awareness; when one's own nature is recognized within, then movement arises.
मुने चेतनम् एवाद्यं कर्मणां बीजम् उच्यते । तस्मिन् सति महाशाखो जायते देहशल्मलिः
O sage, awareness alone is said to be the first seed of actions; when it exists, the great tree—the silk-cotton tree of the body—grows.
एतच् चेतनशब्दार्थं भावनावलितं यदि । तत् कर्मबीजताम् एति नो चेत् साध्यं परं पदम्
If the meaning of the word 'awareness' is accompanied by contemplation, it becomes the seed of action; if not, the supreme state is attained.
चितिश् चेतनशब्दार्थभावनावलिता यदि । तत् कर्मबीजताम् एति नो चेत् साध्यं परं पदम्
If consciousness is accompanied by contemplation on the meaning of 'awareness', it becomes the seed of action; if not, the supreme state is attained.
तस्माद् वेदनम् एवेह कर्म कारणम् आकृतेः । एतत् तत् कर्मणां बीजं त्वयैवोक्तं मुनीश्वर
Therefore, awareness alone here is the cause of action and form; this is the seed of actions, as you yourself have said, O great sage.
अस्य राघव सूक्ष्मस्य कर्मणो वेदनात्मनः । कस् त्यागẖ किम् अनुष्ठानं यावद्देहम् इदं स्थितम्
O Raghava, for this subtle action whose essence is awareness, what renunciation or practice is there as long as this body remains?