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.
यत्र सङ्कल्पनं तत्र तन् मनो ऽङ्ग तथा स्थितम् । सङ्कल्पमनसी भिन्ने न कदाचन केचन
Wherever there is imagination, there the mind exists, O dear one; imagination and mind are never separate from each other.
सत्यम् अस्त्व् अथ वासत्यं यद् अर्थप्रतिभासनम् । तावन्मात्रं मनो विद्धि तद् ब्रह्मैष पितामहः
Whether it is real or unreal, whatever appears as an object—know that alone as mind; this, O Brahma, is the truth.
आतिवाहिकदेहात्मा मन इत्य् अभिधीयते । आधिभौतिकबुद्धिस् तु सदाधीस् तु चिरस्थितिः
The subtle body is called mind; but the intellect connected with the physical body is enduring and stable.
अविद्या संसृतिश् चित्तं मनो बन्धो मलं तमः । इति पर्यायनामानि दृश्यस्य विदुर् उत्तमाः
Ignorance, transmigration, mind, bondage, impurity, darkness—these are synonyms, say the wise, for what is perceived.
न हि दृश्याद् ऋते किञ्चिन् मनसो रूपम् अस्ति हि । दृश्यं चोत्पन्नम् एवैतन् नेति वक्ष्याम्य् अहं पुनः
Indeed, apart from the perceived, there is no form of the mind; and this perceived is itself produced—this I will explain again.
यथा कमलबीजे ऽन्तस् स्थिता कमलमञ्जरी । महाचित्परमाण्वन्तस् तथा दृश्यं जगत् स्थितम्
Just as within a lotus seed the lotus blossom is contained, so within the great atom of consciousness this perceived world is contained.
प्रकाशस्य यथालोको यथा वातस्य चोपनम् । यथा द्रवत्वं पयसो दृश्यत्वं द्रष्टुर् ईदृशम्
Just as light is the radiance of illumination, as movement is to wind, as liquidity is to water, and visibility is to the seer—so is this (quality) in the seer.
अङ्गदत्वं यथा हेम्नि मृगनद्यां यथा जलम् । भित्तिर् यथा स्वप्नपुरे तथा द्रष्टरि दृश्यधीः
Just as the form of a bracelet is in gold, as water is in a mirage river, as a wall is in a dream city—so is the perception of the seen in the seer.
एवं द्रष्टरि दृश्यत्वम् अनन्यद् इव यत् स्थितम् । तद् अप्य् उन्मार्जयाम्य् आशु त्वच्चित्तादर्शतो मलम्
Thus, the appearance of the seen in the seer, as if it were something different, I quickly wipe away—like a stain—by showing you the mirror of your own mind.
यद् द्रष्टुर् अस्याद्रष्टृत्वं दृश्याभावे भवेद् बलात् । तद् विद्धि केवलीभावम् अत एवासतस् सतः
When, due to the absence of the seen, the seer forcibly ceases to be a seer, know that as the state of pure being—of the existent and the non-existent alike.
तत्ताम् उपगते भावे रागद्वेषादिवासना । शाम्यत्य् अस्पन्दिते वाते स्पन्दसङ्क्षुब्धता यथा
When that state is attained, the tendencies of attraction and aversion subside, just as, when the wind is still, the agitation of movement ceases.
असम्भवति सर्वस्मिन् दिग्भूम्याकाशरूपिणि । प्रकाश्ये यादृशं रूपं प्रकाशस्यामलं भवेत्
When nothing at all exists—when all is of the nature of space, direction, and earth—what form could the pure radiance of illumination possibly have?
त्रिजगत् त्वम् अहं चेति दृश्ये ऽसत्ताम् उपागते । द्रष्टुस् स्यात् केवलीभावस् तादृशो विमलात्मनः
When the seen—the three worlds, you, and I—has attained non-existence, then the seer attains the state of pure being, such is the nature of the immaculate Self.
अनन्ताखिलशैलादिप्रतिबिम्बे हि यादृशी । स्याद् दर्पणे दर्पणता केवलात्मस्वरूपिणी
Just as, in the infinite reflections of mountains and all things, the mirror remains only a mirror—so is the true nature of the pure Self.
अहं त्वं जगद् इत्यादौ प्रशान्ते दृश्यसम्भ्रमे । स्यात् तादृशी केवलता स्थिते द्रष्टर्य् अवीक्षके
When the confusion of the seen—such as 'I', 'you', and 'the world'—is pacified, then pure oneness arises, established in the seer who does not observe.
सच् चेन् न शाम्यतीदं वा नाभावो विद्यते सतः । असत्तां च न विद्मो ऽस्मिन् दृश्ये दोषप्रदायिनि
If this does not subside, then nonexistence does not pertain to what exists; nor do we know nonbeing in this visible, which brings about fault.
तस्मात् कथम् इयं शाम्येद् ब्रह्मन् दृश्यविषूचिका । नानोद्भवभ्रमकरी दुःखसन्ततिदायिनी
Therefore, O Brahman, how can this fever of perception be pacified, which does not cease, which gives rise to delusion and a succession of suffering?
अस्य दृश्यपिशाचस्य शान्त्यै मन्त्रम् इमं शृणु । रामात्यन्तम् अयं येन मृतिम् एष्यति नङ्क्ष्यति
Hear this mantra, O Rama, for the pacification of this demon of perception, by which it will utterly perish and be destroyed.
यद् अस्ति तस्य नाशो ऽस्ति न कदाचन राघव । तस्मात् तन् नष्टम् अप्य् अन्तर् बीजभूतं भवेद् धृदि
Whatever exists, O Raghava, its destruction is certain; therefore, even when it is destroyed, its seed may remain within the heart.
स्मृतिबीजा चिदाकाशे पुनर् उद्भूय दृश्यधीः । लोकशैलाम्बराकारं दोषं वितनुते ऽतनुम्
The seed of memory, arising again in the space of consciousness, produces the notion of the seen, which, though insubstantial, spreads the fault in the form of world, mountain, and sky.