भगवन् को ऽसि पूर्णात्मा महात्मा कथम् आत्मवान् । पश्यन्न् अनाकुलो लोकं ग्रामयात्राम् इवाध्वगः
O blessed one, who are you—perfected soul, great soul, how are you self-possessed, witnessing the world undisturbed, like a traveler observing a village procession?
किं त्वया पीतम् अमृतं किं त्वं सम्राड् विराड् अथ । सर्वार्थरिक्तो ऽपि चिरं सुपूर्ण इव राजसे
Have you drunk the nectar of immortality? Are you a sovereign, a universal monarch? Though lacking all possessions, you seem to reign long and fully satisfied.
शून्यो ऽसि परिपूर्णो ऽसि घूर्णसीव स्थिरो ऽसि च । न सर्वम् असि सर्वं च न किञ्चित् किञ्चिद् एव वा
You are empty, yet you are completely full; you seem to whirl, yet you are steady. You are not everything, yet you are everything; you are nothing, yet you are something.
उपशान्तं च कान्तं च दीप्तम् अप्रतिघाति च । निभृतं चोर्जितं चेदं रूपं किम् इति ते मुने
O sage, why is your form so peaceful and lovely, radiant and unobstructed, quiet yet powerful?
भूसंस्थो ऽपि समस्तानां लोकानाम् उपरीव खे । संस्थितो ऽसि निरास्थो ऽसि घनास्थो ऽसि च लक्ष्यसे
Though you are established upon the earth, you appear above all worlds in the sky; you are established, you are unattached, you are dense, and you are perceived.
प्रसृतं च पदार्थेषु न पदार्थात्म चास्ति च । तवेन्दोर् इव शुद्धस्य मनो ऽमृतमयं स्थितम्
You are extended among objects, yet you are not the essence of objects; your mind, pure as the moon, remains immortal.
कलावान् अकलङ्को ऽन्तश्शीतलो भासुरस् समः । रसायनपरापूर्णḫ पूर्णेन्दुर् इव राजसे
You possess art, are spotless, cool within, radiant, equal; filled with the supreme elixir, you shine like the full moon.
त्वदिच्छायत्तसदसद्भावं पश्यामि ते चिति । संसारमण्डलम् इदं स्थितं फलम् इवाङ्कुरे
I see the existence and non-existence of things dependent on your will, O consciousness; this circle of worldly existence stands like fruit upon a sprout.
अहं तावद् अयं विप्रश् शाण्डिल्यकुलसम्भवः । मङ्किर् नाम महाभाग तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गतः
As for myself, I am this Brahmin, born in the Shaandilya lineage, named Mankir, O illustrious one, engaged in pilgrimage.
गत्वा सुदूरम् अध्वानं दृष्ट्वा तीर्थानि सम्प्रति । चिरकालेन सदनम् आत्मीयं गन्तुम् उद्यतः
Having traveled a great distance and seen the holy places, I am now, after a long time, intent on returning to my own home.
न च मे गन्तुम् उद्योगो विरक्तमनसो गृहम् । दृष्ट्वा तडित्प्रकाशानि भूतानि भुवनोदरे
But I have no inclination to return home, my mind detached, after seeing beings flashing like lightning within the womb of the world.
भगवन् मह्यम् आत्मानं कथयेहानुकम्पया । गम्भीराणि प्रसन्नानि साधुचेतस्सरांसि हि
O Lord, out of compassion, please tell me about the Self; for the streams of the minds of the good are deep and clear.
दर्शनाद् एव मित्रत्वं कुर्वतां महतां पुरः । कमलानीव भूतानि विकसन्त्य् आश्वसन्ति च
By the mere sight of the great, those who cultivate friendship blossom and find reassurance, just as lotuses open up.
ममेमं च मनोमोहं संसारभ्रमसम्भवम् । मन्ये हातुं समर्थस् त्वं सत्त्वबोधानुकम्पनैः
I believe you are able to remove this delusion of my mind, born from the confusion of worldly existence, through your compassion and awakening insight.
वसिष्ठो ऽस्मि महाबुद्धे मुनिर् अस्मि नभोगृहः । केनाप्य् अर्थेन राजर्षेर् इमं मार्गम् उपस्थितः
I am Vasistha, O greatly wise one, a sage whose dwelling is the sky; for some reason, I have come upon this path of the royal sage.
मा गा विषादं पन्थानम् आगतो ऽसि मनीषिणाम् । प्रायḫ प्राप्तो ऽसि संसारसागरस्यापरं तटम्
Do not enter the path of despair; you have come to the way of the wise. Indeed, you have nearly reached the far shore of the ocean of worldly existence.
वैराग्यविभवोदारा मतिर् उक्तिर् अपीदृशी । आकृतिश् शान्तरूपा च न भवत्य् अमहात्मनः
Such noble discernment, speech, and appearance—marked by the wealth of detachment and a peaceful form—do not arise in one who is not great-souled.
मणिर् मधुरकाषेण यथैति विमलात्मताम् । तथा कषायपाकेन चित्तम् एति विवेकिताम्
Just as a jewel attains purity through gentle polishing, so too does the mind become discerning through the ripening of inner purification.
किं ज्ञातुम् इच्छसि कथं संसारं हातुम् इच्छसि । उपदिष्टम् अहं मन्ये सम्पादयसि कर्मभिः
What do you wish to know? How do you wish to abandon worldly existence? I believe you will accomplish what has been taught through your actions.
विमलवासन उन्नतमानसḫ परिविविक्तमतिर् जनचेतसाम् । पदम् अशोकम् अलं खलु युज्यसे जगति नेतुम् इतीदम् इहोच्यते
With pure tendencies, an elevated mind, and a mind withdrawn from the thoughts of people, you are indeed fit to lead the world to the sorrowless state—thus is it said here.
ममेत्य् उक्तवतो मङ्किर् विनिपत्य स पादयोः । उवाचानन्दपूर्णाक्षम् इदं मार्गे वहन् वचः
When Maṅki, having said 'mine,' fell at his feet, he spoke these words on the path, his eyes full of bliss.
भगवन् भूरिशो भ्रान्ता दिशो दश दशावता । मया न तु पुनस् साधुर् लब्धस् संशयनाशकृत्
Lord, I have wandered greatly in all ten directions, but never have I found a true sage who can destroy doubt.
समस्तदेहवाराणां सारस्याद्य फलं मया । प्राप्तं यद् अस्मि त्वत्पादपद्मे भ्रमरतां गतः
Today I have attained the true fruit of all embodied lives, for I have become absorbed like a bee at your lotus feet.
खिन्नो ऽस्मि भगवन् पश्यन् दशास् संसारदोषदाः । पुनर् जातं पुनर् नष्टं सुखदुẖखभ्रमस् सदा
O Lord, I am weary, seeing the many states that bring the faults of worldly existence—again and again born, again and again lost, always whirled in pleasure and pain.
अवश्यम्भाविपर्यन्तदुẖखत्वात् सकलान्य् अपि । सुखान्य् एवातिदुẖखानि वरं दुẖखान्य् अतो मुने
Because all pleasures inevitably end in suffering, O sage, even the greatest pleasures are extreme pains; therefore, suffering is preferable.
दृढदुẖखवद् अन्तत्वाद् दुẖखयन्ति सुखानि माम् । तथा नाम यथा दुẖखम् एव मे सुखतां गतम्
Pleasures torment me because, like intense suffering, they come to an end; thus, for me, suffering itself has become like happiness.
वयो दशनलोमाङ्गैस् सह जर्जरतां गतम् । उच्चैḫपदे पातपरा बुद्धिर् नाध्यवसायिनी
My age, along with my teeth, hair, and limbs, has become decrepit; my mind, prone to falling from high places, is unable to decide firmly.
प्रसुवानं कुसङ्कल्पान् गहनं न प्रकाशते । मनḫ पिप्पलपद्मूलैर् इव कुग्रामकोटरम्
My mind, producing evil thoughts, does not shine forth; it is like a dark village hollow filled with roots of pipal and lotus plants.
वासनागर्धवृद्ध्यैति श्वश् श्वḫ पापीयसीं स्थितिम् । कण्टकद्रुमवल्लीव करालकुटिला मतिः
The growth of impressions leads, day by day, to an even more degraded state; the mind becomes fierce and crooked, like a thorny creeper on a bristling tree.
आयुर् आयासशालिन्या यामिन्येव तमोऽन्धया । अक्षीवानागतालोकं क्षीणं सन्ततचिन्तया
Life, burdened with toil, is like a night shrouded in deep darkness; with eyes unable to see the coming light, it is worn thin by constant worry.