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With pure tendencies, an elevated mind, and a mind withdrawn from the thoughts of people, you are indeed fit to lead the world to the sorrowless state—thus is it said here.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.
न कञ्चिद् रसम् आदत्ते नष्टैवापि न नश्यति । न पुष्पिता न फलिता तृष्णा शुष्कलतेव नः
Desire, like a withered vine, neither takes in any essence nor perishes even when lost; it neither flowers nor bears fruit for us.
कर्म मर्मणि निर्मग्नं वासनाख्यम् अशर्मणे । जीवितं जन्मने जीर्णं नैवोत्तीर्णो भवार्णवः
Life, sunk in the core of action and called 'impression,' brings no happiness; worn out by repeated births, one does not cross the ocean of becoming.
दिनानुदिनम् उच्छूना भोगाशा भयदायिनी । पूर्णापूर्णात्मनि क्षीणा श्वभ्रकण्टकवृक्षवत्
Day by day, the hope for enjoyment, which brings fear, diminishes in the self that is sometimes full, sometimes empty, like a tree of thorns in a pit.
चिन्ताज्वरविकारिण्या लक्ष्म्याẖ खलु महापदः । सम्पन् नाम कृतं सापि विप्रलम्भेन जृम्भते
Wealth, afflicted by the fever of worry, is indeed a great misfortune; even when called prosperity, it swells only with disappointment.
अन्तस्स्फुरितरत्नेहं भासुरं चान्धकोटरम् । कल्लोलकलिलं शून्यं चेतश् शुष्काब्धिदुर्भगम्
My mind, though containing inner jewels, is a bright yet dark cave; agitated by waves, it is empty and hard to cross, like a dried-up ocean.
माम् इन्द्रियार्थैकपरं न स्पृशन्ति विवेकिनः । सकण्टकम् अमेध्यस्थं श्लेष्मातकम् इव द्रुमम्
Objects of the senses, which are only for those attached to them, do not touch the discerning; like a sticky, thorny, impure tree, they are avoided.
असद् एव महारम्भं वल्गदर्जुनवातवत् । मनो रमणम् अप्राप्तं शून्यं दुẖखाय वल्गति
Just as a great gust of wind stirs up dust in vain, so too the mind, not finding delight, rushes restlessly into emptiness, bringing only sorrow.
शास्त्रसज्जनसम्पर्कचन्द्रतारकधारिणी । अहम्भावोल्लसद्यक्षा क्षीणा नाज्ञानयामिनी
The night of ignorance has waned; the radiant Yaksha of ego, adorned with the moon and stars of scripture and the company of the virtuous, has faded away.
अज्ञानध्वान्तमत्तेभसिंहẖ कर्मतृणानलः । उदितो न विवेकार्को वासनारजनीक्षयः
The sun of discernment, which destroys the darkness of ignorance, the intoxicated elephant and lion, and the fire that burns the straw of karma, has not yet arisen to dispel the dye of latent tendencies.
अवस्तु वस्तुवद् बुद्धं मत्तश् चित्तमतङ्गजः । इन्द्रियाणि निकृन्तन्ति न जाने किं भविष्यति
The intoxicated elephant of the mind, mistaking the unreal for the real, assails the awakened intellect; the senses cut it down, and I do not know what will come of this.