रागद्वेषतमःक्रोधमदमात्सर्यवर्जनम् । विना राम तपोदानं क्लेश एव न वास्तवम्
O Rama, without abandoning attachment, aversion, darkness, anger, pride, and envy, austerity and charity are merely sources of suffering, not truly effective.
रागाद्युपहते चित्ते वञ्चयित्वा परं धनम् । यद् अर्ज्यते ततो दानाद् यस्यार्थस् तस्य तत्फलम्
When the mind is afflicted by attachment and the like, and one acquires another's wealth through deceit, whatever is given in charity from that is fruitful only for the rightful owner.
रागाद्युपहते चित्ते व्रतादि क्रियते च यत् । स दम्भः प्रोच्यते तस्य फलम् अस्ति मनाङ् न वा
When the mind is tainted by attachment and the like, and one performs vows or rituals, that is called hypocrisy; its result is negligible or none at all.
तस्मात् पुरुषयत्नेन मुख्यम् औषधम् आहरेत् । सच्छास्त्रसज्जनासङ्गं संसृतिव्याधिनाशनम्
Therefore, by one's own effort, one should obtain the foremost remedy: association with true scriptures and noble people, which destroys the disease of worldly existence.
अत्रैकं पौरुषं यत्नं वर्जयित्वेतरा गतिः । सर्वदुःखक्षयप्राप्तौ न काचिद् उपपद्यते
Here, except for personal effort, no other means is suitable for attaining the cessation of all suffering.
शृणु तत् पौरुषं कीदृग् आत्मज्ञानस्य लब्धये । येन शाम्यन्त्य् अशेषेण रागद्वेषविषूचिकाः
Listen to what kind of personal effort leads to the attainment of self-knowledge, by which all the fevers of attachment and aversion are completely pacified.
यथासम्भवया वृत्त्या लोकशास्त्राविरुद्धया । सन्तोषसन्तुष्टमना भोगगर्धं परित्यजन्
With whatever means are available, in a way not opposed to worldly norms or scriptures, with a mind content and satisfied, one should abandon greed for enjoyment.
यथासम्भवम् उद्योगाद् अनुद्विग्नतया स्वया । साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्रपरतां प्रथमं श्रयेत्
With whatever effort is possible, and without agitation, one should first take refuge in devotion to association with the good and with true scriptures.
यथाप्राप्तार्थसन्तुष्टो यो गर्हितम् उपेक्षते । साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्ररतश् शीघ्रं स मुच्यते
He who is content with what comes to him, who disregards what is blameworthy, and who delights in the company of the virtuous and in true scriptures—he is quickly liberated.
विचारणापरिज्ञातस्वभावस्य महामतेः । अनुकम्प्या भवन्त्य् एते ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रशङ्कराः
For one of great intelligence who has not discerned the true nature of things through inquiry, even Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, and Shiva are to be regarded with compassion.
भृशं यं सुजनप्रायं लोकास् साधुं प्रचक्षते । स विशिष्टस् स साधुस् स्यात् तं प्रयत्नेन संश्रयेत्
He whom people, who are themselves mostly good, call a virtuous person—he is truly distinguished and virtuous; one should diligently seek his association.
अध्यात्मविद्या विद्यानां प्रधानं तत्कथाश्रयम् । शास्त्रं सच्छास्त्रम् इत्य् आहुर् मुच्यते तद्विचारवान्
Among all branches of knowledge, spiritual wisdom is foremost, and the scripture that is based on its teaching is called the true scripture; one who reflects upon it is liberated.
सच्छास्त्रसत्सङ्गमजैर् विवेकैस् तथा विनश्यन्ति बलान् मलानि । यथा जलानां कतकानुषङ्गाद् यथा जडानाम् अभयोपयोगात्
Just as the scum of water is removed by the use of clearing nuts, and as the dull are freed by the use of remedies, so too impurities are destroyed by discernment born of true scriptures and association with the good.
य एष देवः कथितो यस्मिञ् ज्ञाते विमुच्यते । वद क्वासौ स्थितो देवः कथम् एनम् अहं लभे
This deity who has been described, by knowing whom one is liberated—tell me, where does this deity abide, and how may I attain him?
य एष देवः कथितो नैष दूरे ऽवतिष्ठते । शरीरे संस्थितो नित्यं चिन्मात्रम् इति विश्रुतः
This deity who has been described does not dwell far away; he is always present in the body, known as pure consciousness.
एष सर्वम् इदं विश्वं न विश्वं त्व् एष सर्वगः । विद्यते ह्य् एष एवैको न तु विश्वाभिधास्ति दृक्
This alone is all this universe; yet, this all-pervading one is not the universe. Truly, only this one exists; there is no seer called 'the universe' apart from him.
चिन्मात्रम् एष शशिभृच् चिन्मात्रं गरुडध्वजः । चिन्मात्रम् एव तपनश् चिन्मात्रं कमलोद्भवः
This is pure consciousness: the moon-bearer, the eagle-bannered one, the sun, and the lotus-born—all are nothing but pure consciousness.
बाला अपि वदन्त्य् एतद् यदि चेतनमात्रकम् । जगद् इत्य् एव कैवात्र नाम स्याद् उपदेशता
Even children say this world is nothing but consciousness; if so, what need is there for instruction, and what name could be given to it?
चिन्मात्रं चेतनं विश्वम् इति यज् ज्ञातवान् असि । न किञ्चिद् एतद् विज्ञातं भवता भवतारणम्
You have understood that the universe is pure consciousness, awareness alone; yet nothing has truly been known by you that could lead to liberation from becoming.
चेतनं नाम संसारो जीव एष पशुस् स्मृतः । एतस्माद् एव निर्यान्ति जरामरणवीचयः
What is called 'awareness' is samsara; this living being is regarded as a creature, and from this arise the waves of old age and death.
पशुर् अज्ञो ह्य् अमूर्तो ऽपि दुःखस्यैवैष भाजनम् । चेतनत्वाच् चेततीदम् अत्यनर्थस् स्वयं स्थितः
A creature, though ignorant and formless, is indeed the vessel of suffering; because it is conscious, it experiences this, and thus abides in great misfortune.
चेत्यनिर्मुक्तता या स्याद् अचेत्योन्मुखताथवा । अस्य सा भरितावस्था तां ज्ञात्वा नानुशोचति
When one is free from objects of consciousness, or inclined toward the absence of objects, that is the state of fullness; knowing this, one does not grieve.
भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश् छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्सीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन् दृष्टे परापरे
The knot of the heart is broken, all doubts are cut, and his actions are exhausted, when the supreme and the non-supreme are seen.
तस्य चेत्योन्मुखत्वं तु चेत्यासम्भवनं विना । रोद्धुं न शक्यं दृश्यं तु चेत्यं शाम्यतु वै कथम्
His inclination toward objects cannot be restrained without the impossibility of objects; as long as the visible remains an object, how can it ever cease?
साधुसङ्गमसच्छास्त्रैस् संसारार्णवतारकः । दृश्यते परमात्मा यस् स ब्रह्मन् वद कीदृशः
He who is revealed as the Supreme Self through the company of the virtuous and the study of true scriptures, who leads across the ocean of worldly existence—O Brahman, tell me, what is He like?
यद् एतच् चेतनं जीवो विशीर्णो जन्मजङ्गले । एतम् आत्मानम् इच्छन्ति ये ते ऽज्ञाः पण्डिता अपि
That which is this consciousness, the individual soul, scattered amid the jungle of birth—those who desire this as the Self, even if learned, are ignorant.
जीव एवेह संसारश् चेतनाद् दुःखसन्ततेः । अस्मिञ् ज्ञाते नाविज्ञातं किञ्चिद् भवति कुत्रचित्
Here, the individual soul alone is worldly existence, arising from consciousness and the succession of suffering; when this is known, nothing remains unknown anywhere.
ज्ञायते परमात्मा चेद् राम तद् दुःखसन्ततिः । क्षयम् एति विषावेशशान्ताव् इव विषूचिका
If the Supreme Self is known, O Rama, then the succession of suffering comes to an end, just as cholera ceases when poison is neutralized.
रूपं कथय मे ब्रह्मन् यथावत् परमात्मनः । यस्मिन् दृष्टे नरो मोहात् समग्रात् सन्तरिष्यति
Tell me, O Brahman, the true form of the Supreme Self, upon seeing which a person will cross over the entirety of delusion.
देशाद् देशान्तरं दूरं प्राप्तायास् संविदो वपुः । निमेषेणैव यन् मध्ये तद् रूपं परमात्मनः
The form of the Supreme Self is that which, in the midst of consciousness traveling from place to distant place, is attained in a single moment.