सुस्तम्भम् अलम् आलिङ्ग्य स्वात्मानम् अजरामरम् । तिष्ठावष्टब्धधीरात्मा सुस्तम्भम् इव मन्दिरम्
Embracing firmly your own self, which is ageless and immortal, stand with unwavering mind, like a sturdy pillar in a temple.
जगद्वृक्षपदार्थौघपुष्पामोदश्रियं पराम् । संविदं संविदन् स्वच्छाम् आस्स्वान्तर्मुखम् अच्युतः
Perceiving the supreme, pure consciousness, which is the fragrance and glory of the flowers of the tree of the world and its objects, abide inwardly, O imperishable one.
अन्तर्मुखतया नित्यं कार्यम् आहरतां बहिः । जीवताम् अपि नोदेति वासना दृषदाम् इव
For those who always act with an inward orientation, even while performing outward duties, desires do not arise, just as they do not in stones.
पुनḫप्रसरणोन्मुक्तम् अन्तस्सुप्तं मनẖ कुरु । कुर्वन् सर्वाणि कर्माणि कूर्माङ्गवद् अवृत्तिमान्
Let your mind, which is freed from outward expansion, remain dormant within; performing all actions, be withdrawn like the limbs of a tortoise.
अन्तर्वृत्तिविहीनेन बहिर्वृत्तिमतेव च । सुप्तप्रबुद्धप्रायेण कार्यम् आचर चेतसा
With a mind devoid of inner activity but appearing outwardly active, act with consciousness that is like one who is mostly asleep yet occasionally awake.
बालमूकादिविज्ञानवद् अन्तस्त्यक्तवासनम् । भवतẖ कुर्वतẖ कार्यं खवच् चित्तं न लिप्यते
Like the awareness of a child or a mute, with inner tendencies abandoned, when you perform actions, your mind remains untainted, like the sky.
वृत्तित्यागविलीनेन किञ्चित्प्रसरता बहिः । अन्तर् अत्यन्तसुप्तेन चेतसा तिष्ठ विज्वरम्
With the mind dissolved by renouncing activity and only slightly extending outward, remain inwardly in deep repose, free from affliction.
असङ्कल्पकलङ्कायां ज्ञानाच् चित्तक्षयोदये । शुद्धायां संविदि स्थित्वा कुरु मा कुरु वानघ
When pure consciousness arises through the destruction and emergence of the mind, free from the stain of thought and imagination, abide in it—act or do not act, O sinless one.
सुषुप्तसमया वृत्त्या जाग्रद् व्यवहरन् स्वपन् । गृहाण मा किञ्चिद् अपि मा च किञ्चित् परित्यज
While engaging in the waking state with the disposition of deep sleep, and dreaming, neither grasp anything nor abandon anything.
जाग्रत्य् अपि सुषुप्तश् चेज् जागर्षि च सुषुप्तके । जाग्रत्सुषुप्तयोर् ऐक्यात् तद् अस्य् असि निरामयः
If, while awake, you are as in deep sleep, and in deep sleep you are awake, then, by the unity of waking and deep sleep, you are free from affliction.
एवम् आद्यन्तरहितम् अभ्यासेन शनैश् शनैः । पदम् आसादयाद्वन्द्वम् अतीतं सर्ववस्तुनः
In this way, through steady practice, gradually attain the state that is without beginning or end, beyond all dualities and all things.
न च द्वैतं न चैवैक्यं जगद् इत्य् एव निश्चयी । परमाम् एहि विश्रान्तिम् आकाशविशदाशयः
Be certain that the world is neither dual nor one; attain supreme rest with a mind clear as space.
यद्य् एवं मुनिशार्दूल तद् अहम्प्रत्ययात्मकः । भवान् एवेह किं तावद् वसिष्ठाख्यस् ततो वद
If this is so, O best of sages, then you are truly the very essence of the sense of 'I'; why, then, are you called Vasistha here? Tell me this.
राघवे गदति त्व् एवं वसिष्ठो वदतां वरः । तूष्णीम् एव मुहूर्तार्धम् अतिष्ठत् स्पष्टचेष्टितः
When Raghava spoke thus, Vasistha, best among speakers, remained silent for half a moment, his movements clear.
तस्मिंस् तूष्णीं स्थिते किं स्याद् इति सभ्ये महाजने । पतिते संशयाम्भोधौ रामḫ पुनर् उवाच ह
As Vasistha stood silent, the great assembly was plunged into a sea of doubt, wondering what would happen; then Rama spoke again.
किमर्थं भगवंस् तूष्णीं भवान् अहम् इव स्थितः । न सो ऽस्ति जगति न्यायस् सतां यत्रोत्तरक्षयः
Revered one, why did you remain silent like me? In this world, there is no proper course for the noble where a reply is left unspoken.
न मे वक्तुम् अशक्यत्वाद् उक्तिक्षय उपस्थितः । किं तु प्रश्नस्य ते ऽद्यास्य तूष्णीम् एवानघोत्तरः
Because I am unable to speak, the end of words has arrived for me; yet, for your question today, I remain silent, without a fault in my reply.
द्विविधो भवति प्रष्टा तत्त्वज्ञो ऽज्ञो ऽथ वापि च । अज्ञस्याज्ञतया देयो ज्ञस्य तु ज्ञतयोत्तरः
There are two kinds of questioners: one who knows the truth and one who does not; to the ignorant, an answer is given according to their ignorance, but to the wise, according to their knowledge.
एतावन्तम् अभूत् कालं भवान् अज्ञाततत्पदः । भाजनं सविकल्पानाम् उत्तराणां महामते
For all this time, you have not known that supreme state; you have been a vessel for answers filled with distinctions, O great-minded one.
तज्ज्ञस् त्वम् अधुना जातो विश्रान्तḫ परमे पदे । योग्यो न सविकल्पानाम् उत्तराणाम् असि स्फुटम्
Now you have become a knower of That, resting in the supreme state; you are no longer fit for answers that are marked by distinctions, clearly.
यावान् कश्चित् किलोल्लेखो वाङ्मयो वदतां वर । सूक्ष्मार्थḫ परमार्थो वा बहुर् अल्पतरो ऽपि वा
Whatever surge of speech arises, O best of speakers—whether subtle meaning, ultimate meaning, or much or little—
प्रतियोगिव्यवच्छेदसङ्ख्याभेदादिभिर् भ्रमैः । स स सर्वो ऽङ्कितस् साधो भा इव त्रसरेणुभिः
All of it is marked by errors such as distinctions, divisions, numbers, and differences; just as a surface is marked by dust particles, O noble one.
उत्तरं सकलङ्कं च तज्ज्ञो नार्हति सुन्दर । नाकलङ्का च वाग् अस्ति त्वं च तज्ज्ञतरस् स्थितः
A knower of That does not deserve an answer that is tainted; nor is speech ever without taint, and you are established as one who knows That.
यथाभूतं च वक्तव्यं ज्ञस्यान्तेवासिनो मया । यथाभूतं विदुẖ काष्ठमौनम् अन्तविवर्जितम्
What must be spoken to the wise disciple by me is as it truly is; those who know as it truly is regard the highest silence as endless.
अविरामम् असङ्कल्पं मौनम् आहुḫ परं पदम् । तद् एव तव तज्ज्ञस्य दत्तस् सुन्दर उत्तरः
Unceasing, thought-free silence is called the supreme state; this alone, O wise one, is the beautiful answer given to you.
यन्मयो हि भवत्य् अङ्ग पुरुषो वक्ति तादृशम् । ज्ञेयमात्रम् असच् चाहं वागतीते पदे स्थितः
For whatever a person is made of, O dear one, such does he speak; I am mere knowledge, non-being, abiding in the state beyond speech.
वागतीतपदस्थो हि कथं गृह्णाति वाङ्मलम् । अवाच्यं वच्मि नो तेन वाग् घि सङ्कल्पनाङ्किता
How can one established in the state beyond speech take up the impurity of speech? What is unspeakable, I do not utter, for speech is marked by conceptualization.
वाचि ये ये प्रवर्तन्ते तान् अनादृत्य दोषकान् । प्रतियोगिव्यवच्छेदपूर्वकान् वद को भवान्
Disregarding the faults of those who engage in speech, tell me, who are you, who speak only after excluding all opposites?
एवं स्थिते राघवेह यथाभूतम् इदं शृणु । कस् त्वं को ऽहं जगद् वा किम् इति तत्त्वविदां वर
Thus situated, O Raghava, listen here to the reality as it is: Who are you? Who am I? What is the world?—O best of those who know the truth.
अयं तावद् अहं शान्तश् चिदालोको निरामयः । चेत्यसंवेद्यरहितस् सर्वसङ्कल्पनातिगः
As for me, I am peaceful, the light of consciousness, free from affliction, devoid of objects and knowables, beyond all conceptualization.