शरदम्बुधरच्छायागत्वर्यो यौवनश्रियः । आपातरम्या विषयाḫ पर्यन्तपरितापिनः
The splendor of youth is as fleeting as the shadow of autumn clouds; pleasures are delightful at first but bring pain in the end.
अन्तकḫ पर्यवस्थाता जीविते महताम् अपि । चलान्य् आयूंषि शाखाग्रलम्बाम्बूनीव देहिनाम्
Even for the great, death is the one who brings life to its end; the lifespans of embodied beings are unstable, like water hanging from the tip of a branch.
जीर्यन्ते जीर्यतẖ केशा दन्ता जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः । क्षीयते जीर्यतस् सर्वं तृष्णैवैका न जीर्यते
As one ages, hair and teeth decay, and everything diminishes; only craving does not grow old.
भोगाभोगातिगहने सर्वस्मिन् कायकानने । परम् उल्लासम् आयाति तृष्णैका विषमञ्जरी
In the dense forest of the body, filled with enjoyment and suffering, it is only the crooked blossom of craving that attains supreme exuberance.
बाल्यं यौवनवद् याति यौवनं याति बाल्यवत् । उपमानोपमेयत्वं भङ्गुरत्वे मिथो ऽनयोः
Childhood passes away like youth, and youth passes away like childhood; their mutual impermanence is like that of the compared and the comparison.
जीवितं गलति क्षिप्रं जलम् अञ्जलितो यथा । प्रवाह इव वाहिन्या गतं न विनिवर्तते
Life slips away swiftly, just as water from the hollow of the hand; like the current of a flowing river, once gone, it does not return.
झगित्य् एवागतो देहẖ कुतो ऽप्य् अर्जुनवातवत् । याति पश्यत एवास्तं तरङ्गाम्बुददीपवत्
The body arrives suddenly, from who knows where, like a whirlwind; and before one's eyes, it departs, like a wave, a cloud, or a lamp.
रम्येष्व् अरम्यता दृष्टा स्थिरेष्व् अस्थिरतापि च । सत्येष्व् असत्यतार्थेषु तेनेह विरसा वयम्
Ugliness is seen in what is beautiful, and instability even in what is stable; falsehood is found in what is thought true—thus, we have become disenchanted with this world.
सुखं यद् आत्मविश्रान्तौ गते मनसि सत्त्वताम् । पाताले भूतले स्वर्गे तन् न भोगेषु केषुचित्
The happiness found when the mind attains rest in the Self, in purity, is not found in any enjoyments, whether in the netherworld, on earth, or in heaven.
अपि सम्पूर्णहृद्यार्थाḫ पञ्चापीन्द्रियवृत्तयः । नावर्जयन्ति माम् एता भृङ्गं चित्रलता इव
Even the activities of the five senses, though filled with objects that delight the heart, do not attract me, just as a bee is not drawn to a painted vine.
अद्य दीर्घेण कालेन निरहङ्कृतिना मया । स्वर्गापवर्गवैतृष्ण्यम् इदम् आसादितं धिया
Today, after a long time and with a mind free from ego, I have attained this dispassion for heaven and liberation.
चिरम् एकान्तविश्रान्त्यै तेनैतन् नभसḫ पदम् । त्वम् इवागतवान् अत्र दृष्टवान् अस्मि तां कुटीम्
For a long time, I have sought solitary rest; thus, I have reached this sky-like state, just as you have arrived here and I have seen that hut.
अद्यैतत् सम्परिज्ञातं यद् धि सा भवतẖ कुटी । आगन्ता त्वं पुनश् चेति ज्ञायते क्वाविचारितम्
Today it has become fully understood that this was your hut; it is also known that you will come again—this has been considered in some way.
तदा त्व् अत्र मया ज्ञातं कश्चित् सिद्धो ऽयम् आत्मना । देहं त्यक्त्वेह निर्वाणं गत इत्य् अनुमानिना
Then I realized here that this is some accomplished sage who, having abandoned the body, has attained liberation—so I inferred.
एतन् मे भगवन् वृत्तम् एषो ऽस्मीति यथास्थितम् । मया ते कथितं सर्वं यथा जानासि तत् कुरु
O venerable one, this is the account as it happened: I have told you everything as it is; do as you know best.
सिद्धैर् न यावद् अवधानपरैर् विचार्य निर्णीतम् उत्तमधियान्तर् अशेषवस्तु । तावत् त्रिकालकलनां न विदन्ति काञ्चिद् इत्य् अब्जजादिमनसो ऽपि मुने स्वभावः
Until those intent on concentration among the perfected ones, having examined with utmost intelligence, determine the entirety of things, they do not know any calculation of the three times—such is the nature even of the minds of Brahma and others, O sage.
अथ हेममयाकाशविस्तीर्णायां महाभुवि । सौहार्दाद् एव सिद्धस्य तस्येदम् अहम् उक्तवान्
Then, on that vast golden expanse of earth, out of friendliness toward that accomplished sage, I spoke these words.
त्वया न केवलं यावन् मयापि न विचारितम् । अव्याप्तिरहिता नाम न सम्भवति देहता
Not only by you, but even by me, it has not been considered: the so-called state of embodiment, without limitation or pervasion, does not exist.
यस्मान् मया तवोदन्तं विचार्यासौ स्थिरीकृता । न कुटी व्योम्नि येन त्वम् अभविष्यस् स्थिरस्थितिः
Because, having considered your story, I have established this: you would not have remained steadily in the sky without a hut.
तस्मात् कमलपत्राक्ष यद् गतं गतम् एव तत् । विचार्यातीतम् उत्सृज्य पश्य साम्प्रतिकीं स्थितिम्
Therefore, lotus-eyed one, what is gone is truly gone; leaving aside what has been examined and passed, behold your present state.
उत्तिष्ठ सिद्धलोकेषु निवसावो यथास्थितम् । स्वास्पदस्थितयस् सौम्यास् स्वात्मसिद्धौ सुसाधनम्
Let us rise and dwell in the realms of the perfected beings, remaining as we are, serene in our own state, firmly established in the realization of the Self, with ease and mastery.
इति निर्णीय ताव् आवाम् उत्प्लुतौ तारकोपमौ । समम् एकपुटोड्डीनौ व्योम यन्त्रोपलाव् इव
Having thus resolved, the two of us leapt forth, like twin stars, ascending together as if propelled by a single mechanism into the sky.
प्रणामपूर्वम् अन्योऽन्यम् अथ कृत्वा विसर्जनम् । गतस् सो ऽभिमतं देशम् अहं चाभिमतं गतः
After offering mutual salutations and taking leave of each other, he went to his desired place, and I too went to mine.
इति वृत्तान्तम् अखिलम् उक्तवान् अस्मि राघव । तवाश्चर्यमयीं पश्य संसृतीनां विचित्रताम्
Thus, O Raghava, I have recounted the entire episode; behold the wondrous variety of worldly existences.
भगवंस् तव देहो ऽसौ पृथिव्याम् अणुतां गतः । भ्रान्तẖ केन शरीरेण सिद्धलोकांस् ततो भवान्
Venerable one, your body here on earth became subtle; with which body, then, did you wander through the realms of the perfected beings?
आं स्ंर्तं शृणु किं वृत्तं ततो मम जगद्गृहे । भ्रमतस् सिद्धसेनासु लोकपालपुरीषु च
Yes, I remember—listen to what happened to me then, as I wandered among the hosts of perfected beings and through the cities of the guardians of the worlds.
अहम् इन्द्रपुरं प्राप्तो न कश्चित् तत्र दृष्टवान् । माम् इमं देहरहितम् आतिवाहिकदेहिनम्
I arrived at the city of Indra, but no one there saw me, for I was without a physical body, possessing only the subtle, ethereal form.
अहं किल तदा राम सम्पन्नो गगनाकृतिः । न चाधारो न चाधेयश् चिदाकाशमयात्मकः
At that time, O Rama, I truly existed in the form of space itself—without support or supportedness, my nature composed of the consciousness-sky.
न ग्रहीता न च ग्राह्यस् त्वादृशार्थावबोधिनाम् । न चैव देशकालानां क्वचिद् आवृतिकारकः
For those who realize the truth as you do, there is neither a perceiver nor anything to be perceived, nor is there ever any obstruction caused by space or time.
अरुद्धश् च पदार्थौघैस् स्वयं स्वानुभवोन्मुखः । व्यवहर्ता तथाभूतैर् एव पुम्भिर् मनोमयैः
Unrestricted by the multitude of objects, one is naturally inclined toward self-experience, and interacts with others who are similarly constituted of mind.