गर्वादिगुणगर्भिण्या शून्ययाशक्तिवश्यया । अन्नं महाशनेनेव जरसा परिजीर्यते
Just as food is consumed by great hunger and old age, so too is the body, filled with pride and other qualities, yet empty and powerless, gradually worn away.
दिनैः कतिपयैर् एव परिज्ञाय गतादरम् । दुर्जनस् सज्जनेनेव यौवनेनावमुच्यते
In just a few days, once its charm is recognized and gone, youth is abandoned, like a wicked person is by the virtuous.
विनाशसुहृदा नित्यं जरामरणबन्धुना । रूपं शिड्गवरेणेव कृतान्तेनाभिलष्यते
Form is always desired by death, the friend of destruction and constant companion of old age, just as a bird is sought by a skilled fowler.
स्थिरतया सुखहारितया तया सततम् उज्झितम् उत्तम फल्गु च । जगति नास्ति तथा गुणवर्जितं मरणमार्जितम् आयुर् इदं यथा
This life, unstable and robbed of happiness by old age, is always abandoned by the best and the ordinary alike; in this world, there is nothing so devoid of virtue and so claimed by death as this lifespan.
मुधैवाभ्युत्थितो मोहान् मुधैव परिवर्धते । मिथ्यामयेन भीतो ऽस्मि दुरहङ्कारशत्रुणा
Delusion arises in vain and grows in vain; I am afraid of this false, illusory ego, the enemy that is hard to overcome.
अहङ्कारवशाद् एव दोषकोशः कदर्थनाम् । ददाति दीनदीनानां संसारो विविधाकृतिः
It is only because of ego that the storehouse of faults torments the utterly miserable; because of ego, the manifold forms of worldly existence arise.
अहङ्कारवशाद् आपद् अहङ्काराद् दुराधयः । अहङ्कारवशाद् ईहाप्य् अहङ्कारो महामयः
From ego come misfortunes, from ego arise diseases; even effort is due to ego—ego is the great delusion.
तम् अहङ्कारम् आश्रित्य परमं चिरवैरिणम् । न भुञ्जे न पिबाम्य् अम्भः किम् उ भोगान् भजे मुने
Relying on that ego, the supreme and ancient enemy, I neither eat nor drink water, let alone enjoy pleasures, O sage.
संसाररज्जुर् आदीर्घा मम चेतसि मोहिनी । तताहङ्कारदोषेण किरातेनेव वागुरा
The long rope of worldly existence, which deludes my mind, is woven by the fault of ego, like a snare set by a hunter.
यानि दुःखानि दीर्घाणि विषमाणि महान्ति च । अहङ्कारात् प्रसूतानि तान्य् अगात् खदिरा इव
All the long, harsh, and great sufferings that arise are born from ego; they vanish like the leaves of the khadira tree.
शमेन्दोस् सैंहिकेयास्यं गुणपद्ममहाशनिम् । ज्ञानमेघशरत्कालम् अहङ्कारं त्यजाम्य् अहम्
With the moon of tranquility, the lion-faced thunderbolt of virtue, and the autumn of the cloud of knowledge, I abandon ego.
नाहं रामो न मे वाञ्छा भावेषु च न मे मनः । शान्त आसितुम् इच्छामि स्वात्मन्य् एव जिनो यथा
I am not Rama, nor do I have desire, nor is my mind attached to objects; I wish to remain peaceful within my own self, just as a sage.
अहङ्कारवशाद् यद् यन् मया भुक्तं कृतं हृतम् । सर्वं तु तद् अवस्त्व् एव वस्त्व् अहङ्काररिक्तता
Whatever I have enjoyed, done, or taken under the sway of ego, all of that is truly unreal; reality is only the absence of ego.
अहम् इत्य् अस्ति चेद् ब्रह्मन्न् अहम् आपदि दुःखितः । सम्पत्सु सुखितस् तस्माद् अनहङ्कारिताधनः
If the thought 'I am' exists, O Brahman, then in adversity I am sorrowful, and in prosperity I am happy; therefore, wealth lies in freedom from ego.
अहङ्कारं परित्यज्य मुने शान्तमनास् तथा । अवतिष्ठे गतोद्वेगो भोगौघे ऽभङ्गुरास्पदम्
Having abandoned ego, O sage, with a peaceful mind, I remain free from agitation, in the flood of enjoyments, at the fragile foundation.
ब्रह्मन् यावद् अहङ्कारवारिदः प्रविजृम्भते । तावद् विकासम् आयाति तृष्णाकुटजमञ्जरी
O Brahman, as long as the cloud of ego expands, so long does the cluster of thirst for objects blossom.
अहङ्कारघने शान्ते तृष्णानवतडिल्लता । शान्तदीपशिखावृत्त्या क्वापि यास्यति सत्वरम्
When the dense ego has become peaceful, the vine of craving, deprived of its support, will swiftly vanish like the flame of a lamp that has been extinguished.
अहङ्कारमहाविन्ध्ये मनोमत्तमतङ्गजः । विस्फूर्जति घनास्फोटैस् स्तनितैर् इव वारिदः
Within the great mountain of ego, the mind—like a wild, intoxicated elephant—roars with thunderous crashes, just as clouds resound with thunder.
इह देहमहादर्यां घनाहङ्कारकेसरी । यो ऽयम् उल्लसति स्फारं तेनेदं जगद् आततम्
Here, in the vast cave of the body, the lion of dense ego roars mightily; by this, the entire world is pervaded.
तृष्णातन्तुलवप्रोता बहुजन्मपरम्परा । अहङ्कारोग्रशिड्गेन कण्ठे मुक्तावली कृता
Strung together with the threads of craving, extending through countless births, a necklace of pearls is made and worn at the throat by the fierce hook of ego.
पुत्रदारकलत्राणि तन्त्रं मन्त्रविवर्जितम् । प्रसारितम् अनेनेह दुरहङ्कारवैरिणा
Sons, wives, and families—these are spread out here like a web, lacking any true mantra, by this difficult enemy called ego.
प्रमार्जिते ऽहम् इत्य् अस्मिन् पदे स्वयम् अखिद्यता । प्रमार्जिता भवन्त्य् एव सर्व एव दुराधयः
When the notion 'I am' is completely wiped away, then, by that very act, all wicked afflictions are truly eradicated.
अहम् इत्य् अम्बुदे शान्ते शनैस् सुशमशालिनि । मनोमननसम्मोहमिहिका क्वापि गच्छति
When the ocean of 'I am' becomes calm and perfectly tranquil, the mist of confusion that clouds the mind gradually disappears somewhere.
निरहङ्कारवृत्तेर् मे मौर्ख्याच् छोकेन सीदतः । यत् किञ्चिद् उचितं ब्रह्मंस् तद् आख्यातुम् इहार्हसि
Since I am now free of ego, yet languishing here in ignorance and sorrow, O sage, please tell me whatever is appropriate.
सर्वापदां निलयम् अध्रुवम् अन्तरस्थम् उन्मुक्तम् उत्तमगुणेन न संश्रयामि । यत्नाद् अहङ्कृतिपदं परितो ऽतिदुःखं शेषेण मां समनुशाधि महानुभाव
I do not take refuge in that impermanent, inner abode of all misfortunes, which is unbound and not endowed with the highest virtue; O great one, earnestly instruct me, for I remain in the utterly painful state of ego-identity.
दोषैर् जर्जरतां यातं सत्कार्याद् आर्यसेवितात् । वातात्तपिञ्छलववच् चेतश् चलति चञ्चलम्
The mind, worn out by faults, though engaged in noble deeds and honored by the virtuous, is as restless and unsteady as a feather blown by the wind.
इतश् चेतश् च सुव्यग्रं व्यर्थम् एवाभिधावति । दूराद् दूरतरं दीनं ग्रामे कौलेयको यथा
The mind, greatly agitated, runs here and there in vain, becoming ever more distant and dejected, like a villager in a foreign town.
न प्राप्नोति क्वचित् किञ्चित् प्राप्तैर् अपि महाधनैः । नान्तस् सम्पूर्णताम् एति करण्डक इवाम्बुभिः
It attains nothing anywhere, even when great wealth is acquired; it never reaches fulfillment within, like a basket never filled with water.
नित्यम् एव मनश् शून्यं कदाशावागुरावृतम् । न मनाङ् निर्वृतिं याति मृगो यूथाद् इव च्युतः
The mind is always empty, ensnared by the net of desires; it does not attain even a little satisfaction, like a deer separated from its herd.
तरङ्गतरलां वृत्तिं दधद् आलूनशीर्णताम् । परित्यज्य क्षणम् अपि न मनो याति निर्वृतिम्
Possessing a nature as fleeting as waves and worn away by afflictions, the mind does not attain contentment, even for a moment, having abandoned peace.