द्रोणैर् नवनवत्या तैस् तस्यां द्रोणेन चान्धसः । तत्र द्रोणशतं हीनं रन्धितं बहुभोजिभिः
With ninety-nine measures, and one more of food, there, a hundred measures were lacking, consumed by many eaters.
ततो भुक्तं जनशतैर् ब्राह्मणानां शतैस् तथा । त्रिभिस् तै राजपुत्रैश् च परां निर्वृतिम् आगतैः
Then, hundreds of people ate, as did hundreds of Brahmins, and those three princes, having attained supreme satisfaction.
भविष्यन्नगरे तस्मिन् राजपुत्रास् त्रयो ऽपि ते । सुखम् अद्य स्थिताः पुत्र मृगयाव्यवहारिणः
In that future city, those three princes remain happily today, my son, engaged in hunting and their affairs.
आख्यायिकैषा कथिता मया रम्या तवानघ । एतां हृदि कुरु प्राज्ञ विदग्धस् त्वं भविष्यसि
This delightful tale has been told to you, O sinless one; keep it in your heart, wise one, and you will become discerning.
धात्र्येति कथिता राम बालायाख्यायिका शुभा । तुष्टिं जगाम बालश् च शुभाख्यायिकयानया
Thus, O Rama, the nurse told this auspicious children's story; and the child was pleased by this auspicious tale.
एषा हि कथिता राम चित्ताख्यानकथां प्रति । बालकाख्यायिका तुभ्यं मया कमललोचन
This, O lotus-eyed Rama, is the children's story I have narrated to you, in relation to the tale of the mind.
इयं संसाररचना स्थितिम् एवम् उपागता । बालकाख्यायिकेवोग्रैस् सङ्कल्पैर् व्यर्थकल्पितैः
This creation of the world has come to this state, just as in the children's story, through intense and futile imaginations.
विकल्पजालिकैवेयं प्रतिभासात्मिकानघ । बन्धमोक्षादिकलनारूपेण प्रविजृम्भते
O sinless one, this is but a web of imagination, consisting of appearances, which unfolds itself in the forms of bondage, liberation, and so on.
सङ्कल्पमात्राद् इतरद् विद्यते नेह किञ्चन । सङ्कल्पवशतः किञ्चिन् नकिञ्चित् किञ्चिद् एव वा
Here, apart from mere thought-constructs, nothing else exists; by the power of thought, something appears, or nothing at all, or only a certain thing.
द्यौः क्षमा वायुर् आकाशः पर्वतास् सरितो दिशः । सङ्कल्पकलितं सर्वम् एतत् स्वप्नवद् आत्मनः
Heaven, earth, wind, space, mountains, rivers, and directions—all this is shaped by thought, like a dream within oneself.
राजपुत्रास् त्रयो नद्यो भविष्यन्नगरं तथा । यथा सङ्कल्परचना तथेयं त्रिजगत्स्थितिः
Just as the three princes, the rivers, and the city-to-be were creations of imagination, so too is the existence of the three worlds.
सङ्कल्पमात्रम् अभितः परिस्फुरति चञ्चलम् । पयोमात्रात्मको ऽम्भोधिर् अम्भसीवात्मनात्मनि
Only thought, ever restless, shines forth all around; just as the ocean is nothing but water, so too is everything, in essence, the Self within the Self.
सङ्कल्पमात्रम् उत्पन्नं प्रथमं परमात्मनि । तद् इदं स्फारतां यातं व्यापारैर् दिवसं यथा
Thought alone first arises in the Supreme Self; this then expands into activity, just as the day unfolds.
सङ्कल्पजालकलनैव जगत् समग्रं सङ्कल्पम् एव ननु विद्धि विलासि चेत्यम् । सङ्कल्पमात्रम् अलम् उत्सृज निर्विकल्पम् आश्रित्य निश्चयम् अवाप्नुहि राम शान्तिम्
The entire world is but a web of thought-constructs; know indeed that all is only thought, O playful one. Abandon mere thought, take refuge in the thought-free state, and, with certainty, attain peace, O Rama.
स्वसङ्कल्पवशान् मूढो मोहम् एति न पण्डितः । अयक्षे यक्षसङ्कल्पान् मुह्यते शिशुनैव हि
The deluded one, under the sway of his own thoughts, falls into confusion, not the wise; just as a non-spirit is bewildered by the thoughts of a spirit, like a child.
को ऽसौ सङ्कल्पितः केन यक्षो ब्रह्मविदां वर । असतैव महामोहं येनादत्ते सदैव हि
Who is this imagined being, this yakṣa, considered foremost among knowers of Brahman? By whom is this great delusion, which is truly unreal, always taken up?
अमुना भूतसङ्गेन यक्षो ऽहङ्काररूपधृत् । वेतालश् शिशुनेवेह मिथ्यैव परिकल्पितः
By this association with elements, the yakṣa, taking the form of ego, is falsely conceived here, like a goblin imagined by a child.
एकस्मिन्न् एव सर्वस्मिन् स्थिते परमवस्तुनि । कुतः को ऽयम् अहं नाम कथं नाम किलोदितः
When the supreme reality alone abides in all, how, from where, and in what manner does this so-called 'I' arise?
वस्तुतो नास्त्य् अहङ्कारः परमात्मन्य् अभेदतः । असम्यग्दर्शनान् मार्गी सरित् तीव्रातपे यथा
In truth, there is no ego, for there is no difference in the supreme Self; just as a traveler, due to imperfect vision, sees water in the intense heat.
मनोमणिर् महारम्भस् संसार इति लक्ष्यते । आत्मनात्मानम् आश्रित्य स्फुरत्य् अम्बु यथाम्बुना
The jewel of the mind, with its great activity, is designated as saṃsāra; relying on the Self, the Self shines forth, just as water glistens through water.
असम्यग्दर्शनं तेन त्यज राम निराश्रयम् । साश्रयं सत्यम् आनन्दि सम्यग्दर्शनम् आश्रय
Therefore, O Rāma, abandon unsupported false perception; take refuge in true perception, which is grounded and blissful.
धिया विचारधर्मिण्या मोहसंरम्भहीनया । विचारयाधुना सत्यम् असत्यं सम्परित्यज
With an intellect inclined toward inquiry, free from the agitation of delusion, now discern the truth and completely abandon the untrue.
अबद्धो बद्ध इत्य् उक्त्वा किं शोचसि मुधैव हि । अनन्तस्यात्मतत्त्वस्य किं कथं केन बध्यते
Saying 'bound' or 'unbound' is truly pointless—why do you grieve in vain? For the infinite reality of the Self, what, how, and by whom can bondage occur?
नानानानात्वकलनास्व् अविभिन्ने महात्मनि । सर्वस्मिन् ब्रह्मतत्त्वे ऽस्मिन् किं बद्धं किं विमुच्यते
In the undivided Supreme Self, where the notion of multiplicity arises only through conceptualization, what can be bound and what can be liberated in this all-pervading reality of Brahman?
अनार्तो ऽप्य् आर्तिसद्भावाच् छिन्ने ऽङ्गे किं च ताम्यसि । भेदाभेदविकारार्तिः काचिन् नात्मनि विद्यते
Though you are inherently free from suffering, you feel pain because of its apparent presence; why do you grieve over a wounded limb? No affliction of division, unity, or change truly exists in the Self.
देहे नष्टे क्षते क्षीणे कात्मनः क्षतिर् आगता । भस्त्रायां परिदग्धायां तत्स्थं हेम न नश्यति
When the body is destroyed, injured, or diminished, what harm comes to the Self? Just as gold within a crucible remains unharmed even when the crucible is burnt.
देहः पततु वोदेतु का नः क्षतिर् उपागता । को नष्टः प्रक्षते पुष्पे आमोदो व्योमसंश्रयः
Let the body fall or be destroyed—what loss comes to us? When a flower is crushed, is its fragrance, which abides in space, truly lost?
आपतन्तु वपुःपद्मं सुखदुःखहिमश्रियः । आकाशोड्डयने ऽलीनां का नः क्षतिर् उपस्थिता
Let the lotus-like body be struck by the frost of pleasure and pain—what harm comes to us, who are established in the expanse of space, like bees that have flown away?
देहः पततु वोदेतु यातु वा गगनान्तरम् । तद्विलक्षणरूपस्य कासौ भवति ते क्षतिः
Let the body fall, be destroyed, or depart to the farthest sky—what injury can there be to your true nature, which is distinct from it?
यथा पयोदमरुतोर् यथा षट्पदपद्मयोः । तथा राघव सम्बन्धस् त्वच्छरीरत्वदात्मनोः
Just as the connection between cloud and wind, or bee and lotus, so too, Rāghava, is the relationship between your body and your Self.