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.
मनो नाम शरीरं हि जगतस् सकलस्य च । आत्मशक्तिश् चिद् अस्यात्मा न नश्यति कदाचन
The mind is called the body of the entire world; its essence is the power of the Self, which is consciousness, and this never perishes at any time.
यो ऽसाव् आत्मा महाप्राज्ञ नश्यतीत्य् अवगच्छसि । न नश्यति कदाचिद् स किं मुधा परितप्यसे
You believe that this Self, the supremely wise, perishes; but it never perishes at any time—why do you grieve in vain?
विशीर्णे ऽभ्रे यथा वातश् शुष्के ऽब्जे षट्पदो यथा । यात्य् अनन्तपदं व्योम तथात्मा देहसङ्क्षये
Just as the wind passes through a broken cloud, or a bee leaves a dried lotus and goes into the endless sky, so does the Self depart when the body is destroyed.
संसारे ऽस्मिन् विहरतो मनो ऽपि हि न नश्यति । ज्ञानाग्निना विना जन्तोर् आत्मनाशे तु का कथा
Even while one wanders in this world, the mind does not perish; without the fire of knowledge, the destruction of the Self is not even a topic for discussion.
यः कुण्डबदरन्यायो यो घटाकाशयोः क्रमः । स्थितिर् देहात्मनोस् सैव सविनाशाविनाशयोः
The analogy of the jar and the berry, and the sequence of the space within the jar, applies likewise to the existence of body and Self—whether perishable or imperishable.
बदरं हस्तम् आयाति यथा स्फुटति कुण्डके । आत्मा गगनम् आयाति तथा चलति देहके
Just as a berry enters the hand and bursts in the jar, so the Self enters the sky and moves within the body.
कुम्भे गच्छत्य् अकुम्भत्वं कुम्भाकाशो यथाम्बरे । तिष्ठत्य् एवम् अयं देही देहे क्षीणे निरामयः
When the jar is gone, its space remains as the space of the sky; likewise, when the body is exhausted, the embodied one remains, free from affliction.
मनो देहो हि जन्तूनां देशकालतिरोहितः । मुहुर् मृतिपटाच्छन्नश् शेते किं परिदेवना
The mind and body of creatures are concealed from place and time; repeatedly covered by the veil of death, they lie dormant—why lament?
देशकालतिरोधाने मूढो ऽपि मरणे नरः । किं बिभेति महाबाहो नेह नश्यति कश्चन
Even the ignorant man, when place and time are concealed at death, why should he fear, O mighty-armed one? No one perishes here.
अतस् त्वं वासनां राम मिथ्यैवाहम् इति स्थिताम् । त्यज पक्षीश्वरो व्योमगमनोत्क इवाण्डकम्
Therefore, O Rama, abandon the notion 'I am this'—a mere fancy—just as the lord of birds, eager to fly the sky, leaves behind the eggshell.
यैषा हि मानसी शक्तिर् इष्टानिष्टानुबन्धिनी । अनयेदं मुधा भ्रान्त्या स्वप्नवत् परिकल्पितम्
For this is a mental power, binding one to what is desired and undesired; by it, through delusion, this world is imagined in vain, like a dream.
अविद्यैषा दुरन्तैषा दुःखायैषा हि वर्धते । अपरिज्ञायमानैषा तनोतीदम् असन्मयम्
This is ignorance, difficult to cross, the cause of suffering; when not recognized, it gives rise to this illusory world.
एषा कुड्यवद् आकाशं तुषारम् अनलं यथा । परिपश्यति विभ्रान्ता स्वरूपस्य स्वभावतः
Deluded by it, one perceives space as if it were a wall, frost as fire, all due to the inherent nature of one's own being.
असद् एवेदम् आरम्भमन्थरं सद् इवोत्थितम् । कल्पितं जगद् आभोगि दीर्घस्वप्न इवैतया
This world, seemingly substantial, is in truth insubstantial, arising sluggishly like something real; it is conjured up by this power, like a long dream.
भावनामात्रम् एवास्यास् स्वरूपं कर्तृतां गतम् । जगताम् आकुलं चक्षुर् व्योम्नि पिञ्छकताम् इव
Its very essence is mere imagination, assuming the role of doer; it makes the eyes of the world restless, like a peacock's plume fluttering in the sky.
लयम् अस्यास् स्वरूपं त्वं नय राम विचारणात् । यथा हिमशिलायास् तु तपनाद् दिवसाधिपः
Lead this power to dissolution, O Rama, through inquiry—just as the sun, lord of the day, melts a block of ice.
हिमाभावार्थिनो ऽर्कस्य स्वोदयेन हितं यथा । सिध्यत्य् एवं विचारेण मनोनाशार्थिनो ऽर्थितम्
Just as the rise of the sun benefits those seeking the disappearance of frost, so too, through inquiry, is fulfilled the aim of one seeking the dissolution of the mind.
अविद्या सम्प्रवृत्ता हि विततानर्थदुर्गमा । नानेन्द्रजालकलणं शाम्बरी हेम वर्षति
Ignorance has arisen, spreading a web of misfortune and difficulty; like a magician’s illusion, it showers golden rain.
स्वविनाशक्रियां चैतां मन एव करोत्य् अलम् । मनो ह्य् आत्मवधं नाम नाटकं परिनृत्यति
The mind itself performs its own destruction; indeed, the mind dances the drama called self-slaughter.
आत्मानम् ईक्षते चेतस् स्वविनाशाय केवलम् । न हि जानाति दुर्बुद्धिर् विनाशं प्रत्युपस्थितम्
The mind perceives itself only for its own ruin; the misguided intellect does not recognize the destruction approaching.